84. Easy Rider (1969)

Running Time: 95 Minutes
Director: Dennis Hopper
Date Watched: 7/1/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "Wyatt and Billy are two motorcycle riders (bikers) on their way to Mardis Gras, and encounter hitchhikers, a drunken lawyer, a jail cell, a whorehouse and the death of a friend."

Molly: (0 out of 5 stars): "I know Nick said I wasn't allowed to give 0 stars to anything, and we've seen some duds, but this is by far the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. How it got to be on any 'best' list is beyond me. No story, bad acting, bad directing, bad filming. There was absolutely nothing redeemable about this movie whatsoever."

Nick (0.1 out of 5 stars): "Worst. Movie. Ever. I used to give that distinction to "The Happening" but at least that movie had a story and actual dialogue. The only thing this movie had were a couple of decent songs and decent scenery. The limited dialogue was shallow and pointless. There was no plot. The events in the movie were seemingly random never seemed to build towards anything. "

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson were actually smoking marijuana on camera. LSD, however, was not actually used during the acid scene, as Fonda has stated.
• Peter Fonda wore the Capt. America jacket and rode his chopper a week around L.A. before shooting began to give them a broken-in look and to get used to riding the radically designed bike. The American flag on the back of the jacket and on the gas tank of the bike caused him to be pulled over several times by the police.
• Dennis Hopper was going through a very bad time during production. He was in a state of drug-induced paranoia and he screamed at everyone. Crew members secretly recorded his tirades and sent the tapes to the production company in Los Angeles to explain why so many of them quit the film.

85. A Night at the Opera (1935)

Running Time: 96 Minutes
Director: Sam Wood
Date Watched: 6/17/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "The Marx Brothers take on high society. Two lovers who are both in opera are prevented from being together by the man's lack of acceptance as an operatic tenor. Pulling several typical Marx Brothers' stunts, they arrange for the normal tenor to be absent so that the young lover can get his chance."

Molly: (4 out of 5 stars): "This was my first experience watching a Marx brothers' movie and I really enjoyed it. It was comical and slapstick, but a very fun and entertaining movie."

Nick (4 out of 5 stars): "This was a fun movie to watch. It was also the first Marx brothers' movie I had seen and it makes me want to see more."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Harpo Marx did many of his own stunts. He later said it was a silly thing for a 47-year-old non-stuntman to have done.
• The film was to have originally begun with each of The Marx Brothers taking turns roaring in lieu of Leo the Lion (MGM's logo mascot); Harpo Marx was to have honked his horn.
• In the scene where Harpo Marx, Chico Marx and Allan Jones are impersonating the three aviators in front of the mayor, Groucho Marx turns around to speak to them in a "foreign language." What is actually being said is a direct response to the accusations of imposters, only the audio track is played backwards. The first time Groucho Marx actually says, "Did you hear what he said? He said you were frauds and imposters!" which is then followed by Chico Marx and Riccardo protesting loudly, "How can he say a thing like that?", "This is ridiculous," and other such comments.

86. Platoon (1986)

Running Time: 120 Minutes
Director: Oliver Stone
Date Watched: 4/1/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "Chris Taylor is a young, naive American who gives up college and volunteers for combat in Vietnam. Upon arrival, he quickly discovers that his presence is quite nonessential, and is considered insignificant to the other soldiers, as he has not fought for as long as the rest of them and felt the effects of combat. Chris has two non-commissioned officers, the ill-tempered and indestructible Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes and the more pleasant and cooperative Sergeant Elias Grodin. A line is drawn between the two NCOs and a number of men in the platoon when an illegal killing occurs during a village raid. As the war continues, Chris himself draws towards psychological meltdown. And as he struggles for survival, he soon realizes he is fighting two battles, the conflict with the enemy and the conflict between the men within his platoon. "

Molly: (1 out of 5 stars): "Awful. War movies are sometimes great and inspirational. This one was mediocre at best. Hated it. And it stars a crazy person and I couldn't stop thinking about the crazy while watching it."

