Seen 'em All

Most ancient cultures developed myths and legends that gave citizens a common frame of reference for understanding the world. A few years ago, I read an author who suggested that the motion picture is our modern equivalent of myth and legend. So about three years ago I found a list of the 100 greatest movies ever made (up to about 1996) according the American Film Institute. I also got a list of the pictures that won the Oscar for best picture.

American Film Institute 100 Greatest Movies
Academy Award for Best Picture

I went through the lists and marked off more than 2/3 of the pictures as ones I had seen. Then I decided to view each of the pictures I had not seen. I completed the AFI list last year and this weekend I completed the Oscar list.

I saw some really great stuff I never would have checked out but I also had to suffer through musicals. (I really dislike musicals; unless they have Danny Kaye.) On the whole, it was really worthwhile. You can really see how culture has changed over the past century through the themes addressed and how they were treated.

Anyway, I just thought you should know how much of a life I don’t have.