Reviewing The AFI Top 100 Movies
Over the past two years, we have watched every single one of the top 100 Hollywood movies of all time, as compiled by the American Film Institute in 2007. The full list is below.
Shamefully, out of these hundred pre-2007 American films, I hadn’t seen a whopping 67 of them before this exercise. I loved the classics; I tolerated the musicals; I slogged through the westerns and war films; and I never want to set eyes on a Marx Brother EVER AGAIN.
To save you from embarking on the same silly idea, here are two years’ worth of my insultingly reductive one-sentence reviews, which each include a mark out of ten for enjoyment & rewatchability:
CITIZEN KANE (1941) - Citizen Trump. 8/10
THE GODFATHER (1972) - Epic mafiapalooza. 9/10
CASABLANCA (1942) - Refugees, rogues and romance. 10/10
RAGING BULL (1980) - A feel-bad movie about abuse and self-destruction. 5/10
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) - So corny, only redeemed by its great production numbers. 7/10
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) - The life of a headstrong woman in the old South. 6/10
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) - Four hours of camels. 7/10
SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) - Gruesome arbitrary horror. 9/10
VERTIGO (1958) - Women acting as props in a world of creepy men. 8/10
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) - Dark & psychedelic. With catchy songs. 8/10
CITY LIGHTS (1931) - Who knew a silent film could be so funny, and so moving? 7/10
THE SEARCHERS (1956) - Visually stunning, casually racist, semi-subversive cowboy flick. 6/10
STAR WARS (1977) - Nice small film, someone should make a franchise out of it. 8/10
PSYCHO (1960) - Tawdry and tense Hitchcock classic. 8/10
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) - Monolithic (pun intended) genius. 8/10
SUNSET BLVD. (1950) - I’m ready for my cynical Hollywood nightmare, Mr DeMille. 7/10
THE GRADUATE (1967) - The alienation, the generation gap, the love triangle. And plastics. 8/10
THE GENERAL (1927) - A wartime romp about a man and his train. 4/10
ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) - I coulda been a contender instead of a bum watching this great crime drama. 9/10
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) - It’s true, it is. 8/10
CHINATOWN (1974) - Forget it Jake, it’s an L.A. suspense thriller with no relation to Chinatown. 7/10
SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) - Duplicity and immorality, but... nobody’s perfect. 10/10
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) - The dismal dignity of the poor economic migrant. 7/10
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) - So magical. I’m not crying, you’re crying. 9/10
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) - Atticus Finch for President. 9/10
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) - Corruption, fake news, and senators without a backbone. Brutally timeless. 9/10
HIGH NOON (1952) - 24 meets Blazing Saddles. 7/10
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) - A masterclass in acting the hell out of brilliantly written dialogue. 10/10
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) - Femme fatale film noir crime classic. 7/10
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) - Impressive boat trip of madness. 7/10
THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) - Second-rate suspense in suits. 3/10
THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) - Less engaging version of The Godfather Part I. 6/10
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975) - Violent and disturbing portrayal of control vs. chaos. 8/10
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) - A bossy girl manipulates labourers and animals to do her bidding. 6/10
ANNIE HALL (1977) - Well la-di-da, it’s a pair of neurotic New Yorkers. 7/10
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957) - Gentlemanly madness in the blazing sun. 5/10
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) - The best film about the complexity of human emotion that no-one’s ever heard of. 8/10
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948) - A lucky escape from someone who slowly goes mad with power and greed. Relatable. 7/10
DR. STRANGELOVE (1964) - Conspiracy theorists with their finger on the nuclear button. Also relatable. 7/10
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) - A lovely romance, with superfluous Nazis. 8/10
KING KONG (1933) - Booming, screaming, and roaring. Oh and a story about Man’s disrespect of nature. 5/10
BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) - Sexy, violent, and ultimately as impotent as Clyde himself. 4/10
MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) - Like Taxi Driver (#52 on this list). But with a man-baby and dream sequences. 7/10
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) - Classic comedy about feminism and class. 8/10
SHANE (1953) - Yet another western, this time through the gaze of an irritating child. 6/10
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) - Bus-riding, carrot-eating, wedding-jilting sexy silliness. 7/10
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951) - Sexiness, Stress, Stanley and STELLA! 6/10
REAR WINDOW (1954) - Snooping and suspense. With a dead dog thrown in. 7/10
INTOLERANCE (1916) - Gigantic audacious unwieldy storytelling from a century ago. 6/10
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) - You. Shall not. Pass (judgement on this great adventure trilogy). 8/10
WEST SIDE STORY (1961) - It’s alarming how charming this is. Despite the shonky acting and weird makeup. 6/10
TAXI DRIVER (1976) - Misogynistic leering violent sleazefest. 6/10
