A continuation of the last post, where I am doing a current ranking of my favorite aspects of the James Bond film series movie by movie. There are four categories left.
James Bond Villains
23. Brad Whitaker (from The Living Daylights)
22. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from Diamonds are Forever)
21. Aris Kristatos (from For Your Eyes Only)
20. Gustav Graves (from Die Another Day)
19. Kamal Khan (from Octopussy)
18. Elliot Carver (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
17. Karl Stromberg (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
16. Max Zorin (from A View to a Kill)
15. Dr. Kananga (from Live and Let Die)
14. Rosa Klebb (from From Russia With Love)
13. Francisco Scaramanga (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
12. Franz Sanchez (from Licence to Kill)
11. Renard (from The World is not Enough)
10. Emilio Largo (from Thunderball)
9. Dominic Greene (from Quantum of Solace)
8. Alec Trevelyn (from Goldeneye)
7. Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale)
6. Rauol Silva (from Skyfall)
5. Hugo Drax (from Moonraker)
4. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
3. Dr. Julius No (from Dr. No)
2. Auric Goldfinger (from Goldfinger)
1. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from You Only Live Twice)
James Bond Henchmen
23. Professor Dent (from Dr. No)
22. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (from Diamonds are Forever)
21. Elvis (from Quantum of Solace)
20. Ivana Milicevic (from Casino Royale)
19. Emile Leopold Locque (from For Your Eyes Only)
18. Gobinda (from Octopussy)
17. Jaws (from Moonraker)
16. Patrice (from Skyfall)
15. Necros (from The Living Daylights)
14. Helga Brandt (from You Only Live Twice)
13. Nick Nack (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
12. Stamper (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
11. Zao (from Die Another Day)
10. Mayday (from A View to a Kill)
9. Elektra King (from The World is not Enough)
8. Dario (from Licence to Kill)
7. Tee-Hee (from Live and Let Die)
6. Irma Bunt (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
5. Xenia Onatopp (from Goldeneye)
4. Fiona Volpe (from Thunderball)
3. Jaws (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
2. Donald "Red" Grant (from From Russia With Love)
1. Oddjob (from Goldfinger)
James Bond Title Sequences
23. Licence to Kill
22. Moonraker
21. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
20. Octopussy
19. The Living Daylights
18. The Man With the Golden Gun
17. Quantum of Solace
16. You Only Live Twice
15. Diamonds are Forever
14. Skyfall
13. Dr. No
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
11. A View to a Kill
10. Die Another Day
9. Goldfinger
8. Goldeneye
7. For Your Eyes Only
6. The World is not Enough
5. Casino Royale
4. Live and Let Die
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. From Russia With Love
1. Thunderball
James Bond Pre-title Sequence
23. Dr. No (none)
22. Live and Let Die
21. For Your Eyes Only
20. Diamonds are Forever
19. A View to a Kill
18. Licence to Kill
17. Moonraker
16. Die Another Day
15. The Man With the Golden Gun
14. You Only Live Twice
13. Octopussy
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
11. Skyfall
10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
9. Casino Royale
8. From Russia With Love
7. Thunderball
6. Quantum of Solace
5. Goldfinger
4. Goldeneye
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. The World is not Enough
1. The Living Daylights
Friday, December 21, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
007 Rankings (Part 1)
I've thought on it long enough and after two viewings of Skyfall I am ready to give an updated ranking of 007 movies, music, characters, and other aspects of the film series that make a Bond movie a Bond movie. Listed below are the most current lists.
James Bond Films
23. The Man With the Golden Gun
22. A View to a Kill
21. Diamonds are Forever
20. Moonraker
19. Die Another Day
18. For Your Eyes Only
17. Octopussy
16. Tomorrow Never Dies
15. Quantum of Solace
14. Licence to Kill
13. Thunderball
12. Live and Let Die
11. You Only Live Twice
10. Dr. No
9. The World is not Enough
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. The Living Daylights
6. Skyfall
5. Goldeneye
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Casino Royale
2. Goldfinger
1. From Russia With Love
James Bond Musical Themes
23. Moonraker
22. All Time High (from Octopussy)
21. Licence to Kill
20. For Your Eyes Only
19. The Man With the Golden Gun
18. A View to a Kill
17. Diamonds are Forever
16. Die Another Day
15. Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Solace)
14. The Living Daylights
13. You Only Live Twice
12. You Know My Name (from Casino Royale)
11. From Russia With Love
10. Skyfall
9. Live and Let Die
8. Tomorrow Never Dies
7. Thunderball
6. The World is not Enough
5. Goldeneye
4. Goldfinger
3. Nobody Does it Better (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1. James Bond Theme (from Dr. No)
James Bond Girls - Beauty
23. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
22. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)
21. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
20. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
19. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
18. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
17. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
16. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
15. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
14. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
13. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
12. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
11. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
10. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
9. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Severine (from Skyfall)
6. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
5. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
4. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
3. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
2. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
1. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
James Bond Girls - Overall
23. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
22. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
21. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
20. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
19. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
18. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
17. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
16. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
15. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)
14. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
13. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
12. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
11. Severine (from Skyfall)
10. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
9. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
6. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
5. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
4. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
3. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
2. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
1. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
James Bond Films
23. The Man With the Golden Gun
22. A View to a Kill
21. Diamonds are Forever
20. Moonraker
19. Die Another Day
18. For Your Eyes Only
17. Octopussy
16. Tomorrow Never Dies
15. Quantum of Solace
14. Licence to Kill
13. Thunderball
12. Live and Let Die
11. You Only Live Twice
10. Dr. No
9. The World is not Enough
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. The Living Daylights
6. Skyfall
5. Goldeneye
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Casino Royale
2. Goldfinger
1. From Russia With Love
James Bond Musical Themes
23. Moonraker
22. All Time High (from Octopussy)
21. Licence to Kill
20. For Your Eyes Only
19. The Man With the Golden Gun
18. A View to a Kill
17. Diamonds are Forever
16. Die Another Day
15. Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Solace)
14. The Living Daylights
13. You Only Live Twice
12. You Know My Name (from Casino Royale)
11. From Russia With Love
10. Skyfall
9. Live and Let Die
8. Tomorrow Never Dies
7. Thunderball
6. The World is not Enough
5. Goldeneye
4. Goldfinger
3. Nobody Does it Better (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1. James Bond Theme (from Dr. No)
James Bond Girls - Beauty
23. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
22. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)
21. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
20. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
19. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
18. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
17. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
16. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
15. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
14. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
13. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
12. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
11. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
10. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
9. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Severine (from Skyfall)
6. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
5. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
4. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
3. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
2. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
1. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
James Bond Girls - Overall
23. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)
22. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)
21. Mary Goodnight (from The Man With the Golden Gun)
20. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)
19. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)
18. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)
17. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)
16. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)
15. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)
14. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)
13. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)
12. Jinx (from Die Another Day)
11. Severine (from Skyfall)
10. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)
9. Octopussy (from Octopussy)
8. Camille (from Quantum of Solace)
7. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)
6. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)
5. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)
4. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia With Love)
3. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)
2. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
1. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)
Monday, November 26, 2012
Brave Good, But An Unlucky 13
Finally saw Pixar's Brave the other evening and I was disappointed. It wasn't a bad movie, it just wasn't the great cinema experience that most Pixar movies usually are. The animation, like most Pixar films, is amazing and the story was definitely different than any Disney princess movie we've seen before, it just didn't have that special "it" factor that Pixar is able to bring to the table.
My new rankings for Pixar movies are as follows:
1. The Incredibles
2. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
4. Up
5. WALL-E
6. Toy Story 3
7. Monster's Inc.
8. Toy Story 2
9. Ratatouille
10. A Bug's Life
11. Brave
12. Cars
13. Cars 2
My new rankings for Pixar movies are as follows:
1. The Incredibles
2. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
4. Up
5. WALL-E
6. Toy Story 3
7. Monster's Inc.
8. Toy Story 2
9. Ratatouille
10. A Bug's Life
11. Brave
12. Cars
13. Cars 2
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Skyfall Review
I wanted to devote more time to this review today, but between being way too tired and entirely too busy at work I just haven’t had the mental capacity to commit to a movie review. Last night was the midnight screening of Skyfall at the IMAX theater in Dallas. I didn’t get home until 3:30 this morning and was up and out of bed three hours later for work. But overall, it was totally worth the lack of sleep.
Skyfall is unlike most James Bond films. The director and producers were working to create a retro-feel with Skyfall that was reminiscent to the Connery 007 movies of the 1960s, but what they ended up doing was creating a movie that had all the elements of 007 with more of a polished feeling to it. The Connery vibe is felt throughout and anyone who is familiar with the spy series will recognize it. But Skyfall is its own entity with current themes and personal touches than what was made when James Bond was still a new hero.
When reviewing a James Bond movie, I can never be objective and I have to have two opinions of the film. One opinion is how it compares to previous Bond pictures, which will always get a higher rating than they really should. Take The Man with the Golden Gun for instance. It should receive one star out of 10. Instead, it gets three stars. I just can’t bring myself to give a 007 film a true rating because I want it to be better than it really is. Quantum of Solace doesn’t truly deserve an eight, but that’s what my biased heart feels when ranking it.
The other opinion is how a Bond picture ranks as an action movie. Tomorrow Never Dies is at best an average Bond movie, but as an action movie it entertains on all levels of expectation. The final 45 minutes of the film is all action and that is all men really want in an adventure movie. We can check our brains at the door and dull our senses to violent gunfights and compelling stunt sequences.
My initial, gut reaction to Skyfall is it is above average in action movies and in the top 10 in Bond movies. We’ll see how that consideration changes after seeing it again tomorrow night.
Like Quantum of Solace before it, Skyfall was helmed by an artistic director. Sam Mendes prefers style and conversation over substance and explosions. That doesn’t mean Skyfall is a boring character study film that drops all the clichés of Bond, but it also doesn’t mean real-world problems aren’t explored. Mendes does an excellent job of intertwining elegant set designs and powerful performances with the compulsory action sequences and witty one-liners. The 223-minute runtime goes by quickly and the actions sets don’t feel forced. While Quantum of Solace was marred by the writer’s strike, Mendes was able to polish Skyfall for several months prior to releasing it to the general public, and that additional time and labor is evident with what is being released this weekend.
In general, I was more than pleased with what I saw onscreen and feel what Skyfall brings to the James Bond series will reinforce it as one of the most enduring franchises rather than give credence to the idea that Bond need not return. I’m not quite ready to rank Skyfall against all the Bond movies, when compared to the other two Daniel Craig films it would be second behind Casino Royale. I’ll have updated rankings of all 23 films and the other elements of a James Bond picture by the end of this weekend once I have finished my second viewing and reflected a little longer.
Skyfall is unlike most James Bond films. The director and producers were working to create a retro-feel with Skyfall that was reminiscent to the Connery 007 movies of the 1960s, but what they ended up doing was creating a movie that had all the elements of 007 with more of a polished feeling to it. The Connery vibe is felt throughout and anyone who is familiar with the spy series will recognize it. But Skyfall is its own entity with current themes and personal touches than what was made when James Bond was still a new hero.
When reviewing a James Bond movie, I can never be objective and I have to have two opinions of the film. One opinion is how it compares to previous Bond pictures, which will always get a higher rating than they really should. Take The Man with the Golden Gun for instance. It should receive one star out of 10. Instead, it gets three stars. I just can’t bring myself to give a 007 film a true rating because I want it to be better than it really is. Quantum of Solace doesn’t truly deserve an eight, but that’s what my biased heart feels when ranking it.
The other opinion is how a Bond picture ranks as an action movie. Tomorrow Never Dies is at best an average Bond movie, but as an action movie it entertains on all levels of expectation. The final 45 minutes of the film is all action and that is all men really want in an adventure movie. We can check our brains at the door and dull our senses to violent gunfights and compelling stunt sequences.
My initial, gut reaction to Skyfall is it is above average in action movies and in the top 10 in Bond movies. We’ll see how that consideration changes after seeing it again tomorrow night.
Like Quantum of Solace before it, Skyfall was helmed by an artistic director. Sam Mendes prefers style and conversation over substance and explosions. That doesn’t mean Skyfall is a boring character study film that drops all the clichés of Bond, but it also doesn’t mean real-world problems aren’t explored. Mendes does an excellent job of intertwining elegant set designs and powerful performances with the compulsory action sequences and witty one-liners. The 223-minute runtime goes by quickly and the actions sets don’t feel forced. While Quantum of Solace was marred by the writer’s strike, Mendes was able to polish Skyfall for several months prior to releasing it to the general public, and that additional time and labor is evident with what is being released this weekend.
In general, I was more than pleased with what I saw onscreen and feel what Skyfall brings to the James Bond series will reinforce it as one of the most enduring franchises rather than give credence to the idea that Bond need not return. I’m not quite ready to rank Skyfall against all the Bond movies, when compared to the other two Daniel Craig films it would be second behind Casino Royale. I’ll have updated rankings of all 23 films and the other elements of a James Bond picture by the end of this weekend once I have finished my second viewing and reflected a little longer.
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Skyfall Midnight Screening
It's going to be a glorious evening tomorrow when I go to a midnight screening of the new James Bond thriller Skyfall. The next day at work will be tough on four hours of sleep, but that trade is totally worth it.
Even after planning this screening Wednesday night/Thursday morning, I'll be seeing the movie again Friday night. It is a great time now to be a James Bond fan.
