That's right I've seen every film that has won best picture. At some point I will rank these movies before the next one is named, but for now I will talk about the last best picture I needed to see and two others that now put me at only twenty five more movies to go, for now.
Argo (2012) - Winner of best picture of the year, based on the CIA plot to rescue six Americans trapped in Iran back in 1979. It is a dramatization and not fully accurate but a well done film that plays out as a suspense action thriller but from a dramatic way. Not sure if that makes much sense but even though you know the ending, you still hang on the edge of your seat.
This makes the third film I've seen for the year and it currently stands as the best of the three with Beasts of the Southern Wild in second and Life of Pi third.
Les Miserables (2012) - The second version to be nominated for best picture, the first musical version of the famed Victor Hugo story. Each version I've seen focuses on different parts of the story. I did see the play almost twenty five years ago so I don't remember how close the film is to the play. As compared to other versions, not as good. Granted I'm not much of a fan of musicals, but it gets a bit annoying after awhile. That and being such a cheerful story makes it a film that I'm glad I've seen but don't need to see again.
As the fourth film from the year it settles nicely after Life of Pi for fourth place, soon to move lower.
Children Of A Lesser God (1986) - A romantic drama that is mainly based upon a deaf character and a teacher at a school for the deaf. Typical 80's movie that really isn't much to watch. Rather comical at times trying to make a bigger deal out of things that are really not that important. But you have to have conflict to help the story along, and it does it, but not very effectively. Acting was fine but nothing outstanding. Marlee Matlin's Oscar for best actress was more for the fact that she wasn't an actress and kept up with the rest of the cast.
This finishes 1986 and while it is typical of most years from the decade, with the exception of 1980, the films were good but nothing that would strike out as a classic. Ranking them would put Platoon as the best picture, it was very well produced and was made at the right time in history. People were starting to realize that they didn't treat Vietnam veterans that well and wanted to make it up to them. Second is Hanna and Her Sisters because it is a Woody Allen movie and rather funny. Not as good as his others, if so then it would have won or should have been the best picture. Mission is third since it was a good film, more for it's cinematography than the story but worthy of being nominated. Fourth is A Room With A View, standard Merchant Ivory movie which are good but somewhat safe and boring. Last is Children of a Lesser God for being not as good as the other nominees.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Hitting My Goal Three Months Early!
That's right I have seen fifty movies so far this year, my goal was to watch on average a movie a week. Didn't think I'd reach it so early. And with movies I have taped and will be on this year, I may get to only twenty behind before the year is over. Five more films and some more years completed.
For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943) - The Ernest Hemingway novel that was actually turned into a good screenplay. This was mainly because of removing the unnecessary political commentary and telling the story. Add to that Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman and a bunch of other good actors, you get a well done film. Gary Cooper is an American in Spain during their civil war and is helping with gorilla tactics for the Republicans, mostly in blowing up bridges. It's not a good film to watch to learn about the Spanish Civil War seeing how Hemingway mainly showed up when there was no fighting, shot a machine gun into the air and then went off and got drunk. Read up on John Dos Passos who ended up changing his political philosophy after he got back or George Orwell who ended up writing 1984 from his own experiences of barely getting out alive.
And 1943 is closed, clearly Casablanca is the best film. It may not be one of my top favorites, but it is one of the best films and most popular films ever made. The rest are not as good as Casablanca, but most are very strong contenders for second place. It was have to go to The Human Comedy for it's drama and it's moral building story which makes it more than a movie. Third would be The More The Merrier as a very funny comedy with really good acting. For Whom The Bell Tolls is fourth for being a very good film. And the top half is filled with The Ox-Bow Incident, one of the finer westerns that was made. The bottom half starts with Madame Curie and the great acting team of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon as sixth. Seventh is Song of Berndette a bit heavy on the religion and a bit too long. Eighth is In Which We Serve, another propaganda WWII nominated film but this time from England. Ninth is Watch On The Rhine which was an decent movie, but not good enough to win. And tenth is Heaven Can Wait a film that probably didn't need to be nominated.
Hugo (2011) - A Martin Scorsese historic drama loosely based on the later years of filmmaker Georges Melies but through the eyes of a young homeless orphan living in a train station. The story was good, the special effects were amazing, it is a very stylish film that is worth watching. Most directors have a good bin and a bad bin for films. Scorsese also has the incredible bin for films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but this one falls into the good bin.
Although this is the eight film for the year with one more to watch, it is not better than The Artist, but is definitely in the top five and would have been nominated under the old structure.
My Left Foot (1989) - Somehow I never have seen this film until recently. To be honest I didn't know much about the film, only seeing a clip during the Academy Awards and that Daniel Day Lewis won the Oscar for best actor. It's based on the life story of Cristy Brown, a man who was born with cerebral palsy who could only control his left foot. As a result he learned to do as much as you can with his foot including writing and painting. While his life and death are very depressing, the film is positive, upbeat and shows his love of life.
This year was much better than the entire decade with the exception of 1980. I would say that Driving Miss Daisy was the best film. It wasn't a great film, but good enough to win best picture for the time it was made. Second would be Born On The Fourth of July, which was supposed to be the sequel to Platoon, but wasn't as good. Third would be My Left Foot which was much better than I thought, remember it was made in the 1980's so you have to understand my surprise. Fourth is Dead Poets Society, another standard dry drama from the decade. Last is Field of Dreams, a movie that was not very good but popular. Quantity does not equal quality.
The Piano (1993) - A cheerful movie about a mute and her child sent to New Zealand as part of an arranged marriage from Scotland. Film is missing lots of details, back story and gets very confusing at times. Not very well directed either. In fact I'm not sure why Holly Hunter won best actress, she didn't even speak. Marlee Matlin had more dialogue when she won her Oscar. And the best supporting actress to Anna Paquin because a Canadian girl put on a Scottish accent? Overrated and not worth watching.
There is no contest here, Schindler's List was the best film. It is an amazing film that I don't ever want to watch again, the last time I was depressed for days. All the others combined are not even half as good. Second would be The Fugitive mostly because I really liked the film and it was a good adventure movie, a genre that doesn't get nominated much. Third would be In The Name of The Father, rather well acted and a solid film. Fourth is The Remains of The Day, standard starchy Merchant Ivory film, but well done. Fifth is The Piano, clearly securing the last spot.
Life Of Pi (2012) - Got to see a second movie from last year and more will be coming soon. A very amazing film with great special effects. Not sure why Ang Lee won best director, but I see why it won the technical awards, it deserved those. It is the story of a young man who survives a shipwreck and trying to survive in a lifeboat with a tiger. Watch it through to the very end and you will understand the symbolism of the movie, it's worth it.
While Life of Pi was a good movie, it wasn't as good as Beasts of The Southern Wild which is still currently in first place.
For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943) - The Ernest Hemingway novel that was actually turned into a good screenplay. This was mainly because of removing the unnecessary political commentary and telling the story. Add to that Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman and a bunch of other good actors, you get a well done film. Gary Cooper is an American in Spain during their civil war and is helping with gorilla tactics for the Republicans, mostly in blowing up bridges. It's not a good film to watch to learn about the Spanish Civil War seeing how Hemingway mainly showed up when there was no fighting, shot a machine gun into the air and then went off and got drunk. Read up on John Dos Passos who ended up changing his political philosophy after he got back or George Orwell who ended up writing 1984 from his own experiences of barely getting out alive.
And 1943 is closed, clearly Casablanca is the best film. It may not be one of my top favorites, but it is one of the best films and most popular films ever made. The rest are not as good as Casablanca, but most are very strong contenders for second place. It was have to go to The Human Comedy for it's drama and it's moral building story which makes it more than a movie. Third would be The More The Merrier as a very funny comedy with really good acting. For Whom The Bell Tolls is fourth for being a very good film. And the top half is filled with The Ox-Bow Incident, one of the finer westerns that was made. The bottom half starts with Madame Curie and the great acting team of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon as sixth. Seventh is Song of Berndette a bit heavy on the religion and a bit too long. Eighth is In Which We Serve, another propaganda WWII nominated film but this time from England. Ninth is Watch On The Rhine which was an decent movie, but not good enough to win. And tenth is Heaven Can Wait a film that probably didn't need to be nominated.
Hugo (2011) - A Martin Scorsese historic drama loosely based on the later years of filmmaker Georges Melies but through the eyes of a young homeless orphan living in a train station. The story was good, the special effects were amazing, it is a very stylish film that is worth watching. Most directors have a good bin and a bad bin for films. Scorsese also has the incredible bin for films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but this one falls into the good bin.
Although this is the eight film for the year with one more to watch, it is not better than The Artist, but is definitely in the top five and would have been nominated under the old structure.
My Left Foot (1989) - Somehow I never have seen this film until recently. To be honest I didn't know much about the film, only seeing a clip during the Academy Awards and that Daniel Day Lewis won the Oscar for best actor. It's based on the life story of Cristy Brown, a man who was born with cerebral palsy who could only control his left foot. As a result he learned to do as much as you can with his foot including writing and painting. While his life and death are very depressing, the film is positive, upbeat and shows his love of life.
This year was much better than the entire decade with the exception of 1980. I would say that Driving Miss Daisy was the best film. It wasn't a great film, but good enough to win best picture for the time it was made. Second would be Born On The Fourth of July, which was supposed to be the sequel to Platoon, but wasn't as good. Third would be My Left Foot which was much better than I thought, remember it was made in the 1980's so you have to understand my surprise. Fourth is Dead Poets Society, another standard dry drama from the decade. Last is Field of Dreams, a movie that was not very good but popular. Quantity does not equal quality.
The Piano (1993) - A cheerful movie about a mute and her child sent to New Zealand as part of an arranged marriage from Scotland. Film is missing lots of details, back story and gets very confusing at times. Not very well directed either. In fact I'm not sure why Holly Hunter won best actress, she didn't even speak. Marlee Matlin had more dialogue when she won her Oscar. And the best supporting actress to Anna Paquin because a Canadian girl put on a Scottish accent? Overrated and not worth watching.
There is no contest here, Schindler's List was the best film. It is an amazing film that I don't ever want to watch again, the last time I was depressed for days. All the others combined are not even half as good. Second would be The Fugitive mostly because I really liked the film and it was a good adventure movie, a genre that doesn't get nominated much. Third would be In The Name of The Father, rather well acted and a solid film. Fourth is The Remains of The Day, standard starchy Merchant Ivory film, but well done. Fifth is The Piano, clearly securing the last spot.
Life Of Pi (2012) - Got to see a second movie from last year and more will be coming soon. A very amazing film with great special effects. Not sure why Ang Lee won best director, but I see why it won the technical awards, it deserved those. It is the story of a young man who survives a shipwreck and trying to survive in a lifeboat with a tiger. Watch it through to the very end and you will understand the symbolism of the movie, it's worth it.
While Life of Pi was a good movie, it wasn't as good as Beasts of The Southern Wild which is still currently in first place.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
The Misery of Life, in Four Different Languages
And that can mean only one thing, I saw Babel. And a bunch of other films over the past two months that has got me up to 470 seen. Which is five short of my goal for the year, looking like I'll make my goal. But first to go over the movies seen recently.
Babel (2006) -A drama that is taking place over the course of a few days on three different continents; North America, Africa and Asia. Each of the different story lines have characters that are tied to one another, but it is not being told at the same time like Crash but out of sequence like Pulp Fiction. It is well done and technically my second attempt to see it. The first time was five years ago before I started the project, saw the first forty five minutes but stopped watching. My wife was in intensive care and it was hitting a little too close to home for me. Time has healed wounds and allowed me to enjoy this movie. It is part of a trilogy, but I haven't seen the other two films Amores Perros and 21 Grams, so if I see them this might make better sense.
This now closes out 2006 and while it was a tough decision I will say that The Departed was the best film. Although the Hong Kong original Infernal Affairs was a bit better, compared to the rest of the films it does just edge out the number two film. And since Scorsese has been robbed almost a half dozen times, it is a life time achievement award like Cecil B DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth in 1952. Second and only losing by a slim margin is Letters From Iwo Jima. This is one of the finest films of the decade and should get more recognition that it currently does. Babel falls into third safely, a good film but not best picture material. The Queen is fourth carried by the great acting of Helen Mirren and Little Miss Sunshine was last and horrible and should have never been nominated.
Fanny (1961) - The musical that became a film adaption without the music. Rather rare in this era, but the story of two young lovers who are separated and then when united their lives are changed since there is a child and they are no longer can be lovers. A bit of a muddled romance story but fine acting from Charles Boyer. Maurice Chevalier who is usually off the creepy-meter charts, toned it down for this one and wasn't too creepy only lusting after women who are adults. Horst Buchholz and Leslie Caron play the young lovers and aren't too bad. It's a nice family style film, something typical of this era.
And by seeing the 49th film of the decade it has now closed out 1961. This isn't going to be easy but I will have to say West Side Story was the best picture. I don't like musicals, but it is considered one of the best, even though it is campy and silly, still a great movie. Judgement at Nuremberg is a solid second with the all-star cast and a good yet somewhat unrealistic historic drama. Third place becomes a problem since the last three films are all good, but not good enough for the top two. It's not easy but The Hustler will be third, The Guns of Navarone fourth and Fanny fifth.
