Embedded Files
The Best Picture award at the Oscars has always interested me. To pick one film to define a year of cinema is absurd to me (especially when the movies they picked aren't stellar). I decided to watch all of them to see if they truly were some of the best films in cinematic history.
11/07/22 "Wings" 1927
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Last One
This was the first winning film and this is one that feels like an Oscar movie, and I mean that in the best way. The effects are done really well for the day and the characters seem very modern. I got very invested in the lives of these characters and their struggles with war and at home. Also, the dialogue cards have great writing and the backgrounds have designs in the back that tell us about the plot and/or the mood of the scene. This movie also has a very young Gary Cooper which was a shock to see. This film somewhat shows the horrors of war, but I feel like "All Quiet On The Western Front" does this better.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Last One
This was the first winning film and this is one that feels like an Oscar movie, and I mean that in the best way. The effects are done really well for the day and the characters seem very modern. I got very invested in the lives of these characters and their struggles with war and at home. Also, the dialogue cards have great writing and the backgrounds have designs in the back that tell us about the plot and/or the mood of the scene. This movie also has a very young Gary Cooper which was a shock to see. This film somewhat shows the horrors of war, but I feel like "All Quiet On The Western Front" does this better.
4/19/22 "The Broadway Melody" 1929
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Like Ya? Why Queenie I... *MOANS*"
Ruh-roh. This was the first movie musical and it shows. The plot was too simple and the songs were terrible. "The Broadway Melody" and "You Were Meant For Me" were the only two good songs in this entire movie, the rest were terrible. It's weird to think that this movie came out after Gershwin wrote several of his musicals after Irving Berlin wrote his music after Louis Armstrong made 5 albums. The story is about two sisters trying to "make it big" on Broadway, but one of them has an affair with their sister's husband. There's also this HILARIOUS character that studders... GET IT? This movie is barely a musical, they don't sing their emotions like other movie musicals, they only sing when they're putting on the show which doesn't really make it that much of a musical IMO. The thing is, there are musicals that have a show within a show like "White Christmas", but they also have songs where they sing their emotions. This was also the first film with sound to win the best picture since the audiences were like "Say, Pal! This picture is the Bee's Knees! Let's a Bronx Cheer as we sip upon our giggle water!" Better seen in a history book than on the screen.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Like Ya? Why Queenie I... *MOANS*"
Ruh-roh. This was the first movie musical and it shows. The plot was too simple and the songs were terrible. "The Broadway Melody" and "You Were Meant For Me" were the only two good songs in this entire movie, the rest were terrible. It's weird to think that this movie came out after Gershwin wrote several of his musicals after Irving Berlin wrote his music after Louis Armstrong made 5 albums. The story is about two sisters trying to "make it big" on Broadway, but one of them has an affair with their sister's husband. There's also this HILARIOUS character that studders... GET IT? This movie is barely a musical, they don't sing their emotions like other movie musicals, they only sing when they're putting on the show which doesn't really make it that much of a musical IMO. The thing is, there are musicals that have a show within a show like "White Christmas", but they also have songs where they sing their emotions. This was also the first film with sound to win the best picture since the audiences were like "Say, Pal! This picture is the Bee's Knees! Let's a Bronx Cheer as we sip upon our giggle water!" Better seen in a history book than on the screen.
"All Quiet On The Western Front" 1930
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You still think it's beautiful to die for your country. The first bombardment taught us better. When it comes to dying for country, it's better not to die at all."
I remember watching this in a history class and being shocked at how well it held up. This is a true anti-war film and does a great job of showing the horrors of war. It's a truly depressing film where we follow a group of young German boys wanting to become soldiers and risk their lives for their country, but when they get there they realize that war is more than just a game. This totally deserved to win the best picture Oscar, just amazing
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You still think it's beautiful to die for your country. The first bombardment taught us better. When it comes to dying for country, it's better not to die at all."
I remember watching this in a history class and being shocked at how well it held up. This is a true anti-war film and does a great job of showing the horrors of war. It's a truly depressing film where we follow a group of young German boys wanting to become soldiers and risk their lives for their country, but when they get there they realize that war is more than just a game. This totally deserved to win the best picture Oscar, just amazing
11/12/22 "Cimarron" 1931
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "*Intense cow noises*"
Another best picture win (the first of the three Westerns) and this one is an awful one! This film has to be one of the dullest and slowest I've seen. Let's start off with the audio mixing. I saw one review that said that this movie feels like a party where you can never quite hear one another. The story also seems all over the place, going from western to melodrama to courtroom drama. It's a shame because this movie has a good idea, the movie is about the change from the wild west to the modern 1920s. They don't really focus on this, rather they jump from tired storyline to tired storyline. Some people might write off this movie for being an older movie, but 1931 gave us City Lights, Frankenstein, Dracula, Little Caesar, and Monkey Business, so this movie has no excuse
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "*Intense cow noises*"
Another best picture win (the first of the three Westerns) and this one is an awful one! This film has to be one of the dullest and slowest I've seen. Let's start off with the audio mixing. I saw one review that said that this movie feels like a party where you can never quite hear one another. The story also seems all over the place, going from western to melodrama to courtroom drama. It's a shame because this movie has a good idea, the movie is about the change from the wild west to the modern 1920s. They don't really focus on this, rather they jump from tired storyline to tired storyline. Some people might write off this movie for being an older movie, but 1931 gave us City Lights, Frankenstein, Dracula, Little Caesar, and Monkey Business, so this movie has no excuse
8/3/22 "Grand Hotel" 1932
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I never thought something so beautiful can happen to me"
If you can believe it, ANOTHER Oscar winning movie. This is a pretty notable film for being the first film to have several A-listers. Back in the day, you would only see one or two A-listers together, but MGM was one of the first ones to think "What if we put all of our top stars in one film together!". I'm going to come forward and say that I don't get the hype for Greta Garbo. She wasn't that good in this movie and this is considered her best movie. This is the one where she says the famous "I want to be alone." I just feel like she overacts way too much. She tries to treat every line like it's a Shakespearean monologue, but that's just not natural. I also don't like how she's listed at the very top despite barely being in it. Joan Crawford did great in this movie along with John and Lionel Barrymore. I appreciate how they do the ensemble cast but actually have them interact with each and have each one progress the story (Still looking at you Love Actually). This was just okay, it deserved the Oscar for that year, but that year was kind of slow when it came to the Oscars
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I never thought something so beautiful can happen to me"
If you can believe it, ANOTHER Oscar winning movie. This is a pretty notable film for being the first film to have several A-listers. Back in the day, you would only see one or two A-listers together, but MGM was one of the first ones to think "What if we put all of our top stars in one film together!". I'm going to come forward and say that I don't get the hype for Greta Garbo. She wasn't that good in this movie and this is considered her best movie. This is the one where she says the famous "I want to be alone." I just feel like she overacts way too much. She tries to treat every line like it's a Shakespearean monologue, but that's just not natural. I also don't like how she's listed at the very top despite barely being in it. Joan Crawford did great in this movie along with John and Lionel Barrymore. I appreciate how they do the ensemble cast but actually have them interact with each and have each one progress the story (Still looking at you Love Actually). This was just okay, it deserved the Oscar for that year, but that year was kind of slow when it came to the Oscars
6/2/22 "Cavalcade" 1933
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "*British laughter*"
This film doesn't exactly know what it wants to be. Cavalcade is the 1933 oscar winning movie about a family experiencing the years 1899-1933 and all of the crazy things people went through. I feel like one part of it wants to document all of the atrocities that have occurred through the turn of the century while another part wants it to be a big family drama. Some of the events seem very shoehorned in. In one scene, two characters are talking about how they're finally ready to relax and take a vacation after all of the crazy years they lived through, when they move out of the way however the lifesaver says "Titanic", meaning that they are going to crash soon. I feel like this should not have won the Oscar, especially against some big names in cinema-like "42nd Street" and "Little Women". I would only watch this film if you're like me and are trying to watch every best picture.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "*British laughter*"
This film doesn't exactly know what it wants to be. Cavalcade is the 1933 oscar winning movie about a family experiencing the years 1899-1933 and all of the crazy things people went through. I feel like one part of it wants to document all of the atrocities that have occurred through the turn of the century while another part wants it to be a big family drama. Some of the events seem very shoehorned in. In one scene, two characters are talking about how they're finally ready to relax and take a vacation after all of the crazy years they lived through, when they move out of the way however the lifesaver says "Titanic", meaning that they are going to crash soon. I feel like this should not have won the Oscar, especially against some big names in cinema-like "42nd Street" and "Little Women". I would only watch this film if you're like me and are trying to watch every best picture.
"It Happened One Night" 1934
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Oh Yeah?!" "Wow! What a great comeback, I can't believe I didn't think of that"
This film set the blueprint for comedies for years. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is incredible, the jokes are still hilarious, and the plot is really smart. It's about a spoiled, rich girl having to trek through the east coast to try to escape her wedding, where she meets a street-smart middle class reporter who agrees to take her with him, if he gets the story rights. Frank Capra wrote and directed this film and it shows. This was the first comedy Best Picture winner, and it deserves it.;
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Oh Yeah?!" "Wow! What a great comeback, I can't believe I didn't think of that"
This film set the blueprint for comedies for years. The chemistry between Gable and Colbert is incredible, the jokes are still hilarious, and the plot is really smart. It's about a spoiled, rich girl having to trek through the east coast to try to escape her wedding, where she meets a street-smart middle class reporter who agrees to take her with him, if he gets the story rights. Frank Capra wrote and directed this film and it shows. This was the first comedy Best Picture winner, and it deserves it.;
11/17/22 "Mutiny on the Bounty" 1935
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I asked your name, not the history of your misfortunes."
This is another Best Picture winner, but one that deserves to win. It tells the story of the ship the bounty and how terribly the crew is treated by Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton), and how his shipmate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) committed mutiny and kicked him out of the ship. These two actors are so incredibly great. Charles Laughton plays such an unlikable villain that you just want him out of there. The movie is also shot pretty well and has some actually funny moments. There are also some great dramatic moments where you can really see how the crew is tortured horribly (like the dead body that gets whipped at the beginning for crimes it did when it was alive). My one gripe with this film is how anti-climatic the mutiny was. Well, maybe the REAL mutiny on the bounty was the friends we made along the way!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I asked your name, not the history of your misfortunes."
This is another Best Picture winner, but one that deserves to win. It tells the story of the ship the bounty and how terribly the crew is treated by Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton), and how his shipmate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) committed mutiny and kicked him out of the ship. These two actors are so incredibly great. Charles Laughton plays such an unlikable villain that you just want him out of there. The movie is also shot pretty well and has some actually funny moments. There are also some great dramatic moments where you can really see how the crew is tortured horribly (like the dead body that gets whipped at the beginning for crimes it did when it was alive). My one gripe with this film is how anti-climatic the mutiny was. Well, maybe the REAL mutiny on the bounty was the friends we made along the way!
1/30/23 "The Great Ziegfeld" 1936
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yes, I'm trying to lose weight." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
More like the MEH Ziegfeld! This won best picture and is just a confused movie. It can't decide whether it wants to be a drama about the life of the legendary Ziegfeld (Of Ziegfeld's Follies) or just a showcase of how rich MGM was. This film was just shoving its wealth into your face with elaborate 15-minute-long musical numbers and it just gets too much. Sometimes I forgot I was watching a biography on Ziegfeld which is a shame because William Powell does an incredible job. He's funny in the role and is very natural. This movie didn't age too well though with several questionable sequences like a minstrel number and several odd encounters with little girls. But there is no way that this film is better than Modern Times which wasn't even nominated. Even Mr. Deed goes to Town deserved the win more than this. There's a reason no one really talks about it
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yes, I'm trying to lose weight." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
More like the MEH Ziegfeld! This won best picture and is just a confused movie. It can't decide whether it wants to be a drama about the life of the legendary Ziegfeld (Of Ziegfeld's Follies) or just a showcase of how rich MGM was. This film was just shoving its wealth into your face with elaborate 15-minute-long musical numbers and it just gets too much. Sometimes I forgot I was watching a biography on Ziegfeld which is a shame because William Powell does an incredible job. He's funny in the role and is very natural. This movie didn't age too well though with several questionable sequences like a minstrel number and several odd encounters with little girls. But there is no way that this film is better than Modern Times which wasn't even nominated. Even Mr. Deed goes to Town deserved the win more than this. There's a reason no one really talks about it
11/16/22 "The Life Of Emile Zola" 1937
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I shall tell the truth. Because if I did not, my nights would be haunted by the specter of an innocent man expiating under the most frightful torture a crime he never committed."
Yet another Oscar-winning movie, and arguably one of the most forgotten, and it definitely feels like it should be. It started off very strong, they gave us great reasons to like Emile Zola, but I feel he doesn't do a lot here. This film has some awful pacing, it's not even 2 hours but it feels like 3. It just doesn't end. Side note, he does not look like he does in the poster, I don't know where they got that image but that's just not him. Emile Zola is a real person, a French author who wrote what he saw and didn't care about being censored, and yet he is one of the smallest roles in this film. The real-life Dreyfuss Affair was about a Jewish man being sentenced to life in jail for being accused of communicating secrets to the German army. Emile Zola tried to point out how wrong this was by releasing "J'Accuse!", an open letter about how he accuses the French government of being Anti-Semitic and not having enough evidence to prove he's guilty. The problem is they don't bring up the fact that Dreyfuss was Jewish at all. They didn't even bring up the anti-Semitic subject matter, the main reason why people still use it as an example of antisemitism. They were afraid this might sound like they were picking sides in the second world war. So in a movie about a man not being afraid to tell people how it is, they covered up the most important part of the Dreyfuss case after being of what the other countries would think of them. The Dreyfuss Affair happens for no reason in this movie. The Lost Horizon, The Awful Truth, and the very first "A Star Is Born" lost to this film and it doesn't deserve its spot. It's even in the national film registry for some reason. Sorry future generations.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I shall tell the truth. Because if I did not, my nights would be haunted by the specter of an innocent man expiating under the most frightful torture a crime he never committed."
Yet another Oscar-winning movie, and arguably one of the most forgotten, and it definitely feels like it should be. It started off very strong, they gave us great reasons to like Emile Zola, but I feel he doesn't do a lot here. This film has some awful pacing, it's not even 2 hours but it feels like 3. It just doesn't end. Side note, he does not look like he does in the poster, I don't know where they got that image but that's just not him. Emile Zola is a real person, a French author who wrote what he saw and didn't care about being censored, and yet he is one of the smallest roles in this film. The real-life Dreyfuss Affair was about a Jewish man being sentenced to life in jail for being accused of communicating secrets to the German army. Emile Zola tried to point out how wrong this was by releasing "J'Accuse!", an open letter about how he accuses the French government of being Anti-Semitic and not having enough evidence to prove he's guilty. The problem is they don't bring up the fact that Dreyfuss was Jewish at all. They didn't even bring up the anti-Semitic subject matter, the main reason why people still use it as an example of antisemitism. They were afraid this might sound like they were picking sides in the second world war. So in a movie about a man not being afraid to tell people how it is, they covered up the most important part of the Dreyfuss case after being of what the other countries would think of them. The Dreyfuss Affair happens for no reason in this movie. The Lost Horizon, The Awful Truth, and the very first "A Star Is Born" lost to this film and it doesn't deserve its spot. It's even in the national film registry for some reason. Sorry future generations.
1/27/22 "You Can't Take It With You" 1938
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Maybe it'd stop you trying to be so desperate about making more money than you can ever use? You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends."