I'll have a review this weekend and updated rankings later in the week once the newness has worn off and I can fairly judge the movie and all that goes with it.
Even after planning this screening Wednesday night/Thursday morning, I'll be seeing the movie again Friday night. It is a great time now to be a James Bond fan.
I'll have a review this weekend and updated rankings later in the week once the newness has worn off and I can fairly judge the movie and all that goes with it.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Back In The Homeownership Game
Joanna and I closed on our new home today. We signed the documents this morning and the seller's signed this afternoon. We have the new key and renovations will begin tonight.
I am excited about the work we will put into this home to make it our own. I am overwhelmed by the schedule it has to be done in as we are moving in a week from Friday, but am anticipating the satisfied feeling I will have once we have completed the renovations and moved everything in to the new home.
I don't normally put photos on here, but I might do it once we have finished the work. We'll see.
I am excited about the work we will put into this home to make it our own. I am overwhelmed by the schedule it has to be done in as we are moving in a week from Friday, but am anticipating the satisfied feeling I will have once we have completed the renovations and moved everything in to the new home.
I don't normally put photos on here, but I might do it once we have finished the work. We'll see.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Let The Skyfall
Adele's latest song, which happens to also be the theme song for the new James Bond movie Skyfall, was released online. It sounds exactly as I thought a 007 tune performed by Adele would sound. It certainly is the best theme since Garbage's The World is not Enough. If you'd like to take a listen it shouldn't be too hard to find online, but a good starting point would be here.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Mo Mortgage, Mo Problems
Big news on the home front. We have received approval from the bank we were dealing with to purchase a short sale home in southwest Arlington. It is exciting to know we will be having a place of our own again that can be decorated, renovated, and done with as we please.
It's been good living with my mom these past few months and saving money for our new home, but not having all of our own stuff and living in two bedrooms between three-and-a-half people has been hard. We go to look at the house again this afternoon and measure rooms for carpet and painting. I'm excited to do some fix-it-up projects at the new home.
Any other bits of news about the house I will post as we progress.
It's been good living with my mom these past few months and saving money for our new home, but not having all of our own stuff and living in two bedrooms between three-and-a-half people has been hard. We go to look at the house again this afternoon and measure rooms for carpet and painting. I'm excited to do some fix-it-up projects at the new home.
Any other bits of news about the house I will post as we progress.
Monday, September 03, 2012
And He Strikes Like Thunderball
This is a bit late, but about two weeks ago I went with my wife and a friend to watch the fourth James Bond thriller Thunderball in a Dallas theater. This brings my total of 007 movies up to 10 of 22 seen on the big screen. Not bad for someone born in 1980 and didn't get into the Bond franchise until 1997, 35 years after the first adventure was released.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Rest In Peace Tony Scott
While I don't necessarily consider him the greatest of the Scott brother directors, his contribution to film is appreciated.
Jumping to his death from a bridge in Los Angeles today, Tony Scott leaves a pretty good legacy in Hollywood. With films such as Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop II, Spy Game, Man on Fire, and Unstoppable on his resume, his most well known movie will always be Top Gun. It gets worse the older you grow as you realize the cheesiness of the plot and acting, but it just holds a special place in guys' hearts as a great man movie.
My personal favorite of Scott's is Crimson Tide. The tension between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman coupled with the close quarters of the submarine make it a great thriller. Pay tribute to the man that brought us
Jumping to his death from a bridge in Los Angeles today, Tony Scott leaves a pretty good legacy in Hollywood. With films such as Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop II, Spy Game, Man on Fire, and Unstoppable on his resume, his most well known movie will always be Top Gun. It gets worse the older you grow as you realize the cheesiness of the plot and acting, but it just holds a special place in guys' hearts as a great man movie.
My personal favorite of Scott's is Crimson Tide. The tension between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman coupled with the close quarters of the submarine make it a great thriller. Pay tribute to the man that brought us
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Quick Hit
I haven't really had time to do much blogging lately. I moved departments to the Mortgage Services (Customer Service) group with Colonial and have been extremely busy responding to customers' e-mails and speaking to people on the phone about their mortgages. I have learned a ton in the last month and really enjoy work again. It is not just working for two of the eight hours I'm on the clock and reading a book the rest of the day.
I'll try and say more when I have some time.
I'll try and say more when I have some time.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Top Movies By Decade: Part 5 – "Bond, James Bond."
Author’s Note: I apparently did this in July of 2009 but didn’t list my top ten favorites. It simply had my favorite film and then a few honorable mentions that would have been in the top five.
I started a series of lists that rank my top ten favorite movies by decade. It began in the 1920s and will be working toward the new millennium.
To compile this list, I took my ranked films from IMDb, which I grade after every movie viewing, and sorted them from highest to lowest. Then, looking at each movie in each decade I came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions to show what the top ten were up against. We will continue with the 1960s.
1960s
Honorable Mentions: Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), The Birds (1963), The Great Escape (1963), High and Low (1963), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), The Battle of Algiers (1966), The Graduate (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Bullitt (1968), The Lion in Winter (1968), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Some of the best films in cinema history take multiple viewings to fully appreciate. 2001: A Space Odyssey takes multiple viewings to understand. Stanley Kubrick’s space epic, inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Sentinel,” premiered to varied opinions but acquired a cult following and has since become a mainstream masterpiece. Nominated for four Academy Awards, receiving a win for visual effects, and ranked in numerous top ten polls, including AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Quotes, and 100 Heroes and Villains, Sight & Sound, and The Moving Arts Film Journal, the film is notable for its deep thematic elements, scientific accuracy, soundtrack, ambiguous imagery, unconventional storytelling, and minimal use of dialogue. 2001: A Space Odyssey was included in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1991, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
9. Psycho (1960) – Not a critical success when released, Psycho was such a hit with moviegoers that it was re-evaluated and has since been seen as not just a classic, but one of the greatest films ever made. Following the abolition of the Production Code, director Alfred Hitchcock pushed the limits of violence and sexuality in film, and by filming one of the most well-known murder scenes in Hollywood history and a killer score to go with it, he was able to create a ghastly thriller that is probably Hitchcock’s most popular release. In 1992, the film was among those inducted into the Congress National Film Registry. At the time of its release, Psycho received four Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actress, nominations from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and the Writers Guild of America, East for Best Written American Drama. It won Best Motion Picture at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards and Janet Leigh won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Among its numerous praises as one of the greatest movies of all time, Psycho has been among many Best Of lists, including the AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Thrills, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Quotes, and 100 Scores lists.
8. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Spaghetti western, war epic, and Italian action film. You could label The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as any one of these genres and you would be correct. The scope of Sergio Leone’s grand conclusion for Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name is filled with chaotic American Civil War battles, gunfights, and hangings. Spaghetti westerns were not received with high praise at the time of their release, but since then The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has become very popular and has become European cinema’s best representation of the western genre. It is included among Time’s 100 Greatest Movies of the Last Century and Empire magazine’s Masterpiece Collection of 500 Greatest Movies at 25.
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – While The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an overly violent and surreal depiction of the Old West, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid instead goes the comedic route with its interpretation of the American outlaw. The real treat in this movie is the chemistry between headliners Paul Newman and then-unknown Robert Redford. The two were such a great team, while only starring in two films together they are among the great film duos alongside Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, or Hanks and Ryan. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the top grossing film of 1969 and won four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Song, and Best Original Screenplay, while also being nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Sound. The film received numerous British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor (won by Redford), and Best Actress (won by Katherine Ross). The movie was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry in 2003.
6. My Fair Lady (1964) – A musical film adaptation of a stage musical based on a film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion, the Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison vehicle won eight Academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director, and was nominated for an additional four. My Fair Lady also won three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and was included in AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Passions, 100 Songs, and 100 Musicals lists.
5. Goldfinger (1964) – The quintessential Bond film that every other Bond movie is measured up against. Goldfinger began what is known as the Bond formula and blends plot, women, cars, gadgets, locations, and over the top action sequences seamlessly. The bond girls are unforgettable. The Aston Martin DB5 makes its first appearance. Oddjob is the first henchman to have an interesting method of killing, which would be copied by others like Jaws and Xenia Onatopp. Goldfinger won an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing and received nominations for a Grammy and BAFTA. It was selected to AFI’s 100 Thrills, 100 Quotes, 100 Songs, and 100 Heroes and Villains lists.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – Featuring one of the most morally upstanding, kindly father figures in cinematic history, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted into a powerful story of growing up in America and learning about the hardships of life through the eyes of a little girl. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Musical Score and won the award in Best Actor, Best Art Direction, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received three Golden Globe Awards and won an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. To Kill a Mockingbird is among AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Scores, 100 Cheers, and 10 Top 10 lists. It was selected to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1995.
3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) – If black comedies about nuclear war are your sort of thing, this is the movie for you. Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers in three separate roles as President of the United States, a former Nazi wheel chair-bound scientist, and a Royal Air Force officer, Dr. Strangelove satirizes many Cold War attitudes, with its primary focus on the theory of mutual assured destruction. Often ranked among the greatest comedies of all time, the film was selected to the National Film Registry in 1989. It currently holds a 100% fresh rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes and is ranked highly on IMDB’s Top 250 movies. Among the numerous nominations from the Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards, it won four. In addition, it won the American comedy award from the Writers Guild of America and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Dr. Strangelove is rated the fifth greatest film in Sight & Sound’s directors’ poll, the only comedy in the top 10. AFI included the film on its 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Laughs, and 100 Quotes lists.
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Moving performances, epic landscapes, and a mesmerizing score are all the things that make David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia an ambitious and masterful picture. Lean is able to take a bleak and savage place like the desert and romanticize it through the camera lens, creating a remarkable and beautiful backdrop to the story of World War I British army officer T.E. Lawrence, who helped mobilize a guerilla-style Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turkish rule. Although the historical accuracy is hotly debated, both in terms of events and representations of Lawrence, the film was an immediate success and has been fawned over for decades. Lawrence of Arabia is constantly among the top of lists touting the best in cinema, including the American Film Institute ranking it fifth, seventh, and first among its 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, and 10 Top 10 Epic lists. Other AFI lists the film is included in are 100 Thrills, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Scores, and 100 Cheers. In 1991, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. It received 10 Oscar nominations and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. The BAFTAs and Golden Globes also recognized its greatness, bestowing nine wins and another two nomination to the picture.
1. From Russia with Love (1963) – The film before Goldfinger, From Russia with Love is a true spy movie. Its utilization of fewer gadgets lets Bond use his wits rather than an Omega watch with built-in laser. There are twists and turns throughout the film that begins during the first Bond pre-title sequence where our hero is hunted down by a homicidal assassin named Donald "Red" Grant. From Russia with Love is adored by nearly all who view it, mixing humor, action, sexuality, and fun into a seamless adventure with suave Sean Connery carrying the picture the entire way.
I started a series of lists that rank my top ten favorite movies by decade. It began in the 1920s and will be working toward the new millennium.
To compile this list, I took my ranked films from IMDb, which I grade after every movie viewing, and sorted them from highest to lowest. Then, looking at each movie in each decade I came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions to show what the top ten were up against. We will continue with the 1960s.
1960s
Honorable Mentions: Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), The Birds (1963), The Great Escape (1963), High and Low (1963), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), The Battle of Algiers (1966), The Graduate (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Bullitt (1968), The Lion in Winter (1968), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Some of the best films in cinema history take multiple viewings to fully appreciate. 2001: A Space Odyssey takes multiple viewings to understand. Stanley Kubrick’s space epic, inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Sentinel,” premiered to varied opinions but acquired a cult following and has since become a mainstream masterpiece. Nominated for four Academy Awards, receiving a win for visual effects, and ranked in numerous top ten polls, including AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Quotes, and 100 Heroes and Villains, Sight & Sound, and The Moving Arts Film Journal, the film is notable for its deep thematic elements, scientific accuracy, soundtrack, ambiguous imagery, unconventional storytelling, and minimal use of dialogue. 2001: A Space Odyssey was included in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1991, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
9. Psycho (1960) – Not a critical success when released, Psycho was such a hit with moviegoers that it was re-evaluated and has since been seen as not just a classic, but one of the greatest films ever made. Following the abolition of the Production Code, director Alfred Hitchcock pushed the limits of violence and sexuality in film, and by filming one of the most well-known murder scenes in Hollywood history and a killer score to go with it, he was able to create a ghastly thriller that is probably Hitchcock’s most popular release. In 1992, the film was among those inducted into the Congress National Film Registry. At the time of its release, Psycho received four Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actress, nominations from the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and the Writers Guild of America, East for Best Written American Drama. It won Best Motion Picture at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards and Janet Leigh won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Among its numerous praises as one of the greatest movies of all time, Psycho has been among many Best Of lists, including the AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Thrills, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Quotes, and 100 Scores lists.
8. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Spaghetti western, war epic, and Italian action film. You could label The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as any one of these genres and you would be correct. The scope of Sergio Leone’s grand conclusion for Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name is filled with chaotic American Civil War battles, gunfights, and hangings. Spaghetti westerns were not received with high praise at the time of their release, but since then The Good, the Bad and the Ugly has become very popular and has become European cinema’s best representation of the western genre. It is included among Time’s 100 Greatest Movies of the Last Century and Empire magazine’s Masterpiece Collection of 500 Greatest Movies at 25.
