After a long break in which I recharged my batteries, watched some movies that (gasp) did not receive any Academy Award nominations, and waged war with my cable provider to make sure that I continued to receive Turner Classic Movies, with the Oscar season upon us I am excited to return to the Every Oscar Ever project to watch and write about both this year's nominees and nominees from past years, many of which I will watch on 31 Days of Oscar.
This year's nominations stuck largely to expectations, but there were a few surprises. While I'll be forced to watch a few films I am less than excited about due to their nominations in technical categories, namely Mirror Mirror, the nominations also give me the necessary push to catch some films that interest me, but I might otherwise miss (Chasing Ice, Kon-Tiki).
So without further ado, here are the films nominated that I have yet to see.
Nominated Films I Have Yet to See
Amour - 5
Django Unchained - 5
Zero Dark Thirty - 5
Flight - 2
The Impossible - 1
The Sessions - 1
ParaNorman - 1
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - 1
War Witch - 1
No - 1
A Royal Affair- 1
Kon-Tiki - 1
Mirror Mirror - 1
Snow White and the Huntsman - 2
Hitchcock - 1
Chasing Ice - 1
Prometheus - 1
5 Broken Cameras - 1
The Gatekeepers - 1
How to Survive a Plague - 1
The Invisible War - 1
"Inocente" - 1
"Kings Point" - 1
"Mondays at Racine" - 1
"Open Heart" - 1
"Redemption" - 1
"Adam and Dog" - 1
"Head Over Heels" - 1
"Paperman" - 1
"Asad" - 1
"Buzkashi Boys" - 1
"Curfew" - 1
"Death of a Shadow" - 1
"Henry" - 1
It looks like I have a full dance card, with 21 feature-length films and 13 short films ahead of me. As always, the hardest part won't be making time to watch the films, but simply finding means of watching some of the more obscure nominees. If anyone has any leads on some of the harder-to-find nominees, particularly the shorts, please get in touch.
First on my slate will be the documentary How to Survive a Plague, which is available via Netflix streaming. I hope to have a review up later this week.
Happy Oscar season everyone!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Pentecost (2011)
1 Nomination, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action - Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
For the second consecutive year, Ireland has produced an Academy Award nominated short film about a young boy navigating his way through Catholicism. Yet there is little else in common between last year's offering, "The Confession," and this year's "Pentecost." "The Confession" was one of the darkest, most depressing short films I have seen in a long time, while "Pentecost" is a fun, joyful short about a young altar boy who has one shot at redemption after spectacularly ruining the mass service. Like many young Irish boys, his mind is always on the football pitch, and it is this distraction that is the source of his troubles in church.
The story of "Pentecost" is thin, and it lacks the cleverness of some of its fellow nominees, especially "Time Freak." Yet it is a sweet story, and the use of "Ode to Joy" as the musical cue is inspired. "Pentecost" is very forgettable, but I enjoyed it while I watched it. Though it isn't as memorable as "The Confession," I'd watch "Pentecost" a thousand times before I would watch "The Confession" again.
Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action - Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
For the second consecutive year, Ireland has produced an Academy Award nominated short film about a young boy navigating his way through Catholicism. Yet there is little else in common between last year's offering, "The Confession," and this year's "Pentecost." "The Confession" was one of the darkest, most depressing short films I have seen in a long time, while "Pentecost" is a fun, joyful short about a young altar boy who has one shot at redemption after spectacularly ruining the mass service. Like many young Irish boys, his mind is always on the football pitch, and it is this distraction that is the source of his troubles in church.
The story of "Pentecost" is thin, and it lacks the cleverness of some of its fellow nominees, especially "Time Freak." Yet it is a sweet story, and the use of "Ode to Joy" as the musical cue is inspired. "Pentecost" is very forgettable, but I enjoyed it while I watched it. Though it isn't as memorable as "The Confession," I'd watch "Pentecost" a thousand times before I would watch "The Confession" again.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
RoboCop (1987)
2 Nominations, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Film Editing - Frank J. Urioste
Nomination: Best Sound - Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin, and Robert Wald
Special Achievement Academy Award (Non-Competitive): Sound Effects Editing - Stephen Hunter Flick and John Pospisil
The 1980's was a significant period in the history of action films, as the genre grew dramatically in response to the birth of the blockbuster in the 1970's and the increasing technological abilities of special effects artists. Several talented young filmmakers worked in the genre, and though much of the output was schlock, the decade produced some of the best action films yet made.
