Monthly Wallpaper - September 2010: Epics

Wide open spaces, legendary characters, historical adventures, sweeping vistas ... the Movie Dearest Calendar Wallpaper is truly epic for the month of September this year.

All you have to do is click on the picture above to enlarge it, then simply right click your mouse and select "Set as Background". (You can also save it to your computer and set it up from there if you prefer.) The size is 1024 x 768, but you can modify it if needed in your own photo-editing program.

Reverend’s Reviews: Best DVDs of 2009

Now that standard DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and online films are thrown at us on a daily basis, our entertainment options are more plentiful than ever. I was surprised, therefore, that it took me very little time to identify the ten best home-viewing releases of 2009. Not all of them are of specifically GLBT- interest, but I doubt many readers will quibble (at least not much) over the significance of my selections.

In my personal order of preference, they are:

Yentl- Barbra Streisand’s much-beloved “drama with music” finally made its DVD debut in early 2009, shortly after the 25th anniversary of its 1983 theatrical premiere. Streisand stars as a young Jewish woman who disguises herself as a man so she can continue her studies of Talmud following the death of her loving, progressive father. The film is notable for being Streisand’s superior directorial debut as well as for its beautiful score by songwriting greats Alan & Marilyn Bergman and Michel Legrand. The disc is a must-have not only for the film itself but also for a number of great behind-the-scenes extras.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs- Walt Disney famously bet several years of his life and virtually all his assets on the first feature-length animated movie in history. Fortunately for him, it became a smash hit and instant classic. The recently released home video “diamond edition” reveals why this adaptation of the Brothers Grimm story remains so enduring. This is also the first time Snow White has been available on Blu-Ray, providing the strongest visual argument yet to buy a Blu-Ray player.

The Wizard of Oz- The Judy Garland classic looks and sounds better than ever thanks to its recent, 70th anniversary DVD re-release. It, too, was also just released for the first time on Blu-Ray, making the cinematography’s “no place like home” sepia tones warmer than ever and its “merry old land of Oz” color scheme truly eye-popping. The disc is also available in a lavish box set that includes a variety of goodies.


Milk- Sean Penn masterfully, even exuberantly, re-incarnates Harvey Milk, the first openly gay US politician. As a well-deserved result, Penn won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Actor. Director Gus Van Sant made full use of his knowledge of filmmaking and GLBT history, making this important story engrossing no matter what one’s sexual orientation. The disc also features several interesting documentaries about Milk and his legacy.

Gone With the Wind- Scarlett, Rhett, Bonnie Blue, Melanie, Ashley and Mammy are all here (albeit briefly in Bonnie Blue’s case), for the first time on Blu-Ray as well as in a lovingly re-mastered standard DVD. A truly immortal film (if at times uncomfortable due to its pre-Civil War, Old South setting), GWTW is graced with vivid cinematography and performances and a classic music score.

Ready? OK!- I’ve been raving about this movie via numerous outlets for the last year-and-a-half. Now that it is available on DVD, I’m delighted to have an opportunity to rave about it all over again! The charming story of a little boy who longs to join his Catholic school’s cheer squad was a hit on the 2008 film festival circuit, and is worthy of the broader exposure it now has courtesy of home video.

Coraline- A visually amazing and emotionally haunting stop-motion animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fairy/morality tale. Not just for children, it spins a web — not unlike its spider-ish villainess (voiced by Desperate Housewife Teri Hatcher) — composed of equal parts whimsy and danger. The home video version comes with 3-D glasses in hopes of replicating the superlative theatrical experience to some degree ... the bigger and more hi-def the TV, the better.


Humpday- This provocative yet sensitive exploration of male relationships narrowly missed being included among my ten best films of 2009. Two longtime, seemingly straight buddies make a bet to have sex on camera … with each other. Gay men, bisexual men, straight men, curious men and the women who love them should all see this movie (did I mention that it’s primarily a comedy?) for its bold take on sexual politics.

Up- Disney-Pixar’s most recent animated hit is a decidedly more mature work in both plot and execution. An elderly man mourning the death of his wife takes off in a helium balloon-laden house on an adventure to the one place they didn’t get to travel to together. He and a stowaway, overly-eager Boy Scout discover considerably more than they bargained for. Many critics named this one of the best films of 2009, and it could well end up in the running for Best Picture among this year’s Oscar nominees.

