The Film Thugs Movie Show

At long last The AFI is finally growing smaller in our rear view mirror and we are moving on with our lives. We decided to do something a little different this time out. At Clarkson's birthday I asked a question. Is Anthony Hopkins good? I asked because I couldn't remember the last move he made that I actually had any interest at all in seeing. I asked because the last few movies I'd seen him in were... well bad and looked like he was phoning it in on a borrowed phone. I asked because I had honestly forgotten. So, we took a look at his body of work to try find an answer.

At long last we finish it! So, after 2 years of tireless effort we finally finish the long trek into uncharted territory. The only thing nicer than being done with 100 is being done with AFI. Thank you so much for bearing with us through our seemingly endless odyssey to get to the bottom of this nonsense. But we did bring more guests, more drops, and definitely more attitude. So enjoy.

I remember the conversation quite clearly. It was a Sunday in late January 2009 when I called Clarkson and said, "I've been listening to some film podcasts lately and you know, I think we can do that."  A week or so later I got a Blue Snowball mic int he mail from Amazon and a week or so later we were sitting at the corner of the cheap, tacky black lacquered table he got of Craigslist. The chairs were crazy uncomfortable and falling apart, but what the hell. That night we recorded 3 episodes, "Oscar Predictions," "Movies We Love," and "Movies We Hate," and had so much fun that we recorded an extra episode on the fly "The John Carpenter Lost Episode." Right from the beginning we knew that we had found something that we not only loved, but that we were pretty decent at. Basically, it was the same conversation we'd been having every time we hung out for the past 20 years, we just had a topic. For the next two years we kept that same rabid level of production, for better or worse. Now we only do one show at a time  (we no longer live 80 miles apart), and have better equipment but we still try to have the same energy that we did on that first night. During that time we have met and shared airtime with some really awesome people, most of whom are part of the shows festivities. People like... Phil from Bakersfield Vijay Sitaram (Granted, I've known him for a few years before, but you guys didn't.) Ben Walser Jason Macomb As well as some fellow podcasters like... Hunter Duesing and Stuart Baulk from the Midnight Movie Cowboys Adam Wayne and Adam Linfield from The A.M.P. Jedi Cole Houston, Rick Gutierrez, and Andrew Farmer from The United States of Geekdom Andy Seims from The Hollywood Saloon We became part of a very supportive community. How supportive? All of these people took time out of their lives to record segments just to be part of this show. It's pretty amazing what can happen in a year, isn't it? This week we come to the end of our journey with The AFI by tackling their original list of 100 Greatest American Films. It's another richly bizarre list, but more importantly it will finally allow us to be rid of the albatross that has been The AFI once and for all. So, for the 100th time, sit back, crack open a beer, and enjoy The Film Thugs 100th Episode Spectacular. -Jim The Film Thugs thefilmthugs.com the_film_thugs (skype) 512-666-RANT (7268)

Quick, what are the best Sports movies of all time? How about the best Gangster movies? What about Science Fiction? The American Film Institute attempted to answer these questions and and we were there to scratch our heads in bewilderment at the scope of their oddness. See what we have to say. Also, you can e-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com, Skype us at the_film_thugs, or if you are in the US you can call (512) 666-RANT and leave us a message. Be sure to check out www.thefilmthugs.com for reviews and articles.

If you are like us, and you probably are a bit more like us than you would wish to admit, movie quotes are a big part of your life. We use them constantly as a part of our regular discourse. So this list brings up an interesting question. How do you quantify a quote? The AFI tries to do this, boy do they try. But again, with criteria like this...

• Movie Quotation: A statement, phrase or brief exchange of dialogue spoken in an American film. Lyrics from songs are not eligible.
• Cultural Impact: Movie quotations that viewers use in their own lives and situations; circulating through popular culture, they become part of the national lexicon.
• Legacy: Movie quotations that viewers use to evoke the memory of a treasured film, thus ensuring and enlivening its historical legacy.