Nick (3 out of 5 stars): "The acting was impressive and it was neat to see a lot of stars when they were 25 years younger."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• All of the actors had to endure a harsh 14-day boot camp in the Philippines before the shooting of the film commenced. The actors were given military haircuts, were required to stay in character throughout the camp, ate only military rations, were not allowed to shower, slept in the jungle, and even had rotations for night watch.
• Based on Oliver Stone's personal experience during the war in Vietnam based on a screenplay he finished around 1976. Numerous studios passed on it until he finally got approval and starting filming in early 1986.
• The movie was filmed nearly sequentially; as soon as their characters were killed in the movie, the actors returned home. The emotion that Charlie Sheen shows in the closing helicopter scene was largely real, knowing that he was finally going home.

87. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Running Time: 96 Minutes
Director: Sidney Lumet
Date Watched: 2/11/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case of murder soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room. "

Molly: (3.5 out of 5 stars): "A little over-acted and it definitely had an agenda, but it was a good story and I enjoyed watching it a second time."

Nick (3.5 out of 5 stars): "It was refreshing to see a movie that was completely dialogue driven that held my attention."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Because the painstaking rehearsals for the film lasted an exhausting two weeks, filming had to be completed in an unprecedented 21 days.
• At the beginning of the film, the cameras are all positioned above eye level and mounted with wide-angle lenses to give the appearance of greater distance between the subjects. As the film progresses the cameras slip down to eye level. By the end of the film, nearly all of it is shot below eye level, in close-up and with telephoto lenses to increase the encroaching sense of claustrophobia.
• Nominated for 3 Oscars, the film lost out in all its categories to The Bridge on the River Kwai.

88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Running Time: 102 Minutes
Director: Howard Hawks
Date Watched: 2/05/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "In this screwball comedy, heiress Susan (Katharine Hepburn) is determined to catch a stuffy paleontologist (Cary Grant) and uses her pet leopard, Baby, to help get his attention. The elements of this farce include a yappy terrier who steals and buries an irreplaceable fossilized bone, a pompous big game hunter, a rich old aunt, a jealous fiancée, and a case of mistaken identity involving a second, and vicious, leopard."

Molly: (4 out of 5 stars): "Hilarious movie. I love Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn and they had me in stitches the whole time. Very cute and fun movie."

Nick (4.5 out of 5 stars): "A fun, clean movie that was very enjoyable to watch. "

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• This movie fared so badly at the box office that Howard Hawks was fired from his next production at RKO and Katharine Hepburn bought out her contract to avoid being cast in the film Mother Carey's Chickens(1938). Coincidentally, Hepburn was labeled "box office poison" on the same day her contract was dissolved.
• Katharine Hepburn was generally fearless around the young leopard 'Nissa (II)' who played "Baby" and even enjoyed petting it. Cary Grant was less fond of the big cat and a double was used in the scenes where his character and the leopard had to make contact.
• Katharine Hepburn had one very close call with the leopard. She was wearing a skirt that was lined with little metal pieces to make the skirt swing prettily. When Hepburn turned around abruptly, the leopard made a lunge for her back. Only the intervention of the trainer's whip saved Hepburn. The leopard was not allowed to roam around freely after that, and Hepburn was more careful around it from then on.

89. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Running Time: 107 Minutes
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Date Watched: 2/04/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "When Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), a distinguished child psychologist, meets Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a frightened, confused, eight-year-old, Dr. Crowe is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts Cole. "

Molly: (4 out of 5 stars): "I enjoyed watching this movie again. It's biggest impact is definitely the first time around, but watching it subsequent times is also interesting. And it never fails to make me close my eyes and jump several times! Well acted and a good thriller."

Nick (4 out of 5 stars): "A captivating movie that held my attention despite the fact that I have seen it multiple time."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Reputedly, Haley Joel Osment got the role of Cole Sear for one of three reasons: First, he was best for it. Second, he was the only boy at auditions who wore a tie. Third, M. Night Shyamalan was surprised when he asked Haley Joel Osment if he read his part. Osment replied, "I read it three times last night." Shyamalan was impressed saying, "Wow, you read your part three times?" To which Osment replied, "No, I read *the script* three times."

