I remember when I was dating and men would ask me, “what’s your favorite movie?!” It was a truly stressful question!!! I mean, how do you possibly choose!? You have classic films (I’ll have another AFI update for you soon) and modern films and horror films and Nancy Meyers and there are just so many great films out there! I am a total movie addict. I tend to go for thrillers or classic films (or documentaries which I completely left off here!), but I love a horror film if I’m with other people (cannot do scary films alone), and if I am sick I will binge all of the cheesy romances. 

My all-time favorite films

So anyway, here are my top 5, in no particular order. If you’re compelled, would love to hear yours in the comments. 

Romancing the Stone (1984)

I mean, this is just the ultimate. From my youth. It’s action-y but also a romance. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglass are so good together. And it’s just a bookish girl’s fantasy. Kathleen Turner’s character writes romance novels but leads a pretty boring, dowdy, romance-free life. When she finds herself on a real-life adventure in the Colombian jungle in order to save her sister (who will be killed if a treasure map is not delivered to her captors), all bets are off. Adventure! Romance! It’s the best.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

I watched this with a friend a few months ago, so it is an older movie but a newer favorite for me but it stuck with me. I loved it. This could quite possibly be the original twisty thriller. I feel like I’ll spoil it if I say too much so… Leonard Vole is being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman. His lawyer is the legendary Sir Wilfrid Robarts (played by Charles Laughton). The problem is really Leonard’s wife, Christine (played by Marlene Dietrich) who decides to testify against him. The whole thing is very shocking and twisty. It’s ahead of its time and (I think) has inspired countless thrillers since.

High Society (1956)

This one just makes me SO happy. Any time I am feeling sad, I find myself putting it on. I love it. And I am not even really a big musical person. It’s a remake of Philadelphia Story, but (hopefully this is not a sacrilege) I prefer this to the original. It’s just WONDERFUL. When else do you get Louis Armstrong, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra in a film together!? The music. The sets. The outfits. I could watch this again and again. My boyfriend is a movie buff and I got him to watch this to me and we both agreed: it is pure magic. 

The Shining (1980)

I had to include a horror movie here. I love scary movies (but not by myself) and this is definitely my favorite scary movie. Jack Nicholson is my fav, I love the set design, it’s beautifully filmed, it’s terrifying. Just… a classic. It’s just so scary (and so beautiful – cinematography + colors wise), I love it.

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Jack Nicholson, again… just different. This time he plays Harry (an adorable but kind of gross) older bachelor/womanizer in his sixties who only dates women in their twenties. When he crosses paths with Diane Keaton (the mother of his latest girlfriend!), all bets are off. The two fall in and out of love, Diane Keaton gets a taste of dating someone younger with Keanu Reeves (who plays a maybe too-understanding but very sexy doctor)… I just love this one. This is also one of my comfort films as well. 

Tell me yours!

The post What are your all time favorite films? appeared first on The Stripe.

This was a reader request from several weeks ago (and a post I feel we need right now!) but it took me a while to pull together the post as I have so many. Comfort films. The ones you watch when you are sick, sad, having a bad day, feeling a bit blue, the world is in turmoil, etc. I had been working on this list for a while now but bad things seem to keep happening (gosh that feels awful to write) and I’ve been hibernating with my favorites so it felt like the timing was right for this post. A comfort film can be different for everyone. Some of these are Oscar winning classics, others are just feel good favorites and box office hits. It’s just about what brings YOU comfort!

Here are mine, please (please!) share yours in the comments!

Note from Grace – As the times change, some of these might not hold up as well anymore. I have tried to flag anything (like the weight comments in Bridget Jones’ Diary) I remember as offensive and I don’t think there is anything on this list that is terrible but wanted to make that caveat: sometimes there is just comfort in watching something old. I think you can cringe a little bit, give thanks that times have changed, but still enjoy the nostalgia of watching something older.

33 of the Best Comfort Movies

Alright, let’s dive in. These films are all comforting to me for different ways. Clueless makes me laugh. The Princess Bride transports me to my childhood (same with Back to the Future). Love, Actually reminds me of all the different forms of love. I could go on. A good comfort film can help you get through a tough day, distract you when you are sick, or just transport you away when real life feels like too much. No matter how bad things get, there will always be movies. I am not a big re-reader of books but love to rewatch old movie favorites. These are the films I watch again and again. After a long day, for me, there is nothing better than a glass of red wine and a good movie.

I will say that putting these in chronological order made this such a walk down memory lane. I graduated high school in ’99 and remember blasting the Cruel Intentions soundtrack around that time. Then I graduated college in ’03 and remember fantasizing about Kate Hudson’s workwear wardrobe in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. After graduation, I was watching The Holiday and The Notebook on repeat.

PS – I didn’t put what streaming service these are available as that is ever changing and I own most of these on Apple TV but JustWatch is a great resource for that. Just input all your favorites and they will tell you where to watch it!

Also, you might enjoy the list I made of everything I watched when I was sick with COVID. It was quite a long list! Also, I keep a running highlight for both movies and TV on my instagram page.

Nancy Meyers is our queen.

Did anyone else notice themselves falling back in love with Nancy Meyers during the pandemic? The old people romances. The cozy kitchens. The beach houses. Gah. She is our queen. I love her films so much.

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

This is my all time favorite from Nancy Meyers. It’s Complicated is a close second but this is the favorite. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton are just too good together. The meet-cute is hilarious: Jack’s character is dating Diane’s character’s daughter (played by Amanda Peet). The two wind up getting together, but he can’t settle down, and then Diane meets a younger man (played by Keanu Reeves). I LOVE this movie, definitely in my top 5.

The Holiday (2006)

Everything about this movie. The expected and the unexpected. Kate Winslet and Jack Black for example: a couple I’d never put together in my head, but it just WORKS! Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz both go through tumultuous breakups and decide to house swap for the holidays… LA and London! It is charming and sweet and one of my all time favorite movies anytime I am feeling sad.

It’s Complicated (2009)

My second favorite of Nancy Meyers’ films! Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep have been divorced for years. Meryl is still single; Alec has a younger (nightmare!) wife, played by Lake Bell. The two wind up in bed together, sneaking around… but Meryl knows Alec is no good! Luckily, a good man is waiting for Meryl: her handsome architect, Steve Martin. This is just so charming.