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – While The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an overly violent and surreal depiction of the Old West, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid instead goes the comedic route with its interpretation of the American outlaw. The real treat in this movie is the chemistry between headliners Paul Newman and then-unknown Robert Redford. The two were such a great team, while only starring in two films together they are among the great film duos alongside Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, or Hanks and Ryan. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the top grossing film of 1969 and won four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Song, and Best Original Screenplay, while also being nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Sound. The film received numerous British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor (won by Redford), and Best Actress (won by Katherine Ross). The movie was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry in 2003.
6. My Fair Lady (1964) – A musical film adaptation of a stage musical based on a film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion, the Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison vehicle won eight Academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director, and was nominated for an additional four. My Fair Lady also won three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and was included in AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Passions, 100 Songs, and 100 Musicals lists.
5. Goldfinger (1964) – The quintessential Bond film that every other Bond movie is measured up against. Goldfinger began what is known as the Bond formula and blends plot, women, cars, gadgets, locations, and over the top action sequences seamlessly. The bond girls are unforgettable. The Aston Martin DB5 makes its first appearance. Oddjob is the first henchman to have an interesting method of killing, which would be copied by others like Jaws and Xenia Onatopp. Goldfinger won an Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing and received nominations for a Grammy and BAFTA. It was selected to AFI’s 100 Thrills, 100 Quotes, 100 Songs, and 100 Heroes and Villains lists.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – Featuring one of the most morally upstanding, kindly father figures in cinematic history, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted into a powerful story of growing up in America and learning about the hardships of life through the eyes of a little girl. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Musical Score and won the award in Best Actor, Best Art Direction, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received three Golden Globe Awards and won an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. To Kill a Mockingbird is among AFI’s 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Scores, 100 Cheers, and 10 Top 10 lists. It was selected to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1995.
3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) – If black comedies about nuclear war are your sort of thing, this is the movie for you. Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers in three separate roles as President of the United States, a former Nazi wheel chair-bound scientist, and a Royal Air Force officer, Dr. Strangelove satirizes many Cold War attitudes, with its primary focus on the theory of mutual assured destruction. Often ranked among the greatest comedies of all time, the film was selected to the National Film Registry in 1989. It currently holds a 100% fresh rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes and is ranked highly on IMDB’s Top 250 movies. Among the numerous nominations from the Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards, it won four. In addition, it won the American comedy award from the Writers Guild of America and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Dr. Strangelove is rated the fifth greatest film in Sight & Sound’s directors’ poll, the only comedy in the top 10. AFI included the film on its 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, 100 Laughs, and 100 Quotes lists.
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Moving performances, epic landscapes, and a mesmerizing score are all the things that make David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia an ambitious and masterful picture. Lean is able to take a bleak and savage place like the desert and romanticize it through the camera lens, creating a remarkable and beautiful backdrop to the story of World War I British army officer T.E. Lawrence, who helped mobilize a guerilla-style Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turkish rule. Although the historical accuracy is hotly debated, both in terms of events and representations of Lawrence, the film was an immediate success and has been fawned over for decades. Lawrence of Arabia is constantly among the top of lists touting the best in cinema, including the American Film Institute ranking it fifth, seventh, and first among its 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, and 10 Top 10 Epic lists. Other AFI lists the film is included in are 100 Thrills, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Scores, and 100 Cheers. In 1991, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. It received 10 Oscar nominations and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. The BAFTAs and Golden Globes also recognized its greatness, bestowing nine wins and another two nomination to the picture.
1. From Russia with Love (1963) – The film before Goldfinger, From Russia with Love is a true spy movie. Its utilization of fewer gadgets lets Bond use his wits rather than an Omega watch with built-in laser. There are twists and turns throughout the film that begins during the first Bond pre-title sequence where our hero is hunted down by a homicidal assassin named Donald "Red" Grant. From Russia with Love is adored by nearly all who view it, mixing humor, action, sexuality, and fun into a seamless adventure with suave Sean Connery carrying the picture the entire way.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Marvel's The Avengers
A movie that grosses internationally more than $1.4 billion (that’s billion with a “b”) and $575 million domestically in seven weeks has to be out-of-this-world amazing, right? How about just really good? Maybe a notch above mediocre?
I don’t want to be “that” guy and compare every superhero comic book movie to The Dark Knight, but like the Joker said, “You changed things … forever.” These types of movies have to be more than just flawed hero with special powers fights evil force from space. Audiences want more character development and intriguing writing. I would like to believe moviegoers are willing to give up on over-the-top action and endless explosions for interesting stories and absorbing onscreen relationships, but the Transformers sequels making more than $750 million domestically combined doesn’t help my case.
Back to Marvel’s The Avengers though. The idea of combining a team of superheroes in one movie is a fanboy’s wet dream come true. And in Marvel’s defense, for the past half-decade they have been working toward the culmination of this film by building the story through the individual movies of each superhero team member: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America.
The visual effects in The Avengers are top-notch and the acting is hit and miss, with the main actors being at the top of their game portraying the comic book characters who are better than us common folk physically but just as flawed internally. The dysfunctional dynamic between the team members prior to gelling into a singular working entity for the betterment of mankind was pulled off well, but individual storylines were weak and not hashed out enough for what a 150-minute movie would allow with that many characters at play. I also think Robert Downey's Tony Stark is more enjoyable when he gets to carry the picture, instead of sharing the limelight with countless others.
What bothered me most about the picture was the final battle was 20 minutes of repetitious explosions and the fact that it seemed like an exact replica of the finale of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I also didn’t like that the hand-to-hand fight sequences were a blur of camera movement (which is becoming increasingly the norm since the Bourne films started the trend) and the performances that were weak (I’m looking at you ScarJo) were laughably bad.
Overall, it was worth my time to see what Marvel could do by combining some of its most high-profile heroes but I don’t think it broke new ground in the comic book movie genre. It gets a 6 out of 10 in my book, which is a strange trend as three of the four movies I’ve seen in theaters this year have rated at a 6.
I don’t want to be “that” guy and compare every superhero comic book movie to The Dark Knight, but like the Joker said, “You changed things … forever.” These types of movies have to be more than just flawed hero with special powers fights evil force from space. Audiences want more character development and intriguing writing. I would like to believe moviegoers are willing to give up on over-the-top action and endless explosions for interesting stories and absorbing onscreen relationships, but the Transformers sequels making more than $750 million domestically combined doesn’t help my case.
Back to Marvel’s The Avengers though. The idea of combining a team of superheroes in one movie is a fanboy’s wet dream come true. And in Marvel’s defense, for the past half-decade they have been working toward the culmination of this film by building the story through the individual movies of each superhero team member: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Captain America.
The visual effects in The Avengers are top-notch and the acting is hit and miss, with the main actors being at the top of their game portraying the comic book characters who are better than us common folk physically but just as flawed internally. The dysfunctional dynamic between the team members prior to gelling into a singular working entity for the betterment of mankind was pulled off well, but individual storylines were weak and not hashed out enough for what a 150-minute movie would allow with that many characters at play. I also think Robert Downey's Tony Stark is more enjoyable when he gets to carry the picture, instead of sharing the limelight with countless others.
What bothered me most about the picture was the final battle was 20 minutes of repetitious explosions and the fact that it seemed like an exact replica of the finale of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I also didn’t like that the hand-to-hand fight sequences were a blur of camera movement (which is becoming increasingly the norm since the Bourne films started the trend) and the performances that were weak (I’m looking at you ScarJo) were laughably bad.
Overall, it was worth my time to see what Marvel could do by combining some of its most high-profile heroes but I don’t think it broke new ground in the comic book movie genre. It gets a 6 out of 10 in my book, which is a strange trend as three of the four movies I’ve seen in theaters this year have rated at a 6.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Goodbye Underwriting. Hello Servicing!
I was offered today a job opening within the Colonial Savings company in the servicing department. While talking to customers all day on the phone about the mortgage problems isn't exactly the ideal employment for me, I will be mostly working as the e-mail correspondent, which means I will be contacting customers through e-mail instead of on the phone. That is a little more up my alley in terms of job skills.
This move to the servicing department is a good one because it means a lot more writing possibilities, a little more pay, and the potential to move up in the company. That is something that is just not possible right now in my position with the underwriting department.
I believe the move will take place at the end of the month, so I will update with how I'm doing in my new position next month.
This move to the servicing department is a good one because it means a lot more writing possibilities, a little more pay, and the potential to move up in the company. That is something that is just not possible right now in my position with the underwriting department.
I believe the move will take place at the end of the month, so I will update with how I'm doing in my new position next month.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Pray For Little Bennett Scheuermann
The five-month-old son of a friend is having open-heart surgery this morning. If you would like to follow along at home and know how things are going for the Scheuermann family, visit their blog at http://blog4bennett.blogspot.com/. You can learn more about how little Bennett is doing throughout the day, see photos of the cute baby, and find out about donation opportunities for the family.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Skyfall Poster & Trailer Released
Beginning last Friday, the teaser poster and trailer for the 23rd James Bond movie Skyfall were released. My initial reactions to both were boring and pretty fantastic.
The producers and director are going for a classic Bond feel with the latest installment in the franchise. The poster is highly influenced by this decision with the iconic gunbarrel in the background and Daniel Craig as Bond walking in the middle of the poster. While the gunbarrel is a classic image of the series, putting it as the main graphic of the poster seems rather obvious and clichéd in my opinion.
As far as the preview goes, it was really intriguing. It immediately peaked my interest and the visuals seen throughout are of the quality you find in art-house films, not action pictures. I liked it and if it weren't for my intense desire to not spoil anything from previews I would watch it a hundred times in the next week, but I will refrain and only watch it one or two more times between now and when the next trailer is released later this year.
The producers and director are going for a classic Bond feel with the latest installment in the franchise. The poster is highly influenced by this decision with the iconic gunbarrel in the background and Daniel Craig as Bond walking in the middle of the poster. While the gunbarrel is a classic image of the series, putting it as the main graphic of the poster seems rather obvious and clichéd in my opinion.
As far as the preview goes, it was really intriguing. It immediately peaked my interest and the visuals seen throughout are of the quality you find in art-house films, not action pictures. I liked it and if it weren't for my intense desire to not spoil anything from previews I would watch it a hundred times in the next week, but I will refrain and only watch it one or two more times between now and when the next trailer is released later this year.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Yesterday Was A Good Day
Two movie-related quick hits and then I will let you move along.
For those who enjoy the 007 series, a teaser poster was released for Skyfall that harkens back to the "classic" Bond movies. However, by doing so the image on the poster is rather boring and a little too obvious for my tastes. I am still excited to get something from the new film and hopefully this little tidbit of movie news will placate me until the trailer is released next week.
The other note that made yesterday so great was I went to see a screening of The Godfather last night with my friend James. Besides being my favorite movie of all time, it was great just to sit through a classic movie in the theater. I always enjoy retro movie night, whether it is a classic from the black-and-white era of Hollywood or some blockbuster from my youth that I wasn't able to appreciate until I started viewing it on VHS in my living room.
I suggest you find a theater that screens classic movies like the one I saw yesterday and enjoy some nostalgia on the big screen.
For those who enjoy the 007 series, a teaser poster was released for Skyfall that harkens back to the "classic" Bond movies. However, by doing so the image on the poster is rather boring and a little too obvious for my tastes. I am still excited to get something from the new film and hopefully this little tidbit of movie news will placate me until the trailer is released next week.
The other note that made yesterday so great was I went to see a screening of The Godfather last night with my friend James. Besides being my favorite movie of all time, it was great just to sit through a classic movie in the theater. I always enjoy retro movie night, whether it is a classic from the black-and-white era of Hollywood or some blockbuster from my youth that I wasn't able to appreciate until I started viewing it on VHS in my living room.
I suggest you find a theater that screens classic movies like the one I saw yesterday and enjoy some nostalgia on the big screen.
Thursday, May 03, 2012
2012 Summer Movie Preview
Normally I give a nice, long synopsis of each film I'm interested in seeing during the summer. However, this year I am too busy at work to do the research for all the movies and with moving in three weeks am not going to have time to see all the movies I want.
I am listing the movies below that I am interested in seeing, but it will likely end up that only three or four will actually be viewed by the end of the blockbuster season.
The Avengers - May 4
Battleship - May 18 (Looks like this year's Snakes on a Plane, which means so stupid it might actually be entertaining.)
Men in Black III - May 25 (I'm more interested in the James Bond preview that will debut at this release than I am the actual movie.)
Prometheus - June 8 (After the Batman movie, this is probably my most anticipated feature coming out.)
Brave - June 22
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22
G.I. Joe: Retaliation - June 29 (Meh. Saw the first one.)
The Amazing Spider-man - July 3
The Dark Knight Rises - July 20
The Bourne Legacy - August 3
Total Recall - August 3 (I'm on the fence for this one.)
The Expendables 2 - August 17 (I'm required as a man to see this one.)
The order in which I am most anticipating these releases would be:
The Dark Knight Rises
Prometheus
Brave
The Avengers
The Amazing Spider-man
The Bourne Legacy
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Total Recall
Battleship
The Expendables 2
Men in Black III
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
I am listing the movies below that I am interested in seeing, but it will likely end up that only three or four will actually be viewed by the end of the blockbuster season.
The Avengers - May 4
Battleship - May 18 (Looks like this year's Snakes on a Plane, which means so stupid it might actually be entertaining.)
Men in Black III - May 25 (I'm more interested in the James Bond preview that will debut at this release than I am the actual movie.)
Prometheus - June 8 (After the Batman movie, this is probably my most anticipated feature coming out.)
