I originally got a Netflix account to watch the AFI Top 100. I’m using this location to track my progress. There are two versions of the AFI list: the original and the 10 year anniversary. I am putting them ALL down because why not? So it’s more like AFI Top 123. Following the movie title I’ve included my unfiltered immediate thoughts about each one. 103 down, 20 to go. This list is in no particular order.

1. Citizen Kane – (On both lists) Citizen Kane: the original Hoarder…Now wondering if the “rosebud” cheat on Sims is a shout out to this movie….
2. Casablanca – (On both lists) This always tops the charts. I like it but I’m not sure why it kicks all other movies’ asses.
3. The Godfather – (On both lists) The best Gangster flick of all time
4. Gone with the Wind – (On both lists) Civil war movie and the source of “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
5. Lawrence of Arabia – (On both lists) Soooooooo looooong. I’m not a fan of the epics.
6. The Wizard of Oz – (On both lists) Loved this movie before I could even pronounce it–my very first favorite movie
7. The Graduate – (On both lists) Yasss I love Dustin Hoffman
8. On the Waterfront – (On both lists) Marlon Brando…easy on the eyes
9. Schindler’s List – (On both lists) Literally cried for 4 hours
10. Singin’ in the Rain – (On both lists) Old timey feel good movie
11. It’s a Wonderful Life – (On both lists) What would life be like if you were never born? Apparently just awful.
12. Sunset Boulevard – (On both lists) Because obviously women become worthless and insane once they lose their youth. She is the definition of narcissism in this movie.
13. 2001: A Space Odyssey – (On both lists) What does the ending meannn? Urggggggh!
14. Some Like it Hot – (On both lists) How many jokes can be made when men are in drag? INFINITE
15. Star Wars – (On both lists) Duh should be #1
16. All About Eve – (On both lists) I wish I could arch my eyebrows like Bette Davis
17. The African Queen – (On both lists) Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in WWI Africa: was a good laugh.
18. Psycho – (On both lists) Can Hitchcock ever disappoint?
19. Chinatown – (On both lists) Noir but with Jack Nicholson
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – (On both lists) I have issues with the feminist perspective of this movie but if we take the nurse to be “The Man” then those go out the window. Go out the window! Get it?!
21. Raging Bull – (On both lists) I swear you can feel it when Jake gives Vickie that hook to the chin
22. Vertigo – (On both lists) Can Hitchcock ever disappoint?
23. City Lights – (On both lists) A delightful Charlie Chaplin movie
24. The Searchers – (On both lists) Pretty racist…but not the most racist movie on this list.
25. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial – (On both lists) Spielberg is so good at making aliens cuddly!
26. To Kill a Mockingbird – (On both lists) Classic courtroom drama…actually probably my favorite courtroom drama
27. High Noon – (On both lists) Lesson learned:  never be in the middle of the street at noon in the Wild West.
28. Apocalypse Now – (On both lists) The horror…the horror
29. The Maltese Falcon – (On both lists) Classic noir
30. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – (On both lists) The reason this is on this list is because it is the first full-length animated movie put out by Disney
31. Annie Hall – (On both lists) Favorite Woody Allen flick. The part with the anti-semitic grandma killed me
32. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – (On both lists) Favorite Humphrey Bogart movie so far
33. Dr. Strangelove – (On both lists) Makes riding an atomic bomb look like great fun
34. The Sound of Music – (On both lists) Hands down my favorite musical and one of the reasons I wanted to be a nun when I was a kid (plus Sister Act)
35. King Kong – (On both lists) I’ve seen them all…this one is all there needs to be. Seriously Hollywood, stop remaking this movie.
36. Bonnie and Clyde – (On both lists) Been a while…I should re-watch
37. The Philadelphia Story – (On both lists) Uhhh can’t really remember anything except wondering why Katherine Hepburn talks like that
38. A Streetcar Named Desire – (On both lists)”STELLAAAAAA!” Now you know what movie this is.
39. Rear Window – (On both lists) Can Hitchcock ever disappoint?
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Yup, who hasn’t seen this?
