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American Film Institute Awards

The American Film Institute (AFI) Awards honour the Top 10 Films for each year. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Top 10 Films 2007

There Will Be Blood with its brilliant central performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and the Coen Brothers adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country For Old Men are the clear standouts of 2007.

  • Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
  • Into the Wild
  • Juno
  • Knocked Up
  • Michael Clayton
  • No Country for Old Men
  • Ratatouille
  • The Savages
  • There Will Be Blood

The American Film Institute Desk Reference: The Complete Guide to Everything You Need to Know about the Movies (Hardcover)
Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation (Paperback)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Movies: American Film Institute (Complete Edition) DVD
Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood’s Golden Age at the American Film Institute (Paperback)

Top 10 Films 2004

  • The Aviator
  • Collateral
  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  • Friday Night Lights
  • The Incredibles
  • Kinsey
  • Maria Full of Grace
  • Million Dollar Baby
  • Sideways
  • Spider-Man 2

 



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The greatest American movies

In response to the American Film Institute announcing its list of 400 films to be voted upon for their selection of the 100 years…100 American movies, the Los Angeles Daily News conducted its own poll in late 1997 asking their readers to choose their own top feature films of the century from the same list of 400 candidates. The results were published in the December 3, 1997 issue of the paper.

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
4. Gone With The Wind (1939)
5. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
6. The Godfather (1972)
7. The African Queen (1951)
8. The Sound of Music (1965)
9. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
10. Star Wars (1977)
11. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
12. Schindler’s List (1993)
13. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
14. It Happened One Night (1934)
15. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
16. The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
17. Patton (1970)
18. Dances with Wolves (1990)
19. King Kong (1933)
20. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
21. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
22. All About Eve (1950)
23. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
24. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
25. Stagecoach (1939)
26. Fantasia (1940)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. Ben-Hur (1959)
29. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
30. Psycho (1960)
31. (tie) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
31. (tie) Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
31. (tie) Oklahoma! (1955)
31. (tie) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
35. (tie) Forrest Gump (1994)
35. (tie) Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
35. (tie) My Fair Lady (1964)
38. (tie) E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
38. (tie) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
38. (tie) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
38. (tie) Some Like It Hot (1959)
38. (tie) To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
38. (tie) West Side Story (1961)
44. (tie) An American In Paris (1951)
44. (tie) Doctor Zhivago (1965)
44. (tie) From Here to Eternity (1953)
44. (tie) Laura (1944)
44. (tie) Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
44. (tie) On The Waterfront (1954)
44. (tie) The Quiet Man (1952)
51. (tie) Frankenstein (1931)
51. (tie) The Graduate (1967)
51. (tie) North By Northwest (1959)
51. (tie) Rocky (1976)
51. (tie) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
51. (tie) The Ten Commandments (1956)




57. (tie) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
57. (tie) Braveheart (1995)
57. (tie) Double Indemnity (1944)
57. (tie) Lost Horizon (1937)
57. (tie) Mary Poppins (1964)
57. (tie) M*A*S*H (1970)
57. (tie) One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
64. (tie) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
64. (tie) Giant (1956)
64. (tie) The Jazz Singer (1927)
64. (tie) Midnight Cowboy (1969)
64. (tie) Mrs. Miniver (1942)
64. (tie) Raging Bull (1980)
64. (tie) Rebecca (1940)
64. (tie) Wings (1927)
72. (tie) American Graffiti (1973)
72. (tie) Annie Hall (1977)
72. (tie) The Color Purple (1985)
72. (tie) The French Connection (1971)
72. (tie) The Gold Rush (1925)
72. (tie) The Longest Day (1962)
72. (tie) Rain Man (1988)
72. (tie) The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
72. (tie) The Sting (1973)
72. (tie) Tootsie (1982)
72. (tie) 12 Angry Men (1957)
72. (tie) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
84. (tie) Apocalypse Now (1979)
84. (tie) Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
84. (tie) Chinatown (1974)
84. (tie) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
84. (tie) Funny Girl (1968)
84. (tie) Gunga Din (1939)
84. (tie) Shane (1953)
84. (tie) The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
84. (tie) The Third Man (1949)
93. (tie) Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
93. (tie) Blade Runner (1982)
93. (tie) Bonnie And Clyde (1967)
93. (tie) The Caine Mutiny (1954)
93. (tie) Chariots of Fire (1981)
93. (tie) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
93. (tie) East of Eden (1955)
93. (tie) Field of Dreams (1989)
93. (tie) 42nd Street (1933)
93. (tie) The Godfather, Part II (1974)
93. (tie) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
93. (tie) The Lion King (1994)
93. (tie) The Lost Weekend (1945)
93. (tie) Marty (1955)
93. (tie) Mister Roberts (1955)
93. (tie) On Golden Pond (1981)
93. (tie) The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
93. (tie) The Philadelphia Story (1940)
93. (tie) Rear Window (1954)
93. (tie) Stalag 17 (1953)
93. (tie) Taxi Driver (1976)
93. (tie) Vertigo (1958)
93. (tie) The Way We Were (1973)



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AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals

In 2006, as part of the AFI 100 Years… series,  the AFI unveiled its Greatest Movie Musicals list of the top musicals in American cinema. In a change to the majority of AFI lists in this series only the top 25 films are shown. It’s hard to question the placings on this list with Singin’ in the Rainm placed at no. 1,  not just the greatest musical ever made but arguably one of the greatest films ever made.

