Mark’s Alternative AFI List: The 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time
As many of you know, the American Film Institute (AFI) released its list of the 100 greatest American movies in 1998 and then released a slightly altered 10th Anniversary edition. Although both lists featured a lot of great selections, I always felt that they excluded too many worthy films at the expense of films that were undeserving of their spots. So here is my alternative AFI list. I’ve also included the links to both AFI lists so you can compare them to my list if you want. Also, I would love to know what YOU think were the greatest American movies ever made. Do you agree with my selections? If not, why not? (Note: I base my list purely on cinematic merit. Just because I include a particular film does not mean I endorse the film’s message.)
Mark’s Alternative AFI List of the 100 Greatest American Movies
1. Intolerance
2. The Birth of a Nation
3. Citizen Kane
4. Goodfellas
5. The Godfather
6. Once Upon a Time in America
7. Schindler’s List
8. Apocalypse Now
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. JFK
11. Do the Right Thing
12. Sophie’s Choice
13. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
14. The Wizard of Oz
15. Gone with the Wind
16. Network
17. Dark City
18. Mulholland Dr.
19. Dr. Strangelove
20. Modern Times
21. Taxi Driver
22. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
23. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
24. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
25. The Ten Commandments
26. Blade Runner
27. Minority Report
28. L.A. Confidential
29. Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima
30. Sunset Boulevard
31. Nashville
32. Magnolia
33. Tree of Life
34. Born on the Fourth of July
35. Unforgiven
36. Chinatown
37. The Godfather Part II
38. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
39. The Shawshank Redemption
40. Adaptation
41. The Great Dictator
42. The Producers
43. Singin’ in the Rain
44. City Lights
45. Cloud Atlas
46. The Adventures of Robin Hood
47. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
48. The Best Years of Our Lives
49. Lawrence of Arabia
50. The Manchurian Candidate
51. 12 Angry Men
52. It’s a Wonderful Life
53. Groundhog Day
54. Annie Hall
55. Pulp Fiction
56. Interstellar
57. Reds
58. The Right Stuff
59. Se7en
60. Munich
61. The Truman Show
62. Atlantic City
63. The Grey Zone
64. Platoon
65. Primary Colors
66. Toy Story
67. Wag the Dog
68. Black Hawk Down
69. The Last Emperor
70. The Grapes of Wrath
71. The Cotton Club
72. The Player
73. Raging Bull
74. Raiders of the Lost Ark
75. Peeping Tom
76. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
77. Psycho
78. Jaws
79. Alien
80. No Country for Old Men
81. Titanic
82. The Wild Bunch
83. Once Upon a Time in the West
84. Brazil
85. Syriana
86. Amadeus
87. Dances with Wolves
88. Giant
89. The Dark Knight
90. Finding Nemo
91. American Graffiti
92. Lone Star
93. Hamlet (1996)
94. The Little Mermaid (1989)
95. The Killing Fields
96. Ace in the Hole
97. An Officer and a Gentleman
98. Three Kings
99. The Social Network
100. All the King’s Men (1949)
Original AFI List
https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies/
10th Anniversary Edition
https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/
Mark C
As many of you know, the American Film Institute (AFI) released its list of the 100 greatest American movies in 1998 and then released a slightly altered 10th Anniversary edition. Although both lists featured a lot of great selections, I always felt that they excluded too many worthy films at the expense of films that were undeserving of their spots. So here is my alternative AFI list. I’ve also included the links to both AFI lists so you can compare them to my list if you want. Also, I would love to know what YOU think were the greatest American movies ever made. Do you agree with my selections? If not, why not? (Note: I base my list purely on cinematic merit. Just because I include a particular film does not mean I endorse the film’s message.)
Mark’s Alternative AFI List of the 100 Greatest American Movies
1. Intolerance
2. The Birth of a Nation
3. Citizen Kane
4. Goodfellas
5. The Godfather
6. Once Upon a Time in America
7. Schindler’s List
8. Apocalypse Now
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. JFK
11. Do the Right Thing
12. Sophie’s Choice
13. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
14. The Wizard of Oz
15. Gone with the Wind
16. Network
17. Dark City
18. Mulholland Dr.
19. Dr. Strangelove
20. Modern Times
21. Taxi Driver
22. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
23. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
24. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
25. The Ten Commandments
26. Blade Runner
27. Minority Report
28. L.A. Confidential
29. Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima
30. Sunset Boulevard
31. Nashville
32. Magnolia
33. Tree of Life
34. Born on the Fourth of July
35. Unforgiven
36. Chinatown
37. The Godfather Part II
38. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
39. The Shawshank Redemption
40. Adaptation
41. The Great Dictator
42. The Producers
43. Singin’ in the Rain
44. City Lights
45. Cloud Atlas
46. The Adventures of Robin Hood
47. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
48. The Best Years of Our Lives
49. Lawrence of Arabia
50. The Manchurian Candidate
51. 12 Angry Men
52. It’s a Wonderful Life
53. Groundhog Day
54. Annie Hall
55. Pulp Fiction
56. Interstellar
57. Reds
58. The Right Stuff
59. Se7en
60. Munich
61. The Truman Show
62. Atlantic City
63. The Grey Zone
64. Platoon
65. Primary Colors
66. Toy Story
67. Wag the Dog
68. Black Hawk Down
69. The Last Emperor
70. The Grapes of Wrath
71. The Cotton Club
72. The Player
73. Raging Bull
74. Raiders of the Lost Ark
75. Peeping Tom
76. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
77. Psycho
78. Jaws
79. Alien
80. No Country for Old Men
81. Titanic
82. The Wild Bunch
83. Once Upon a Time in the West
84. Brazil
85. Syriana
86. Amadeus
87. Dances with Wolves
88. Giant
89. The Dark Knight
90. Finding Nemo
91. American Graffiti
92. Lone Star
93. Hamlet (1996)
94. The Little Mermaid (1989)
95. The Killing Fields
96. Ace in the Hole
97. An Officer and a Gentleman
98. Three Kings
99. The Social Network
100. All the King’s Men (1949)
Original AFI List
https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies/
10th Anniversary Edition
https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-movies-10th-anniversary-edition/
Mark C