Yikes. I really wanted to like this one. It's one of the only Oscar Winning movies to be a comedy. I really like Frank Capra Movies (Mr. Smith goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, It's a Wonderful Life), so I really thought I would like this. And it has JIMMY STEWART, one of my favorite actors in it. This movie was a little too wacky for me. It's the classic tale of two people who are engaged having their parents meet, but one of them is too normal while the other ones is quirky. Also, it's funny seeing the parallels between this and Capra's next project "It's a wonderful Life" both starring Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart. There's even a scene where various characters make hefty donations in both. Overall, not the best
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Maybe it'd stop you trying to be so desperate about making more money than you can ever use? You can't take it with you, Mr. Kirby. So what good is it? As near as I can see, the only thing you can take with you is the love of your friends."
Yikes. I really wanted to like this one. It's one of the only Oscar Winning movies to be a comedy. I really like Frank Capra Movies (Mr. Smith goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, It's a Wonderful Life), so I really thought I would like this. And it has JIMMY STEWART, one of my favorite actors in it. This movie was a little too wacky for me. It's the classic tale of two people who are engaged having their parents meet, but one of them is too normal while the other ones is quirky. Also, it's funny seeing the parallels between this and Capra's next project "It's a wonderful Life" both starring Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart. There's even a scene where various characters make hefty donations in both. Overall, not the best
"Gone With The Wind" 1939
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"
This film has some of the most gorgeous visuals in any film with some pretty horrible racism. I swear it feels like this film ended 5 times and yet it kept going. It does an alright job at keeping your attention for those 4 hours, but as I whole I don't see myself rewatching this at any time. They should've ended it at my favorite quote.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn"
This film has some of the most gorgeous visuals in any film with some pretty horrible racism. I swear it feels like this film ended 5 times and yet it kept going. It does an alright job at keeping your attention for those 4 hours, but as I whole I don't see myself rewatching this at any time. They should've ended it at my favorite quote.
6/17/22 "Rebecca" 1940
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I am Mrs. De Winter."
You can sort of tell this was an early Hitchcock. It still has the Hitchcock classics with suspense and the "Hitchcockian Heart Beat" but doesn't really get the same amount of pacing as the others. The story is still really intriguing and the twist surprised me. The lighting in this movie is really powerful. I'm a sucker for chiaroscuro lighting and black-and-white visuals. I feel like black and white elevates certain stories (like Noir, Horror, and Crime) while technicolor elevates others (Musicals, Comedies, and Animation), they still work flipped but I feel like the color of a movie really helps with the tone and this film being in black and white helps with it's the darker subject matter. This movie was the first Thriller to win an Oscar. Only three other thriller films have won the Oscars (No Country for Old Men, Argo, and Parasite). This film is really good, but did it deserve the Oscar? I feel like it does deserve it, but I feel like "The Great Dictator" (which was a nominee that year) deserved it more. Besides that, this is still a great film that you should see at least once in your life.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I am Mrs. De Winter."
You can sort of tell this was an early Hitchcock. It still has the Hitchcock classics with suspense and the "Hitchcockian Heart Beat" but doesn't really get the same amount of pacing as the others. The story is still really intriguing and the twist surprised me. The lighting in this movie is really powerful. I'm a sucker for chiaroscuro lighting and black-and-white visuals. I feel like black and white elevates certain stories (like Noir, Horror, and Crime) while technicolor elevates others (Musicals, Comedies, and Animation), they still work flipped but I feel like the color of a movie really helps with the tone and this film being in black and white helps with it's the darker subject matter. This movie was the first Thriller to win an Oscar. Only three other thriller films have won the Oscars (No Country for Old Men, Argo, and Parasite). This film is really good, but did it deserve the Oscar? I feel like it does deserve it, but I feel like "The Great Dictator" (which was a nominee that year) deserved it more. Besides that, this is still a great film that you should see at least once in your life.
12/6/22 "How Green Was My Valley" 1941
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "How Green Was My Valley"
This movie nowadays is known for one thing, beating Citizen Kane for best picture. I feel like, though I'm not a big fan of Citizen Kane, that should've won the Oscar. This was horrible. This won best directing, which I think was just because the academy liked John Ford. If this wasn't directed by him I guarantee you this wouldn't have won. The plot is slow, and for some reason every five minutes the town sings a big song together, but it's not a musical. Really bad.
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "How Green Was My Valley"
This movie nowadays is known for one thing, beating Citizen Kane for best picture. I feel like, though I'm not a big fan of Citizen Kane, that should've won the Oscar. This was horrible. This won best directing, which I think was just because the academy liked John Ford. If this wasn't directed by him I guarantee you this wouldn't have won. The plot is slow, and for some reason every five minutes the town sings a big song together, but it's not a musical. Really bad.
11/23/22 "Mrs. Miniver" 1942
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat book full of big words and think you're going to solve all the problems in the universe. But you're not, you know. A bit of action is required every now and then."
This is yet another Oscar-winning movie, and another forgotten one. I feel like this just has barely any plot. The whole thing is about a flower contest in a local town where there's a flower named after our main character, Mrs. Miniver. The thing is, world war 2 is also going on and that's basically the whole movie. It's mainly just the difference between domestic Britain to the second world war, but they only really show the war once. This was incredibly boring and the pacing was all over the place. There were a few really good scenes, but only two. Definitely shouldn't have won, especially against some highly regarded films like "The Magnificent Ambersons", "Pride of the Yankees", and "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I know how comfortable it is to curl up with a nice, fat book full of big words and think you're going to solve all the problems in the universe. But you're not, you know. A bit of action is required every now and then."
This is yet another Oscar-winning movie, and another forgotten one. I feel like this just has barely any plot. The whole thing is about a flower contest in a local town where there's a flower named after our main character, Mrs. Miniver. The thing is, world war 2 is also going on and that's basically the whole movie. It's mainly just the difference between domestic Britain to the second world war, but they only really show the war once. This was incredibly boring and the pacing was all over the place. There were a few really good scenes, but only two. Definitely shouldn't have won, especially against some highly regarded films like "The Magnificent Ambersons", "Pride of the Yankees", and "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
"Casablanca" 1943
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine"
This was the film that inspired my true love for classic cinema. Everything about this film is perfection. The plot, the characters, and especially the writing. This is one of the most quotable films of all time and has arguably the most famous ending ever. I wanted to watch this film specifically for that melancholy ending. The German national anthem vs French national anthem theme will never fail to make me tear up. Most of the people in the film were actually refugees from war, so their tears were real. It's such a powerful film that still entices viewers to this very day
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine"
This was the film that inspired my true love for classic cinema. Everything about this film is perfection. The plot, the characters, and especially the writing. This is one of the most quotable films of all time and has arguably the most famous ending ever. I wanted to watch this film specifically for that melancholy ending. The German national anthem vs French national anthem theme will never fail to make me tear up. Most of the people in the film were actually refugees from war, so their tears were real. It's such a powerful film that still entices viewers to this very day
6/21/22 "Going My Way" 1944
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "A golf course is nothing but a poolroom moved outdoors.."
I didn't think that I would like this film as much as I did. This was always ranked very low when it came to Oscar Winning movies (this won by the way) but I feel like it's because of how different this feels from many of the Oscar-winning movies from the time. Not only is this a comedy, but it's also a musical which were two things that the Oscars hated in the 40s. It's a really sweet movie with some nice music and great characters. I like Bing Crosby's character Father O'Malley because he's just trying his hardest but always seems to come up a little short, he tries to join a church but he has a very different style to his preaching. Instead of being judgmental he "goes his own way" and uses positive tactics to solve problems. An example of this is taking the troublesome boys outside of the church and instead of punishing them for their work in the gang, he has them make a choir to get them off of the street. This probably shouldn't have won the Oscar (it should've gone to "Double Indemnity") but I'm glad I watched this
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "A golf course is nothing but a poolroom moved outdoors.."
I didn't think that I would like this film as much as I did. This was always ranked very low when it came to Oscar Winning movies (this won by the way) but I feel like it's because of how different this feels from many of the Oscar-winning movies from the time. Not only is this a comedy, but it's also a musical which were two things that the Oscars hated in the 40s. It's a really sweet movie with some nice music and great characters. I like Bing Crosby's character Father O'Malley because he's just trying his hardest but always seems to come up a little short, he tries to join a church but he has a very different style to his preaching. Instead of being judgmental he "goes his own way" and uses positive tactics to solve problems. An example of this is taking the troublesome boys outside of the church and instead of punishing them for their work in the gang, he has them make a choir to get them off of the street. This probably shouldn't have won the Oscar (it should've gone to "Double Indemnity") but I'm glad I watched this
7/28/22 "The Lost Weekend" 1945
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Out there in that great big concrete jungle, I wonder how many others there are like me? Poor bedeviled guys on fire with thirst. Such comical figures, to the rest of the world, as they stagger blindly towards another binge, another bender, another spree."
Incredible, I wouldn't expect anything less from Billy Wilder. Billy Wilder has a talent for writing tragic characters, that's why I believe his films are so critically acclaimed. This film is no different. This film is all about addiction and what it can do to a person. Don Birnam is willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get his next fix and we can see how he gets increasingly desperate. This movie has some really artistic shots that set it apart from other films. One sequence I love is the Opera sequence where the camera is focused on the action of the singers at first, but as the opera goes on the camera shifts towards following where the alcohol is going on stage. This is to show how Don Birnam is more focused on his lust for the alcohol than the actual play to the point where at the end we don't see who's singing since he's more focused on the champagne. After that the singers turn into his trenchcoat and zooms into his pocket to show that he has some rye in there, after remembering this he leaves the opera to get to the coat check in order to get a hit. There's one transition that's really subtle but really gets the job done. When he's at a bar and it pans down to the counter and it slowly cuts to seeing more rings on the table showing how he's had several drinks. This was one of the first films to ever portray alcohol this way since this was the era of noir and selling alcohol as something cool. This won the Oscar and I feel like it deserves it, although this was the same year as Mildred Pierce which I feel is on the same level as this film. I debate with myself on which one deserved it more, but both are great movies.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Out there in that great big concrete jungle, I wonder how many others there are like me? Poor bedeviled guys on fire with thirst. Such comical figures, to the rest of the world, as they stagger blindly towards another binge, another bender, another spree."
Incredible, I wouldn't expect anything less from Billy Wilder. Billy Wilder has a talent for writing tragic characters, that's why I believe his films are so critically acclaimed. This film is no different. This film is all about addiction and what it can do to a person. Don Birnam is willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get his next fix and we can see how he gets increasingly desperate. This movie has some really artistic shots that set it apart from other films. One sequence I love is the Opera sequence where the camera is focused on the action of the singers at first, but as the opera goes on the camera shifts towards following where the alcohol is going on stage. This is to show how Don Birnam is more focused on his lust for the alcohol than the actual play to the point where at the end we don't see who's singing since he's more focused on the champagne. After that the singers turn into his trenchcoat and zooms into his pocket to show that he has some rye in there, after remembering this he leaves the opera to get to the coat check in order to get a hit. There's one transition that's really subtle but really gets the job done. When he's at a bar and it pans down to the counter and it slowly cuts to seeing more rings on the table showing how he's had several drinks. This was one of the first films to ever portray alcohol this way since this was the era of noir and selling alcohol as something cool. This won the Oscar and I feel like it deserves it, although this was the same year as Mildred Pierce which I feel is on the same level as this film. I debate with myself on which one deserved it more, but both are great movies.
1/5/22 "The Best Years Of Our Lives" 1946
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just going to sum the whole thing up in one word." *Wife shakes her head "no"* "My wife doesn't think I'd better sum it up in that one word."
This movie is an endearing look at soldiers' lives after the second world war. It focuses on three men in different parts of their lives. Al, (an older man who has a wife and a child), Fred (a newlywed), and Homer (a soldier who lost his arms in battle and's seeing his girlfriend again) all meet on the plane ride home and all keep meeting each other. It's sort of like "Modern Family" in the way that the story is divided between three families that keep intertwining and meeting. The best part of this movie has to be Homer, the army man who lost his hands. They show so much humanity in this character and the actor, Harold Russell, shines through even though he's never acted before. He actually lost his arms in war, so he wears metal hooks in the movie. Overall, this movie is a really good story about how difficult it is to adjust back to the world after the war. The cinematography in this film is spectacular. They got the same guy who framed "Citizen Kane" to do this movie. They use a wide array of interesting shots and inspired framing. My only problem with this movie is the balancing of the three stories. I feel like they spent a lot of time on Al and Fred's story, while Homer's scenes are few and far between. It's a long movie, not too long of a story. It feels like some scenes were just filler. Besides that, this is a great film. This feels really modern while retaining the charm of classic 1940s cinema. If you have 3 hours to spare, I would definitely watch this movie
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just going to sum the whole thing up in one word." *Wife shakes her head "no"* "My wife doesn't think I'd better sum it up in that one word."
This movie is an endearing look at soldiers' lives after the second world war. It focuses on three men in different parts of their lives. Al, (an older man who has a wife and a child), Fred (a newlywed), and Homer (a soldier who lost his arms in battle and's seeing his girlfriend again) all meet on the plane ride home and all keep meeting each other. It's sort of like "Modern Family" in the way that the story is divided between three families that keep intertwining and meeting. The best part of this movie has to be Homer, the army man who lost his hands. They show so much humanity in this character and the actor, Harold Russell, shines through even though he's never acted before. He actually lost his arms in war, so he wears metal hooks in the movie. Overall, this movie is a really good story about how difficult it is to adjust back to the world after the war. The cinematography in this film is spectacular. They got the same guy who framed "Citizen Kane" to do this movie. They use a wide array of interesting shots and inspired framing. My only problem with this movie is the balancing of the three stories. I feel like they spent a lot of time on Al and Fred's story, while Homer's scenes are few and far between. It's a long movie, not too long of a story. It feels like some scenes were just filler. Besides that, this is a great film. This feels really modern while retaining the charm of classic 1940s cinema. If you have 3 hours to spare, I would definitely watch this movie
11/27/23 "Gentleman's Agreement" 1947
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I never realized pain could be so... sharp."
A best picture winner, and a good one at that. This film is about a reporter who's given a story on anti-Semitism and decides to tell people that he's Jewish for 6 months so he can see what it's like. Gregory Peck does such a great job in this role. This is definitely a precursor to his role as Atticus Finch in the way, he explains these difficult topics to a kid. It's a testament to both the writers and the acting of Gregory Peck. They really tackle the domestic anti-semitism (the Gentleman's Agreement) but they don't really tackle the issue as a whole. This movie was almost not going to get made since it was so ahead of its time. This feels like a step up from the best picture from the previous decade's "Life of Emile Zola" which was too afraid to say the word "Jew". This film deserves the Best Picture for that year
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I never realized pain could be so... sharp."
A best picture winner, and a good one at that. This film is about a reporter who's given a story on anti-Semitism and decides to tell people that he's Jewish for 6 months so he can see what it's like. Gregory Peck does such a great job in this role. This is definitely a precursor to his role as Atticus Finch in the way, he explains these difficult topics to a kid. It's a testament to both the writers and the acting of Gregory Peck. They really tackle the domestic anti-semitism (the Gentleman's Agreement) but they don't really tackle the issue as a whole. This movie was almost not going to get made since it was so ahead of its time. This feels like a step up from the best picture from the previous decade's "Life of Emile Zola" which was too afraid to say the word "Jew". This film deserves the Best Picture for that year
12/09/22 "Hamlet" 1948
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "To be... or not to be... that is the question"
This is my first time ever hearing the Hamlet story, and I've got to say it's pretty solid. This Oscar-winning movie was actually directed by Laurence Olivier and also stars him in the lead role. He does a great job, and though the dialogue was a little hard to understand, the emotion in their voice really pushes this film forward. This movie gets flack because Olivier cut about half the lines in the play, but I mean... I feel like that made it better. The movie itself is 2 hours and 33 minutes, if it were longer I don't think it wouldn't have felt the same. The pacing was surprisingly good and it has a great atmosphere which really adds to the story. Not the worst to win the best picture, but I feel like Rope deserved to win (but that's probably just the Hitchcock fan in me).
