"The World's Greatest Detective" would not pass judgment this prematurely

This Ben Affleck Batman casting backlash has been a trip back to the summer of 2006 when news broke that Christopher Nolan had cast the late Heath Ledger as the Joker. Internet fanboys/hipsters erupted in vitriolic fury and vowed to boycott the film. After seeing Ledger's jaw-dropping performance in The Dark Knight, you'd think their mouths would still be too stuffed full of crow to spew this sort of vicious, premature inanity all over again. Most of them went bananas when Nolan cast Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle in 2010 and they're still downing humble pie over that one, too.

Affleck has really grown as an actor and filmmaker over the past decade. Daredevil—a performance I personally feel is unfairly derided due to the film's poor writing, editing, and direction—and the infamous Gigli were released ten years ago! Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo have happened since then. Also, WB and Snyder clearly loved what they heard in their meeting with Affleck and picked him for a reason. The casting was brilliant across the board in Man of Steel, so we have every reason to believe that same level of discernment was used to determine who would follow in Bale's footsteps to play the Batman in the Man of Steel sequel.

Look, fellow Batman fans: we are spoiled rotten. We have far and away the three greatest superhero films committed to film in Nolan's masterful Dark Knight Trilogy. Christian Bale has given us hands down the greatest superhero performance in the history of the genre. We've seen the best allies (Caine, Oldman, Freeman, Gyllenhaal, Hathaway, Gordon-Levitt) and the best villians (Ledger, Neeson, Eckhart, Hardy, Murphy, Cotillard, Wilkinson). Pfister's cinematography... Zimmer and Newton Howard's score... we could go on and on. Nothing that happens going forward can alter those wonderful films or their legacy. Why not give Affleck a chance and see what he brings to the table? Anything that happens from here on out is simply icing on the cake. "Why so serious?" indeed.

"AFI's 10 Top 10" results

In case anyone missed it that wanted to see the show, here are the American Film Institute's results for the best film in each genre:

Animation: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Romantic comedies: City Lights (my guess, It Happened One Night, came in at #3)
Western: The Searchers
Sports: Raging Bull
Mystery: Vertigo
Fantasy: The Wizard of Oz
Sci-Fi: 2001: A Space Odyssey (my guess, Star Wars, came in at #2)
Gangster: The Godfather
Courtroom Drama: To Kill a Mockingbird
Epic: Lawrence of Arabia (my guess, Gone With The Wind, came in at #4)

So, it turns out that I got 7 out of 10 right in my silly little game of trying to pick the winners. But hey, it was pretty fun watching the show trying to guess who the members of the AFI had picked. Here are some of my thoughts regarding the winners:

Animation:

• I was thrilled to see my favorite animated film, Bambi, come in at #3. The film often gets a bad rap because of how tragic it is, but I've always found the tragic tone to be one of the film's great strengths.
• It's cool to see Toy Story at #6. The first CGI film (and still the best, in my opinion) deserves a pretty high spot here based on influence alone. However, it really helps that it's such a great film.
• Shrek is the 8th best animated film of all-time? It's definitely a refreshing take on the genre in the way it spoofs and at the same time relishes in the fantasy world, but how this film is better or more influential than films like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, or Alice in Wonderland is beyond me.
• Cinderella is only makes 9th on this list? Wow. Being such a classic, it really feels like this one should at least be a few spots higher.
• Everything else is spot-on, in my opinion. Great choices.
  

Romantic comedies:

• I've only seen two of the winners in this category, It Happened One Night (#3) and The Philadelphia Story(#5). I really like both of these films so I was glad to see them do so well.
• I'd really like to see City Lights. I've never seen a Chaplin film and with this being so critically-acclaimed, this looks like it would be a great place to start.
  

Western:

• I was glad to see The Searchers get the distinction of the best Western film of all-time. It's definitely one of the best films I've ever seen (in my humble opinion). John Wayne turns in such a genuinely great performance. And after all, this is John Wayne we're talking about. When you think Western, he's the first thing that comes to mind. One of his films should definitely have this distinction.
  
• Unforgiven at #4: I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's just such a great film that I guess I expected it to place a little higher.... at least at #3. I expected High Noon at #2 and I've never seen Shane (#3), so I can't really say anything about the order. I've been meaning to watch High Noon and I guess I'll just have to watch Shane now, too.
• Also of note, I found it a little odd that Unforgiven is Clint Eastwood's only film in the top 10 westerns. However, knowing that three of his best Western films (The Man With No Name trilogy including The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) are Italian and therefore do not qualify make that a little more understandable. I did sort of expect High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, or Pale Rider to crack the top 10.