Brave - June 22
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22
G.I. Joe: Retaliation - June 29 (Meh. Saw the first one.)
The Amazing Spider-man - July 3
The Dark Knight Rises - July 20
The Bourne Legacy - August 3
Total Recall - August 3 (I'm on the fence for this one.)
The Expendables 2 - August 17 (I'm required as a man to see this one.)
The order in which I am most anticipating these releases would be:
The Dark Knight Rises
Prometheus
Brave
The Avengers
The Amazing Spider-man
The Bourne Legacy
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Total Recall
Battleship
The Expendables 2
Men in Black III
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
A Mighty Task
Early last year I counted up all of the Academy Awards' Best Picture nominee movies I had seen. It turned out I had watched 272 movies, out of a possible 475, at least one time. That equated to 57 percent of all the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.
In nearly a year-and-a-half later I have been able to up the percentage to 79, seeing 394 of a possible 494 films.
Among the 100 films I have yet to see, one of those is this year's Best Picture winner The Artist. It is the only film among the winners I have not seen. I hope to have seen every nominee by the end of 2013. That is a lofty goal because at some point I am going to reach the films that are hard to find or not readily available on DVD. We'll see if I can pull this off.
In nearly a year-and-a-half later I have been able to up the percentage to 79, seeing 394 of a possible 494 films.
Among the 100 films I have yet to see, one of those is this year's Best Picture winner The Artist. It is the only film among the winners I have not seen. I hope to have seen every nominee by the end of 2013. That is a lofty goal because at some point I am going to reach the films that are hard to find or not readily available on DVD. We'll see if I can pull this off.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Baseball Is Here
We are four games into the regular season for the American League defending champion Texas Rangers and it has been a very pleasant start. The team is 3-1 with a late-inning loss from closer Joe Nathan. Yu Darvish had a rocky debut, but after being knocked around for two innings he hunkered down and showed the greatness that Ranger fans were hoping for. Josh Hamilton has had a ludicrous start to the season with a .500 batting average and incredible defense in center field. A great performance during his contract year is going to benefit this team a lot and we will miss him when he is gone after his free agency offseason.
All of this is quite exciting and without a World Series win at the end of the season it will feel like a complete disappointment no matter what happens along the way. This team is built to win now and if it doesn't do so after two trips to the World Series in 2010 and 2011 it can only be considered a failure. It is a sad reality, but reality it is.
All of this is quite exciting and without a World Series win at the end of the season it will feel like a complete disappointment no matter what happens along the way. This team is built to win now and if it doesn't do so after two trips to the World Series in 2010 and 2011 it can only be considered a failure. It is a sad reality, but reality it is.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Too Busy For Much
It has been crazy busy at work the last few weeks and I just haven't had the time to post anything spectacular. We have listed our house for sale and a few showings have already been scheduled. That is encouraging. Some really good news in classic cinema watching was realized today when I found a local theater that will be showing the James Bond adventure flick Goldfinger. Other than the Brosnan and Craig films and Connery's first two outings as superspy 007, I have not seen any other Bond movie in theaters, so this will be a treat.
I can't think of anything else too great to talk about. Baseball season is about underway and that is exciting.
I can't think of anything else too great to talk about. Baseball season is about underway and that is exciting.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Act of Valor
Impressive acts of violence and appreciation for the attempted concept can’t completely save this military propaganda film. A lazy story, poor line readings from the “stars” of the picture, unintelligible plot holes, and annoying first-person shooter camera styles give the viewer a sense they are watching a real-life Call of Duty video game.
Focusing on the flaws of the movie first, the plot of Act of Valor has been done a hundred times before, where a terrorist plot must be stopped before a bomb (in this case, group of suicide bombers) is detonated somewhere in the United States. What was supposed to make this movie different was that every element of the story is taken from past Navy SEAL happenings and the audience could believe everything being done onscreen had taken place before, but with real lives on the line and wasn’t a scenario fabricated from the minds of screenwriters. It also didn’t help that there is very little attention given to the personal lives of the story’s heroes, which results in not having much invested emotionally when the payoff at the end comes.
Another gimmick included in Act of Valor is the use of active-duty Navy SEAL commandos in starring roles rather than paid actors. A lot of people have lampooned the acting and the criticism of those critiques is, “how can you berate their acting when they are portraying exactly who they are?” Well, the simple answer to this is they are still reading lines off a page and those lines, while probably being as close to what is really said by these guys when in a real combat mission, is extremely stiff. There is no authenticity to the performances outside of the action scenes and it just shouldn’t be the case because they aren’t supposed to be acting. When you combine a plot found in several action movies prior to this one with poor “acting” it makes for a tough watch.
Surely with the military providing all this genuineness to make a great movie that will make us want to sign up for active duty at the nearest recruiting office we will get a glimpse into how SEAL teams not only prep for an assignment, are deployed into action, and execute any given mission, but also retrieve their information about where to find the bad guys. Yet, it seems the military decided to hold back on certain details of how it uncovers its intel due to wanting to protect military secrets. If Act of Valor is any indication to how easy it is for the U.S. military to gain access to when backroom meetings between villains and where terrorist attacks are going to take place, then finding and capturing Osama Bin Laden should have taken about three weeks following the 9/11 attacks. I don’t mean to sound critical of our military because I am extremely proud of those who serve and what our government is doing to keep Americans protected, but I just can’t believe it is so easy to discover the most secretive plot details of potential terrorism plots in such a short time span as this film would make it seem. There was just no effort put into letting the audience know how the government came about its information about dates and places of important plot points in the movie. That is poor writing in my opinion.
Two more minor points of criticism before moving on to what I liked about the movie include my abhorrence of the first-person shooter view and insinuating how barbaric all enemies of our country are in times of war while we are the legion of decency when it comes to interrogation tactics. A spoiler side note, I did find it somewhat asinine when you compare how the American spy is beaten, tortured, and on the verge of death but doesn’t give up any state secrets, yet the baddie of the movie gives up everything he knows without the use of violence altogether.
Regarding the good qualities of Act of Valor, the action sequences were some of the best seen in a war/action picture, especially the extraction scene at the beginning of the film. Those alone give the film an uptick in its enjoyment. The filmmakers gave up on the idea of finding actors who would be able to imitate what Navy SEALs go through during a mission and it is appreciated by the audience. Watching these men bust down doors and sneak through criminal compounds is valued more than it would be if Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Sylvester Stallone were paid to do the same. That extra bit of legitimacy goes a long way with viewers. If only they could have made us believe they weren’t reading off of cue cards during the slower parts of the film.
Overall the movie isn’t great, but if you leave the theater not having more admiration for those serving in the military then you are dead inside and don’t deserve the freedom they are putting their lives on the line to uphold for you and me. It might be patriotic propaganda, but it is entertaining propaganda.
Act of Valor earns a 6 out of 10.
Focusing on the flaws of the movie first, the plot of Act of Valor has been done a hundred times before, where a terrorist plot must be stopped before a bomb (in this case, group of suicide bombers) is detonated somewhere in the United States. What was supposed to make this movie different was that every element of the story is taken from past Navy SEAL happenings and the audience could believe everything being done onscreen had taken place before, but with real lives on the line and wasn’t a scenario fabricated from the minds of screenwriters. It also didn’t help that there is very little attention given to the personal lives of the story’s heroes, which results in not having much invested emotionally when the payoff at the end comes.
Another gimmick included in Act of Valor is the use of active-duty Navy SEAL commandos in starring roles rather than paid actors. A lot of people have lampooned the acting and the criticism of those critiques is, “how can you berate their acting when they are portraying exactly who they are?” Well, the simple answer to this is they are still reading lines off a page and those lines, while probably being as close to what is really said by these guys when in a real combat mission, is extremely stiff. There is no authenticity to the performances outside of the action scenes and it just shouldn’t be the case because they aren’t supposed to be acting. When you combine a plot found in several action movies prior to this one with poor “acting” it makes for a tough watch.
Surely with the military providing all this genuineness to make a great movie that will make us want to sign up for active duty at the nearest recruiting office we will get a glimpse into how SEAL teams not only prep for an assignment, are deployed into action, and execute any given mission, but also retrieve their information about where to find the bad guys. Yet, it seems the military decided to hold back on certain details of how it uncovers its intel due to wanting to protect military secrets. If Act of Valor is any indication to how easy it is for the U.S. military to gain access to when backroom meetings between villains and where terrorist attacks are going to take place, then finding and capturing Osama Bin Laden should have taken about three weeks following the 9/11 attacks. I don’t mean to sound critical of our military because I am extremely proud of those who serve and what our government is doing to keep Americans protected, but I just can’t believe it is so easy to discover the most secretive plot details of potential terrorism plots in such a short time span as this film would make it seem. There was just no effort put into letting the audience know how the government came about its information about dates and places of important plot points in the movie. That is poor writing in my opinion.
Two more minor points of criticism before moving on to what I liked about the movie include my abhorrence of the first-person shooter view and insinuating how barbaric all enemies of our country are in times of war while we are the legion of decency when it comes to interrogation tactics. A spoiler side note, I did find it somewhat asinine when you compare how the American spy is beaten, tortured, and on the verge of death but doesn’t give up any state secrets, yet the baddie of the movie gives up everything he knows without the use of violence altogether.
Regarding the good qualities of Act of Valor, the action sequences were some of the best seen in a war/action picture, especially the extraction scene at the beginning of the film. Those alone give the film an uptick in its enjoyment. The filmmakers gave up on the idea of finding actors who would be able to imitate what Navy SEALs go through during a mission and it is appreciated by the audience. Watching these men bust down doors and sneak through criminal compounds is valued more than it would be if Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Sylvester Stallone were paid to do the same. That extra bit of legitimacy goes a long way with viewers. If only they could have made us believe they weren’t reading off of cue cards during the slower parts of the film.
Overall the movie isn’t great, but if you leave the theater not having more admiration for those serving in the military then you are dead inside and don’t deserve the freedom they are putting their lives on the line to uphold for you and me. It might be patriotic propaganda, but it is entertaining propaganda.
Act of Valor earns a 6 out of 10.
Monday, February 27, 2012
84th Annual Academy Awards
Awards season is over. Oscar has come and gone.
The Artist won the Academy's highest honor of Best Picture along with several other awards, including Best Director, Actor, Costume Design, and Original Score. In fact, the silent picture, which is only the second in Oscar's history to win Best Picture after Wings received the award for Outstanding Picture at the inaugural event, tied with Hugo for most statues won at five. The only other film to win multiple awards was The Iron Lady, which received Best Actress and Makeup.
Billy Crystal did a reasonably good job. The nine-time host seems very relaxed on stage and gives a natural performance when delivering his jokes. Even flubbing a line last night, he simply stopped, stated he would start again, imitated being rewound a few seconds, and started again like nothing had gone wrong.
Crystal's replacement hosting duties (which came after Eddie Murphy bowed out following the release of director Brett Ratner from a producing postion) inched him a bit closer to Bob Hope's record total of 18 as the ceremony's emcee. In third place is Johnny Carson with five gigs as host.
The most disappointing portion of the evening was the poor sound quality. During Crystal's opening musical number, his vocals were too low to be heard over the booming instruments and throughout the entire ceremony feedback could be heard coming from the microphones during award presentations and acceptance speeches.
Normally I try to see as many of the movies nominated as I can, but this year was a tough one due to having a baby. It's true what they say that your social life ends when children enter the home. While our lives haven't completely come to a halt because of Jack, Joanna and I have seen a downturn in date nights.
In the Best Picture category this year I was able to watch The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, and The Tree of Life. My favorite of that group was Moneyball, but The Help and Midnight in Paris were both really enjoyable movies. I can't say the same for The Tree of Life. It was a chore to watch that tedious film. A lot of critics who loved The Tree of Life have compared its scope with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but where Kubrick differs from director Terence Malick is that 2001 includes an engaging story in between all the ostentatious photography and epic classical music. Malick failed to connect with the audience when it came time to actually unravel the narrative of his movie.
Hopefully by burying the details of this so far down it will be overlooked by many, but after reigning supreme in our Oscar ballot picking game every year I was taken down by my friend Danny. I knew going in I would likely lose, but falling five behind the winner was a tough thing to swallow. Danny got 16 correct and I came in second with 11. My wife brought up the rear of the six participants with only four right selections out of 24 categories. Not a good night for Joanna, but she made up for it with her awesome menu of movie-themed dining foods and snacks.
The final talking point for this post will be how nice it was to see The Muppets win an Oscar for Best Original Song. Go Kermit and the gang!
The Artist won the Academy's highest honor of Best Picture along with several other awards, including Best Director, Actor, Costume Design, and Original Score. In fact, the silent picture, which is only the second in Oscar's history to win Best Picture after Wings received the award for Outstanding Picture at the inaugural event, tied with Hugo for most statues won at five. The only other film to win multiple awards was The Iron Lady, which received Best Actress and Makeup.
Billy Crystal did a reasonably good job. The nine-time host seems very relaxed on stage and gives a natural performance when delivering his jokes. Even flubbing a line last night, he simply stopped, stated he would start again, imitated being rewound a few seconds, and started again like nothing had gone wrong.
Crystal's replacement hosting duties (which came after Eddie Murphy bowed out following the release of director Brett Ratner from a producing postion) inched him a bit closer to Bob Hope's record total of 18 as the ceremony's emcee. In third place is Johnny Carson with five gigs as host.