41. North by Northwest – (On both lists) The last scene is hella dirty, in a this-is-what-we-can-do-with-censorship way. Also cool if you want to watch people fist fight on Mt. Rushmore.
42. Jaws – (On both lists) Loosely based on Moby Dick and the reason I’m terrified of swimming in the ocean
43. Rocky – (On both lists) Download this soundtrack if you want to get pumped while working out
44. The Gold Rush – (On both lists) Another Charlie Chaplin winner. And if you’ve ever wondered about that scene in the Simpson’s episode 102 (Lady Bouvier’s Lover) when Grandpa Simpson sticks two forks in two potatoes and then makes them dance…that’s from this movie.
45. West Side Story – (On both lists) A good movie for people nostalgic for a time when gangs danced and sang in unison
46. Taxi Driver – (On both lists) “You talkin’ to me?” <– Now you know where that quote is from
47. Duck Soup – (On both lists) A good stooges flick
48. American Graffiti – (On both lists) Gave me some insight into coming-of-age in my parent’s generation.
49. Cabaret – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Uh… something about Liza Minnelli and Nazis
50. Network – (On both lists) Upsettingly accurate 70s film about the future of television
51. Raiders of the Lost Ark – (On both lists) Oh Harrison *swoon*
52. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Should be called who’s afraid of alcoholism.
53. A Clockwork Orange – (On both lists) Try looking away from Alex DeLarge’s crotch. Try it.
54. Tootsie – (On both lists) Remember what I said about men in drag? Infinite jokes!
55. The Silence of the Lambs – (On both lists) I don’t know what fava beans are but I will never eat them.
56. All Quiet on the Western Front – (Only on the original list) Another downer war movie: Oh my God you mean to tell me that when men decide to isolate themselves and murder each other that terrible things happen leading to psychological issues??
57. Fantasia – (Only on the original list) Loved this so much as a kid.
58. Stagecoach – (Only on the original list) This must have been a forgettable movie, since I’ve rated it but don’t remember it.
59. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – (Only on the original list) 80s alien movie. Not sure why this movie is on the list
60. Fargo – (Only on the original list) In my mind’s eye I can see someone pushing body parts through a wood chipper onto the clean white snow. Oh and the Dakota/Minnesota accent is so lovable!
61. Frankenstein – (Only on the original list) I mean, pretty much you already know.
62. The Jazz Singer – (Only on the original list) The first movie with sound so it makes sense the the story revolves around the popular music of the day but WHOA hey whoooaaaaaa, no one said there was suddenly going to be black face at the end of this….
63. My Fair Lady – (Only on the original list) Surprisingly the only film with Audrey Hepburn on this list
64. Forrest Gump – (On both lists) Life is like a box of chocolates
65. Modern Times – (On both lists) Charlie Chaplin again
66. The Apartment – (On both lists) One of my favorite discoveries from this list
67. Sunrise – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) The best silent movie I’ve ever seen and it actually works pretty well as a silent movie.
68. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – (Only on the original list) Spoiler alert: your daughter’s black boyfriend!
69. Ben-Hur – (On both lists) Charleton Heston is Jewish. Sure yeah we can buy that. An epic you will slog through.
70. Toy Story – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) The beginning of CG animation
71. Blade Runner – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Classic 80s sci-fi. Why would you try to remake this? 80s futuristic action at its coolest and omg Harrison again! I was raised on this soundtrack.
72. Bringing Up Baby – (On both lists) Hella goofy Katherine Hepburn movie: she has a pet leopard in this one and obviously shenanigans ensue.
73. Do the Right Thing – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Radio Raheem? Noooooooooo!
74. Pulp Fiction – (On both lists) Best Tarantino in my opinion
75. Goodfellas – (On both lists) You will like this movie if you enjoy murder
76. Sophie’s Choice – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Meryl Streep is the queen of tragedy
77. The Sixth Sense – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) The source of the Shyamalan plot twist
78. Swing Time – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Fred and Ginger dancing. Hard to distinguish these films from each other.