Sports:

• Raging Bull is an interesting choice at #1 because I don't think of it all that much as a sports film. The scenes between Jake La Motta (DeNiro) and his brother (Pesci) and the ones between Jake and his wife are really what this movie is all about. The boxing sequences are excellent, don't get me wrong, but they're sort of minor when compared with the rest of the scenes that showcase DeNiro's amazing performance. Nevertheless, I agree with the choice because I agree that it's the best film on this sports film list.
  
• I can't believe Rudy did not make this list. When I think of sports films, I think of Rocky, Hoosiers, and Rudy, and it's just odd that it didn't make it.
  
• I don't have a whole lot else to say about this list. The rest of the choices are very good.
  

Mystery:

• Now this is more like it. I've seen and highly enjoyed 6 of the films on this list. But then again, it makes sense because I love the mystery genre.
• Vertigo at #1: I couldn't agree more. This is such an excellent film... one of my favorites and one of the best ever made. Of all of the Hitchcock films, I'd say this is my favorite. This is a film that just has it all: romance, suspense, murder, confusion, superb acting (especially by the leads James Stewart and Kim Novak), a haunting score, the supernatural... You just get completely wrapped up in Vertigo. Excellent choice.
• Rear Window at #3: I love this choice, too. This is another of my favorite films. The suspense in this film is just amazing. You're on the edge of your seat for the entire film. James Stewart (as always) and Grace Kelly are excellent here. I'd hoped this would be #2, but I've never seen Chinatown so I won't argue.
  
• I really like The Maltese Falcon (#6), North by Northwest (#7), Dial M for Murder (#9), and The Usual Suspects (#10). I think the order is appropriate, as well. All in all, great choices on this list.
  

Fantasy:

• I'm glad The Wizard of Oz is #1. I completely agree that it is the greatest fantasy film in American cinema history.
• Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring at #2 and It's a Wonderful Life at #3: Ok, I have a bit of a problem with this. I think It's a Wonderful Life is a much better and much more historically significant film than the first Lord of the Rings. However, maybe this choice was made because Lord of the Rings is more of a straightforward fantasy than It's a Wonderful Life. After all, only the end of It's a Wonderful Life qualifies it as a fantasy film. And they're both excellent films, so it's alright. And it's quite possible I'm being a little biased since It's a Wonderful Life is one of my very favorite films..... ;)
• I'm glad to see Harvey (#7) and Groundhog Day (#8) make the list. They both have very interesting and entertaining fantasy premises and they're both fine films.
• Ok Batman (1989) was nominated but not Batman Begins? I do understand the great historical significance of Burton's first Batman film. Without it, we might not have any of these superhero films that have come along since. And Batman is a good film. However, Batman Begins is just plain better in nearly every way. Oh well... there's a chance The Dark Knight will make some of these lists in a few years.... ;)
  

Sci-Fi:

• Star Wars at #2? I thought and had hoped it would win, but that distinction went to 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'd heard of the film, but I'd never gotten the impression that it was supposed to be this good. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it soon.
• E.T. at #3 and Blade Runner at #6 are fine selections. E.T. is fantastic and Blade Runner is an amazing film with my favorite actor, Harrison Ford, so I'm thrilled to see them here.
• Back to the Future barely squeaks into the top 10? Wow. I thought this would be at least a spot or two higher.
  

Gangster:

• I haven't seen many gangster movies, but I have seen The Godfather. And man, is it an excellent film. I can definitely understand why it tops this list.
• What? On The Waterfront didn't make it? Maybe it's just not "gangster" enough, because it sure as heck is a fine film.
  

Courtroom Drama:

• I'm glad to see To Kill a Mockingbird top this list. It's been awhile since I've seen the film (I remember really liking it), but the clips during the show made me realize I'd like to see it again very soon. Gregory Peck was such a fine actor.
• 12 Angry Men at #2: Nice choice here. This is a fine film and definitely one of the first things I think of when I think of courtrooms on film.
• Anatomy of a Murder at #7: James Stewart is one of my favorite actors and I've always meant to see this film. Now I want to see it all the more.
• One film I'm bummed that didn't squeak into the list is The Caine Mutiny. I love Humphrey Bogart's performance in that film, especially his courtroom performance. Great, great stuff.
  

Epic:

• I just saw Lawrence of Arabia (#1) for the first time last week. It just amazes me that such a film could have even been made. The majority of the film's 4-hour-plus running time is set in the middle of the desert and you can tell that every bit of it was actually shot there. I can't imagine what it must've been like for the actors and filmmakers to shoot so many hours of film in the scorching heat and sandstorms. But, even beside all of that, this is an insanely gorgeous film. The cinematography is probably the most stunning I've seen on film. There are a seemingly endless number of breathtaking shots. Then, on top of that, you have an incredible performance from Peter O'Toole (Lawrence) and excellent performances from Omar Sharif and Sir Alec Guinness. Lawrence of Arabia is the epitome of "epic" and surely deserves to be called the greatest of the genre.
• I've been meaning to see Ben-Hur (#2) for many years and just have never gotten around to it. I'm going to have to do that sooner than later.
• Schindler's List at #3: I've never really thought of the film as an epic, but it's definitely one of the greatest, most powerful films ever made. I'm thrilled to see it here. I'm not sure what else to say about this film... I don't think I could manage to do it justice with words. If you haven't seen it, you must do so.
• I'm really surprised to see Gone With the Wind at #4. It's just such a fantastic, beloved American film that I expected it and Lawrence to be recognized as the two best in the genre.
  