The most disappointing portion of the evening was the poor sound quality. During Crystal's opening musical number, his vocals were too low to be heard over the booming instruments and throughout the entire ceremony feedback could be heard coming from the microphones during award presentations and acceptance speeches.
Normally I try to see as many of the movies nominated as I can, but this year was a tough one due to having a baby. It's true what they say that your social life ends when children enter the home. While our lives haven't completely come to a halt because of Jack, Joanna and I have seen a downturn in date nights.
In the Best Picture category this year I was able to watch The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, and The Tree of Life. My favorite of that group was Moneyball, but The Help and Midnight in Paris were both really enjoyable movies. I can't say the same for The Tree of Life. It was a chore to watch that tedious film. A lot of critics who loved The Tree of Life have compared its scope with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but where Kubrick differs from director Terence Malick is that 2001 includes an engaging story in between all the ostentatious photography and epic classical music. Malick failed to connect with the audience when it came time to actually unravel the narrative of his movie.
Hopefully by burying the details of this so far down it will be overlooked by many, but after reigning supreme in our Oscar ballot picking game every year I was taken down by my friend Danny. I knew going in I would likely lose, but falling five behind the winner was a tough thing to swallow. Danny got 16 correct and I came in second with 11. My wife brought up the rear of the six participants with only four right selections out of 24 categories. Not a good night for Joanna, but she made up for it with her awesome menu of movie-themed dining foods and snacks.
The final talking point for this post will be how nice it was to see The Muppets win an Oscar for Best Original Song. Go Kermit and the gang!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Does Most Mean Best When It Comes To Oscar?
During this time of year I focus a lot of my mind on the Academy Awards. While I don't completely agree with the notion that the Oscars are the be-all, end-all when it comes to what is the best films of the year, it does give viewers a broad spectrum of what are considered some of the most well-made movies in the past 12 months. A lot of us everyday Joe Blow Americans who don't know the ins and outs of Hollywood can't understand what makes great art direction or costume design, let alone point out the best short animated film or documentary, but we do get a glimpse into the opinions of what those who make movies think of movies.
Last year I took a look at the Best Picture winning films and compared it with the Best Director winners who did not match. If you have any interest in that post you can find it at http://mobyd.blogspot.com/2011/02/correlation-between-oscars-best.html.
This year I have tackled the movies that earned the most nominations for the year and whether those movies won the Best Picture or Best Director awards. The following is the list:
1928 (1st): Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Wings received four nominations each (tied for second) and won the preceding awards for Best Picture (which were divided into Outstanding Picture, Production and Unique and Artistic Production). Two Arabian Knights won Best Director, Comedy Picture and Seventh Heaven won Best Director, Dramatic Picture.
1929 (2nd): The Broadway Melody received three nominations (tied for third with Alibi and The Divine Lady; In Old Arizona and The Patriot received the most with five nominations) and won Best Picture. The Divine Lady won Best Director.
1930 (3rd): All Quiet on the Western Front received four nominations (tied for second with The Big House and The Divorcee; The Love Parade received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1931 (4th): Cimarron received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Skippy won Best Director.
1932 (5th): Grand Hotel received one nomination (the only time in Oscar history where a movie with only the Best Picture nominee won; Arrowsmith and The Champ received the most with four nominations) and won Best Picture. Bad Girl won Best Director.
1933 (6th): Cavalcade received four nominations (tied for most with A Farewell to Arms and Lady for a Day) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1934 (7th): It Happened One Night received five nominations (tied for second with Cleopatra and The Gay Divorcee; One Night of Love received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1935 (8th): Mutiny on the Bounty received seven nominations (tied for most with The Lives of a Bengal Lancer) and won Best Picture. The Informer won Best Director.
1936 (9th): The Great Ziegfeld received seven nominations (tied for most with Anthony Adverse and Dodsworth) and won Best Picture. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town won Best Director.
1937 (10th): The Life of Emile Zola received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Awful Truth won Best Director.
1938 (11th): You Can’t Take It with You received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1939 (12th): Gone with the Wind received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1940 (13th): Rebecca received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Grapes of Wrath won Best Director.
1941 (14th): How Green Was My Valley received 10 nominations (second; Sergeant York received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1942 (15th): Mrs. Miniver received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1943 (16th): Casablanca received eight nominations (third; The Song of Bernadette received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1944 (17th): Going My Way received 10 nominations (tied for most with Wilson) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1945 (18th): The Lost Weekend received seven nominations (second; The Bells of St. Mary’s received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1946 (19th): The Best Years of Our Lives received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1947 (20th): Gentleman’s Agreement received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1948 (21st): Hamlet received seven nominations (tied for second with Joan of Arc; Johnny Belinda received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre won Best Director.
1949 (22nd): All the King’s Men received seven nominations (tied for second with Come to the Stable; The Heiress received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture. A Letter to Three Wives won Best Director.
1950 (23rd): All About Eve received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1951 (24th): An American in Paris received eight nominations (tied for third with Quo Vadis; A Streetcar Named Desire received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. A Place in the Sun won Best Director.
1952 (25th): The Greatest Show on Earth received five nominations (tied for sixth with Viva Zapata!; High Noon, Moulin Rouge, and The Quiet Man received the most with seven nominations) and won Best Picture. The Quiet Man won Best Director.
1953 (26th): From Here to Eternity received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1954 (27th): On the Waterfront received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1955 (28th): Marty received eight nominations (tied for most with Love is a Many-Splendored Thing and The Rose Tattoo) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1956 (29th): Around the World in Eighty Days received eight nominations (third; Giant received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture. Giant won Best Director.
1957 (30th): The Bridge on the River Kwai received eight nominations (third; Sayonara received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1958 (31st): Gigi received nine nominations (tied for most with The Defiant Ones) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1959 (32nd): Ben-Hur received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1960 (33rd): The Apartment received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1961 (34th): West Side Story received 11 nominations (tied for most with Judgment at Nuremberg) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1962 (35th): Lawrence of Arabia received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1963 (36th): Tom Jones received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1964 (37th): My Fair Lady received 12 nominations (tied for second with Becket; Mary Poppins received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1965 (38th): The Sound of Music received 10 nominations (tied for most with Doctor Zhivago) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1966 (39th): A Man for All Seasons received eight nominations (second; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? received the most with 13 nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.
1967 (40th): In the Heat of the Night received seven nominations (tied for fourth with The Graduate and Thoroughly Modern Millie; Bonnie and Clyde and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture. The Graduate won Best Director.
1968 (41st): Oliver! received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1969 (42nd): Midnight Cowboy received seven nominations (tied for third with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Hello, Dolly!; Anne of the Thousand Days received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1970 (43rd): Patton received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1971 (44th): The French Connection received eight nominations (tied for most with Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Picture Show) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1972 (45th): The Godfather received 10 nominations (tied for most with Cabaret) and won Best Picture. Cabaret won Best Director.
1973 (46th): The Sting received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1974 (47th): The Godfather: Part II received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1975 (48th): One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1976 (49th): Rocky received 10 nominations (tied for most with Network) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1977 (50th): Annie Hall received five nominations (tied for fifth with The Goodbye Girl; Julia and The Turning Point received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1978 (51st): The Deer Hunter received nine nominations (tied for most with Heaven Can Wait) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1979 (52nd): Kramer vs. Kramer received nine nominations (tied for most with All That Jazz) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1980 (53rd): Ordinary People received six nominations (tied for fourth with Fame and Tess; The Elephant Man and Raging Bull received the most with eight nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.
1981 (54th): Chariots of Fire received seven nominations (fifth; Reds received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. Reds won Best Director.
1982 (55th): Gandhi received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1983 (56th): Terms of Endearment received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1984 (57th): Amadeus received 11 nominations (tied for most with A Passage to India ) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1985 (58th): Out of Africa received 11 nominations (tied for most with The Color Purple) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1986 (59th): Platoon received eight nominations (tied for most with A Room with a View) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1987 (60th): The Last Emperor received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1988 (61st): Rain Man received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1989 (62nd): Driving Miss Daisy received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Born on the Fourth of July won Best Director.
1990 (63rd): Dances with Wolves received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1991 (64th): The Silence of the Lambs received seven nominations (tied for third with The Prince of Tides; Bugsy received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1992 (65th): Unforgiven received nine nominations (tied for most with Howard’s End) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1993 (66th): Schindler’s List received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1994 (67th): Forrest Gump received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1995 (68th): Braveheart received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1996 (69th): The English Patient received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1997 (70th): Titanic received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1998 (71st): Shakespeare in Love received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Saving Private Ryan won Best Director.
1999 (72nd): American Beauty received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2000 (73rd): Gladiator received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Traffic won Best Director.
2001 (74th): A Beautiful Mind received eight nominations (tied for second with Moulin Rouge!; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2002 (75th): Chicago received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Pianist won Best Director.
2003 (76th): The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2004 (77th): Million Dollar Baby received seven nominations (tied for second with Finding Neverland; The Aviator received the most with 11 nominations) and received Best Picture and Best Director.
2005 (78th): Crash received six nominations (tied for second with Good Night, and Good Luck and Memoirs of a Geisha; Brokeback Mountain received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture. Brokeback Mountain won Best Director.
2006 (79th): The Departed received five nominations (tied for fifth with Blood Diamond; Dreamgirls received the most nominations with eight) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2007 (80th): No Country for Old Men received eight nominations (tied for most with There Will Be Blood) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2008 (81st): Slumdog Millionaire received 10 nominations (second; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2009 (82nd): The Hurt Locker received nine nominations each (tied for most with Avatar) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2010 (83rd): King’s Speech received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
There are periods in the Academy Awards history where receiving the most nominations was a good sign to win both Best Picture and Best Director. In 1958-1963, 1970-1976, 1982-1990, and 1992-1999, the movie that received the most nominations (or came in a tie for most nominations) ended up being the heavy favorite for the top two statues, excluding 1972, 1989, and 1998.
In the past two years the film with the most nominations ended up with Oscars in Best Picture and Best Director, so we will see if Hugo can keep the trend continuing as it has the most nominations at 11.
Last year I took a look at the Best Picture winning films and compared it with the Best Director winners who did not match. If you have any interest in that post you can find it at http://mobyd.blogspot.com/2011/02/correlation-between-oscars-best.html.
This year I have tackled the movies that earned the most nominations for the year and whether those movies won the Best Picture or Best Director awards. The following is the list:
1928 (1st): Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Wings received four nominations each (tied for second) and won the preceding awards for Best Picture (which were divided into Outstanding Picture, Production and Unique and Artistic Production). Two Arabian Knights won Best Director, Comedy Picture and Seventh Heaven won Best Director, Dramatic Picture.
1929 (2nd): The Broadway Melody received three nominations (tied for third with Alibi and The Divine Lady; In Old Arizona and The Patriot received the most with five nominations) and won Best Picture. The Divine Lady won Best Director.
1930 (3rd): All Quiet on the Western Front received four nominations (tied for second with The Big House and The Divorcee; The Love Parade received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1931 (4th): Cimarron received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Skippy won Best Director.
1932 (5th): Grand Hotel received one nomination (the only time in Oscar history where a movie with only the Best Picture nominee won; Arrowsmith and The Champ received the most with four nominations) and won Best Picture. Bad Girl won Best Director.
1933 (6th): Cavalcade received four nominations (tied for most with A Farewell to Arms and Lady for a Day) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1934 (7th): It Happened One Night received five nominations (tied for second with Cleopatra and The Gay Divorcee; One Night of Love received the most with six nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1935 (8th): Mutiny on the Bounty received seven nominations (tied for most with The Lives of a Bengal Lancer) and won Best Picture. The Informer won Best Director.
1936 (9th): The Great Ziegfeld received seven nominations (tied for most with Anthony Adverse and Dodsworth) and won Best Picture. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town won Best Director.
1937 (10th): The Life of Emile Zola received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Awful Truth won Best Director.
1938 (11th): You Can’t Take It with You received seven nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1939 (12th): Gone with the Wind received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1940 (13th): Rebecca received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Grapes of Wrath won Best Director.
1941 (14th): How Green Was My Valley received 10 nominations (second; Sergeant York received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1942 (15th): Mrs. Miniver received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1943 (16th): Casablanca received eight nominations (third; The Song of Bernadette received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1944 (17th): Going My Way received 10 nominations (tied for most with Wilson) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1945 (18th): The Lost Weekend received seven nominations (second; The Bells of St. Mary’s received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1946 (19th): The Best Years of Our Lives received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1947 (20th): Gentleman’s Agreement received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1948 (21st): Hamlet received seven nominations (tied for second with Joan of Arc; Johnny Belinda received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre won Best Director.
1949 (22nd): All the King’s Men received seven nominations (tied for second with Come to the Stable; The Heiress received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture. A Letter to Three Wives won Best Director.
1950 (23rd): All About Eve received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1951 (24th): An American in Paris received eight nominations (tied for third with Quo Vadis; A Streetcar Named Desire received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. A Place in the Sun won Best Director.
1952 (25th): The Greatest Show on Earth received five nominations (tied for sixth with Viva Zapata!; High Noon, Moulin Rouge, and The Quiet Man received the most with seven nominations) and won Best Picture. The Quiet Man won Best Director.
1953 (26th): From Here to Eternity received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1954 (27th): On the Waterfront received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1955 (28th): Marty received eight nominations (tied for most with Love is a Many-Splendored Thing and The Rose Tattoo) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1956 (29th): Around the World in Eighty Days received eight nominations (third; Giant received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture. Giant won Best Director.
