Penelope wrote:Original Score '82: I have no compunction about taking away John Williams' Oscar for E.T. and giving it to Jerry Goldsmith for Poltergeist.
FilmFan: Best Original Song 1984 (ie, the battle of the #1's)
I'm so glad you feel the same way I do. Although I think E.T. is about as good as John Williams has ever been, I still say Poltergeist is on the whole a richer piece of music.
I wouldn't be surprised if I thought at least Dirty Pretty Things was better a better script than Lost in Translation. I'm almost positive I'd think In America was, had I bothered to see it.
I was wondering when you'd want to join in! I believe we're in the third round of the current tournament, so you'll be first in the next round--Rain Bard, you'll come before Flipp. I'll have the new lineup soon.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
I’ve only seen bits of Fiddler on the Roof, but from what I’ve seen the cinematography is OK, forgettable work. Haven’t seen Nicholas & Alexandra and Roizman’s French Connection work is no better or worse than a million TV cop shows. So it’s down to Surtees vs. himself. And while he gives an admirably dreamy, haunting look to Summer of 42, I could never vote against The Last Picture Show, one of the most starkly beautiful films of the 70s.
Jesus, what a lineup. Worst thing you can say about the weak line (Brown) is that his work is only modest and lovely. Every one of these nominees is a craftsman at the top of their game. 'Brief Encounter' and 'It's a Wonderful Life' are two of my favorite films ever, very much on my short list, and while Lean's movie never makes a misstep and it's impossible NOT to attribute its successes to his steady hand, that 'It's a Wonderful Life' maintains such uplift after such tortuous purgatory for almost two hours is damn near miraculous. It's the Christmas miracle equivalent of an orgasm.
This is a tough category for me. None of these filmmakers are on my list of all-time favorites, but these respective films represent them at their peaks for the most part.
Clarence Brown goes out first. The Yearling is enjoyable enough, but an Oscar nomination is a little much, especially considering some of the people who were overlooked.
Now it gets tough. Brief Encounter is probably my favorite of Lean's films--I've never been a huge fan of the epics--but I wonder how much of the power comes from Lean's directing (which is good) and how much comes from Celia Johnston's performance and the use of the Rach-2. Then it's a tossup. The Killers is a great film noir, and it's a curiosity that Siodmak never apparently made many other interesting films (I haven't seen any others.). The Best Years of Our Lives is by far my favorite Wyler, and It's A Wonderful Life is far beyond the simple Christmas classic it's considered; it (as well as Best Years) is a perfect counterpoint to the postwar optimism of 1946.
I can't think of another lineup where I'd vote for Wyler, but Capra would probably get my vote in another lineup, and of course there would never be another chance for Siodmak. Like I said--it's basically a tossup. This is tough, but, flipping a three-sided coin in my head, I'll use one of my passes and let Wyler keep it.
Oh so that's how it's gonna be, huh? Making me use a "pass" on my first try out- and on a performance category, no less?
Morita's role is an embarrassment. Caesar chews scenery in a not-very-good movie. Malkovich plays one of those noxious "saintly sage" disability roles, mugging for Oscar. Richardson I don't remember, I think I saw that movie on a plane when I was twelve years old.
But when you've re-watched The Killing Fields while sitting on the floor of a Siem Riep guest house, at the behest of its owner, it takes on a certain significance to you. And Ngor is the best thing in the movie, too. No way I'm depriving him of that Oscar.
Shoot. I don't want to pass either but 'Fargo' is for me an incredibly strong piece of writing. And yet, 'Lone Star' may be the stronger one. I'm giving it to John Sayles.
Okri wrote:(Though I thought we were sticking with 1944 onwards).
I originally wanted to do all Oscar years, but narrowed it thinking people hadn't seen too many of the early films; so if nobody else has a problem with it, let's open it up to go as far back as we can....
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
