Oscar History for Best Picture, Directing, and Editing Categories.

I feel that the last few years that the Academy Awards never agree on Best Picture,Director, and Editing categories. It seems to me that Directing and Picture usually go hand in hand. So I decided to break down how many times The Best Picture, Best Director and Best Editing have been for the same or different films in Oscar history. It was a great undertaking, but here is the results of the last 89 Academy Awards.

*Note* The first 10 years of the Oscars were a shit show, so a lot of strange things from the 30's. The first Oscars had two Best Picture categories Outstanding and Artistic and 2 Best Director categories Comedy and Dramatic, and neither of the Best Picture winners director's were nominated. The Academy ignores the fact that Sunrise is a Best Picture winner, but I'm going to include it. Therefore with my list there are 90 Best Picture Winners, not 89. Also the Best Editing category didn't come along until 1935.

64 times Best Picture and Best Director have been for the same film

26 times Best Picture and Best Director have been different.

29 times has the same film won for Best Picture,Director, and Editing.
They are in order: Gone With The Wind, The Best Years Of Our Lives, From Here To Eternity, On The Waterfront, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Gigi, Ben Hur,The Apartment,West Side Story, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Sound Of Music, Patton, The French Connection, The Sting, Rocky, The Deer Hunter, Gandhi, Platoon, The Last Emperor, Dances With Wolves, Unforgiven, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, The English Patient, Titanic, Return Of The King, The Departed, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Hurt Locker.
The longest run was 6 years in a row 1958-1963. The decade with the most is the '90's with 6.

6 times Editing and Director were for the same film, but Best Picture was different.
They are in order: A Place In The Sun, Cabaret, Born On The Fourth Of July, Saving Private Ryan, Traffic, and Gravity.

4 times Editing and Best Picture were the same, but different Director won.
They are in order: Around The World In 80 Days, Chicago, Crash, and Argo. Three of these films are in my top 10 worst films to ever win Best Picture.

5 Directors have not been nominated for Best Director and their films went on to win Best Picture.
Two are from the first Oscar ceremony, which was the most unorthodox in Awards history.
They are in order: William Wellman for Wings, F.W.Murnau for Sunrise, Edmund Goulding for Grand Hotel, Bruce Beresford for Driving Miss Daisy, and Ben Affleck for Argo.

Breakdown by decade:
1927-39: 8 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
1940-49: 2 times Best Picture and Director winners were different..
1950-59: 4 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
1960-69: 1 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
1970-79: 1 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
1980-89: 1 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
1990-99: 2 times Best Picture and Director winners were different..
2000-09: 3 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.
2010-17: 4 times Best Picture and Director winners were different.

The winner for Best Picture and Best Director have been different 7 times since 2000, and only 5 times from 1960- 1999. So it seems this is going to be a new trend.

2017 Oscar Predictions

With Trump turning the world upside down I think we are still a year or two away from deep serious political films sweeping the Academy Awards. The Oscars this year will be political on stage and traditional upbeat with the award wins, these are the last of the Obama movies. This is what I think will win, not what I want to win.

BEST PICTURE- La La Land. The backlash for this film the last month has been odd and unfounded. Ohhh they can't sing, ahhh a white man saved Jazz, geee the story is so simple. La La Land is bold, risky, and the hardest film to make this year. It's a very well made charming throwback musical, and if you feel nothing at the end you are dead inside.
Ignored: Jackie (Get used to this)

BEST ACTOR- Casey Affleck. Nobody beat his performance this year, and only the Gos came close.
Ignored: Colin Farrell-The Lobster.

BEST ACTRESS- Emma Stone. Huppert may steal it from her, but the singing and dancing may give Emma the edge. I'm really rooting for Natalie Portman for Jackie, but that won't happen.
Ignored: Viola Davis-Fences

SUPPORTING ACTRESS- Viola Davis. The Academy needs to get their shit strait and set some rules. Viola is in as much of Fences as Denzel, and now she has an unfair advantage over the other nominees. I'm rooting for Michelle Williams for Manchester, but 90 minutes of screen time beats 10 minutes.
Ignored: Angeliki Papoulia- "The Heartless Women" from The Lobster.

