33 & 34 (of AFI’s top 100)

Well I watched 2 more of the top 100 movies as rated by the American Film Institue.

I watched Blade Runner and Grapes of Wrath.

Blade Runner good for an early sci-fi movie.   Not enough action or plot line for me though to say I really liked it.  Good concept about cloning, value of life though.

I really enjoyed Grapes of Wrath.  My son (who is 9) couldn’t figure out why I was watching something in Black and White, which I thought was funny because I still remember black and white tv’s.  I’m sure the book is a 100% better, but I enjoyed the dialogue in the movie…well written.   I wonder if modern day movies lack the dialogue and rely to heavily on the visual side to tell a story.  Today’s movies when done right are a complete visual/audio experience which is fun, but I do enjoy the dialogue driven movies every now and then.  They make you listen and make you think…maybe that’s why they don’t make too many of them that way any more.

I need to talk to my grandparents about the Grapes of Wrath, because I think it falls right into there era and region.  They grew up in Arkansas and lived through the great depression, dust bowls, and hoovervilles.  They may have known some people that packed up like the Joad’s and headed west in hopes of work.

Enjoyed the thoughts about work, life, land and how man is connected to all of them.  I also loved some of the spiritual insights, a man’s soul is not his own, but a small part of a much larger soul (Don’t know how it works out theologically, but it’s a good thought).  The preacher that “lost his call’n” was a good character.  I got a kick of his stories about people being “filled with the spirit” and jumping bushes.  He raised some good thoughts and questions.

I’ve added several other movies from the list to my queue.  I’ve got plenty of time this summer, I’m going to try and knock off as many of them as I can.