The Strange One- One of the more obscure movies among 2009’s video releases, this 1957 drama features Ben Gazzara and a young, dreamy George Peppard in their film debuts as cadets in a military academy. Homosexual tensions run high, and the original theatrical release was censored as a result. Thankfully, the film has been restored and is now presented uncut for the first time on DVD.

Before concluding, my TV-loving partner, Jim, would say I was remiss if I didn’t mention that 2009 also marked the long-awaited home video debuts of Lucille Ball’s later-life series Here’s Lucy and The Lucy Show,as well as the final season of Bewitched.

May 2010 bring you and yours many happy viewing experiences!

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

MD Poll: Frankly, My Dear ...

... you did give a damn, at least as far as the stars of Gone With the Wind are concerned. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh's performances as Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara were named your favorites in our latest MD Poll, with the former edging out early contender James Stewart while the latter garnering nearly half of the total votes.

Following Mr. Smith in the male race was Leigh's husband Laurence Olivier, while fellow gay faves Judy Garland and Bette Davis rounded out the top 3 on the ladies' side. Also of note is Best Actor Oscar winner Robert Donat's ninth place finish and Rosalind Russell placing highest among The Women.

See the comments section below for the complete stats for both polls, and stay "tooned" for the next MD Poll.

MD Poll: Party Like It's 1939

1939 is widely considered "Hollywood's Greatest Year". Therefore, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the classic films from that legendary 12-month period, we are dedicating this month's MD Polls to celebrating them.

However, instead of asking you to simply pick your favorite 1939 movie (let's face it; this is Movie Dearest and we all know what film would win that contest), we will be holding a special dual poll spotlighting the best onscreen performances of that year, with one poll covering the men, the other the women.

The ten contenders in each poll consist of the five Best Actor and the five Best Actress Oscar nominees, plus an additionally five male and female favorites that have stood the test of time. The top twenty contenders are listed in the polls located in the right hand sidebar, and remember to vote in both polls! The winners will be revealed at the end of the month.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the next MD Poll.

Monthly Wallpaper - November 2009: 1939 - Hollywood's Greatest Year

In honor of its 70th anniversary, November's movie calendar wallpaper celebrates 1939 - Hollywood's Greatest Year!

A lot of classics came out during that fateful twelve months seven decades ago, and Movie Dearest has selected a top ten of faves to represent it: Dark Victory, Gone with the Wind, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Gunga Din, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, The Women and Wuthering Heights.

Plus: the festivities will continue this weekend with a special 1939-themed pair of MD Polls!

Just click on the picture above to enlarge it to its 1024 x 768 size, then right click your mouse and select "Set as Background", and you're all set. If you want, you can also save it to your computer and set it up from there, or modify the size in your own photo-editing program if needed.

Reverend's Reviews: Heavenly Movie Soundtracks

This post is part of Film Babble Blog's "Soundtrack September".
As an avid collector of original motion picture soundtrack albums since the 1970's, being asked to choose the best from among the 400+ I own is akin to a parent being forced to publicly identify their favorite child from among several! So rather than make a ten-best list, I've decided to write about a dozen or so from my collection that I consider significant not only to me personally but in the genre of music composed specifically for the silver screen. Some are former Oscar nominees or winners that remain celebrated today. Others have been woefully forgotten and are deserving of renewed attention.

While the first soundtrack recording I recall buying was the inescapable Star Wars by modern movie music maestro John Williams, it was Williams' follow-up score for Superman: The Movie that really struck a chord (no pun intended) with me. I will never forget the dramatic impact Superman's main title march had on me, accompanied as it was by the film's literally soaring opening credits. Williams brilliantly utilized a variety of styles to underscore the superhero's story, from his origin on the doomed planet Krypton to his climactic showdown with arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. The score also includes the song "Can You Read My Mind?", although it is performed in the film by Margot Kidder as more of a spoken word recitation, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.