THE DEER HUNTER (1978) - Does the world really need a gratuitous 3-hour movie about Russian roulette in Vietnam? 4/10
M*A*S*H (1970) - More like M*I*S*H*M*A*S*H. 3/10
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) - Confusion, criminality and crop-dusters. 8/10
JAWS (1975) - The terror and stupidity of opening up beaches despite obvious dangers. Soooo relatable. 7/10
ROCKY (1976) - We’re all just bums from the neighbourhood trying our best. 6/10
THE GOLD RUSH (1925) - Alaskan starvation tomfoolery. 5/10
NASHVILLE (1975) - Seventies celebrity, exposed through intersectional storytelling. 4/10
DUCK SOUP (1933) - Bizarre irreverent farce. Bizarrevarce. 3/10
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) - A great bus chase, a great joke about Pittsburg, but otherwise... meh. 5/10
AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) - Like Happy Days with a great 60s soundtrack. And nothing else. 3/10
CABARET (1972) - Skewed performative mirror of Weimar Berlin. 5/10
NETWORK (1976) - I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take the degradation of news journalism any more. 7/10
THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) - It’s a jungle adventure romance with a terrible score, Mr Allnut. 6/10
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) - Poison darts, bad dates, melty faces and, best of all, red lines superimposed on maps. 8/10
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) - Dysfunctional couples drink a boatload of brandy and argue in different theatrical configurations. 6/10
UNFORGIVEN (1992) - Where the antihero kills all the other antiheroes. 5/10
TOOTSIE (1982) - Semi-woke, semi-sexist Hoffman drag race. 7/10
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) - Crime and justice and other strangely compelling nastiness. 7/10
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998) - Gruesome, gory and grim. 7/10
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) - A great story, a great Morgan Freeman voiceover, but actually not much else. 7/10
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) - A couple of charming robbers run away to Bolivia. 6/10
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) - The classiest horror. Never mislay your pen! 8/10
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) - Murder mystery with undercurrents (and just currents) of racism. 7/10
FORREST GUMP (1994) - CGI and schmalz. 6/10
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976) - Procedural docudrama. More docu than drama. 7/10
MODERN TIMES (1936) - Chaplin with a conscience. 6/10
THE WILD BUNCH (1969) - Trains and bridges and guns, bang bang. 4/10
THE APARTMENT (1960) - True love and male privilege. 8/10
SPARTACUS (1960) - Pervy biblical epic 6/10
SUNRISE (1927) - Murderous husband has a shave and chases a piglet. 4/10
TITANIC (1997) - Superb storytelling, awful dialogue. 7/10
EASY RIDER (1969) - Cult counter-culture classic... that also happens to be crap. 4/10
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) - Anarchic grating singing nonsense. 2/10
PLATOON (1986) - Relentlessly miserable portrayal of war. 6/10
12 ANGRY MEN (1957) - A brilliant lesson in how to negotiate with blowhards and bigots. 8/10
BRINGING UP BABY (1938) - You know, the usual madcap leopard/brontosaurus story. 7/10
THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) - Still amazing, even when you know the twist. Every day. 10/10
SWING TIME (1936) - Goofy & adorable. Except for the blackface. 6/10
SOPHIE'S CHOICE (1982) - A totally authentic portrayal of what happens when broken people find each other. 8/10
GOODFELLAS (1990) - Sheer menace. 8/10
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) - One great car chase, bookended by utter shite. 3/10
PULP FICTION (1994) - Hyper-stylized expletive-laden crime caper. 8/10
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) - Small-town 50s Texas in all its sexy tragic monotony. 7/10
DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) - Simmering racial tension gets turned up to boiling. 9/10
BLADE RUNNER (1982) - A dystopia where you’re never sure who is capable of human emotions. DysTrumpia. 6/10
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) - Cloying patriotism with moments of heart. 5/10
TOY STORY (1995) - A harrowing tale of envy, delusion and mob rule. 9/10
BEN-HUR (1959) - Loooong. And gaaaay. 6/10
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Curiosity Killed The Sinophobe
There is an in-built problem with making English-language content about life in China.
On the one hand, it is hard to reach those outside China, who may prefer not to seek out stories about a country they view entirely with suspicion.
And on the other hand, it is hard to reach those inside China, who may see themselves as “China Experts” who are beyond learning from the experiences of others.
I have tried to break through this dichotomy by creating a podcast focused on two things: human stories and fanciful trivia. Blending the novel, the engaging, the informative and the entertaining, my hope is to appeal to anyone around the world who is both curious and open-minded.
This is one of the topics that I discuss with fellow podcaster Joshua Ogden-Davis in the special end-of-season episode of Mosaic of China. I don’t like being on the other side of the interview table, so please enjoy listening to me squirm!
The COVID-19 TV Bingeing Guide
In the spirit of selfless civic duty, I have spent the last few years watching an unhealthy amount of TV, just so that one day I can offer you this menu of binge-watching, to be enjoyed while sitting at home in your fetid undergarments.
To qualify for my personal🥇GOLD LIST🥇, these series need to fulfill the following subjective criteria:
I’ve watched them fully,
In recent years,
And I recommend them from start to finish.
