I was sad to hear of the passing of noted Science Fiction novelist Arthur C Clarke in his adopted home of Sri Lanka on 19th March. Clarke was responsible along with Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert's Dune and a few other choice SF classics for igniting my interest in Science Fiction during my teenage years - an interest that remains to this day, even if the amount of Science Fiction I read is now tragically reduced (Note to self: should start reading more SF again). In honour of the occasion of his passing, this blog post is dedicated to a retrospective of my reading of Clarke over the years.
I cannot now recall precisely which was the first Clarke novel I read. My first encounter with his work may well have been a collection of his short stories, likely Expedition to Earth or Reach for Tomorrow. I do remember reading Rendezvous with Rama, on account of the book having scooped both the Hugo and Nebula Awards (the two most prestigious honours in the Science Fiction world)when I was in Secondary School along with The Fountains of Paradise (another Hugo winner). Despite the honours it received, I found Rendezvous to be a thoroughly dull read. Perhaps it was a deficit in my sense of imagination, but I couldn't feel any sense of wonder despite Clarke's attempts at evoking the tremendous size and scale of the alien spacecraft.
Fountains of Paradise was typical of Clarke in that it presented an intriguing idea - a 'space elevator' rising from near the equator (a fictional Sri Lanka moved slightly southwards to cross the equatorial boundary). Such an elevator would vastly reduce the fuel costs necessary to propel an object or spacecraft out of earth orbit. It is also sadly, suffering a bit from Clarke's occasionally wooden prose style and characterization.
Of all of Clarke's works, my absolute favourite must be Childhood's End. The book is probably the best written of Clarke's novels, with prose that sparkles, and an ending that I can only describe as transcendent. It remains probably his most critically recommended work to date.
It can be argued that Clarke was a more effective writer in the short story mold which suited his strengths as a Science Fiction writer. The short story allowed him to put his immense imagination and capacity for generating powerful ideas to great use with a more limited need for complex characterization. This could be said to be an attribute he shared with fellow Science Fiction Isaac Asimov (about whom it can be uncharitably said that all his characters are mere parodies of each other). Clarke may well have been amused by that - he and Asimov had earlier made a pack to name the other person if they were ever asked whom they thought the best Science Fiction writer was.
Arthur Clarke was ultimately a man of ideas - and not just fictional ones. At the end of World War II (which he spent working on Radar - so crucial to the British victory in the Battle of Britain), he published a famous article expounding the possibility of geosynchronous satellites. One of my favourites is his so-called 'third law' - that any technology that is sufficiently advanced can be mistaken for magic.
One thing is for certain: there is little doubt that his legacy in the Science Fiction field will endure.
30 March 2008
24 March 2008
The England Goalkeeper Issue
England has a rich heritage in the goalkeeping department. Who can forget the incredible performances of Gordon Banks, especially that breathtaking save against Pele. What about the remarkable longevity of Peter Shilton who kept goal successfully for so long, indeed sharing the number one jersey with Ray Clemence for much of his early England career. David Seaman was also a fantastic keeper on his day, even if he will sadly be remembered for letting in that 35 yard free-kick against Brazil rather than for some of his finer moments in the all white.
Filling the goalkeeper spot has never really been an issue for the English national team - until now. More than just possessing a single world class keeper, there was traditionally a dearth of English talent at the position. Seaman had to battle with Tim Flowers, Ian Walker and Nigel Martyn at various points for the England jersey, who were no slouches themselves, not to mention many other good English born keepers that couldn't even sniff the England set-up.
Finding a 'number one' worthy of some of the illustrious predecessors in the England jersey will surely be near the top of Fabio Capello's agenda. They say great teams are built from the back, and a good goalkeeper is essential to the success of any team. A keeper can single-handedly keep his team in a match and in just one instant, easily throw his team's chances away. It is a massive responsibility fraught with incredible pressure. As they say, nobody on the pitch is more alone than the goalkeeper.
