Cinema Science

This aired a few nights ago but I finally got around to watching it last night. Here in its entirety is AFI's 10 Top 10. Their favorite films from 10 genres. I'll post a few thoughts after each list.

Animation

10. Finding Nemo (2003)
9. Cinderella (1950)
8. Shrek (2001)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
6. Toy Story (1995)
5. Fantasia (1940)
4. The Lion King (1994)
3. Bambi (1942)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

All of these are Disney movies except Shrek, which lampoons Disney movies.

Fantasy

10. Big (1988)
9. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
8. Groundhog Day (1993)
7. Harvey (1950)
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
4. King Kong (1933)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
2. The Lord of the Rings (2001)
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

A strange category. Groundhog Day, Big, and Field of Dreams all in the same genre as Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz?

Sci-Fi

10. Back to the Future (1985)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
7. Alien (1979)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
4. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
3. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
2. Star Wars (1977)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This list features the biggest omission. Where the Hell is Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

Sports

10. Jerry Maguire (1996)
9. National Velvet (1944)
8. Breaking Away (1979)
7. Caddyshack (1980)
6. The Hustler (1961)
5. Bull Durham (1988)
4. Hoosiers (1986)
3. Pride of the Yankees (1942)
2. Rocky (1976)
1. Raging Bull (1980)

I thought Million Dollar Baby should have been included here. Shouldn't Jerry Maguire be in the Romantic Comedy section? Breaking Away needs to be higher on the list.

Westerns

10. Cat Ballou (1965)
9. Stagecoach (1939)
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
6. The Wild Bunch (1969)
5. Red River (1948)
4. Unforgiven (1992)
3. Shane (1953)
2. High Noon (1952)
1. The Searchers (1956)

Glad that McCabe & Mrs. Miller made the lest. Where is The Good The Bad and The Ugly? That kid in Shane is still annoying.

Gangster

10. Scarface (1983)
9. Little Caesar (1931)
8. The Public Enemy (1931)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
4. White Heat (1949)
3. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
2. Goodfellas (1990)
1. The Godfather (1972)

Thank God some revisionist thinking didn't make Scarface appear higher on the list, that is one film I can't sit through.

Mysteries

10. The Usual Suspects (1995)
9. Dial M for Murder (1954)
8. Blue Velvet (1986)
7. North By Northwest (1959)
6. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
5. The Third Man (1949)
4. Laura (1941)
3. Rear Window (1954)
2. Chinatown (1974)
1. Vertigo (1958)

Yeah, I guess. When thinking of genres I hardly think of mysteries.

Romantic Comedies

10. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
9. Harold and Maude (1971)
8. Moonstruck (1987)
7. Adam's Rib (1949)
6. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
5. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
3. It Happened One Night (1934)
2. Annie Hall (1977)
1. City Lights (1931)

No real complaints, could have probably just been a list of all Woody Allen movies. Harold and Maude made it, so that is enough for me.

Courtroom Dramas

10. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
9. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
8. In Cold Blood (1967)
7. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
6. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
5. A Few Good Men (1992)
4. The Verdict (1982)
3. Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Courtroom dramas, really?

Epics

10. The Ten Commandments (1956)
9. Reds (1981)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
6. Titanic (1997)
5. Spartacus (1960)
4. Gone With the Wind (1939)
3. Schindler's List (1993)
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

It seems like they just tried to cram in all the rest of the movies in this final category. Why not have a separate list just for war films?