🔹 30 Rock
(2006-2014, 7 seasons. Lovable goofiness).
🔸 After Life
(2019-Present, 1 season. Am not a Gervais fan, but this is a sublime piece of work).
🔹 Arrested Development
(2003-2019, 5 seasons. Arch humour with great running gags).
🔸 Billy on the Street
(2011-2017, 5 seasons. Rudeness, elevated to an art form).
🔹 Bojack Horseman
(2014-2020, 6 seasons. Dark comedy about an amoral misanthrope way past his prime. Relatable).
🔸 Breaking Bad
(2008-2013, 5 seasons. Crime, cancer and an incredible character arc).
🔹 Broadchurch
(2013-2017, 3 seasons. High suspense plus Olivia Coleman equals brilliance).
🔸 Chernobyl
(2019, 1 season. Bleak and catastrophic masterpiece).
🔹 The Crown
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. The royalty, in a highly watchable historical soap opera).
🔸 Curb Your Enthusiasm
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Cringeworthy farcical nothingness).
🔹 Dead To Me
(2019-Present, 1 season. Deftly-executed gallows humour).
🔸 Derry Girls
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Irreverent Northern-Irish black comedy with a massive heart).
🔹 Downtown Abbey
(2010-2015, 6 seasons. Like watching 50 hours of Gosford Park).
🔸 Fleabag
(2016-2019, 2 seasons. If you haven’t watched it yet, just do it. That is all).
🔹 Game of Thrones
(2011-2019, 8 seasons. Epic storytelling. The first fantasy TV series I ever genuinely liked).
🔸 The Good Place
(2016-2020, 4 seasons. Starts as a high-concept comedy and turns into so much more).
🔹 Grace & Frankie
(2015-Present, 6 seasons. Light and frothy comedy, redeemed by its charm and honesty).
🔸 The Great British Bake-Off
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Pure calorific escapism).
🔹 The Kominsky Method
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Poignant and understated masterclass in comedy acting).
🔸 Mad Men
(2007-2015, 7 seasons. The high watermark of drama depicting 60s sex and cynicism).
🔹 The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. A perfect period piece portraying comedy chutzpah in the 50s).
🔸 Orange is the New Black
(2013-2019, 6 seasons. Prison comedy-drama which dips in the middle, but nails the ending).
🔹 Ozark
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. Surprisingly gripping redneck narco crime thriller).
🔸 Parks and Recreation
(2009-2015, 7 seasons. Smart sitcom silliness).
🔹 Queer Eye
(2018-Present, 5 seasons. I know my emotions are being manipulated, but I don’t care).
🔸 Rick & Morty
(2013-Present, 5 seasons. Original, creative, snarky, puerile genius).
🔹 Rupaul’s Drag Race
(2009-Present, 12 seasons. OTT reality show showcasing OTT talent).
🔸 Russian Doll
(2019-Present, 1 season. Dark, druggy, mysterious version of Groundhog Day).
🔹 Sex Education
(2019-Present, 2 seasons. Comedy, drama, teenage angst and Gillian Anderson).
🔸 Schitt’s Creek
(2015-2020, 6 seasons. Starts absurd. Turns endearing. Ends up “simply the best”).
🔹 Sherlock
(2010-2017, 4 seasons. What happens when quality writing, acting and production coincide).
🔸 Stranger Things
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. I don’t usually watch horror or sci-fi. So these guys must be doing something right).
🔹 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
(2015-2019, 4 seasons. Odd. Hilarious).
🔸 Veep
(2012-2019, 7 seasons. An uncannily authentic portrayal of U.S. politics. Oh wait sorry it’s supposed to be a satirical comedy).
🔹 The West Wing
(1999-2006, 7 seasons. Brilliant, smart, moving, idealistic, political nirvana).
🔸 The Wire
(2002-2008, 5 seasons. A drama that takes its time to explore the intersection of politics, society and crime).
Please show me yours. (I mean your gold lists, not your undergarments).
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Who is Your Audience?
“The starting point to writing is knowing who your audience is”. These words, spoken by Gigi Chang on the latest episode of Mosaic of China, inspired me to write this short piece.
LinkedIn: Your audience is in a professional mindset, so keep your writing concise. Storytelling can be used as a device to elicit interest, but shouldn’t be used in isolation.
Instagram: Your audience is in a happy mindset, so keep your writing positive. Release your inner frivolity and snark, but don’t overshare your negativity or vanity. Leave that for...
Twitter: Your audience is in an antagonistic mindset, so simply avoid. I love my friends there, but the platform brings out the worst in them. Please try and convince me otherwise, I promise to hear you out.
Facebook: Your audience is in a generous mindset, so write what you want. Assuming that you have carefully curated your friends there, write content from all three categories above, and be as personal as you feel comfortable.
WeChat: The same as Facebook, but in Chinese.
What have I missed out?
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