Though I am a fan of action films - the more explosions the better - I am still catching up on many of the finest offerings from the 80's, which I missed due to my parents' questionable belief that R-rated action films weren't appropriate for a child who still had to stand on his tiptoes to get on roller-coasters and who cried when Webster burned down his family's apartment with a science kit. Due to the even more questionable belief held by Hollywood that many of these action films should be remade, I've had the motivation to dive in to the originals in advance of their mutant offspring's appearance.
I didn't have high hopes for RoboCop, since I came of age during the Showgirls-Hollow Man Paul Verhoeven era, missing the Total Recall-Basic Instinct era. I also was exposed to the rightfully aborted RoboCop: The Animted Series as a child, the awfulness of which was far more damaging to a four-year old than its slightly less cartoonish counterpart would have been. Thus I was pleasantly surprised that RoboCop was not completely atrocious.
This isn't to say that I found RoboCop to be a good movie. The film is terribly paced, dragging on way too long without any consequence. When the newly robotized protagonist is introduced far too late into the film, his lack of humanity makes him completely uninteresting. The point of the film, of course, is that though RoboCop is no longer alive, he still has the slightest glimmer of a soul under the machinery. Yet this glimmer is not enough to sustain interest in the character as he seeks revenge. It's hard to invest much emotion into questioning whether a mostly-dead robot can get revenge on an equally soulless criminal acting without much motivation.
The film suffers due to its inadequacies in plotting and character development, but there are interesting aspects to the film as well. The film expresses some type of political view, though it is hard to discern whether its anti-authoritarian, authoritarian, anti-union, or anarchist; I'm sure more than a few theses have been written about it. The filmmakers made a half-hearted attempt to pose some questions about the ethics associated with policing, but these quickly fall by the wayside. The fake newscasts are great, and Kurtwood Smith chews the scenery with aplomb. The film's technical work, which was what the Academy recognized, is very impressive, and both of the nominations and the special award were well deserved. Kohut, Delarios, Rochin, and Wald probably deserved the Oscar for Best Sound, and likely would have won if not for The Last Emperor dominating the year's technical categories.
Once the movie moves on from its slow ending, it moves breezily along. Even with its faults, its enjoyable enough to watch, and it's certainly better than its animated spin-off.
Remaining: 3163 films, 874 Oscars, 5440 nominations
Nomination: Best Film Editing - Frank J. Urioste
Nomination: Best Sound - Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin, and Robert Wald
Special Achievement Academy Award (Non-Competitive): Sound Effects Editing - Stephen Hunter Flick and John Pospisil
The 1980's was a significant period in the history of action films, as the genre grew dramatically in response to the birth of the blockbuster in the 1970's and the increasing technological abilities of special effects artists. Several talented young filmmakers worked in the genre, and though much of the output was schlock, the decade produced some of the best action films yet made.
Though I am a fan of action films - the more explosions the better - I am still catching up on many of the finest offerings from the 80's, which I missed due to my parents' questionable belief that R-rated action films weren't appropriate for a child who still had to stand on his tiptoes to get on roller-coasters and who cried when Webster burned down his family's apartment with a science kit. Due to the even more questionable belief held by Hollywood that many of these action films should be remade, I've had the motivation to dive in to the originals in advance of their mutant offspring's appearance.I didn't have high hopes for RoboCop, since I came of age during the Showgirls-Hollow Man Paul Verhoeven era, missing the Total Recall-Basic Instinct era. I also was exposed to the rightfully aborted RoboCop: The Animted Series as a child, the awfulness of which was far more damaging to a four-year old than its slightly less cartoonish counterpart would have been. Thus I was pleasantly surprised that RoboCop was not completely atrocious.
This isn't to say that I found RoboCop to be a good movie. The film is terribly paced, dragging on way too long without any consequence. When the newly robotized protagonist is introduced far too late into the film, his lack of humanity makes him completely uninteresting. The point of the film, of course, is that though RoboCop is no longer alive, he still has the slightest glimmer of a soul under the machinery. Yet this glimmer is not enough to sustain interest in the character as he seeks revenge. It's hard to invest much emotion into questioning whether a mostly-dead robot can get revenge on an equally soulless criminal acting without much motivation.