79. Titanic – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Brings me back to 5th grade and my intense Leo crush
80. Easy Rider – (On both lists) Makes you want to hit the road on a motorcycle…but don’t go to the south….
81. Saving Private Ryan – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) WWII movie from the 90s. Spoiler alert: he makes it.
82. A Night at the Opera – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) The first Marx brothers movie, a classic.
83. Double Indemnity – (On both lists) The first noir film and one that will still surprise new viewers today.
84. The Grapes of Wrath – (On both lists) Was simultaneously relieved and distraught that the ending wasn’t the same as the book.
85. Wuthering Heights – (Only on the original list) Cathy and Heathcliff are basically having a violent standoff to prove who loves the other more. I’ve haven’t watched any other film adaptations of this book to compare but I’ve heard this one is the best. I admittedly weeped at the end.
86. Giant – (Only on the original list) Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean in Texas. James Dean’s last movie.
87. The Godfather Part II – (On both lists) Perhaps the only good sequel ever made. I’m curious what this word “business” means.
88. Spartacus – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Do you prefer oysters, or snails? Well done, Stanley Kubrick, on the sexual innuendo. In all seriousness though a great film worthy of the three and a half hours it took to watch. Tbh I have trouble with these epics–they’re so long!
89. The Shawshank Redemption – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Finally a movie on this list with Morgan Freeman! Super manly movie, the only female character was the adulterous wife who gets blown away at the beginning. Then again, this is a movie about men’s prison. A great film though, even I felt vindicated by the end.
90. Platoon – (On both lists) Similar to many Vietnam War movies. I forget what makes this one unique.
91. Midnight Cowboy – (On both lists) Like a city version of Of Mice and Men.
92. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – (On both lists) Probably one of my favorite Westerns on this list; reminded me of a dude version of Thelma and Louise
93. In the Heat of the Night – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) “They call me Mr. Tibbs!”
94. Sullivan’s Travels – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Makes a case for why comedy is better than drama.
95. All the President’s Men – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list) Another Dustin Hoffman movie for the list along with Midnight Cowboy and The Graduate. A must-see for all journalists.
96. A Place in the Sun – (Only on the original list) What do you think guys? Did he do it?
97. From Here to Eternity – (Only on the original list) Another WWII movie except this takes place in Hawaii. Yeppp that kissing on the beach scene is pretty much the only memorable thing about it a couple months later
98. It Happened One Night – (On both lists) <– Movie where woman hitch hikes using her bare leg–a pretty famous scene as far as classic cinema goes
99. The Third Man – (Only on the original list) Noir on the bombed out streets of Vienna after the war
100. The Deer Hunter – (On both lists) I personally believe the Vietnam war is over-represented on this list of movies. But any movie that has Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken has got to be cinematic gold.
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – (On both lists) A timeless courtroom drama–except this one takes place in the Senate.
102. Patton – (Only on the original list) What a memorable voice! As a 90s kid I immediately recognized the voice of McLeach from The Rescuers Down Under. While George C. Scott won, he did not accept the Academy Award for his role in this movie.
103. The Best Years of Our Lives – (On both lists) Delves into the troubles soldiers face coming home after the war. A good wholesome movie.
104. Yankee Doodle Dandy – (On both lists) Personally I thought it was a bit of a slog but it at least gave some insight into famous vaudeville acts and I discovered the source of some songs.
105. Doctor Zhivago – (Only on the original list)
106. The General – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list)
107. The Bridge on the River Kwai – (On both lists)
108. Shane – (On both lists)
109. Intolerance – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list)
110. MASH – (On both lists)
111. Nashville – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list)
112. Unforgiven – (On both lists)
113. The Wild Bunch – (On both lists)
114. 12 Angry Men – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list)
115. The French Connection  – (On both lists)
116. The Last Picture Show – (Only on the 10th Anniversary list)
117. Mutiny on the Bounty – (Only on the original list)
118. Dances with Wolves – (Only on the original list)
119. An American in Paris – (Only on the original list)
120. The Manchurian Candidate – (Only on the original list)
121. Rebel Without a Cause – (Only on the original list)
122. Amadeus – (Only on the original list)
123. The Birth of a Nation – (Only on the original list)