The Intern (2015)

Robert De Niro is a little bit bored and decides to apply for an internship at a fashion start-up (think Net-a-Porter, with Anne Hathaway playing a loveable workaholic boss). There are so many good elements here: the friendship between him and Anne’s character, an “old person romance” (my favorite!) between him and a beautiful massage therapist… I just love this one.

Home Again (2017)

This is adorable. While Meyers did not direct this, she produced it and her daughter directed it, so we will still count it. Reese Witherspoon returns “home” to LA after a split with her husband. Somehow along the way, she winds up “adopting” three younger guys in their twenties, who temporarily move into her guest house (she’s hooking up with one of them). It sounds like a mess but it’s great and oh-so-heartwarming, plus Candace Bergen plays her mom and of course (true to Nancy Meyers form) the house is absolutely beautiful.

And Tom Hanks is King?

Big (1988)

I will always love Big (and also, 13, going on 30, which was the female version). Tom Hanks plays a teenager who wishes to be big and then suddenly there he is, living in New York and having to fend for himself. It’s charming and cute and so nostalgic.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Another old favorite. I grew up watching and loving this. Just so much nostalgia… plus that Empire State Building moment. I love this.

Forrest Gump (1994)

I watched this when I had COVID and forgot how much I love it. It’s truly epic (spanning childhood all the way through middle age, a war, etc.) with such great characters. I could watch this again and again and again!

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Tom and Meg forever… plus bring in book shops? Love. This is a forever favorite for me.

Other favorites

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

This is one of my all time favorite old school films. It’s just… iconic. I mean, Sean Penn’s performance alone is just everything. I could watch this over and over again.

Back to the Future (all 3 of ’em! – 1985, onward)

Just a classic. I love love love these films and get happy just thinking about Marty McFly on his hoverboard or Doc and his time-traveling DeLorean.

The Princess Bride (1987)

Takes me back to my youth! It has been a little while (a long time!) since I last watched this, I think that needs to change. It’s an epic saga and just so delightful. Robin Wright dazzles as Princess Buttercup. It’s hilarious to compare her to Claire Underwood when you think about it.

Beaches (1988)

I remember as a kid not being allowed to watch this because it was too sad. Once I watched it, I understood. I sob every time I watch this film. It’s incredible, and so is the soundtrack. Bette Midler forever.

Mystic Pizza (1988)

This is another one of those feel good films I always reach for when I am sick. Pure nostalgia. It’s about three young waitresses working at a pizza shop in a small town… Julia Roberts is divine!

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

An absolute classic, another one that I could probably quote line for line. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. I love that it spans from graduating college and moving to the “big city,” all the way through adulthood and relationships. It is just… the best.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Another classic (with old school Julia Roberts AND Sally Field!) Julia plays the bride-to-be and Sally is her mom. Dolly Parton is their hair stylist and Daryl Hannah is an aspiring beautician who is helping out. Does the cast get any better? This is sad, but heartwarming, and an ode to the bond between women.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Along the lines of Fast Times (a great binge would be this and that for all the old school high school nostalgia). Just a wonderful old favorite. I haven’t watched this in a little while. Directed by Richard Linklater (a favorite!), with a breakout performance by Matthew McConaughey, it’s just a wonderful classic. I love this one!

Clueless (1995)

I just love this movie so much. It is cheesy and campy and utterly quotable. Alicia Silverstone plays Cher Horowitz, a spoiled but utterly lovable teenager growing up in Beverly Hills. This + Legally Blonde + Mean Girls = a dream Sunday.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

This is not exactly comforting, but it IS! Ryan Philippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Sarah Michelle Gellar.. it’s just so vicious and good. Before there was Gossip Girl, there was Cruel Intentions. It’s just the most fun to watch and rewatch over and over again. Like I said above, watching this transports me back to my high school experience. Not because mine was anything like theres, but because my friends and I were so scandalized by it… and… that soundtrack!

Legally Blonde (2001)

“What… Like, it’s hard!?” This may be one of my all time favorite Reese Witherspoon films… Reese is also my queen, I love her so much. Reese plays Elle Woods, determined to get into Harvard to win back her boyfriend (Selma Blair plays his new, brainy but mean fiancé.) It is campy and fun, and I think this is when I developed my crush on Luke Wilson.

Bridget Jones Diary (2001)

These movies will always be so comforting to me. Maybe because they make me feel better about myself (and like no matter how messy life can seem, things always work out okay!), but vintage Hugh Grant, Renee Zellweger, and Colin Firth are an absolute yes for me. (Though I will say I do find the weight comments bothersome; Bridget weighs all of 130/140 pounds and is considered chubby. Ah, okay, right… I just ignore those bits.)

School of Rock (2003)

This is so cute. Jack Black plays an overly enthusiastic guitarist who is kicked out of his band. Desperately in need of work, he finagles (lies) his way into a job teaching at an elite private elementary school. It’s an uptight environment and he teaches his students about the rock & roll gods he idolizes. It’s adorable watching these precocious and polite kids get into rock music.

Love, Actually (2003)

A classic. It’s one of my favorite Christmas movies but just like with The Holiday I will happily watch it any day of the year. The Hugh Grant dancing scene, Colin Firth getting a second chance at love.. there’s just so much goodness in this one.

How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003)

I definitely have a thing for romcoms set at magazines. Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are working in the media biz (her at a top woman’s mag; him for an ad agency). He strikes a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him (while she is simultaneously writing a feature on how to lose a guy); chaos ensues.

Mean Girls (2004)

This is another one I could quote all day long. We love a high school drama, and this is beyond fun. Lindsay Lohan has just moved to the suburbs of Illinois (after being home schooled by her her parents in Africa). High school turns out to be really clicque-y, including a “cool” group of girls dubbed “the plastics.” Rachel McAdams plays the queen bee Regina George so brilliantly. This is an all time favorite.

13 going on 30 (2004)

So charming and nostalgic; and yes, another romcom set at a magazine. Jenna Rink (played by Jennifer Garner) just wants to skip her teenage years and go straight to being thirty. When that actually happens, she wakes up in New York living the dream: an insane closet, a great job as a magazine editor, and a beautiful apartment. Of course, she soon learns that it’s not all as it seems and she realizes that the popular kids actually weren’t all that great.