• The Latin phrase Cole speaks in the church when he first meets Malcolm: "De profundis clamo ad te domine" translates to "Out of the depths, I cry to you, Oh Lord." These are the first few words of Psalm 130 in the Book of Psalms.

90. Swing Time (1936)

Running Time: 103 Minutes
Director: George Stevens
Date Watched: 1/28/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from amazon.com): "It's Swing Time anytime Fred and Ginger slip on their dancing shoes. Here, Fred's a gambler with a fiancee back home...but one look at Ginger and all bets are off! He pursues, she resists, and it's all tied together by a series of breathtaking dances. "Bojangles of Harlem," a tribute to hoofer Bill Robinson, has Astaire tapping with three giant Astaire shadows. The sly "Pick Yourself Up" features Ginger teaching the supposedly flub-footed Fred how to dance."

Molly: (3.5 out of 5 stars): "Very fun and entertaining. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are a very entertaining pair to watch and their dancing is amazing. The story was cute; not compelling, just good clean fun."

Nick (3.5 out of 5 stars): "A fun movie to watch. The dancing performances were fantastic."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• The climax of "Never Gonna Dance" took 47 takes in a single day and required many demanding spins of Ginger Rogers; her feet bled.

• In "The Way You Look Tonight", Ginger Rogers is seen to be washing her hair. The crew tried various soaps, shampoos, and even egg white, but it always ran down her face too quickly. They achieved success with whipped cream.

91. Sophie's Choice (1982)

Running Time: 150 Minutes
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Date Watched: 1/07/2011 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live in Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie's narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions.."

Molly: (5 out of 5 stars): "Really great movie. We dragged our feet watching this one and put it off for nearly three months, but were so glad we finally decided to watch it. Haunting and sad, but very moving and the character development was phenomenal. Meryl Streep was amazing. Excellent movie."

Nick ( 4.5 out of 5 stars): "Incredibly well done movie. Meryl Streep's performance was one of the best I have seen. It is a very intense movie and I don't know that I would ever watch it again but the acting was superb."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Meryl Streep not only learned a Polish accent but also learned how to speak German and Polish in order to have the proper accent of a Polish refugee.

• Meryl Streep did the final scene (her choice) in one take and refused to do it again, saying that as a mother, she found it too painful and emotionally draining. Years later, Streep appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show and the scene of her choice was shown. Meryl was uncomfortable while the clip was playing and she revealed that she had never watched the scene before that very moment.

92. Goodfellas (1990)

Running Time: 146 Minutes
Director: Martin Scorcese
Date Watched: 10/22/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from imdb.com): "Henry Hill is a small time gangster, who takes part in a robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who have set their sights a bit higher. His two partners kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly start to climb up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, is badly affected by his partners success, but will he stoop low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and Tommy?"

Molly: (3.5 out of 5 stars): "Downgraded from four stars only because of language and bloodshed. It was a really great movie. I really liked the characters and it had a great story. Very intriguing and very compelling. Definitely not for the faint of heart."

Nick ( 4 out of 5 stars): "Another well written movie with superb acting. The story was captivating and all of the characters were believable. This is also another movie that is difficult to recommend because of the language but the language didn't seem out of place in considering the setting and characters."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• According to the real Henry Hill, whose life was the basis for the book and film, Joe Pesci's portrayal of Tommy DeVito was 90% to 99% accurate, with one notable exception; the real Tommy DeVito was a massively built, strapping man.
• After the premiere, Henry Hill went around and revealed his true identity. In response, the government kicked him out of the Federal Witness Protection Program.
• The movie's line "As far back as I could remember I've always wanted to be a gangster." was voted as the #20 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.
• Robert De Niro wanted to use real money for the scene where Jimmy hands out money. The prop master gave De Niro $5,000 of his own money. At the end of each take, no one was allowed to leave the set until all the money was returned.

93. The French Connection (1971)

Running Time: 104 Minutes
Director: William Friedkin
Date Watched: 10/15/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "Two narcotics detectives, "Popeye" Doyle and his partner Buddy Russo (Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider), start to close in on a vast international narcotics ring when the smugglers unexpectedly strike back. Following an attempt on his life by one of the smugglers, Doyle sets off a deadly pursuit that ultimately takes him far beyond mere New York City limits."

