On the Waterfront 1954 Directed by Elia Kazan Netflix says... Winner of eight Oscars, director Elia Kazan's classic morality tale stars Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a has-been boxer who experiences a crisis of conscience while working for mobbed-up union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). Terry turns a blind eye when Friendly's thugs kill … Continue reading AFI #19 – On the Waterfront
AFI Top 100
AFI #20 – It’s a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life 1946 Directed by Frank Capra Netflix says... It's a wonderful film. Frank Capra's inverted take on A Christmas Carol stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a good man who's spent a lifetime giving up on his dreams in order to keep life in his small town humming. When a guardian angel … Continue reading AFI #20 – It’s a Wonderful Life
AFI #21 – Chinatown
Chinatown 1974 Directed by Roman Polanski Netflix says... With a suspicious femme fatale bankrolling his snooping, private eye J. J. Gittes uncovers intricate dirty dealings in the Los Angeles waterworks and gets his nose slashed for his trouble in director Roman Polanski's complex neo-noir classic. So... if it's filmed in color, does that make it … Continue reading AFI #21 – Chinatown
AFI #24 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 Directed by Steven Spielberg Netflix says... A lonely suburban boy befriends a gentle alien and tries to help it return home while protecting it from government forces that are in pursuit. Kids, I can't believe I did this. I watched a couple of these things out of order. I know... I'll … Continue reading AFI #24 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
AFI #23 – The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath 1940 Directed by John Ford Netflix says... Tom Joad, a Depression-era everyman, leads his poor family on a harrowing journey from Oklahoma's Dust Bowl to the promised land of California in this adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel. I remember watching this in high school. It was during my 11th grade … Continue reading AFI #23 – The Grapes of Wrath
AFI #25 – To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird 1962 Directed by Robert Mulligan Netflix says... Southern comforts abound in this big-screen adaptation of Harper Lee's novel as lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck, in an Oscar-winning role) defends an innocent black man (Brock Peters) against rape charges but ends up in a maelstrom of hate and prejudice. Meanwhile, with help … Continue reading AFI #25 – To Kill a Mockingbird
AFI #26 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939 Directed by Frank Capra Netflix says... When idealistic junior senator Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) arrives in Washington, D.C., he's full of plans and dazzled by his surroundings--qualities he retains despite widespread corruption among his cynical colleagues. Jean Arthur puts in a sharp performance as Smith's streetwise secretary, who helps … Continue reading AFI #26 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
AFI #27 – High Noon
High Noon 1952 Directed by Fred Zinnemann Netflix says... Retiring Marshal Will Kane insists on defending his town from a gang of hooligans who are due on the noon train--but he faces the task alone as the cowardly townspeople flee like rats from a sinking ship. You don't see the word "hooligans" enough these days. … Continue reading AFI #27 – High Noon
I’ve Been Busy
I hate that excuse. Everyone's busy. And it's a horrible thing to say when someone asks how you're doing. "Busy..." How long has it been since I've written something on this blog that wasn't a Question of the Week, an AFI movie review, or a Buffy related post? No, really... I'm asking. It feels like … Continue reading I’ve Been Busy
AFI #28 – All About Eve
All About Eve 1950 Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz Netflix says... Writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's sharp script anchors this story about New York City theater life, with Bette Davis playing an aging Broadway diva who employs a starstruck fan (Anne Baxter) as her assistant, only to learn the woman is a conniving upstart. The now-classic … Continue reading AFI #28 – All About Eve
The Confusing Middle 