13. Watch all the movies in AFI’s 100 Years 100 Movies list. (48/100); 6. Science Fiction (5/10); 7. Western (4/10)

I watched The Searchers (1956) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) over the weekend.  I checked out both from my local library.  Somewhat surprisingly, I really liked both movies.  The Searchers is a western starring John Wayne as Ethan Edwards, a man searching for his kidnapped niece.  I didn't expect The Searchers to provide so many laughs considering how serious it was at times.  The Day the Earth Stood Still kept my interest with likable characters and a touch of mystery.  It was remade with Keanu Reeves in 2008, but I haven't seen it yet. 

7. Western (3/10)

I spontaneously watched Cat Ballou after I got home today and I enjoyed it immensely.  Cat Ballou is a western.  It is also a comedy, but not in a Blazing Saddles kind of way.  It is also part musical, with the vocal additions of Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye.  I swear I am not making this up.  Cat Ballou is the greatest western/comedy/musical you will ever watch!

Here is the description from Netflix (in case you think I'm joking):

Nat "King" Cole and Stubby Kaye provide a Greek chorus-style narrative in this tongue-in-cheek Western parody that's become a classic in its own right. In director Elliot Silverstein's Oscar-winning comedy, Cat's (Jane Fonda) father has been murdered by a gunslinger (Lee Marvin), and now, the schoolmarm-cum-outlaw must team with boozehound Kid Shelleen (also played by Marvin) to prevent her father's ranch from falling into the wrong hands.

The last few weeks

It has been a long few weeks, but I'm trying to keep up.

2. Watch all the movies in AFI's 10 Top 10 Lists
7. Westerns (2/10)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
High Noon

13. Watch all the movies in AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies list. (30/100)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
High Noon
The Graduate
Jaws

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was awesome; so funny! I didn't like High Noon as much, but it was interesting. The Graduate is of course a classic, but it kind of annoyed me. I've seen parts of Jaws before, but seeing it all the way through made more sense. I also realized that it's where the line "That's some bad hat, Harry" came from. I hear it after a lot of tv shows as the name of a production company, or something to that effect.


21. Read 10 other books. (6/10)
So I realized that I read He's Just Not That Into You back in April and never wrote it down. I'm glad that the movie is out on dvd now too.


66. Visit all 50 states. (35/50)
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont

Since I went to Maine last week, I got to go to several more states. The northern states are very quaint, especially along the coast. All of the houses were big and it seemed like they all had three car garages, which I'm assuming is for a boat. It was really cold and raining for most of the time in Maine, but it was still beautiful. I saw eight moose.

AFI's 10 Top 10 Lists (2008)

Animation
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. Bambi (1942)
4. The Lion King (1994)
5. Fantasia (1942)
6. Toy Story (1995)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
8. Shrek (2001)
9. Cinderella (1950)
10. Finding Nemo (2003)

Fantasy
1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
3. It’s a Wonderful Life (1947)
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)

Gangster
1. The Godfather (1972)

2. Goodfellas (1990)

3. The Godfather Part II (1974)
4. White Heat (1949)

5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation (1932)

7. Pulp Fiction (1994)

8. The Public Enemy (1931)
9. Little Caesar (1931)
10. Scarface (1983)

Science Fiction
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
3. E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
4. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
7. Alien (1979)
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
10. Back to the Future (1985)

Western
1. The Searchers (1956)
2. High Noon (1952)
3. Shane (1953)
4. Unforgiven (1992)
5. Red River (1948)
6. The Wild Bunch (1969)
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
9. Stagecoach (1939)
10. Cat Ballou (1965)

Sports
1. Raging Bull (1980)

2. Rocky (1977)

3. The Pride of the Yankees (1943)
4. Hoosiers (1986)
5. Bull Durham (1988)
6. The Hustler (1961)
7. Caddyshack (1980)
8. Breaking Away (1979)
9. National Velvet (1945)
10. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Mystery
1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Chinatown (1974)
3. Rear Window (1954)
4. Laura (1944)
5. The Third Man (1950)
6. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
7. North By Northwest (1959)
8. Blue Velvet (1986)

9. Dial M For Murder (1954)

10. The Usual Suspects (1995)

Romantic Comedy
1. City Lights (1931)
2. Annie Hall (1977)
3. It Happened One Night (1934)
4. Roman Holiday (1953)
5. The Philadelphia Story (1941)
6. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
7. Adam’s Rib (1949)
8. Moonstruck (1987)
9. Harold and Maude (1971)
10. Sleepless In Seattle (1993)

Courtroom Drama
1. To Kill A Mockingbird (1963)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
3. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
4. The Verdict (1982)

5. A Few Good Men (1992)

6. Witness for the Prosecution (1958)
7. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
8. In Cold Blood (1967)
9. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
10. Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)

Epic
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
3. Schindler’s List (1993)
4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
5. Spartacus (1960)
6. Titanic (1997)
7. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
9. Reds (1981)
10. The Ten Commandments (1956)