Molly: (1 out of 5 stars): "Dumb story, didn't care one bit what happened to any of the characters, dumb ending. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And it had car chases in it. I hate car chases. I'm glad it was short."

Nick ( 2.5 out of 5 stars): "Decent acting but slow moving. It had its moments but overall was a sluggish movie."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• The traffic jam on the Brooklyn Bridge was shot without permission.
• All of the extras used in the first bar scene were real life police officers.
• In at least one glimpse of the Manhattan skyline (as the car is being unloaded from the cargo ship), you can see the first of the World Trade Center towers under construction.
• The conductor on the subway train was the actual conductor, whose name was Bob Morrone. The actor who was supposed to play the conductor didn't show up on the day that scene was to be filmed. In addition, the motorman was the actual motorman. The Transit Authority refused to allow an actor to operate a subway train.

94. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Running Time: 154 Minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Date Watched: 10/09/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption."

Molly: (2 out of 5 stars): "Not the worst movie I've ever seen. Entertaining and clever storyline. Bloody and with bad language, so I would never recommend it."

Nick (3.5 out of 5 stars): "This was an entertaining movie that had an intriguing story and a neat way of tying it all together by the end. I can't think of any Tarantino movies that I liked but this one kept my attention. The language was rough and over the top which makes it tough for me to say that I want to see it again."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• The movie's line "You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?... They call it a Royale with cheese." was voted as the #81 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

• John Travolta was paid $150,000 for his part in the film.

95. The Last Picture Show (1971)

Running Time: 118 Minutes
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Date Watched: 10/01/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from IMDb.com): "A group of 50's high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied West Texas town that is slowly dying, both economically and culturally. "

Molly: (2.5 out of 5 stars): "If the goal of this movie was to make you feel depressed at how awful the lives of the characters were, it succeeded and then some, which is why I gave it 2.5 stars - I think it accomplished what it set out to do. Was it a movie that I enjoyed? No. There wasn't much of a plot; it was more about character development. But it did a good job at that, so I'll give it that. Would I watch it again? Not if I could help it."

Nick (2.5 out of 5 stars): "The acting in his movie was impressive but the there wasn't much of a conventional story. The story focuses on the lives of several teenage boys and does not sugarcoat how they think or act when left to their own devices. There was a lot of rough language and uncomfortable scenes but all were done in the context of developing the characters."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• All the film's music (except for the closing credits and the live band at the Christmas party) is played in the background on radios, jukeboxes or, at the swim party, on a portable record player.
• Film debut for Cybill Shepherd, Randy Quaid, and Sam Bottoms.
• Cloris Leachman's last scene in the movie was printed on the first take without any previous rehearsals. She wanted to rehearse the scene but director Peter Bogdanovich thought it would ruin the scene if it was rehearsed. Ultimately his sense of direction paid off, as Leachman won the Academy Award for her performance.
• Tex Ritter auditioned for the role of Sam the Lion as his son John was considered for the role of Sonny.

96. Do the Right Thing (1989)

Running Time: 120 Minutes
Director: Spike Lee
Date Watched: 09/24/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "Spike Lee's incendiary look at race relations in America, circa 1989, is so colorful and exuberant for its first three-quarters that you can almost forget the terrible confrontation that the movie inexorably builds toward. Do the Right Thing is a joyful, tumultuous masterpiece--maybe the best film ever made about race in America, revealing racial prejudices and stereotypes in all their guises and demonstrating how a deadly riot can erupt out of a series of small misunderstandings. Set on one block in Bedford-Stuyvesant on the hottest day of the summer, the movie shows the whole spectrum of life in this neighborhood and then leaves it up to us to decide if, in the end, anybody actually does the "right thing.""

Molly: (0.5 out of 5 stars): "Ugh."