The Superman score was nominated for a 1978 Academy Award but lost to Giorgio Moroder's innovative electronic score for Midnight Express. Moroder would go on to score a number of successful 80's movies, including Flashdance. In my opinion, however, Moroder's best work is his alternately lyrical, intense and sexy score for the 1982 remake of the horror classic Cat People. David Bowie co-wrote and performed the film's title song, which was recently resurrected to awesome effect in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

There are many big-screen musicals in my collection including my all-time favorite, the underrated 1967 Doctor Dolittle, but I want to single out another soundtrack LP from a similarly unappreciated movie: Popeye. Robert Altman's big budget, live-action take on the classic cartoon character got a wildly mixed reception, as did its song score by pop songwriter-singer Harry Nilsson. Popeye ended up being Nilsson's first and last feature-length film score, as he unexpectedly passed away just a few years later. It is a charming score, with simple but often witty and emotionally resonant songs performed by Robin Williams in the title role, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, and the great Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy. The soundtrack has never been released on CD, which is a shame as it includes a couple of songs that were cut from the film and better orchestrations.


While the movie-musical for which they were written is painful to sit through, Richard O'Brien's songs for 1981's Shock Treatment are great. This misbegotten sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show attempted to send up both television and the psychiatric profession. Skip the movie, but try to hunt down its rockin' soundtrack. You'll be singing the virtues of "Denton, U.S.A." as soon as you hear the song of that name!

During the Christmas season of 1981, two historical epics were released with primarily instrumental scores by composers accustomed to writing lyrics as well as music: Reds, by musical-theatre titan Stephen Sondheim, and Ragtime, which was Randy Newman's first film score. While both scores are excellent and deserve continued recognition, only Newman was honored at Oscar time with two nominations for best original score and best song, the tender "One More Hour." Sondheim has rarely written for movies since, with 1990's Dick Tracy a notable exception, while Newman has become one of the most sought-after film composers of our time and finally won an Oscar (after 15 prior nominations) in 2001.


No list of great film scores and composers would be complete without the late Jerry Goldsmith, and his Oscar-nominated work on 1982's Poltergeist ranks among his finest achievements. The music zigzags, not unlike the movie, from jaunty, comedic tones to intense sequences of musical menace. Goldsmith's similarly-styled scores for the mid-80's fantasies Gremlins and Supergirl are also noteworthy.

Two other composers who must be mentioned are John Barry and Ennio Morricone. Barry's ravishing, Oscar-winning score for Out of Africa is my personal favorite of his, while The Mission by Morricone has not only withstood the test of time but is one of the most spiritual recordings of all time ... if a recording can be said to be spiritual.


Asian influences in film music have become more pervasive this decade, but the progression began with the acclaimed, memorable scores to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor. Both were composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, the latter with an assist from "Talking Head" David Byrne. Also worth noting in this regard is Stomu Yamashta's appropriately magical score for 1982's Tempest, Paul Mazursky's update of Shakespeare's comedy The Tempest.

Danny Elfman crossed over from Oingo Boingo front man to film composer with a series of great scores to accompany director Tim Burton's flights of fancy. His score for the first big-budget Batman movie in 1989 was so successful that Elfman became the go-to guy for a while for superhero movies, including Darkman, Spider-Man and Hulk. But it is Elfman's work on Batman Returns that remains his finest hour. He created memorable themes for the villainous Penguin and Catwoman, and created a cool song for Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Face to Face," out of the latter's.


Lest one think I'm stuck in the 80's when it comes to my faves (although I can see how it is tempting to do so), there are a number of both older and more recent film scores that are close to my heart: Max Steiner's unforgettable Gone With the Wind; the admitted guilty pleasure Lost Horizon (1973), with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Halloween, composed by its director, John Carpenter; Carter Burwell's haunting Gods and Monsters; the driving, minimalist score for The Hours by Phillip Glass; John Corigliano's passionate, Oscar-winning score for The Red Violin; A Beautiful Mind by James Horner; and this year's fabulous Coraline, with a creepy-cute score by French up and comer Bruno Coulais.

I think I've mentioned more than a dozen here, contrary to what I set out to do. Obviously, when it comes to film music I have difficulty restraining myself! I sincerely hope readers will check out any of these scores you are unfamiliar with, as well as identify your own, time-tested favorites.

Click hereto purchase any of the above soundtracks from Amazon.com.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

The Latest on TV: Like it's 1939

Every Thursday in July, Turner Classic Movies celebrates "Hollywood's greatest year", 1939. Thirty-nine films (naturally) will be broadcast as part of the 70th anniversary tribute, and the festivities kick off tonight with the brand new documentary titled (naturally) 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year.