1957 (30th): The Bridge on the River Kwai received eight nominations (third; Sayonara received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1958 (31st): Gigi received nine nominations (tied for most with The Defiant Ones) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1959 (32nd): Ben-Hur received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1960 (33rd): The Apartment received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1961 (34th): West Side Story received 11 nominations (tied for most with Judgment at Nuremberg) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1962 (35th): Lawrence of Arabia received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1963 (36th): Tom Jones received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1964 (37th): My Fair Lady received 12 nominations (tied for second with Becket; Mary Poppins received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1965 (38th): The Sound of Music received 10 nominations (tied for most with Doctor Zhivago) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1966 (39th): A Man for All Seasons received eight nominations (second; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? received the most with 13 nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.
1967 (40th): In the Heat of the Night received seven nominations (tied for fourth with The Graduate and Thoroughly Modern Millie; Bonnie and Clyde and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture. The Graduate won Best Director.
1968 (41st): Oliver! received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1969 (42nd): Midnight Cowboy received seven nominations (tied for third with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Hello, Dolly!; Anne of the Thousand Days received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1970 (43rd): Patton received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1971 (44th): The French Connection received eight nominations (tied for most with Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Picture Show) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1972 (45th): The Godfather received 10 nominations (tied for most with Cabaret) and won Best Picture. Cabaret won Best Director.
1973 (46th): The Sting received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1974 (47th): The Godfather: Part II received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1975 (48th): One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1976 (49th): Rocky received 10 nominations (tied for most with Network) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1977 (50th): Annie Hall received five nominations (tied for fifth with The Goodbye Girl; Julia and The Turning Point received the most with 11 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1978 (51st): The Deer Hunter received nine nominations (tied for most with Heaven Can Wait) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1979 (52nd): Kramer vs. Kramer received nine nominations (tied for most with All That Jazz) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1980 (53rd): Ordinary People received six nominations (tied for fourth with Fame and Tess; The Elephant Man and Raging Bull received the most with eight nominations) won Best Picture and Best Director.
1981 (54th): Chariots of Fire received seven nominations (fifth; Reds received the most with 12 nominations) and won Best Picture. Reds won Best Director.
1982 (55th): Gandhi received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1983 (56th): Terms of Endearment received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1984 (57th): Amadeus received 11 nominations (tied for most with A Passage to India ) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1985 (58th): Out of Africa received 11 nominations (tied for most with The Color Purple) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1986 (59th): Platoon received eight nominations (tied for most with A Room with a View) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1987 (60th): The Last Emperor received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1988 (61st): Rain Man received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1989 (62nd): Driving Miss Daisy received nine nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Born on the Fourth of July won Best Director.
1990 (63rd): Dances with Wolves received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1991 (64th): The Silence of the Lambs received seven nominations (tied for third with The Prince of Tides; Bugsy received the most with 10 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1992 (65th): Unforgiven received nine nominations (tied for most with Howard’s End) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1993 (66th): Schindler’s List received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1994 (67th): Forrest Gump received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1995 (68th): Braveheart received 10 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1996 (69th): The English Patient received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1997 (70th): Titanic received 14 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
1998 (71st): Shakespeare in Love received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Saving Private Ryan won Best Director.
1999 (72nd): American Beauty received eight nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2000 (73rd): Gladiator received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. Traffic won Best Director.
2001 (74th): A Beautiful Mind received eight nominations (tied for second with Moulin Rouge!; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring received the most with 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2002 (75th): Chicago received 13 nominations (most) and won Best Picture. The Pianist won Best Director.
2003 (76th): The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King received 11 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2004 (77th): Million Dollar Baby received seven nominations (tied for second with Finding Neverland; The Aviator received the most with 11 nominations) and received Best Picture and Best Director.
2005 (78th): Crash received six nominations (tied for second with Good Night, and Good Luck and Memoirs of a Geisha; Brokeback Mountain received the most with eight nominations) and won Best Picture. Brokeback Mountain won Best Director.
2006 (79th): The Departed received five nominations (tied for fifth with Blood Diamond; Dreamgirls received the most nominations with eight) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2007 (80th): No Country for Old Men received eight nominations (tied for most with There Will Be Blood) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2008 (81st): Slumdog Millionaire received 10 nominations (second; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received 13 nominations) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2009 (82nd): The Hurt Locker received nine nominations each (tied for most with Avatar) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
2010 (83rd): King’s Speech received 12 nominations (most) and won Best Picture and Best Director.
There are periods in the Academy Awards history where receiving the most nominations was a good sign to win both Best Picture and Best Director. In 1958-1963, 1970-1976, 1982-1990, and 1992-1999, the movie that received the most nominations (or came in a tie for most nominations) ended up being the heavy favorite for the top two statues, excluding 1972, 1989, and 1998.
In the past two years the film with the most nominations ended up with Oscars in Best Picture and Best Director, so we will see if Hugo can keep the trend continuing as it has the most nominations at 11.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Top Movies By Decade: Part 4 - "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
Author’s Note: I apparently did this in July of 2009 but didn’t list my top ten favorites. It simply had my favorite film and then a few honorable mentions that would have been in the top five.
I started a series of lists that rank my top ten favorite movies by decade. It began in the 1920s and will be working toward the new millennium.
To compile this list, I took my ranked films from IMDb, which I grade after every movie viewing, and sorted them from highest to lowest. Then, looking at each movie in each decade I came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions to show what the top ten were up against. We will continue with the 1950s.
1950s
Honorable Mentions: All About Eve (1950), Winchester ’73 (1950), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Sabrina (1954), Blackboard Jungle (1955), Diabolique (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Paths of Glory (1957), and Vertigo (1958)
10. Cinderella (1950) – Due to World War II and low box office returns, this was the first feature-length, full-bodied animation film in nearly a decade from Walt Disney Studios, which was heavily in debt and had not had a big hit since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Cinderella is considered the last of the “golden age” of Disney animations that spanned the 1930s and 40s. The generous profits from this film, along with additional money made from record sales, music publishing, and other merchandise, gave Disney a resurgence of cash flow to proceed with new films, both animated and live action, establish his own distribution company, enter television production, and begin building Disneyland. Cinderella received three Academy Award nominations, all in the sound and song categories. At the inaugural Berlin International Film Festival, it won the Golden Bear (Music Film) award and the Big Bronze Plate award. The AFI included Cinderella among its 10 Top 10 Animated films, ranking ninth.
9. Rear Window (1954) – Some viewers are bored by the single set, slow-moving story, however, those fascinated by Rear Window are not alone, as the film received four Oscar nominations, was ranked 42nd and 48th on AFI’s 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, was universally praised by critics, and in 1997 was included in the United States National Film Registry. As the movie is all about voyeurism, Hitchcock’s film exquisitely display’s the human need to look in on other people’s lives, ignoring what is going on right in their own home. With the explosion of Facebook and Twitter, the insatiable need to make a connection with others without ever becoming involved is a successor to Hitchcock’s feature of a man and his camera looking out into an apartment building courtyard. Rear Window uses a natural soundtrack, with diegetic sounds and music stemming from James Stewart’s neighboring apartments. Along with the 100 Movies wins, the AFI also included Rear Window in its 100 Thrills and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.
8. Seven Samurai (1954) – Possibly better known to American audiences in remakes such as The Magnificent Seven or A Bug’s Life, the idea of recruiting individuals with special skills to perform a specific task was originally seen on the Japanese screen in Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Seven Samurai. The now-common plot element introduced in this film can be seen in popular American cinema, such as The Guns of Navarone, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Dirty Dozen. Seven Samurai is described as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, making it on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 greatest films of all time in 1982 and the directors’ top ten film in 1992 and 2003 polls. It was also ranked number one in Empire magazine’s The 100 Best Films of World Cinema in 2010. Winner of the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also honored with several nominations and wins for acting and directing at the British Academy Film Awards, Jussi Awards, and Mainichi Film Awards. Seven Samurai received two Academy Award nominations as well.
7. Sleeping Beauty (1959) – The final fairy tale animated feature produced by Walt Disney himself and the last of Disney’s features to use hand-inked cels, Sleeping Beauty was initially a financial failure, resulting in the first annual loss in a decade and leading to massive layoffs in the animation department. It took nearly a decade to get the movie made, with story work beginning eight years prior to its theatrical release and voice recordings taking place seven years before as well. The film was initially met with mixed reviews, most critics claiming poor character development, but with the unique stylized design of the artwork and lavish musical score have resulted in a sustained interest in the movie and ultimately it is now one of the most praised animated features ever made. Sleeping Beauty was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy for its soundtrack, but lost at both ceremonies.
6. The Killing (1956) – Where Seven Samurai set up the concept of showing the audience the process of hiring a group of mercenaries to do a job, Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing showcased a heist picture from several different viewpoints and the precise planning and undertaking it takes to pull off a multi-million dollar robbery, much like the number one movie for this decade's list. Like many movies considered classics of their genre and decade, this one was a disappointment at the box office. However, The Killing showed off the talent Kubrick had as a director, cinematographer, and storyteller, giving audiences a glimpse into what was to come later in his career. Critics respected the picture, praising Kubrick as the next great director with skills that hadn’t been seen since Orson Welles. The only major award nomination for The Killing was at the BAFTAs for Best Film from any Source, but its legacy has influenced many, including Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) – One of the most well written film noirs, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is an absorbing movie with an unforgettable leading lady and countless memorable quotes. Told through William Holden’s character, unsuccessful screenwriter Joe Gillis, about his meeting and subsequent tumultuous relationship with former silent-film star Norma Desmond, the film is a disturbed showcase of Desmond’s fantasy world where she believes a comeback to Hollywood stardom is near. Sunset Boulevard was an instant success, nominated for 11 Academy Award nominations, winning three, was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, and saw its inclusion in the top 20 greatest films by the American Film Institute in its 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, at 12 and 16 respectively. It is highly regarded as the greatest movie about Hollywood ever made.
4. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Another movie about Hollywood, this one takes a much more comedic and light-hearted tone of Tinseltown. Tackling the period of time when films transitioned from silent to talkies, Singin’ in the Rain has become known as one of the greatest musicals to ever be made, but it was not originally accepted so pleasantly. Co-director and star Gene Kelly’s dance number to the titular song with an umbrella in the rainy streets has become an iconic moment in film history, recognized by even those who have not seen the movie. The film received two Academy Award nominations for Supporting Actor and Original Music Score, a Golden Globe for Donald O’Connor’s performance, and recognition for best written American musical at the Writers Guild of America. Singin’ in the Rain has twice appeared on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 best films of all time. The film was among the United States Library of Congress’s first 25 films chosen for the newly established National Film Registry. The American Film Institute included the musical among its 100 Movies, 100 Laughs, 100 Passions, 100 Songs (three times), 100 Musicals, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.
3. On the Waterfront (1954) – A tough, gritty look at union violence, corruption, and racketeering among longshoremen in New Jersey, On the Waterfront won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Story. Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning 24-part series in the New York Sun, the film is considered to be the director’s rejoinder to critics for his identifying former Communists in the film industry before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Released to rave reviews from critics, On the Waterfront has since been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry during its inaugural year and included among many critics top film lists it also made the Vatican’s list of 45 greatest films of all time. AFI included the film among its 100 Movies, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Quotes, 100 Film Scores, 100 Cheers, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.
2. North by Northwest (1959) – My personal favorite of all of Hitchcock’s films, North by Northwest is also one of his most critically favored among the innocent man on the run stories. Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason give commanding performances in this stylish thriller with a finale set amongst one of America’s most historic monuments. Ranking at 98 in Empire magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time, North by Northwest is considered a masterpiece in filmmaking for its themes of deception, mistaken identity, and moral relativism. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a 1960 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. In 1995, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Among AFI movie lists, North by Northwest ranked among its 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Movies Anniversary, and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.
1. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – A film noir caper film with a cast who’s most famous member now, Marilyn Monroe, was at the time unknown to audiences follows a group of men planning and executing a jewel robbery. The Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston, was nominated for four Academy Awards. Creating a legacy with its style and production, the film is one of the most influential crime films of the decade and presents an impressively staged robbery to be copied for years to come, creating its own subgenre of caper films. The Asphalt Jungle won awards at the Venice Film Festival, National Board of Review, and Edgar Allen Poe Awards, along with nominations at the Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Directors Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America. In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Included in this list are animated pictures, heist movies, foreign films, and Hollywood movies about Hollywood. The 1950s are the end of the stranglehold Hollywood had on American audiences looking for visual stimulation as television began its competition, resulting in gimmicks and cheap ploys to herd people back into theaters. Big production, spectacle, widescreen techniques, and 3-D became prevalent in moviemaking. the 50s will also be well known for its heightening of interest in science fiction, thanks to Cold War paranoia and a renewed interest in science due to the atomic bomb. The western genre was revitalized and Alfred Hitchcock saw some of his most popular films released in this decade.
I started a series of lists that rank my top ten favorite movies by decade. It began in the 1920s and will be working toward the new millennium.
To compile this list, I took my ranked films from IMDb, which I grade after every movie viewing, and sorted them from highest to lowest. Then, looking at each movie in each decade I came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions to show what the top ten were up against. We will continue with the 1950s.