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "To be... or not to be... that is the question"
This is my first time ever hearing the Hamlet story, and I've got to say it's pretty solid. This Oscar-winning movie was actually directed by Laurence Olivier and also stars him in the lead role. He does a great job, and though the dialogue was a little hard to understand, the emotion in their voice really pushes this film forward. This movie gets flack because Olivier cut about half the lines in the play, but I mean... I feel like that made it better. The movie itself is 2 hours and 33 minutes, if it were longer I don't think it wouldn't have felt the same. The pacing was surprisingly good and it has a great atmosphere which really adds to the story. Not the worst to win the best picture, but I feel like Rope deserved to win (but that's probably just the Hitchcock fan in me).
11/29/22 "All The King's Men" 1949
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Your words are good... but you're not."
This was a really good movie. It's about Willy Stark, a farmer wanting to be a governor. The problem comes when he finds out that the competition was using him to take votes away from the competitors, he gets mad and takes the election into his own hands. We see the slow descent of Willy Stark into being a corrupt governor. The whole story is told through the perspective of a reporter who's writing a paper on his. It's definitely a noir movie and a good one at that. It also won best picture, and out of all the options, this was the best one.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Your words are good... but you're not."
This was a really good movie. It's about Willy Stark, a farmer wanting to be a governor. The problem comes when he finds out that the competition was using him to take votes away from the competitors, he gets mad and takes the election into his own hands. We see the slow descent of Willy Stark into being a corrupt governor. The whole story is told through the perspective of a reporter who's writing a paper on his. It's definitely a noir movie and a good one at that. It also won best picture, and out of all the options, this was the best one.
"All About Eve" 1950
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"
This is one of the best written films I have seen. Bette Davis gives the performance of a lifetime in this film, and really sells it. The story is also a very close look at the entertainment industry and how everyone is ready to backstab anyone to get what they want. Though I love this film, I feel like Sunset Boulevard deserved the best picture win, but as a whole this is an incredible film that everyone needs to see.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"
This is one of the best written films I have seen. Bette Davis gives the performance of a lifetime in this film, and really sells it. The story is also a very close look at the entertainment industry and how everyone is ready to backstab anyone to get what they want. Though I love this film, I feel like Sunset Boulevard deserved the best picture win, but as a whole this is an incredible film that everyone needs to see.
4/4/22 "An American In Paris" 1951
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Paris? No. Not this city. It's too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything. It reaches in and opens you wide and - you stay that way."
It's so funny how one scene can change an entire movie. When I was watching it, I thought this would be a 7 or a 6 because it was a pretty standard musical. This is a Gershwin musical, meaning that it reuses Gershwin's songs. "S'Wonderful", "I've got rhythm", and "Nice Work if you can get it" are all in this movie and are Gershwin's staples. Gene Kelly does a good job in this movie as Jerry Mulligan, but I feel like he was way better in Singin' in the Rain. I don't know, but I feel like he was written in a less charming way than in Singin' in the Rain, but I mean... he's still Gene Kelly. The plot of this musical is also a very standard musical plot where two lovers participate in forbidden love since Leslie Caron's character is dating someone already and plans to marry him (Jerry's friend) and Jerry is getting funded by his wealthy girlfriend who he doesn't love. Jerry is a painter in this movie who has no money, so it makes sense that he would try to get some from his rich girlfriend. With the way I'm describing it, you can see how I thought this would be a 6 or a 7, but it all changes with "An American in Paris Ballet". Gershwin wrote a ballet piece that inspired this movie, and it is beautiful. The 17-minute sequence really just shows Jerry's love for Paris and everything that surrounds it. The sets are made in such a way that it looks like one of Jerry's paintings and he keeps meeting up with Leslie Caron's character. He even enters a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition where he steps into several of his paintings. It was such a treat to see him dancing through paintings like "At the Moulin Rouge" where they do the makeup like brush strokes. The whole thing is shot so well that it really tracks the action. Overall this is a very beautiful movie that deserved the Oscar win for best picture.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Paris? No. Not this city. It's too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything. It reaches in and opens you wide and - you stay that way."
It's so funny how one scene can change an entire movie. When I was watching it, I thought this would be a 7 or a 6 because it was a pretty standard musical. This is a Gershwin musical, meaning that it reuses Gershwin's songs. "S'Wonderful", "I've got rhythm", and "Nice Work if you can get it" are all in this movie and are Gershwin's staples. Gene Kelly does a good job in this movie as Jerry Mulligan, but I feel like he was way better in Singin' in the Rain. I don't know, but I feel like he was written in a less charming way than in Singin' in the Rain, but I mean... he's still Gene Kelly. The plot of this musical is also a very standard musical plot where two lovers participate in forbidden love since Leslie Caron's character is dating someone already and plans to marry him (Jerry's friend) and Jerry is getting funded by his wealthy girlfriend who he doesn't love. Jerry is a painter in this movie who has no money, so it makes sense that he would try to get some from his rich girlfriend. With the way I'm describing it, you can see how I thought this would be a 6 or a 7, but it all changes with "An American in Paris Ballet". Gershwin wrote a ballet piece that inspired this movie, and it is beautiful. The 17-minute sequence really just shows Jerry's love for Paris and everything that surrounds it. The sets are made in such a way that it looks like one of Jerry's paintings and he keeps meeting up with Leslie Caron's character. He even enters a Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition where he steps into several of his paintings. It was such a treat to see him dancing through paintings like "At the Moulin Rouge" where they do the makeup like brush strokes. The whole thing is shot so well that it really tracks the action. Overall this is a very beautiful movie that deserved the Oscar win for best picture.
8/2/22 "The Greatest Show On Earth" 1952
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's Mickey Mouse! HI MICKEY MOUSE HEHEHE"
Wow, this was awful. This best picture win was produced by the famous Cecil DeMille (as in "Mr. DeMille I'm ready for my close up"). I'm going to give this a little bit of background. In the 50s' it became really popular to make more expensive movies (in the vein of "Gone With The Wind"). This was possible because of the wonderful economy and the larger-than-life studios. These films are long, almost three hours long along with being full of extras, color (which was an expensive choice back then), and expensive sequences like dance numbers, battle sequences, and so on and so forth. These movies were made to make two groups seem inferior. One, other movie studios, nothing shows more power to other studios than making a huge movie that'll make lots of money. Two, television, we're in the fifties folks, meaning that television was jeopardizing the film industry so they kept making films bigger and bigger (like our current streaming war and constant superhero/action movies). This film is everything wrong with this formula. The story is all about a circus, but it doesn't actually comment on the cruelty of the circus, it's just Mr. DeMille showing us how much he loves the circus with nothing to comment on it. This film is a lot like a circus act ironically because they throw all of these stories at once to try to distract us from how shallow the acts are, this movie is so long and overblown that it tries to distract us from the lack of substance. Jimmy Stewart plays a clown in this one. I feel like that's important to say. This film has aged like fine milk, with random jokes about blackface, a pretty sexist plot, mistreatment of circus acts, possible animal cruelty, Charleton Heston's existence, etc. the whole movie is just nothing but random circus acts and haphazard attempts at plot. Worst Oscar-winning movie I've seen. You can pick any circus movie and it'll be better. Chaplin's Circus, Big Top Pee Wee, heck even Madagascar 3 is better than this sorry attempt at a narrative film. High Noon should've won. For that matter, Singin' in the Rain which WASN'T EVEN NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE should've won.
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's Mickey Mouse! HI MICKEY MOUSE HEHEHE"
Wow, this was awful. This best picture win was produced by the famous Cecil DeMille (as in "Mr. DeMille I'm ready for my close up"). I'm going to give this a little bit of background. In the 50s' it became really popular to make more expensive movies (in the vein of "Gone With The Wind"). This was possible because of the wonderful economy and the larger-than-life studios. These films are long, almost three hours long along with being full of extras, color (which was an expensive choice back then), and expensive sequences like dance numbers, battle sequences, and so on and so forth. These movies were made to make two groups seem inferior. One, other movie studios, nothing shows more power to other studios than making a huge movie that'll make lots of money. Two, television, we're in the fifties folks, meaning that television was jeopardizing the film industry so they kept making films bigger and bigger (like our current streaming war and constant superhero/action movies). This film is everything wrong with this formula. The story is all about a circus, but it doesn't actually comment on the cruelty of the circus, it's just Mr. DeMille showing us how much he loves the circus with nothing to comment on it. This film is a lot like a circus act ironically because they throw all of these stories at once to try to distract us from how shallow the acts are, this movie is so long and overblown that it tries to distract us from the lack of substance. Jimmy Stewart plays a clown in this one. I feel like that's important to say. This film has aged like fine milk, with random jokes about blackface, a pretty sexist plot, mistreatment of circus acts, possible animal cruelty, Charleton Heston's existence, etc. the whole movie is just nothing but random circus acts and haphazard attempts at plot. Worst Oscar-winning movie I've seen. You can pick any circus movie and it'll be better. Chaplin's Circus, Big Top Pee Wee, heck even Madagascar 3 is better than this sorry attempt at a narrative film. High Noon should've won. For that matter, Singin' in the Rain which WASN'T EVEN NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE should've won.
6/14/22 "From Here To Eternity" 1953
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I've been counting on this like a kid counts on Christmas"
Here's another Oscar-winning that takes place during WW2 (there are 8 in total). It's an interesting look at the Military because it really shows how they dehumanize soldiers during the war. I just feel like this type of story has been told over and over again when it comes to war movies. Something that's different about this film is how they don't focus on warfare but on the characters. The problem also comes with the various storylines that come weaving in and out like the Burt Lancaster one, sometimes I forget that he is in the story until he's on-screen again. I also like how the movie is set in Hawaii, it sets it apart from the usual war setting, but having the movie set in Hawaii during 1941 the audience can guess what big event will happen in the film, or else they wouldn't have specifically mentioned that year. Frank Sinatra is great in this movie, mostly because he got the mafia to interfere with the casting to give him this role. This was referenced in the godfather through the singer Johnny Fontane who needed the mafia to get into the role. He's a third-wheel movie and I never knew he needed to be in that role. Half of the scenes with him are him entering when the main two are getting romantic. I love the scene of Montgomery Clift just absolutely killing it on the bugle that seems to come out of nowhere. I can also appreciate the chemistry between Sinatra and Clift. It's funny because there was one actress that looked very familiar until I realized that she was Mary in "It's a Wonderful Life". I don't really like the way they wrote her character, because she constantly contradicts herself in weird ways. I wasn't a fan of the ending either. Not the best Oscar-winning movie because at no point in the film did they say "This was has been going on from here to eternity"
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I've been counting on this like a kid counts on Christmas"
Here's another Oscar-winning that takes place during WW2 (there are 8 in total). It's an interesting look at the Military because it really shows how they dehumanize soldiers during the war. I just feel like this type of story has been told over and over again when it comes to war movies. Something that's different about this film is how they don't focus on warfare but on the characters. The problem also comes with the various storylines that come weaving in and out like the Burt Lancaster one, sometimes I forget that he is in the story until he's on-screen again. I also like how the movie is set in Hawaii, it sets it apart from the usual war setting, but having the movie set in Hawaii during 1941 the audience can guess what big event will happen in the film, or else they wouldn't have specifically mentioned that year. Frank Sinatra is great in this movie, mostly because he got the mafia to interfere with the casting to give him this role. This was referenced in the godfather through the singer Johnny Fontane who needed the mafia to get into the role. He's a third-wheel movie and I never knew he needed to be in that role. Half of the scenes with him are him entering when the main two are getting romantic. I love the scene of Montgomery Clift just absolutely killing it on the bugle that seems to come out of nowhere. I can also appreciate the chemistry between Sinatra and Clift. It's funny because there was one actress that looked very familiar until I realized that she was Mary in "It's a Wonderful Life". I don't really like the way they wrote her character, because she constantly contradicts herself in weird ways. I wasn't a fan of the ending either. Not the best Oscar-winning movie because at no point in the film did they say "This was has been going on from here to eternity"
"On The Waterfront" 1954
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I could've been a contender, I could've been somebody!"
Let's start with the obvious, Marlon Brando is an incredible actor. He's fantastic in this film (if you could understand his muttering acting) and gives a great performance. The plot to this film however does nothing for me. The ending is great, but as a whole this is a pretty forgettable film.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I could've been a contender, I could've been somebody!"
Let's start with the obvious, Marlon Brando is an incredible actor. He's fantastic in this film (if you could understand his muttering acting) and gives a great performance. The plot to this film however does nothing for me. The ending is great, but as a whole this is a pretty forgettable film.
12/1/22 "Marty" 1955
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "See, dogs like us, we ain't such dogs as we think we are."
This movie is almost amazing. This is an Oscar-winning film, which is weird because it doesn't really feel like one. This film sets aside spectacle to tell a genuine story about an ugly man trying to date. Ernest Borgnine did a fantastic job and really deserved the win for best actor. There were little things in this movie that irked me that I sort of just ignored because of how much I liked it. He has this best friend who was very clingy and annoying in this film, and he's really mean-spirited (but so is everyone else). Also, everybody calls Besty Blair's character "a dog", but she's really not ugly at all. I mean she was married to Gene Kelly of all people. Plus there's a side plot that doesn't really go anywhere, all it does is set up something for the ending. Oh my gosh, the ending. In terms of endings... this movie has none. It simply stops. That's what ruins this film. If this film had like 5-10 minutes more where they resolved things better, this would've been one of my favorites I think.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "See, dogs like us, we ain't such dogs as we think we are."
This movie is almost amazing. This is an Oscar-winning film, which is weird because it doesn't really feel like one. This film sets aside spectacle to tell a genuine story about an ugly man trying to date. Ernest Borgnine did a fantastic job and really deserved the win for best actor. There were little things in this movie that irked me that I sort of just ignored because of how much I liked it. He has this best friend who was very clingy and annoying in this film, and he's really mean-spirited (but so is everyone else). Also, everybody calls Besty Blair's character "a dog", but she's really not ugly at all. I mean she was married to Gene Kelly of all people. Plus there's a side plot that doesn't really go anywhere, all it does is set up something for the ending. Oh my gosh, the ending. In terms of endings... this movie has none. It simply stops. That's what ruins this film. If this film had like 5-10 minutes more where they resolved things better, this would've been one of my favorites I think.
12/2/22 "Around The World In 80 Days" 1956
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "No wonder you have stomach trouble"
This film is an overproduced mess. The stakes in this movie are some of the worst I've ever seen. I'm not sure if this is present in the original Jules Verne story, but the plot of this movie is a man says that he can travel around the world in 80 days, and another guy says "bet" and so he tries to go around the world in 80 days. Yep... that's the plot! There are no consequences if he loses except money, it's not like he's that passionate about it, he just does it so this movie can be expensive. This is an epic film which is trying to be the most expensive movie so you don't turn on your TV. Guys! Our movie is 3 hours, has an intermission, has to be in full color, has 40 celebrity cameos, has 112 locations in 13 countries, and has 140 sets. This movie cost about 6 million dollars (or 65 million in today's money). This is also supposed to be a comedy... but it's not funny. This won best picture which l don't understand, but I guess 1956 was sort of a slow year... all that was released was The Killing, The Searchers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Forbidden Planet, Ten Commandments, Giant, The Wrong Man, High Society, The King and I, Lust for Life, War and Peace, The Girl Can't Help It, The Harder They Fall, Carousel, Friendly Persuasion...
