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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Oscar Revisionism: 1964

Posted on 10:14 PM by Unknown
The 1964 race for Best Picture was filled with heavy hitters.  (Check out 1965 if you haven't already).  The five films had such commercial and/or critical success, you'd think there would be spillover that could easily round out a Field of Ten.  You'd think.  Strangely, this year was so difficult to figure out, "the front-runner" for additions is Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, the infamous Bette Davis/Olivia de Havilland horror-thriller which collected an impressive seven nominations.  The genre isn't the type the AMPAS are usually kind to, yet the year was filled with similar movies.  From there, it gets even more difficult.  One thing for sure, though, 1964 wasn't lacking in musicals, mysteries, Peter Sellers, lady's men, or films related to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  What say you?

The Winner

My Fair Lady
The pygmalion storyline starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn.
Total Wins/Nominations: 8 wins (Picture, Director, Actor, Sound, Adapted Score, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes), 4 nominations (Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA winner, NBR, NYFCC winner, BAFTA winner, Golden Globe (Comedy) winner, WGA
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 21. October
Domestic Box Office:
Budget: $17M (IMDb)
Current RT: 94%
Current IMDb: 7.9

The Nominees
Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews is the nanny who helps make the medicine go down with a spoonful of sugar.
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 wins (Actress, Film Editing, Score, Song, Visual Effects), 8 nominations (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Adapted Score, Sound, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Golden Globe (Comedy), WGA winner
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Company
Release Date: 27. August
Domestic Box Office: $102M (IMDb)
Budget: $6M (IMDb)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.7

Zorba the Greek
An Englishman and a Greek develop a friendship.
Total Wins/Nominations: 3 wins (Supporting Actress, B&W Cinematography, AD), 4 nominations (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, BAFTA, Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: International Classics
Release Date: 17. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $0.8M (IMDb)
Current RT: 86%
Current IMDb: 7.7

Dr. Strangelove
Legendary nuclear dark comedy.  
Total Wins/Nominations: 4 nominations (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, BAFTA winner, WGA winner
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 29. January
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $1.8M (IMDb)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 8.6

Becket
King Henry II makes a fictional account of his friendship with Thomas Becket.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Adapted Screenplay), 11 nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Actor, Supporting Actor, Film Editing, Sound, Score, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Golden Globe (Drama) winner, NBR winner, Laurel Awards (Drama) 4th Place, BAFTA, WGA winner
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 11. March
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $3M (IMDb)
Current RT: 75%
Current IMDb: 8.0

The Rest ...
Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Trashy thriller starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland that the AMPAS obviously fell for.
Total Wins/Nominations: 7 nominations (Supporting Actress, Film Editing, Score, Song, B&W Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 15. December
Domestic Box Office: $7M (IMDb)
Budget: $2.2M (IMDb)
Current RT: 84%
Current IMDb: 7.5

The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Fictionalized musical about the famous Titanic survivor starring Debbie Reynolds.  While the 1960s were the golden age of the Hollywood musical, would there have been room for three in a Field of Ten?
Total Wins/Nominations: 6 nominations (Actress, Adapted Score, Sound, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Musical) winner, Golden Globe (Comedy), WGA
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 11. June
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 71%
Current IMDb: 6.5


Father Goose
Cary Grant World War II rom-com.  With three musicals in the mix, would there really be room for a comedy?  
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Original Screenplay), 2 nominations (Film Editing, Sound)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy) winner, Golden Globe (Comedy), WGA
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 10. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 75%
Current IMDb: 7.2

Seven Days in May
Anti-communist conspiracy dramatic thriller.
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Supporting Actor, B&W AD)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) 5thPlace, WGA
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 12. February
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $2.2M (IMDb)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.9

The Night of the Iguana 
Drama concerning a disgraced cleric (Richard Burton) taking a group of Baptist women on a Mexican tour. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (B&W Costumes), 3 nominations (Actress, B&W Cinematography, AD)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Laurel Awards (Drama), Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 6. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $3M (IMDb)
Current RT: 71%
Current IMDb: 7.6

