100 movies in 1000 days

When I was a young warthog (when she was a young warthoooggg), my senior year AP Literature & Composition teacher, Mrs. Wedge, passed out a list.  It was 2001.  We were working our way through some very dense reading (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead; Beloved; Cry, the Beloved Country, and others), but she thought we also needed to be reasonably well-versed in poetry and cinema.

On one side of Mrs. Wedge's paper were the greatest poems and collections of poetry in modern English.  On the other side of the copied-together sheet was the American Film Institute's "Top 100 Films of the Last 100 Years."  It was released in 1997.  There were some predictable elements:  Citizen Kane led the pack,  a couple members of The Godfather trilogy were included, and The Wizard of Oz made an appearance (always making Kansans joyful).  But there were surprises, too.  Tootsie, Forrest Gump, and Bladerunner were all adds that had me scratching my head, but smiling at the same time.

Starting that year, I took it upon myself to watch all 100.  I inched my way through the list, picking up one here and there.  And then suddenly it was 2007 and they had released the tenth anniversary edition.  So I decided to start over.  And offer my reviews here, to my sweet little readership.  I can't promise you that we will make it through the list in one year, or even two.  But we will do it!  And hopefully the Nashville Public Library will help out with lots of free movies.  I'm thinking I will give myself 1000 days to complete the project this time.  I always do better with a deadline. 

First up, Ben-Hur (1959).  It's #100.  Look for the review soon!