Some Comments About ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's 1000th Issue

Recently ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY published its 1000th issue. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY is one magazine that I try to read on a regular basis and have had a subscription to. I've always considered it kind of an Average Joe's VARIETY or HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. For the 1000th issue, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY made a list of the "new" classics from the past 25 years (1983-2008). Movies, television, albums, books, style, plays, video games, and technological achievements were all categorized. In general, I like reading E.W., but I do have to take issue with some parts of the list.

Movies
#1 Pulp Fiction
#3 Titanic
#31 Brokeback Mountain
#36 Spider-Man 2

Pulp Fiction is a great movie. However, it's not the best film to come out in the past twenty-five years. Titanic as #3? Really? I'm sorry, that movie doesn't even belong in the top 100 movies of the past twenty-five years. It may have made more money world-wide than any one single film so far, but it really isn't that great of a movie. Same thing with Brokeback Mountain; the only thing people will ever remember about that movie is that it's about a couple of gay cowboys. As for Spider-Man 2, I think Spider-Man is a much better superhero flick than its first sequel.

Television
#20 Beverly Hills, 90210

The television selection was much better for this list. I only have one complaint. I hate to admit it, but I watch most of the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210. Sorry, but it's definitely not one of the best 100 television shows of the past twenty-five years. It just isn't.

Books
# 96 The Da Vinci Code

Once again, the book list is fairly good. However, there is one blatant book I have to disagree with. The Da Vinci Code? You have to be joking. This hodge-podge of a who-dunnit thriller may make for page-turning reading, but if it wasn't for the controversy the author purposely started, there wouldn't be anything to remember about the book. As a teacher of English, I can say with authority that it isn't written very well. The book will be forgotten in another ten years or less. I'm also disappointed that only one of Stephen King's books made the list (On Writing #21). King is not only a popular author, but his story-telling and writing skills are superb. He's already been added as a part of the official English canon in many schools and his works will continue to be published centuries after his death.

Stage
#1 Angels in America

Really? That's the best play you can think of that has been performed on American stages in the past twenty-five years? Even though I have an interest in theatre, there are lots of shows I haven't seen, but I will say that I've seen and read several that are better theatre than this seven-hour grueling marathon of a show.