1950s
Honorable Mentions: All About Eve (1950), Winchester ’73 (1950), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Sabrina (1954), Blackboard Jungle (1955), Diabolique (1955), 12 Angry Men (1957), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Paths of Glory (1957), and Vertigo (1958)
10. Cinderella (1950) – Due to World War II and low box office returns, this was the first feature-length, full-bodied animation film in nearly a decade from Walt Disney Studios, which was heavily in debt and had not had a big hit since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Cinderella is considered the last of the “golden age” of Disney animations that spanned the 1930s and 40s. The generous profits from this film, along with additional money made from record sales, music publishing, and other merchandise, gave Disney a resurgence of cash flow to proceed with new films, both animated and live action, establish his own distribution company, enter television production, and begin building Disneyland. Cinderella received three Academy Award nominations, all in the sound and song categories. At the inaugural Berlin International Film Festival, it won the Golden Bear (Music Film) award and the Big Bronze Plate award. The AFI included Cinderella among its 10 Top 10 Animated films, ranking ninth.
9. Rear Window (1954) – Some viewers are bored by the single set, slow-moving story, however, those fascinated by Rear Window are not alone, as the film received four Oscar nominations, was ranked 42nd and 48th on AFI’s 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, was universally praised by critics, and in 1997 was included in the United States National Film Registry. As the movie is all about voyeurism, Hitchcock’s film exquisitely display’s the human need to look in on other people’s lives, ignoring what is going on right in their own home. With the explosion of Facebook and Twitter, the insatiable need to make a connection with others without ever becoming involved is a successor to Hitchcock’s feature of a man and his camera looking out into an apartment building courtyard. Rear Window uses a natural soundtrack, with diegetic sounds and music stemming from James Stewart’s neighboring apartments. Along with the 100 Movies wins, the AFI also included Rear Window in its 100 Thrills and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.
8. Seven Samurai (1954) – Possibly better known to American audiences in remakes such as The Magnificent Seven or A Bug’s Life, the idea of recruiting individuals with special skills to perform a specific task was originally seen on the Japanese screen in Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Seven Samurai. The now-common plot element introduced in this film can be seen in popular American cinema, such as The Guns of Navarone, Ocean’s Eleven, and The Dirty Dozen. Seven Samurai is described as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, making it on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 greatest films of all time in 1982 and the directors’ top ten film in 1992 and 2003 polls. It was also ranked number one in Empire magazine’s The 100 Best Films of World Cinema in 2010. Winner of the Silver Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also honored with several nominations and wins for acting and directing at the British Academy Film Awards, Jussi Awards, and Mainichi Film Awards. Seven Samurai received two Academy Award nominations as well.
7. Sleeping Beauty (1959) – The final fairy tale animated feature produced by Walt Disney himself and the last of Disney’s features to use hand-inked cels, Sleeping Beauty was initially a financial failure, resulting in the first annual loss in a decade and leading to massive layoffs in the animation department. It took nearly a decade to get the movie made, with story work beginning eight years prior to its theatrical release and voice recordings taking place seven years before as well. The film was initially met with mixed reviews, most critics claiming poor character development, but with the unique stylized design of the artwork and lavish musical score have resulted in a sustained interest in the movie and ultimately it is now one of the most praised animated features ever made. Sleeping Beauty was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy for its soundtrack, but lost at both ceremonies.
6. The Killing (1956) – Where Seven Samurai set up the concept of showing the audience the process of hiring a group of mercenaries to do a job, Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing showcased a heist picture from several different viewpoints and the precise planning and undertaking it takes to pull off a multi-million dollar robbery, much like the number one movie for this decade's list. Like many movies considered classics of their genre and decade, this one was a disappointment at the box office. However, The Killing showed off the talent Kubrick had as a director, cinematographer, and storyteller, giving audiences a glimpse into what was to come later in his career. Critics respected the picture, praising Kubrick as the next great director with skills that hadn’t been seen since Orson Welles. The only major award nomination for The Killing was at the BAFTAs for Best Film from any Source, but its legacy has influenced many, including Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) – One of the most well written film noirs, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard is an absorbing movie with an unforgettable leading lady and countless memorable quotes. Told through William Holden’s character, unsuccessful screenwriter Joe Gillis, about his meeting and subsequent tumultuous relationship with former silent-film star Norma Desmond, the film is a disturbed showcase of Desmond’s fantasy world where she believes a comeback to Hollywood stardom is near. Sunset Boulevard was an instant success, nominated for 11 Academy Award nominations, winning three, was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, and saw its inclusion in the top 20 greatest films by the American Film Institute in its 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, at 12 and 16 respectively. It is highly regarded as the greatest movie about Hollywood ever made.
4. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – Another movie about Hollywood, this one takes a much more comedic and light-hearted tone of Tinseltown. Tackling the period of time when films transitioned from silent to talkies, Singin’ in the Rain has become known as one of the greatest musicals to ever be made, but it was not originally accepted so pleasantly. Co-director and star Gene Kelly’s dance number to the titular song with an umbrella in the rainy streets has become an iconic moment in film history, recognized by even those who have not seen the movie. The film received two Academy Award nominations for Supporting Actor and Original Music Score, a Golden Globe for Donald O’Connor’s performance, and recognition for best written American musical at the Writers Guild of America. Singin’ in the Rain has twice appeared on Sight & Sound’s list of the 10 best films of all time. The film was among the United States Library of Congress’s first 25 films chosen for the newly established National Film Registry. The American Film Institute included the musical among its 100 Movies, 100 Laughs, 100 Passions, 100 Songs (three times), 100 Musicals, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.
3. On the Waterfront (1954) – A tough, gritty look at union violence, corruption, and racketeering among longshoremen in New Jersey, On the Waterfront won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Story. Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning 24-part series in the New York Sun, the film is considered to be the director’s rejoinder to critics for his identifying former Communists in the film industry before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Released to rave reviews from critics, On the Waterfront has since been deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry during its inaugural year and included among many critics top film lists it also made the Vatican’s list of 45 greatest films of all time. AFI included the film among its 100 Movies, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Quotes, 100 Film Scores, 100 Cheers, and 100 Movies Anniversary lists.
2. North by Northwest (1959) – My personal favorite of all of Hitchcock’s films, North by Northwest is also one of his most critically favored among the innocent man on the run stories. Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason give commanding performances in this stylish thriller with a finale set amongst one of America’s most historic monuments. Ranking at 98 in Empire magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time, North by Northwest is considered a masterpiece in filmmaking for its themes of deception, mistaken identity, and moral relativism. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a 1960 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. In 1995, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Among AFI movie lists, North by Northwest ranked among its 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Movies Anniversary, and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.
1. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) – A film noir caper film with a cast who’s most famous member now, Marilyn Monroe, was at the time unknown to audiences follows a group of men planning and executing a jewel robbery. The Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston, was nominated for four Academy Awards. Creating a legacy with its style and production, the film is one of the most influential crime films of the decade and presents an impressively staged robbery to be copied for years to come, creating its own subgenre of caper films. The Asphalt Jungle won awards at the Venice Film Festival, National Board of Review, and Edgar Allen Poe Awards, along with nominations at the Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Directors Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America. In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Included in this list are animated pictures, heist movies, foreign films, and Hollywood movies about Hollywood. The 1950s are the end of the stranglehold Hollywood had on American audiences looking for visual stimulation as television began its competition, resulting in gimmicks and cheap ploys to herd people back into theaters. Big production, spectacle, widescreen techniques, and 3-D became prevalent in moviemaking. the 50s will also be well known for its heightening of interest in science fiction, thanks to Cold War paranoia and a renewed interest in science due to the atomic bomb. The western genre was revitalized and Alfred Hitchcock saw some of his most popular films released in this decade.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Saint Valentine's Day!
I'm not really into this holiday, but for those who are I wish you a happy love day.
The origins of Valentine's Day is not quite what it is known to be today and even modern history of this date has been marred by a mafia massacre in Chicago in 1929.
Whatever your reason for celebrating, have a happy one!
The origins of Valentine's Day is not quite what it is known to be today and even modern history of this date has been marred by a mafia massacre in Chicago in 1929.
Whatever your reason for celebrating, have a happy one!
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Haywire
I’ve put this review off for about a week because I just didn’t truly know how I felt about the latest directorial effort from Steven Soderbergh, Haywire, which is also his first foray into the action genre.
I had two major thoughts about the movie while walking out of the theater. The first thought was how it reminded me of an opinion people have about the James Bond franchise.
Don’t get me wrong, this is nothing like a James Bond movie. It is slow-paced, low-key, and light on action. So what about Haywire reminded me of the 007 series? The idea of putting a non-action director in charge and letting him focus on the story and characterization while others worry about the action stunts is something that keeps coming up when people discuss the direction the Bond movies need to go. Now is not the time or place to argue the merits of that scheme, but I will say the producers seem to have taken that course, hiring Marc Forster and Sam Mendes for the last two films.
Getting back to Haywire, Soderbergh is certainly not an action director and most will recognize his name as the guy who was in charge of the party during filming the Ocean’s films with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and the rest of the gang. He is also the champion of independent filmmaking, as his movie Sex, Lies, and Videotape began the independent movie push of the 90s.
Although Soderbergh’s credentials were not tailored to action movies, he had the idea to create a project around MMA star Gina Carano. Essentially, it would be an action film (like a James Bond movie) helmed by an artsy director. That is where the thoughts on Bond end though when it comes to comparing it with Haywire.
Soderbergh’s trademarks are all over this movie. In fact, going into it I had no idea he was the director. I simply had seen a preview or two, thought it looked interesting enough, and convinced a buddy to go with me on a Wednesday night. But while watching things progress I couldn’t help wondering what was going on, not because I didn’t understand the plot but instead because it didn’t feel like the movie I thought I was going to see. There was a lot of style to it you just don’t normally see in action movies. It was less like Salt or the Bourne series and more like The American. The characters didn’t make decisions based on the next action sequence they needed to be at but rather the action cropped up when it was necessary.
The Steven Soderbergh style I am talking about is most plainly felt in the flow of the storytelling, seen in the cinematography, and heard in the soundtrack. Immediately when the credits started rolling at the film’s finale and Soderbergh’s name popped up as the director everything made sense to me regarding how the story was told, the photography shot, and the music chosen.
The second opinion I had regarding Haywire was Carano’s acting debut. My initial reaction to Carano was she is cold and unemotional. Actually to be more accurate, I thought every time she opened her mouth she was attempting to avoid any sort of altercation with her opponent by lulling them to sleep with a monotone delivery and expressionless gaze. It was only the next day I learned that Soderbergh had altered Carano’s voice to make it less attractive. In fact, some are reporting it is actress Laura San Giacomo who dubbed Carano, which says something about what Soderbergh thinks of San Giacomo’s beauty or lack thereof I should say.
Generally, I liked what I saw but not so much that I would make a point to sit down and watch it again in full. The performances from the supporting cast, which included Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Fassbender, were generally good and I’m going to give Carano a pass since the dubbing might have skewed the final results. The actor I shall not give a pass to and have never seen a quality performance from is Channing Tatum. That guy is just dreadful.
I have concluded to give Haywire a 6 out of 10 grade.
I had two major thoughts about the movie while walking out of the theater. The first thought was how it reminded me of an opinion people have about the James Bond franchise.
Don’t get me wrong, this is nothing like a James Bond movie. It is slow-paced, low-key, and light on action. So what about Haywire reminded me of the 007 series? The idea of putting a non-action director in charge and letting him focus on the story and characterization while others worry about the action stunts is something that keeps coming up when people discuss the direction the Bond movies need to go. Now is not the time or place to argue the merits of that scheme, but I will say the producers seem to have taken that course, hiring Marc Forster and Sam Mendes for the last two films.
Getting back to Haywire, Soderbergh is certainly not an action director and most will recognize his name as the guy who was in charge of the party during filming the Ocean’s films with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and the rest of the gang. He is also the champion of independent filmmaking, as his movie Sex, Lies, and Videotape began the independent movie push of the 90s.
Although Soderbergh’s credentials were not tailored to action movies, he had the idea to create a project around MMA star Gina Carano. Essentially, it would be an action film (like a James Bond movie) helmed by an artsy director. That is where the thoughts on Bond end though when it comes to comparing it with Haywire.
Soderbergh’s trademarks are all over this movie. In fact, going into it I had no idea he was the director. I simply had seen a preview or two, thought it looked interesting enough, and convinced a buddy to go with me on a Wednesday night. But while watching things progress I couldn’t help wondering what was going on, not because I didn’t understand the plot but instead because it didn’t feel like the movie I thought I was going to see. There was a lot of style to it you just don’t normally see in action movies. It was less like Salt or the Bourne series and more like The American. The characters didn’t make decisions based on the next action sequence they needed to be at but rather the action cropped up when it was necessary.
The Steven Soderbergh style I am talking about is most plainly felt in the flow of the storytelling, seen in the cinematography, and heard in the soundtrack. Immediately when the credits started rolling at the film’s finale and Soderbergh’s name popped up as the director everything made sense to me regarding how the story was told, the photography shot, and the music chosen.
The second opinion I had regarding Haywire was Carano’s acting debut. My initial reaction to Carano was she is cold and unemotional. Actually to be more accurate, I thought every time she opened her mouth she was attempting to avoid any sort of altercation with her opponent by lulling them to sleep with a monotone delivery and expressionless gaze. It was only the next day I learned that Soderbergh had altered Carano’s voice to make it less attractive. In fact, some are reporting it is actress Laura San Giacomo who dubbed Carano, which says something about what Soderbergh thinks of San Giacomo’s beauty or lack thereof I should say.