The Notebook (2004)

Gahhh, a classic! For me, this is the ultimate love story. Is this what started my crush on Ryan Gosling? I think so. I feel like I don’t need to tell you about this as we’ve already seen it a million times but I always reach for this when I am sick or feeling sad. It’s so romantic, plus the Charleston scenery makes me happy.

Hitch (2005)

Another fun New York one. Will Smith is New York City’s best matchmaker (I particularly love the match he makes in Amber Valetta + a schlubby but sweet accountant). Eva Mendes co-stars; I loved the chemistry between the two of them!

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

A forever classic, I feel like I (and probably most of you) can quote this movie line by line. Anne Hathaway stars as Meryl Streep’s assistant at a prestigious fashion magazine. It’s a job “a million other girls would kill for,” but at what cost!?

Midnight in Paris (2011)

This is one of my favorite movies. I have my opinions about Woody Allen but can put them aside for this. Just the fantasy of being able to transport back to the age of Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald… the fantasy is too much! Plus major wanderlust with Paris (I have not been in years and miss it!)

Wonder (2017)

I can’t remember what prompted me to watch Wonder but I loved it. Somehow, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson work as a sweet married couple and are just the best parents to their son. Augie Pullman was born with facial differences that had prevented him from going to a mainstream school. When he starts fifth grade, his family and new classmates discover their compassion and acceptance. It’s heartwarming and a tearjerker… I loved it so much.

The Hustle (2022)

This is a newer one (I watched it a month or so ago on Netflix) but I had to add it to the list as I found it really comforting. Adam Sandler and Queen Latifah play an adorable couple (turns out they have a longstanding friendship). Adam Sandler plays a basketball scout, taking a chance on a talented newcomer. I loved this. It helps that I have a massive soft spot for Adam Sandler.

The post 32 of the Best Comfort Movies. appeared first on The Stripe.

I have watched… an excessive amount of TV and movies this past week as I was sick with COVID. I am almost embarrassed by how long this list was. But the truth was that for a lot of it the headache was so bad (when the headaches kicked in I could NOT read), or I’d have a fever and need to have my arms under the blanket… so, all there really was to do was watch TV. I went with mostly heartwarming stuff and/or old favorites… though Shining Girls is pretty scary – I didn’t watch that til I was out of the headache phase!

Also: so many great reader recommendations on this Instagram post (thank you!) and as always, feel free to share any and all recs in the comments section, I always love hearing what others are watching and loving.

Everything I Watched While I Was Sick

Movies

Forest Gump (Netflix)

This is just such a wonderful classic, feel good movie. The ultimate in comfort movies, if you will. I hadn’t seen it in ages and think I might have enjoyed it even more than I did the first time around? Just the very best (I also forgot how great the soundtrack is.

Midnight in Paris (Netflix)

Another classic, also: one of my favorite comfort movies. Such fun escapism (Paris!) while imagining meeting some of the literary greats. I could watch this again and again and never feel bored.

Along For the Ride (Netflix)

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this… it’s a stereotypical Netflix teenage romcom, which ordinarily is not my thing. But this was just so sweet and wholesome. A girl moves to her father’s cozy beachy town for the summer (I think it was filmed in North Carolina), determined to actually be a kid and have some fun. Adventures, (plus new friendships, the kind she’s never had) ensue.

Like Father (Netflix)

This was recommended to me in the comments section of this instagram post.  It was so cute… we need more father daughter movies. Kristen Bell plays a Type-A workaholic (I cringed as she was on her phone just before walking down the aisle) who gets left at the altar. Through a series of drunken events, she winds up bringing her estranged father on her honeymoon.

The Lost City (Paramount+)

OK, this was not great, but… not awful? With such a killer cast it should have been better but it was a good sick day film. I would recommend doing a free trial to Paramount (don’t pay to rent this!). Sandra Bullock plays a romance novelist who is kidnapped by a rich psychopath (played by Daniel Radcliffe). Channing Tatum is in love with her and determined to track her down… Brad Pitt helps. I think what I liked most about it is that it reminded me a lot of Romancing The Stone, one of my all time favorite films.

Senior Year (Netflix)

This was also not great cinema but scratched such an itch for the sort of films I loved in high school. Also, it made me nostalgic as I was a similar age to the characters. And I love Rebel Wilson. Rebel plays a woman who has just woke up from a 20 year coma…. the last thing she remembers is high school (she’s a total mean girl) and wanting to be prom queen. At age 37, she goes back to school to relive senior year.

Our Father (Netflix)

This was… SO creepy and unsettling. A fertility doctor uses his own sperm on his patients. Thirty years later, a whole town (ish… most of them live within a 25 mile radius of each other) of “siblings” has cropped up. It’s intriguing and interesting of course but mostly I just felt really bad for the victims. There wasn’t much they could do to prosecute him.

TV Shows

Shining Girls (Apple TV)

I will admit that when I first started this, I was only medium on it and kept falling asleep. It is really confusing at first, but I’m caught up and it is starting to make more sense. I don’t want to give anything away, just trust me!

Hacks (HBO)

Hacks was one of my favorite shows of all last year and I actually squealed when I saw that it is back. Jean Smart plays an aging comedienne, hiring a young writer to help her write jokes and stay relevant. It’s just so funny. I’m so happy that it is back, truly, this feels like being reunited with old friends.

The Lincoln Lawyer (Netflix)

My boyfriend called this one “Virgin River for men” which cracked me up. It has that same comforting feeling to watch (while still being a thriller). It’s a legal drama which I love, with smaller cases plus one big murder mystery. Well, two, actually. I loved it. I watched the entire season in a couple days. Highly recommend.

The Wilds (Amazon)

I started this at several people’s recommendation but I can’t really get into it. A group of teenage girls is stranded on a desert island and has to bond and survive. I may pick it back up but my first hunch was… meh!

The Time Traveler’s Wife (HBO)

This is only medium so far but I am still invested… mostly because Theo James is just a snack (and I loved Rose Leslie on Game of Thrones!) But the truth is, even though there are holes in this vs. the book it is still so fun and worth the watch. Only two episodes in but seems promising!

