The Gold Rush 1925 Directed by Charlie Chaplin Netflix says... Charlie Chaplin's comic masterpiece centers on the hardships of life on the Alaskan frontier. The Little Tramp plays a pathetic, lonely prospector who journeys to the Klondike hoping to discover gold and make his fortune. Instead, he gets mixed up with some burly characters and … Continue reading AFI #58 – The Gold Rush
Classic
AFI #60 – Duck Soup
Duck Soup 1933 Directed by Leo McCarey Netflix says... Thanks to the patronage of well-heeled widow Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) becomes dictator of the tiny country Freedonia. But when the ambassador of the bordering nation of Sylvania declares his love for Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly declares war. The Marx Brothers are … Continue reading AFI #60 – Duck Soup
AFI #61 – Sullivan’s Travels
Sullivan's Travels 1941 Directed by Preston Sturges Netflix says... Tired of churning out fluffy comedies, Hollywood director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) decides to write a serious, socially responsible film about human suffering. When his producers point out that he knows nothing of hardship, he hits the road as a hobo. On his journey, Sullivan … Continue reading AFI #61 – Sullivan’s Travels
AFI #65 – The African Queen
The African Queen 1951 Directed by John Huston Netflix says... Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart), the booze-guzzling, rough-hewn captain of a broken-down East African riverboat, teams with a straitlaced, iron-willed missionary (Katharine Hepburn) to take on a menacing German gunboat during World War I. A classic study in star charisma and pitch-perfect casting, The African Queen … Continue reading AFI #65 – The African Queen
Why Daniel Should Have Lost
That title should actually read, "Why Daniel Should Have Lost Twice." First, I want to start by saying that I love The Karate Kid. It's got to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not exactly sure where I would rank it, but it's probably somewhere in my top 100. Also, in … Continue reading Why Daniel Should Have Lost
Treasure Island
Title: Treasure Island Author: Robert Louis Stevenson Published: 1883 For a very long time, I've steered clear of books that are considered classic literature. In most cases, I'm sure it's out of a fear that somehow my 11th grade American Lit. teacher will appear from nowhere and expect me to write an exhaustive paper on … Continue reading Treasure Island
AFI #73 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969 Directed by George Roy Hill Netflix says... Legendary outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) display their gifts for perfect comedic timing and charisma as they pull off heist after heist in this Academy Award-winning film from director George Roy Hill. To evade a … Continue reading AFI #73 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
AFI 75: In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night 1967 Directed by Norman Jewison Netflix says... Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) helps a redneck Southern sheriff (Rod Steiger) solve a murder in this fascinating study in racism that still strikes a resonant chord today. Steiger won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as the put-upon sheriff … Continue reading AFI 75: In the Heat of the Night
AFI #78 – Modern Times
Modern Times 1936 Directed by Charlie Chaplin Netflix says... Conceived and produced as talking pictures were taking Hollywood by storm, Charlie Chaplin's brilliant satire of the machine age was also his last "silent," even though it also features his first words spoken on film. The Little Tramp shuffles bravely forward into a maze of technology … Continue reading AFI #78 – Modern Times
AFI #79 – The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch 1969 Directed by Sam Peckinpah Netflix says: Director Sam Peckinpah's brilliant 1969 Western epic tells the story of a bunch of aging outlaws, led by Pike Bishop (William Holden), whose botched plans to pull of one last job forces them to collude with a crooked Mexican general (Emilio Fernandez)--leading to ugly bloodshed. … Continue reading AFI #79 – The Wild Bunch
The Confusing Middle 