To put this in perspective, the Spanish have to decide between Santiago Canizares, Iker Cassilas and Pepe Reina in goal - all very good keepers. The Italians have Gianluigi Buffon, generally considered the best keeper in the world over the last 5 years, and even then he had to compete until recently with Francesco Toldo from Inter Milan and Angelo Peruzzi from Juventus. Even Brazil has a world class keeper in Dida, and that from a country that glorifies its strikers and where the nerdy kid that nobody else wants on their team usually ends up between the posts.
So where does England stand in terms of a replacement for Banks, Shilton and Seaman? Here are the main contenders for the England Number One jersey:
Paul Robinson (Tottenham) - He has been the primary successor to David Seaman as England's Number One, but has often lacked the authority and confidence of a world class goalkeeper. Things have not been helped by a series of horrendous errors made for both club and country. His drop in form led to the loss of a starting place at Spurs for a big part of this season. Even if he recovers his best form, still lacks the pedigree of a world-class international goalkeeper.
David James (Man City) - His own struggles for club and country need not bear any repeating. Was given the nickname 'calamitous' while playing for Liverpool due to his notorious losses in concentration and schoolboy mistakes. However, he is proof that goalkeepers, like fine wine can age well. Has played very well for City, and is arguably showing the best form of his career at the age of 35. It is important that he plays behind a strong back four as he can be susceptible in the air, but England have dominant central defenders aplenty. A strong case can be made for James to be given the extended run in the England side which he has never had to date.
Scott Carson (Aston Villa) - Carson will have to recover his confidence after his calamitous first ever England start in the final Euro qualifier against Croatia (his mistakes helped England to lose the game). He is generally a solid goalkeeper but lacks the real class of a superb shot stopper that is necessary at the international level. Will probably be a good reserve to have but doubtful that he will ever be a long term No. 1 for England.
Chris Kirkland (Wigan) - The future seemed so bright for Kirkland when he made his England debut and was signed by Liverpool for a huge sum, but injuries have blighted his career to date. It remains to be seen if he can fulfill his initial promise and the expectation that he would be a future England regular. He has shown decent form this season, but for a struggling side. He has been a big part of Steve Bruce's strategy at Wigan of keeping it tight and ekeing out draws. Will need to establish himself as the number one at a bigger club to really have a chance of reviving his England career.
Rob Green (West Ham) - Has been drafted into the England squad as the third string keeper in recent times. A decent all round goalkeeper, but in my opinion lacks the international pedigree that is vital against really world class strikers.
Ben Foster (Man Utd) - He is seen as a future England Number One by Alex Ferguson, among others. Career has been derailed by two cruciate ligament injuries and it remains to be seen if he will be able to recover completely from his most recent one. Has shown great promise, but suffers from the fact that he is third in the pecking order at Old Trafford. Will hope to become United number one when Van Der Sar retires, if not must quickly establish himself as a dominant first choice goalkeeper elsewhere. Definitely one to watch.
Manuel Almunia (Arsenal) - Such is the desperation surrounding the goalkeeping problem that it has even been suggested that England utilise naturalised Spaniard Almunia as its starting keeper, as Almunia is now eligible for an English passport. Such a move will prove very controversial in what is still a rather nationalistic country, and is thus unlikely to happen. It is also hard to see a reason for taking such a step to play what is in essence not even the fifth best Spanish keeper.
Joe Hart (Man City) - Has shown maturity beyond his years and a real cool head since taking over the number one jersey from Kaspar Schmeichel a half dozen or so games into the season. It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that he has been a revelation. However, it would be imprudent to rush him into the England set-up, but along with Foster, he represents the future of English goalkeeping.
My pick for England goalkeeper: goodness knows I have been a critic in the past (mostly gleeful when his mistakes for Liverpool so benefited Manchester United) but credit must be given where it is due. David James has been playing very well indeed and he deserves to be given an extended run in the England team to prove he can replicate his domestic form at the international level. Paul Robinson is still a good goalkeeper, despite his recent struggles and is a reliable back-up. If circumstances improve, he should be given a chance to re-establish himself as England's top dog. It is imperative that England looks to the future - which is Ben Foster and Joe Hart. It would be tempting to choose Hart given his recent run of first team football, but Foster has shown is worth on loan and should be given a chance to train with England if he can prove his recovery from knee surgery.
