In most of these lists Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941) is named the best film of all time, not just the best American film, but the best film ever made. The American Film Institute and Sight and Sound Magazine have consistently named the name the best, as have many academic critics around the globe. Though I admire Citizen Kane a great deal, I do not believe it is the finest film ever made. It is among them, certainly, but better films have since been made. I do concede that it is very likely the single most important film ever made by virtue of the innovations within the picture that forever changed the landscape of American film.
This list is entirely mine, I do not make any grand statements that it is anything else. These are the films I believe to be the finest pieces of American film ever made.
For no other reason than this is my site and I can do it, here are the 20 films I consider to be the greatest American films ever made.
1. The Godfather Part II (1974; Francis Ford Coppola)
2. The Godfather (1972; Francis Ford Coppola)
3. Schindler's List (1993; Steven Spielberg)
4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962; David Lean)
5. The Wizard of Oz (1939; Victor Fleming)
6. The Searchers (1956; John Ford)
7. Raging Bull (1980; Martin Scorsese)
8. On the Waterfront (1954; Elia Kazan)
9. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2002-2003; Peter Jackson)
10. Citizen Kane (1941; Orson Welles)
11. E.T.: The Extraterrestrial (1982; Steven Spielberg)
12. Apocalypse Now (1979; Francis Ford Coppola)
13. A Clockwork Orange (1971; Stanley Kubrick)
14. Tootsie (1982; Sydney Pollack)
15. Taxi Driver (1976; Martin Scorsese)
16. Pulp Fiction (1994; Quentin Tarantino)
17. City Lights (1931; Charles Chaplin)
18. Cabaret (1972; Bob Fosse)
19. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948; John Huston)
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Welcome to American Cinema Now
Hi Folks!!
Welcome to American Cinema Now, a blog space focusing entirely on American film, past, present and future.
Before anyone jumps on me about the title of the blog, I consider any film YOU have not seen a new release, therefore all films remain in the present. Know what I mean? On the Waterfront (1954), The Searchers (1956) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967) are as immediate to me as they were when released in their respective years. Great films do not perish, they live, almost organically to be discovered by future generations of film audiences.
It is my humble opinion that the best films in the world are made in America. There I have said it, it's out there for the world to see. Frankly I could not care what anyone thinks of my opinion, it is what I believe and on this blog I plan to celebrate American cinema, discuss what is great and good, what is not, and where film is going. Look for reviews, but also profiles of actors and directors, and I welcome your comments. Even the negative ones.
Who am I?
My name is John H. Foote. I am a Canadian based film critic/ commentator, writing for the website in Los Angeles entitled www.incontention.com, as well as the Metroland syndicate of newspapaers in Canada, and I freelance for the new magazine Filmstar out of England. For the past eight years I have been Director of the Toronto Film School, and we are waiting for a new space to begin operations once again. My first book, Clint Eastwood: Evolution of a Filmmaker was published last December by Greenwood Publishers, my second Steven Spielberg: American Visionary is due in stores this December, and I am writing and acting as editor for a series of books about American Cinema, also for Greenwood. I have been contracted to write the volumes on the new millenium cinema, the nineties and the seventies, while other writers will the rest. In addition to writing I spent seven years on the Canadian film review TV show Reel to Real, as co-host, co-producer and co-creator before leaving for print criticism, which I found much more rewarding.
Film is my addiction, my heroin as my wife of nearly twenty years states. I was fortunate enough to marry a girl also obsessed with movies, so we share this addiction. Together we have two girls, ages 17, and 9, who are the delights of my life.
In the next few days I will begin by reviewing some current films, but also veer back and forth to cover great films available on DVD that perhaps you have not seen, or would like to discuss. As long as the discussion is intelligent and two sided, I have no issue with comments.
Fair enough? Let's blog about movies shall we?
Welcome to American Cinema Now, a blog space focusing entirely on American film, past, present and future.
Before anyone jumps on me about the title of the blog, I consider any film YOU have not seen a new release, therefore all films remain in the present. Know what I mean? On the Waterfront (1954), The Searchers (1956) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967) are as immediate to me as they were when released in their respective years. Great films do not perish, they live, almost organically to be discovered by future generations of film audiences.
It is my humble opinion that the best films in the world are made in America. There I have said it, it's out there for the world to see. Frankly I could not care what anyone thinks of my opinion, it is what I believe and on this blog I plan to celebrate American cinema, discuss what is great and good, what is not, and where film is going. Look for reviews, but also profiles of actors and directors, and I welcome your comments. Even the negative ones.
Who am I?
My name is John H. Foote. I am a Canadian based film critic/ commentator, writing for the website in Los Angeles entitled www.incontention.com, as well as the Metroland syndicate of newspapaers in Canada, and I freelance for the new magazine Filmstar out of England. For the past eight years I have been Director of the Toronto Film School, and we are waiting for a new space to begin operations once again. My first book, Clint Eastwood: Evolution of a Filmmaker was published last December by Greenwood Publishers, my second Steven Spielberg: American Visionary is due in stores this December, and I am writing and acting as editor for a series of books about American Cinema, also for Greenwood. I have been contracted to write the volumes on the new millenium cinema, the nineties and the seventies, while other writers will the rest. In addition to writing I spent seven years on the Canadian film review TV show Reel to Real, as co-host, co-producer and co-creator before leaving for print criticism, which I found much more rewarding.
Film is my addiction, my heroin as my wife of nearly twenty years states. I was fortunate enough to marry a girl also obsessed with movies, so we share this addiction. Together we have two girls, ages 17, and 9, who are the delights of my life.
In the next few days I will begin by reviewing some current films, but also veer back and forth to cover great films available on DVD that perhaps you have not seen, or would like to discuss. As long as the discussion is intelligent and two sided, I have no issue with comments.
Fair enough? Let's blog about movies shall we?
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