Tuesday, December 24, 2024

American Film Institute Issues Top 10 American Films, Panders to Crowd by Giving Korean “Parasite” Special Prize

The AFI kind of devalued itself today. They named their 10 best films, which are supposed to be American. And then they added Korea’s “Parasite” because it’s popular and makes them look hip. The AFI is for American films, not foreign films, no matter how much we love them.

Nine of their ten choices are good. I would not have included “Jojo Rabbit.” The AFI could have included “Bombshell,” “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” or “Two Popes,” without thinking twice. “Dolemite” would have been inspired. But this way every studio has been included except for Paramount, which had a good candidate in “Rocketman.”

On the television side, the AFI made a special prize for British entry, “Fleabag.”

This is a relatively new thing, these AFI Special Awards. Last year, it was “Roma,” also a foreign film that they knew would be nominated for Best Picture. So they bent the rules. You wonder what the producers of foreign films think who don’t have the political clout to pull this off. As for the AFI, they’ve fallen away to the issues that have haunted other awards groups to appear popular and relevant.

AFI Motion Pictures of the Year

1917
Universal

THE FAREWELL
A24

THE IRISHMAN
Netflix

JOJO RABBIT
Fox Searchlight

JOKER
Warner Bros

KNIVES OUT
Lionsgate

LITTLE WOMEN
Sony

MARRIAGE STORY
Netflix

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Sony

RICHARD JEWELL
Warner Bros

Special Award

PARASITE
Neon

AFI Television Programs of the Year

“Chernobyl”

“The Crown”

“Fosse/Verdon”

“Game of Thrones”

“Pose”

“Succession”

“Unbelievable”

“Veep”

“Watchmen”

“When They See Us”

Special Award: “Fleabag”

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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