1 Singin’ in the Rain 1952 MGM
2 West Side Story 1961 United Artists
3 The Wizard of Oz 1939 MGM
4 The Sound of Music 1965 20th Century Fox
5 Cabaret 1972 Allied Artists
6 Mary Poppins 1964 Disney
7 A Star Is Born 1954 Warner Bros.
8 My Fair Lady 1964 Warner Bros.
9 An American in Paris 1951 MGM
10 Meet Me in St. Louis 1944 MGM
11 The King and I 1956 20th Century Fox
12 Chicago 2002 Miramax
13 42nd Street 1933 Warner Bros.
14 All That Jazz 1979 20th Century Fox
15 Top Hat 1935 RKO
16 Funny Girl 1968 Columbia
17 The Band Wagon 1953 MGM
18 Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942 Warner Bros.
19 On the Town 1949 MGM
20 Grease 1978 Paramount
21 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 1954 MGM
22 Beauty and the Beast 1991 Disney
23 Guys and Dolls 1955 MGM
24 Show Boat 1936 Universal
25 Moulin Rouge! 2001 20th Century Fox

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers

In 2006 the AFI unveiled its 100 Years…100 Cheers: America’s Most Inspiring Movies list of the most inspiring films. Some interesting choices here. Nice to see the quirky and inventively shot Breaking Away on the list and the classic of American cinema The Right Stuff which I might well have placed at no. 1! Buy – Afi’s 100 Years 100 Cheers (DVD)

1 It’s a Wonderful Life Frank Capra 1946
2 To Kill a Mockingbird Robert Mulligan 1962
3 Schindler’s List Steven Spielberg 1993
4 Rocky John G. Avildsen 1976
5 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Frank Capra 1939
6 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Steven Spielberg 1982
7 The Grapes of Wrath John Ford 1940
8 Breaking Away Peter Yates 1979
9 Miracle on 34th Street George Seaton 1947
10 Saving Private Ryan Steven Spielberg 1998
11 The Best Years of Our Lives William Wyler 1946
12 Apollo 13 Ron Howard 1995
13 Hoosiers David Anspaugh 1986
14 The Bridge on the River Kwai David Lean 1957
15 The Miracle Worker Arthur Penn 1962
16 Norma Rae Martin Ritt 1979
17 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Miloš Forman 1975
18 The Diary of Anne Frank George Stevens 1959
19 The Right Stuff Philip Kaufman 1983
20 Philadelphia Jonathan Demme 1993
21 In the Heat of the Night Norman Jewison 1967
22 The Pride of the Yankees Sam Wood 1942
23 The Shawshank Redemption Frank Darabont 1994
24 National Velvet Clarence Brown 1944
25 Sullivan’s Travels Preston Sturges 1941
26 The Wizard of Oz Victor Fleming 1939
27 High Noon Fred Zinnemann 1952
28 Field of Dreams Phil Alden Robinson 1989
29 Gandhi Richard Attenborough 1982
30 Lawrence of Arabia David Lean 1962
31 Glory Edward Zwick 1989
32 Casablanca Michael Curtiz 1942
33 City Lights Charlie Chaplin 1931
34 All the President’s Men Alan J. Pakula 1976
35 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Stanley Kramer 1967
36 On the Waterfront Elia Kazan 1954
37 Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis 1994
38 Pinocchio Ben Sharpsteen
Hamilton Luske		 1940
39 Star Wars George Lucas 1977
40 Mrs. Miniver William Wyler 1942
41 The Sound of Music Robert Wise 1965
42 12 Angry Men Sidney Lumet 1957
43 Gone with the Wind Victor Fleming 1939
44 Spartacus Stanley Kubrick 1960
45 On Golden Pond Mark Rydell 1981
46 Lilies of the Field Ralph Nelson 1963
47 2001: A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick 1968
48 The African Queen John Huston 1951
49 Meet John Doe Frank Capra 1941
50 Seabiscuit Gary Ross 2003