Filling the goalkeeper spot has never really been an issue for the English national team - until now. More than just possessing a single world class keeper, there was traditionally a dearth of English talent at the position. Seaman had to battle with Tim Flowers, Ian Walker and Nigel Martyn at various points for the England jersey, who were no slouches themselves, not to mention many other good English born keepers that couldn't even sniff the England set-up.
Finding a 'number one' worthy of some of the illustrious predecessors in the England jersey will surely be near the top of Fabio Capello's agenda. They say great teams are built from the back, and a good goalkeeper is essential to the success of any team. A keeper can single-handedly keep his team in a match and in just one instant, easily throw his team's chances away. It is a massive responsibility fraught with incredible pressure. As they say, nobody on the pitch is more alone than the goalkeeper.
To put this in perspective, the Spanish have to decide between Santiago Canizares, Iker Cassilas and Pepe Reina in goal - all very good keepers. The Italians have Gianluigi Buffon, generally considered the best keeper in the world over the last 5 years, and even then he had to compete until recently with Francesco Toldo from Inter Milan and Angelo Peruzzi from Juventus. Even Brazil has a world class keeper in Dida, and that from a country that glorifies its strikers and where the nerdy kid that nobody else wants on their team usually ends up between the posts.
So where does England stand in terms of a replacement for Banks, Shilton and Seaman? Here are the main contenders for the England Number One jersey:
Paul Robinson (Tottenham) - He has been the primary successor to David Seaman as England's Number One, but has often lacked the authority and confidence of a world class goalkeeper. Things have not been helped by a series of horrendous errors made for both club and country. His drop in form led to the loss of a starting place at Spurs for a big part of this season. Even if he recovers his best form, still lacks the pedigree of a world-class international goalkeeper.
David James (Man City) - His own struggles for club and country need not bear any repeating. Was given the nickname 'calamitous' while playing for Liverpool due to his notorious losses in concentration and schoolboy mistakes. However, he is proof that goalkeepers, like fine wine can age well. Has played very well for City, and is arguably showing the best form of his career at the age of 35. It is important that he plays behind a strong back four as he can be susceptible in the air, but England have dominant central defenders aplenty. A strong case can be made for James to be given the extended run in the England side which he has never had to date.
Scott Carson (Aston Villa) - Carson will have to recover his confidence after his calamitous first ever England start in the final Euro qualifier against Croatia (his mistakes helped England to lose the game). He is generally a solid goalkeeper but lacks the real class of a superb shot stopper that is necessary at the international level. Will probably be a good reserve to have but doubtful that he will ever be a long term No. 1 for England.
Chris Kirkland (Wigan) - The future seemed so bright for Kirkland when he made his England debut and was signed by Liverpool for a huge sum, but injuries have blighted his career to date. It remains to be seen if he can fulfill his initial promise and the expectation that he would be a future England regular. He has shown decent form this season, but for a struggling side. He has been a big part of Steve Bruce's strategy at Wigan of keeping it tight and ekeing out draws. Will need to establish himself as the number one at a bigger club to really have a chance of reviving his England career.
Rob Green (West Ham) - Has been drafted into the England squad as the third string keeper in recent times. A decent all round goalkeeper, but in my opinion lacks the international pedigree that is vital against really world class strikers.
Ben Foster (Man Utd) - He is seen as a future England Number One by Alex Ferguson, among others. Career has been derailed by two cruciate ligament injuries and it remains to be seen if he will be able to recover completely from his most recent one. Has shown great promise, but suffers from the fact that he is third in the pecking order at Old Trafford. Will hope to become United number one when Van Der Sar retires, if not must quickly establish himself as a dominant first choice goalkeeper elsewhere. Definitely one to watch.
Manuel Almunia (Arsenal) - Such is the desperation surrounding the goalkeeping problem that it has even been suggested that England utilise naturalised Spaniard Almunia as its starting keeper, as Almunia is now eligible for an English passport. Such a move will prove very controversial in what is still a rather nationalistic country, and is thus unlikely to happen. It is also hard to see a reason for taking such a step to play what is in essence not even the fifth best Spanish keeper.