Matrimonio all’Italiana (Marriage Italian-Style)
Vittorio De Sica rom-com starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Foreign Language Film, Actress)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Embassy Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 20. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.3
Fail-Safe 
Henry Fonda plays the U.S. president in this war-thriller involving a series of mistakes that could lead to a world war with Russia reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) 5thPlace
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 15. September
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 92%
Current IMDb: 8.0



One Potato, Two Potato
Interracial marriage drama. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: Cannes, WGA
Distributor: Cinema V
Release Date: 29. July
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.3

The Hill
Prison war drama set in Africa starring Sean Connery.
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: BAFTA, Cannes
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 3. October 1965
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.9

I Compagni (The Organizer)
Italian film details the plight of a striking working class. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Continental Distributing
Release Date: 6. May
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 8.0




A Hard Day’s Night 
Comedy featuring The Beatles at the height of their fame.
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Original Screenplay, Adapted Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Musical) 3rd Place
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 11. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $0.6M (IMDb)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.6



The Best Man
Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson play two men vying for the highest office in this comedy drama. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Supporting Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: WGA
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 5. April
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.7



The Americanization of Emily
Julie Andrews plays opposite James Garner as a free-wheeling naval officer. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (B&W Cinematography, AD)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) 2nd Place
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 27. October
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.2

L’Homme de Rio (That Man from Rio)
French spy film.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 8. June
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.2
The Knack…and How to Get It
London sex comedy.
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: BAFTA, Cannes winner
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 29. June 1965
Domestic Box Office: $8M worldwide (IMDb)
Budget: $0.4M (IMDb)
Current RT: 78%
Current IMDb: 6.8

Hamlet
The Russian Prince of Demark. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: BAFTA, Venice
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 15. March 1966
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT:
Current IMDb: 8.3

Séance on a Wet Afternoon
A medium plots to have a child kidnapped, so she can legitimize her limited psychic powers. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Actress)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR
Distributor: Artixo Productions
Release Date: 5. November
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 80%
Current IMDb: 8.0

The Chalk Garden
Mystery concerning a mother, her unmanageable daughter, and a governess. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Supporting Actress)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 21. May
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.4

Topkapi
International heist thriller.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Supporting Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Laurel Awards (Action-Drama) 4thPlace, WGA
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 17. September
Domestic Box Office:
Budget:
Current RT: 88%
Current IMDb: 7.0

The Pumpkin Eater
Marital drama involving Anne Bancroft playing a women with a penchant for pregnancies married to a philanderer played by Peter Finch. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Actress)
Other Awards/Nominations: BAFTA, Cannes
Distributor: Royal Films International
Release Date: 9. November
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.2

The Girl with Green Eyes
May-December romance set in Dublin. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Venice
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 10. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 6.8

The Carpetbaggers
George Peppard plays a hardened tycoon in this drama.
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) winner
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 9. April
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $3M (IMDb)
Current RT: 50%
Current IMDb: 6.3

The Pink Panther
Blake Edwards’ mystery comedy follows the exploits of Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy) 2ndPlace, WGA
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 18. March
Domestic Box Office: $10.9M (IMDb)
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 90%
Current IMDb: 7.2

A Shot in the Dark
The follow-up to hugely successful The Pink Panther. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy) 3rdPlace
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 23. June
Domestic Box Office: $12.4M (IMDb)
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.5

The World of Henry Orient
Peter Sellers stars in this romantic comedy of errors. 
Total Wins/Nominations:
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Cannes, Golden Globe (Comedy), WGA
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 19. March
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 88%
Current IMDb: 6.8

Dear Heart
Geraldine plays a spinster visiting New York City and crosses paths with a womanizer. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Song)
Other Awards/Nominations: Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 2. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.0

The Finest Hours
Winston Churchill documentary.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Documentary)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 10. November
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 8.2

Four Days in November
Cuban missile crisis documentary. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Documentary)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 7. October
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.7

Robin and the 7 Hoods
Prohibition-era musical starring members of the Rat Pack. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Song, Adapted Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Musical) 5thPlace, WGA
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 24. June
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 44%
Current IMDb: 6.3