51 The Color Purple Steven Spielberg 1985
52 Dead Poets Society Peter Weir 1989
53 Shane George Stevens 1953
54 Rudy David Anspaugh 1993
55 The Defiant Ones Stanley Kramer 1958
56 Ben-Hur William Wyler 1959
57 Sergeant York Howard Hawks 1941
58 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Steven Spielberg 1977
59 Dances with Wolves Kevin Costner 1990
60 The Killing Fields Roland Joffé 1984
61 Sounder Martin Ritt 1972
62 Braveheart Mel Gibson 1995
63 Rain Man Barry Levinson 1988
64 The Black Stallion Carroll Ballard 1979
65 A Raisin in the Sun Daniel Petrie 1961
66 Silkwood Mike Nichols 1983
67 The Day the Earth Stood Still Robert Wise 1951
68 An Officer and a Gentleman Taylor Hackford 1982
69 The Spirit of St. Louis Billy Wilder 1957
70 Coal Miner’s Daughter Michael Apted 1980
71 Cool Hand Luke Stuart Rosenberg 1967
72 Dark Victory Edmund Goulding 1939
73 Erin Brockovich Steven Soderbergh 2000
74 Gunga Din George Stevens 1939
75 The Verdict Sidney Lumet 1982
76 Birdman of Alcatraz John Frankenheimer 1962
77 Driving Miss Daisy Bruce Beresford 1989
78 Thelma & Louise Ridley Scott 1991
79 The Ten Commandments Cecil B. DeMille 1956
80 Babe Chris Noonan 1995
81 Boys Town Norman Taurog 1938
82 Fiddler on the Roof Norman Jewison 1971
83 Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Frank Capra 1936
84 Serpico Sidney Lumet 1973
85 What’s Love Got to Do with It Brian Gibson 1993
86 Stand and Deliver Ramón Menéndez 1988
87 Working Girl Mike Nichols 1988
88 Yankee Doodle Dandy Michael Curtiz 1942
89 Harold and Maude Hal Ashby 1971
90 Hotel Rwanda Terry George 2004
91 The Paper Chase James Bridges 1973
92 Fame Alan Parker 1980
93 A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard 2001
94 Captains Courageous Victor Fleming 1937
95 Places in the Heart Robert Benton 1984
96 Searching for Bobby Fischer Steven Zaillian 1993
97 Madame Curie Mervyn LeRoy 1943
98 The Karate Kid John G. Avildsen 1984
99 Ray Taylor Hackford 2004
100 Chariots of Fire Hugh Hudson 1981

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores

In 2005, as part of the AFI 100 Years… series, the AFI unveiled its 100 Years of Film Scores list of the top 25 film scores in American cinema. There’s some great film composers not represented, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore are maybe too recent with Morricone’s work on The Mission from 1986 being the most modern score on the list. John Williams stands out as having three mentions.

1 Star Wars 1977 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd. John Williams
2 Gone with the Wind 1939 MGM, Selznick International Max Steiner
3 Lawrence of Arabia 1962 Columbia, Horizon Pictures Maurice Jarre
4 Psycho 1960 Paramount Bernard Herrmann
5 The Godfather 1972 Paramount Nino Rota
6 Jaws 1975 Universal John Williams
7 Laura 1944 20th Century Fox David Raksin
8 The Magnificent Seven 1960 United Artists, Mirisch Company Elmer Bernstein
9 Chinatown 1974 Paramount Jerry Goldsmith
10 High Noon 1952 United Artists, Stanley Kramer Productions Dimitri Tiomkin
11 The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 Warner Bros. Erich Wolfgang Korngold
12 Vertigo 1958 Paramount Bernard Herrmann
13 King Kong 1933 RKO Max Steiner
14 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 Universal, Amblin Entertainment John Williams
15 Out of Africa 1985 Universal John Barry
16 Sunset Boulevard 1950 Paramount Franz Waxman
17 To Kill a Mockingbird 1962 Universal Elmer Bernstein
18 Planet of the Apes 1968 20th Century Fox Jerry Goldsmith
19 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Warner Bros. Alex North
20 The Pink Panther 1964 United Artists, Mirisch Company Henry Mancini
21 Ben-Hur 1959 MGM Miklós Rózsa
22 On the Waterfront 1954 Columbia, Horizon Pictures Leonard Bernstein
23 The Mission 1986 Warner Bros., Goldcrest Films Ennio Morricone
24 On Golden Pond 1981 Universal, ITC Entertainment Dave Grusin
25 How the West Was Won 1962 MGM, Cinerama Releasing Alfred Newman, Ken Darby

AFI’s Top 100 Movie Songs: E-Z Play Today Volume 134 (Paperback)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) DVD
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) DVD
Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (Hardcover)

 




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs

In 2004, as part of the AFI 100 Years… series, the AFI unveiled their 100 Years…100 Songs list of the top 100 songs in American cinema of the 20th century. No surprises here, it’s the classics that get the recognition, with nothing after the 1970s in the Top 10. In fact Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from Titanic is the only song post the 70s in the top 25! Buy –  AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (book)