Sex and the City Reruns (HBO)

This is a go-to when I’m sick as I can doze off and pick right up again as I’ve watched it so many times. It’s comforting and feels like being with old friends. I feel the same way about Gossip Girl!

photo by Laura Saur.

The post Everything I Watched While I Was Sick. appeared first on The Stripe.

Since my February update, I have gone from having seen 40 to 51 of the films on the AFI 100 list. (If you’re not familiar, it’s fun.. take the quiz! When I started, I’d only seen 23 of the films on the list. My two favs from this update were The Apartment and Double Indemnity, both by Billy Wilder. I’ve gone on separate tangents from the original list, watching so many films by both Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock – I have found that I am a huge fan of pretty much everything either director has made. (You can see everything else I’ve been watching via my running movie highlight on my instagram page!)

I have to be honest, some of these are a slog. I’m getting to the point where I have to watch movies I don’t really want to see. So I try to spread those out… a few every month. For example, I don’t typically love mobster flicks or Westerns so The Searchers and On the Waterfront weren’t my favorite. (I did however, really enjoy Goodfellas, and I thought that the second Godfather was much more enjoyable than the first.)

I think what I love must about this little challenge is that it’s really opened my eyes to how amazing classic films are. It also really shows you that nothing is truly original… everything these days is inspired by something old. You can see previous AFI updates here: February and September!

AFI 100 Update: May

All the President’s Men

I watched this with a friend who is a history buff, and if you are not a history buff / don’t fully remember the Watergate Scandal, I would recommend that you do the same! Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford (they are such babies!) play Car Bernstein and Bob Woodward (the two journalists who broke the Watergate scandal and brought down the Nixon presidency). This was dense but so interesting and I felt a little smarter after watching it. I was particularly struck by how different journalism was in the seventies vs. now. The amount of going door to door, using the phone book… the sheer volume of paper! This was streaming on HBO when I watched it.

The Apartment

This one (directed by Billy Wilder, who I am realizing I absolutely adore as I make my way through this list) was very funny. I want to point that out as a lot of the films on the list are really dark… this is a lighter one. Jack Lemmon plays a young, ambitious employee. So ambitious that he lets the higher-ups at his company use his apartment to entertain their extramarital affairs. Things get complicated when he realizes the sweet elevator attendant he has a crush on (played by a young Shirley Maclaine) is the mistress of the guy who just helped him get promoted.

Double Indemnity

Another Billy Wilder film, and wow, this may be my favorite (thus far?)! I feel like this film was the inspiration for so many of the twisty thrillers I love so much. Fred MacMurray stars as a lovestruck insurance agency, helping an unhappy wife to escape her husband. All they have to be together is do is commit a little insurance fraud with a side of casual murder. Should be fine, right?! This is twisty and fun – a slow burn… pay attention to every single word!

On the Waterfront

Alright, we are getting to the point in my AFI 100 journey where I have realized that I can’t just watch all the movies I want (and to be honest a lot of films on the list are not super interesting to me… particularly the Westerns and mob flicks!). I did not love this, but it’s an incredible performance by Marlon Brando, who plays an ex-fighter who witnesses a murder. He’s forced to choose between family (his brother is a part of the corrupt union responsible for the murder) and doing what is right (standing with the dead man’s sister and their local priest to testify).

It Happened One Night

One of the original romcoms! Claudette Colbert plays a spoiled heiress who has run away from her tycoon father. After jumping ship (literally, off of her father’s yacht), she flees to New York (via bus – I will tell you that buses in the 1930s looked quite glam?) becoming friendly with a cynical (but charming) reporter, Peter Warne (played by Clark Gable who is an absolute dreamboat as always). Things take a turn when the two find themselves falling for each other (but refusing to admit it). I watched this with a girlfriend and really loved it!

Goodfellas

Fun fact – Rolling Stone ranked this film the number one movie of the nineties. I can’t believe (and neither can any of my friends) that I hadn’t ever seen this. My parents were pretty careful about what they let me watch and then by the time I got to college I was already way behind on movies. But I loved this, and cannot believe it was based on a true story. From his earliest days, Henry Hill knows he wants to be a gangster. So he starts out working at the cab stand, which turns into much more. He becomes addicted to a life of glamour, ignoring all of the pain he’s causing. I don’t tend to love mob flicks (you know I still feel guilty for being only medium on The Godfather) but really enjoyed this.

Raging Bull 

Raging Bull ranks SO high on the list but had no appeal to me (Robert De Niro plays a boxer with violent tendencies, in and out of the ring). I have been trying to watch some of the films on the list that appeal to me less (they can’t all be Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock), and this was top of the list. I didn’t love it. But De Niro gives an incredible performance and it was fun to think about his career longevity… this came out 42 years ago, when De Niro was just 36 years old.

The Searchers

Similar to Raging Bull, this was one of the ones I had been really putting off (but it ranks #12!!!). As a general rule, I just don’t enjoy Westerns, but I actually didn’t mind this one as it had a really interesting plot. John Wayne plays Eastern Edwards. It’s just after the Civil War and he’s returned home to Texas, only to have his brother’s family killed + abducted by members of the Comanche tribe. Along with his nephew Martin (played by Jeffrey Hunter, who looks so much like James Marsden that I was doing double takes the whole film), he embarks on a mission to track down his niece Debbie.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

You know I love Jimmy Stewart… (he is in SO many of these!) This is a political comedy about a young and inexperienced (idealistic) senator Jefferson Smith. Smith “goes to Washington,” mentored by his father’s friend, Senator Paine. Turns out though, Paine is corrupt. And when Senator Smith refuses to go along with Paine’s corrupt plans, Paine and other senior senators conspire to discredit Smith. Smith (along with his beautiful secretary Saunders) retaliate.

Star Wars IV: A New Hope

I had been putting this off because I stupidly thought that IV was the fourth one and that I’d have to watch four movies just to check this off the list. But phew, it is the first! I know, I know… it is really weird that I’ve never seen this. But we just didn’t watch a lot of TV and movies when I was a kid. I enjoyed it! In fact, I might even watch more of them; we will see.