What a Way to Go!
Black musical-comedy starring Shirley MacLaine as a woman obsessed with marriage and money. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Color AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy) 4thPlace
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 12. May
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $20M (IMDb)
Current RT: 0%
Current IMDb: 6.7
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Posted in Oscar Revisionism | No comments

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Lowest Common Snap Photographer

Posted on 7:15 PM by Unknown
Please excuse the non-movie-related posts lately, but I've entered a stream-of-consciousness mode, so please humor me.  As many you have heard, a freelance photographer took a picture of a man just before he was killed by an oncoming subway in New York City earlier this week.  Most persons, including myself, have an opinion on the matter, though it's difficult to have an informed specific stance, as all the details are not known.  What we do know is that one man pushed another man (who may have been inebriated and aggressive, which I'm unsure as to how it affected the outcome) into the pathway of the train during an altercation, which resulted in his death.  A photographer captured the moment before the subway ran him over and then sold the photo to New York Post, a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch and known for its tabloid leanings.  I've read arguments in lukewarm support of the photographer, as he is trained to instinctually capture moments as they are happening.  He's reported to have said he used the flash on his camera to alert the train of the helpless man's predicament   He would have been better off saying nothing.  For one, a flash was not used in every instance he took a picture (which may be explained away), but one only needs to look at the photo in question to notice how perfectly framed this "money" shot was.  To his defense, we have no idea at what point he entered the situation.  While my desire is to judge the guy for not dropping his camera and reaching out for the guy, I have to assume he wasn't in a position to be of any reasonable assistance.  While I'm playing armchair quarterback, I hope that if had I been there, and there was an opportunity, I would have reacted differently.  But, again, we don't know what transpired and how quickly.  It could have just as easily been the perfect storm of tragedy.  Yet, not seeing one hand reach from out from anyone, however fruitless, really stings and implicates all of us, does it not?



Setting that event aside, a transaction did result which involved the photographer actively selling the photo to the Post.  The photographer was complicit in financially benefiting from another man's death--as it was happening.  In my line of work (to pay the bills), which also involves sales, I often find myself compromising the ideal standards.  As far as I know, however, there isn't any decision which I make that involves the life or death of another person.  And, I would hope, regardless of the money involved, I would have the constitution to consider just what I was giving up for my gains.  I would hope.  To remind people that we live in a sick world where this can happen is not something I would want on my conscience.   Or would I?

But, even if you assume there was nothing the photographer could have done to save the man's life AND that a man has got to eat and pay the bills, there's the element of the Post, who had plenty of time to consider their options.  They are known for engaging in sensationalist journalism to boost the bottom-line.  Are there still not standards?  Is the public or greater good served in any way by being informed of this horrific act(s)?  Aren't we all aware of how dangerous subways can be, especially when pushed onto the tracks?  Unfortunate events occur all the time and some photos can needfully focus attention on war-time atrocities that take place, but the publishing of this photo strikes me as more insidious than informative.  Is one's impending death not private and sacred?  There's an inherent "entertainment value" in its existence that outweighs any social narrative at play, other than we need to take our own pulse and make sure there's still a heartbeat.  And, is there an argument out there that it was necessary for the photo to be displayed front and center?  I try to put myself in the shoes of those who know and/or loved him, and how they must feel seeing that photo.

YET, even if you excuse every aforementioned aspect of how this was handled (the photo being taken, sold, and printed on the front page), the final straw is really the headline, which includes, "This man is about to die," followed by "Doomed" in big block letters.  This is suggestive of a detachment void of any empathy; a calculated decision based on monetary motivation.  Money was to be made.  It's difficult to be viewed any other way.  Capitalism can be cold, but must it be this callous?

This photo splashed so visibly in the public sphere did nothing, but spark a conversation about we're willing to tolerate.  Frankly, I believe there is too much we allow.  Generally speaking, some say very little is sacred these days, the genie has left the bottle, and there is no going back.  I'm not sure if I agree.  But, this is a new low, and is reflective of what we as a society are willing to put up with.  I didn't write this post to make myself feel superior.  I wrote this post, because I didn't need to see this.  And, neither did those close to him.  The overall situation is just a tragedy squared.

