100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 73


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

Tom Joad: Then it don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark - I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Original List Position: 21
Starring: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, and John Carradine
Director: John Ford
About: This is a classic film based on the classic novel from John Steinbeck. It continues a stretch in here of stories that aren't exactly happy and aren't an easy watch. And yet, it's a classic that remains among the most re-watched films of all time. It's also among the most popular films of all time. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning for Darwell and Ford's direction. It remained consistent a decade later, landing just a couple spots lower at 23. I get why it's a classic and I think it's well done. But it's a tough story, which is part of why it is lower on this list for me. Still, it's a classic worth checking out.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now Playing

Image
  It was an interesting week for new releases in theaters. Below is my take on the two big theatrical films from the weekend. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Boy Kills World (Theaters) Starring : Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Famke Janssen, Brett Gellman, and Michelle Dockery Synopsis : We have seen a lot of action films this year. Many have featured violent sequences, but some have been more artful than others. The new film, Boy Kills World, provides plenty of violence. It’s right there in the title. But where it falls short is in building something compelling beyond the killing spree. We’re introduced to a Boy (Skarsgard) early in the film. He tells us that his world is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, whose head, Hilda (Janssen) keeps the people in line through an annual Culling, where she kills “enemies.” Our protagonist’s mother and sister were among her victims. The Boy barely survived; saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ru...
Read more

2005 Rewind: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Image
  It's hard to believe, but 2005 was 20 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2005 that are turning 20 in 2025. Today, it's the start of an animated franchise. Father Moore : Once you've looked into the darkness, I think you carry it with you for the rest of your life. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) Starring : Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney, and Tom Wilkinson Director : Scott Derrickson About : We've seen plenty of exorcism films in the past. I break it down into two groups. In the first, the film uses the rite of exorcism as a plot device for a horror film. For the most part, that's how The Exorcist plays out. In the second group, the film is interested in exploring the religious aspects of exorcism. That's the category this film falls into. It was directed by Derrickson, who attended Biola University like me, which is one of the reasons I was interested in seeing it. It plays out like a courtroom dram...
Read more

Fall TV Roundup, Week 16

Image
  It’s Christmas week, and you might find yourself looking for some distractions in the form of new shows to check out. But which are worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new shows this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: American Auto, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 13) About: A lot was made of the fact NBC, former home of Must-See TV, launched a schedule this Fall with no sitcoms. NBC isn’t planning to do the same in the winter, and they got a jump start to close the year, offering two-episode previews of a pair of new sitcoms that will begin their normal runs in January. The first, American Auto , comes from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer and centers on a new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) at a car company. She doesn’t come from the world of cars but is trying to effect positive changes. I thought the first two episodes were funny and definitely filled the Superstore vib...
Read more