Generally, I liked what I saw but not so much that I would make a point to sit down and watch it again in full. The performances from the supporting cast, which included Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Fassbender, were generally good and I’m going to give Carano a pass since the dubbing might have skewed the final results. The actor I shall not give a pass to and have never seen a quality performance from is Channing Tatum. That guy is just dreadful.
I have concluded to give Haywire a 6 out of 10 grade.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Investing In TV
How does a person in today's state of small screen excellence jump into a serialized television show without starting from the beginning?
Obviously a show like Lost would be completely befuddling to someone who caught the fifth episode of season four without ever knowing what happened before, but even normal dramas and action shows are so intricate with character storylines these days that it would seem like the viewer is missing pivotal plot points for several episodes if they picked the series up in midstream unless they went back and watched from the beginning.
I've read a lot of comments lately on entertainment websites regarding television show recommendations that state a person will check out the next episode when they can. How can you give a true opinion of a series if you don't know the origin and backstory of all the characters?
It seems to me that if a person watched a random episode of a random show in today's television programming (not counting reality TV), they lose some of the greatness the show could offer because half their time is spent working out who everyone is and the motivations behind the characters' actions. The viewer might decide the show isn't for them, whereas had they started at the beginning and progressed with the show as it was intended then they might be the number one fan of the series.
Maybe I'm weird, but if I am recommended a show then I have to start at the beginning. It just doesn't feel right to dive in midseason and play catch-up.
Obviously a show like Lost would be completely befuddling to someone who caught the fifth episode of season four without ever knowing what happened before, but even normal dramas and action shows are so intricate with character storylines these days that it would seem like the viewer is missing pivotal plot points for several episodes if they picked the series up in midstream unless they went back and watched from the beginning.
I've read a lot of comments lately on entertainment websites regarding television show recommendations that state a person will check out the next episode when they can. How can you give a true opinion of a series if you don't know the origin and backstory of all the characters?
It seems to me that if a person watched a random episode of a random show in today's television programming (not counting reality TV), they lose some of the greatness the show could offer because half their time is spent working out who everyone is and the motivations behind the characters' actions. The viewer might decide the show isn't for them, whereas had they started at the beginning and progressed with the show as it was intended then they might be the number one fan of the series.
Maybe I'm weird, but if I am recommended a show then I have to start at the beginning. It just doesn't feel right to dive in midseason and play catch-up.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Home Oscar Watch Marathon
Joanna and I normally attend an Oscar viewing at a local theater, but it came up last night at dinner to host our own rotating Academy Award Best Picture marathon. I said I would put together some ideas on the order in which we view the films and here they are.
I personally think Options A and C are the two best and would likely lean toward Option C as my vote since the timing matches the closest for all three days.
Option A:
Danny’s House:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
362 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
368 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) non-linear narrative experimentation drama
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
400 total minutes of viewing
Option B:
Danny’s House:
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) experimental drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
387 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
374 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
369 total minutes of viewing
Option C:
Danny’s House:
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
379 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) experimental drama
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
379 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
372 total minutes of viewing
Danny, Brandy, and Joanna, let me know what you think and we can iron out any details.
I personally think Options A and C are the two best and would likely lean toward Option C as my vote since the timing matches the closest for all three days.
Option A:
Danny’s House:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
362 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
368 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) non-linear narrative experimentation drama
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
400 total minutes of viewing
Option B:
Danny’s House:
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) experimental drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
387 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
374 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
369 total minutes of viewing
Option C:
Danny’s House:
The Help – (146 minutes) Civil Rights drama
The Artist – (100 minutes) French black & white silent romantic comedy/drama
Moneyball – (133 minutes) sports drama
379 total minutes of viewing
Matt’s House:
Midnights in Paris – (94 minutes) romantic comedy
The Tree of Life – (139 minutes) experimental drama
War Horse – (146 minutes) war epic
379 total minutes of viewing
Mystery House:
The Descendants – (115 minutes) family drama
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – (129 minutes) 9/11 drama
Hugo – (128 minutes) adventure
372 total minutes of viewing
Danny, Brandy, and Joanna, let me know what you think and we can iron out any details.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
84th Annual Academy Award Nominations Announced
Today was the release of Oscar nominees. It was the moment I would find out what films and actors/actresses would forever be known as Academy Award nominees/winners. It is also the day I know how many movies I will be seeing the weekends prior to the award ceremony on February 26. This year it will be a total of nine movies in the AMC Best Picture Nominee Picture Showcase and I have only seen one of the nominees, that being Moneyball.
Hugo received the most nominations with 11. A bit of a surprise is the lack of a Pixar movie in the Best Animated Picture category. Since the inception of the Best Animated Picture category in 2001, Pixar has received a nomination for all eight of its films released, winning six Oscars in that time. Two of those winning films, Up and Toy Story 3, even received Best Picture nominations. The two movies to not win the Best Animated Picture statuette were Monsters, Inc. and Cars. As I didn't think Cars 2 was that great a movie, I was sure it wouldn't win the award this year, but to not even be nominated was not expected.
Below are all the nominees for every category.
Best Picture
The Artist - Thomas Langmann
The Descendants - Jim Burke, Jim Taylor, Alexander Payne
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Scott Rudin
The Help - Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Branathan
Hugo - Graham King, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris - Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
Moneyball - Michael De Luca, Rachel Horowitz, Brad Pitt
The Tree of Life - Nominees to be determined
War Horse - Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Best Actor
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as George Smiley
Brad Pitt – Moneyball as Billy Beane
Jean Dujardin – The Artist as George Valentin
Demian Bichir – A Better Life as Carlos Galindo
George Clooney – The Descendants as Matt King
Best Actress
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs as Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help as Aibileen Clarke
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Lisbeth Salander
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady as Margaret Thatcher
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Best Writing – Original Screenplay
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids - Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Margin Call - J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
A Separation - Asghar Farhadi
Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo - John Logan
The Ides of March - George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan
Best Animated Feature
Une vie de chat
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead - Michael R. Roskam, Belgium
Footnote - Joseph Cedar, Israel
In Darkness - Agnieszka Holland, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar - Philippe Falardeau, Canada
A Separation - Asghar Farhadi, Iran
Best Documentary – Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Best Documentary – Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami
Best Live Action Short Film
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
Best Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin – John Williams
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
Hugo – Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Alberto Iglesias
War Horse – John Williams
Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets – Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from Rio – Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett
Best Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Best Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Best Art Direction
The Artist – Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan
Hugo – Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
War Horse – Rick Carter, Lee Sandales
Best Cinematography
The Artist – Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo – Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse – Janusz Kaminski
Best Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Iron Lady
Best Costume Design
Anonymous – Lisy Christl
The Artist – Mark Bridges
Hugo – Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre – Michael O'Connor
W.E – Arianne Phillips
Best Film Editing
The Artist – Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants – Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball – Christopher Tellefsen
Best Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Hugo received the most nominations with 11. A bit of a surprise is the lack of a Pixar movie in the Best Animated Picture category. Since the inception of the Best Animated Picture category in 2001, Pixar has received a nomination for all eight of its films released, winning six Oscars in that time. Two of those winning films, Up and Toy Story 3, even received Best Picture nominations. The two movies to not win the Best Animated Picture statuette were Monsters, Inc. and Cars. As I didn't think Cars 2 was that great a movie, I was sure it wouldn't win the award this year, but to not even be nominated was not expected.
Below are all the nominees for every category.
Best Picture
The Artist - Thomas Langmann
The Descendants - Jim Burke, Jim Taylor, Alexander Payne
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Scott Rudin
The Help - Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Branathan
Hugo - Graham King, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris - Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
Moneyball - Michael De Luca, Rachel Horowitz, Brad Pitt
The Tree of Life - Nominees to be determined
War Horse - Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Best Actor
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as George Smiley
Brad Pitt – Moneyball as Billy Beane
Jean Dujardin – The Artist as George Valentin
Demian Bichir – A Better Life as Carlos Galindo
George Clooney – The Descendants as Matt King
Best Actress
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs as Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help as Aibileen Clarke
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Lisbeth Salander
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady as Margaret Thatcher
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Best Writing – Original Screenplay
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids - Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Margin Call - J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
A Separation - Asghar Farhadi
Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo - John Logan
The Ides of March - George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan
Best Animated Feature
Une vie de chat
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead - Michael R. Roskam, Belgium
Footnote - Joseph Cedar, Israel
In Darkness - Agnieszka Holland, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar - Philippe Falardeau, Canada
A Separation - Asghar Farhadi, Iran
Best Documentary – Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Best Documentary – Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami
Best Live Action Short Film
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
Best Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin – John Williams
The Artist – Ludovic Bource
Hugo – Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Alberto Iglesias
War Horse – John Williams
Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets – Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from Rio – Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett
Best Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Best Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Best Art Direction
The Artist – Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan
Hugo – Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
War Horse – Rick Carter, Lee Sandales
Best Cinematography
The Artist – Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo – Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse – Janusz Kaminski
Best Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Iron Lady
Best Costume Design
Anonymous – Lisy Christl
The Artist – Mark Bridges
Hugo – Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre – Michael O'Connor
W.E – Arianne Phillips
Best Film Editing
The Artist – Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants – Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball – Christopher Tellefsen
Best Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Texas Rangers Close Deal On Yu Darvish
I will let the link below provide the grit of the story, but my only two opinions on this turn of events are this:
1. I haven't seen many of Darvish's games in Japan, so I don't really know if he can live up to the potential people are wanting. However, I have to trust the Rangers front office and scouting department that they knew what they were getting themselves into.
2. It's only been a few weeks of this and I'm already tired of the bad Yu jokes. I don't know if I can make it six years listening to cringe-worthy puns.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2012/01/yu-darvish-texas-rangers-contract/1
1. I haven't seen many of Darvish's games in Japan, so I don't really know if he can live up to the potential people are wanting. However, I have to trust the Rangers front office and scouting department that they knew what they were getting themselves into.
2. It's only been a few weeks of this and I'm already tired of the bad Yu jokes. I don't know if I can make it six years listening to cringe-worthy puns.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2012/01/yu-darvish-texas-rangers-contract/1
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Now I've Had The Tour Of My Life
No, I never felt this way before. Yes I swear it's the truth, and I owe it all to you.
That's goes out to my buddy Brad (in the most heterosexual way possible) for taking my wife and me on a tour of the Ballpark in Arlington where the Texas Rangers play home games. We saw all sorts of things you just don't get to see during the season as a normal fan, such as the media room, press conference room, batting cages, basement tunnels where the players and umpires enter and exit the field, player's parking lot, weight room (although we couldn't go in for legal reasons), Rangers Hall of Fame, and plenty more. We even got to go out on the field and sit in the Rangers dugout. Doing the "Wash" exactly where the manager sits during games was a dream come true.
Our nine-month-old son Jackson joined us on the tour, and while he will never remember the event there were some great photos of him around the stadium that should make a bag this coming Christmas that he will get the chance to look over for all time.
I really appreciate the experience and a special shout out goes to Brad for taking time on his day off (which he gets few of) to lead us around the ballpark (and for carrying Jackson half the time while Brad's sister Brandy, Joanna, and I wandered the hallways staring at all the great things there were to see).
That's goes out to my buddy Brad (in the most heterosexual way possible) for taking my wife and me on a tour of the Ballpark in Arlington where the Texas Rangers play home games. We saw all sorts of things you just don't get to see during the season as a normal fan, such as the media room, press conference room, batting cages, basement tunnels where the players and umpires enter and exit the field, player's parking lot, weight room (although we couldn't go in for legal reasons), Rangers Hall of Fame, and plenty more. We even got to go out on the field and sit in the Rangers dugout. Doing the "Wash" exactly where the manager sits during games was a dream come true.
Our nine-month-old son Jackson joined us on the tour, and while he will never remember the event there were some great photos of him around the stadium that should make a bag this coming Christmas that he will get the chance to look over for all time.
I really appreciate the experience and a special shout out goes to Brad for taking time on his day off (which he gets few of) to lead us around the ballpark (and for carrying Jackson half the time while Brad's sister Brandy, Joanna, and I wandered the hallways staring at all the great things there were to see).
Half Broke Horses By Jeannette Walls
Her follow-up novel to the best-seller The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls's Half Broke Horses presents the exciting tales of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. From life on a Texas farm breaking horses at the age of 6 to teaching destitute children in the smallest of towns and running a gigantic ranch, Smith's story is a triumphant one. She overcame poverty to make a happy existence for herself, never letting bad times get her down. The woman's outlook on life was, "When God closes a window, He opens a door. But it's up to you to find it."
While Half Broke Horses doesn't amount to the same level of astonishment as to what the author had to go through growing up the way she did in The Glass Castle, this book does have a great insight into life for an independent, tough-as-nails woman growing up in the early 1900s. If you haven't read either book, I recommend starting with Half Broke Horses as it will give you a glimpse into the author's father, Rex Walls, as well as some background of what the author's mother's childhood was like. Both are great books, but if I had to recommend only one it would be The Glass Castle. However, Half Broke Horses is a great, easy read for all lovers of American history and stories about personal triumph.
While Half Broke Horses doesn't amount to the same level of astonishment as to what the author had to go through growing up the way she did in The Glass Castle, this book does have a great insight into life for an independent, tough-as-nails woman growing up in the early 1900s. If you haven't read either book, I recommend starting with Half Broke Horses as it will give you a glimpse into the author's father, Rex Walls, as well as some background of what the author's mother's childhood was like. Both are great books, but if I had to recommend only one it would be The Glass Castle. However, Half Broke Horses is a great, easy read for all lovers of American history and stories about personal triumph.
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