Field Of Dreams (1989) - Why do popular films get nominated even though they aren't that good? Oh wait, it was the 80's, very little was that good. The feel good movie that thankfully today wouldn't get in the top ten of nominations, made at the right time. If you are a baseball fan you can tolerate it. A fantasy movie that makes you fell warm and fuzzy inside, which is good for a movie to do, but is it best picture material? The academy though so and it was nominated. Now I have seen it and one more movie off my list, not much more to talk about than that for this movie.
I haven't seen all of 1989, so the current front runner of Driving Miss Daisy is still in the lead and don't think it may be bumped. Certainly not after this movie.
Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012) - The first of last year's nominated movies that I have seen and it was good. It's a bit hard to follow at first but once it settles in it shows a great observation of the lives of the people living in the Louisiana bayou. It's more from the observation of the main character a five year old child and her ill father as they deal with life and nature. I have to say it was much better than I expected, although I didn't know much about it before I saw it which I think helped a lot.
This is the first film I've seen from 2012 and it was good. So for now it is the front runner for the best picture of the year.
Elephant Man (1980) - The rather depressing biopic about the life of Joseph Merrick who was a seriously deformed man in 19th century England. The film is not historically accurate, but it is very well acted. John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins are great as well as the rest of the cast. And being filmed in black and white adds so much to the film. It makes it feel more realistic and helps you focus more on everything. When a film like this is in color, so much effort would have to be put in makeup, scenery, clothing, etc. But being black and white keeps you from being distracted with all that and allows you to watch the movie. Very well done. I'm surprised it's taken me this long to see it, but it was worth the wait.
Now I have seen four out of five films and this year is still the exception to the decade. All the films nominated could have won any other year in the decade. I am still troubled by Ordinary People being the best film, and it probably was, but Ragging Bull is so amazing. I will wait to see the last film and then anguish over who was the best picture of this year.
True Grit (2010) - The great Coen brother's remake of the John Wayne western from over forty years ago. Westerns in the late 60's and early 70's had lost their touch and became a bit softer and campier at times, the American westerns that is not to be confused with Spaghetti westerns from Italy. This one was a bit grittier and darker than the original and in a way that makes it much better. Fine acting and as always the Coen brothers do not disappoint.
2010 is now closed out and the best film was Inception and it was robbed. The academy does not give Sci-Fi movies their proper due. Most are not worthy of being nominated, but the ones that are never get recognition. And this is another example of that failure. Second would be True Grit mainly because it is the Coen brothers and they make great films. The Kings Speech, which did win best picture, is third. It is a good movie but not a great movie. Forth is Toy Story 3 which is a great movie for kids and adults. I was really surprised how good it was. Next is The Fighter, a film that in the old days when only five were nominated would get a nomination but wouldn't win. The bottom half has The Social Network, a decent film that is more popular since everyone is on Facebook. Seventh is The Kids Are All Right, only getting notice since it is involving a same sex couple. You take that out of the equation and it wouldn't get nominated. Black Swan which was a bad film but had good acting from Natalie Portman. 127 Hours is second to last, a very hard film to watch because it was a film that could of been shown in ten minutes. Last is Winter's Bone, good acting from Jennifer Lawrence but again a film that was more of a waste of time.
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) - The first Shakespeare movie adaption to be nominated for best picture. All star cast including a very young Olivia de Havilland, rather young James Cagney, Dick Powell and others. A rather confusing story, blame the author for that one, but one done very stylish. So impressive that the Oscar for Cinematography was won by Hal Mohr as a write in vote, something that has never happened before or since.
And I have been dreading this, the first of two years that twelve films were nominated. So here it goes. The best picture was the one that won, Mutiny on the Bounty with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, great action film that earned best picture. Second is The Lives of a Bengal Lancer to stick with the action theme, staring Gary Cooper, can't go wrong with that. Third is another Charles Laughton film Ruggles of Red Gap, a very funny movie that doesn't get a lot of notice. Fourth is Les Meserables although the French version from a year before was better. Fifth is Captain Blood another great action film. Sixth is David Copperfield, normally lower down for Dickens being so stuffy but Lionel Barrymore is in it so that helps a lot. Bottom half would include Broadway Melody of 1936 as seventh helped by Jack Benny. Eighth is A Midsummer Night's Dream, it is Shakespeare after all. Ninth would be Top Hat, sappy, predicable, not much of a film, but Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire blah, blah, blah. Tenth is Naughty Marietta not much of a film but mainly a showcase of Jeanette MacDonald who was a great singer. Eleventh is The Informant, which won Oscars and is considered a classic, but I found it to be slow and boring, sorry just didn't like it. And last the twelfth film is Alice Adams which is an annoying film about an obnoxious young woman who has no appreciation of what the real world is like.
Babel (2006) -A drama that is taking place over the course of a few days on three different continents; North America, Africa and Asia. Each of the different story lines have characters that are tied to one another, but it is not being told at the same time like Crash but out of sequence like Pulp Fiction. It is well done and technically my second attempt to see it. The first time was five years ago before I started the project, saw the first forty five minutes but stopped watching. My wife was in intensive care and it was hitting a little too close to home for me. Time has healed wounds and allowed me to enjoy this movie. It is part of a trilogy, but I haven't seen the other two films Amores Perros and 21 Grams, so if I see them this might make better sense.
This now closes out 2006 and while it was a tough decision I will say that The Departed was the best film. Although the Hong Kong original Infernal Affairs was a bit better, compared to the rest of the films it does just edge out the number two film. And since Scorsese has been robbed almost a half dozen times, it is a life time achievement award like Cecil B DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth in 1952. Second and only losing by a slim margin is Letters From Iwo Jima. This is one of the finest films of the decade and should get more recognition that it currently does. Babel falls into third safely, a good film but not best picture material. The Queen is fourth carried by the great acting of Helen Mirren and Little Miss Sunshine was last and horrible and should have never been nominated.
Fanny (1961) - The musical that became a film adaption without the music. Rather rare in this era, but the story of two young lovers who are separated and then when united their lives are changed since there is a child and they are no longer can be lovers. A bit of a muddled romance story but fine acting from Charles Boyer. Maurice Chevalier who is usually off the creepy-meter charts, toned it down for this one and wasn't too creepy only lusting after women who are adults. Horst Buchholz and Leslie Caron play the young lovers and aren't too bad. It's a nice family style film, something typical of this era.
And by seeing the 49th film of the decade it has now closed out 1961. This isn't going to be easy but I will have to say West Side Story was the best picture. I don't like musicals, but it is considered one of the best, even though it is campy and silly, still a great movie. Judgement at Nuremberg is a solid second with the all-star cast and a good yet somewhat unrealistic historic drama. Third place becomes a problem since the last three films are all good, but not good enough for the top two. It's not easy but The Hustler will be third, The Guns of Navarone fourth and Fanny fifth.
Field Of Dreams (1989) - Why do popular films get nominated even though they aren't that good? Oh wait, it was the 80's, very little was that good. The feel good movie that thankfully today wouldn't get in the top ten of nominations, made at the right time. If you are a baseball fan you can tolerate it. A fantasy movie that makes you fell warm and fuzzy inside, which is good for a movie to do, but is it best picture material? The academy though so and it was nominated. Now I have seen it and one more movie off my list, not much more to talk about than that for this movie.
I haven't seen all of 1989, so the current front runner of Driving Miss Daisy is still in the lead and don't think it may be bumped. Certainly not after this movie.
Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012) - The first of last year's nominated movies that I have seen and it was good. It's a bit hard to follow at first but once it settles in it shows a great observation of the lives of the people living in the Louisiana bayou. It's more from the observation of the main character a five year old child and her ill father as they deal with life and nature. I have to say it was much better than I expected, although I didn't know much about it before I saw it which I think helped a lot.
This is the first film I've seen from 2012 and it was good. So for now it is the front runner for the best picture of the year.
Elephant Man (1980) - The rather depressing biopic about the life of Joseph Merrick who was a seriously deformed man in 19th century England. The film is not historically accurate, but it is very well acted. John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins are great as well as the rest of the cast. And being filmed in black and white adds so much to the film. It makes it feel more realistic and helps you focus more on everything. When a film like this is in color, so much effort would have to be put in makeup, scenery, clothing, etc. But being black and white keeps you from being distracted with all that and allows you to watch the movie. Very well done. I'm surprised it's taken me this long to see it, but it was worth the wait.
Now I have seen four out of five films and this year is still the exception to the decade. All the films nominated could have won any other year in the decade. I am still troubled by Ordinary People being the best film, and it probably was, but Ragging Bull is so amazing. I will wait to see the last film and then anguish over who was the best picture of this year.
True Grit (2010) - The great Coen brother's remake of the John Wayne western from over forty years ago. Westerns in the late 60's and early 70's had lost their touch and became a bit softer and campier at times, the American westerns that is not to be confused with Spaghetti westerns from Italy. This one was a bit grittier and darker than the original and in a way that makes it much better. Fine acting and as always the Coen brothers do not disappoint.
2010 is now closed out and the best film was Inception and it was robbed. The academy does not give Sci-Fi movies their proper due. Most are not worthy of being nominated, but the ones that are never get recognition. And this is another example of that failure. Second would be True Grit mainly because it is the Coen brothers and they make great films. The Kings Speech, which did win best picture, is third. It is a good movie but not a great movie. Forth is Toy Story 3 which is a great movie for kids and adults. I was really surprised how good it was. Next is The Fighter, a film that in the old days when only five were nominated would get a nomination but wouldn't win. The bottom half has The Social Network, a decent film that is more popular since everyone is on Facebook. Seventh is The Kids Are All Right, only getting notice since it is involving a same sex couple. You take that out of the equation and it wouldn't get nominated. Black Swan which was a bad film but had good acting from Natalie Portman. 127 Hours is second to last, a very hard film to watch because it was a film that could of been shown in ten minutes. Last is Winter's Bone, good acting from Jennifer Lawrence but again a film that was more of a waste of time.
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) - The first Shakespeare movie adaption to be nominated for best picture. All star cast including a very young Olivia de Havilland, rather young James Cagney, Dick Powell and others. A rather confusing story, blame the author for that one, but one done very stylish. So impressive that the Oscar for Cinematography was won by Hal Mohr as a write in vote, something that has never happened before or since.
And I have been dreading this, the first of two years that twelve films were nominated. So here it goes. The best picture was the one that won, Mutiny on the Bounty with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, great action film that earned best picture. Second is The Lives of a Bengal Lancer to stick with the action theme, staring Gary Cooper, can't go wrong with that. Third is another Charles Laughton film Ruggles of Red Gap, a very funny movie that doesn't get a lot of notice. Fourth is Les Meserables although the French version from a year before was better. Fifth is Captain Blood another great action film. Sixth is David Copperfield, normally lower down for Dickens being so stuffy but Lionel Barrymore is in it so that helps a lot. Bottom half would include Broadway Melody of 1936 as seventh helped by Jack Benny. Eighth is A Midsummer Night's Dream, it is Shakespeare after all. Ninth would be Top Hat, sappy, predicable, not much of a film, but Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire blah, blah, blah. Tenth is Naughty Marietta not much of a film but mainly a showcase of Jeanette MacDonald who was a great singer. Eleventh is The Informant, which won Oscars and is considered a classic, but I found it to be slow and boring, sorry just didn't like it. And last the twelfth film is Alice Adams which is an annoying film about an obnoxious young woman who has no appreciation of what the real world is like.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
40 More To Go
That is for now, until next year when additional movies will be added to the list. But at this pace I don't think I will ever be above forty films unless I take a lot time off. And you can guess by now that I couldn't come up with a funny title about the first movie on the list as I usually do.
Secrets & Lies (1996) - An English drama about a young woman who was adopted looking for her birth mother. The difference is that the birth mother is white and the daughter is black. Very well acted and has the feel of an Edward Albee play, the characters trying to come to terms with the difficulties of their lives and their relationships with one another. It does show the importance that open adoption plays in the lives of everyone involved and when an adoption is closed, as shown in the movie, the problems it causes later on in life.
This closes out the eighth year of the decade, but the importance of this year was the rise of the independent film. Four of the five movies were from independent studios, only Jerry Maguire was produced from a major studio. Even though an independent film won it was the wrong one and the best picture should have been awarded to Fargo. The Coen brothers consistently make great movies and this is another year they were wrongfully passed over. Secrets & Lies would be second as a good drama and an enjoyable story watching a mother and child create the relationships they never had. I would put the best picture The English Patient in third, it was a stylish film, but it reminded me of Out of Africa in that it looked beautiful but you didn't care about the story. When you finally understand what the film is about, you realize that you didn't really didn't need to know or even see it. Shine is fourth as a good bio-pic but not good enough to be a best picture. And Jerry Maguire is fifth, not because it wasn't a good film, but because, well alright it wasn't a good film. It was a nice romantic drama, but shouldn't have been nominated.
Cries And Whispers (1973) - An Ingmar Bergman film that deals with the cheerful topic of a woman dying of cancer in the turn of the twenty century in Sweden and her sisters attempt to deal with this and each other. The film uses flashbacks to show how each sister has made bad decisions in their lives and how they attempt to deal with them. Very stylish, cold, artistic and intense, what you would expect from a Bergman film. And if red is your favorite color you'll love this movie. See it to understand what I mean.