Joe Hart (Man City) - Has shown maturity beyond his years and a real cool head since taking over the number one jersey from Kaspar Schmeichel a half dozen or so games into the season. It is perhaps no exaggeration to say that he has been a revelation. However, it would be imprudent to rush him into the England set-up, but along with Foster, he represents the future of English goalkeeping.
My pick for England goalkeeper: goodness knows I have been a critic in the past (mostly gleeful when his mistakes for Liverpool so benefited Manchester United) but credit must be given where it is due. David James has been playing very well indeed and he deserves to be given an extended run in the England team to prove he can replicate his domestic form at the international level. Paul Robinson is still a good goalkeeper, despite his recent struggles and is a reliable back-up. If circumstances improve, he should be given a chance to re-establish himself as England's top dog. It is imperative that England looks to the future - which is Ben Foster and Joe Hart. It would be tempting to choose Hart given his recent run of first team football, but Foster has shown is worth on loan and should be given a chance to train with England if he can prove his recovery from knee surgery.
10 March 2008
Albert's Wedding; A Hectic Weekend
This proved to be a most hectic weekend and an absolutely crazy Saturday. It was dominated by two main events: the wedding of my ex-colleague from MFA, Albert, as well as a return visit of M to Singapore.
Albert's wedding proved to be the first wedding in which I was actively involved (i.e. other than as a guest at a church, or taking up table space at a dinner). I had been nominated as one of a number of "brothers", whose duty it was to lend support to him during the (mis)adventures throughout the day and during the ceremony itself.
The first order of business in any traditional chinese wedding is for the groom to drive over to pick up the bride. Traditionally, the bride will be safely ensconed in her room behind a number of locked doors, ably protected by her sisters, and the groom's job was to convince the sisters of the true depth and sincerity of his love for her. This of course meant that the groom is liable to be tested (euphemism for tortured) and he brings along his faithful band of brothers to assist him (euphemism for suffer in his stead).
Among the trials that Albert had to face was to eat bittergourd coated with additional substances like chilli (he hates bittergourd and brinjals) - though all the brothers ate them on his behalf; putting together declarations of love for his bride to be in both English and Chinese using words cut out from newspapers and magazines (It proved easy enough given Albert's ability to bullshit), singing her love songs through the window, and finally reading out a declaration in cantonese which he then had to sign. He had to conquer three doors in all, and success was only achieved through the liberal sprinkling of various currency notes in red packets to appease the jie meis. This was aided by a wonderful performance in the art of talking non-stop by Borg, and in spite of the girls managing to turn Albert's nephew (who was supposed to be on our side) against us, to the degree that Xander ended up chanting "more money" with them. The rest of the programme involved photo-taking and a tea ceremony at Albert's parents' place, and finally a trip to their new flat.
The wedding dinner itself was held at the York Hotel, in a relatively small ballroom. Given the extensively detailed order of proceedings (which applied to the daytime proceedings as well), it was always likely that everything would happen according to plan. I was seated with Pao Peiyu (who caused considerable excitement by being seen in a dress for the first time, and a classic black one at that); Chivy and Borg; and also Ambassador Tee Tua Ba, DS/IC and my former director at MFA. It was a pretty high powered table (there was a separate, no doubt less stressful Middle East directorate table). I had an interesting discussion with Borg, a real insider if there ever was one, about the recent Russian Presidential elections and Putin's time in power, as well as about Eastern European politics in general. There was also a discussion about the escape of JI terrorist Mas Selamat and his possible whereabouts (Mr Tee, a former Commissioner of Police, is one of a trio tasked to investigate what went wrong). I was the only one not to tow the government line, faithfully reported in the press that he is still at large in Singapore. When asked where he could be hiding I replied: "In Sumatra".
