About the Survey

Welcome to ‘Surveying the Canon’ a blog that takes another look at the American Film Institute’s official list of the 100 Best films (circa 2007) American cinema has to offer…roughly to date.  A statement which in itself is particularly questionable.  Who are these cinema snobs that have the power to label something as worthy of canon? Why did they select these particular films and what do they actually add or note in the history of American film and culture?  Being somewhat of a film snob myself, these are questions that wrack my brain to no end; just hearing preceding generations dote on films of yore (no matter their “meh-ness” or blatant offensiveness) and scold or vehemently oppose more modern films because of, I don’t know their modernity or something, raises my blood pressure as we speak...whoosah, whoosah.  Let it be known that though there will be much questioning and nit-picking, it will come with as much historical and cultural context as my patience will allow me to research.  Why, you may ask, use the AFI list as the ultimate determiner of American film canon?   Well, it is the American Film Institute and they are pretty well versed in their craft, AFI was after all created to preserve and continue the art of filmmaking in America in a time when classic films were in danger of disappearing from the collective consciousness as the winds of popular culture were moving tastes in more commercial directions.  Though the point of this blog is to debate or rather re-examine the relevance of these film's canonical status it is also a remembering and even celebrating of the artistry that film has always had to offer.

So, without further ado, or until Netflix sends me the DVDs, we begin!