And now 1973 is completed as well. This was an interesting year in a interesting decade. The movies nominated during the decade were films not usually seen for at least thirty years and while none were truly outstanding, none were bad. The Sting was the best film, a good comedy-drama that fits the time it won, not the film obviously since it takes place in the 30's, but for the early 70's. Second would be The Exorcist because it is one of the scariest horror films ever made and probably the only true horror film to be nominated. This is a genre that is not recognized but often deservedly so since many of them are horrible, pun intended. Third would be American Graffiti which was a simple film that was done well. Cries and Whispers would be fourth, still a great accomplishment since very few foreign language films ever get nominated for best picture. Fifth is A Touch of Class, a nice film but not good enough to win but worthy of a nomination.
The Bells Of St. Mary's (1945) - The first known sequel to be nominated for best picture, take that Godfather! The happy go lucky Father O'Malley played by Bing Crosby is back to help a Catholic School move into a better building and to cure all the problems in society with a song. Yes it is sappy, but it is a great feel good movie and you don't have to be religious to enjoy it. A great acting performance from Ingrid Bergman makes it enjoyable and fun.
Figuring out this year is a bit of a challenge, none really stood out above the others. I would agree with the academy and say that The Lost Weekend was the best film. A hard edged look at a alcoholic and a film that is still powerful today. Second would be Mildred Pierce from the wonderful acting of Joan Crawford, aka Lucille Fay LeSueur in her well earned best actress Oscar. Third would be The Bells Of St. Mary's a warm fuzzy friendly film. Right next to it in fourth is Spellbound, a good psychological Hitchcock thriller but not a best picture. Fifth would be Anchors Aweigh a goofy musical but popular songs with popular actors.
The Big House (1930) - The Irving Thalberg classic prison movie. A great action film with an amazing performance by Wallace Beery. Shows you that over eighty years ago being in prison still sucked. Everyone is in a gang and out to take one another down, and those who may have been innocent on the outside once inside take to violence and backstabbing as a way to survive.
To determine if this was the best film of the year I will hold off since I got to see the last film nominated from this year. Yes TCM showed them one day after the other.
The Divorcee (1930) - Another pre-code classic as my 463rd film. A slightly dated story about a woman who finds out on her third anniversary that her husband had an affair. He goes away on business so she returns the favor. They divorce and shows how it effects their lives as they get involve in other relationships. Today a film like this would be rather common, but from 1930 is a rarity and very well done. Norma Shearer is terrific and earned a best actress Oscar for her role.
Now I can close out 1930 and without a doubt All Quiet On The Western Front was the best picture. It is one of the best war films of all time, and WWI films ranking up there with Grand Illusion and Paths Of Glory. Second would be The Big House a great action film. Third would be The Divorcee a great drama. Fourth is Disraeli, not as good but rather well done. And last is The Love Parade which was very popular as most musicals were in that time, but still not a substantial movie.
Secrets & Lies (1996) - An English drama about a young woman who was adopted looking for her birth mother. The difference is that the birth mother is white and the daughter is black. Very well acted and has the feel of an Edward Albee play, the characters trying to come to terms with the difficulties of their lives and their relationships with one another. It does show the importance that open adoption plays in the lives of everyone involved and when an adoption is closed, as shown in the movie, the problems it causes later on in life.
This closes out the eighth year of the decade, but the importance of this year was the rise of the independent film. Four of the five movies were from independent studios, only Jerry Maguire was produced from a major studio. Even though an independent film won it was the wrong one and the best picture should have been awarded to Fargo. The Coen brothers consistently make great movies and this is another year they were wrongfully passed over. Secrets & Lies would be second as a good drama and an enjoyable story watching a mother and child create the relationships they never had. I would put the best picture The English Patient in third, it was a stylish film, but it reminded me of Out of Africa in that it looked beautiful but you didn't care about the story. When you finally understand what the film is about, you realize that you didn't really didn't need to know or even see it. Shine is fourth as a good bio-pic but not good enough to be a best picture. And Jerry Maguire is fifth, not because it wasn't a good film, but because, well alright it wasn't a good film. It was a nice romantic drama, but shouldn't have been nominated.
Cries And Whispers (1973) - An Ingmar Bergman film that deals with the cheerful topic of a woman dying of cancer in the turn of the twenty century in Sweden and her sisters attempt to deal with this and each other. The film uses flashbacks to show how each sister has made bad decisions in their lives and how they attempt to deal with them. Very stylish, cold, artistic and intense, what you would expect from a Bergman film. And if red is your favorite color you'll love this movie. See it to understand what I mean.
And now 1973 is completed as well. This was an interesting year in a interesting decade. The movies nominated during the decade were films not usually seen for at least thirty years and while none were truly outstanding, none were bad. The Sting was the best film, a good comedy-drama that fits the time it won, not the film obviously since it takes place in the 30's, but for the early 70's. Second would be The Exorcist because it is one of the scariest horror films ever made and probably the only true horror film to be nominated. This is a genre that is not recognized but often deservedly so since many of them are horrible, pun intended. Third would be American Graffiti which was a simple film that was done well. Cries and Whispers would be fourth, still a great accomplishment since very few foreign language films ever get nominated for best picture. Fifth is A Touch of Class, a nice film but not good enough to win but worthy of a nomination.
The Bells Of St. Mary's (1945) - The first known sequel to be nominated for best picture, take that Godfather! The happy go lucky Father O'Malley played by Bing Crosby is back to help a Catholic School move into a better building and to cure all the problems in society with a song. Yes it is sappy, but it is a great feel good movie and you don't have to be religious to enjoy it. A great acting performance from Ingrid Bergman makes it enjoyable and fun.
Figuring out this year is a bit of a challenge, none really stood out above the others. I would agree with the academy and say that The Lost Weekend was the best film. A hard edged look at a alcoholic and a film that is still powerful today. Second would be Mildred Pierce from the wonderful acting of Joan Crawford, aka Lucille Fay LeSueur in her well earned best actress Oscar. Third would be The Bells Of St. Mary's a warm fuzzy friendly film. Right next to it in fourth is Spellbound, a good psychological Hitchcock thriller but not a best picture. Fifth would be Anchors Aweigh a goofy musical but popular songs with popular actors.
The Big House (1930) - The Irving Thalberg classic prison movie. A great action film with an amazing performance by Wallace Beery. Shows you that over eighty years ago being in prison still sucked. Everyone is in a gang and out to take one another down, and those who may have been innocent on the outside once inside take to violence and backstabbing as a way to survive.
To determine if this was the best film of the year I will hold off since I got to see the last film nominated from this year. Yes TCM showed them one day after the other.
The Divorcee (1930) - Another pre-code classic as my 463rd film. A slightly dated story about a woman who finds out on her third anniversary that her husband had an affair. He goes away on business so she returns the favor. They divorce and shows how it effects their lives as they get involve in other relationships. Today a film like this would be rather common, but from 1930 is a rarity and very well done. Norma Shearer is terrific and earned a best actress Oscar for her role.
Now I can close out 1930 and without a doubt All Quiet On The Western Front was the best picture. It is one of the best war films of all time, and WWI films ranking up there with Grand Illusion and Paths Of Glory. Second would be The Big House a great action film. Third would be The Divorcee a great drama. Fourth is Disraeli, not as good but rather well done. And last is The Love Parade which was very popular as most musicals were in that time, but still not a substantial movie.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
I Wonder If Tennis Balls In The 16th Century Had That Yellow Fuzz On Them As Well?
As they say, there is nothing harder than buying a gift for a king, especially if you are French. But if you've seen Henry V as I have, you'll know how it ends up. And add another British film and one set in England to help me close out three more years as I start to move toward five hundred films seen.
Henry V (1946) - The Laurence Olivier classic made during WWII to inspire and motivate England to win the war. The acting was amazing, the battle scenes amazing as well, everything was done so well, and the famous speech given before they go to war has always been my favorite. I saw the remake when I was younger and that night when I was talking to my father mentioned how powerful that speech was and he began to recite it from memory. My father is a very intelligent man,, very well read, but it just threw me how he just had that stored. See either one but if you have a choice pick this one, it is so much better.
And this too finishes 1946, and it wasn't easy but The Best Years of Our Lives was the best film. You have to remember that this movie came out a year after WWII ended. And it was a really good drama. That combination made it the best film and I have to agree. Second is the Frank Capra classic It's A Wonderful Life with my all time favorite actor Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and so on. Third will be Henry V a classic in it's own right. The last two do not match the top three but I would rank The Razor's Edge just ahead of The Yearling. Both are good films but not best picture films.
Separate Tables (1958) - A rather boring adaption of the Terence Rattigan plays about people who are at an English seaside hotel, most are permanent residents with Rita Haywood dropping in as a guest. Think of it as Fawlty Towers but not funny or interesting in any way. David Niven was good, he did win the Oscar for best actor, but it wasn't much of a role.
And now 1958 is done as well. It was not a very strong year for movies and I don't agree with the Academy. The best film of the year should have been Auntie Mame, only as compared to the other nominees. Rosalind Russell is great, the film is enjoyable, better than the other four. Second would be Cat on a Hot Tin Roof since it does have Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman who make it watchable. Third would go to The Defiant Ones, a well acted drama, but not that well. Separate Tables is fourth and last is the creepy Gigi.
An Education (2009) - A film based on the teenage years of Lynn Barber in early 1960's London. She falls for an older man, drops out of school, finds out that he's not who he claims to be and then tries to get her life back in order. Not that great but not a bad film, some good acting from Olivia Williams and a few others.
This will now start becoming a common occurrence, but this too finishes another year. This was the first year since 1943 when more than five films were nominated, and out of the ten films that received best picture nominations, the best film was A Serious Man. While it's not the best Coen Brother's film they have made, it is still good and better than the rest. Second is Precious, a really good film that could be argued as the best film, but I love the Coen's movies so much it would be too difficult. Third is The Blind Side, good acting from Sandra Bullock, something that is rather rare in many of her films. Fourth is District 9, it is so rare to see a Sci-Fi film nominated, and they never win. In fifth place is the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker because it's not that good of a movie, it's not a best picture. Sixth is Up, a good Pixar movie, only the second animated film to be nominated. Seventh is An Education, which would not be nominated in the past when you only had five movies. I put Up In The Air eight only because I watched it right after I was laid off and it put a bitter taste in my mouth. It is a better film that eight, but it will always be a hard film for me to watch. Ninth is Avatar which had great special effects, but they ran out of money when it came to hire someone to write a script. And tenth is Inglourious Bastards because it had good acting, but was too campy to be a serious contender for best picture.
Friday, May 24, 2013
450 And Counting
I have moved past the 450 mark and have closed out a few more years as well. I should be able to reach my goal of 475 by the end of the year, still on pace to do that.
Hold Back The Dawn (1941) - Charles Boyer and the beautiful Olivia de Havilland star in a romance about a European wanting to marry an American woman so he can become a US citizen. Think Green Card but fifty years earlier. Charles Boyer woos Olivia de Havilland and gets her to marry him, only to find out that he is using her but he has fallen in love with her. She storms off across the Mexican border and gets into a car accident. Does it have a happy ending? It was made in 1941, what do you think.
This is a great movie in a year with lots of good movies. But seeing how the best picture of the year wasn't the best picture, this would have to compare to Citizen Kane. And there are only four or five movies ever made that could do that and this isn't one of them. But nevertheless still a very good movie.
In Which We Serve (1943) - Noel Coward did almost everything except the lighting and building the sets. A cheerful story about a English destroyer ship being sunk by the Germans in WWII and told in flashbacks of the survivors who are floating in the Atlantic dodging bullets. Standard WWII drama, more propaganda than movie, but powerful enough to be a good film. Movies like these were made partly for entertainment but mostly to fill people with hope and inspiration.
This is now the ninth film, out of ten nominated for the year, the last year until 2009 that had more than five. While it was a good movie, it lost to Casablanca. Do I need to say any more?
Alfie (1966) - What's it all about? Not much really. In fact the well known song was added for the US release and put over the closing credits. The story of a young man who is a womanizer and how he uses women with the main character breaking down the fourth wall and offering his own narration. Michael Caine is really good, the only reason to watch. And Shelly Winters too, but she's only in like three scenes.
This now closes out the year and A Man For All Seasons is clearly the best film, better than all the others combined and doubled. Second would be Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a very intense powerful drama, try reenacting it at your next dinner party. Third would be The Sand Pebbles, an almost epic. Very close in fourth is The Russians Are Coming and fifth is Alfie.
The Fighter (2010) - The true story of boxer Micky Ward, or at least as close as Hollywood can get. It covers his career in the late 90's as he is trying to get the welterweight championship, dealing with his drug addicted brother former boxer Dicky Eklund, his crazy family, and everything else that can happen outside of Boston. Very well acted, fight scenes weren't too bad, but no Raging Bull.
This too is the ninth film leaving only one left which could be a game changer since it is a Coen Brother's film. But for now I will stick with Inception being the best but The Fighter is in the top five for now.
Our Town (1940) - A film adaptation of the Thornton Wilder play about the life in a small New England town at the turn of the 20th century. It's different than the play in that they use scenery and props and the ending is different. William Holden as a teenager still looks too old for the part. Not a very complex film but does offer a valuable message that life is worth appreciating every day and everything that happens.
This now closes 1940 and a tough task of ranking is upon me. Just like 1938, this year is on the down side of the peak of 1939 which means it was a great year for movies. Rebecca was the best film, a great job by Hitchcock and Lawrence Olivier. After that would be Kitty Foyle from the amazing acting from Ginger Rogers. Third is The Philadelphia Story another classic. All This, And Heaven Too is fourth from strong acting by Bettie Davis. Fifth is the Long Voyage Home, another great John Wayne film. The bottom half would go The Grapes of Wrath which I wish was more like the novel but they ended the film too soon in an attempt to try and give it a happier ending. A bad mistake that makes it sixth. Seventh is Foreign Correspondent another Hitchcock film but not as good as Rebecca. Eighth is Our Town, a nice film but not much more than that. Ninth is The Letter which to be honest was not that great of a film and didn't necessarily need to be nominated. And last is The Great Dictator, I am starting to think that Charlie Chaplin in his later years was seriously overrated.