My main duty during that evening was to serve as Albert's designated drinker. It was a rather simple job to be honest - whenever any of his guests concocted a strange, usually potently alcoholic beverage for him as he did his round, I was to drink it in his stead (along with Borg and Adrian). This is a potentially very dangerous role to play in weddings where all the groom's friends are out to get him. However, Albert got off almost complete scot free. Ironically, instead of following my job description of limiting his alcohol intake, I ended up plotting with other MFA people to make Albert drink. In the end, we gave him a choice between drinking a pretty dodgy looking concoction, or standing on chairs with his bride and kissing her for the duration that the entire table could hold a yum seng. He opted for the latter and did it good-naturedly.
It was wonderful to play a role, no matter how insignificant, on such a monumental day for Albert (and my role did turn out to mainly involve standing around - thankfully!). It was also nice seeing all my old MFA colleagues again - Albert, Loy and his wife, as well as Sue, Joel and Brenda. All that pent up emotions meant that, at the end of proceedings, and in spite of the fact that I had gotten up at 6am that morning, I didn't feel inclined to go home (though I should have), and felt like prolonging the evening. That meant, inevitably, a trip to the Shoe.
In the interim between Albert's daytime program and the wedding dinner, I spent the afternoon at M's place, ostensibly to attend her nephew's first birthday party. The two of us spent the majority of the time just randomly chatting, this being M, it was done over wine (excellent of course). I had the honor of having a look at M's wine fridge, including her three bottles of Mouton Rothschild (the first time I had ever had the chance to even glimpse a first growth - it would be great to taste one, and that is a hint M if you are reading this!). Given the birthday party, it was rather amusing to see Maltesers, chocolates and sweets stuffed in with the bottles of expensive wine. It was definitely nice to chat about all and sundry - from wine, to tennis, to Oxford.
Albert's wedding proved to be the first wedding in which I was actively involved (i.e. other than as a guest at a church, or taking up table space at a dinner). I had been nominated as one of a number of "brothers", whose duty it was to lend support to him during the (mis)adventures throughout the day and during the ceremony itself.
The first order of business in any traditional chinese wedding is for the groom to drive over to pick up the bride. Traditionally, the bride will be safely ensconed in her room behind a number of locked doors, ably protected by her sisters, and the groom's job was to convince the sisters of the true depth and sincerity of his love for her. This of course meant that the groom is liable to be tested (euphemism for tortured) and he brings along his faithful band of brothers to assist him (euphemism for suffer in his stead).
Among the trials that Albert had to face was to eat bittergourd coated with additional substances like chilli (he hates bittergourd and brinjals) - though all the brothers ate them on his behalf; putting together declarations of love for his bride to be in both English and Chinese using words cut out from newspapers and magazines (It proved easy enough given Albert's ability to bullshit), singing her love songs through the window, and finally reading out a declaration in cantonese which he then had to sign. He had to conquer three doors in all, and success was only achieved through the liberal sprinkling of various currency notes in red packets to appease the jie meis. This was aided by a wonderful performance in the art of talking non-stop by Borg, and in spite of the girls managing to turn Albert's nephew (who was supposed to be on our side) against us, to the degree that Xander ended up chanting "more money" with them. The rest of the programme involved photo-taking and a tea ceremony at Albert's parents' place, and finally a trip to their new flat.
The wedding dinner itself was held at the York Hotel, in a relatively small ballroom. Given the extensively detailed order of proceedings (which applied to the daytime proceedings as well), it was always likely that everything would happen according to plan. I was seated with Pao Peiyu (who caused considerable excitement by being seen in a dress for the first time, and a classic black one at that); Chivy and Borg; and also Ambassador Tee Tua Ba, DS/IC and my former director at MFA. It was a pretty high powered table (there was a separate, no doubt less stressful Middle East directorate table). I had an interesting discussion with Borg, a real insider if there ever was one, about the recent Russian Presidential elections and Putin's time in power, as well as about Eastern European politics in general. There was also a discussion about the escape of JI terrorist Mas Selamat and his possible whereabouts (Mr Tee, a former Commissioner of Police, is one of a trio tasked to investigate what went wrong). I was the only one not to tow the government line, faithfully reported in the press that he is still at large in Singapore. When asked where he could be hiding I replied: "In Sumatra".