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "No wonder you have stomach trouble"
This film is an overproduced mess. The stakes in this movie are some of the worst I've ever seen. I'm not sure if this is present in the original Jules Verne story, but the plot of this movie is a man says that he can travel around the world in 80 days, and another guy says "bet" and so he tries to go around the world in 80 days. Yep... that's the plot! There are no consequences if he loses except money, it's not like he's that passionate about it, he just does it so this movie can be expensive. This is an epic film which is trying to be the most expensive movie so you don't turn on your TV. Guys! Our movie is 3 hours, has an intermission, has to be in full color, has 40 celebrity cameos, has 112 locations in 13 countries, and has 140 sets. This movie cost about 6 million dollars (or 65 million in today's money). This is also supposed to be a comedy... but it's not funny. This won best picture which l don't understand, but I guess 1956 was sort of a slow year... all that was released was The Killing, The Searchers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Forbidden Planet, Ten Commandments, Giant, The Wrong Man, High Society, The King and I, Lust for Life, War and Peace, The Girl Can't Help It, The Harder They Fall, Carousel, Friendly Persuasion...
12/13/22 "The Bridge On The River Kwai" 1957
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "There are times in your life when you realize that you are nearer to the end than the beginning "
This should not have won the oscar. I'm so tired of these Epics winning the oscar. I feel like this story should not have occupied a nearly 3-hour story. This was interesting, but more interesting if you just read the Wikipedia article than watching this movie. They spend the beginning introducing us to the characters only to add the main character of the film halfway through the run time. This film wants to show us the horrors of war but doesn't really get into the really dark aspects of being in these prison camps, they more or less push these aspects aside so they can show SPECTACLE! Forget the horrors of war! Look at all these filming locations we are at! Look at the color in this movie! These types of films ruined the Oscars in my opinion because the Oscars wanted to pick the most expensive films because of their own bias when there were clearly better movies out there. You're telling me this movie is better than 12 Angry Men, Witness For The Prosecution, Paths of Glory, Seventh Seal, and Wild Strawberries
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "There are times in your life when you realize that you are nearer to the end than the beginning "
This should not have won the oscar. I'm so tired of these Epics winning the oscar. I feel like this story should not have occupied a nearly 3-hour story. This was interesting, but more interesting if you just read the Wikipedia article than watching this movie. They spend the beginning introducing us to the characters only to add the main character of the film halfway through the run time. This film wants to show us the horrors of war but doesn't really get into the really dark aspects of being in these prison camps, they more or less push these aspects aside so they can show SPECTACLE! Forget the horrors of war! Look at all these filming locations we are at! Look at the color in this movie! These types of films ruined the Oscars in my opinion because the Oscars wanted to pick the most expensive films because of their own bias when there were clearly better movies out there. You're telling me this movie is better than 12 Angry Men, Witness For The Prosecution, Paths of Glory, Seventh Seal, and Wild Strawberries
12/3/22 "Gigi" 1958
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Gigi, you're from another planet."
A best picture winner and one of the only musicals might I add. This was a weird one. It has some great songs and some funny moments, but the plot didn't age well whatsoever. It's all about a man falling in love with Gigi, a girl who's much younger than him and who's being encouraged by his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) who kicks off the movie with the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" all about how he loves little girls since they eventually grow up and he can date them. There are also several jokes about people being excited that a woman nearly committed suicide, like... what? Also, though the songs are great, there is little to no choreography in this movie. It's all just singing. Overall, it's not the worst movie ever, but it's certainly not the best
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Gigi, you're from another planet."
A best picture winner and one of the only musicals might I add. This was a weird one. It has some great songs and some funny moments, but the plot didn't age well whatsoever. It's all about a man falling in love with Gigi, a girl who's much younger than him and who's being encouraged by his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) who kicks off the movie with the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" all about how he loves little girls since they eventually grow up and he can date them. There are also several jokes about people being excited that a woman nearly committed suicide, like... what? Also, though the songs are great, there is little to no choreography in this movie. It's all just singing. Overall, it's not the worst movie ever, but it's certainly not the best
1/8/23 "Ben-Hur" 1959
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "By condemning without hesitation an old friend, I shall be feared.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Another best picture winner, and another historical drama. For those new to this account, I'm trying to watch all of the best picture winners before the next Oscars ceremony. This definitely feels like one of those "big to be big" movies. This is one of those films with an intermission, overture, massive sets, lots of extras, and a nearly four-hour runtime. I feel like this movie puts the story aside to display how expensive the film is. Speaking of the story, this is adapted from an 1800s novel which is basically just bible fan fiction which is sort of odd, although the crucifixion scene was well done. It's crazy to think films like Some Like It Hot, North By Northwest, Anatomy of Murder, Pillow Talk, Sleeping Beauty, and Rio Bravo lost but this won. To be fair, this was not only one of the highest-grossing films of 1959 but the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. It sold 98,046,900 tickets (which totals up to $918,699,453 in today's money). This just wasn't my type of movie. I'm more into character-focused films
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "By condemning without hesitation an old friend, I shall be feared.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Another best picture winner, and another historical drama. For those new to this account, I'm trying to watch all of the best picture winners before the next Oscars ceremony. This definitely feels like one of those "big to be big" movies. This is one of those films with an intermission, overture, massive sets, lots of extras, and a nearly four-hour runtime. I feel like this movie puts the story aside to display how expensive the film is. Speaking of the story, this is adapted from an 1800s novel which is basically just bible fan fiction which is sort of odd, although the crucifixion scene was well done. It's crazy to think films like Some Like It Hot, North By Northwest, Anatomy of Murder, Pillow Talk, Sleeping Beauty, and Rio Bravo lost but this won. To be fair, this was not only one of the highest-grossing films of 1959 but the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. It sold 98,046,900 tickets (which totals up to $918,699,453 in today's money). This just wasn't my type of movie. I'm more into character-focused films
"The Apartment" 1960
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Shut up and deal..."
The writing in this film is genius. Billy Wilder is one of the best writers of all time. The characters all feel so real and you really get to feel for them. I'm not going to spoil it, but there's one moment where you go from fear, to nearly crying, to dying laughing. It's half-funny and half-tragic how C.C. Baxter gets treated. In one hand, he's doing this to himself, but in the other he has to do this to get ahead. One of the best movies of all time.
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Shut up and deal..."
The writing in this film is genius. Billy Wilder is one of the best writers of all time. The characters all feel so real and you really get to feel for them. I'm not going to spoil it, but there's one moment where you go from fear, to nearly crying, to dying laughing. It's half-funny and half-tragic how C.C. Baxter gets treated. In one hand, he's doing this to himself, but in the other he has to do this to get ahead. One of the best movies of all time.
3/10/22 "West Side Story" 1961
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Why do you kids live like there's a war on?"
I was scared to watch this movie since it might be overhyped, but this film is wonderful. The choreography is incredible, I was amazed at how intricate it was. I also loved the camera angles and lighting, those were incredible. The acting choices were a little odd (IE the brown face), but they did well. Overall, worth every drip of hype, amazing movie. I'm a little scared to see the new one though. Oh yeah, shout out to all the songs. All of them are great
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Why do you kids live like there's a war on?"
I was scared to watch this movie since it might be overhyped, but this film is wonderful. The choreography is incredible, I was amazed at how intricate it was. I also loved the camera angles and lighting, those were incredible. The acting choices were a little odd (IE the brown face), but they did well. Overall, worth every drip of hype, amazing movie. I'm a little scared to see the new one though. Oh yeah, shout out to all the songs. All of them are great
7/16/22 "Lawrence Of Arabia" 1962
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts."
ARGGHHH this was a rough watch. This might get me in some hot water since Lawrence of Arabia is a very beloved film. It's won the 1962 oscar if that means anything, but I don't know, I just didn't like it. I feel like the story dragged on due to its enormous length. This is an Epic movie, meaning that it's a high-budget film with a long run time. These are the type of films that'll have scenes where they just show off the wealth of the studio by having 1,000 extras just stand there (The casualty scene from Gone With The Wind, the coronation scene from The Last Emperor, the bar scene from Dr. Zhivago, etc.). I don't like these types of movies because I feel like they throw away pacing and characterization so that way they can focus on showing off. The character of Lawrence was pretty interesting because he's between the Arabians and the British. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) is in this movie and I thought "Oh! I'm excited to see him in one of the British scenes!" but he was Prince Feisal of Iraq... yikes. This was part of an era in film history where the movie just kept getting bigger and bigger until they got so big that they just naturally became box office bombs. Cleopatra was the number 1 film in 1963 but still is considered a bomb since they spent 31 million dollars (that's $292,888,202.61 in today's money). This is a film that started to show the end of an era. The next era would be the character-focused, film school 70's
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts."
ARGGHHH this was a rough watch. This might get me in some hot water since Lawrence of Arabia is a very beloved film. It's won the 1962 oscar if that means anything, but I don't know, I just didn't like it. I feel like the story dragged on due to its enormous length. This is an Epic movie, meaning that it's a high-budget film with a long run time. These are the type of films that'll have scenes where they just show off the wealth of the studio by having 1,000 extras just stand there (The casualty scene from Gone With The Wind, the coronation scene from The Last Emperor, the bar scene from Dr. Zhivago, etc.). I don't like these types of movies because I feel like they throw away pacing and characterization so that way they can focus on showing off. The character of Lawrence was pretty interesting because he's between the Arabians and the British. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) is in this movie and I thought "Oh! I'm excited to see him in one of the British scenes!" but he was Prince Feisal of Iraq... yikes. This was part of an era in film history where the movie just kept getting bigger and bigger until they got so big that they just naturally became box office bombs. Cleopatra was the number 1 film in 1963 but still is considered a bomb since they spent 31 million dollars (that's $292,888,202.61 in today's money). This is a film that started to show the end of an era. The next era would be the character-focused, film school 70's
1/31/23 "Tom Jones" 1963
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well, there's another one gone.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Unfortunately, this wasn't about the singer. This is an awful comedy that didn't make me laugh once. This film is 2 hours of basically nothing. You can see this in the Wikipedia article. Tom Jones' plot is written out completely and is summed up in 22 sentences. That seems like a lot, but it's really a small plot. "The Kid" by Charlie Chaplin has 23 sentences and is half the length. This film is also really weird. Not "funny haha weird" like "what did I just see" weird It makes me more made that this was a comedy. Other comedic greats got thrown aside while this movie won. In my professional opinion, The Great Escape should've won.
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well, there's another one gone.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Unfortunately, this wasn't about the singer. This is an awful comedy that didn't make me laugh once. This film is 2 hours of basically nothing. You can see this in the Wikipedia article. Tom Jones' plot is written out completely and is summed up in 22 sentences. That seems like a lot, but it's really a small plot. "The Kid" by Charlie Chaplin has 23 sentences and is half the length. This film is also really weird. Not "funny haha weird" like "what did I just see" weird It makes me more made that this was a comedy. Other comedic greats got thrown aside while this movie won. In my professional opinion, The Great Escape should've won.
1/20/23 "My Fair Lady" 1964
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "COME ON DOVER! MOVE YOUR BLOOMING...", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no!
This is a great musical! The songs are fantastic and it's actually really funny. It's weird that they didn't cut a single song from the original play since that's what they normally do. It's hard to believe this won the Oscar for best picture since it feels like too happy of a movie. They change the ending though which kind of ruins the film in my opinion. I feel like this is a great film, but Dr. Strangelove deserved the win.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "COME ON DOVER! MOVE YOUR BLOOMING...", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no!
This is a great musical! The songs are fantastic and it's actually really funny. It's weird that they didn't cut a single song from the original play since that's what they normally do. It's hard to believe this won the Oscar for best picture since it feels like too happy of a movie. They change the ending though which kind of ruins the film in my opinion. I feel like this is a great film, but Dr. Strangelove deserved the win.
"The Sound of Music" 1965
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The hills are alive, with the sound of music"
Way better than your average musical. Not only does this have catchy songs and a fantastic case, but is also has an incredibly powerful plot dealing with the second world war. As a whole, this is an incredible iconic film that deserves it's place in film history.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The hills are alive, with the sound of music"
Way better than your average musical. Not only does this have catchy songs and a fantastic case, but is also has an incredibly powerful plot dealing with the second world war. As a whole, this is an incredible iconic film that deserves it's place in film history.
1/9/23 "A Man For All Seasons" 1966
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "An artificial quarrel is not a quarrel", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NO
Wait... you guys have never heard of this movie??? How? This won the Oscar for best picture in 1966, meaning that people seriously thought this was a better movie than Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This film has absolutely no place in film history. It's so bland and boring with a very unmemorable story and an almost unmemorable cast. Orson Welles is in this movie... for 5 minutes and yet he still gets fourth billing. Robert Shaw did an alright job as the king, but the rest of the actors gave nothing. Fred Zinneman (the director of this movie) called it his easiest film which really shows. There are no artistic choices here, just shots because we need shots. This deserves to be forgotten.
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "An artificial quarrel is not a quarrel", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: NO
Wait... you guys have never heard of this movie??? How? This won the Oscar for best picture in 1966, meaning that people seriously thought this was a better movie than Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This film has absolutely no place in film history. It's so bland and boring with a very unmemorable story and an almost unmemorable cast. Orson Welles is in this movie... for 5 minutes and yet he still gets fourth billing. Robert Shaw did an alright job as the king, but the rest of the actors gave nothing. Fred Zinneman (the director of this movie) called it his easiest film which really shows. There are no artistic choices here, just shots because we need shots. This deserves to be forgotten.
12/14/22 "In The Heat Of The Night" 1967
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They call me MR. TIBBS"
This not only won the Oscar but was also the first Sidney Poitier movie I've seen. It's such a shame that he died this year. I always knew he was a good actor, but I would've never guessed he was this good. This whole film is such a powerful statement on racism in not only the South but in all of America. My one gripe is how the mystery itself wasn't particularly that interesting, although there were some cool clues. This is such an important film and I completely understand why it won best picture. Although I think "The Graduate" was a better film, this film needed to win and be seen at the time, and even now
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They call me MR. TIBBS"
This not only won the Oscar but was also the first Sidney Poitier movie I've seen. It's such a shame that he died this year. I always knew he was a good actor, but I would've never guessed he was this good. This whole film is such a powerful statement on racism in not only the South but in all of America. My one gripe is how the mystery itself wasn't particularly that interesting, although there were some cool clues. This is such an important film and I completely understand why it won best picture. Although I think "The Graduate" was a better film, this film needed to win and be seen at the time, and even now
2/2/23 "Oliver!" 1968
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Please sir, I want some more." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: You betcha!
A best picture-winning musical based on the Charles Dickens classic novel directed by the same person who did the Orson Welles thriller "The Third Man". This was the oddest combination but it actually turned out really well. Carol Reed (the director) did such a great job with the shots in this film. It's shot like a heavy noir film, but it's an upbeat musical with some fantastic songs. Also, Ron Moody puts everything into his role as Fagin, he was easily the best part. The problem with this film though is that it was released in 1968, the same year as 2001: A Space Odyssey. While this film was great, it just can't beat 2001.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Please sir, I want some more." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: You betcha!
A best picture-winning musical based on the Charles Dickens classic novel directed by the same person who did the Orson Welles thriller "The Third Man". This was the oddest combination but it actually turned out really well. Carol Reed (the director) did such a great job with the shots in this film. It's shot like a heavy noir film, but it's an upbeat musical with some fantastic songs. Also, Ron Moody puts everything into his role as Fagin, he was easily the best part. The problem with this film though is that it was released in 1968, the same year as 2001: A Space Odyssey. While this film was great, it just can't beat 2001.