The Front Page (1931) - A Howard Hughes film about news reporters in Chicago all trying to one up one another and involving a escaped murderer just before his execution. Well acted by Pat O'Brien and another great acting performance for Adolphe Menjou who is just so natural in everything he did. The more films I see him in the more I realize how great of an actor he was. Rather funny in parts, interesting to see a snapshot of life from over eighty years ago.
While this is the fourth out of five movies for this year, I am not sure if I will be able to see East Lynee anytime soon since it is in very bad shape and I believe there is only one copy at UCLA. So while I cannot officially close out this year I still see Cimarron as the best, The Front Page second, Trader Horn is third and Skippy sits at fourth.
The Quiet Man (1952) - The John Ford classic that took years to finally make and they did in the intense Technicolor of the time. John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and the normal cast of John Ford regulars are in Ireland sometime in the early part of last century as John Wayne returns to Ireland to buy the home he was born in. Along the way he deals with the conflicts of rigid societal rules that creates one problem after another. It reminds you once again why the US is better than any other country in the world, especially any nation in Europe.
It is a great film, but is it the best for the year? Seeing how I saw the last movie I need to see for this year I will hold off to later in the post to rank the five films from this year.
Twelve O'Clock High (1949) - A great WWII film about the US Air Force in England 1942 flying bombing missions against the Germans. They used real footage from the war, it has been called one of the most accurate films from former veterans. Gregory Peck is a general who takes over a command to get them motivated and productive, which of course he does, and how they used that as a weapon of force against the nazis.
Another year is completed, I think this is going to become a more common trend from now on. While it was a weak year for nominated films I will stick with the academy and agree that All The King's Men was the best picture. It sticks with that theme of the late 40's of social conscious movies like The Long Weekend and Gentleman's Agreement. Second would be Battleground since it was an amazing war movie. A near tie for third but The Heiress pulls ahead from great acting from Olivia de Havilland and Montomery Clift putting Twelve O'Clock High right after it. And last, almost sixth is A Letter to Three Wives, a movie that probably should have not been nominated.
Moulin Rouge (1952) - A John Houston directed film about Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his life in Paris in the late 19th century and my 455th movie. Jose Ferrer plays Toulouse-Lautrec with trick photography, props and walking on his knees but does an amazing job. Zsa Zsa Gabor was horrible, but what else do you expect. I have to say that I was concerned about seeing this movie since I have seen the 2001 remake which was a flaming cat turd. Thankfully it wasn't anything like the horrible remake, this film covers Toulouse-Lautrec's life, the music is from the time period, not crappy songs from the 1970's, a good story and somewhat good acting. I am glad I did not see this verson first otherwise I would hate the Baz Luhrmann pile of garbage even more, which I don't think is possible.
So now I can properly close out this year and for the second year in a row the academy messed up and gave the best picture to the wrong film. The best film clearly was High Noon. There are few westerns that rank up to the level of this film. There are few films in general that rank up to this classic. Second would be The Greatest Show On Earth which was more of a life time achievement award for Cecil B. DeMille. Third would be The Quiet Man, it is John Ford and John Wayne, that automatically will always keep it out of last place. Fourth was Moulin Rouge since it was much better than I though it would be. Fifth is Ivanhoe, a good film but no where near as good as the other four.
Hold Back The Dawn (1941) - Charles Boyer and the beautiful Olivia de Havilland star in a romance about a European wanting to marry an American woman so he can become a US citizen. Think Green Card but fifty years earlier. Charles Boyer woos Olivia de Havilland and gets her to marry him, only to find out that he is using her but he has fallen in love with her. She storms off across the Mexican border and gets into a car accident. Does it have a happy ending? It was made in 1941, what do you think.
This is a great movie in a year with lots of good movies. But seeing how the best picture of the year wasn't the best picture, this would have to compare to Citizen Kane. And there are only four or five movies ever made that could do that and this isn't one of them. But nevertheless still a very good movie.
In Which We Serve (1943) - Noel Coward did almost everything except the lighting and building the sets. A cheerful story about a English destroyer ship being sunk by the Germans in WWII and told in flashbacks of the survivors who are floating in the Atlantic dodging bullets. Standard WWII drama, more propaganda than movie, but powerful enough to be a good film. Movies like these were made partly for entertainment but mostly to fill people with hope and inspiration.
This is now the ninth film, out of ten nominated for the year, the last year until 2009 that had more than five. While it was a good movie, it lost to Casablanca. Do I need to say any more?
Alfie (1966) - What's it all about? Not much really. In fact the well known song was added for the US release and put over the closing credits. The story of a young man who is a womanizer and how he uses women with the main character breaking down the fourth wall and offering his own narration. Michael Caine is really good, the only reason to watch. And Shelly Winters too, but she's only in like three scenes.
This now closes out the year and A Man For All Seasons is clearly the best film, better than all the others combined and doubled. Second would be Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a very intense powerful drama, try reenacting it at your next dinner party. Third would be The Sand Pebbles, an almost epic. Very close in fourth is The Russians Are Coming and fifth is Alfie.
The Fighter (2010) - The true story of boxer Micky Ward, or at least as close as Hollywood can get. It covers his career in the late 90's as he is trying to get the welterweight championship, dealing with his drug addicted brother former boxer Dicky Eklund, his crazy family, and everything else that can happen outside of Boston. Very well acted, fight scenes weren't too bad, but no Raging Bull.
This too is the ninth film leaving only one left which could be a game changer since it is a Coen Brother's film. But for now I will stick with Inception being the best but The Fighter is in the top five for now.
Our Town (1940) - A film adaptation of the Thornton Wilder play about the life in a small New England town at the turn of the 20th century. It's different than the play in that they use scenery and props and the ending is different. William Holden as a teenager still looks too old for the part. Not a very complex film but does offer a valuable message that life is worth appreciating every day and everything that happens.
This now closes 1940 and a tough task of ranking is upon me. Just like 1938, this year is on the down side of the peak of 1939 which means it was a great year for movies. Rebecca was the best film, a great job by Hitchcock and Lawrence Olivier. After that would be Kitty Foyle from the amazing acting from Ginger Rogers. Third is The Philadelphia Story another classic. All This, And Heaven Too is fourth from strong acting by Bettie Davis. Fifth is the Long Voyage Home, another great John Wayne film. The bottom half would go The Grapes of Wrath which I wish was more like the novel but they ended the film too soon in an attempt to try and give it a happier ending. A bad mistake that makes it sixth. Seventh is Foreign Correspondent another Hitchcock film but not as good as Rebecca. Eighth is Our Town, a nice film but not much more than that. Ninth is The Letter which to be honest was not that great of a film and didn't necessarily need to be nominated. And last is The Great Dictator, I am starting to think that Charlie Chaplin in his later years was seriously overrated.
The Front Page (1931) - A Howard Hughes film about news reporters in Chicago all trying to one up one another and involving a escaped murderer just before his execution. Well acted by Pat O'Brien and another great acting performance for Adolphe Menjou who is just so natural in everything he did. The more films I see him in the more I realize how great of an actor he was. Rather funny in parts, interesting to see a snapshot of life from over eighty years ago.
While this is the fourth out of five movies for this year, I am not sure if I will be able to see East Lynee anytime soon since it is in very bad shape and I believe there is only one copy at UCLA. So while I cannot officially close out this year I still see Cimarron as the best, The Front Page second, Trader Horn is third and Skippy sits at fourth.
The Quiet Man (1952) - The John Ford classic that took years to finally make and they did in the intense Technicolor of the time. John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and the normal cast of John Ford regulars are in Ireland sometime in the early part of last century as John Wayne returns to Ireland to buy the home he was born in. Along the way he deals with the conflicts of rigid societal rules that creates one problem after another. It reminds you once again why the US is better than any other country in the world, especially any nation in Europe.
It is a great film, but is it the best for the year? Seeing how I saw the last movie I need to see for this year I will hold off to later in the post to rank the five films from this year.
Twelve O'Clock High (1949) - A great WWII film about the US Air Force in England 1942 flying bombing missions against the Germans. They used real footage from the war, it has been called one of the most accurate films from former veterans. Gregory Peck is a general who takes over a command to get them motivated and productive, which of course he does, and how they used that as a weapon of force against the nazis.
Another year is completed, I think this is going to become a more common trend from now on. While it was a weak year for nominated films I will stick with the academy and agree that All The King's Men was the best picture. It sticks with that theme of the late 40's of social conscious movies like The Long Weekend and Gentleman's Agreement. Second would be Battleground since it was an amazing war movie. A near tie for third but The Heiress pulls ahead from great acting from Olivia de Havilland and Montomery Clift putting Twelve O'Clock High right after it. And last, almost sixth is A Letter to Three Wives, a movie that probably should have not been nominated.
Moulin Rouge (1952) - A John Houston directed film about Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his life in Paris in the late 19th century and my 455th movie. Jose Ferrer plays Toulouse-Lautrec with trick photography, props and walking on his knees but does an amazing job. Zsa Zsa Gabor was horrible, but what else do you expect. I have to say that I was concerned about seeing this movie since I have seen the 2001 remake which was a flaming cat turd. Thankfully it wasn't anything like the horrible remake, this film covers Toulouse-Lautrec's life, the music is from the time period, not crappy songs from the 1970's, a good story and somewhat good acting. I am glad I did not see this verson first otherwise I would hate the Baz Luhrmann pile of garbage even more, which I don't think is possible.
So now I can properly close out this year and for the second year in a row the academy messed up and gave the best picture to the wrong film. The best film clearly was High Noon. There are few westerns that rank up to the level of this film. There are few films in general that rank up to this classic. Second would be The Greatest Show On Earth which was more of a life time achievement award for Cecil B. DeMille. Third would be The Quiet Man, it is John Ford and John Wayne, that automatically will always keep it out of last place. Fourth was Moulin Rouge since it was much better than I though it would be. Fifth is Ivanhoe, a good film but no where near as good as the other four.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
The End Of The First Year
Somehow I have seen all of the best pictures that were nominated for production for 1928. But as you move towards seeing 450 movies it was bound to happen. I've also seen the nominees for best picture in unique and artistic production as well, the only year they had that category. I will cover all of them in my assessment of 1928. As well as a few more films that closed out some more years.
The Racket (1928) - A Howard Hughes production about a police captain who is honest is sent out to the "sticks" when he stands up to the local mob boss. Very well done, well acted and covering topics that were self censored years later by Hollywood. The quality is amazing, they have fixed the film so that 85 years later it still looks almost new. A great film that could be made today.
Here is the part that I have been dreading for sometime, which movie is the best of 1928. I'll start with the nominees for unique and artistic production where you had Sunrise a classic that won by F.W. Murnau, Chang: A Drama Of The Wilderness about villagers in Siam dealing with elephants and just life in general and King Vidor's The Crowd. Of those three, all amazing films I think The Crowd should have won but was badly edited by the studio, especially the ending. For the best produced films Wings was the best movie, the main reason is the airplane footage was terrific. Second would be The Racket for it's gritty portrait of crime in the 1920's and third Seventh Heaven, still a great movie.
Three Coins In The Fountain (1954) - Romantic film of the 1950's, very stylish in the way it was filmed and well acted although most of the actors and actresses were not major stars. A story of three young women who are working in Italy and the romances they find themselves in. Cinematography is incredible, the music was very nice, the story was good.
This makes four out of five for this year and On The Waterfront is still the best film of the year. I would put this movie third after The Caine Mutiny since the story was better than I though it would be, but not as good as the other two above it.
Winter's Bone (2010) - Should you make a movie if information you find out at the end of the movie meant you didn't have to watch the entire film to understand what it means? Here is an example, if I told you in The Godfather in the opening wedding scene that Michael Corleone would kill Carlo the groom at the end of the film would it make sense to you? Winter's Bone is the opposite of this. This film could have been done in twelve minutes. There is one reason that saves this film and it was the incredible acting performance of Jennifer Lawrence. Otherwise there was no reason to make this film.
This being the eight film of ten for the year it is clearly down in the bottom of the pack. Not as bad as 127 Hours but pretty close. Inception is still my lead for the best film of the year and it may just stay that way.
Wake Island (1942) - A somewhat fictionalized account of the battle of Wake Island mainly since the battle was still going on while the film was being made. Right after Pearl Harbor Japan started attacking Marines stationed on Wake Island. The film shows the brave soldiers as they defend the island. This is another WWII film made during the war so it is more propaganda than showing an entertaining movie. Nevertheless it is still a good film even if it didn't get all the fact correct.
This closes out 1942 another great year of movies. This is going to be a tough year but Mrs. Miniver was the best film of the year. Now it gets very difficult but the rest in order would be Kings Row, Ronald Reagan in one of his finest roles; The Talk Of The Town, great acting performances; Random Harvest, Greer Garson in a another great film and Ronald Coleman; Pride Of The Yankees, could be higher and has Gary Cooper but does have the yuckies the worst team in baseball which dropped it at least two places; Yankee Doodle Dandy one of James Cagney's most well know roles; The Magnificent Ambersons another great Orson Wells film but not his best; The Pied Piper a rather good WWII film, but not as good as Mrs. Miniver; Wake Island, see review above and 49th Parallel which wasn't that good, but still better than some year's best pictures.
