AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills

PSYCHO TOPS AFI'S LIST OF THE 100 MOST THRILLING AMERICAN FILMS

JAWS, THE EXORCIST, NORTH BY NORTHWEST and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Make the Top Cut On AFI'S 100 YEARS…100 THRILLS

LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2001 — The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the 100 most thrilling American films yesterday evening during AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, a three-hour special television event. PSYCHO, the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins, ranked #1. Following PSYCHO in the top 10, in order, were JAWS (#2), THE EXORCIST (#3), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (#4), THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (#5), ALIEN (#6), THE BIRDS (#7), THE FRENCH CONNECTION (#8), ROSEMARY'S BABY (#9) and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (#10).

"Creating a movie is the ultimate collaborative effort," stated Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI's President Emerita. "When it all comes together it is, in a word, thrilling. AFI hopes this new list will spark another national dialogue and send a new generation of movie goers to see these heart-pounding movies."

The 100 most thrilling films were selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from the film community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, visual effects artists, stunt men and women and make-up artists), critics and historians. The nominated films crossed many genres, including Action-Adventure, Silent, Film Noir, Horror, Science Fiction, Suspense, War, and Western.

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