SUPPORTING ACTOR- Mahershala Ali. Great category again this year, but Ali gives a star making performance.
Ignored: I have a few.Ben Whishaw- The Lobster. Trevante Rhodes "The grown up Chiron"-Moonlight. Ben Foster- Hell or High Water

DIRECTING- Damien Chazelle. The guy took a big risk for his second film and hit it out of the park. No sophomore slump for D.C.
Ignored: Pablo Larrain-Jackie and Yorgos Lanthimos- The Lobster

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY- Manchester By The Sea. One of my two La La losses for the night, Lonergan deserves this one.
Ignored: Noah Oppenheim-Jackie. Now this is weird, the guy was a TV producer for The Today Show and some reality programs. Then he decides to become a screenwriter and adapts The Maze Runner and Allegiant, two terrible movies. Then he writes an unconventional script about Jackie Kennedy and Boom! I don't get it.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY- Moonlight. I was really happy that Manchester and Moonlight didn't have to go against each other. Justice is usually served in the writing categories.
Ignored: Sarah Waters-The Handmaiden

CINEMATOGRAPHY- Linus Sandgren-La La Land.
Ignored: Stephane Fontaine-Jackie. Shot on Super 16 and flawless combination of new and old footage. Jarin Blaschke-The Witch

ANIMATED- Kubo and the Two Strings. Stop motion is just too impressive.

FOREIGN- Toni Erdmann. The last two years I have been really bad at seeing Foreign films. I blame my move from NYC.
Ignored: The Handmaiden

DOCUMENTARY- OJ: Made In America. This is what I'm rooting for the most out of all the films nominated this year. I know one of the editors and the film is phenomenal.
Ignored: DePalma. Just a joy to watch.

EDITING-La La Land
Ignored: Jackie and Manchester By The Sea

SCORE- La La Land.The three best scores the last few years were all nominated. La La, Jackie, and my favorite score Moonlight. I will do a back-flip if Britell wins for Moonlight.
Ignored: David Wingo-Midnight Special

SONG- City Of Stars-La La Land. It's a shame that "The Audition" got nominated over "A Lovely Night" and "Another Day in the Sun". It's a pinnacle song, but it's too long and weak compared to the other two.

SOUND EDITING/MIXING/VISUAL EFFECTS- La La/La La/ Kubo

COSTUME/MAKE UP/PRODUCTION DESIGN- Jackie/Star Trek/La La

DOC SHORT/ANIMATED SHORT/LIVE ACTION SHORT-Joe's Violin/Pearl/Silent Nights.

TOP 10 OF THE YEAR.
1) La La Land
2) Manchester By The Sea
3) Jackie
4) OJ: Made In America
5) Moonlight
6) The Nice Guys
7) The Lobster
8) DePalma
9) Deadpool (Sorry, but this film is fun.)
10) The Handmaiden

It was a terrible year for films until the November rolled around, then it became a really good year.

Cody's 2012 Oscar Predictions

 This is my 5th year for the Oscar predictions and as always I list what I think will win, not want to win. This is a really hard year and many categories have at least 3 options that have a good chance of winning.

Best Picture-Lincoln. I picked this for one reason over Argo, Argo isn't nominated for director or any main acting categories. It's not much of a reason, but I could also see Pi, Silver Linings, and Zero Dark winning also. Very confusing and it just depends which way the other awards fall. Ignored: THE FUCKING MASTER!!!!!!!!! This film not being nominated and  they only went with 9 nominations is a travesty. Suck it Hollywood! I'm so glad you put The Blind Side is a couple of years ago...dicks!

Best Actor- Daniel Day Lewis. Pretty much a slam dunk and he does deserve it. I will dance a jig on top of a car if Joaquin wins. Ignored: Jean-Louis Trintignant (Amour)

Best Actress- Jennifer Lawrence. I barely chose her over Emmanuelle Riva because of her Oscar and acting bashing, but Hollywood loves to give awards to the Stars of Tomorrow. If Chastain wins I will hurt people, she is miscast and annoying in Zero-Dark Thirty.

Supporting Actor- Tommy Lee Jones. This is the hardest category this year. I think it's a three person race. Sad sacks De Niro and Tommy Lee and the great Christoph Waltz. My jig dancing will continue if Phillip Seymour Hoffman wins. Ignored: Javier Bardem (Skyfall)

Supporting Actress- Anne Hathaway. I think they already mailed her the Oscar. Ignored: Judy Dench (Skyfall)

Directing- Steven Speilberg. Who knows who will win with Beard Affleck out of the picture. His winning everything in site and not being nominated is the strangest thing I've ever seen. Ignored: P.T.A. I should be used to this, Hollywood loves to ignore talent. P.T.A. should be glad he's in the same company as Kubrick,Wells, and until recently Scorsese.

Original Screenplay-Zero Dark Thirty. Weak category this year even though there is alot of talent. Ignored: Guess, I suppose all the Scientologist  won this year.

Adapted Screenplay-Lincoln. Silver Linings is one of David O's best, but the Rom-Com third act hurts it a bit.