Barry Lyndon (1975) - My 446th film and an epic Stanley Kubrick movie. Ryan O'Neal is an Irish man who falls into military fame and nobility but not very well acted. You could have got at least a dozen better actors. It looks as beautiful as any other Kubrick film, but drags on a bit long. Think O Lucky Man! but based in the 18th century.
And this too closes out 1975, a very interesting year for movies. The 1970's besides the 1930's is one of the best decades of Hollywood movies. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is clearly the best film since it is historically only one of three to sweep all the major awards of best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. That and it is one of the most powerful films you will ever see. Second is Dog Day Afternoon another amazing drama that is so well done. Continuing with amazing dramas you have Nashville as the third best, a great Robert Altman movie with an all star cast. Jaws falls into fourth only because what it lead to for the 1980's. It was a great action film but because it was one of the first "blockbuster" movies it set the pattern that Hollywood started to follow after Heaven's Gate and almost ruined Hollywood. Not that Jaws is a bad film, but what it did to the movie industry, even if accidental, causes it to be in fourth. And Barry Lyndon is fifth, not one of Kubrik's best but still a good film that was worthy of being nominated.
The Racket (1928) - A Howard Hughes production about a police captain who is honest is sent out to the "sticks" when he stands up to the local mob boss. Very well done, well acted and covering topics that were self censored years later by Hollywood. The quality is amazing, they have fixed the film so that 85 years later it still looks almost new. A great film that could be made today.
Here is the part that I have been dreading for sometime, which movie is the best of 1928. I'll start with the nominees for unique and artistic production where you had Sunrise a classic that won by F.W. Murnau, Chang: A Drama Of The Wilderness about villagers in Siam dealing with elephants and just life in general and King Vidor's The Crowd. Of those three, all amazing films I think The Crowd should have won but was badly edited by the studio, especially the ending. For the best produced films Wings was the best movie, the main reason is the airplane footage was terrific. Second would be The Racket for it's gritty portrait of crime in the 1920's and third Seventh Heaven, still a great movie.
Three Coins In The Fountain (1954) - Romantic film of the 1950's, very stylish in the way it was filmed and well acted although most of the actors and actresses were not major stars. A story of three young women who are working in Italy and the romances they find themselves in. Cinematography is incredible, the music was very nice, the story was good.
This makes four out of five for this year and On The Waterfront is still the best film of the year. I would put this movie third after The Caine Mutiny since the story was better than I though it would be, but not as good as the other two above it.
Winter's Bone (2010) - Should you make a movie if information you find out at the end of the movie meant you didn't have to watch the entire film to understand what it means? Here is an example, if I told you in The Godfather in the opening wedding scene that Michael Corleone would kill Carlo the groom at the end of the film would it make sense to you? Winter's Bone is the opposite of this. This film could have been done in twelve minutes. There is one reason that saves this film and it was the incredible acting performance of Jennifer Lawrence. Otherwise there was no reason to make this film.
This being the eight film of ten for the year it is clearly down in the bottom of the pack. Not as bad as 127 Hours but pretty close. Inception is still my lead for the best film of the year and it may just stay that way.
Wake Island (1942) - A somewhat fictionalized account of the battle of Wake Island mainly since the battle was still going on while the film was being made. Right after Pearl Harbor Japan started attacking Marines stationed on Wake Island. The film shows the brave soldiers as they defend the island. This is another WWII film made during the war so it is more propaganda than showing an entertaining movie. Nevertheless it is still a good film even if it didn't get all the fact correct.
This closes out 1942 another great year of movies. This is going to be a tough year but Mrs. Miniver was the best film of the year. Now it gets very difficult but the rest in order would be Kings Row, Ronald Reagan in one of his finest roles; The Talk Of The Town, great acting performances; Random Harvest, Greer Garson in a another great film and Ronald Coleman; Pride Of The Yankees, could be higher and has Gary Cooper but does have the yuckies the worst team in baseball which dropped it at least two places; Yankee Doodle Dandy one of James Cagney's most well know roles; The Magnificent Ambersons another great Orson Wells film but not his best; The Pied Piper a rather good WWII film, but not as good as Mrs. Miniver; Wake Island, see review above and 49th Parallel which wasn't that good, but still better than some year's best pictures.
Barry Lyndon (1975) - My 446th film and an epic Stanley Kubrick movie. Ryan O'Neal is an Irish man who falls into military fame and nobility but not very well acted. You could have got at least a dozen better actors. It looks as beautiful as any other Kubrick film, but drags on a bit long. Think O Lucky Man! but based in the 18th century.
And this too closes out 1975, a very interesting year for movies. The 1970's besides the 1930's is one of the best decades of Hollywood movies. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is clearly the best film since it is historically only one of three to sweep all the major awards of best picture, director, actor, actress and screenplay. That and it is one of the most powerful films you will ever see. Second is Dog Day Afternoon another amazing drama that is so well done. Continuing with amazing dramas you have Nashville as the third best, a great Robert Altman movie with an all star cast. Jaws falls into fourth only because what it lead to for the 1980's. It was a great action film but because it was one of the first "blockbuster" movies it set the pattern that Hollywood started to follow after Heaven's Gate and almost ruined Hollywood. Not that Jaws is a bad film, but what it did to the movie industry, even if accidental, causes it to be in fourth. And Barry Lyndon is fifth, not one of Kubrik's best but still a good film that was worthy of being nominated.
Friday, April 5, 2013
If Your Doctor Gets Amnesia, Does That Mean You Don't Have To Pay The Bill?
Too bad Alfred Hitchcock didn't tackle that problem in Spellbound but he did raise other important issues like wild psychedelic dreams twenty years before everyone started taking acid. And a bunch of other films as I shorten my list of nominated movies.
Spellbound (1945) - Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are psychoanalysts in a Vermont mental hospital and you find out rather quickly that Gregory Peck is an imposter and doesn't know who he is. A bit of twists and turns and a wild dream scene designed by Salvador Dali even without dripping clocks is still good. Typical Hitchcock mystery with twists and turns but still a classic, not his best, but not his worst.
At this point seeing four out of five for this year, The Lost Weekend still stands as the best so far. It is a great gritty drama and has more attack bats than the other films nominated that year. Although Joan Crawford does give a good challenge to the attack bat, I'll wait until I see The Bells Of St. Mary's to properly rank everything.
Chocolat (2000) - A nice film about a worldly woman who comes to a small French town with her daughter in the late 1950's. The town is very rigid and traditional and she opens a chocolate shop and puts the town on its head during the Easter holiday. Very good acting, the story moves well and to be honest it was much better than I though it would be. It's a very enjoyable movie.
This now closes out 2000 and the best picture of the year was the Oscar winner Gladiator. It was overall the best produced movie. The acting was good, could have been better. The cinematography was great, the battle scenes were great. A complete movie compared to it's competition. Second would be Chocolat since it was also a good film but didn't have the epic like quality of Gladiator. Third is Traffic since it took chances you don't see in other movies, like the different story lines in different color shades. Fourth is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon mainly since it was a foreign film and it is rare for them to be nominated for best picture. Fifth is Erin Brockovich mainly since it is good film but not as good as the other four.
Seventh Heaven (1927) - A silent classic from the first year of best picture nominees. Starring a young Janet Gaynor who won best actress and Charles Farrell as a sewer cleaner who saves Janet Gaynor from her abusive sister and pretends she is his wife to keep her from being arrested. Have I mentioned that Europe is not better than us lately? As you can guess they have to pretend until the police come but start to build a relationship. Just at the point when they are going to fall in love, WWI starts. So he goes off, she takes care of the house and he comes back after being left for dead but only ends up blind and finds his way back home to be with her. Trust me, it's better than my description.
There is one more film to see for the first year and I know it's not going to make this any easier. Both Wings and Seventh Heaven are amazing films. Maybe the Racket will help push one of these to the top, or be better than the other two nominees. Since I have it on tape and will be seeing it soon I will be able to close out the first year.
The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer (1935) - A classic action film with Gary Cooper as an English Army officer in India out in the northwest frontier fighting rebels. Lots of shooting, great explosions or as good as you could get in 1935 and a bit of comedy makes this a great overall film.
This puts me at eleven out of twelve since it was one of two years where they nominated twelve movies. And while this was a great film, Mutiny On The Bounty is still the best of all of them. I can see why they nominated so many films, so many of them were really good, this one is definately in the top five for the year.
Bad Girl (1932) - A pre code classic staring James Dunn years before his Oscar in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Sally Eilers as two wise cracking people who end up falling in love and try to deal with married life. Since each of the are so stubborn they always make mountains out of molehills of everything. But of course love conquers all so you know they'll turn out alright.
This now closes out 1932 and it was a strong year. While it can be challenged but Grand Hotel is the best picture because it is so rare to see so many stars in one film from this era. And such great acting from all of them. I want to say there is a three way tie for second, but I can't cop out again like I did with 1939 so I will have to go with The Champ since it has such lasting power and one of the most powerfully moving endings with Jackie Cooper loosing it, try and not get choked up. Third and only by a razor edge would be Five Star Final from the amazing acting of Edward G. Robinson. And the last of this tie for fourth is Arrowsmith as a great John Ford film with Ronald Colman in one of his finest roles. Bad Girl is in fifth, the top of the bottom half, but the hill slopes down very steep at this point putting One Hour With You at sixth, Shanghai Express at seventh and last The Smiling Lieutenant.
Imitation Of Life (1934) - The original one that was nominated staring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers. A nice story about a widow who ends up hiring Louise Beavers as a housekeeper since she is doing door to door sales of maple syrup and trying to raise a small daughter. She trades room and board for Louise Beavers and a place for her daughter to live too. Claudette Colbert eventually risks it all to open a pancake shop using Louise Beavers' family recipe and they become moderately successful. That is until the great Ned Sparks tells them to package the mix to make even more money. She does and becomes the pancake queen, a rather cool title I may add. Mix in issues of race relations, mother and daughter falling for the same guy and you have a movie with some good ups and downs.
This now puts me at eleven out of twelve as well being the other year to have twelve films. While it will be a difficult task to rank all of them, this one does sit near the top, maybe a bit closer to the middle. It is also the third film that Claudette Colbert was in, the other two Cleopatra and the so far leading best picture It Happened One Night.
Wilson (1944) - A very, very fictionalized account of the life of Woodrow Wilson. A major flop when it came out, which is not surprising since people still remembered how horrible his presidency was twenty five years later. It's like if someone made a movie about Pol Pot and only talked about how much he loved farming and wanted to get the community to become more involved in growing their own food and ignore that whole killing field thing. It's long, boring and a complete waste of time. Probably the worst film of the decade. Unless you're a mental patient like me who has to see every film nominated, don't see it, you'll be happy that you didn't waste the two and half hours of your life.
But seeing my 441th film has helped me finish out 1944. I will have to say of the four films that were worth being nominated, obviously excluding Wilson, Since You Went Away should have won best picture over Going My Way. I understand that WWII was going on and Going My Way is a comforting movie, but so is Since You Went Away. And Lionel Barrymore has a bit part in there, how can you compete with that? Going My Way is in my opinion the second best film of the year. For third it does get tough again between Gaslight and Double Indemnity, each of them having major influence on society. I will have to flip a movie reel and say Double Indemnity takes third because it influenced so many other film noir directors. Gaslight has become part of our popular culture and even 70 years later if you say you are gas lighting someone, they know what you mean. Very few movies have that distinction. And last is Wilson, proving once again that the people who pick the movies sometimes really get it wrong.
Spellbound (1945) - Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are psychoanalysts in a Vermont mental hospital and you find out rather quickly that Gregory Peck is an imposter and doesn't know who he is. A bit of twists and turns and a wild dream scene designed by Salvador Dali even without dripping clocks is still good. Typical Hitchcock mystery with twists and turns but still a classic, not his best, but not his worst.
At this point seeing four out of five for this year, The Lost Weekend still stands as the best so far. It is a great gritty drama and has more attack bats than the other films nominated that year. Although Joan Crawford does give a good challenge to the attack bat, I'll wait until I see The Bells Of St. Mary's to properly rank everything.
Chocolat (2000) - A nice film about a worldly woman who comes to a small French town with her daughter in the late 1950's. The town is very rigid and traditional and she opens a chocolate shop and puts the town on its head during the Easter holiday. Very good acting, the story moves well and to be honest it was much better than I though it would be. It's a very enjoyable movie.
This now closes out 2000 and the best picture of the year was the Oscar winner Gladiator. It was overall the best produced movie. The acting was good, could have been better. The cinematography was great, the battle scenes were great. A complete movie compared to it's competition. Second would be Chocolat since it was also a good film but didn't have the epic like quality of Gladiator. Third is Traffic since it took chances you don't see in other movies, like the different story lines in different color shades. Fourth is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon mainly since it was a foreign film and it is rare for them to be nominated for best picture. Fifth is Erin Brockovich mainly since it is good film but not as good as the other four.
Seventh Heaven (1927) - A silent classic from the first year of best picture nominees. Starring a young Janet Gaynor who won best actress and Charles Farrell as a sewer cleaner who saves Janet Gaynor from her abusive sister and pretends she is his wife to keep her from being arrested. Have I mentioned that Europe is not better than us lately? As you can guess they have to pretend until the police come but start to build a relationship. Just at the point when they are going to fall in love, WWI starts. So he goes off, she takes care of the house and he comes back after being left for dead but only ends up blind and finds his way back home to be with her. Trust me, it's better than my description.