1 “Over the Rainbow“ The Wizard of Oz 1939
2 “As Time Goes By“ Casablanca 1942
3 “Singin’ in the Rain“ Singin’ in the Rain 1952
4 “Moon River“ Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961
5 “White Christmas“ Holiday Inn 1942
6 “Mrs. Robinson“ The Graduate 1967
7 “When You Wish upon a Star“ Pinocchio 1940
8 “The Way We Were“ The Way We Were 1973
9 “Stayin’ Alive“ Saturday Night Fever 1977
10 “The Sound of Music“ The Sound of Music 1965
11 “The Man That Got Away“ A Star Is Born 1954
12 “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend“ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953
13 “People“ Funny Girl 1968
14 “My Heart Will Go On“ Titanic 1997
15 “Cheek to Cheek“ Top Hat 1935
16 “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)“ A Star Is Born 1976
17 “I Could Have Danced All Night“ My Fair Lady 1964
18 “Cabaret“ Cabaret 1972
19 “Someday My Prince Will Come“ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937
20 “Somewhere“ West Side Story 1961
21 “Jailhouse Rock“ Jailhouse Rock 1957
22 “Everybody’s Talkin’“ Midnight Cowboy 1969
23 “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head“ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
24 “Ol’ Man River“ Show Boat 1936
25 “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’)“ High Noon 1952
26 “The Trolley Song“ Meet Me in St. Louis 1944
27 “Unchained Melody“ Ghost 1990
28 “Some Enchanted Evening“ South Pacific 1958
29 “Born to Be Wild“ Easy Rider 1969
30 “Stormy Weather“ Stormy Weather 1943
31 “Theme from New York, New York“ New York, New York 1977
32 “I Got Rhythm“ An American in Paris 1951
33 “Aquarius“ Hair 1979
34 “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off“ Shall We Dance 1937
35 “America“ West Side Story 1961
36 “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious“ Mary Poppins 1964
37 “Swinging on a Star“ Going My Way 1944
38 “Theme from Shaft“ Shaft 1971
39 “Days of Wine and Roses“ Days of Wine and Roses 1962
40 “Fight the Power“ Do the Right Thing 1989
41 “New York, New York“ On the Town 1949
42 “Luck Be a Lady“ Guys and Dolls 1955
43 “The Way You Look Tonight“ Swing Time 1936
44 “Wind Beneath My Wings“ Beaches 1988
45 “That’s Entertainment“ The Band Wagon 1953
46 “Don’t Rain on My Parade“ Funny Girl 1968
47 “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah“ Song of the South 1947
48 “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)“ The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956
49 “Make ‘Em Laugh“ Singin’ in the Rain 1952
50 “Rock Around the Clock“ Blackboard Jungle 1955




51 “Fame“ Fame 1980
52 “Summertime“ Porgy and Bess 1959
53 “Goldfinger“ Goldfinger 1964
54 “Shall We Dance?“ The King and I 1956
55 “Flashdance… What a Feeling“ Flashdance 1983
56 “Thank Heaven for Little Girls“ Gigi 1958
57 “The Windmills of Your Mind“ The Thomas Crown Affair 1968
58 “Gonna Fly Now“ Rocky 1976
59 “Tonight“ West Side Story 1961
60 “It Had to Be You“ When Harry Met Sally… 1989
61 “Get Happy“ Summer Stock 1950
62 “Beauty and the Beast“ Beauty and the Beast 1991
63 “Thanks for the Memory“ The Big Broadcast of 1938 1938
64 “My Favorite Things“ The Sound of Music 1965
65 “I Will Always Love You“ The Bodyguard 1992
66 “Suicide Is Painless“ MASH 1970
67 “Nobody Does It Better“ The Spy Who Loved Me 1977
68 “Streets of Philadelphia“ Philadelphia 1993
69 “On the Good Ship Lollipop“ Bright Eyes 1934
70 “Summer Nights“ Grease 1978
71 “(I’m a) Yankee Doodle Dandy“ Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942
72 “Good Morning“ Singin’ in the Rain 1952
73 “Isn’t It Romantic?“ Love Me Tonight 1932
74 “Rainbow Connection“ The Muppet Movie 1979
75 “Up Where We Belong“ An Officer and a Gentleman 1982
76 “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas“ Meet Me in St. Louis 1944
77 “The Shadow of Your Smile“ The Sandpiper 1965
78 “9 to 5“ Nine to Five 1980
79 “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)“ Arthur 1981
80 “Springtime for Hitler“ The Producers 1967
81 “I’m Easy“ Nashville 1975
82 “Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead“ The Wizard of Oz 1939
83 “The Rose“ The Rose 1979
84 “Put the Blame on Mame“ Gilda 1946
85 “Come What May“ Moulin Rouge! 2001
86 “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life“ Dirty Dancing 1987
87 “Buttons and Bows“ The Paleface 1948
88 “Do Re Mi“ The Sound of Music 1965
89 “Puttin’ on the Ritz“ Young Frankenstein 1974
90 “Seems Like Old Times“ Annie Hall 1977
91 “Let the River Run“ Working Girl 1988
92 “Long Ago (and Far Away)“ Cover Girl 1944
93 “Lose Yourself“ 8 Mile 2002
94 “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg“ The Big Chill 1983
95 “(We’re Off on the) Road to Morocco“ Road to Morocco 1942
96 “Footloose“ Footloose 1984
97 “42nd Street“ 42nd Street 1933
98 “All That Jazz“ Chicago 2002
99 “Hakuna Matata“ The Lion King 1994
100 “Old Time Rock and Roll“ Risky Business 1983