12/20/22 "Midnight Cowboy" 1969
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm walking here! I'm walking here!"
Another Oscar-winning film and this one is pretty good! It's based on the novel of the same name and it really feels like a novel, I mean that in the best way. It doesn't have too much plot, but the characters and the editing really make this a great film. Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are excellent in this film and really bring these characters to life. It gets slow, but that adds to the charm. Great movie, although I feel like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid should've won
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm walking here! I'm walking here!"
Another Oscar-winning film and this one is pretty good! It's based on the novel of the same name and it really feels like a novel, I mean that in the best way. It doesn't have too much plot, but the characters and the editing really make this a great film. Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are excellent in this film and really bring these characters to life. It gets slow, but that adds to the charm. Great movie, although I feel like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid should've won
2/5/23 "Patton" 1970
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
You know a film's bad when it peaks in the beginning. The beginning is the only part where I thought "Hey! This is an iconic scene!" I'm referring to him standing in front of the American flag giving his speech. Everything else in the movie was such a bore. This does a fantastic job of ruining a biopic. Normally after Biopics, you want to know more about the person, here I never want to hear about Patton because of how boring this film was. They keep saying how crazy and wild he was but then he proceeds to do nothing crazy or wild. A really bad best picture win
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
You know a film's bad when it peaks in the beginning. The beginning is the only part where I thought "Hey! This is an iconic scene!" I'm referring to him standing in front of the American flag giving his speech. Everything else in the movie was such a bore. This does a fantastic job of ruining a biopic. Normally after Biopics, you want to know more about the person, here I never want to hear about Patton because of how boring this film was. They keep saying how crazy and wild he was but then he proceeds to do nothing crazy or wild. A really bad best picture win
3/4/23 "The French Connection" 1971
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well check it yourself"
I'm gonna start with the positives, I love Gene Hackman, he's great in any role. I also enjoyed the Car Chase, it was pretty impressive. That's all I could really say about it. I feel like this film was needlessly violent, you can tell this was made in the few years after the Hays code went away. I also think it's funny how the blood is bright pink. It was sad because when a character died all I could think about was how much it resembled melted crayola pink crayons. This one just wasn't really for me. Sorry for all the negative reviews, kind of a weird coincidence.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Well check it yourself"
I'm gonna start with the positives, I love Gene Hackman, he's great in any role. I also enjoyed the Car Chase, it was pretty impressive. That's all I could really say about it. I feel like this film was needlessly violent, you can tell this was made in the few years after the Hays code went away. I also think it's funny how the blood is bright pink. It was sad because when a character died all I could think about was how much it resembled melted crayola pink crayons. This one just wasn't really for me. Sorry for all the negative reviews, kind of a weird coincidence.
"The Godfather" 1972
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Make him an offer he can't refuse"
This is such a hard review to write, because what can you say about this film that hasn't already been said. It's a fantastic film with great pacing, characters, and an iconic script. As a whole this is a great film.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Make him an offer he can't refuse"
This is such a hard review to write, because what can you say about this film that hasn't already been said. It's a fantastic film with great pacing, characters, and an iconic script. As a whole this is a great film.
7/24/22 "The Sting" 1973
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well."
I was cheated. People say that this is a comedy, but it really isn't that funny. I checked this one out BECAUSE of the fact that it was a comedy. I feel like the comedy genre is always pushed to the side when it comes to Oscar winners. There have only a handful of Comedy winners when it comes to the Oscars, remove the Dramedy and that number drops down to a minimal number. There are more Oscar-winning from Britain than there have been comedy movies that have won Oscars. That's weird, right? I can't be the only one to think how odd that is. This movie isn't a comedy, rather it's a Con movie. This is one of the earliest ones making it a really popular film. I can commend it for pretty much starting a genre, but I feel like this film falls flat. Every step of the way was pretty predictable, except for one part where there would've been no way for the audience to know it was coming. In my opinion, a good twist is one that the audience could've probably guessed thanks to the clues on screen. The twist in Sixth Sense or Fight Club was one that the audience could've probably guessed, but here one of the twists came completely out of the left field. They also had a very safe bet with the casting of this movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid themselves. Overall, I feel like this one doesn't deserve the Oscar
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat as well."
I was cheated. People say that this is a comedy, but it really isn't that funny. I checked this one out BECAUSE of the fact that it was a comedy. I feel like the comedy genre is always pushed to the side when it comes to Oscar winners. There have only a handful of Comedy winners when it comes to the Oscars, remove the Dramedy and that number drops down to a minimal number. There are more Oscar-winning from Britain than there have been comedy movies that have won Oscars. That's weird, right? I can't be the only one to think how odd that is. This movie isn't a comedy, rather it's a Con movie. This is one of the earliest ones making it a really popular film. I can commend it for pretty much starting a genre, but I feel like this film falls flat. Every step of the way was pretty predictable, except for one part where there would've been no way for the audience to know it was coming. In my opinion, a good twist is one that the audience could've probably guessed thanks to the clues on screen. The twist in Sixth Sense or Fight Club was one that the audience could've probably guessed, but here one of the twists came completely out of the left field. They also had a very safe bet with the casting of this movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid themselves. Overall, I feel like this one doesn't deserve the Oscar
"Godfather Part 2" 1974
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I knew it was you, you broke my heart"
I'm going to be honest, I didn't really enjoy this one as much as the previous godfather. I feel like if the book was a sandwich, the first one took all the meat and toppings out of the book, but since they needed at sequel they just took the remaining two pieces of bread. They then tried to smoosh the two pieces of bread together. As a whole, this feels like the two short films blended together
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I knew it was you, you broke my heart"
I'm going to be honest, I didn't really enjoy this one as much as the previous godfather. I feel like if the book was a sandwich, the first one took all the meat and toppings out of the book, but since they needed at sequel they just took the remaining two pieces of bread. They then tried to smoosh the two pieces of bread together. As a whole, this feels like the two short films blended together
"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" 1975
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're coming with me."
This is such a tragic story that really shows the horrors of mental asylums. Jack Nicholson gives a fantastic performance in one of his most iconic roles. The divide between the characters McMurphy and Nurse Ratched is such an interesting conflict between the individual vs the system. The ensemble is fantastic and though the story is a little slow, as a whole it's amazing.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You're coming with me."
This is such a tragic story that really shows the horrors of mental asylums. Jack Nicholson gives a fantastic performance in one of his most iconic roles. The divide between the characters McMurphy and Nurse Ratched is such an interesting conflict between the individual vs the system. The ensemble is fantastic and though the story is a little slow, as a whole it's amazing.
1/12/23 "Rocky" 1976
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "ADRIEEEEEEEN", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yep!
Well, I finally saw Rocky! It's fine... not a lot to say about Rocky that hasn't already been said. Rocky is a great character and I like how little boxing there were and more Rocky ramblings. I feel like this movie shouldn't have won the Oscar, but I'm kind of glad that it did. I'm proud of the Oscars for picking a popular movie that everybody loved and one that actually stood the test of time. It's hard when the nominees' were Taxi Driver, Network, and All The President's Men (Carrie and The Omen came out this year too, but just weren't nominated). Overall, pretty solid movie
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "ADRIEEEEEEEN", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yep!
Well, I finally saw Rocky! It's fine... not a lot to say about Rocky that hasn't already been said. Rocky is a great character and I like how little boxing there were and more Rocky ramblings. I feel like this movie shouldn't have won the Oscar, but I'm kind of glad that it did. I'm proud of the Oscars for picking a popular movie that everybody loved and one that actually stood the test of time. It's hard when the nominees' were Taxi Driver, Network, and All The President's Men (Carrie and The Omen came out this year too, but just weren't nominated). Overall, pretty solid movie
3/15/22 "Annie Hall" 1977
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just looking for the eggs"
I really didn't want to like this movie. Woody Allen is a very creepy guy and I wanted this movie to be bad so I can say that this movie wasn't worth the hype. I can't say that. This movie is absolutely wonderful. Something I love about this movie is how it's formatted. The movie doesn't have a clear chronology. The movie is taken at random points throughout Alvy and Annie's relationship. I really enjoyed the way they did this. Every time a new scene starts you try to speculate whether they are in a happy relationship or if they're close to the end of that relationship. This obviously came before "500 Days of Summer" and does it a lot better in my opinion. Another aspect of this film that I enjoy is the technical aspect of it. Woody Allen's writing in this movie is extremely funny. His little remarks have so much sarcasm and wit to them. I also enjoy how he writes his own character. You can tell he wrote his character as a very exaggerated version of himself. I love how neurotic he is throughout and how he keeps coming up with excuses to get out of things he didn't want to do, like how he was trying to break down the Grassy Knoll conspiracy to try to get out of having sex. When you add the editing effects and the fourth wall breaks and the random extras that Alvy talks to and that one scene where it becomes animated for a solid 30 seconds, that's when this movie truly becomes a masterpiece. As I said, I don't like Woody Allen as a person. He is a weird, weird little man, which makes it so sad how great of a writer he was. I could put so many quotes into the best quote of the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's tired of the modern rom-com. This movie was subverting the Rom-Com genre 45 years ago. Wonderful film.
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm just looking for the eggs"
I really didn't want to like this movie. Woody Allen is a very creepy guy and I wanted this movie to be bad so I can say that this movie wasn't worth the hype. I can't say that. This movie is absolutely wonderful. Something I love about this movie is how it's formatted. The movie doesn't have a clear chronology. The movie is taken at random points throughout Alvy and Annie's relationship. I really enjoyed the way they did this. Every time a new scene starts you try to speculate whether they are in a happy relationship or if they're close to the end of that relationship. This obviously came before "500 Days of Summer" and does it a lot better in my opinion. Another aspect of this film that I enjoy is the technical aspect of it. Woody Allen's writing in this movie is extremely funny. His little remarks have so much sarcasm and wit to them. I also enjoy how he writes his own character. You can tell he wrote his character as a very exaggerated version of himself. I love how neurotic he is throughout and how he keeps coming up with excuses to get out of things he didn't want to do, like how he was trying to break down the Grassy Knoll conspiracy to try to get out of having sex. When you add the editing effects and the fourth wall breaks and the random extras that Alvy talks to and that one scene where it becomes animated for a solid 30 seconds, that's when this movie truly becomes a masterpiece. As I said, I don't like Woody Allen as a person. He is a weird, weird little man, which makes it so sad how great of a writer he was. I could put so many quotes into the best quote of the movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who's tired of the modern rom-com. This movie was subverting the Rom-Com genre 45 years ago. Wonderful film.
1/6/23 "The Deer Hunter" 1978
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I feel a lot of distance and I feel far away", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This is one of the most important best picture wins because it basically divided cinema. I'll start with my thoughts on the film. I enjoyed the characters and the symbolism of the deer and Russian roulette, but I feel like the film could've been a lot shorter. Clocking in at 3 hours, a lot of the scenes feel superfluous, almost like this was just trying to be an oscar winning movie (this is a surprise tool that'll help us later). The ending also has a really confusing choice. It's the main cast singing "God Bless America". I feel like this sort of takes away from the movie since the whole thing was about the Vietnam War, a war that made Americans question their own government and started several counterculture movements. This film is also applauded for how they handle PTSD and violence, but I feel like these were handled better in other films. The violence was just a natural sign of the times, we saw violence like this in "Bonnie and Clyde" which lost the Oscar the previous decade. Also, the PTSD felt like it was skimmed over slightly, especially compared to "The Best Years Of Our Lives" which won the Oscar 30 years prior and went over the concept of PTSD for an audience who've never seen it explained. This film is Oscar bait clearly... and they knew that. They released this film only for two weeks since they knew that they could win an Oscar and that's the minimum time it could be out to be eligible. They ended up winning several Oscars and becoming a big hit. This movie invented Oscar bait and now we live in an industry where cinema is divided between cinema for the Oscars and cinema for the public. There once was a time when films like "It Happened One Night" and "Annie Hall" could win since people just thought they were good movies, not because they were a checklist of buzzwords. Sorry for the rant, but overall it was pretty good!
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I feel a lot of distance and I feel far away", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Sort of
This is one of the most important best picture wins because it basically divided cinema. I'll start with my thoughts on the film. I enjoyed the characters and the symbolism of the deer and Russian roulette, but I feel like the film could've been a lot shorter. Clocking in at 3 hours, a lot of the scenes feel superfluous, almost like this was just trying to be an oscar winning movie (this is a surprise tool that'll help us later). The ending also has a really confusing choice. It's the main cast singing "God Bless America". I feel like this sort of takes away from the movie since the whole thing was about the Vietnam War, a war that made Americans question their own government and started several counterculture movements. This film is also applauded for how they handle PTSD and violence, but I feel like these were handled better in other films. The violence was just a natural sign of the times, we saw violence like this in "Bonnie and Clyde" which lost the Oscar the previous decade. Also, the PTSD felt like it was skimmed over slightly, especially compared to "The Best Years Of Our Lives" which won the Oscar 30 years prior and went over the concept of PTSD for an audience who've never seen it explained. This film is Oscar bait clearly... and they knew that. They released this film only for two weeks since they knew that they could win an Oscar and that's the minimum time it could be out to be eligible. They ended up winning several Oscars and becoming a big hit. This movie invented Oscar bait and now we live in an industry where cinema is divided between cinema for the Oscars and cinema for the public. There once was a time when films like "It Happened One Night" and "Annie Hall" could win since people just thought they were good movies, not because they were a checklist of buzzwords. Sorry for the rant, but overall it was pretty good!
1/29/23 "Kramer Vs. Kramer" 1979
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do you like fried chicken?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I never thought that there would be a movie that deserved the Best Picture win more than "Apocalypse Now"... but here we are! This film is simply wonderful. Dustin Hoffman is incredible in this film he gives such an honest and realistic performance. The story was gripping, I couldn't look away for a single moment, the story was such a sad yet hopeful film. This is an Oscar winner you should see
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Do you like fried chicken?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I never thought that there would be a movie that deserved the Best Picture win more than "Apocalypse Now"... but here we are! This film is simply wonderful. Dustin Hoffman is incredible in this film he gives such an honest and realistic performance. The story was gripping, I couldn't look away for a single moment, the story was such a sad yet hopeful film. This is an Oscar winner you should see
10/7/22 "Ordinary People" 1980
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You need everything neat and easy."
This was probably one of my favorite best-picture wins I have seen. This movie has such a human story to it. It's so realistic and the characters feel like they're real. This is partly due to Robert Redford's outstanding directing, excellent writing, and stand-out performances from the main four (Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton). Overall this was such an incredible film that touched on some pretty controversial topics for the time
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You need everything neat and easy."
This was probably one of my favorite best-picture wins I have seen. This movie has such a human story to it. It's so realistic and the characters feel like they're real. This is partly due to Robert Redford's outstanding directing, excellent writing, and stand-out performances from the main four (Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton). Overall this was such an incredible film that touched on some pretty controversial topics for the time
1/14/23 "Chariots Of Fire" 1981
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No.
Another best picture winner and this one was a doozy. This movie is famously boring and dull. 90% of this movie is just people running and that's basically all this movie is. It's also British, very British. How did this win against Raiders of the Lost Ark and On Golden Pond?
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No.
Another best picture winner and this one was a doozy. This movie is famously boring and dull. 90% of this movie is just people running and that's basically all this movie is. It's also British, very British. How did this win against Raiders of the Lost Ark and On Golden Pond?