Classics scheduled for the month include Beau Geste, Dark Victory, Gone With the Wind, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, The Women and Wuthering Heights, plus the TCM premieres of Stanley and Livingston and Of Mice and Men. The special will re-air on July 10 and 31; visit TCM.com for showtimes.

Film Art: Gone to the Movies

If you (like us) have ever re-imagined your favorite movies with all-male, scantily-clad casts, than Gone to the Moviesis the art book for you.

Ace illustrator HvH not only exhibits his abundant artistic talents, but also his longtime love of film with sexy and inspired interpretations of classic movie posters, from Forbidden Planet and Breakfast at Tiffany's to Kill Bill and Borat. I especially enjoy the Gone with the Wind cover image above ... I like to think that instead of Scarlett O'Hara, the stud in Rhett Butler's arms is named Steve ...

HvH's Gone to the Movies (with a forward by The Rest is Illusion author Eric Arvin) is now availablefrom Amazon.com. Click on the previous link to take a look at some more (NSFW) images from the book.

Reel Thoughts: Neil's Favorite Movies, From A to Z

And here is Neil's "Alphabet Meme" list:

I am sure I'll regret some choices and forgotten some others, but here it is!

A is for All About Eve (1950): “Fasten your seatbelts … ”
B is for The Birds (1963): “Don’t they ever stop migrating?”
C is for Carrie (1976): “There all gonna laugh at you!”
D is for Death on the Nile (1978): Glorious bitchy dialogue and a cast to die for.
E is for Ed Wood (1994): Angora sweaters for everyone!
F is for Fargo (1996): “That would be your associate in the wood chipper.”
G is for Gone With the Wind (1939): "Well, fiddle dee dee!"
H is for Hairspray (1988): “She has roaches in her hair! I saw them!”
I is for The Incredibles (2004): The only Pixar film that would fit.
K is for King of Hearts (1996): Alan Bates and Geneviève Bujold — Ooo, la la!
L is for L.A. Story (1991): It’s SanDeE*!
M is for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Sorry, Mommie Dearest!
N is for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): One-two, Freddy's coming for you ...
O is for The Opposite Sex (1956): Glorious Technicolor Women
P is for Psycho (1960): “Not cabin one please!”
Q is for The Queen (2006): Not since Scott Thompson has anyone captured the Queen so well!
R is for Rear Window (1954): Another Hitchcock winner.
S is for Serial Mom (1994): Kathleen Turner rules.
T is for Tootsie (1982): One of my favorite “actor” movies ever.
U is for The Uninvited (1944): Ray Milland went from this to Frogs?!
V is for Vertigo (1958): Yet another Hitchcock classic!
W is for The Wizard of Oz (1939): “There’s no place like home!”
X is for Xanadu (1980): Did anyone really think it wouldn’t be?
Y is for Young Frankenstein (1974): “Nice knockers!”
Z is for Zelig (1983): I’m not putting Zoolander!

By Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Women We Love: Vivien Leigh

Object of our affection: Vivien Leigh, actress.

- Her iconic performances as two tragic southern belles — Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire — won her a pair of Academy Awards and cinematic immortality.

- She also played Blanche on the London stage; during her extensive stage career, she played parts that ranged from Noël Coward and George Bernard Shaw heroines to classic Shakespearean characters such as Ophelia and Lady Macbeth.

- Broadway roles include Romeo's Juliet and Cleopatra twice, all opposite her then husband, Laurence Olivier. However, her Tony Award was for the musical Tovarich.

- Other notable films include Dark Journey, A Yank at Oxford, Waterloo Bridge, That Hamilton Woman, Caesar and Cleopatra, Anna Karenina, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone and Ship of Fools.

- In addition to awards from the Venice Film Festival, the New York Film Critics Circle and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, she was named one of the top 50 screen legends of all-time by the American Film Institute.

First Look: The GWTW Musical

In this promotional shot for the new London stage musical version of Gone With the Wind, the dashing Darius Danesh and a glamorous Jill Paice recreate an iconic image of Rhett and Scarlett from the film classic.

Directed by Tony Award winner Trevor Nunn, the production begins previews tomorrow evening, with an opening scheduled for April 22.

In related news, Turner Classic Movies is currently filming the behind-the-scenes goings on of the show for an upcoming "making of" special to air sometime in the future on TCM.