• Titanic at #6: Well, I'm pretty torn about this film. I truly appreciate the ambitious attempt at showing us what the sinking of the Titanic must've been like. Those scenes are amazing. However, the sappy love story was terribly overdone and, in my opinion, completely unnecessary. Converting one of the largest disasters in American history into a bloated soap opera almost ruins the film for me. Therefore, I think #6 is a bit high for the film.
• I'm very glad to see Saving Private Ryan (#8) and The Ten Commandments (#10) make the list. They are both excellent films that I really enjoy.

Overall:

• It's great to see films starring my favorite actors honored here. 6 of James Stewart's films (The Philadelphia Story, Vertigo, Rear Window, It's a Wonderful Life, Harvey, Anatomy of a Murder) and 2 of Harrison Ford's films (Star Wars, Blade Runner) made it. Strangely, one of our greatest actors, Humphrey Bogart, had only one picture honored (The Maltese Falcon). Also, it's always good to see the films of incredible actors like Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Cary Grant, Liam Neeson, Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, and many others honored.
  

Well, that turned out to be very long-winded, didn't it? My opinion on films doesn't mean a whole lot compared to the folks who voted on this, but I had fun writing about their choices. Film is such an amazing art form with such a rich history. It's interesting me more and more all the time.

"AFI's 10 Top 10" tonight on CBS (8pm ET)

The American Film Institute is releasing the 11th edition of their annual film lists tonight. This year their unveiling their compiled list of the top 10 films in 10 different genres: animation, fantasy, romantic comedies, sci-fi, western, gangster, sports, courtroom drama, mystery, and epic. If you've watched any of their previous shows or if you're an avid film fan like me, you'll probably enjoy this.

I am wondering, however..... where is the action film genre? The overall "drama" genre? How about suspense/horror? War? Because some films don't fall into the 10 genres selected, many of their choices for top 100 films of all-time will be left out: Casablanca, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Psycho, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen, etc. Maybe they're just planning on doing 10 more genres next year.....

And just for a little fun, here are my guesses for the top film in each genre:

Animation: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Fantasy: The Wizard of Oz (with It's a Wonderful Life a close second)
Romantic comedies: It Happened One Night
Sci-Fi: Star Wars
Western: The Searchers
Gangster: The Godfather
Sports: Raging Bull
Courtroom Drama: To Kill a Mockingbird
Mystery: Vertigo (with The Maltese Falcon and Rear Window not too far behind)
Epic: Gone with the Wind (with Lawrence of Arabia an extremely close second)

I haven't seen all the films on the ballot, but of the films I do know something about here are the ones I would like to see place in each genre (in no particular order) with the film I'd like to win first:

Animation:
Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Fantasia, The Incredibles, Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Toy Story
Fantasy:
It's a Wonderful Life, Batman, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Edward Scissorhands, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Mary Poppins, Superman, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz
Romantic comedies:
It Happened One Night, As Good As It Gets, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Philadelphia Story, Sabrina, The Shop Around The Corner, Working Girl
Sci-Fi:
Star Wars, Back to the Future, Blade Runner, E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Planet of the Apes, The Matrix, Minority Report, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Time Machine
Western:
The Searchers, High Noon, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Pale Rider, Unforgiven, and pretty much any of the other nominated John Wayne or Clint Eastwood films (and where are The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and Tombstone?!?)
Gangster:
The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, Heat, On The Waterfront, The Usual Suspects (I haven't watched many films in this genre)
Sports:
Field of Dreams, Caddyshack, Hoosiers, Major League, Million Dollar Baby, Miracle, The Pride of the Yankees, Raging Bull, Rocky, Rudy
Courtroom Drama:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Anatomy of a Murder, The Caine Mutiny, The Client, A Few Good Men, The Pelican Brief, Presumed Innocent, 12 Angry Men
Mystery:
Vertigo, The Big Sleep, Dial M for Murder, The Fugitive, The Maltese Falcon, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Memento, North by Northwest, Rear Window, Rebecca, Se7en
Epic:
Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur (1959), Braveheart, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Passion of the Christ, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, The Ten Commandments (1956)

I guess we'll see what happens tonight!