AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time
The American Film Institute proudly curates lists to celebrate excellence in the art form. Since its inception, American film has marginalized the diversity of voices that make our nation and its stories strong – and these lists reflect that intolerable truth. You can download the list here.
Each month I shall pick three movies that are on my list and where to find these wonderful watches for movie night.
The Apartment (1960)
Well-known at the time for screwball comedies, Billy Wilder tried something new with The Apartment. It became an instant game-changer – a pioneering example of what Hollywood could get away with.
Jack Lemmon stars as Baxter, an insurance agent who lets his office pals use his apartment to entertain their mistresses, all the while struggling to find love himself. That is, of course, until he meets Shirley Maclaine's whip-smart elevator operator, Fran. It's her performance that's the real turning point. She's full of biting wit and self-deprecating one-liners, yet still brings an edge of darkness to Baxter's humdrum life.
Available on Prime Video
The Searchers (1954)
In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. Eventually, Edwards gets word that his niece Debbie (Natalie Wood) is alive, and, along with her adopted brother, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), he embarks on a dangerous mission to find her, journeying deep into Comanche territory.
Available on Prime Video.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The story follows a San Francisco private detective, Sam Spade (Bogart), and his dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers, all of whom are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette
Available on HBO/MAX in the TCM Hub