Out in Film: George Cukor

Idol worship: George Cukor, director.

- He was known as a "director of women's pictures", studio era Hollywood-speak for a gay director. Regardless of whatever negative connotation that term elicited, he nevertheless emerged as one of the best "director of women's pictures", from screwball comedies to weepy melodramas to big budget musicals.

- He directed Katharine Hepburn ten times, including such certified classics as Little Women, The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.

- More from his list of leading ladies: Jean Harlow (Dinner at Eight), Greta Garbo (Camille), Vivien Leigh (Gone With the Wind, uncredited "coaching"), Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight), Deborah Kerr (Edward, My Son), Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday), Judy Garland (A Star is Born), Marilyn Monroe (Let's Make Love) and the entire cast of The Women.

- Nominated a total of five times for the Oscar, he won for My Fair Lady starring another (unrelated) Hepburn, Audrey.

- His final film was Rich and Famous, which starred two more screen beauties, Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen.

Frankly My Dear in D-Flat

Maragaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind will be the next weighty tome (following Nicholas Nickleby and Les Misérables) that Trevor Nunn will bring to the London stage ... and as musical no less.

Current Curtains star Jill Paice will step into the curtain dress made famous by Vivien Leigh as Scarlet O'Hara, opposite former Pop Idol Darius Danesh, who has the unenviable task of taking on Rhett Butler, Clark Gable's most memorable role.

The new epic tuner will open in London's West End this April.

Ritz Crack-Ups

All the latest on our favorite stories to make the leap from screen to stage and back again:

- And that, my friends, is what you call a farce. The above picture is from the new revival of The Ritz on Broadway. Here are more pictures of Rosie Perez and Kevin Chamberlin in character as Googie Gomez and Gaetano Proclo, and you can see more of the very tall Terrence Riordan in Brooks Ashmanskas' hilariously self-deprecating backstage video tour of the show, now playing at Club 54. In addition to the gorgeous three-story set (you've never seen a bathhouse look so good), you'll also see cast members Patrick Kerr (who you'll remember as nerdy Noel on Frasier), the fabulous Seth Rudetsky and the pornolicious Ryan Idol in all their hirsute 70's glory.

- And if you're into Hairy guys, here's some pics from the recent 40th anniversary concert performance of that flower powerful musical starring Spring Awakening cutie Jonathan Groff.

- If you missed my update last week, the MTV presentation of Legally Blonde - The Musical will now premiere on Saturday, October 13. Meanwhile, the hard-working sorority gals and legal eagles of the show recently won the first ever "Outstanding Broadway Chorus" award from Actor's Equity.

- Elsewhere, the most famous Chorus Line ever will soon hit the road in a national tour.

- Chaka Khan, Bebe Winans and American Idol's LaKisha Jones are the latest pop divas to join The Color Purple, although don't expect Chaka to stick around for long.

- Another "famous book set in the South and turned into a movie" is now also being turned into a stage musical. Are you ready for ... Gone With the Wind: The Musical?

- In this week's Grease: You're the One That I Want update: "Emotional Sandy" Ashley Anderson has joined The Wedding Singer tour and "Ambitious Danny" Chad Doreck talks about becoming one of the Altar Boyz.

Speaking of boy bands, here's news of a show-tune singing one that just may be the gayest thing ever (and I mean that as a good thing).

And speaking of reality shows, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, the British program that cast the lead in The Sound of Music, is heading to North America. Don't get too excited though: it will land in Canada.

- Maybe those rumors of a Brokeback Mountain musical weren't too far off after all: Brokeback ... the opera?

- Another tearjerker making the transfer from page to screen to stage: The Joy Luck Club will have their first meeting Off-Broadway.

- Xanadu sweetie Kerry Butler talks about Penny, Audrey, Ariel and Clio-slash-Kira.

- Are you grumpy, old and a man? Then you too can be on Broadway in the upcoming Grumpy Old Men: The Musical.

- On the gay icon front: the first Off-Broadway performance of Charles Busch's Die Mommie Die! will benefit Live Out Loud, which provides gay youth with mentors and role models. On the other coast, get a look at Harvey Fierstein in A Catered Affair, now playing in San Diego.

And on the "he's not gay, but we love him anyway" front: Bobby Cannavale stars in Mauritius on Broadway.