There is one more film to see for the first year and I know it's not going to make this any easier. Both Wings and Seventh Heaven are amazing films. Maybe the Racket will help push one of these to the top, or be better than the other two nominees. Since I have it on tape and will be seeing it soon I will be able to close out the first year.
The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer (1935) - A classic action film with Gary Cooper as an English Army officer in India out in the northwest frontier fighting rebels. Lots of shooting, great explosions or as good as you could get in 1935 and a bit of comedy makes this a great overall film.
This puts me at eleven out of twelve since it was one of two years where they nominated twelve movies. And while this was a great film, Mutiny On The Bounty is still the best of all of them. I can see why they nominated so many films, so many of them were really good, this one is definately in the top five for the year.
Bad Girl (1932) - A pre code classic staring James Dunn years before his Oscar in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Sally Eilers as two wise cracking people who end up falling in love and try to deal with married life. Since each of the are so stubborn they always make mountains out of molehills of everything. But of course love conquers all so you know they'll turn out alright.
This now closes out 1932 and it was a strong year. While it can be challenged but Grand Hotel is the best picture because it is so rare to see so many stars in one film from this era. And such great acting from all of them. I want to say there is a three way tie for second, but I can't cop out again like I did with 1939 so I will have to go with The Champ since it has such lasting power and one of the most powerfully moving endings with Jackie Cooper loosing it, try and not get choked up. Third and only by a razor edge would be Five Star Final from the amazing acting of Edward G. Robinson. And the last of this tie for fourth is Arrowsmith as a great John Ford film with Ronald Colman in one of his finest roles. Bad Girl is in fifth, the top of the bottom half, but the hill slopes down very steep at this point putting One Hour With You at sixth, Shanghai Express at seventh and last The Smiling Lieutenant.
Imitation Of Life (1934) - The original one that was nominated staring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers. A nice story about a widow who ends up hiring Louise Beavers as a housekeeper since she is doing door to door sales of maple syrup and trying to raise a small daughter. She trades room and board for Louise Beavers and a place for her daughter to live too. Claudette Colbert eventually risks it all to open a pancake shop using Louise Beavers' family recipe and they become moderately successful. That is until the great Ned Sparks tells them to package the mix to make even more money. She does and becomes the pancake queen, a rather cool title I may add. Mix in issues of race relations, mother and daughter falling for the same guy and you have a movie with some good ups and downs.
This now puts me at eleven out of twelve as well being the other year to have twelve films. While it will be a difficult task to rank all of them, this one does sit near the top, maybe a bit closer to the middle. It is also the third film that Claudette Colbert was in, the other two Cleopatra and the so far leading best picture It Happened One Night.
Wilson (1944) - A very, very fictionalized account of the life of Woodrow Wilson. A major flop when it came out, which is not surprising since people still remembered how horrible his presidency was twenty five years later. It's like if someone made a movie about Pol Pot and only talked about how much he loved farming and wanted to get the community to become more involved in growing their own food and ignore that whole killing field thing. It's long, boring and a complete waste of time. Probably the worst film of the decade. Unless you're a mental patient like me who has to see every film nominated, don't see it, you'll be happy that you didn't waste the two and half hours of your life.
But seeing my 441th film has helped me finish out 1944. I will have to say of the four films that were worth being nominated, obviously excluding Wilson, Since You Went Away should have won best picture over Going My Way. I understand that WWII was going on and Going My Way is a comforting movie, but so is Since You Went Away. And Lionel Barrymore has a bit part in there, how can you compete with that? Going My Way is in my opinion the second best film of the year. For third it does get tough again between Gaslight and Double Indemnity, each of them having major influence on society. I will have to flip a movie reel and say Double Indemnity takes third because it influenced so many other film noir directors. Gaslight has become part of our popular culture and even 70 years later if you say you are gas lighting someone, they know what you mean. Very few movies have that distinction. And last is Wilson, proving once again that the people who pick the movies sometimes really get it wrong.
Friday, March 22, 2013
1928 - 2011
Nope the post is not a memorial to Jack Kevorkian or Juan Maria Bordaberry the thirty sixth President of Uruguay, but to the fact that I have now seen every best picture with the exception of Argo which just won this year. It also means that I have finally watched Schindler's List.
Schindler's List (1993) - The last best picture for me to see, somewhat fitting since I swore years ago before I started this project that this would be the one best picture that I wouldn't see. But I got to watch it and can honestly say that I do not ever need to see this movie again. Is it a bad movie? No, it's one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. But the subject is so depressing, the acting is so incredible, the film is so intense that it is one of the best movies ever made. If you watch this movie and you are not sad or depressed, you don't have a soul. It is based upon the life of Oskar Schindler during WWII as he tried to profit off the war and went from exploiting concentration camp prisoners to helping save their lives. If you've seen it you understand, if you haven't you should see it once in your life.
As I now have seen four of the five films, it's obvious that Schindler's List is the best picture of the year. I still have to see The Piano but I can't imagine it betting better than Schindler's List.
One Night Of Love (1934) - An opera musical that is also a romance film. Staring Grace Moore as a woman who loses an American Idol type of opera contest on the radio and decides to still go to Europe and make it big. She does as a singing waitress who is discovered by an opera teacher who then trains her under the condition that they won't fall in love. Don't think I need to go any further in the plot, I'm sure you can guess how it ends.
This being the only year besides 1935 to have twelve films nominated, I have now seen ten of them and honestly this is down in the lower ranks. It's no where as good as It Happened One Night or The Thin Man or Here Comes The Navy and I have to say The Gay Divorcee was much better and I am not a fan of musicals. It's not the worst film that I saw that year, that is a death match between The Barretts of Wimpole Street and Flirtation Walk for that title.
Ruggles Of Red Gap (1935) - This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. Charles Laughton plays an English butler who is lost by his employer in a poker game to a cattle baron from Washington State. As a result he has to travel back to America and become their butler but is mistaken for an English Army officer. Great acting, great script and Charles Laughton reciting the Gettysburg Address is amazing. This is a lost gem that people should watch.
This too is the tenth movie I've seen from a year that had twelve movies, and while it may not be as good as Mutiny On The Bounty, which also has Charles Laughton in an terrific role, it is up there. I would put it in the top five easily, it's just that good.
Disraeli (1930) - Biopic from 1929 actually since back then at the start of the Oscars they would have the movies across two years, like a hockey season when they are not on strike. George Arliss won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal as English Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli during the 1870's as England is attempting to purchase the Suez Canal. Not the greatest picture you'll ever see but it is fascinating to see a movie from the 1920's.
As the third film for the year, it isn't as good as All Quiet On The Western Front but much, much better than The Love Parade. Right now it's in the middle and I'll see how it will compare to the remaining two which will be on TCM in a few months.
The Pied Piper (1942) - My 434th film and ironically another one based in Europe. An Englishman on vacation in France tries to get back to England when Germany invades. He is asked to take the children of the inn he is staying at with him, and while he tries to get to England the number of children he has keeps increasing, hence the title. The interesting thing is this is another war movie made during WWII so it has a different feel than movies made about WWII after the war ended. Somewhat silly and sappy at times, but nevertheless a good movie, well acted. Has Roddy McDowell years before he played his greatest acting role as Dr. Cornelius.
I am now at nine out of ten movies for this year and there is a lot of competition. Also being three years from 1939 makes it still in the era of great movies. As compared to Mrs. Miniver, another movie taking place during the war, it's not better. Clearly it's not the worst movie, but it will have trouble climbing to the top five for the year. I can finally place it when I see the last movie from that year I haven't seen, Wake Island.
Schindler's List (1993) - The last best picture for me to see, somewhat fitting since I swore years ago before I started this project that this would be the one best picture that I wouldn't see. But I got to watch it and can honestly say that I do not ever need to see this movie again. Is it a bad movie? No, it's one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. But the subject is so depressing, the acting is so incredible, the film is so intense that it is one of the best movies ever made. If you watch this movie and you are not sad or depressed, you don't have a soul. It is based upon the life of Oskar Schindler during WWII as he tried to profit off the war and went from exploiting concentration camp prisoners to helping save their lives. If you've seen it you understand, if you haven't you should see it once in your life.
As I now have seen four of the five films, it's obvious that Schindler's List is the best picture of the year. I still have to see The Piano but I can't imagine it betting better than Schindler's List.
One Night Of Love (1934) - An opera musical that is also a romance film. Staring Grace Moore as a woman who loses an American Idol type of opera contest on the radio and decides to still go to Europe and make it big. She does as a singing waitress who is discovered by an opera teacher who then trains her under the condition that they won't fall in love. Don't think I need to go any further in the plot, I'm sure you can guess how it ends.
This being the only year besides 1935 to have twelve films nominated, I have now seen ten of them and honestly this is down in the lower ranks. It's no where as good as It Happened One Night or The Thin Man or Here Comes The Navy and I have to say The Gay Divorcee was much better and I am not a fan of musicals. It's not the worst film that I saw that year, that is a death match between The Barretts of Wimpole Street and Flirtation Walk for that title.
Ruggles Of Red Gap (1935) - This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. Charles Laughton plays an English butler who is lost by his employer in a poker game to a cattle baron from Washington State. As a result he has to travel back to America and become their butler but is mistaken for an English Army officer. Great acting, great script and Charles Laughton reciting the Gettysburg Address is amazing. This is a lost gem that people should watch.
This too is the tenth movie I've seen from a year that had twelve movies, and while it may not be as good as Mutiny On The Bounty, which also has Charles Laughton in an terrific role, it is up there. I would put it in the top five easily, it's just that good.
Disraeli (1930) - Biopic from 1929 actually since back then at the start of the Oscars they would have the movies across two years, like a hockey season when they are not on strike. George Arliss won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal as English Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli during the 1870's as England is attempting to purchase the Suez Canal. Not the greatest picture you'll ever see but it is fascinating to see a movie from the 1920's.
As the third film for the year, it isn't as good as All Quiet On The Western Front but much, much better than The Love Parade. Right now it's in the middle and I'll see how it will compare to the remaining two which will be on TCM in a few months.
The Pied Piper (1942) - My 434th film and ironically another one based in Europe. An Englishman on vacation in France tries to get back to England when Germany invades. He is asked to take the children of the inn he is staying at with him, and while he tries to get to England the number of children he has keeps increasing, hence the title. The interesting thing is this is another war movie made during WWII so it has a different feel than movies made about WWII after the war ended. Somewhat silly and sappy at times, but nevertheless a good movie, well acted. Has Roddy McDowell years before he played his greatest acting role as Dr. Cornelius.
I am now at nine out of ten movies for this year and there is a lot of competition. Also being three years from 1939 makes it still in the era of great movies. As compared to Mrs. Miniver, another movie taking place during the war, it's not better. Clearly it's not the worst movie, but it will have trouble climbing to the top five for the year. I can finally place it when I see the last movie from that year I haven't seen, Wake Island.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Watching Paint Dry With The Backdrop of WWI
Never realized that horses could be so much more boring than I though they were. That and a few more modern films make up this update. I have a best picture I taped recently, not hard to guess if you've read previous posts, and if you haven't then read my previous posts. It will be the headliner of my next post. Until then let me tell you about boring.
War Horse (2011) - Steven Spielberg's offer for a best picture nominee about a English boy who has to sell his horse, actually his father does, to an army captain at the start of WWI. He then ends up finding the horse about sixteen hours later at the end of the film. It is a very good family film, cinematography was beautiful, but this is a kids movie and not a best picture.
This is not even in the top five for 2011, no where near The Artist or Midnight In Paris. But an enjoyable film if you want to see a heartfelt family movie that doesn't offer much as a war film, you might enjoy it.
The Help (2011) - Much better than I thought it was going to be. A fictitious story based in the early 1960's in Mississippi about the relationships between domestic help and their employers. The domestic help is black and the employers are white. Some of the characters are a bit cartoonish, but it helps tell the story. The characters are well defined and does get a positive message out to the viewer.
As another film from the same year as War Horse, this one clearly was in the top five. It wasn't as good as The Artist, but if there were only five films nominated this would have made it up there.
The Descendants (2011) - Can you tell I was getting a free preview of the premium cable channels? A film about a husband dealing with his wife in a coma after a boating accident and having to deal with his children he has distanced himself from over the years. It is a comedy-drama, kind of hard to guess after my summary of the film, but it is. Well acted and it follows the ironic twists as he finds out about his wife's personal life and how it interferes with his business.
This was a good film, not a great film. It did win best adapted screenplay, but that was more of the academy didn't want the film to go empty handed in my opinion. No where as good as The Artist and I'm not sure if it will be in the top five. I still have two more films to watch from this year but this one is still in the middle, but close to the bottom.
The House Of Rothschild (1934) - Put aside all of your conspiracy theories for a moment and enjoy George Arliss play dual roles as the Rothschild patriarch in the late 18th and early 19th century. A very sugar coated version of history, but well acted. Even has Boris Karloff who is creepy no matter who he plays. It was made before WWII so it is strange to see the type of pro-Semitic cinema like Gentleman's Agreement but made in the mid 1930's.