2/7/23 "Gandhi" 1982
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
Ah, nothing like a big cup of Oscar bait in the morning. I am being a little harsh, but I feel this is definitely Oscar bait. I mean, it has an intermission. What's more Oscar bait than that? This is a historical epic meaning that the film is a three-hour long film where they shove the spectacle of the movie in your face. I do have to give this movie credit, they laid out the story really well and made me interested in Gandhi. Counterpoint, making some interested in Gandhi isn't really a hard thing to do, I mean he's one of the most influential people who has ever existed. Ben Kingsley did a great job as Gandhi and deserved the win as a best actor but he does have to go in brownface in this film. Ben Kingsley is of Indian descent, but they had to really darken his skin using makeup and after seeing his other work it's very noticeable. While this film has its moments, it shouldn't have won the best picture. The Thing, King of Comedy, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, E.T., and Tootsie would've been better winners in my opinion. There's sort of a reason no one really brings this film up in conversation.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
Ah, nothing like a big cup of Oscar bait in the morning. I am being a little harsh, but I feel this is definitely Oscar bait. I mean, it has an intermission. What's more Oscar bait than that? This is a historical epic meaning that the film is a three-hour long film where they shove the spectacle of the movie in your face. I do have to give this movie credit, they laid out the story really well and made me interested in Gandhi. Counterpoint, making some interested in Gandhi isn't really a hard thing to do, I mean he's one of the most influential people who has ever existed. Ben Kingsley did a great job as Gandhi and deserved the win as a best actor but he does have to go in brownface in this film. Ben Kingsley is of Indian descent, but they had to really darken his skin using makeup and after seeing his other work it's very noticeable. While this film has its moments, it shouldn't have won the best picture. The Thing, King of Comedy, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, E.T., and Tootsie would've been better winners in my opinion. There's sort of a reason no one really brings this film up in conversation.
"Terms of Endearment" 1983
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Don't worship me until I've earned it."
This drama/comedy is missing the comedy. It's definitely dramatic (maybe too dramatic), but there are no comedic moments really. Jack Nicholson is great in this film but when is he not? This feels like a poorman's "Steel Magnolas" (which also stars Shirley MacClaine).
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Don't worship me until I've earned it."
This drama/comedy is missing the comedy. It's definitely dramatic (maybe too dramatic), but there are no comedic moments really. Jack Nicholson is great in this film but when is he not? This feels like a poorman's "Steel Magnolas" (which also stars Shirley MacClaine).
"Amadeus" 1984
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Too many notes."
A long film, but it's worth it. It's such an interesting character study of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by the fantastic Tom Hulce). It's a great twist seeing the great Mozart being the little brat he historically was. Many people believe that he's a genius, and he is, but that doesn't mean that he isn't also entitled and immature. You feel for Salieri (played by the brilliant F. Murray Abraham), he's filled with obsession and envy because of how naturally gifted Mozart is while he's trapped in mediocrity. Seeing how far Salieri goes to mess with Mozart is truly messed up as we see his descent into evil. A brilliant film
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Too many notes."
A long film, but it's worth it. It's such an interesting character study of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by the fantastic Tom Hulce). It's a great twist seeing the great Mozart being the little brat he historically was. Many people believe that he's a genius, and he is, but that doesn't mean that he isn't also entitled and immature. You feel for Salieri (played by the brilliant F. Murray Abraham), he's filled with obsession and envy because of how naturally gifted Mozart is while he's trapped in mediocrity. Seeing how far Salieri goes to mess with Mozart is truly messed up as we see his descent into evil. A brilliant film
2/13/23 "Out Of Africa" 1985
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's an odd feeling, farewell." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
This was the biggest waste of time I've ever seen. Winning best picture in 1985, this is a boring, poorly made, pretentious film that has no barring on the world of film or pop culture. This film has the most tripe love story, but this is different because it takes place in Africa. They shot a lot of this movie in Africa, and they want to shove that in your face. Except, they didn't film enough apparently, because they use some truly horrid green screen effects. I normally would write off bad green screens, because special effects aren't a main concern to me. As long as it has a good story I don't really mind (like The Menu). When your movie is constructed to show off how much money you have and how you can film in Africa, there is no excuse. There's no way this film is better than "The Color Purple", "Mask", "The Goonies", "The Breakfast Club", or "Back To The Future"
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's an odd feeling, farewell." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
This was the biggest waste of time I've ever seen. Winning best picture in 1985, this is a boring, poorly made, pretentious film that has no barring on the world of film or pop culture. This film has the most tripe love story, but this is different because it takes place in Africa. They shot a lot of this movie in Africa, and they want to shove that in your face. Except, they didn't film enough apparently, because they use some truly horrid green screen effects. I normally would write off bad green screens, because special effects aren't a main concern to me. As long as it has a good story I don't really mind (like The Menu). When your movie is constructed to show off how much money you have and how you can film in Africa, there is no excuse. There's no way this film is better than "The Color Purple", "Mask", "The Goonies", "The Breakfast Club", or "Back To The Future"
2/16/23 "Platoon" 1986
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "We did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us" Did they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
An Oscar-winning film that deserves it?! WHAT?! Seriously though, this film is incredible. Oliver Stone does a fantastic job directing this film and the shots and overall cinematography are excellent. Though the plot is lacking, the performance makes up for it. This is a very character-driven story, and these characters are fantastic. Willem Dafoe does such an incredible job, it's a shame he didn't win the Oscar. Even Charlie Sheen does a great job in one of his first leading roles. It really portrays the horrors of war really well.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "We did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us" Did they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
An Oscar-winning film that deserves it?! WHAT?! Seriously though, this film is incredible. Oliver Stone does a fantastic job directing this film and the shots and overall cinematography are excellent. Though the plot is lacking, the performance makes up for it. This is a very character-driven story, and these characters are fantastic. Willem Dafoe does such an incredible job, it's a shame he didn't win the Oscar. Even Charlie Sheen does a great job in one of his first leading roles. It really portrays the horrors of war really well.
"The Last Emperor" 1987
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If you cannot say what you mean, Your Majesty, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says."
A masterclass in pretentiousness. This whole film feels like it's just reaching for the Oscar the entire time. 3 hours? Check! Period piece? Check! Involves war? Check! The cinematography makes this film a whole lot better, but it's still not really worth your time. Note how much this film gets talked about today versus it's competitors like Fatal Attraction, Broadcast News, or Moonstruck (or Full Metal Jacket, Princess Bride, or Raising Arizona which weren't even nominated). As a whole, you're better off with most other movies
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If you cannot say what you mean, Your Majesty, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says."
A masterclass in pretentiousness. This whole film feels like it's just reaching for the Oscar the entire time. 3 hours? Check! Period piece? Check! Involves war? Check! The cinematography makes this film a whole lot better, but it's still not really worth your time. Note how much this film gets talked about today versus it's competitors like Fatal Attraction, Broadcast News, or Moonstruck (or Full Metal Jacket, Princess Bride, or Raising Arizona which weren't even nominated). As a whole, you're better off with most other movies
"Rain Man" 1988
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "HOT WATER BURN BABY!"
This is easily the most eighties feeling film in the Oscars catalogue (and I mean that in the best way). This film being about Charlie (Tom Cruise) learning that most of his inheritance money is going to a brother that he's never heard about. When he visits his brother, he finds that he has severe Autism (Raymond). This film has a whole lot of heart and really feels like a genuine attempt at a film versus a shallow oscar-bait film.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "HOT WATER BURN BABY!"
This is easily the most eighties feeling film in the Oscars catalogue (and I mean that in the best way). This film being about Charlie (Tom Cruise) learning that most of his inheritance money is going to a brother that he's never heard about. When he visits his brother, he finds that he has severe Autism (Raymond). This film has a whole lot of heart and really feels like a genuine attempt at a film versus a shallow oscar-bait film.
2/17/22 "Driving Miss Daisy" 1989
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "a few minutes ago" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This is such a meh movie I have very little to talk about. I just feel like all the characters have very few personality traits and the plot just sort of goes nowhere. I feel like Parenthood, Do The Right Thing, Steel Magnolias, Glory, or Dead Poets Society should've won instead of this
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "a few minutes ago" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This is such a meh movie I have very little to talk about. I just feel like all the characters have very few personality traits and the plot just sort of goes nowhere. I feel like Parenthood, Do The Right Thing, Steel Magnolias, Glory, or Dead Poets Society should've won instead of this
2/20/23 "Dances With Wolves" 1990
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I have nothing to say to you. You are not worth talking to." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The best picture winner of 1990, and honestly, it didn't age too well. I feel like this film would've been fantastic...if they lost an hour of the film. This film is three hours long when it really shouldn't be. I feel like Kevin Costner does a good job acting, but not really voice acting. He gives narrations throughout the film, but it feels like a 4th grader giving a presentation more than a film narration. He does a good job directing this one too. It looks very majestic and the shots really tell the story; however, my biggest gripe with this movie is that it wasn't "Goodfellas", which was also up for Best Picture. Goodfellas is one of the best movies of all time and gave more to the film landscape than this did. It's sort of unfair to judge this film based on another, but in really dull scenes I couldn't help but think how much Goodfellas deserved the Oscar more than this film. I can see people looking back at this film fondly, especially since it has such a great message, but it did not deserve the win.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I have nothing to say to you. You are not worth talking to." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The best picture winner of 1990, and honestly, it didn't age too well. I feel like this film would've been fantastic...if they lost an hour of the film. This film is three hours long when it really shouldn't be. I feel like Kevin Costner does a good job acting, but not really voice acting. He gives narrations throughout the film, but it feels like a 4th grader giving a presentation more than a film narration. He does a good job directing this one too. It looks very majestic and the shots really tell the story; however, my biggest gripe with this movie is that it wasn't "Goodfellas", which was also up for Best Picture. Goodfellas is one of the best movies of all time and gave more to the film landscape than this did. It's sort of unfair to judge this film based on another, but in really dull scenes I couldn't help but think how much Goodfellas deserved the Oscar more than this film. I can see people looking back at this film fondly, especially since it has such a great message, but it did not deserve the win.
"Silence of the Lambs" 1991
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm having an old friend for dinner"
Simply one of the greatest horror films of all time and so far the only one to win Best Picture. The whole film has such a sense of dread throughout it. There's a reason why so many people reference this film and it's dozens of iconic lines (mostly from Hannibal Lecter).
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm having an old friend for dinner"
Simply one of the greatest horror films of all time and so far the only one to win Best Picture. The whole film has such a sense of dread throughout it. There's a reason why so many people reference this film and it's dozens of iconic lines (mostly from Hannibal Lecter).
"The Unforgiven" 1992
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's right. I've killed women and children. I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned."
Such a powerful commentary on the western genre as a whole. We follow an old cowboy (Clint Eastwood) who gave it all up to live a peaceful life. The problem comes when he's needed against, despite taking a vow that he would never kill someone again, the question comes from whether he'll use a gun or keep his morals in tact. It's even more impactful that it was directed by Clint Eastwood. After playing a cowboy for close to three decades, now was the time to make this film.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's right. I've killed women and children. I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned."
Such a powerful commentary on the western genre as a whole. We follow an old cowboy (Clint Eastwood) who gave it all up to live a peaceful life. The problem comes when he's needed against, despite taking a vow that he would never kill someone again, the question comes from whether he'll use a gun or keep his morals in tact. It's even more impactful that it was directed by Clint Eastwood. After playing a cowboy for close to three decades, now was the time to make this film.
"Schindler's List" 1993
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's power, Amon. That is power."
This is obviously Spielberg's best. Such a powerful film that takes such an emotional toll on you throughout the film. It's so difficult to watch and yet you can't take your eyes away. That girl in the red coat is such an iconic image in this film. Just wow. Incredible.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "That's power, Amon. That is power."
This is obviously Spielberg's best. Such a powerful film that takes such an emotional toll on you throughout the film. It's so difficult to watch and yet you can't take your eyes away. That girl in the red coat is such an iconic image in this film. Just wow. Incredible.
"Forrest Gump" 1994
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
This film has one of the smartest premises I have seen. It's so interesting to see the creative ways they have Forrest Gump accidentally cause huge events. Tom Hanks does a great performance if not a little questionable. This deserved the win due to it's pure iconic nature.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
This film has one of the smartest premises I have seen. It's so interesting to see the creative ways they have Forrest Gump accidentally cause huge events. Tom Hanks does a great performance if not a little questionable. This deserved the win due to it's pure iconic nature.
2/1/23 "Braveheart" 1995
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They may take our lives but they'll never take our freedom!!!" Do they say the name of the film within the movie: No
This is a historical epic gone right. This is a really long movie, don't get me wrong, but most of it is really entertaining. There are certainly some slow moments but those give us insight into the characters and world. One gripe is how many characters there were, I feel like it was sort of hard to distinguish certain characters from others. The action was well choreographed and the whole film was directed very well too. Although this film is great, Se7en should've won the Oscar in my humble opinion. This is a must see however
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They may take our lives but they'll never take our freedom!!!" Do they say the name of the film within the movie: No
This is a historical epic gone right. This is a really long movie, don't get me wrong, but most of it is really entertaining. There are certainly some slow moments but those give us insight into the characters and world. One gripe is how many characters there were, I feel like it was sort of hard to distinguish certain characters from others. The action was well choreographed and the whole film was directed very well too. Although this film is great, Se7en should've won the Oscar in my humble opinion. This is a must see however
12/21/22 "The English Patient" 1996
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You speak so many bloody languages, and you never want to talk."
"This is a joke right?" that's what I thought to myself while watching this movie. "This was made by SNL or Seth Meyers to make fun of Oscar bait" Unfortunately, this is a very real movie and an incredibly shallow film. It's got it all folks! War, Melodrama, Drugs, Swearing, Period Piece! I didn't care about a single character in this film. I didn't even care about Willem Dafoe's character... and he was played by Willem Dafoe, arguably one of the most interesting humans. Ralph Fiennes is in this movie and his character is less than fine. His whole schtick is he's British and he knows songs, that's it. The only point of this film that brought me a drop of joy is hearing "Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat just because it reminded me of that movie. This film jumps from the 1940s to... slightly later. When? We don't know. All we know is that it's later. This goes on for nearly three hours, and you feel every second go by. This film is paced absolutely horribly and about half of the film can be cut. There's no way this won over Fargo
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You speak so many bloody languages, and you never want to talk."
"This is a joke right?" that's what I thought to myself while watching this movie. "This was made by SNL or Seth Meyers to make fun of Oscar bait" Unfortunately, this is a very real movie and an incredibly shallow film. It's got it all folks! War, Melodrama, Drugs, Swearing, Period Piece! I didn't care about a single character in this film. I didn't even care about Willem Dafoe's character... and he was played by Willem Dafoe, arguably one of the most interesting humans. Ralph Fiennes is in this movie and his character is less than fine. His whole schtick is he's British and he knows songs, that's it. The only point of this film that brought me a drop of joy is hearing "Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat just because it reminded me of that movie. This film jumps from the 1940s to... slightly later. When? We don't know. All we know is that it's later. This goes on for nearly three hours, and you feel every second go by. This film is paced absolutely horribly and about half of the film can be cut. There's no way this won over Fargo
1/18/23 "Titanic" 1997
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie?: Yes
This might surprise a lot of you out there, but this is my first time watching this movie, and was it worth the hype? Yes. This is one of the most devastating films. It's crazy how James Cameron insisted on this film being so accurate. He used submarines to shoot underwater so he could do the magical transitions to the replica making it feel like we are traveling back 80 years to the ship in its heyday. There are some messy parts like the villain and some scenes that seem like they go too long, but these all make the ending worth it. What more can I say? It's the Titanic! It deserved it's win
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie?: Yes
This might surprise a lot of you out there, but this is my first time watching this movie, and was it worth the hype? Yes. This is one of the most devastating films. It's crazy how James Cameron insisted on this film being so accurate. He used submarines to shoot underwater so he could do the magical transitions to the replica making it feel like we are traveling back 80 years to the ship in its heyday. There are some messy parts like the villain and some scenes that seem like they go too long, but these all make the ending worth it. What more can I say? It's the Titanic! It deserved it's win
12/25/22 "Shakespeare In Love" 1998
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The show must..." "go on!"