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains

In Junes 2003 AFI unveiled their 100 Years… 100 Heroes and Villains list of the 50 greatest screen heroes and 50 greatest screen villains. The likes of Indiana Jones and James Bond are unsurprisingly high up on the list of heroes and it’s hard to argue against Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates and Darth Vader being the greatest villains.

Heroes

1. Atticus Finch Gregory Peck To Kill a Mockingbird 1962
2. Indiana Jones Harrison Ford Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981
3. James Bond Sean Connery Dr. No 1962
4. Rick Blaine Humphrey Bogart Casablanca 1942
5. Will Kane Gary Cooper High Noon 1952
6. Clarice Starling Jodie Foster The Silence of the Lambs 1991
7. Rocky Balboa Sylvester Stallone Rocky 1976
8. Ellen Ripley Sigourney Weaver Aliens 1986
9. George Bailey James Stewart It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
10. T. E. Lawrence Peter O’Toole Lawrence of Arabia 1962
11. Jefferson Smith James Stewart Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939
12. Tom Joad Henry Fonda The Grapes of Wrath 1940
13. Oskar Schindler Liam Neeson Schindler’s List 1993
14. Han Solo Harrison Ford Star Wars 1977
15. Norma Rae Webster Sally Field Norma Rae 1979
16. Shane Alan Ladd Shane 1953
17. Harry Callahan Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry 1971
18. Robin Hood Errol Flynn The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938
19. Virgil Tibbs Sidney Poitier In the Heat of the Night 1967
20. Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid		 Paul Newman
and Robert Redford		 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
21. Mahatma Gandhi Ben Kingsley Gandhi 1982
22. Spartacus Kirk Douglas Spartacus 1960
23. Terry Malloy Marlon Brando On the Waterfront 1954
24. Thelma Dickinson and Louise Sawyer Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon Thelma & Louise 1991
25. Lou Gehrig Gary Cooper The Pride of the Yankees 1942
26. Superman Christopher Reeve Superman 1978
27. Bob Woodward
and Carl Bernstein		 Robert Redford
and Dustin Hoffman		 All the President’s Men 1976
28. Juror #8 Henry Fonda 12 Angry Men 1957
29. General George Patton George C. Scott Patton 1970
30. Lucas (Luke) Jackson Paul Newman Cool Hand Luke 1967
31. Erin Brockovich Julia Roberts Erin Brockovich 2000
32. Philip Marlowe Humphrey Bogart The Big Sleep 1946
33. Marge Gunderson Frances McDormand Fargo 1996
34. Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan the Ape Man 1932
35. Alvin York Gary Cooper Sergeant York 1941
36. Rooster Cogburn John Wayne True Grit 1969
37. Obi-Wan Kenobi Alec Guinness Star Wars 1977
38. The Tramp Charlie Chaplin City Lights 1931
39. Lassie Pal Lassie Come Home 1943
40. Frank Serpico Al Pacino Serpico 1973
41. Arthur Chipping Robert Donat Goodbye, Mr. Chips 1939
42. Father Edward Spencer Tracy Boys Town 1938
43. Moses Charlton Heston The Ten Commandments 1956
44. Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle Gene Hackman The French Connection 1971
45. Zorro Tyrone Power The Mark of Zorro 1940
46. Batman Michael Keaton Batman 1989
47. Karen Silkwood Meryl Streep Silkwood 1983
48. The T-800 Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
49. Andrew Beckett Tom Hanks Philadelphia 1993
50. General Maximus Decimus Meridius Russell Crowe Gladiator 2000