The Godfather, Part 2

I had also been putting this off but liked it sooooo much better than the first one. In the second one, there are dual timelines. We get to know more about Vito Corleone as a young immigrant to the US (played by Robert De Niro!), while seeing his son Michael Corleone take over. I especially loved the sets (you’re transported from Italy to New York to Lake Tahoe), and I liked that Diane Keaton had a bigger role in this one.

HERE’S THE FULL LIST! 

The starred ones, I’d already watched before I started this little goal.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler’s List (1993)*
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)*
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)*
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)*
18. The General (1927)
19. On The Waterfront (1954)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)*
21. Chinatown (1974)*
22. Some Like it Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)*
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1963)
26. Mr. Smith goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
35. Annie Hall (1977)*
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)
40. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music (1965)*
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. The Midnight Cowboy  (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1955)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)*
53. The Deer Hunter (1979)
54. M*A*S*H (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)*
56. Jaws (1975)*
57. Rocky (1976)*
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1973)
64. Network (1976)*
65. The African Queen (1952)
66. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)*
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1972)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
72. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. Silence of the Lambs (1991)*
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)*
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)*
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)*
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie’s Choice (1983)
92. GoodFellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)*
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)*
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)*
100. Ben-Hur (1959)

The post AFI 100 Update: May. appeared first on The Stripe.

In case you missed it, I’ve been working my way through the AFI 100 list! I first wrote about this goal (and shared more info about what the list is and how it came to be in this blog post, and then in September, I posted an update with ten films I’d watched. My goal is to eventually see every film on the list, and I thought it would be fun to keep you updated along the way. Admittedly I have not seen as many films as I would have liked since my last update (I’ve gone from 33 to 40… watching 8 films, one was a repeat).

There is a good reason for this, though: I’ve been equally focused on seeing all the best picture noms before the Oscars in a couple weeks. (And in the case of this weekend, I wanted lighthearted escapism). I also keep a running movie highlight on my instagram page if you want to see what else I’ve been watching.

AFI 100 Update: February

What I watched this month:

Rear Window

I was dying to watch this because a) I had heard Grace Kelly’s outfits were bananas (and they were!) b) I love Alfred Hitchcock and c) I’d heard that it had inspired many modern thrillers like The Woman in the Window. And bonus points, Jimmy Stewart, who I have such a crush on. A photographer is laid up at home with a broken leg and his only entertainment is watching his neighbors through the window. But when he thinks he’s witnessed a murder, he turns into an amateur detective. I absolutely LOVED this and would highly recommend it.

Sound of Music (rewatch!)

Oh my goodness I forgot how magical this was. I watched it as a child but it (my grandmother loved it) and remember really enjoying it, but hadn’t revisited it as an adult. Julie Andrews is just perfection and Christopher Plummer is an absolute dream boat. In fact, I watched this on the flight home from Vienna and wanted to sing along with it. The happiest (plus perfect as it’s set in Austria).  I also forgot how romantic it is. The chemistry between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer was epic.

Shawshank Redemption

This is a prison movie with nary a female in site and I have to tell you… it may rather shockingly be one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. It’s about a man who is (maybe) wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. It is so heartwarming and just… wonderful. The friendships between the inmates, the solidarity… the scene on the roof with the beers… the characters are also really endearing. You root for them and hope for justice.

Vertigo

More Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart. I watched this on Halloween as I wanted something a little creepy… this did not disappoint. And it has such a great twist! Jimmy Stewart plays an investigator who is terribly afraid of heights. The beginning of the movie opens with him being unable to save his colleague… and then he gets hired by an old friend to follow his wife as the friend fears his wife has become possessed. I will say no more but this is an absolute must. In fact, I think it would be really fun to watch this and Rear Window together!

To Kill a Mockingbird

This book was one of my favorites when I read it (high school, probably?) and the movie did not disappoint. (How had I not seen the film!?!) I forgot how much it tugs at the heartstrings (and also Gregory Peck is absolutely incredible as Atticus Finch). Just (in case you’ve forgotten, realize nearly everyone has read the book!) remember: this is a tearjerker!!!

2001: A Space Odyssey

I feel like every guy I know raves and raves about this movie but it never really appealed to me. I think it’s because I put it on once, a long time ago, and immediately fell asleep. It’s 2.5 hours long and the first 20 minutes (while beautiful) are incredibly relaxing. On a cold night, my boyfriend suggested we watch it – luring me with all the design references. I’m so glad I watched it. There is so much to talk about.

From the perils of AI (and trusting a computer with your life) and how far to take it (if you could build emotions into a computer to make it easier to interact with, should you?) to the ending (which was totally wild and felt like I was on drugs). And yes – the design references are amazing. So I will always now think of the monolith when I look at my iPhone!

In The Heat of the Night

I absolutely loved this. Besides being extremely socially relevant right now, it is one of the most beautifully shot films maybe ever. Sidney Poitier (Mister Tibbs) is in Mississippi, minding his business waiting for the train when he is pulled in for questioning for a murder by the local racist cop. The first twist? He’s a homicide detective. Tibbs winds up stuck with the cop (played by Rod Steiger) to solve the murder. It starts out incredibly tense but eventually the cop realizes how brilliant Tibbs is. The twists and turns are fun (with an exciting ending). It’s an accurate portrayal of the deep south in the sixties, the cinematography is also absolutely mesmerizing (the light! the shadows!), and the film was very very much ahead of its time.

Sunset Boulevard

I cannot believe I had never seen this as I absolutely LOVED it. An aging silent film starlet (Norma Desmond) refuses to believe that her career has ended. Through a chance (or maybe not so chance) encounter, she meets a younger screenwriter, Joe…. enlisting her to help her make her comeback. Their relationship eventually turns into more (though he’s ambivalent and she wants more). It has a devastating ending. This is beautifully shot, incredibly creepy at times and just SO GOOD!

HERE’S THE FULL LIST! 

The starred ones, I’d already watched before I started this little goal.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler’s List (1993)*
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)*
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)*
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)*
18. The General (1927)
19. On The Waterfront (1954)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)*
21. Chinatown (1974)*
22. Some Like it Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)*
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1963)
26. Mr. Smith goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
35. Annie Hall (1977)*
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)
40. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music (1965)*
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. The Midnight Cowboy  (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1955)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)*
53. The Deer Hunter (1979)
54. M*A*S*H (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)*
56. Jaws (1975)*
57. Rocky (1976)*
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1973)
64. Network (1976)*
65. The African Queen (1952)
66. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)*
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1972)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
72. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. Silence of the Lambs (1991)*
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)*
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)*
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)*
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie’s Choice (1983)
92. GoodFellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)*
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)*
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)*
100. Ben-Hur (1959)

The post AFI 100 Update: February. appeared first on The Stripe.

