I think the AFI's selection (and the substantial prime time special that was broadcast before the list was made available) are mainly to drum up interest in the industry that gives them their reason for being. And I approve. I think it's fun to talk about films, I think they're very important because whether we like it or not a lot of our culture goes into them and some even comes out of them.

Some movies like Harvey, Citizen Cain, To Kill A Mockingbird have intrinsic meaning to me and whether or not they wind up on a list has no additional weight.

If this all adds up to better preservation of more movies, which I think it does, so much the better.

There should be an international great movie list to which some of the AFI selections might aspire as well. I would put Seven Samurai right up there with Citizen Cain as one of the great all timers.