The film suffers due to its inadequacies in plotting and character development, but there are interesting aspects to the film as well. The film expresses some type of political view, though it is hard to discern whether its anti-authoritarian, authoritarian, anti-union, or anarchist; I'm sure more than a few theses have been written about it. The filmmakers made a half-hearted attempt to pose some questions about the ethics associated with policing, but these quickly fall by the wayside. The fake newscasts are great, and Kurtwood Smith chews the scenery with aplomb. The film's technical work, which was what the Academy recognized, is very impressive, and both of the nominations and the special award were well deserved. Kohut, Delarios, Rochin, and Wald probably deserved the Oscar for Best Sound, and likely would have won if not for The Last Emperor dominating the year's technical categories.
Once the movie moves on from its slow ending, it moves breezily along. Even with its faults, its enjoyable enough to watch, and it's certainly better than its animated spin-off.
Remaining: 3163 films, 874 Oscars, 5440 nominations
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Pigskin Parade (1936)
1 Nomination, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Stuart Erwin
I was curious to watch Pigskin Parade when I saw it on the schedule for Turner Classic Movies, mostly due to the fact that it was a football movie released in 1936, and thus it was one of the earliest movies about the sport (though it was beaten to the punch by Harold Lloyd in The Freshman and the Marx Brothers in Horse Feathers). As an Oscar completist, the film is notable to me due to Stuart Erwin's nomination for supporting actor, the first year the award was given. Soon after the film begun, I realized that it was notable for something far more significant: it is the feature film debut of a very young (14 years old at the time of the release) Judy Garland.
Pigskin Parade is the rare combination of sports film and musical. While it is no Damn Yankees, it is an easy film to like, telling the story of the football program of the tiny - and fictional - Texas State University, who mistakenly receives an invitation from the then mighty Yale University football team to play each other in an exhibition game. Texas State, led by their coach (played by Jack Haley, who would appear again with Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz), is severely overmatched, and the disparity between the two teams grows even greater when their quarterback is injured. Enter Stuart Erwin, a farm boy who impresses the team with his ability to throw watermelons, and his younger sister, played by Garland.
The plot is simple, and there's little to surprise audiences in the film in terms of the story. Yet Pigskin Parade is a fun and charming film, due almost entirely to the cast. Haley and Erwin, along with Betty Grable and Patsy Kelly, form the core of the cast, and the performances are all solid, if a bit hokey. Then, of course, there is Judy Garland. I was hardly surprised that Garland stole every scene she was in, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Every line is delivered at maximum volume and with dramatics, and at times Garland's performance was all too similar to something William Shatner would have turned in. But even with a somewhat histrionic performance, it is the rare performer who can steal every scene she is in, particularly when acting with an experienced and talented cast, and perhaps only Garland had the talent to do so in her early teen years.
Garland's best moments in the film, unsurprisingly, are those in which she sings. Showing little of the sweet innocence she would show just a few years later in The Wizard of Oz, she instead sounds like the powerhouse she would become later on, belting out every note with perfect intonation. Her singing's not subtle, but Judy never was when she was at her best.
If for no reason other than the historic first feature film appearance of Judy Garland, Pigskin Parade would be worth watching. With the addition of a fun story and a good cast, it is well worth investing time in.
Remaining: 3164 films, 874 Oscars, 5442 nominations
Nomination: Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Stuart Erwin
I was curious to watch Pigskin Parade when I saw it on the schedule for Turner Classic Movies, mostly due to the fact that it was a football movie released in 1936, and thus it was one of the earliest movies about the sport (though it was beaten to the punch by Harold Lloyd in The Freshman and the Marx Brothers in Horse Feathers). As an Oscar completist, the film is notable to me due to Stuart Erwin's nomination for supporting actor, the first year the award was given. Soon after the film begun, I realized that it was notable for something far more significant: it is the feature film debut of a very young (14 years old at the time of the release) Judy Garland.Pigskin Parade is the rare combination of sports film and musical. While it is no Damn Yankees, it is an easy film to like, telling the story of the football program of the tiny - and fictional - Texas State University, who mistakenly receives an invitation from the then mighty Yale University football team to play each other in an exhibition game. Texas State, led by their coach (played by Jack Haley, who would appear again with Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz), is severely overmatched, and the disparity between the two teams grows even greater when their quarterback is injured. Enter Stuart Erwin, a farm boy who impresses the team with his ability to throw watermelons, and his younger sister, played by Garland.