Warning: This has spoilers for And Just Like That. 

And Just Like That?

Gah, this show. Earlier in the week I had this whole post planned about how we needed to be patient, to give it a shot and see where it goes. A lot of people are mad, which I understand. (And understand even more after the third episode). But sometimes I feel like we have this collective need to be angry and pile on, without giving something a chance. My personal attitude has been, “well it’s just good to have these women together again, despite the depressing plot line(s).” I still kinda sorta feel this way but after watching the third episode last night I am losing hope while also just feeling like the writers have done the characters a little dirty.

I mean first we had THE death. I am conflicted on my feelings here. Big is the character I loved to hate. I found it incredibly frustrating that the writers had Carrie and Big end up together as it sent such a bad message to women – that the Mr. Big character will grow up and change and love you and be faithful, so just hold out hope. I can assure you – the Big/Carrie sitch is the exception and not the rule. It should have been Aiden!

Despite my feelings there, did they really need to kill him?

With all we’ve been through in 2020 onward, this is not the show we need! Couldn’t we just get a show where we have these amazing women in their 50s thriving, having great sex, living their lives, killing it in their careers? I thought it was really interesting that in this interview, Chris Noth said, “All things end, and it was time for him to go, unless we’re gonna be doing Scenes From a Marriage, Sex and the City style. There was nowhere to go with it but six feet under.”

I guess I get it, but what a thing – to be so extremely excited for a show’s return only to spend the whole 45 minutes ugly crying. (And also: wondering why Carrie didn’t call 911?)

There has been absolutely no sex.

Sex has been replaced with loss, and we will continue to be so much loss in this show. Samantha. Big. And we know something bad is inevitable for Stanford’s storyline, as in real life the actor Willie Garson passed away this September in the middle of filming. I have heard that episode three was his last.

We also have to discuss Miranda. What’s become of her? I’m worried – she was always my favorite. The bumbling microagressions at school. The insensitivity about pronouns. I hate it? If any character on the show were going to mess up pronouns, she would have been my last pick. This article suggests that maybe her character is the only one that could handle it,  which makes sense when you think about it. Still. It’s been seventeen years since the original… couldn’t they have learned and grown during that time? Add to that a drinking problem (that no one seems to be paying attention to) and I hate it some more. I have hope though – it feels like maybe she will hit rock bottom and then they will take her character in a new direction… maybe she’s queer?

Of course there is the good.

I wish there were more shows about women in their fifties, proving that life doesn’t end in your thirties and that women can still be confident, happy, and desirable long after that. I love the friendships. The fashion is great. I am sad that Samantha isn’t there, but I think they handled her exit respectfully. I am glad they’ve made the show more diverse and less white-washed (and I really hope the new characters – especially Sara Ramirez’s character, the best part of the show IMO – get their own storylines and more air time).

Why couldn’t we get a happier show? My attitude is still, “I’ll take it.” I want to see where it goes, I love these women! But this isn’t the show I wanted.

How are you feeling about the reboot? Let’s talk about it!

The post And Just Like That? appeared first on The Stripe.

Films that Don’t Hold Up

Over the weekend I had a funny experience. I had been really excited to rewatch Serendipity (it came out in 2001 when I was twenty, and I’m not sure how long but it’s been since I last watched it… maybe ten years?). And WOW, It did not hold up for me.

It definitely had its good parts. Mostly, it made me nostalgic. New York was my home for fifteen years and I miss it a lot, especially during the holidays. Ice skating in Central Park, the hotel (and department store window) decorations, the hustle and bustle of the city this time of year… this is a good one for New York holiday nostalgia. There were some very funny moments too. But otherwise, I kind of hated it?

I have found over the past few years that a lot of the films I loved ten or twenty years ago don’t really hold up.

Often that is because of racism, fat-phobia, homophobia, a lack of diversity… I could go on. In the case of Serendipity, it wasn’t anything overtly problematic, moreso it was maddening and a little stressful to watch. Also: perpetuating and encouraging bad romantic behavior. I really hate the idea that you could be in a relationship (or engaged / literally about to walk down the aisle) while actively looking for something better. I found myself saying Poor Bridget (Moynihan, her character’s name is Hallie) over and over again. Here is John Cusack (Jonathan), about to marry her in a few days… running around New York City looking for that godd*mn book with Kate Beckinsale (Sarah)’s phone number in it. A stranger he met for just a few hours, years ago on some chance encounter. What an ass!

Maybe it’s just me but if you are that hung up on a stranger, you probably shouldn’t be engaged. Jonathan ultimately came to that conclusion on his own but man – I was furious, and really sad for his fiance. I felt less angry (but still uneasy) about Sarah’s situation – her boyfriend Lars (who is is played by John Corbett aka Aiden Shaw) was pretty self absorbed and kind of a jerk. But still, here she is – engaged and flying to New York to try to track down some stranger she met for a couple hours, years ago. This behavior shouldn’t be romanticized!

I love the idea of fate and soulmates and destiny etc… but this isn’t it!

It’s funny to me though. I remember watching it at age 20 thinking it was just the most romantic thing ever. At age 40 it made me angry. Angry in the same way I felt at Sex and the City for having Carrie and Big end up together. While I will always love SATC (the reboot comes out this week and I can’t wait!), I felt that it was an irresponsible choice on the writers’ behalf… encouraging leagues of women to hold out for the jerk they’re dating to change and finally realize they’ve actually been in love all this time. That just doesn’t happen (or rarely happens) in real life. Carrie and Big are the exception and not the rule!

I’m clearly a little fired up about this… What films don’t hold up for you? I’d love to chat about it in the comments section! A reader had messaged me saying she felt the same way about You’ve Got Mail. (To be honest I don’t remember what happened in that one, do I need to rewatch it?)

The post Films that Don’t Hold Up. appeared first on The Stripe.