I can't believe this won the Oscar. I could've sworn that Saving Private Ryan won... but nope, this won. It makes me sad as a comedy enthusiast that some of the best comedies of all time never won an Oscar... but this movie did. This is about Shakespeare writing a play but he falls in love with a girl while writing it and it becomes Romeo and Juliet. The problem is, the girl has to dress up as a guy to play Romeo (very funny). It's just not that funny and it goes on for way too long.
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The show must..." "go on!"
I can't believe this won the Oscar. I could've sworn that Saving Private Ryan won... but nope, this won. It makes me sad as a comedy enthusiast that some of the best comedies of all time never won an Oscar... but this movie did. This is about Shakespeare writing a play but he falls in love with a girl while writing it and it becomes Romeo and Juliet. The problem is, the girl has to dress up as a guy to play Romeo (very funny). It's just not that funny and it goes on for way too long.
"American Beauty" 1999
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday."
One of the most beautiful films I've seen. It's a true deconstruction of the nuclear family. Seeing how people try to pretend like everything is perfect, despite all the characters having clear flaws. We follow Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacy), a man who's tired of his life, experiencing a mid-life crisis. He decides to change his life and truly live. His change causes his whole family to turn against him as he tries to do everything he's always wanted. The film starts with him narrating how he's going to die, so the rest of the film we see how he isolates himself from everyone around him. A genius film that has genius writing
10/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday."
One of the most beautiful films I've seen. It's a true deconstruction of the nuclear family. Seeing how people try to pretend like everything is perfect, despite all the characters having clear flaws. We follow Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacy), a man who's tired of his life, experiencing a mid-life crisis. He decides to change his life and truly live. His change causes his whole family to turn against him as he tries to do everything he's always wanted. The film starts with him narrating how he's going to die, so the rest of the film we see how he isolates himself from everyone around him. A genius film that has genius writing
7/13/22 "Gladiator" 2000
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still, they'll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the colosseum. He'll bring them death - and they will love him for it."
Yes. I am entertained. Another Oscar-winning movie on the list and this one is a great one. It's a nice mix of drama and action that made it really stand out. I feel like I was hooked the entire time, although the beginning dragged slightly it was very important for the film. The ending was very sweet and done very well I thought. The shots were great in this one, I can't even imagine how hard it was to get the action scenes in the movie. Russell Crowe was amazing in this film, it was so weird going from Thor: Love and Thunder Russell Crowe to Gladiator Russell Crowe. Also, Joaquin Phoenix was great in this film naturally, he's always great. This film deserved the Oscar win and earns its place in film history as one of the greats
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still, they'll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the colosseum. He'll bring them death - and they will love him for it."
Yes. I am entertained. Another Oscar-winning movie on the list and this one is a great one. It's a nice mix of drama and action that made it really stand out. I feel like I was hooked the entire time, although the beginning dragged slightly it was very important for the film. The ending was very sweet and done very well I thought. The shots were great in this one, I can't even imagine how hard it was to get the action scenes in the movie. Russell Crowe was amazing in this film, it was so weird going from Thor: Love and Thunder Russell Crowe to Gladiator Russell Crowe. Also, Joaquin Phoenix was great in this film naturally, he's always great. This film deserved the Oscar win and earns its place in film history as one of the greats
2/21/23 "A Beautiful Mind" 2001
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No (but they do in a deleted scene)
This won the 2001 Oscar and man did it deserve it. Such a heartbreaking story with such realistic characters due to it being based on a true story. This movie is very clever in the way that it was shot and told. Without getting into spoilers it tells the story in such a fascinating way. Many people don't like this film winning because it's not Lord of the Rings... cope. This is clearly a better film because they didn't stop this film in the first act and have two other sequels where they actually continue the story
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No (but they do in a deleted scene)
This won the 2001 Oscar and man did it deserve it. Such a heartbreaking story with such realistic characters due to it being based on a true story. This movie is very clever in the way that it was shot and told. Without getting into spoilers it tells the story in such a fascinating way. Many people don't like this film winning because it's not Lord of the Rings... cope. This is clearly a better film because they didn't stop this film in the first act and have two other sequels where they actually continue the story
2/24/23 "The Return of The King" 2003
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I am no man" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: sort of (they say "The Return of the King")
This is of course the best film in the franchise, but not the best picture of 2003. I feel like the best part of the entire franchise happens in the last 40 minutes of the nine-hour journey, but was it worth it? Not really. This film had 90% fight scenes that seemed like they stretched on forever. I mean the full series is beautiful and well-shot, but I feel like the story didn't need all nine hours to tell. I feel several side stories shouldn't have taken as much screen time as they should. The end made me realize how much I liked these characters, but the story didn't really let them shine as much. I feel like most of this film was them shoving special effects down our throats, but I just wish we had more character-focused quiet moments. Anytime they're in Shire it's great to get to know these characters. I feel like these films are alright, but they are not the best franchise in film history. IMDB and Letterboxd put these films near the top of their top 250, but I feel like I could name 250 films off the top of my head that are better than these. In my humble opinion, Lost in Translation should've won since it was nominated, but Big Fish (which wasn't even nominated) clearly should've won in my humble opinion.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I am no man" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: sort of (they say "The Return of the King")
This is of course the best film in the franchise, but not the best picture of 2003. I feel like the best part of the entire franchise happens in the last 40 minutes of the nine-hour journey, but was it worth it? Not really. This film had 90% fight scenes that seemed like they stretched on forever. I mean the full series is beautiful and well-shot, but I feel like the story didn't need all nine hours to tell. I feel several side stories shouldn't have taken as much screen time as they should. The end made me realize how much I liked these characters, but the story didn't really let them shine as much. I feel like most of this film was them shoving special effects down our throats, but I just wish we had more character-focused quiet moments. Anytime they're in Shire it's great to get to know these characters. I feel like these films are alright, but they are not the best franchise in film history. IMDB and Letterboxd put these films near the top of their top 250, but I feel like I could name 250 films off the top of my head that are better than these. In my humble opinion, Lost in Translation should've won since it was nominated, but Big Fish (which wasn't even nominated) clearly should've won in my humble opinion.
1/16/23 "Million Dollar Baby" 2004
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Is it like snap, crackle, and pop?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This movie won the Oscar the same year I was born! This definitely feels like Rocky in the 21st century. It follows the classic post-'90s Eastwood plot of an old-timer getting back into (insert profession here)—this time he's teaching Hilary Swank how to box. I feel like the direction of this movie is fantastic. Clint Eastwood does a great job not only behind the camera, but in front as well. This movie has very realistic characters that are written exceptionally well. I haven't seen the other nominees for 2004, but this definitely feels like it deserves to win
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Is it like snap, crackle, and pop?", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This movie won the Oscar the same year I was born! This definitely feels like Rocky in the 21st century. It follows the classic post-'90s Eastwood plot of an old-timer getting back into (insert profession here)—this time he's teaching Hilary Swank how to box. I feel like the direction of this movie is fantastic. Clint Eastwood does a great job not only behind the camera, but in front as well. This movie has very realistic characters that are written exceptionally well. I haven't seen the other nominees for 2004, but this definitely feels like it deserves to win
2/8/23 "Crash" 2004
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: You betcha!
A pure mess of bad ideas. This film tries to be something that it's not, which is a complex drama about an entire town's social climate. This is at best a Love Actually knockoff and at worst goes against the point they were trying to make. Horrid.
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: You betcha!
A pure mess of bad ideas. This film tries to be something that it's not, which is a complex drama about an entire town's social climate. This is at best a Love Actually knockoff and at worst goes against the point they were trying to make. Horrid.
8/3/22 "The Departed" 2006
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Don't laugh! This ain't Reality TV!"
Another Best Picture-winning movie and this one is definitely in my top 10. The plot is written so well and all the characters are so great. What's great about this is how it feels like a Scorsese movie while still having its own flavor. This is the first time Scorsese won the best director (and hopefully not the last time) the direction in this film is wonderful and the close shots aid the tone and atmosphere of the film. It feels like it can be two movies, but put together it makes one incredible film. My second favorite Scorsese (number 1 will forever be Goodfellas, sorry)
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Don't laugh! This ain't Reality TV!"
Another Best Picture-winning movie and this one is definitely in my top 10. The plot is written so well and all the characters are so great. What's great about this is how it feels like a Scorsese movie while still having its own flavor. This is the first time Scorsese won the best director (and hopefully not the last time) the direction in this film is wonderful and the close shots aid the tone and atmosphere of the film. It feels like it can be two movies, but put together it makes one incredible film. My second favorite Scorsese (number 1 will forever be Goodfellas, sorry)
"Slumdog Millionaire" 2007
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I knew the answers."
Having your life-experiences give you the answers to a gameshow is a really neat idea. Seeing it play out is also really interesting, it's such a perfect framing device. The cinematography is also fantastic. It's not too memorable though, but it's a pretty decent film.
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I knew the answers."
Having your life-experiences give you the answers to a gameshow is a really neat idea. Seeing it play out is also really interesting, it's such a perfect framing device. The cinematography is also fantastic. It's not too memorable though, but it's a pretty decent film.
"No Country For Old Men" 2008
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Heads or Tails... call it."
One of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen. The lack of soundtrack is one of the most genius choices I've ever heard. It's so quiet so you hear every footstep, every breathe, and every kill. Anton Chigurh is one of the creepiest villains I've ever seen. He doesn't have a reason to kill these people, in fact he decides by a coin-flip. The Coen Brothers does a fantastic job not only directing, but writing as well.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Heads or Tails... call it."
One of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen. The lack of soundtrack is one of the most genius choices I've ever heard. It's so quiet so you hear every footstep, every breathe, and every kill. Anton Chigurh is one of the creepiest villains I've ever seen. He doesn't have a reason to kill these people, in fact he decides by a coin-flip. The Coen Brothers does a fantastic job not only directing, but writing as well.
2/8/22 "The Hurt Locker" 2008
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "War is a drug", Do they say the title of the movie: no
Ladies and gentlemen, in the 82 years of the Oscar existence, this was the first win by a female director... the first. This was a great film. It was shot like a mockumentary (or like The Office as several people pointed out). It makes it feel really realistic. Also, I'm starting to really like Jeremy Renner as an actor. You see, I only saw him in the MCU which gave him absolutely no personality, I thought that was just his acting style. Then I saw in "American Hustle", "Hawkeye" (where they actually gave him something to work with), and this film. The quote of the movie plays right at the beginning and is just the entire theme of the movie, to some people war is a drug they can't live without. It's really sad seeing how this is true for some people. This deserves the Oscar in my opinion
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "War is a drug", Do they say the title of the movie: no
Ladies and gentlemen, in the 82 years of the Oscar existence, this was the first win by a female director... the first. This was a great film. It was shot like a mockumentary (or like The Office as several people pointed out). It makes it feel really realistic. Also, I'm starting to really like Jeremy Renner as an actor. You see, I only saw him in the MCU which gave him absolutely no personality, I thought that was just his acting style. Then I saw in "American Hustle", "Hawkeye" (where they actually gave him something to work with), and this film. The quote of the movie plays right at the beginning and is just the entire theme of the movie, to some people war is a drug they can't live without. It's really sad seeing how this is true for some people. This deserves the Oscar in my opinion
12/17/22 "The King's Speech" 2010
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Timing isn't my strong suit."
Yet another Oscar-winning movie, but this one is controversial in the Oscars community. Everyone often calls this a misfire since this was the same year as Toy Story 3, Inception, Black Swan, and the most controversial Social Network. Everybody thought that Social Network was going to win. The story can come to a screeching pace at times, but the characters, camera angles, and writing make this an enjoyable film that I couldn't believe actually happened. A beautiful film, but not the best of the year
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Timing isn't my strong suit."
Yet another Oscar-winning movie, but this one is controversial in the Oscars community. Everyone often calls this a misfire since this was the same year as Toy Story 3, Inception, Black Swan, and the most controversial Social Network. Everybody thought that Social Network was going to win. The story can come to a screeching pace at times, but the characters, camera angles, and writing make this an enjoyable film that I couldn't believe actually happened. A beautiful film, but not the best of the year
7/21/22 "The Artist" 2011
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ending
Many would call this movie "Oscar Bait", which it is. The problem with this statement is the negative connotation of the term. There's such a thing as a good Oscar bait movie, like this one. The whole thing with this movie is telling the story of a silent actor adapting to film (ala Singin' in the Rain and Sunset Blvd) the main thing though is this film is a silent film, which really heightens the storytelling. It must've been so difficult to tell this much of a story through this type of presentation. Something I love about this movie is how sparingly they use the text screen. They barely use it, instead, they tell it through pantomime making the story a lot more entertaining. The lead actor won an Oscar for this role, but I feel like the Oscar should've gone to the dog. That dog was so good in the movie, he was actually showing genuine human emotions during some scenes which were crazy. Overall this was a very charming film with an extremely satisfying ending
7/10 Stars, Favorite Scene: The Ending
Many would call this movie "Oscar Bait", which it is. The problem with this statement is the negative connotation of the term. There's such a thing as a good Oscar bait movie, like this one. The whole thing with this movie is telling the story of a silent actor adapting to film (ala Singin' in the Rain and Sunset Blvd) the main thing though is this film is a silent film, which really heightens the storytelling. It must've been so difficult to tell this much of a story through this type of presentation. Something I love about this movie is how sparingly they use the text screen. They barely use it, instead, they tell it through pantomime making the story a lot more entertaining. The lead actor won an Oscar for this role, but I feel like the Oscar should've gone to the dog. That dog was so good in the movie, he was actually showing genuine human emotions during some scenes which were crazy. Overall this was a very charming film with an extremely satisfying ending
9/2/22 "Argo" 2012
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If he could act he wouldn't be a minotaur"
Another Oscar-winning movie, this one won the 2012 best picture. This was directed, produced, and led by Ben Affleck. This movie’s about Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA agent, who starts an operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran by pretending to be a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film that doesn’t exist. The effort put into the fake movie is great with a lot of effort put into the fake costumes, storyboards, and fake plot. I like the opening being shot like storyboards for a movie. The transition between the storyboard and real life was really effective, maybe symbolizing how the lines between reality and fiction get blurred. This movie has a lot of great suspenseful scenes, like the Bazaar, the picture, and the airport scene. This movie has a Hitchcockian heartbeat to it where it started off slow but it’s all worth it for the incredible climax. Whenever an actor speaks in Farsi there are no subtitles, meaning that we never know what they’ll do next. The way how they portray both countries feels really honest and not sugarcoated at all. The actors all do great jobs with their characters, special shoutout to Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin for all being great. I also like how this movie is written. They do have some quips but it makes sense for the characters and is at appropriate times. This movie also has some great editing moments (like the montage between the American news, the Iranian news, and the script reading). This movie also has a great soundtrack, both song-wise and score-wise, they always complement the scene and enhance the movie. Although I feel Django and Life of Pi deserved the Oscar a little more, this is a great pick as well that should go down as a great Best Picture win.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If he could act he wouldn't be a minotaur"
Another Oscar-winning movie, this one won the 2012 best picture. This was directed, produced, and led by Ben Affleck. This movie’s about Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA agent, who starts an operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran by pretending to be a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film that doesn’t exist. The effort put into the fake movie is great with a lot of effort put into the fake costumes, storyboards, and fake plot. I like the opening being shot like storyboards for a movie. The transition between the storyboard and real life was really effective, maybe symbolizing how the lines between reality and fiction get blurred. This movie has a lot of great suspenseful scenes, like the Bazaar, the picture, and the airport scene. This movie has a Hitchcockian heartbeat to it where it started off slow but it’s all worth it for the incredible climax. Whenever an actor speaks in Farsi there are no subtitles, meaning that we never know what they’ll do next. The way how they portray both countries feels really honest and not sugarcoated at all. The actors all do great jobs with their characters, special shoutout to Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin for all being great. I also like how this movie is written. They do have some quips but it makes sense for the characters and is at appropriate times. This movie also has some great editing moments (like the montage between the American news, the Iranian news, and the script reading). This movie also has a great soundtrack, both song-wise and score-wise, they always complement the scene and enhance the movie. Although I feel Django and Life of Pi deserved the Oscar a little more, this is a great pick as well that should go down as a great Best Picture win.