The plot is simple, and there's little to surprise audiences in the film in terms of the story. Yet Pigskin Parade is a fun and charming film, due almost entirely to the cast. Haley and Erwin, along with Betty Grable and Patsy Kelly, form the core of the cast, and the performances are all solid, if a bit hokey. Then, of course, there is Judy Garland. I was hardly surprised that Garland stole every scene she was in, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Every line is delivered at maximum volume and with dramatics, and at times Garland's performance was all too similar to something William Shatner would have turned in. But even with a somewhat histrionic performance, it is the rare performer who can steal every scene she is in, particularly when acting with an experienced and talented cast, and perhaps only Garland had the talent to do so in her early teen years.
Garland's best moments in the film, unsurprisingly, are those in which she sings. Showing little of the sweet innocence she would show just a few years later in The Wizard of Oz, she instead sounds like the powerhouse she would become later on, belting out every note with perfect intonation. Her singing's not subtle, but Judy never was when she was at her best.
If for no reason other than the historic first feature film appearance of Judy Garland, Pigskin Parade would be worth watching. With the addition of a fun story and a good cast, it is well worth investing time in.
Remaining: 3164 films, 874 Oscars, 5442 nominations
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The Gruffalo (2009)
1 Nomination, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Short Film, Animated - Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
I was well into my teen years when Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's children book The Gruffalo was published, and since I do not yet have any children, I was unaware of the mega-selling and much-loved book, which has sold over ten million copies. As is often the case with films that are adapted from childhood works, so much of one's appreciation for the adaptation is affected by the individual's feelings toward the source material, and those who grew up on The Gruffalo responded with great enthusiasm for Jakob Schuh and Max Lang's short film. Having no such feelings myself, I didn't have the same reaction and attachment to the film that so many have had to the film, which became a favorite of various awards voters and viewers, particularly in the UK.
"The Gruffalo" tells the story of a quick-witted mouse, who makes up a story to survive as he travels through the woods. Of course, as with any morality tale, the mouse's license with the truth is confronted, and he must use his wits to deal with the consequences. It is a very sweet film, and the wonderful cast provides voice work perfectly suited to the characters. The film's run time is a bit bloated at 27 minutes, and it's easy to find several minutes that could have been cut to improve pacing.
"The Gruffalo" is a well made animated short film, and it was well deserving of its Academy Award nomination. I feel it would have benefitted from a few nips and tucks, though perhaps if I had a strong attachment to the source material, I would have greater enjoyment of each moment. A great deal of care was put into the making of this film, and I imagine Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler are quite happy with the filmic adaptation of their story.
Remaining: 3165 films, 874 Oscars, 5443 nominations
Monday, April 2, 2012
Time Freak (2011)
1 Nomination, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action - Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
After watching about 30 seconds of "Time Freak," I had a moment like the one that hit Anton Ego in Ratatouille, as I was suddenly transported back to my days in film school. The short film, though much more slickly produced than those that I saw during my undergraduate years, has many of the characteristics of a student short film, namely a cast that looks more like friends of the filmmakers than professional actors. Upon this realization, my interest in the film began to wane - most student short films aren't very good - and I checked my watch to see how much time remained, a bad sign for any film, but particularly insulting for a short.
A few moments after my rush to judgment, as the premise of "Time Freak" made itself clear, I forgot all about my premature dismissal and found myself loving the film. The short is the story of a neurotic young inventor who discovers the secrets of time travel, but instead of surveying ancient Rome or exploring the future, first decides to correct a series of recent mistakes in his life. Like the best comedic shorts, the filmmakers take a simple premise and turn it on its head. In "Time Freak," time travel is presented not in the usual mode of science fiction, but instead in an approach that Woody Allen might take.
The film exhibits impressive comedic timing, and the film moves along at a brisk pace with clever editing and excellent performances from the cast. "Time Freak," like the previous year's Oscar winner in the category "God of Love," is a perfect demonstration of the wonderful comedy that can come only from a well-crafted short film.
Remaining: 3166 films, 874 Oscars, 5444 nominations
Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action - Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
After watching about 30 seconds of "Time Freak," I had a moment like the one that hit Anton Ego in Ratatouille, as I was suddenly transported back to my days in film school. The short film, though much more slickly produced than those that I saw during my undergraduate years, has many of the characteristics of a student short film, namely a cast that looks more like friends of the filmmakers than professional actors. Upon this realization, my interest in the film began to wane - most student short films aren't very good - and I checked my watch to see how much time remained, a bad sign for any film, but particularly insulting for a short.