- From the cast of Young Frankenstein, meet Christopher Fitzgerald (who plays "the peculiar Igor"), Fred Applegate (the Lonely Hermit) and Andrea Martin (as Frau Blücher [horses whinny]) in exclusive video interviews over at Broadway.com.

- Chicago still sizzles, as this new internet ad campaign proves.

- Paint Your Wagon hits the trail back to Broadway.

- QueerSighted says it all in the title: "High School Musical Even Gayer on Stage (as if That Were Possible)".

- You can learn all about The Last Starfighter musical, now performing at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, or at least check out Danny Binstock, the hottie they cast in the lead. I'd like to see how he handles a joystick ...

- And finally: To all the Keanu Reeves fans who blasted me last week, check out this article on the soon to hit LA Point Break LIVE! to see that he is, in fact, dispensable.

Links via Broadway.com, Playbill.com, BravoTV.com, AfterElton.com and QueerSighted.com.

AFI's 100 Movies: Facts & Figures

The AFI Top 10, circa 1998

"Can we ever get enough lists? Lists are the mix tapes of film buffs. Compilations of our favorites, presented to others in the hopes they'll love the selections as much as we do. Building a bond by finding mutual favorites. Showing what we love, and sharing it."

I love that quote (from "Rollerboy" over at AwardsDaily.com). It is such a fitting analogy for why movie lovers make so many lists of the best, worst, most, et cetera. It is also a great way to introduce this, the first of my "Facts & Figures" look at the best of the list makers, the American Film Institute.

The AFI began their annual countdown back in 1998 with this one, the ultimate "best of": AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies. It proved controversial then and, when they redid the poll earlier this year, it was controversial again.

However, whatever the critical pundits said pales in comparison to the exposure this list, and all the AFI lists for that matter, have given to classic films. In my opinion, there is no better starting point for someone interested in American film to use as a reference tool.

Sure, there are many great movies not included (not to mention foreign films and documentaries), but surely this is not the be-all/end-all of anyone's movie watching, nor was it ever intended to be; for example, if someone watches Gone With the Wind, and then moves on to other Clark Gable movies or other historical epics or other romantic dramas and so on, then the AFI -- and these lists -- did the job right.

Facts & Figures:

AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies was presented in 1998. 100 films were selected from a nomination list of 400, and films released in 1996 and prior were eligible.

By the Year:

• The oldest movie on the list: The Birth of a Nation (1915).
• The newest movie on the list: Fargo (1996).
• Most represented decade: The 1950's, with 20 movies total.
• Most represented year: 1939, with 5 movies total.

Sight & Sound:

• Total number of color films: 59 (including The Wizard of Oz, which has some black and white sequences).
• Total number of black and white films: 41 (including The Birth of a Nation, which has some color-tinted sequences).
• Total number of silent films: 5 (including The Jazz Singer, which has some sound sequences, and City Lights and Modern Times, which had soundtracks but no dialogue).

By Genre:

• Most represented genre is drama, with 46 films.
• Comedies come in next with 20 films.

And the Winner Is:

• 98 films on the list were eligible for the Academy Awards (The Birth of a Nation and The Gold Rush were released prior to the Oscars' first year, 1927).
• Total number of Best Picture winners: 33.
• Total number of Best Picture nominees: 41.

The Stars:

• Robert Duvall appears in the most movies, 6.
• James Stewart is the star of the most movies, with 5.
• Other actors who appear in 5 movies are Ward Bond, Robert De Niro and Thomas Mitchell.
• Katharine Hepburn is the most represented actress, with 4 movies.
• Actors who appear in 4 movies include Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, William Holden and Dennis Hopper.
• Note: these totals do not include uncredited bit roles.

The Directors:

• The most represented director is Steven Spielberg, with 5 movies.
• Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder come in second with 4 movies each.

Studio Call:

• United Artist has the most films on the list, with a total of 17.
• Warner Brothers follows with 15.

Miscellanea:

• There are 2 animated films on the list (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia).
• Only 1 sequel made the cut: The Godfather Part II.
• The longest title, with 68 letters, symbols and spaces, is Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
• Shortest title: Jaws.

For the full list of 100 movies, see the comments section below (and for the record, I've seen them all!).

Links via AwardsDaily.com and AFI.com.