1/29/23 "12 Years a Slave" 2013
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I don't want to survive, I want to live", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This was a really powerful film that didn't hold anything back when it came to the brutality of slavery. It was about an African American gentleman being taken from the North and shoved in the South and spending 12 years as a slave. This movie is brutal, but it absolutely needs to be. We need to see how horrible slaves were treated because it's a part of American history we can't erase. These things DID happen and they were horrible. The performances were stellar, not a bad one in the bunch. One gripe with the film was how it ended with Brad Pitt sort of saving the day. He appears for a total of 5 minutes but ends up saving the day by delivering the letter needed to send Northrup home. Also, I feel like the shots were just fine. I feel like good cinematography stands out and uses creative shots to tell its story, this doesn't have that. Overall, this is a really good best picture win
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I don't want to survive, I want to live", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This was a really powerful film that didn't hold anything back when it came to the brutality of slavery. It was about an African American gentleman being taken from the North and shoved in the South and spending 12 years as a slave. This movie is brutal, but it absolutely needs to be. We need to see how horrible slaves were treated because it's a part of American history we can't erase. These things DID happen and they were horrible. The performances were stellar, not a bad one in the bunch. One gripe with the film was how it ended with Brad Pitt sort of saving the day. He appears for a total of 5 minutes but ends up saving the day by delivering the letter needed to send Northrup home. Also, I feel like the shots were just fine. I feel like good cinematography stands out and uses creative shots to tell its story, this doesn't have that. Overall, this is a really good best picture win
5/20/22 "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" 2014
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "People, they love blood. They love action. Not this talky, depressing, philosophical stuff"
This movie had no idea what was coming up in the cinema landscape. It's all about a faded superhero star who's trying to put on a play to prove to the world that he's a good actor. It's ironic how this story is all about faded superheroes and we have some serious superhero alumni here. This must've been very personal for Michael Keaton since he was Batman in the '90s. He does an amazing job in this film and really brings such a complex depth to this character. Emma Stone does a great job too. It's funny because her hair was still dyed blonde from playing Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-man 2. Edward Norton, everyone's 4th favorite Hulk, is in this and does spectacularly. This whole film feels like it's shot in one continuous take which really adds a lot to the film. I would love it if it was cut normally, but this adds a whole new level of expertise to this film. This is one of the only Oscar-winning movies to have comedy (in some form, it's a dramedy) and it definitely earns its place in the Oscar pantheon
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "People, they love blood. They love action. Not this talky, depressing, philosophical stuff"
This movie had no idea what was coming up in the cinema landscape. It's all about a faded superhero star who's trying to put on a play to prove to the world that he's a good actor. It's ironic how this story is all about faded superheroes and we have some serious superhero alumni here. This must've been very personal for Michael Keaton since he was Batman in the '90s. He does an amazing job in this film and really brings such a complex depth to this character. Emma Stone does a great job too. It's funny because her hair was still dyed blonde from playing Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-man 2. Edward Norton, everyone's 4th favorite Hulk, is in this and does spectacularly. This whole film feels like it's shot in one continuous take which really adds a lot to the film. I would love it if it was cut normally, but this adds a whole new level of expertise to this film. This is one of the only Oscar-winning movies to have comedy (in some form, it's a dramedy) and it definitely earns its place in the Oscar pantheon
6/16/22 "Spotlight" 2015
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Which one of these stories do you want to see?"
Another movie on my Oscar grind, I changed my goal to try to see all of them before the next Oscar Ceremony which gives me 269 days to see these 56 movies. This movie was pretty good. It's about a newspaper in Boston trying to uncover the truth about the Catholic church and what they're doing to the kids. It gets really intense and having it all be based on a true story is what's really crazy. Although it sort of felt like the team watched a documentary on the events and made a film out of it. They have a lot of lines where one of the characters would say something along the lines of "You mean to tell me..." or "So you're saying that..." followed by exposition we already know. It feels like they just did this so they can make sure the audience was up to speed. Mark Ruffalo gave a surprisingly good performance and so did everyone in the main 5 (hint, they are all on the poster). The scene when one of them found out that one of the priests lived in their neighborhood was such a shock. This movie is a slow movie though with pacing that goes as fast as a tortoise. Whenever I talk about an oscar winning movie, I always have to bring up what lost against it and whether I feel like it deserved the win. Honestly, this seems like it was on the same level as all the other nominated movies. I haven't seen any of the other movies (though I think I saw Mad Max Fury Road or I was downstairs when my parents watched it). This wasn't the best oscar winning movie, but definitely not a bad one.
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Which one of these stories do you want to see?"
Another movie on my Oscar grind, I changed my goal to try to see all of them before the next Oscar Ceremony which gives me 269 days to see these 56 movies. This movie was pretty good. It's about a newspaper in Boston trying to uncover the truth about the Catholic church and what they're doing to the kids. It gets really intense and having it all be based on a true story is what's really crazy. Although it sort of felt like the team watched a documentary on the events and made a film out of it. They have a lot of lines where one of the characters would say something along the lines of "You mean to tell me..." or "So you're saying that..." followed by exposition we already know. It feels like they just did this so they can make sure the audience was up to speed. Mark Ruffalo gave a surprisingly good performance and so did everyone in the main 5 (hint, they are all on the poster). The scene when one of them found out that one of the priests lived in their neighborhood was such a shock. This movie is a slow movie though with pacing that goes as fast as a tortoise. Whenever I talk about an oscar winning movie, I always have to bring up what lost against it and whether I feel like it deserved the win. Honestly, this seems like it was on the same level as all the other nominated movies. I haven't seen any of the other movies (though I think I saw Mad Max Fury Road or I was downstairs when my parents watched it). This wasn't the best oscar winning movie, but definitely not a bad one.
7/23/22 "Moonlight" 2016
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ok. Let your head rest in my hand. Relax. I got you. I promise. I won't let you go. Hey man. I got you. There you go. Ten Seconds. Right there. You in the middle of the world."
Yeesh. This wasn't as good as everyone says it is. This is another Oscar-winning movie that is famous because of how it was announced (the mistake of saying that the best picture was La La Land). I feel like maybe La La Land should've won. This movie is SLOW, like if this was released in the '40s it would be seen as slow. They have these long unnecessary pauses that are supposed to be A C T I N G but they happen almost all the time. This film also doesn't have any plot. This feels like Catcher in the Rye in the way that nothing really happens. People would brush this off as an Indie movie trend, but this isn't like other A24 films, Ladybird was a little slow but still had a plot, Ex Machina still had a wonderful plot, and Hereditary??? Your telling me out of all of these films Moonlight is the best one? There are some creative shots but I feel like most of the filming in this movie is a filming style that I call "Getting the job done". It's not artistic, but it gets the job done. Like the crazy shots where it's two people talking to each other, so they are both in the frame... mind-blowing. I just feel like this film sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to the other oscar winning movies. Not for me.
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Ok. Let your head rest in my hand. Relax. I got you. I promise. I won't let you go. Hey man. I got you. There you go. Ten Seconds. Right there. You in the middle of the world."
Yeesh. This wasn't as good as everyone says it is. This is another Oscar-winning movie that is famous because of how it was announced (the mistake of saying that the best picture was La La Land). I feel like maybe La La Land should've won. This movie is SLOW, like if this was released in the '40s it would be seen as slow. They have these long unnecessary pauses that are supposed to be A C T I N G but they happen almost all the time. This film also doesn't have any plot. This feels like Catcher in the Rye in the way that nothing really happens. People would brush this off as an Indie movie trend, but this isn't like other A24 films, Ladybird was a little slow but still had a plot, Ex Machina still had a wonderful plot, and Hereditary??? Your telling me out of all of these films Moonlight is the best one? There are some creative shots but I feel like most of the filming in this movie is a filming style that I call "Getting the job done". It's not artistic, but it gets the job done. Like the crazy shots where it's two people talking to each other, so they are both in the frame... mind-blowing. I just feel like this film sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to the other oscar winning movies. Not for me.
1/16/23 "The Shape of Water" 2017
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If we do nothing, neither are we", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is what an oscar winning movie should look like. This film is gorgeous. Guillermo Del Toro does such an amazing job with this film. It's such a beautiful film with its light green color palette and perfect editing. The story is also very well written (Del Toro wrote it as well). The story is always moving forward and there are so many interesting plot lines that it's impossible to forget this movie. This movie also touches upon such great themes of what it means to be different from society. Michael Shannon does an incredible job in this film, he's so intimidating. Everyone does an incredible job in this film acting-wise. Although this film is spectacular, Get Out still deserved the Oscar more. If Get Out was any other year this would've been a perfect win.
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If we do nothing, neither are we", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is what an oscar winning movie should look like. This film is gorgeous. Guillermo Del Toro does such an amazing job with this film. It's such a beautiful film with its light green color palette and perfect editing. The story is also very well written (Del Toro wrote it as well). The story is always moving forward and there are so many interesting plot lines that it's impossible to forget this movie. This movie also touches upon such great themes of what it means to be different from society. Michael Shannon does an incredible job in this film, he's so intimidating. Everyone does an incredible job in this film acting-wise. Although this film is spectacular, Get Out still deserved the Oscar more. If Get Out was any other year this would've been a perfect win.
1/16/23 "Green Book" 2018
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It don't look fun being that smart" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was an odd choice for best picture. I feel like the whole movie was okay but extremely forgettable. I heard no one talk about this movie before the Oscars of 2018 and I didn't hear anything about this movie after the Oscars. I feel like this movie just doesn't feel that genuine. The characters don't speak as people, they are just there as metaphors. Place-ins for other people. Most of this movie is just Viggo Mortensen saying "Hey! Italians have it hard too guys!" just for Mahershala Ali to say "Erm... no???". I feel like Don Shirley (Ali) has no personality in this film, his whole point is to teach a lesson to the audience whereas Tony Lipp (Mortensen) is the most cliche "AYYYEEEE IMMA WALKIN' HERE" type of Italian where he's a wise guy who's always hustling and getting in fights. What makes this movie worse is seeing all of the films that lost the Oscars. Did the Oscars really think this film was better than Blackkklansman? Arguably Spike Lee's best film that goes to places where Green Book is too afraid to go to. This was also the year where Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favorite, Roma, A Star Is Born, and Vice was nominated. Also in a year where Hereditary, Infinity War, and Game Night this is the movie that won? It's very obvious this film is going to most likely be forgotten
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It don't look fun being that smart" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was an odd choice for best picture. I feel like the whole movie was okay but extremely forgettable. I heard no one talk about this movie before the Oscars of 2018 and I didn't hear anything about this movie after the Oscars. I feel like this movie just doesn't feel that genuine. The characters don't speak as people, they are just there as metaphors. Place-ins for other people. Most of this movie is just Viggo Mortensen saying "Hey! Italians have it hard too guys!" just for Mahershala Ali to say "Erm... no???". I feel like Don Shirley (Ali) has no personality in this film, his whole point is to teach a lesson to the audience whereas Tony Lipp (Mortensen) is the most cliche "AYYYEEEE IMMA WALKIN' HERE" type of Italian where he's a wise guy who's always hustling and getting in fights. What makes this movie worse is seeing all of the films that lost the Oscars. Did the Oscars really think this film was better than Blackkklansman? Arguably Spike Lee's best film that goes to places where Green Book is too afraid to go to. This was also the year where Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favorite, Roma, A Star Is Born, and Vice was nominated. Also in a year where Hereditary, Infinity War, and Game Night this is the movie that won? It's very obvious this film is going to most likely be forgotten
"Parasite" 2019
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They are rich but still nice" "They are nice because they are rich."
I feel like is certainly a great film, but not one of the best ever made. On the movie review site "Letterboxd", this was listed as the best film for quite a while (it's still in the top 10). I really likle the tension and the divide between classes shown in this film. It's a really smart plot, but it drags at points and isn't very memorable in my books.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "They are rich but still nice" "They are nice because they are rich."
I feel like is certainly a great film, but not one of the best ever made. On the movie review site "Letterboxd", this was listed as the best film for quite a while (it's still in the top 10). I really likle the tension and the divide between classes shown in this film. It's a really smart plot, but it drags at points and isn't very memorable in my books.
3/4/23 "Nomadland" 2020
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm houseless, not homeless" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was warned about this best picture winner since everyone said how slow and boring it was, but I actually really liked it! It was extremely slow, yes, but it's like a new-wave film. The directing and cinematography are absolutely beautiful and Frances McDormand is absolutely wonderful. While this film was great, it didn't deserve the best picture, especially against Promising Young Woman which is great, and the Father (which I personally haven't seen but people say is great)
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm houseless, not homeless" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was warned about this best picture winner since everyone said how slow and boring it was, but I actually really liked it! It was extremely slow, yes, but it's like a new-wave film. The directing and cinematography are absolutely beautiful and Frances McDormand is absolutely wonderful. While this film was great, it didn't deserve the best picture, especially against Promising Young Woman which is great, and the Father (which I personally haven't seen but people say is great)
3/5/23 "CODA" 2021
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If we were blind would you go into painting?", do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's over! I officially have seen every best picture winner. This is such a wonderful story that really feels like it needs to be told. You really sympathize with the main character who has to decide whether to follow her dreams or to help her family. One of the things that I love about this film was how it didn't really care about Oscarbaiting. This wasn't a three-hour-long epic about some guy back in the 1800s nor a dull drama written in a Shakespearean-like language. This film is just real. I could see every aspect of this film happening in real life. It has a great Indie movie vibe with a soundtrack that's purely 60's and 70's. Overall, this really deserved the best picture.
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "If we were blind would you go into painting?", do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's over! I officially have seen every best picture winner. This is such a wonderful story that really feels like it needs to be told. You really sympathize with the main character who has to decide whether to follow her dreams or to help her family. One of the things that I love about this film was how it didn't really care about Oscarbaiting. This wasn't a three-hour-long epic about some guy back in the 1800s nor a dull drama written in a Shakespearean-like language. This film is just real. I could see every aspect of this film happening in real life. It has a great Indie movie vibe with a soundtrack that's purely 60's and 70's. Overall, this really deserved the best picture.
12/20/22 "Everything Everywhere All At Once" 2021
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you."
Such a good movie, This is one of the most daring movies I have seen in a while. They take lots of risks and almost all of them paid off. It tells such a small human story but stretched to the biggest point. Though the multiverse is huge in this film, it always leads back to the film's main conflict. I'm being vague so I don't give too much away, but I would definitely recommend this film! It totally deserved the Oscar!
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you."
Such a good movie, This is one of the most daring movies I have seen in a while. They take lots of risks and almost all of them paid off. It tells such a small human story but stretched to the biggest point. Though the multiverse is huge in this film, it always leads back to the film's main conflict. I'm being vague so I don't give too much away, but I would definitely recommend this film! It totally deserved the Oscar!
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