AFI...

Last night I watched AFI (American Film Institute) 100 Years, 100 Cheers in which they listed 100 that they thought were inspirational.

It was a really good two hour program, except for the overwhelming commercials. There was more then one moment when I was going to give up and just turn it off. But there were just too many great movies being listed and clips being shown from them. (Towards the end, I will admit I nearly fell off to sleep from so many commercials.)

Out of 100 movies they listed there wasn't one that I hadn't seen more then once, (many several times or even more!) The few that I hadn't seen that often were just because they hadn't shown up on television in a long time.

It was a blend of movies over the years. Some were older black and white movies and some were much newer. The oldest being: City Lights (1931), starring Charlie Chaplin and the newest was Hotel Rwanda (2004) starring Don Cheadle. That covered quite a spectrum of years.

Their top three choices were: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) starring James Stewart, To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck, and Schindler's List (1993) starring Liam Neeson.

As I saw so many movies come upthat were ones I watch each and every time I find them on it amazed me that my taste in movies would match their choices. I know an old post I did mentioned movies that "I have to watch" if I happen tocome across them.. a number of those were in this list too. Like Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), and Rudy (1993) just to rename two.

Some time ago AFI did a show on the top 100 most famous quotes from movies. Just for fun I thought I'd list the top 10 here and see if you could name the movie they are from. Most are from older movies so I don't know how many would know them, but here they are:

1 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. Gone With the Wind 1939
2 I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse. The Godfather 1972
3 You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. On The Waterfront 1954
4 Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. Wizard of Oz 1939
5 Here's looking at you, kid. Casablanca1942
6 Go ahead, make my day. Sudden Impact1983
7 All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup. Sunset Blvd. 1950
8 May the Force be with you. Star Wars1977
9 Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night. All About Eve 1950
10 You talking to me? Taxi Driver 1976

I wouldn't leave you guessing.. the answers are there. Just pull your cursor over the questions (and beyond) and highlight it all.. you'll find your answers to see if you are right.

At the AFI web site I also found their list of 25 top "legend" actors and 25 female actresses. The list is below. If you truly don't know these actors you should make it a point to see something they were in.

1. Humphrey Bogart............... Katharine Hepburn
2. Cary Grant ..........................Bette Davis
3. James Stewart.....................Audry Hepburn
4. Marlon Brando ...................Ingrid Bergman
5. Fred Astaire.........................Greta Garbo
6. Henry Fonda........................Marilyn Monroe
7. Clark Gable.........................Elizabeth Taylor
8. James Cagney....................Judy Garland
9. Spencer Tracy.....................Marlene Dietrich
10. Charlie Chaplin.................Joan Crawford
11. Gary Cooper .....................Barbara Stanwyck
12. Gregory Peck....................Claudette Colbert
13. John Wayne...................... Grace Kelly
14. Laurence Olivier...............Ginger Rogers
15. Gene Kelly........................MaeWest
16. Orson Welles....................Vivien Leigh
17. Kirk Douglas....................Lilian Gish
18. James Dean .....................Shirley Temple
19. Burt Lancaster ................Rita Hayworth
20. The Marx Brothers..........Lauren Bacall
21. Buster Keaton .................Sophia Loren
22. Sidney Poitier ..................Jean Harlow
23. Robert Mitchum ..............Carole Lombard
24. Edward G. Robinson.........Mary Pickford
25. William Holden ............... Ava Gardner

I guess for a "grand finale" pimping AFI there's one more thing... an upcoming show I plan NOT to miss, since I happen to.. like... love... adore.. and so and so and so forth.. Sean Connery. This is so any Connery admirers can mark their calendars...