Oscar, Schmoskar

[Grazioso]

Tangentially, I think of the infamous 1988 Grammy decision: Jethro Tull winning over Metallica in the Hard Rock/Metal category.

[karlhenning]

I loved it! And the "The Flute Is A Heavy Metal Instrument" announcements . . . .

[Grazioso]

Well, basically The Academy loves average movies that seem grand and make hollywood look noble.

I hate to spoil the fun, but they get it right, too. Look at some other films that won:

Casablanca
Olivier's Hamlet
The Best Years of Our Lives
All About Eve
On the Waterfront
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Apartment

The most director wins go to Ford, Capra, and Wyler. Well earned, to say the least.

[Bulldog]

1962 and 1994 voters got it right.  I've never understood why The Shawshank Redemption is so highly regarded by so many people.  It's boring as hell and not at all compelling.

I feel just the opposite; Shawshank is my favorite movie of all-time.   Except for the lack of women, it has everything I could want from a movie.

[Grazioso]

How Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private Ryan for best picture is still a major mystery to me.   

Well, they split the difference and gave Spielberg the director nod for it. A common complaint against SPR is that is lapses into action figure heroics at the end, undermining the mood of the earlier parts of the film.

[Grazioso]

I feel just the opposite; Shawshank is my favorite movie of all-time.   Except for the lack of women, it has everything I could want from a movie.

I wonder how the Oscar voters can get ever do right when even the tiny sampling of people in this thread can't agree on what a good movie is 

[Grazioso]

I loved it! And the "The Flute Is A Heavy Metal Instrument" announcements . . . .

Metalheads are still angry  Jethro Tull wins over



WTF?

[Todd]

Metalheads are still angry  Jethro Tull wins over



WTF?

It almost caused a riot where I lived.

Remember, though, Milli Vanilli also won a Grammy, so how could one assign much value to such an award?

[Bulldog]

I wonder how the Oscar voters can get ever do right when even the tiny sampling of people in this thread can't agree on what a good movie is 

All they have to do is give me a call before making their decisions.

[karlhenning]

It almost caused a riot where I lived.

Revenge of the Mullet

[Cato]

Off the top of my head: 1967 had a mediocre and cliched (Afro-American Philadelphia detective goes down South to investigate a murder) movie called In the Heat of the Night win an Oscar over (I am not making this up!) Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and In Cold Blood.

I still remember Rod Steiger chewing on the screen and then on my gym shoes when I saw it!   

[Todd]

Revenge of the Mullet

They were more fashionable then.  It was Billy Ray Cyrus who killed off the 'do if I recall.  (I do confess that I could be totally wrong on that one.)

[Bulldog]

Off the top of my head: 1967 had a mediocre and cliched (Afro-American Philadelphia detective goes down South to investigate a murder) movie called In the Heat of the Night win an Oscar over (I am not making this up!) Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and In Cold Blood.

I still remember Rod Steiger chewing on the screen and then on my gym shoes when I saw it!   

Actually, the detective didn't go down South to investigate a murder.  He just happened to be passing through Steiger's town when the murder took place.

I agree that Bonnie and Clyde and In Cold Blood were better movies.  Not so for The Graduate; I liked it very much when it first came out but now realize it was tedious crap.

[mc ukrneal]

Off the top of my head: 1967 had a mediocre and cliched (Afro-American Philadelphia detective goes down South to investigate a murder) movie called In the Heat of the Night win an Oscar over (I am not making this up!) Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and In Cold Blood.

I still remember Rod Steiger chewing on the screen and then on my gym shoes when I saw it!   

It is interesting to see how wrong people can be! In the Heat of the Night is one my favorite films ever.  The acting is superb, the story generally tight, and the mood practically drips off the screen (I've never seen a movie that makes you feel the heat and humidity so palpably). The relationship between Steiger and Poittier is wonderfully done. B&C and the Graduate are good movies and popular for a reason, but neither hits home in the way that In the Heat of the Night Does. And I would pick Cool Hand Luke over B&C too. I understand why people like B&C - but it doesn't resonante with me like the other two. Both Night and Luke have stayed with me, the images etched in my mind. The day after Bonnie and Clyde (B&C), the movie was out of sight, out of mind. It did not have the same impact on me. 

[DavidRoss]

"I just want to say one word to you.  Just one word.  Are you listening? ... Titanic."

[DavidW]

Whether you love or hate Titanic, it was legendary for sweeping up a ton of awards many of which it didn't deserve.  It was as if best picture was not enough, and they had to show their love by pretending that no other movie was worthy of an oscar.

[karlhenning]

Yes: Portrait of the Academy as a Girls' Summer Camp

[Cato]

It is interesting to see how wrong people can be! In the Heat of the Night is one my favorite films ever.  The acting is superb, the story generally tight, and the mood practically drips off the screen (I've never seen a movie that makes you feel the heat and humidity so palpably). The relationship between Steiger and Poittier is wonderfully done. B&C and the Graduate are good movies and popular for a reason, but neither hits home in the way that In the Heat of the Night Does. And I would pick Cool Hand Luke over B&C too. I understand why people like B&C - but it doesn't resonante with me like the other two. Both Night and Luke have stayed with me, the images etched in my mind. The day after Bonnie and Clyde (B&C), the movie was out of sight, out of mind. It did not have the same impact on me.

Cool Hand Luke was much better than In the Heat of the Night, and holds up much better decades later than The Graduate.

Sorry: I see a runaway actor in Steiger in that one.

[DavidRoss]

Cool Hand Luke was much better than In the Heat of the Night, and holds up much better decades later than The Graduate.

I was in high school when that came out. The two things I remember most are the egg-eating contest and the car wash scene. Perhaps I should watch it again.  If I respond to the car wash scene today like I did back then, my wife will be a very happy camper.

[Bogey]

We love watching the Oscars every year.  I have only missed one nominated film prior to the show since the year Schindler's List took home Best Picture.

As far as getting it WRONG: Annie Hall over Star Wars.

Loved this moment during these years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0XUJETqVoA

Wish I had caught this one at the age of 7.  The 5 minute ovation is cropped here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Pl-qvA1X8

Maybe the best speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qQhODwivLU