My main duty during that evening was to serve as Albert's designated drinker. It was a rather simple job to be honest - whenever any of his guests concocted a strange, usually potently alcoholic beverage for him as he did his round, I was to drink it in his stead (along with Borg and Adrian). This is a potentially very dangerous role to play in weddings where all the groom's friends are out to get him. However, Albert got off almost complete scot free. Ironically, instead of following my job description of limiting his alcohol intake, I ended up plotting with other MFA people to make Albert drink. In the end, we gave him a choice between drinking a pretty dodgy looking concoction, or standing on chairs with his bride and kissing her for the duration that the entire table could hold a yum seng. He opted for the latter and did it good-naturedly.
It was wonderful to play a role, no matter how insignificant, on such a monumental day for Albert (and my role did turn out to mainly involve standing around - thankfully!). It was also nice seeing all my old MFA colleagues again - Albert, Loy and his wife, as well as Sue, Joel and Brenda. All that pent up emotions meant that, at the end of proceedings, and in spite of the fact that I had gotten up at 6am that morning, I didn't feel inclined to go home (though I should have), and felt like prolonging the evening. That meant, inevitably, a trip to the Shoe.
In the interim between Albert's daytime program and the wedding dinner, I spent the afternoon at M's place, ostensibly to attend her nephew's first birthday party. The two of us spent the majority of the time just randomly chatting, this being M, it was done over wine (excellent of course). I had the honor of having a look at M's wine fridge, including her three bottles of Mouton Rothschild (the first time I had ever had the chance to even glimpse a first growth - it would be great to taste one, and that is a hint M if you are reading this!). Given the birthday party, it was rather amusing to see Maltesers, chocolates and sweets stuffed in with the bottles of expensive wine. It was definitely nice to chat about all and sundry - from wine, to tennis, to Oxford.
9 March 2008
AFI Top 100 As Inspired by Rachel
Inspired by Rachel I am checking off all the movies on the American Film Institute 10th Anniversary Top 100 Film list that I have seen. The list is as follows, films I have seen are in bold:
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
20. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
35. Annie Hall (1977)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
40. The Sound of Music (1965)
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. MASH (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975)
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)
77. All the President's Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)
100. Ben Hur (1959)
That makes 33 out of 100 films that I have seen in total or exactly one third of them. At this point I have to say, in all incredulity Titanic and The Sixth Sense on the list? Don't get me wrong, they are good enough films, but among the AFI's top 100, that really is quite stunning.
Movies high on my to watch list: The Searchers (a classic Western - I have been watching quite a few modern Westerns recently and it would be good to watch a seminal example of the genre), On the Waterfront (I coulda been a contender..... but I might save it for my movie appreciation group and Kris and Vern), Annie Hall (had the DVD for ages, Woody winning Best Picture), M*A*S*H (I have a growing appreciation of Altman after watching Gosford Park and Michelle has recommended this most highly).
Movies that rank on the whaddya mean you haven't seen this??! E.T The Extraterrestrial (I clearly had a deprived childhood), Rocky (I could have watched Rocky Balboa last year when it opened in cinemas but I refrained - Balboa was released thirty years after the original, goodness me), Jaws and King Kong (I loved the Peter Jackson remake and I really should watch the original).
Update (end Feb 2009): I have since added four movies to the list bringing the total to 37 - 2001: A Space Odyssey, Annie Hall, The Treasures of the Sierra Madre and MASH.
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
17. The Graduate (1967)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
20. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
35. Annie Hall (1977)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
40. The Sound of Music (1965)
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. MASH (1970)
55. North by Northwest (1959)
56. Jaws (1975)
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
72. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
74. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
76. Forrest Gump (1994)
77. All the President's Men (1976)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
83. Titanic (1997)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
87. 12 Angry Men (1957)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
89. The Sixth Sense (1999)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
99. Toy Story (1995)
100. Ben Hur (1959)
That makes 33 out of 100 films that I have seen in total or exactly one third of them. At this point I have to say, in all incredulity Titanic and The Sixth Sense on the list? Don't get me wrong, they are good enough films, but among the AFI's top 100, that really is quite stunning.
