There's nothing better to spark a debate than a Top 10 list that purports to have some authority, as anything with the American Film Institute's stamp of approval certainly would.
The AFI has been making a habit of compiling such lists in recent years, but its most recent endeavour - the Top 10 movies in 10 different genres - is its most intriguing one so far. And man, is there plenty to pick apart. To name two notable snubs at the start, "Serenity" somehow doesn't make the sci-fi list, and neither "Ratatouille" or anything at all by the great Hayao Miyazaki find a home on the animation list.
You can read the complete list here, but today I'm just gonna focus on the fantasy selections, 'cause I still do have to go to my actual paying job at some point. Here are the AFI's selections:
1 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
2 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001
3 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
4 KING KONG 1933
5 MIRACLE ON 34th STREET 1947
6 FIELD OF DREAMS 1989
7 HARVEY 1950
8 GROUNDHOG DAY 1993
9 THE THIEF OF BAGDAD 1924
10 BIG 1988
I certainly can't argue with the top two spots or the inclusion of the glorious "Thief of Bagdad," but just for argument's sake (and maybe to offer some viewing ideas, I'd offer the following (admittedly much more modern) substitutions for the remaining spots:
3. Pan's Labyrinth
I went back and watched Guillermo del Toro's fantastic flick about a month ago to see if it had lost any of its sheen, and the welcome answer is no. The story that our heroine Ophelia concocts to deal with the surroundings around her during the Spanish Civil War is just the definition of fantasy, which after all is meant to take you away from the real world for a moment or two.
4. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Note, that's "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" starring Gene Wilder, not Tim Burton's rather soulless and sadistic remake. This is one story that I - like kids today hopefully still do - grew up loving, and this version just captures all the giddy goofiness of Roald Dahl's tale.
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
This one could also have easily found a home on the AFI's "epic" list, but since they snubbed it there too I've decided to give it a home here. Is there any better fantasy tale for a young dude who wants to see the world and be a total badass while doing it? I think not.
6. Kiki's Delivery Service
I hate to be redundant, but since I have no idea how much longer Hayao Miyazaki will be with us, I had to include my favorite of his flicks on this list. If your mind doesn't float away for a while as you watch the young witch in training soar over Miyazaki's European dreamscapes, you've probably lost the kid in you for good. By the way, I don't know the details of any American release yet, but Miyazaki's "Ponyo on a Cliff" is set to drop in Japan in July, so definitely keep your eyes on that one.
7. A Little Princess
One for the girls here, but still one that's dear to my heart too. If I'm not mistaken, it's also the first Alfonso Cuaron flick I ever saw, which is certainly reason enough alone to cheer. The tale that springs from the pen of Frances Hodgson Burnett is just a powerful testament to how the power of imagination can overcome even the most dreary of situations, here a very repressive boarding school.
8. Big Fish
This one is solid proof that fantasies don't always have to be for kids and that, when he wants to, Tim Burton is an incredibly inventive director. If you've never seen this tale about a son confronting his dying father about the tall tales he has spun about his life, I can't recommend it highly enough.
10. Time Bandits
And why not end with one from probably still my favorite fantasy director, Terry Gilliam? Essentially a Monty Python for kids penned by Gilliam and Michael Palin, it really just skips randomly through time but never fails to delight.
And there you have it. There are surely plenty of flicks I have snubbed here, so please feel free to add your favorites, and have a perfectly bearable Wednesday. Peace out.
The AFI has been making a habit of compiling such lists in recent years, but its most recent endeavour - the Top 10 movies in 10 different genres - is its most intriguing one so far. And man, is there plenty to pick apart. To name two notable snubs at the start, "Serenity" somehow doesn't make the sci-fi list, and neither "Ratatouille" or anything at all by the great Hayao Miyazaki find a home on the animation list.
You can read the complete list here, but today I'm just gonna focus on the fantasy selections, 'cause I still do have to go to my actual paying job at some point. Here are the AFI's selections:
1 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
2 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001
3 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
4 KING KONG 1933
5 MIRACLE ON 34th STREET 1947
6 FIELD OF DREAMS 1989
7 HARVEY 1950
8 GROUNDHOG DAY 1993
9 THE THIEF OF BAGDAD 1924
10 BIG 1988
I certainly can't argue with the top two spots or the inclusion of the glorious "Thief of Bagdad," but just for argument's sake (and maybe to offer some viewing ideas, I'd offer the following (admittedly much more modern) substitutions for the remaining spots:
3. Pan's Labyrinth
I went back and watched Guillermo del Toro's fantastic flick about a month ago to see if it had lost any of its sheen, and the welcome answer is no. The story that our heroine Ophelia concocts to deal with the surroundings around her during the Spanish Civil War is just the definition of fantasy, which after all is meant to take you away from the real world for a moment or two.
4. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryNote, that's "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" starring Gene Wilder, not Tim Burton's rather soulless and sadistic remake. This is one story that I - like kids today hopefully still do - grew up loving, and this version just captures all the giddy goofiness of Roald Dahl's tale.
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
This one could also have easily found a home on the AFI's "epic" list, but since they snubbed it there too I've decided to give it a home here. Is there any better fantasy tale for a young dude who wants to see the world and be a total badass while doing it? I think not.
6. Kiki's Delivery ServiceI hate to be redundant, but since I have no idea how much longer Hayao Miyazaki will be with us, I had to include my favorite of his flicks on this list. If your mind doesn't float away for a while as you watch the young witch in training soar over Miyazaki's European dreamscapes, you've probably lost the kid in you for good. By the way, I don't know the details of any American release yet, but Miyazaki's "Ponyo on a Cliff" is set to drop in Japan in July, so definitely keep your eyes on that one.
7. A Little Princess
One for the girls here, but still one that's dear to my heart too. If I'm not mistaken, it's also the first Alfonso Cuaron flick I ever saw, which is certainly reason enough alone to cheer. The tale that springs from the pen of Frances Hodgson Burnett is just a powerful testament to how the power of imagination can overcome even the most dreary of situations, here a very repressive boarding school.
8. Big Fish
This one is solid proof that fantasies don't always have to be for kids and that, when he wants to, Tim Burton is an incredibly inventive director. If you've never seen this tale about a son confronting his dying father about the tall tales he has spun about his life, I can't recommend it highly enough.
10. Time Bandits
And why not end with one from probably still my favorite fantasy director, Terry Gilliam? Essentially a Monty Python for kids penned by Gilliam and Michael Palin, it really just skips randomly through time but never fails to delight.
And there you have it. There are surely plenty of flicks I have snubbed here, so please feel free to add your favorites, and have a perfectly bearable Wednesday. Peace out.