Nick (2.5 out of 5 stars): "It wasn't a fun film to watch but seemed to make some good points about how racial bigotry can display itself in different and pointless forms. The movie had a lot of rough language but it seemed relevant to the stereotypical culture it was trying to portray."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Spike Lee originally wanted Robert De Niro for the role of Sal. But De Niro turned down the part, saying that it was too similar to many of the parts he had played in the past.
• The key scene when Danny Aiello and John Turturro talk alone approximately midway through the film was partly improvised. The scripted scene ended as the character Smiley approached the window. Everything after that until the end of the scene was completely ad-libbed.
• The scene in which Sal (Danny Aiello) and Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito) argue about there being no African-Americans on the wall of the restaurant - only "American Italians" - is somewhat ironic, as Giancarlo Esposito is an Italian-American.
• The story takes place at the intersection of Bedford and Stuyvesant Avenues. In reality, the two do not cross each other, however the film was shot in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn.

97. Blade Runner (1982)

Running Time: 117 Minutes
Director: Ridley Scott
Date Watched: 09/17/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) prowls the steel-and-microchip jungle of 21st Century Los Angeles. He's a "blade runner" stalking genetically made criminal replicants. His assignment: kill them. Their crime: wanting to be human. "

Molly: (0.5 out of 5 stars): "Nick wouldn't let me give 0 stars to a movie, so I gave it 0.5. It deserves less. This was a horrible movie, a total waste of time, and not remotely interesting. I don't get why it was included on anyone's top list of anything, unless it was the top stupidest movies of all time. I like science fiction and thought the storyline (when reading about it before watching) had promise. But it failed to deliver in a big way. Blegh."

Nick (1 out of 5 stars): "I can understand the significance of the film, given the detail of the future world it created; however, I don't understand the appeal of this movie today. The story seemed incomplete, the characters were not developed well, and by the end of the movie, I couldn't have cared less about what happened to any of the characters."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Titles considered for the film include 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', 'Android', 'Mechanismo', 'Dangerous Days', and finally 'Blade Runner'. After the film had changed its name from 'Dangerous Days' to 'Blade Runner', Ridley Scott decided he didn't like the new name, and tried to call the film 'Gotham City', but Bob Kane (comic book creator of Batman) wouldn't sell the rights to the name, so it returned to being called 'Blade Runner'.
  
• The ending title sequence in the theatrical cut of the film contains unused footage from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). These were extra shots of the main title sequence, although none of the shots contain the road that was seen in The Shining.
• Ridley Scott told NPR's All Things Considered that he originally wanted Deckard to wear a 1940s-style hat throughout the film, but Scott decided against that once he saw Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones costume (including the brown fedora) for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), which was shot directly before Blade Runner (1982).

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Running Time: 126 Minutes
Director: Michael Curtiz
Date Watched: 08/20/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): " A patriotic recreation of the life and times of George M. Cohan, with many of his songs. "

Molly: (5 out of 5 stars): "I loved this movie. It was well done, the songs were catchy and fun, and the characters were very lovable. I would highly recommend this to anyone and thought that the fact that it was a true(ish) story made it even better!"

Nick (4.5 out of 5 stars): "A fun, clean movie. The songs were enjoyable and performed well."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• Many facts were changed or ignored to add to the feel of the movie. For example, the real George M. Cohan was married twice, and although his second wife's middle name was Mary, she went by her first name, Agnes. In fact, the movie deviated so far from the truth that, following the premiere, the real George M. Cohan commented, "It was a good movie. Who was it about?"
• James Cagney was eleven years older than his screen mother Rosemary DeCamp.
• Walking down the stairs at the White House, James Cagney goes into a tap dance. According to TCM, that was completely ad-libbed.

99. Toy Story (1995)

Running Time: 80 Minutes
Director: John Lasseter
Date Watched: 07/30/2010 Medium: Blu-Ray

Summary (from Amazon.com): "In this 3D computer animated feature, a pull-string cowboy doll is the leader of the toys until the latest, greatest action figure enters the picture. When the toy rivals are separated from thei rowner, they ultimately learn to put aside their differences and work as a team to get back home to the boy they love."

Molly: (3.5 out of 5 stars): "I loved this movie when it first came out and it is still just as fun. Entertaining and holds my attention, even though it is a 'kid's' movie."

