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100

I’m happy to announce that, with my aborted attempt at watching Because I Said So earlier this week, I have seen every movie in the current Netflix Top 100.

I set this goal for myself around this time last year. At that time I had been working through Jim Emerson’s list of 102 Essential Movies. I was enjoying that process but was getting annoyed that I couldn’t keep up with water cooler and awards season talk about the latest films. It was time to catch up.

It has been a fun trip, much more enjoyable than I had initially anticipated. I loved more movies than I hated, which was surprising. When I look down best selling book lists I usually think “Ugh.” the whole way down. Album & Singles lists usually provoke the same reaction. Maybe Netflix self-selects for people who think like me? Or maybe my tastes aren’t as high-brow as I pretend? (Shit, my cred is ruined!)

Not that I didn’t not like much of the list either. That Crash seems to be a permanent fixture at #1 really sticks in my craw. I hate that movie (even if I did give it two stars). Cliched anti-racism themes, tired “novel” narrative devices including multiple plot threads where one would do the job, sanctimonious head-nodding at the Oscars… What’s not to hate?

And if I have to queue another by-the-numbers thriller with terrible techno-babble or romantic-comedy with terrible decisions by actors who should know better it had better have at least one great, gratuitous sex scene. (A guy can wish.)

All that is redeemed by Little Miss Sunshine at #4, Syriana on the list at all, let alone in the top 20, Brokeback Mountain as a permanent fixture, and most of the worst thrillers and rom-coms briefly appearing in the 90’s before falling off the list again (and before the could appear in my queue, let alone my mailbox).

My only regret about this whole experience is that Netflix doesn’t appear to have any historical record of the Top 100. I assumed someone must have been tracking it. I can get the best selling album lists back to 1961 but I can’t get last week’s Netflix Top 100? Netflix is doing everyone a disservice.

P.S. After watching The 400 Blows this afternoon, I’ve seen 46 of the films on Emerson’s list since around this time in 2006, when I made it a goal to see all 102. I’ve seen about 75 of them in my life. Let’s talk again this time next year by which time I’ll have finished that list and will have started cleaning up the AFI 100.