The Beginning

Hello one and all and welcome to the Counting Down the Classics blog. What is Counting Down the Classics you say? Well, it's kind of like the Julie/Julia Project except totally cool and way less feminine (maybe—we'll see where it goes). I, along with my co-blogger Kevin "BDK" McCarthy, will be counting down every movie in the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Movies of All Time list in one year and relaying our thoughts on them to you via this blog.

What's the reasoning behind this? Well, I'm only 23 years of age, so the argument is made that I'm "too young" or "haven't seen enough classics" (despite having already seen a good third of the movies on this list). While I can't speak for Kevin, I personally want to put these criticisms to rest.

I do not plan on reviewing these movies (but be sure to check out my current movie reviews over at my other blog, jhylton.blogspot.com). Although I will inevitably give my thoughts on why I do or do not consider the movie in question one of the "best," I simply want to discuss the different aspects of them. I want to go into why the movie is on the list, as well as whether or not it holds up today, because the mark of any great movie is its ability to last over the course of time.

It might be a frivolous exercise and it's sure to be laborious at times, but I'm excited about this personal endeavor Kevin and I are embarking on. Will we finish it? Hard to tell, but we're sure going to try.

It is important to note, however, that we are counting down the updated, 10th Anniversary list released in 2007 because we feel it is more timely and it allows us to reminisce on movies released post-1998 that deserve their rightful spot in film history (like The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). With that said, let the countdown begin.