This was a good film, not the best film of the year, that is still It Happened One Night. It would sit lower down but not near the bottom. Seeing this was one of two years where twelve movies were nominated, and this being the ninth film I've seen, I'll wait until I've seen all of them to properly rank this one.
War Horse (2011) - Steven Spielberg's offer for a best picture nominee about a English boy who has to sell his horse, actually his father does, to an army captain at the start of WWI. He then ends up finding the horse about sixteen hours later at the end of the film. It is a very good family film, cinematography was beautiful, but this is a kids movie and not a best picture.
This is not even in the top five for 2011, no where near The Artist or Midnight In Paris. But an enjoyable film if you want to see a heartfelt family movie that doesn't offer much as a war film, you might enjoy it.
The Help (2011) - Much better than I thought it was going to be. A fictitious story based in the early 1960's in Mississippi about the relationships between domestic help and their employers. The domestic help is black and the employers are white. Some of the characters are a bit cartoonish, but it helps tell the story. The characters are well defined and does get a positive message out to the viewer.
As another film from the same year as War Horse, this one clearly was in the top five. It wasn't as good as The Artist, but if there were only five films nominated this would have made it up there.
The Descendants (2011) - Can you tell I was getting a free preview of the premium cable channels? A film about a husband dealing with his wife in a coma after a boating accident and having to deal with his children he has distanced himself from over the years. It is a comedy-drama, kind of hard to guess after my summary of the film, but it is. Well acted and it follows the ironic twists as he finds out about his wife's personal life and how it interferes with his business.
This was a good film, not a great film. It did win best adapted screenplay, but that was more of the academy didn't want the film to go empty handed in my opinion. No where as good as The Artist and I'm not sure if it will be in the top five. I still have two more films to watch from this year but this one is still in the middle, but close to the bottom.
The House Of Rothschild (1934) - Put aside all of your conspiracy theories for a moment and enjoy George Arliss play dual roles as the Rothschild patriarch in the late 18th and early 19th century. A very sugar coated version of history, but well acted. Even has Boris Karloff who is creepy no matter who he plays. It was made before WWII so it is strange to see the type of pro-Semitic cinema like Gentleman's Agreement but made in the mid 1930's.
This was a good film, not the best film of the year, that is still It Happened One Night. It would sit lower down but not near the bottom. Seeing this was one of two years where twelve movies were nominated, and this being the ninth film I've seen, I'll wait until I've seen all of them to properly rank this one.
Oscar Results
A surprising evening on a number of award winners, others what you would expect. Who would of thought that Lincoln was so hated? By the way anyone else see the irony of the First Lady announcing Argo as the winner only months after Benghazi? Of course not, that never happened. Here are the results.
Visual Effects
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam - 1
Chris - 1
This film had the best screen effects, think of it a kid and a tiger on a boat?
Sound Mixing
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Winner - Les Miserables
Adam - 2
Chris - 2
The only musical nominated in this category it was going to win.
Sound Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty
Adam - 2
Chris -2
I don't think anyone expected this to be a tie and if you did, you're lying.
Cinematography
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam -3
Chris - 3
Another technical award claimed by Life of Pi.
Makeup & Hairstyling
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Winner - Les Miserables
Adam - 4
Chris -4
I think this has a lot to do with the popularity of the films in this category that and if people have historic memories. This was against Hitchcock and The Hobbit, and the only film where people weren't alive to remember was Les Miz, you have to believe the hairstyle was correct.
Costume Design
Chris - Anna Karenina
Adam - Anna Karenina
Winner - Anna Karenina
Adam - 5
Chris -5
Everyone said it was going to win and it did.
Production Design
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Anna Karenina
Winner - Lincoln
Adam - 5
Chris - 5
This could be a sign that Lincoln could start winning more trophies?
Film Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 6
Chris - 5
This is beginning to follow along in my theory and moves me ahead of the wife.
Music Original Song
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Skyfall
Winner - Skyfall
Adam - 7
Chris - 5
I'm moving ahead. Everyone picked this song, I've never heard it, never saw Adele sign before, but boy can she sing and she is really good looking.
Music Original Score
Chris - Skyfall
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam - 8
Chris - 5
Pulling way ahead now.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 9
Chris - 5
Can't even see you in the rear view mirror. Still following along in my theory of Argo winning Best Picture.
Writing Original Screenplay
Chris - Moonrise Kingdom
Adam - Zero Dark Thirty
Winner - Django Unchained
Adam - 9
Chris - 5
Really, do we have to give Quentin Tarantino another Oscar?
Short Film Animated
Chris - Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Adam - Paperman
Winner - Paperman
Adam - 10
Chris - 5
I was right they were being snobbish towards The Simpsons since it's a TV show.
Short Film Live Action
Chris - Death Of A Shadow
Adam -Death Of A Shadow
Winner - Curfew
Adam - 10
Chris - 5
And the reason why this film won is because there is water in the ocean. Can't think of a better reason since there isn't one. Talk about better odds playing powerball.
Documentary Short Subject
Chris - Redemption
Adam - Inocente
Winner - Inocente
Adam - 11
Chris - 5
I rolled the five sided dice and it landed on my number.
Best Animated
Chris - Brave
Adam -Wreck-it Ralph
Winner - Brave
Adam - 11
Chris - 6
I like how the winner took time to embarrass her daughter during her speech, that kid will be having therapy in no time.
Best Documentary
Chris - How To Survive A Plague
Adam - Searching For Sugar Man
Winner - Searching For Sugar Man
Adam - 12
Chris - 6
Maybe fifteen years ago How To Survive A Plague would have won, but AIDS films are no longer trendy, especially since we so much more to ignore like Benghazi, the deficit, wars, freedoms being eroded, failing economy, you know the things that don't exist so films about looking for a blues musician can win Best Documentary.
Best Foreign Language
Chris - Amour
Adam - Amour
Winner - Amour
Adam - 13
Chris - 7
It was nominated for Best Picture which it would never win, so it's going to win this one.
Best Supporting Actress
Chris - Anne Hathaway
Adam - Anne Hathaway
Winner - Anne Hathaway
Adam - 14
Chris - 8
The best part was Seth MacFarlane hitting on Sally Field dressed as the Flying Nun.
Best Supporting Actor
Chris - Christoph Waltz
Adam - Tommy Lee Jones
Winner - Christoph Waltz
Adam - 14
Chris - 9
I think there may have been a bias against Lincoln at the awards, more on that later.
Best Actress
Chris - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - Jennifer Lawrence
Winner - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - 15
Chris - 10
The funniest is her answers to reporter questions after she won, look it up on the web.
Best Actor
Chris - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - Daniel Day-Lewis
Winner - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - 16
Chris - 11
I have a feeling that they had no choice but to give him the award since no one was anywhere close. But if they could avoid giving another award to Lincoln I think they would have.
Best Director
Chris - Steven Spielberg
Adam - Steven Spielberg
Winner - Ang Lee
Adam - 16
Chris -11
Like here. Lincoln is about the first Republican president and seeing how Queen Obama the first gave the Oscar for Best Picture one may think the White House had some influence on the awards? Probably not, but it felt a bit a little too much like North Korea to me.
Best Picture
Chris - Argo
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 17
Chris - 12
The 85th Best Picture and I won this year.
Visual Effects
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam - 1
Chris - 1
This film had the best screen effects, think of it a kid and a tiger on a boat?
Sound Mixing
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Winner - Les Miserables
Adam - 2
Chris - 2
The only musical nominated in this category it was going to win.
Sound Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty
Adam - 2
Chris -2
I don't think anyone expected this to be a tie and if you did, you're lying.
Cinematography
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam -3
Chris - 3
Another technical award claimed by Life of Pi.
Makeup & Hairstyling
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Winner - Les Miserables
Adam - 4
Chris -4
I think this has a lot to do with the popularity of the films in this category that and if people have historic memories. This was against Hitchcock and The Hobbit, and the only film where people weren't alive to remember was Les Miz, you have to believe the hairstyle was correct.
Costume Design
Chris - Anna Karenina
Adam - Anna Karenina
Winner - Anna Karenina
Adam - 5
Chris -5
Everyone said it was going to win and it did.
Production Design
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Anna Karenina
Winner - Lincoln
Adam - 5
Chris - 5
This could be a sign that Lincoln could start winning more trophies?
Film Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 6
Chris - 5
This is beginning to follow along in my theory and moves me ahead of the wife.
Music Original Song
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Skyfall
Winner - Skyfall
Adam - 7
Chris - 5
I'm moving ahead. Everyone picked this song, I've never heard it, never saw Adele sign before, but boy can she sing and she is really good looking.
Music Original Score
Chris - Skyfall
Adam - Life Of Pi
Winner - Life Of Pi
Adam - 8
Chris - 5
Pulling way ahead now.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 9
Chris - 5
Can't even see you in the rear view mirror. Still following along in my theory of Argo winning Best Picture.
Writing Original Screenplay
Chris - Moonrise Kingdom
Adam - Zero Dark Thirty
Winner - Django Unchained
Adam - 9
Chris - 5
Really, do we have to give Quentin Tarantino another Oscar?
Short Film Animated
Chris - Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Adam - Paperman
Winner - Paperman
Adam - 10
Chris - 5
I was right they were being snobbish towards The Simpsons since it's a TV show.
Short Film Live Action
Chris - Death Of A Shadow
Adam -Death Of A Shadow
Winner - Curfew
Adam - 10
Chris - 5
And the reason why this film won is because there is water in the ocean. Can't think of a better reason since there isn't one. Talk about better odds playing powerball.
Documentary Short Subject
Chris - Redemption
Adam - Inocente
Winner - Inocente
Adam - 11
Chris - 5
I rolled the five sided dice and it landed on my number.
Best Animated
Chris - Brave
Adam -Wreck-it Ralph
Winner - Brave
Adam - 11
Chris - 6
I like how the winner took time to embarrass her daughter during her speech, that kid will be having therapy in no time.
Best Documentary
Chris - How To Survive A Plague
Adam - Searching For Sugar Man
Winner - Searching For Sugar Man
Adam - 12
Chris - 6
Maybe fifteen years ago How To Survive A Plague would have won, but AIDS films are no longer trendy, especially since we so much more to ignore like Benghazi, the deficit, wars, freedoms being eroded, failing economy, you know the things that don't exist so films about looking for a blues musician can win Best Documentary.
Best Foreign Language
Chris - Amour
Adam - Amour
Winner - Amour
Adam - 13
Chris - 7
It was nominated for Best Picture which it would never win, so it's going to win this one.
Best Supporting Actress
Chris - Anne Hathaway
Adam - Anne Hathaway
Winner - Anne Hathaway
Adam - 14
Chris - 8
The best part was Seth MacFarlane hitting on Sally Field dressed as the Flying Nun.
Best Supporting Actor
Chris - Christoph Waltz
Adam - Tommy Lee Jones
Winner - Christoph Waltz
Adam - 14
Chris - 9
I think there may have been a bias against Lincoln at the awards, more on that later.
Best Actress
Chris - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - Jennifer Lawrence
Winner - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - 15
Chris - 10
The funniest is her answers to reporter questions after she won, look it up on the web.
Best Actor
Chris - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - Daniel Day-Lewis
Winner - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - 16
Chris - 11
I have a feeling that they had no choice but to give him the award since no one was anywhere close. But if they could avoid giving another award to Lincoln I think they would have.
Best Director
Chris - Steven Spielberg
Adam - Steven Spielberg
Winner - Ang Lee
Adam - 16
Chris -11
Like here. Lincoln is about the first Republican president and seeing how Queen Obama the first gave the Oscar for Best Picture one may think the White House had some influence on the awards? Probably not, but it felt a bit a little too much like North Korea to me.
Best Picture
Chris - Argo
Adam - Argo
Winner - Argo
Adam - 17
Chris - 12
The 85th Best Picture and I won this year.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Picks for the 2012 Oscars
Once again my wife and I have our annual competition on picking the nominees for best picture. And as usual I spend time researching and she mainly just guesses. And a good number of the years she wins, like last year. So once again we go at it, I have been told to mention that she guessed on her answers and that will remain in effect until she wins and then she planned it that way.
Visual Effects
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
While this movie did not earn any of the major nominations in acting, it is supposed to be an amazing looking film that I think will win most if not all of the technical awards.
Sound Mixing
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Another remake of the classic this time from the Broadway musical. It's the only musical nominated in this category so it seems like a cinch to win..
Sound Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Les Mis was not nominated in this category and best bet is to go with Life of Pi on a technical award.
Cinematography
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
From what I understand this is a lock up for this category, and of course another technical award.
Makeup & Hairstyling
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Last year it was only makeup, now they've added hairstyling. All I can say is, it's about time! My guess is that Anne Hathaway cut her hair for Les Mis so it seems like a good choice. Also going against Hitchcock and The Hobbit should make this one an empty netter.
Costume Design
Chris - Anna Karenina
Adam - Anna Karenina
This is one of those type of movies that are made for these categories and everyone has it to win.
Production Design
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Anna Karenina
Was known as Art Direction last year. The first time we have a different film. My guess is that the wife is sticking to the technical logic of Life of Pi, I'm sticking with it following costume design.
Film Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Life of Pi will win many of the technical awards, but I don't think on this one, my reasoning I will mention later. Ok, I can't wait, I think Argo will win Best Picture.
Music Original Song
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Skyfall
This could go either way since Les Miz is a popular musical, but I think people want to keep awarding Adele and the James Bond franchise.