Villains

1. Dr. Hannibal Lecter Anthony Hopkins The Silence of the Lambs 1991
2. Norman Bates Anthony Perkins Psycho 1960
3. Darth Vader David Prowse (voiced by James Earl Jones) The Empire Strikes Back 1980
4. The Wicked Witch of the West Margaret Hamilton The Wizard of Oz 1939
5. Nurse Ratched Louise Fletcher One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975
6. Mr. Potter Lionel Barrymore It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
7. Alex Forrest Glenn Close Fatal Attraction 1987
8. Phyllis Dietrichson Barbara Stanwyck Double Indemnity 1944
9. Regan MacNeil (as possessed by “Satan”) Linda Blair (voiced by Mercedes McCambridge) The Exorcist 1973
10. The Evil Queen Voice of Lucille La Verne Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937
11. Michael Corleone Al Pacino The Godfather Part II 1974
12. Alex DeLarge Malcolm McDowell A Clockwork Orange 1971
13. HAL 9000 Voice of Douglas Rain 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
14. The Alien Bolaji Badejo Alien 1979
15. Amon Goeth Ralph Fiennes Schindler’s List 1993
16. Noah Cross John Huston Chinatown 1974
17. Annie Wilkes Kathy Bates Misery 1990
18. The Shark “Bruce”[2] Jaws 1975
19. Captain Bligh Charles Laughton Mutiny on the Bounty 1935
20. Man Voiced by Paul Starrs Bambi 1942
21. Mrs. Eleanor Iselin Angela Lansbury The Manchurian Candidate 1962
22. Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator 1984
23. Eve Harrington Anne Baxter All About Eve 1950
24. Gordon Gekko Michael Douglas Wall Street 1987
25. Jack Torrance Jack Nicholson The Shining 1980
26. Cody Jarrett James Cagney White Heat 1949
27. Martians Various The War of the Worlds 1953
28. Max Cady Robert Mitchum Cape Fear 1962
29. Reverend Harry Powell Robert Mitchum The Night of the Hunter 1955
30. Travis Bickle Robert De Niro Taxi Driver 1976
31. Mrs. Danvers Judith Anderson Rebecca 1940
32. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway Bonnie and Clyde 1967
33. Count Dracula Bela Lugosi Dracula 1931
34. Dr. Szell Laurence Olivier Marathon Man 1976
35. J.J. Hunsecker Burt Lancaster Sweet Smell of Success 1957
36. Frank Booth Dennis Hopper Blue Velvet 1986
37. Harry Lime Orson Welles The Third Man 1949
38. Caesar Enrico Bandello Edward G. Robinson Little Caesar 1931
39. Cruella De Vil Voice by Betty Lou Gerson One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961
40. Freddy Krueger Robert Englund A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984
41. Joan Crawford Faye Dunaway Mommie Dearest 1981
42. Tom Powers James Cagney The Public Enemy 1931
43. Regina Giddens Bette Davis The Little Foxes 1941
44. Baby Jane Hudson Bette Davis What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962
45. The Joker Jack Nicholson Batman 1989
46. Hans Gruber Alan Rickman Die Hard 1988
47. Tony Camonte Paul Muni Scarface 1932
48. Verbal Kint Kevin Spacey The Usual Suspects 1995
49. Auric Goldfinger Gert Fröbe (voiced by Michael Collins) Goldfinger 1964
50. Detective Alonzo Harris Denzel Washington Training Day 2001

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Passions

In June 2002, as part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI unveiled their 100 Years…100 Passions list of the top 100 greatest love stories in American cinema. There’s some film classics, weepies and romantic comedies among the list. As much as I despise it, I guess you couldn’t have a list of the greatest love stories and not include Love Story from 1970.

1 Casablanca 1942
2 Gone with the Wind 1939
3 West Side Story 1961
4 Roman Holiday 1953
5 An Affair to Remember 1957
6 The Way We Were 1973
7 Doctor Zhivago 1965
8 It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
9 Love Story 1970
10 City Lights 1931
11 Annie Hall 1977
12 My Fair Lady 1964
13 Out of Africa 1985
14 The African Queen 1951
15 Wuthering Heights 1939
16 Singin’ in the Rain 1952
17 Moonstruck 1987
18 Vertigo 1958
19 Ghost 1990
20 From Here to Eternity 1953
21 Pretty Woman 1990
22 On Golden Pond 1981
23 Now, Voyager 1942
24 King Kong 1933
25 When Harry Met Sally… 1989
26 The Lady Eve 1941
27 The Sound of Music 1965
28 The Shop Around the Corner 1940
29 An Officer and a Gentleman 1982
30 Swing Time 1936
31 The King and I 1956
32 Dark Victory 1939
33 Camille 1936
34 Beauty and the Beast 1991
35 Gigi 1958
36 Random Harvest 1942
37 Titanic 1997
38 It Happened One Night 1934
39 An American in Paris 1951
40 Ninotchka 1939
41 Funny Girl 1968
42 Anna Karenina 1935
43 A Star Is Born 1954
44 The Philadelphia Story 1940
45 Sleepless in Seattle 1993
46 To Catch a Thief 1955
47 Splendor in the Grass 1961
48 Last Tango in Paris 1973
49 The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946
50 Shakespeare in Love 1998




