The Oscars

[mousepod]

After I logged out of the chat last night, I started thinking about why some people were pissed that Peter O'Toole didn't get the award though he might not have been the "best actor" and were equally pissed that Scorsese/The Departed won when they might not have been last year's best Director/Picture. Or to be more accurate, I started thinking about why I didn't care, and was happy for Marty. So I decided to compare Scorsese's filmography to the award winners from each year. Here's what I found:

Year-Scorsese Film- Best Picture
1967-Who's That Knocking At My Door*-In The Heat of the Night
1972-Boxcar Bertha*-The Godfather
1973-Mean Streets*-The Sting
1974-Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*-"The Godfather, Part II"
1976-Taxi Driver-Rocky
1977-"New York, New York*"-Annie Hall
1980-Raging Bull-Ordinary People
1983-The King of Comedy*-Terms of Endearment
1985-After Hours*-Out of Africa
1986-The Color of Money*-Platoon
1988-The Last Temptation of Christ*-Rain Man
1990-Goodfellas-Dances With Wolves
1991-Cape Fear*-The Silence of the Lambs
1993-The Age of Innocence*-Schindler's List
1995-Casino*-Braveheart
1997-Kundun*-Titanic
1999-Bringing Out the Dead*-American Beauty
2002-Gangs of New York-Chicago
2004-The Aviator-Million Dollar Baby
2006-The Departed-The Departed

*not nominated

What did I learn? Not much except that this year is not really an exception. The "best" doesn't always win. ...and given the choice between watching the Scorsese film from any given year vs the winner from that year, I'll almost always pick the Scorsese flick. Except 1972 and 1974.... and maybe '86 and '93.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by mousepod

After I logged out of the chat last night, I started thinking about why some people were pissed that Peter O'Toole didn't get the award though he might not have been the "best actor" and were equally pissed that Scorsese/The Departed won when they might not have been last year's best Director/Picture. Or to be more accurate, I started thinking about why I didn't care, and was happy for Marty. So I decided to compare Scorsese's filmography to the award winners from each year. Here's what I found:

Year-Scorsese Film- Best Picture
1967-Who's That Knocking At My Door*-In The Heat of the Night
1972-Boxcar Bertha*-The Godfather
1973-Mean Streets*-The Sting
1974-Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore*-"The Godfather, Part II"
1976-Taxi Driver-Rocky
1977-"New York, New York*"-Annie Hall
1980-Raging Bull-Ordinary People
1983-The King of Comedy*-Terms of Endearment
1985-After Hours*-Out of Africa
1986-The Color of Money*-Platoon
1988-The Last Temptation of Christ*-Rain Man
1990-Goodfellas-Dances With Wolves
1991-Cape Fear*-The Silence of the Lambs
1993-The Age of Innocence*-Schindler's List
1995-Casino*-Braveheart
1997-Kundun*-Titanic
1999-Bringing Out the Dead*-American Beauty
2002-Gangs of New York-Chicago
2004-The Aviator-Million Dollar Baby
2006-The Departed-The Departed

*not nominated

What did I learn? Not much except that this year is not really an exception. The "best" doesn't always win. ...and given the choice between watching the Scorsese film from any given year vs the winner from that year, I'll almost always pick the Scorsese flick. Except 1972 and 1974.... and maybe '86 and '93.

I totally agree with GC here. And mousepod, while I would never give Alice a nod over Godfather II, it was a film I enjoyed a good deal and very different from the (now) sterotypical Scorsese film.

I do not dispute the win last night of The Departed. I thought for a best adapted screenplay, remake, it was a fine film. Richly deserved the editing nod and I was grateful beyond measure that The Queen did not win best picture (although given the Academy history, it would not have suprised me on iota). Having seen The Departed only Saturday night, I thought it was a rock solid film from top to bottom and, in this case to me, let the naysayers complain it's a remake, I still thought it was worthy and long overdue for a best direction nod. Ask me about the remake of Cape Fear and I will give you a different answer

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by mousepod

After I logged out of the chat last night, I started thinking about why some people were pissed that Peter O'Toole didn't get the award though he might not have been the "best actor" and were equally pissed that Scorsese/The Departed won when they might not have been last year's best Director/Picture.

I was pissed about O'Toole not winning because I thought he was brilliant and riviting. I couldn't take my eyes off of him the entire film. But, I haven't seen "King....." yet, so maybe I'll feel differently after I see it.

1976-Taxi Driver-Rocky

1990-Goodfellas-Dances With Wolves

Those instances are the only two that I think the Academy chose the wrong film. But, I'm now looking at them as to which I think has stood the test of time.

However, in 1976 I probably would've voted for Network over Taxi Driver.

[mousepod]

NA,

Ordinary People over Raging Bull? Really?

Between now and the time I move to LA, I must refine my movie salon/podcast plan.

I'm thinking we need to have a couple of double features, pitting an award winner against a movie that some think should have won. Differing opinions, especially among opinionated movie buffs like us, should prove to be highly entertaining.

Maybe this needs to be a thread before we start programming our festival.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by mousepod

NA,

Ordinary People over Raging Bull? Really?

Totally. I LOVED Ordinary People when I saw it and Raging Bull not so much. But, remember, I have a hard time with violence and seem to lire (or is it just relate to) f'ed up relationships. (Interiors IS my favorite Woody Allen, after all.)

[Alex]

I too would be hard torn to choose between Ordinary People and Raging Bull. Though ultimately I'd probably go with Raging Bull. But it would shift with my mood.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

However, in 1976 I probably would've voted for Network over Taxi Driver.

I loved Network, but it stands out more for me as a collection of speeches rather than a coherent story. It's been a while since I saw it, but I think the idea that a network would actually kill someone on the air for ratings would either strike me as extremely silly or unremarkable.

Rocky was the better movie. Whenever I think about films of the 70s, I tend to sum it up as a bunch of men yelling at each other in service of some idea. Rocky, the character, did very little yelling. He was the epitome of cool.