Movies high on my to watch list: The Searchers (a classic Western - I have been watching quite a few modern Westerns recently and it would be good to watch a seminal example of the genre), On the Waterfront (I coulda been a contender..... but I might save it for my movie appreciation group and Kris and Vern), Annie Hall (had the DVD for ages, Woody winning Best Picture), M*A*S*H (I have a growing appreciation of Altman after watching Gosford Park and Michelle has recommended this most highly).
Movies that rank on the whaddya mean you haven't seen this??! E.T The Extraterrestrial (I clearly had a deprived childhood), Rocky (I could have watched Rocky Balboa last year when it opened in cinemas but I refrained - Balboa was released thirty years after the original, goodness me), Jaws and King Kong (I loved the Peter Jackson remake and I really should watch the original).
Update (end Feb 2009): I have since added four movies to the list bringing the total to 37 - 2001: A Space Odyssey, Annie Hall, The Treasures of the Sierra Madre and MASH.
5 March 2008
Deflated
It was a very quiet quiz night - only 5 teams in total, so our choice of team name was apt to the say the least. The main motivating factor behind it was the fact that Dave's car suffered a flat tire on the way to the pub rather than the lack of turnout at the quiz.
It was the full team again, and we had Film and Entertainment (with a special theme on Police movies), Food and Drink and Dingbats for the three other rounds. We were very lucky we put our joker on film and entertainment after a heated vote (Princey and Dave wanted Dingbats) as that was our only good round in the whole quiz and the main reason we won.
In sum, it was our lowest score of the entire year and we were very very lucky to win. We went into the final round three points up and scored only a seven and to add to the excitement, the team closest to us scored nine meaning that the final margin was only one point. We were exceptionally lucky to win - the other team actually outscored us in a majority of the rounds but found their undoing in the dingbats round where they could only manage a meagre three points.
I ended up going through Justin's draft first chapter for his manuscript, a proposed biography of his friend Winky, a real old-time pilot. I really liked the draft - Justin is absolutely right that Winky has an amazing story to tell. My main job as I saw it was to read through the draft a few times and look closely at how it could read better, and proposing a list of suggestions for changing the language. The prerogative still lies with Justin, as the author, in deciding whether or not to keep the changes.
A very late evening ended with yet another post-midnight indulgence in the terrible temptation that is McDonald's, along with Claire and Richard. What made it truly unconscionable, was the fact that it was my second burger of the night - I had a Shoe burger for dinner at the pub earlier. So another series of resolutions to add to my list - forebear from late night McDonald burgers and go home earlier after the pub quiz on Wednesday.
It was the full team again, and we had Film and Entertainment (with a special theme on Police movies), Food and Drink and Dingbats for the three other rounds. We were very lucky we put our joker on film and entertainment after a heated vote (Princey and Dave wanted Dingbats) as that was our only good round in the whole quiz and the main reason we won.
In sum, it was our lowest score of the entire year and we were very very lucky to win. We went into the final round three points up and scored only a seven and to add to the excitement, the team closest to us scored nine meaning that the final margin was only one point. We were exceptionally lucky to win - the other team actually outscored us in a majority of the rounds but found their undoing in the dingbats round where they could only manage a meagre three points.
I ended up going through Justin's draft first chapter for his manuscript, a proposed biography of his friend Winky, a real old-time pilot. I really liked the draft - Justin is absolutely right that Winky has an amazing story to tell. My main job as I saw it was to read through the draft a few times and look closely at how it could read better, and proposing a list of suggestions for changing the language. The prerogative still lies with Justin, as the author, in deciding whether or not to keep the changes.
A very late evening ended with yet another post-midnight indulgence in the terrible temptation that is McDonald's, along with Claire and Richard. What made it truly unconscionable, was the fact that it was my second burger of the night - I had a Shoe burger for dinner at the pub earlier. So another series of resolutions to add to my list - forebear from late night McDonald burgers and go home earlier after the pub quiz on Wednesday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