51 Bringing Up Baby 1938
52 The Graduate 1967
53 A Place in the Sun 1951
54 Sabrina 1954
55 Reds 1981
56 The English Patient 1996
57 Two for the Road 1967
58 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 1967
59 Picnic 1955
60 To Have and Have Not 1944
61 Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961
62 The Apartment 1960
63 Sunrise 1927
64 Marty 1955
65 Bonnie and Clyde 1967
66 Manhattan 1979
67 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951
68 What’s Up, Doc? 1972
69 Harold and Maude 1971
70 Sense and Sensibility 1995
71 Way Down East 1920
72 Roxanne 1987
73 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir 1947
74 Woman of the Year 1942
75 The American President 1995
76 The Quiet Man 1952
77 The Awful Truth 1937
78 Coming Home 1978
79 Jezebel 1938
80 The Sheik 1921
81 The Goodbye Girl 1977
82 Witness 1985
83 Morocco 1930
84 Double Indemnity 1944
85 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing 1955
86 Notorious 1946
87 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1988
88 The Princess Bride 1987
89 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966
90 The Bridges of Madison County 1995
91 Working Girl 1988
92 Porgy and Bess 1959
93 Dirty Dancing 1987
94 Body Heat 1981
95 Lady and the Tramp 1955
96 Barefoot in the Park 1967
97 Grease 1978
98 The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1939
99 Pillow Talk 1959
100 Jerry Maguire 1996

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills

In 2001, as part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI unveiled their 100 Years…100 Thrills list of the top 100 most exciting, action-packed, suspenseful or frightening movies in American cinema. Few could argue that Psycho, directed by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, is not worthy of topping the list. Buy – AFI – 100 Years of Thrills POSTER Movie (27 x 40 Inches – 69cm x 102cm)

1. Psycho 1960
2. Jaws 1975
3. The Exorcist 1973
4. North by Northwest 1959
5. The Silence of the Lambs 1991
6. Alien 1979
7. The Birds 1963
8. The French Connection 1971
9. Rosemary’s Baby 1968
10. Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981
11. The Godfather 1972
12. King Kong 1933
13. Bonnie and Clyde 1967
14. Rear Window 1954
15. Deliverance 1972
16. Chinatown 1974
17. The Manchurian Candidate 1962
18. Vertigo 1958
19. The Great Escape 1963
20. High Noon 1952
21. A Clockwork Orange 1971
22. Taxi Driver 1976
23. Lawrence of Arabia 1962
24. Double Indemnity 1944
25. Titanic 1997
26. The Maltese Falcon 1941
27. Star Wars 1977
28. Fatal Attraction 1987
29. The Shining 1980
30. The Deer Hunter 1978
31. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977
32. Strangers on a Train 1951
33. The Fugitive 1993
34. The Night of the Hunter 1955
35. Jurassic Park 1993
36. Bullitt 1968
37. Casablanca 1942
38. Notorious 1946
39. Die Hard 1988
40. 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
41. Dirty Harry 1971
42. The Terminator 1984
43. The Wizard of Oz 1939
44. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
45. Saving Private Ryan 1998
46. Carrie 1976
47. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956
48. Dial M for Murder 1954
49. Ben-Hur 1959
50. Marathon Man 1976




51. Raging Bull 1980
52. Rocky 1976
53. Pulp Fiction 1994
54. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
55. Wait Until Dark 1967
56. Frankenstein 1931
57. All the President’s Men 1976
58. The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
59. Planet of the Apes 1968
60. The Sixth Sense 1999
61. Cape Fear 1962
62. Spartacus 1960
63. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962
64. Touch of Evil 1958
65. The Dirty Dozen 1967
66. The Matrix 1999
67. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948
68. Halloween 1978
69. The Wild Bunch 1969
70. Dog Day Afternoon 1975
71. Goldfinger 1964
72. Platoon 1986
73. Laura 1944
74. Blade Runner 1982
75. The Third Man 1949
76. Thelma & Louise 1991
77. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
78. Gaslight 1944
79. The Magnificent Seven 1960
80. Rebecca 1940
81. The Omen 1976
82. The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951
83. The Phantom of the Opera 1925
84. Poltergeist 1982
85. Dracula 1931
86. The Picture of Dorian Gray 1945
87. The Thing from Another World 1951
88. 12 Angry Men 1957
89. The Guns of Navarone 1961
90. The Poseidon Adventure 1972
91. Braveheart 1995
92. Body Heat 1981
93. Night of the Living Dead 1968
94. The China Syndrome 1979
95. Full Metal Jacket 1987
96. Blue Velvet 1986
97. Safety Last! 1923
98. Blood Simple 1984
99. Speed 1994
100. The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)




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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs

In 2000 the AFI unveiled their 100 Years…100 Laughs list of the top 100 funniest movies in American cinema. The likes of Tootsie (particularly as a parody of American soaps) and The Graduate certainly have their amusing parts but are they really among the 10 funniest of American cinema? I could also argue that Airplane! hasn’t aged well. Buy – AFI’s 100 Years 100 Laughs