Nick (3.5 out of 5 stars): "A fun and clever movie that brought back memories of many childhood toys. It is a rare movie that can take hold of your attention with both the special effects and the writing/story."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• First fully computer-generated full-length feature film. Each frame took 4 to 13 hours (depending on the complexity of the shot) of time on a RenderFarm consisting of 87 2-CPU SparcStation 20's, 30 4-CPU Sparc-Station 20's and a SparcServer 1000.
• Whenever a character's eyes blink, they never blink together, but one at a time.
• Billy Crystal was originally offered the chance to voice Buzz Lightyear, but declined. After seeing the finished film, he said the decision was the biggest mistake of his career. Upon learning this, Pixar offered Crystal the role of Mike in Monsters, Inc. (2001), which he readily accepted.
• All of the cars in Toy Story have license plate stickers that are dated November 95 - the same date the movie was released.

100. Ben-Hur (1959)

Running Time: 212 Minutes
Director: William Wyler
Date Watched: 07/24/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "After his boyhood friend Messala's fanatic loyalty to Rome makes him a powerful enemy, Judah Ben-Hur is found guilty of an attempted murder he did not commit. His family is banished and he is enslaved on a warship. Through his ferocity in a raging sea battle, he is able to escape and become a horse trainer. To exact his revenge, Ben-Hur decides to compete against Messala in the Roman chariot races. They race, locked in a battle to the death. Barely surviving, Ben-Hur forsakes the sword for Christ and finally finds redemption."

Molly: (3.5 out of 5 stars): "I very much enjoyed this movie, though at times the acting was a bit overdone and it felt laborious in parts. The storyline was very interesting, and I found the overtly Christian themes refreshing (though I doubt such a movie would even be considered for production today). The costumes and scenery were detailed and well done, and I found myself appreciating all the work that went into this movie. If this is #100, I'm definitely looking forward to what is upcoming. Nick made me sit through the 7 minute overture and intermission music, though, which was really annoying (I'm not taking off points from the movie for that, just points off for Nick)."

Nick (3.5 out of 5 stars): "Impressive production considering its age. The story was slow moving at times but still engaging enough that it kept my attention for the full 3 1/2 hours. The sets were huge and full of detail. The chariot race was as entertaining and well orchestrated as any stunts performed in modern day movies. Given its place in the history of the cinema, I am glad I saw it but I don't know that I will ever watch it again."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• The chariot race required 15,000 extras, on a set constructed on 18 acres of backlot at Cinecitta Studios outside Rome... The race took five weeks to film.
• It was the first of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It also has the highest percentage of winning Academy Awards. In 1959 and 1960 there were only 12 categories. 11 of 12 = 91 and 2/3%, 91.667%.

Why Watch 100 Movies?

It's no secret that Nick and I love movies. We have a regular movie night every week, own quite a few DVDs, and have had a regular flow of movies coming in from Netflix for the last 8 years or so. But we wanted some purpose to our movie watching, and we're running out of movies to watch, so we decided to start a project: watch all 100 of the American Film Institute's list of 100 great American films. The list can be found here. We decided to go with the newer list, which came out in 2007. The criteria for AFI's movie picks is as follows:

• Feature length: Narrative format typically over 60 minutes long
• American film: English language, with significant creative and/or financial production from the United States
• Critical Recognition: Formal commendation in print, television, and digital media
• Major Award Winner: Recognition from competitive events including awards from peer groups, critics, guilds, and major film festivals
• Popularity Over Time: Includes success at the box office, television and cable airings, and DVD/VHS sales and rentals
• Historical Significance: A film's mark on the history of the moving image through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation or other groundbreaking achievements
• Cultural Impact: A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance

In looking through the list, we found that we've seen about a third of the movies before, but even if we have seen one, it must be seen again. We'll watch them in order, then rate it and tell our thoughts.

This blog will chronicle our experience with each of the movies, telling what the movie is about and how we liked it. We fully expect to enjoy many of them and hate others, but the point is to do something we love together and get to see old movies that are considered "great" for one reason or another.

So, up next: movie #100!!