You can contact the Post here to express your opinion on the matter.
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Posted in Misc. | No comments

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Second Verse, Same as the First!

Posted on 6:31 PM by Unknown
I just watched a commercial for the Words With Friends board game.  I've never played the internet sensation, which got Alec Baldwin and his temper into hot water briefly.  But, did you know there is a board game version now?  Um ... didn't it used to be called Scrabble?  LOL  Hope you're having a great week.
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Saturday, December 1, 2012

Best Supporting Actress 2012: Pimping Out the Gay Family Member

Posted on 12:56 PM by Unknown
An interesting (or not so) development has occurred in this year's Best Supporting Actress category: playing up the gay family member. Anne Hathaway, the frontrunner and eventual winner, has been vocal for quite some time about her gay brother Michael (she also has straight brother Thomas, who doesn't make for good copy, I guess). As she is Anne Hathaway, she did go a little over-the-top recently and received some flack for commenting on her new shorn appearance. "When I eventually looked in the mirror I just thought I looked like my gay brother," she told a New York audience during a private unveiling of Les Misérables Thanksgiving weekend. Now, she has two brothers. One would think she would refer to Michael as "her older brother," as most of us distinguish our siblings by age, if required. Or, if both of her brothers were older, by name, "my brother Michael." There's almost something backwoods about it: "that's curly-haired ginger brother; over there is Hefty Smurf; and, oh, that other one in the corner, he's my gay brother, but mama don't like to talk about that."  Hathaway, you love your brother Michael (and presumably Thomas), we get it.  Ultimately, you're doing a great thing by singling him out and creating more awareness.

Likely nominee Sally Field has three sons, the youngest, Sam Greisman, is also gay. He received attention recently for giving the (quite charming) introduction to her mom's HRC recognition.  His speech was hilarious and detailed the relationship hardships facing the gay son of Sally Field, which included meeting a blogger on a first-date and learning his site is called, "Shelby Drink Your Juice Dot Com."  Field has also gone on Oprah and has been spreading the word about Sam.  Ultimately, a good thing.

My more cynical side finds it suspect, but I'm glad that we live in a country where Hollywood actors are open about and proud of their gay family members. Has this happened before?  My memory sucks.  Even if it's just posturing (although, both ladies appear genuinely fond of their gays), this country has a lot of time to make up. And there are worse things on this planet then pimping your gay during Oscar season. One question: whose next? Does Amy Adams have a transgender cousin? Does Helen Hunt have a lesbian niece? Join the party! Bring it on!  Can't wait to see who is next.  Seriously.  
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Posted in Anne Hathaway, Oscar 2012, Sally Field | No comments

Best Supporting Actress 2012: Anne's Still Winning, But Who Will She Be Up Against?

Posted on 1:35 AM by Unknown
Since the last time I posted about Anne Hathaway still winning an Oscar early next year, Les Misérables has screened for specially-coordinated audiences as well as critics.  The sentiment has been quite positive, with some even speculating that it may have overtaken Lincoln in the Best Picture race. There are also clips available from what may be the final cut.  People still debate whether or not Hathaway will win or even be nominated, which is to be expected.  This is a Oscar race.  Winners CAN'T be set in stone when they haven't even been NOMINATED yet, can they?  Oh, but they can.  It's not because I am a fanboy of Hathaway and/or Les Misérables.  Embarrassingly, I've never seen a production of the show.  I went to college while it was still riding fairly high, or, at least, was fresh enough in the minds of its fans or relevant enough to constantly populate the discussion of my college choir peers (I sang for one year, but providing a warm body and some volume would be more accurate descriptors; I went to a small school and they were simply short basses).  I'm familiar with only a handful of the songs, most particularly "Master of the House," which sometimes plays a part in the annual singalong I attend up north with family.  And, I've been very clear with my ambivalence towards Hathaway.