Music Original Score
Chris - Skyfall
Adam - Life Of Pi
Either my wife is going with the James Bond theory or just a guess. I'm going with I think this is another technical award Life of Pi will win.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
This is the only major, besides Best Picture, that Life of Pi is nominated for so it could have a chance. My theory is that they want to award Argo since Ben Affleck didn't get the Best Director nomination and since it will win Best Picture.
Writing Original Screenplay
Chris - Moonrise Kingdom
Adam - Zero Dark Thirty
This one looks like a toss up that anyone could win. My theory is that they don't want Zero Dark Thirty to go away empty handed so this is a safe award to give to a film that won't win anything else.
Short Film Animated
Chris - Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Adam - Paperman
This is one that I hope to be wrong, but everyone on the web is saying that Paperman will win. My guess is that they are being snobbish towards The Simpsons since it's a TV show.
Short Film Live Action
Chris - Death Of A Shadow
Adam -Death Of A Shadow
These are the pure wild cards of the Oscars, glad that I won't lose any ground since last year the wife went three for four and I went zero for four.
Documentary Short Subject
Chris - Redemption
Adam - Inocente
Write one through five on five pieces of paper, put it into a bag and pull out one of the strips. That is the best way to chose these films, no way to even begin to guess.
Best Animated
Chris - Brave
Adam -Wreck-it Ralph
Usually there is a clear front runner, not this year so who knows. Adam Carolla had a voice in Wreck-it Ralph so that's good enough for me.
Best Documentary
Chris - How To Survive A Plague
Adam - Searching For Sugar Man
You never know, this was the only one I heard of and people on the web were predicting it. Maybe it was the only one they heard of too.
Best Foreign Language
Chris - Amour
Adam - Amour
This is the first time in many years I was aware of the best foreign language films, even saw the Canadian War Witch. But seeing how Amour was also nominated for Best Picture it should make it a shoe-in for Best Foreign.
Best Supporting Actress
Chris - Anne Hathaway
Adam - Anne Hathaway
This is one of the most obvious ones to pick, everyone says she has it.
Best Supporting Actor
Chris - Christoph Waltz
Adam - Tommy Lee Jones
This is the most competitive award out there. No one knows who will win, but these two are the front runners. One of them should win.
Best Actress
Chris - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - Jennifer Lawrence
Another obvious one, no one else is even in the running.
Best Actor
Chris - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - Daniel Day-Lewis
If he doesn't win then we know that the ballots were sent to Venezuela to be counted.
Best Director
Chris - Steven Spielberg
Adam - Steven Spielberg
This will be the highest award that Lincoln will win and since Ben Affleck didn't get nominated.
Best Picture
Chris - Argo
Adam - Argo
When the nominees were first announced it looked like Lincoln would win. Since then Argo has been winning everything so it looks like it will take the top prize.
Visual Effects
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
While this movie did not earn any of the major nominations in acting, it is supposed to be an amazing looking film that I think will win most if not all of the technical awards.
Sound Mixing
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Another remake of the classic this time from the Broadway musical. It's the only musical nominated in this category so it seems like a cinch to win..
Sound Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
Les Mis was not nominated in this category and best bet is to go with Life of Pi on a technical award.
Cinematography
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Life Of Pi
From what I understand this is a lock up for this category, and of course another technical award.
Makeup & Hairstyling
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Les Miserables
Last year it was only makeup, now they've added hairstyling. All I can say is, it's about time! My guess is that Anne Hathaway cut her hair for Les Mis so it seems like a good choice. Also going against Hitchcock and The Hobbit should make this one an empty netter.
Costume Design
Chris - Anna Karenina
Adam - Anna Karenina
This is one of those type of movies that are made for these categories and everyone has it to win.
Production Design
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Anna Karenina
Was known as Art Direction last year. The first time we have a different film. My guess is that the wife is sticking to the technical logic of Life of Pi, I'm sticking with it following costume design.
Film Editing
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
Life of Pi will win many of the technical awards, but I don't think on this one, my reasoning I will mention later. Ok, I can't wait, I think Argo will win Best Picture.
Music Original Song
Chris - Les Miserables
Adam - Skyfall
This could go either way since Les Miz is a popular musical, but I think people want to keep awarding Adele and the James Bond franchise.
Music Original Score
Chris - Skyfall
Adam - Life Of Pi
Either my wife is going with the James Bond theory or just a guess. I'm going with I think this is another technical award Life of Pi will win.
Writing Adapted Screenplay
Chris - Life Of Pi
Adam - Argo
This is the only major, besides Best Picture, that Life of Pi is nominated for so it could have a chance. My theory is that they want to award Argo since Ben Affleck didn't get the Best Director nomination and since it will win Best Picture.
Writing Original Screenplay
Chris - Moonrise Kingdom
Adam - Zero Dark Thirty
This one looks like a toss up that anyone could win. My theory is that they don't want Zero Dark Thirty to go away empty handed so this is a safe award to give to a film that won't win anything else.
Short Film Animated
Chris - Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Adam - Paperman
This is one that I hope to be wrong, but everyone on the web is saying that Paperman will win. My guess is that they are being snobbish towards The Simpsons since it's a TV show.
Short Film Live Action
Chris - Death Of A Shadow
Adam -Death Of A Shadow
These are the pure wild cards of the Oscars, glad that I won't lose any ground since last year the wife went three for four and I went zero for four.
Documentary Short Subject
Chris - Redemption
Adam - Inocente
Write one through five on five pieces of paper, put it into a bag and pull out one of the strips. That is the best way to chose these films, no way to even begin to guess.
Best Animated
Chris - Brave
Adam -Wreck-it Ralph
Usually there is a clear front runner, not this year so who knows. Adam Carolla had a voice in Wreck-it Ralph so that's good enough for me.
Best Documentary
Chris - How To Survive A Plague
Adam - Searching For Sugar Man
You never know, this was the only one I heard of and people on the web were predicting it. Maybe it was the only one they heard of too.
Best Foreign Language
Chris - Amour
Adam - Amour
This is the first time in many years I was aware of the best foreign language films, even saw the Canadian War Witch. But seeing how Amour was also nominated for Best Picture it should make it a shoe-in for Best Foreign.
Best Supporting Actress
Chris - Anne Hathaway
Adam - Anne Hathaway
This is one of the most obvious ones to pick, everyone says she has it.
Best Supporting Actor
Chris - Christoph Waltz
Adam - Tommy Lee Jones
This is the most competitive award out there. No one knows who will win, but these two are the front runners. One of them should win.
Best Actress
Chris - Jennifer Lawrence
Adam - Jennifer Lawrence
Another obvious one, no one else is even in the running.
Best Actor
Chris - Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam - Daniel Day-Lewis
If he doesn't win then we know that the ballots were sent to Venezuela to be counted.
Best Director
Chris - Steven Spielberg
Adam - Steven Spielberg
This will be the highest award that Lincoln will win and since Ben Affleck didn't get nominated.
Best Picture
Chris - Argo
Adam - Argo
When the nominees were first announced it looked like Lincoln would win. Since then Argo has been winning everything so it looks like it will take the top prize.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Life of Pip
Not only Great Expectations, but four other films that helped me finish off the year with 425 movies seen so far. I am closing in, even with a little over 75 to go as I am writing this, including the new nominees which I will post about later, my goal is to try and see 50 more this year. I may have to break down and rent a movie or two, but to average one a week will get me that much closer to seeing everything.
Great Expectations (1947) - The classic Charles Dickens tale about an orphan who does something nice for an escaped prisoner, who gets recaptured and then when released becomes a secret benefactor to him. Very well acted by John Mills, Alec Guinness and Finley Currie. And very rare to see a well done English film from this era.
This now completes 1947 and Gentleman's Agreement was the best film of the year. Second is close, but Miracle on 34th Street edges out Great Expectations since it has become a lasting Christmas classic. Very close behind in fourth is The Bishop's Wife and last is Crossfire.
Madame Curie (1943) - A rather fictionalized but well acted movie based on the lives of Marie and Pierre Curie, the same people who found radium. They cashed in on it since chemicals were very popular in France in those days and ***(Spoiler Alert)*** they win a Nobel Prize, back when it still had value. It brought back the great combination of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon who were also a couple in the previous best picture Mrs. Miniver.
No matter how good this film was, it went up against Casablanca. I would put it in the middle of the pack for this year, for example it was better than Heaven Can Wait but not better than the Ox Bow Incident. Only two more to go for this year, but nothing is going to be better than Casablanca. If it was, everyone would be talking about it, and they're not.
Les Miserables ( 1935) - The first one to be nominated for a best picture Oscar and it wasn't a musical. Fredric March plays Jean Valjean and Charles Laughton is Inspector Javert. I hate to say this because I don't want to belittle Charles Laughton's incredible acting, but he looked like John Candy. This version covers more of him in prison and on the lam, but very little with the street battles with the army, guessing the budget wasn't there. Also doesn't have the full ending. It was made one year after Raymond Bernard made a four and a half hour version that covered the street battles wonderfully, but didn't show him much in prison, in fact starts when he is being let out. Also this version has a lot of differences from the novel, but still a good film.
As I close out this year, still three to go, Mutiny On The Bounty is still the best film. While this movie also had Charles Laughton, he was much better in Mutiny and Clark Gable was better than Fredric March
One Hour With You (1932) - A silly romantic musical comedy with Maurice Chevallier and Jeanette MacDonald. The two of them in a movie and it not being a musical would be shocking. Mainly a story about a doctor whom people is having an affair with his wife's friend or something mindless like that. Like I said it was silly and a lot of fluff, but enjoyable if you like that sort of thing, but I don't.
This went up against Grand Hotel, and it clearly lost. It is currently fighting The Smiling Lieutenant for last place and with one more film to go for this year it will stay near the bottom.
Double Indemnity (1944) - The classic film noir movie. Even though I have never seen it before now, I knew the story since it has been used and parodied many times. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, who did play a kind father in My Three Sons also had a lot of movie roles where he was really evil, this one no exception. Well shot, somewhat cheesy with a lot of the lines, but very enjoyable. And Edward G. Robinson is great as always, but really does hold the film together floating in and out of scenes.
While it didn't win it set the standard for other films in this genre. It lost to Going My Way, which is a nice film but not as meaty as Double Indemnity. My guess is if it came out a few years later it could of won, but this was made during WWII and I think that is what kept it from winning. That and I also think that Since You Went Away was much better and it should have won, but I have one more film from this year and I will be watching it soon.
Great Expectations (1947) - The classic Charles Dickens tale about an orphan who does something nice for an escaped prisoner, who gets recaptured and then when released becomes a secret benefactor to him. Very well acted by John Mills, Alec Guinness and Finley Currie. And very rare to see a well done English film from this era.
This now completes 1947 and Gentleman's Agreement was the best film of the year. Second is close, but Miracle on 34th Street edges out Great Expectations since it has become a lasting Christmas classic. Very close behind in fourth is The Bishop's Wife and last is Crossfire.
Madame Curie (1943) - A rather fictionalized but well acted movie based on the lives of Marie and Pierre Curie, the same people who found radium. They cashed in on it since chemicals were very popular in France in those days and ***(Spoiler Alert)*** they win a Nobel Prize, back when it still had value. It brought back the great combination of Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon who were also a couple in the previous best picture Mrs. Miniver.
No matter how good this film was, it went up against Casablanca. I would put it in the middle of the pack for this year, for example it was better than Heaven Can Wait but not better than the Ox Bow Incident. Only two more to go for this year, but nothing is going to be better than Casablanca. If it was, everyone would be talking about it, and they're not.
Les Miserables ( 1935) - The first one to be nominated for a best picture Oscar and it wasn't a musical. Fredric March plays Jean Valjean and Charles Laughton is Inspector Javert. I hate to say this because I don't want to belittle Charles Laughton's incredible acting, but he looked like John Candy. This version covers more of him in prison and on the lam, but very little with the street battles with the army, guessing the budget wasn't there. Also doesn't have the full ending. It was made one year after Raymond Bernard made a four and a half hour version that covered the street battles wonderfully, but didn't show him much in prison, in fact starts when he is being let out. Also this version has a lot of differences from the novel, but still a good film.
As I close out this year, still three to go, Mutiny On The Bounty is still the best film. While this movie also had Charles Laughton, he was much better in Mutiny and Clark Gable was better than Fredric March
One Hour With You (1932) - A silly romantic musical comedy with Maurice Chevallier and Jeanette MacDonald. The two of them in a movie and it not being a musical would be shocking. Mainly a story about a doctor whom people is having an affair with his wife's friend or something mindless like that. Like I said it was silly and a lot of fluff, but enjoyable if you like that sort of thing, but I don't.
This went up against Grand Hotel, and it clearly lost. It is currently fighting The Smiling Lieutenant for last place and with one more film to go for this year it will stay near the bottom.
Double Indemnity (1944) - The classic film noir movie. Even though I have never seen it before now, I knew the story since it has been used and parodied many times. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, who did play a kind father in My Three Sons also had a lot of movie roles where he was really evil, this one no exception. Well shot, somewhat cheesy with a lot of the lines, but very enjoyable. And Edward G. Robinson is great as always, but really does hold the film together floating in and out of scenes.
While it didn't win it set the standard for other films in this genre. It lost to Going My Way, which is a nice film but not as meaty as Double Indemnity. My guess is if it came out a few years later it could of won, but this was made during WWII and I think that is what kept it from winning. That and I also think that Since You Went Away was much better and it should have won, but I have one more film from this year and I will be watching it soon.
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