[ random acts of alex ]

Alex Mauldin: Film Aficionado

Yesterday I got this email from a former student (hope he doesn't mind me posting it):


Good day, Mr. Mauldin,

I pray this letter finds you in good spirits and that today's endeavors bear something of an advantage to your person. I hope thou wouldst remember me, professor. No less than three years ago I sat in your very class, basking in thou's astute tutelage.

Mr. Mauldin, I write with an agenda in mind. You dubbed yourself a film buff, quite the aficionado if I may. I author this correspendonce in the hopes that you might, perhaps, recommend a few particularly interesting movies that thou art keen on.

It is my personal goal to watch as many great films as possible, and inquiring on any implication you might have would certainly place me on the correct path.

If thou wouldst grant me this small request, I would be indebted to you.

Respectfully,

Yep, I've had some real gems in my classes over the years.

Now being Mr. Helpful, I encouraged him to check out the AFI list of top 100 movies. Short. Simple.

But then I got to thinking -- maybe he needed a more focused list. What the AFI Top 100 covers is a pretty broad range of genres, tastes, and decades. So... in the hopes of giving my former charge the type of individualized and focused attention he so surely deserves, here are a few more lists that he, or anyone else, can use to find that oh-so-special movie for the Easter weekend.

• The IMDB top 250: A list that leans very heavily toward what a typical white male in the 20-40 years age range would pick. So yes, I've seen most of those movies more than once.
• Best Western Films: If you're into cowboys and what they did to the indigenous natives of the North American continent, you'll find a family friendly list of good flicks here.
• Top 10 Chinese Martial Arts Movies: Heeee-YAH!
• Best Horror Movies: Because nothing says Easter better than popping one of these in the dvd player.
• 100 Most Daring Movies Ever Made: Listed in alphabetical order, which doesn't strike me as being all that daring. Pick a #1, for pete sakes!
• Top 50 Cult Movies: When I think of a cult movie, I think of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. So how the @%$&! is The Shawshank Redemption a cult movie?
• Ten Black Films Worth Watching: According to Christians, so you know it's ok.
• Top ten '80s movies: According to British women, so you know it's ok.

posted by alex @ 4/14/2006 05:12:00 PM