But, to use a tired expression, the unjinxable writing indeed is on the wall and has been there for some time.  It's not a matter of being right, either.  It's just so ... obvious.  I mean, we're talking about Hollywood here.  They aren't exactly in the business of being unpredictable most of the time.  With Hathaway, it's the right role (there's singing, it's live, and, hello, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Hudson in the last ten years), right movie, right time in her career, right amount of paying dues, right amount of respected performances, right amount of box-office viability, right personal sacrifices (lopping off her hair, eating those oatmeal squares to drop those last of the twenty-five pounds), right personal elements (recent marriage), etc.  Ecstatic early word (which can always morph into something else entirely), and trailers that have been making many creams their pants (including myself) for months now.  Did I cover it all?  And, all of this, even if the movie underperforms.  I'm sure I'm missing something here.  Perhaps it's doubt, because there is none.  And, I WILL double-down even if things ever start looking slightly grim (which doesn't seem likely, but who knows), because, LOL, I love being right.  I wish I could place a bet of a lot of money on this, because I could really use the return on investment.  There is no tacit endorsement here of her performance (which I haven't seen) or person.  If Hathaway fails to win, the developing narrative (which, granted, I am perpetuating ... but, again, just by the circumstances, I would just be shocked if she didn't win) will have made a fool out of her (and me, but I think I like tempting the possibility) and I just don't see that happening.  And there really is no reaching for Nate Silver glory here, as I haven't been the only one making this prediction early on.  Though, I have to admit, the build-up to her victory has been fortunately measured, non?

The point of this post is really: who will fill up those four other slots?  Last time I posted, I was certain about Amy Adams (The Master) and Helen Hunt (The Sessions), like most, and threw in Samantha Barks (Les Misérables) and Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) to round out the category.  Hunt is still Top Three, along with new addition Sally Field (Lincoln).  I can't imagine that changing, but we'll see what the critic and award bodies have in store.  As of yet, Hunt and Fields are Hathaway's strongest competition: two former winners whom the AMPAS are in no rush to ReOscar.  I would still place Adams in the #4 slot, but not entirely certain of her chances.  HOWEVER, surprisingly, I would retain Barks.  Had I posted a week or two ago, I may have left her off.  I found the promotional team behind Les Misérables was initially playing her down in order to play up Hathaway (and I even got a little conspiracy theory about it).  Now, ahem, if Barks knocks it out of the park, which is quite possible, seeing how she has lived the role on stage for quite some time, we could clearly witness a voter split, prompting me to imagine that somehow she is left out of the race to avoid the possibility.  But, I've bored myself, as this is all meaningless until we all have, at the very least, actually seen the film.

Weaver is still a possibility, because don't underestimate the power of The Weinstein, etc.  Her performance is quite understated.  Gold Derby has Maggie Smith in the fifth spot.  And there is always the possibility of surprise ... Amanda Seyfried, Kerry Washington, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Ehle, Pauline Collins, Rosemarie Dewitt (Promised Land or her technically lead turn in Your Sister's Sister), one of the gals from Hyde Park on the Hudson or Anna Karenina.  And, oh, yeah, a realistic shot Emily Blunt (Looper) and a seemingly far-fetched one (Ann Dowd).

I'll shut up now.  Thank you for putting up with me. It feels kind of lame prognosticating at this point, especially when there are others who have seen every film in contention. #jealous

[UPDATE 12/1: Looks like I spoke too soon]
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Posted in Oscar 2012 | No comments

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Oscar Revisionism: 1965

Posted on 10:21 PM by Unknown

Since I resurrected Oscar Revisionism last week, I'm going to try to keep it going.  So, for 1965, in the decade of the Hollywood musical, perhaps one of the most famous, The Sound of Music, took home the Oscar for Best Picture over Russian war opus Doctor Zhivago.  Its star Julie Christie won her Best Actress Oscar for another Best Picture nominee, Darling.  Also in the mix were the Jason Robards romantic comedy A Thousand Clowns and the star-studded Ship of Fools.  But, what if the field had been expanded to ten?  What else would have lost to The Sound of Music?  The year was filled with cold war spys, World War II action films, some really huge races, and a couple of ingenues figuring it all out.  