A few moments after my rush to judgment, as the premise of "Time Freak" made itself clear, I forgot all about my premature dismissal and found myself loving the film. The short is the story of a neurotic young inventor who discovers the secrets of time travel, but instead of surveying ancient Rome or exploring the future, first decides to correct a series of recent mistakes in his life. Like the best comedic shorts, the filmmakers take a simple premise and turn it on its head. In "Time Freak," time travel is presented not in the usual mode of science fiction, but instead in an approach that Woody Allen might take.The film exhibits impressive comedic timing, and the film moves along at a brisk pace with clever editing and excellent performances from the cast. "Time Freak," like the previous year's Oscar winner in the category "God of Love," is a perfect demonstration of the wonderful comedy that can come only from a well-crafted short film.
Remaining: 3166 films, 874 Oscars, 5444 nominations
Marines in the Making (1942)
1 Nomination, 0 Wins
Nomination: Best Short Subject, One-Reel - Pete Smith
Pete Smith was a unique figure in the history of the cinema, one whose legacy would likely have all but vanished if not for the programmers at Turner Classic Movies, who squeeze "Pete Smith Specialties" into the schedule more often than TBS airs The Shawshank Redemption. Smith produced scores of non-fiction short films for MGM, and his films became known for Smith's occasionally wry, often corny, and always amusing narration.
Though Smith is probably best remembered for his films on sports and household mores, two subjects in which his humor worked best, he also made some exceptional military-themed films during World War II. Most of the military-themed short films made during the war years are nearly unwatchable now, as even the best of the bunch employ a Polyanna-esque tone and political simplicity that is foreign to modern day sensibilities. While Smith's war films are still very much of their time and thus the tone is still quite dated, the gently biting humor in the narration gives the films a lasting quality.
"Marines in the Making" is one of the strongest of Smith's military-themed films. The film is a brief look at the training of Marines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the short is quite entertaining, as opposed to most short films of the time that served as little more than commercials for war bonds. In his narration Smith cracks harmless jokes about the Marines during their training, and the comparisons between the training of Marines and football players gives this short a unique spin. Some of Smith's narration is far from politically correct and offensive to modern ears, but at the time was indicative of national sentiment.
As is generally the case with Smith's films, "Marines in the Making" doesn't push the boundaries of the short film, and the content is quite straightforward and not terribly exciting on its own. Yet Smith's trademark style of narration and willingness to inject humor where others dared not combine to make "Marines in the Making" one of the more watchable and lasting of the military-themed shorts produced during World War II.
Remaining: 3167 films, 874 Oscars, 5445 nominations
Nomination: Best Short Subject, One-Reel - Pete Smith
Pete Smith was a unique figure in the history of the cinema, one whose legacy would likely have all but vanished if not for the programmers at Turner Classic Movies, who squeeze "Pete Smith Specialties" into the schedule more often than TBS airs The Shawshank Redemption. Smith produced scores of non-fiction short films for MGM, and his films became known for Smith's occasionally wry, often corny, and always amusing narration.
Though Smith is probably best remembered for his films on sports and household mores, two subjects in which his humor worked best, he also made some exceptional military-themed films during World War II. Most of the military-themed short films made during the war years are nearly unwatchable now, as even the best of the bunch employ a Polyanna-esque tone and political simplicity that is foreign to modern day sensibilities. While Smith's war films are still very much of their time and thus the tone is still quite dated, the gently biting humor in the narration gives the films a lasting quality.
"Marines in the Making" is one of the strongest of Smith's military-themed films. The film is a brief look at the training of Marines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the short is quite entertaining, as opposed to most short films of the time that served as little more than commercials for war bonds. In his narration Smith cracks harmless jokes about the Marines during their training, and the comparisons between the training of Marines and football players gives this short a unique spin. Some of Smith's narration is far from politically correct and offensive to modern ears, but at the time was indicative of national sentiment.
As is generally the case with Smith's films, "Marines in the Making" doesn't push the boundaries of the short film, and the content is quite straightforward and not terribly exciting on its own. Yet Smith's trademark style of narration and willingness to inject humor where others dared not combine to make "Marines in the Making" one of the more watchable and lasting of the military-themed shorts produced during World War II.
Remaining: 3167 films, 874 Oscars, 5445 nominations
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