# Movie Director Year
1. Some Like It Hot Billy Wilder 1959
2. Tootsie Sydney Pollack 1982
3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to
Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb		 Stanley Kubrick 1964
4. Annie Hall Woody Allen 1977
5. Duck Soup Leo McCarey 1933
6. Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks 1974
7. MASH Robert Altman 1970
8. It Happened One Night Frank Capra 1934
9. The Graduate Mike Nichols 1967
10. Airplane! Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker 1980
11. The Producers Mel Brooks 1967
12. A Night at the Opera Sam Wood 1935
13. Young Frankenstein Mel Brooks 1974
14. Bringing Up Baby Howard Hawks 1938
15. The Philadelphia Story George Cukor 1940
16. Singin’ in the Rain Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen 1952
17. The Odd Couple Gene Saks 1968
18. The General Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton 1927
19. His Girl Friday Howard Hawks 1940
20. The Apartment Billy Wilder 1960
21. A Fish Called Wanda Charles Crichton 1988
22. Adam’s Rib George Cukor 1949
23. When Harry Met Sally… Rob Reiner 1989
24. Born Yesterday George Cukor 1950
25. The Gold Rush Charlie Chaplin 1925
26. Being There Hal Ashby 1979
27. There’s Something About Mary Peter Farrelly, Robert Farrelly 1998
28. Ghostbusters Ivan Reitman 1984
29. This Is Spinal Tap Rob Reiner 1984
30. Arsenic and Old Lace Frank Capra 1944
31. Raising Arizona Joel Coen, Ethan Coen 1987
32. The Thin Man W. S. Van Dyke 1934
33. Modern Times Charlie Chaplin 1936
34. Groundhog Day Harold Ramis 1993
35. Harvey Henry Koster 1950
36. Animal House John Landis 1978
37. The Great Dictator Charlie Chaplin 1940
38. City Lights Charlie Chaplin 1931
39. Sullivan’s Travels Preston Sturges 1941
40. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Stanley Kramer 1963
41. Moonstruck Norman Jewison 1987
42. Big Penny Marshall 1988
43. American Graffiti George Lucas 1973
44. My Man Godfrey Gregory La Cava 1936
45. Harold and Maude Hal Ashby 1971
46. Manhattan Woody Allen 1979
47. Shampoo Hal Ashby 1975
48. A Shot in the Dark Blake Edwards 1964
49. To Be or Not to Be Ernst Lubitsch 1942
50. Cat Ballou Elliot Silverstein 1965




51. The Seven Year Itch Billy Wilder 1955
52. Ninotchka Ernst Lubitsch 1939
53. Arthur Steve Gordon 1981
54. The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek Preston Sturges 1944
55. The Lady Eve Preston Sturges 1941
56. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Charles Barton 1948
57. Diner Barry Levinson 1982
58. It’s a Gift Norman Z. McLeod 1934
59. A Day at the Races Sam Wood 1937
60. Topper Norman Z. McLeod 1937
61. What’s Up, Doc? Peter Bogdanovich 1972
62. Sherlock Jr. Buster Keaton 1924
63. Beverly Hills Cop Martin Brest 1984
64. Broadcast News James L. Brooks 1987
65. Horse Feathers Norman Z. McLeod 1932
66. Take the Money and Run Woody Allen 1969
67. Mrs. Doubtfire Chris Columbus 1993
68. The Awful Truth Leo McCarey 1937
69. Bananas Woody Allen 1971
70. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Frank Capra 1936
71. Caddyshack Harold Ramis 1980
72. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House H. C. Potter 1948
73. Monkey Business Norman Z. McLeod 1931
74. 9 to 5 Colin Higgins 1980
75. She Done Him Wrong Lowell Sherman 1933
76. Victor/Victoria Blake Edwards 1982
77. The Palm Beach Story Preston Sturges 1942
78. Road to Morocco David Butler 1942
79. The Freshman Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor 1925
80. Sleeper Woody Allen 1973
81. The Navigator Buster Keaton, Donald Crisp 1924
82. Private Benjamin Howard Zieff 1980
83. Father of the Bride Vincente Minnelli 1950
84. Lost in America Albert Brooks 1985
85. Dinner at Eight George Cukor 1933
86. City Slickers Ron Underwood 1991
87. Fast Times at Ridgemont High Amy Heckerling 1982
88. Beetlejuice Tim Burton 1988
89. The Jerk Carl Reiner 1979
90. Woman of the Year George Stevens 1942
91. The Heartbreak Kid Elaine May 1972
92. Ball of Fire Howard Hawks 1941
93. Fargo Joel Coen, Ethan Coen 1996
94. Auntie Mame Morton DaCosta 1958
95. Silver Streak Arthur Hiller 1976
96. Sons of the Desert William A. Seiter 1933
97. Bull Durham Ron Shelton 1988
98. The Court Jester Melvin Frank, Norman Panama 1956
99. The Nutty Professor Jerry Lewis 1963
100. Good Morning, Vietnam Barry Levinson 1987

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute (book)
AFI’s 100 Years – 100 Movies (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Stars: American Film Institute (CBS Television Special) (DVD)
[(AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs: America’s Greatest Music in Movies)] [Author: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation] published on (March, 2007) (book)
AFI-100 Years of Movies POSTER (27″ x 40″)