I watch (almost? sometimes more?) as much TV (and movies too) as I read, so I wanted to start doing regular posts with all everything I’m loving and watching. So here is everything on TV I’ve been enjoying over the past four or five months. I will add that my current watch list is the new Succession and three shows on Netflix (Maid, Midnight Mass, and Squid Game).  Would LOVE to hear all the TV you are watching and loving in the comments, if you feel comfortable sharing!

PS – here’s another big TV roundup I did during the pandemic, plus four really heartwarming and uplifting films to watch.

All the TV Shows I’ve Been Loving Lately!

For a laugh…

The Prince

(Hulu) Oh my lord, this is Gary Janetti’s parody of the royal family and it is absolutely hilarious. I kind of don’t know how he was allowed to do this but I am so glad he did? With such clever writing and Family Guy-esque illustrations I just loved it so much. Each episode is just 12-15 minutes. On Youtube or HBO Max. It is so, so funny.

Hacks

(Amazon) This was THE BEST. I miss it so much. Jean Smart is a national treasure. She plays Deborah Vance, an aging but legendary comedienne (think Joan Rivers) who has her own line and a Vegas show. But she’s difficult, and on the precipice of losing her show. When her agent forces an entitled, outcast 25-year-old comedy writer to help her write new jokes, a dark mentorship forms between them. I am thrilled that there is going to be a second season.

The Other Two

(Comedy) This is so funny. So funny. You will laugh out loud. I tend to watch TV rather quietly but I actually cackled out loud at a few of the episodes. It took me a little while to get into. At first it reminded me of Schitt’s Creek (a bad thing, I realize I am the only one who feels like this but I didn’t like that show!) and then I grew to absolutely love it. The writing is so sharp and they make fun of absolutely everything. It makes a lot of sense that Lorne Michaels (the creator of SNL) is one of the producers.

Heartwarming!

Modern Love

(Amazon) I absolutely love this series (based on the famous NY Times column). The second season just came back A killer cast, and just so so sweet. This is fun to watch when you just want to watch one quick thing (the episodes each stand alone as each episode is based on a different essay) and/or when you want to cry. I personally liked the first season better but the second season has some gems too (the first episode, with Minnie Driver, had me SOBBING!).

Drama

Gossip Girl

(HBO) I’ll be honest, I don’t love the new Gossip Girl but I don’t hate it either? And I will absolutely keep watching when it comes back. I love seeing Tavi in it (she’s a surprisingly good actress?), I love the fashion, and it makes me miss New York. It also gives me nostalgia for the old one (and I really really like how diverse the cast is). That being said, the plot is just medium. But do I plan to keep watching when it comes back? Absolutely!!!

The White Lotus

(Satire) The White Lotus was one of my favorite TV shows of the whole summer. It’s a satire. It really highlights white privilege and how awful American travelers can be when visiting a new city. It was funny, in a satirical sense. I also still couldn’t get over Jake Lacy playing such a jerk. He did an amazing job (he always plays the nice guy and was so believable). It’s uncomfortable to watch and will definitely inspire some great conversations (the ending especially!), but I can’t recommend it enough.

The Chair

(Drama) I really loved this. I am a big Sandra Oh fan, and I liked that it was about academia (both my sister and boyfriend work in academia and said that it’s spot on!!!) Sandra Oh plays the first woman of color to be made head of the English Department at a prestigious university. Along the way she encounters some dramatic incidents and high expectations. There’s also a little romance brewing, which I loved.

The Morning Show

(Apple TV) I am SO glad that this is back! The first season made me cry. That finale!!! And truly, such a great cast (Jennifer Aniston + Reese Witherspoon star, along many many other amazing actors and actresses). This is set on (shocker) a popular morning show in Manhattan and gives some of the darker side of the industry. They could have left it at one season, but now it’s back. I have only seen a few episodes but am excited to see where it goes.

Thrillers + Murdery Stuff

Truth Be Told

(Apple TV) I absolutely loved the first season of this (I’m still making my way through the second!) Octavia Spencer plays a former journalist turned true crime podcast host. I obviously love the podcasting element (and Octavia) but the plot of the first one was so twisty and good (I’m still not sure where the second season is going! The seasonal guests are also so good. In the fist season we got Aaron Paul and Lizzie Kaplan and in season 2 we get Kate Hudson.

Clickbait

(Netflix) I loved this. It stuck with me long after finishing it. Adrian Grenier plays a beloved family man… close with his wife and his sister. He goes missing and turns up on a Youtube video, where he is held hostage being accused of sexually assaulting women. His family (and the police) begin a desperate search for him, uncovering terrible secrets along the way. I can’t recommend this enough. The first episode was a little slow but then it gets SO good.

Only Murders in the Building

(Hulu) My absolute favorite and truly WHAT a cast. Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez play three neighbors (all very different) living in the same building. They share a common love of a popular true crime podcast (hosted by Tina Fey) and bond when a resident of their building is murdered. Determined to find out who killed him, they wind up forming their own podcast! It’s both funny, heartwarming, and a little bit scary at times… all the things. I love it.

You (Season 3)

(Netflix) It’s back! This was my latest binge watch (I watched it this past weekend). I had been waiting. This is the third season. If you are not familiar, Penn Badgley plays a nice guy with stalkerish (and sometimes murderish) tendencies. The third season has him married with a baby… and nowhere close to giving up his old ways. I think this might actually be the best episode yet. There is a lot of killing, a lot of deceit… it is stressful in the best way!

Other Stuff

LulaRich

(Amazon) Did you watch this? It was a quicker watch but crazy to see, and pretty eye-opening as I had seen friends on Facebook selling the LulaRoe leggings. I still can’t believe the producers were able to get the founders of the company on. I had known they were a bad company but I don’t think I realized just how bad/what a disaster they are. And I was blown away by how manipulative the executive team was to the lower level members… it was really upsetting and left me with this dirty feeling afterward. ICK.

The post All the TV Shows I’ve Been Loving Lately. appeared first on The Stripe.

A couple weeks ago I posted about how one of my more recent “just for fun goals” is to watch all of the movies on the AFI 100 list. You can read more about that (and how the list came to be) in this blog post.

Over the past two weeks I’ve made some nice progress on the list (my boyfriend is also very into this goal and over the course of my birthday weekend we watched four movies on the list. In fact, I’ve gone from 23 to 33! I thought it would be fun to post updates here with what I watch each month, and what I also like best, etc etc!