The Winner
The Sound of Music
One of most beloved musicals of all time places a nun in the Austrian Alps only to have her fall in love with wealthy single father.  She then must  contend with the Nazi regime, with only the power of the alive hills to give her strength.  Having won the previous year for Mary Poppins, Andrews wouldn't enjoy a ReOscaring.  
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 wins (Picture, Director, Film Editing, Adapted Score, Sound), 5 nominations (Actress, Supporting Actress, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA winner, Golden Globe (Comedy) winner, NBR, WGA winner
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 2. March
Domestic Box Office: One of the highest grossing films of all time.
Budget: $8.2M (IMDb)
Current RT: 84%
Current IMDb: 7.9

The Nominees
Doctor Zhivago
Russian Civil War epic romance starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie based on the Boris Pasternak novel directed by David Lean. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 wins (Adapted Screenplay, Score, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes), 5 nominations (Picture, Director, Actor, Film Editing, Sound)
Other Awards/Nominations: BAFTA, Golden Globe (Drama) winner, NBR, Laurel Awards (Drama) winner, Cannes
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 22. September
Domestic Box Office: Huge
Budget: $111M (IMDb)
Current RT: 85%
Current IMDb: 8.0

Darling
Drama about a young model (Julie Christie) confronting hard truths about social hypocrisy in 1960s London. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 3 wins (Original Screenplay, Actress, B&W Costumes), 2 nominations (Picture, Director)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, NBR, NYFCC winner
Distributor: Embassy Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 3. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 75%
Current IMDb: 7.1

Ship of Fools
Ensemble drama starring Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, and Lee Marvin set aboard a German ocean liner leaving Mexico. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 wins (B&W Cinematography, AD), 6 nominations (Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actor, B&W Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Golden Globe (Drama), WGA
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 29. July
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 81%
Current IMDb: 7.1

A Thousand Clowns
Rom-com starring Jason Robards as a man forced to deal with life.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Supporting Actor), 3 nominations (Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Adapted Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, Golden Globe (Comedy)
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 13. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 67%
Current IMDb: 7.5

The Revisionism Possibilities ...
A Patch of Blue
Interracial romantic drama starring Sidney Poitier. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Supporting Actress), 4 nominations (Actress, Score, B&W AD, Cinematography)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama), Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: MGM
Release Date: 10. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $0.8M (IMDb)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.9

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg)
French-musical starring Catherine Deneuve as a young lass making her way through life. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 nominations (Foreign Language Film, Original Screenplay, Song, Score, Adapted Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: Cannes Winnre
Distributor: Landau Releasing Organization (LRO)
Release Date: 16. December 1964
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 98%
Current IMDb: 7.8

Cat Ballou
Jane Fonda plays the title character in this comic western about a woman who hires a gunman for protection. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Actor), 4 nominations (Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Son, Adapted Score)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Laurel Awards (Comedy) winner, Golden Globe (Comedy), Berlin, WGA
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 24. June
Domestic Box Office: $20M (Wikipedia)
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 6.8

The Collector 
Perhaps a precursor to The Silence of the Lambs, William Wyler directed this thriller about a butterfly enthusiast (Terrence Stamp) who adds a woman (Samantha Eggar) to his collection.  Kind of cool to contemplate that it may have gotten in.  
Total Wins/Nominations: 3 nominations (Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actress)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) 5thPlace, Cannes, Golden Globe (Drama), WGA
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 17. June
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.5

The Agony and the Ecstasy
This Carol Reed drama has Charlton Heston playing Michelangelo to Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius II.
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 nominations (Score, Sound, Color Cinematography, AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 7. October
Domestic Box Office: $4M (IMDb)
Budget: $7.2M (Wikipedia)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 6.9

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The very first film John le Carré adaptation from the thinking man’s Ian Fleming. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Actor, B&W AD)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, BAFTA, WGA
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 16. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 83%
Current IMDb: 7.6


The Greatest Story Ever Told
The title says it all, no?  Was the George Stevens epic great enough to make it for that year’s Oscar Top Ten? 
Total Wins/Nominations: 5 nominations (Score, Visual Effects, Color Cinematography, AD, Costume Design)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 15. February
Domestic Box Office: $12M (Wikipedia)
Budget: $20M (IMDb)
Current RT: 37%
Current IMDb: 6.3


The Pawnbroker
A Holocaust survivor rebuilds his life in New York in this Sidney Lumet drama that took on the censorboard (and won). 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Berlin, Laurel Awards (Drama) 4th Place, WGA winner
Distributor: Allied Artists Pictures
Release Date: 20. April
Domestic Box Office: $3M (Wikipedia)
Budget: $0.9M (Wikipedia)
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.8

Othello
Shakespeare classic about the titular Moor manipulated into a murderous fit of jealousy starring Laurence Olivier complete in, omg, blackface. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 4 nominations (Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 15. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 80%
Current IMDb: 7.4

Suna no Onna (Woman in the Dunes)
Japanese film about an entomologist who stumbles upon a widow, with whom he has trouble escaping and they contend with being surrounded by sand. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Director, Foreign Language Film)
Other Awards/Nominations: Cannes
Distributor: Pathé Contemporary Films
Release Date: 25. October 1964
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 8.4

King Rat
World War II POW survival drama starring George Segal.
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (B&W Cinematography, AD)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: 27. October
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.6

The Train
World War II action film involving the French verses the Germans during an art heist. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR, BAFTA
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 7. March
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $6.7M (IMDb)
Current RT: 86%
Current IMDb: 7.8

Shenandoah
Pacifist Civil War drama starring James Stewart.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Sound)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Drama) 3rdPlace
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 3. June
Domestic Box Office: $17.2M (IMDb)
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 7.3

Thunderball
Bond, James Bond.  One of only two in the franchise to win an Oscar.
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Visual Effects)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Action-Drama) winner
Distributor: United Artists
Release Date: 21. December
Domestic Box Office: $64M (IMDb)
Budget: $9M (IMDb)
Current RT: 88%
Current IMDb: 7.0

The Flight of the Phoenix
James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, and Ernest Borgnine must survive the Saharan desert after their aircraft crashes. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (Supporting Actor, Film Editing)
Other Awards/Nominations: Golden Globe (Drama)
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 15. December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $5.4M (Wikipedia)
Current RT: 88%
Current IMDb: 7.6

Morituri
World War II naval drama set in India starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 2 nominations (B&W Cinematography, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 25. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $6.3M (Wikipedia)
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 6.9

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
A comedy set in the early 1900s about an air race across the English Channel. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy) 4thPlace, Golden Globe (Comedy)
Distributor: TCFFC
Release Date: 16. June
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $5.6M (IMDb) - $6.5M (Wikipedia)
Current RT: 71%
Current IMDb: 6.9

The Great Race 
Blake Edwards early 1900s-set comedy with self-explanatory title with an all-star cast including Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, and Peter Falk. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Sound Effects), 4 nominations (Film Editing, Song, Sound, Color Cinematography)
Other Awards/Nominations: Laurel Awards (Comedy), Golden Globe (Comedy)
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: 1. July
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $12M (IMDb) – considered most expensive comedy ever produced up until that point.
Current RT: 77%
Current IMDb: 7.1

The Ipcress File
Another, lesser known version from another thinking man’s Ian Fleming?
Total Wins/Nominations: 0
Other Awards/Nominations: DGA, Cannes
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2. August
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: 100%
Current IMDb: 7.3

Casanova 70
Marcello Mastroianni plays a lothario who can’t settle down in this Italian comedy. 
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 nomination (Original Screenplay)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Embassy Pictures Corporation
Release Date: 20. July
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 6.2

Inside Daisy Clover
Romance starring Natalie Wood and Robert Redford about a starry-eyed young woman hoping to make it in Tinsel Town
Total Wins/Nominations: 3 nominations (Supporting Actress, Color AD, Costumes)
Other Awards/Nominations: N/A
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: December
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: $4.5M (IMDb)
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 6.3

The Eleanor Roosevelt Story
Total Wins/Nominations: 1 win (Documentary)
Other Awards/Nominations: NBR winner
Distributor: Allied Artists Pictures
Release Date: 8. November
Domestic Box Office: N/A
Budget: N/A
Current RT: N/A
Current IMDb: 6.7
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