Also two things that might be fun/helpful – both are recommendations from the comments section of my first post, so thank YOU for these tips!!!!

1. Unspooled is a great podcast that goes into depth about each film on the list. It’s hosted by a movie buff and a film critic and I really enjoy both their commentary and chemistry as hosts.
2. Justwatch.com is a great tool here. You can add all the movies you’re looking to watch and what streaming services you have, and it also tells you where you can watch them!

AFI 100 Update: September

What I watched this month:

Singin’ in the Rain

This is just the HAPPIEST and I absolutely loved the ending. Two silent picture stars transition to “talkies” but only one of them has a good voice. An up and coming actress (played by Debbie Reynolds) lends her voice to the cause and drama ensues.

Bringing Up Baby

I had totally thought this was going to be about an actual baby. It’s about a leopard. So of course I loved it. And Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant are an absolute dream together. I really enjoyed this one.

Some Like It Hot

Two musicians witness a mob murder. To hide, they pose as female musicians and join a traveling (all female) band. Marilyn Monroe stars as the lead singer, Sugar. I loved this one. I found myself laughing out loud at times. It was campy and fun.

Bonnie & Clyde

ICONIC. I don’t know how I hadn’t seen this yet but you know the story. A bored waitress takes up with a seasoned criminal and a bloody, crime-filled road trip across the US happens. It’s violent.

A Philadelphia Story

How silly am I? High Society is one of my favorite old movies (starring Grace Kelly, it is just the BEST) but it’s actually based on this! I will be honest, I prefer High Society but I loved this!

All About Eve

This was maybe the first iteration of “single white female-ing” someone? A young actress is obsessed with an aging film star (played by Bette Davis). She ruthlessly claws her way to the top.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Whew, this was dark. I had so many thoughts on it, mostly how ahead of its time it was with regard to critiquing the way mental health was handled in America. There are wonderful moments of levity (and also heartwarming moments), but it’s pretty upsetting. Upset feelings aside, I still really enjoyed it.

The Godfather

This ranks number two on the list so it was important to me to watch it but it was not my jam. I found it super slow and I don’t really care for mob movies. I will say that it’s absolutely beautifully shot. A bit sad that I’ll have to watch part two as that one also made the list!

Apocalypse Now

So this is one of my bf’s absolute favorite films. We watched it together. I wasn’t super excited to watch a war movie but honestly, the cinematography makes it feel like you are watching an actual piece of art. But it’s very, very dark!

Gone With the Wind

I had always wanted to watch this but put off seeing it, mostly because I knew it was four hours long and also, had heard that it was super super racist and would not hold up today. Even though I knew it would be offensive and problematic, we watched it so that we could check it off the list. My boyfriend and I were both pretty upset by it. Besides being incredibly offensive (you can read more on that here), it was also very very DARK. We thought we were watching an “epic historical romance” – it was not. I hope that the AFI will eventually update the list (this list is 14 years old) to make it more diverse and remove the more problematic films.

Here’s the full list! 

The starred ones, I’d already watched before I started this little goal.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler’s List (1993)*
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)*
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)*
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)*
18. The General (1927)
19. On The Waterfront (1954)
20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)*
21. Chinatown (1974)*
22. Some Like it Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)*
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1963)
26. Mr. Smith goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
35. Annie Hall (1977)*
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)
40. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music (1965)*
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. The Midnight Cowboy  (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1955)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)*
53. The Deer Hunter (1979)
54. M*A*S*H (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)*
56. Jaws (1975)*
57. Rocky (1976)*
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1973)
64. Network (1976)*
65. The African Queen (1952)
66. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)*
67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1972)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
72. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. Silence of the Lambs (1991)*
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)*
77. All the President’s Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)*
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)*
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie’s Choice (1983)
92. GoodFellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)*
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)*
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)*
100. Ben-Hur (1959)

The post AFI 100 Update: September. appeared first on The Stripe.

One of my more fun goals is to watch every movie on the AFI 100 List. Are you familiar with it? I actually wasn’t, until one night a month or two ago. My boyfriend and I were deciding what to watch and he pulled up the list. As someone who watches a lot of movies, I suddenly felt… very, very behind slash uninformed. I have seen a lot of movies but not very many older movies, which is something I want to change.

The AFI 100 List

The list has a wide range. The number one film on the list is Citizen Kane but it ranges from The Godfather to E.T. to Psycho. Toy Story even made the cut (and as much as I loved it, I’m not entirely sure why –  the computer animation, perhaps?). I am having a lot of fun working my way through the list… last night I watched Singin’ in the Rain and really loved it!

Since this is a “just for fun” goal, I’m not setting a timeline to accomplish it. But I feel like there are so many nights where I’m scrolling through Netflix and end up choosing a movie that’s just medium. Working my way list is a much better choice!

A little bit of very basic background (in case you, like me, didn’t know!). The AFI stands for The American Film Institute and the list is meant to celebrate excellence in film. The most important, impactful films of the last 100 years. The list was voted on by 1,500 people (including actors, directors, producers, writers, editors, cinematographers, studio executives, film historians and critics). The first list was unveiled in 1997. You can see the ballot which has the 400 films that were initially voted on. The new “anniversary list” was unveiled in 2007.

These were the criteria for the films that were selected for voting (I pulled this information directly from the ballot):

FEATURE-LENGTH FICTION FILM

Narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.

AMERICAN FILM

Motion picture with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States.

CRITICAL RECOGNITION

Formal commendation in print, television and digital media.

MAJOR AWARD WINNER

Recognition from competitive events including awards from peer groups, critics, guilds and major film festivals.

POPULARITY OVER TIME

Including success at the box office, television and cable airings, and

DVD/VHS sales and rentals.

Pretty self explanatory.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A film’s mark on the history of the moving image through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation, or other groundbreaking achievements.

CULTURAL IMPACT

A film’s mark on American society in matters of style and substance.

You can take the poll here, it’s fun! I have only watched 23 out of the 100, but am hoping to work my way through the entire list. Love a goal that includes watching more movies!!!!

The post One of my “Just for Fun” Goals. appeared first on The Stripe.