Cinematography-Roger Deakins. This is the only category I am picking with my heart. It's easily the best looking film of the year and hopefully they stop treating Deakins like he's Paul Thomas Anderson. Ignored:Argo,Moonrise Kingdom, and The Master.

Editing-Argo. Close call between this and Zero Dark. This is my only Argo pick, I may be screwed. Ignored: Yep, The Master and Skyfall.

Foreign Film-Amour. Slam Dunk! Ignored: The Master.

Animated-Wreck It Ralph. Why Not.

 Animated Short-Paperman. It has the most buzz and it's good too.

Live Action Short-Asad. That's right I said it!

Documentary Feature- The Gatekeepers. Ignored:My favorite Doc of the year The Central Park 5.

Doc.Short-Monday's In Racine. I haven't seen any of these and Racine is where Sean Connery lives in The Untouchables.

Best Production Design, Make-Up and Hair, and Costume-Les Miserables in a sweep!

Best Sound Editing, Mixing and SFX-Skyfall, Les Mis, and Life of Pi.

Best Score-Life of Pi. Nothing spoke to me with the nominations this year. Ignored: only the MASTER of evil Darth!

Best Song-Skyfall. The best Bond song since A View to a Kill! Ignored: MASTER and servent.

Hooray for Hollywood!

Cody's Film Review: Django Unchained

 I was really curious to see how QT would do with his first film without his right arm, editor Sally Menke who died in 2010. Tarantino has never worked with another editor and I'm sure she was one of the last remaining people that could tell him "no" and he would listen. Django Unchained feels like a Quentin Tarantino film and I think he correctly chose to do a simple film for his first venture without Menke. Luckily the Tarantino stamp is still there, and he hasn't skipped a beat. The music, the acting, the look, and even the pacing is very Tarantino/Menke feel except the end. *SPOILERS from here on* I believe Django is about 15 minutes too long and when the movie should have ended it kept going. The viewer gets two shoot out endings and a bad transition scene with QT the Aussie and an unlikely scenario where slave traders listen to a slave about how to get some riches. The first shoot out scene where all the heavies die is the way to end the film. Adding a second shoot out scene where the only characters you care about is Jaimie Fox and Samuel L. Jackson and everyone else are secondary characters is bad filmaking, but it's mainly a huge editing gaffe. It takes some of the thunder out of the first shoot out and again the QT scene is almost as bad as the girls gabbing at the table scene in Death Proof. I think if Tarantino had a confident editor who's previous editing ventures weren't the Fast and the Furious films they would have told him not to have two endings and also to give up acting. I'm not saying Fred Raskin did a bad job, because this is still a very enjoyable movie, but rightfully who is he to tell someone of Tarantino's stature what to do. With that said, Django Unchained is still one of the better films this year and a pleasure to watch. The story is simple, but this film more than delivers with great dialog and tremendous acting on all fronts. Waltz is great as usual and Don Johnson is really funny, but as usual in all QT films there is a stand out performance. It's a sin that Leonardo DiCaprio got ignored for an Oscar this year because he is an evil bastard and I always admire an actor who doesn't mind taking a chance at being the bad guy. Every scene he's in the audience is nervous while the characters are walking on egg shells because your just not sure what he's going to do. It's great tension and Leo really pulls it off. I also loved how reserved Jamie Fox was throughout the entire movie. It would have been entirely inaccurate for a life long slave to walk around being flamboyant, arrogant, and other attributes that follow modern movie action hero's. He does show flashes of these traits, but he is a student of Waltz's and as time goes on he learns how the game is played. He really listens to Waltz and keeps his eye on the prize and in the end it's Waltz that becomes undisciplined and loses his cool. I thought the biggest missed opportunity was Samuel L. Jackson's character. I love the idea that he is Leo's consiliere, and makes sense, since he helped raise him. I like the feeble old codger who is nothing but someone to laugh at, but behind the scenes he pulls the strings. The problem I had was he put too much Samuel L. in the feeble old man character, he should have been more reserved like Fox. Just because your Samuel L. Jackson doesn't mean you have to yell Shit! and Fuck! every 2 minutes. He ends up becoming comic relief and only shines in the quiet moments.I see that he need for him to be foolish I just thought it was bit over the top and we had a great chance to see Samuel L. act. I didn't think the violence was much of an issue, because it is a Quentin Tarantino film and the violence is a plot point. There is a big variation between the way white people die and the way the slaves die. The cartoonish way white people die is supposed to be over the top and a little silly, and it would be offensive if he was to do the same with the slaves. The dogs killing the slave scene is horrifying, but it supposed to be and it's a turning point in the film. From this point on we know Leo is capable of anything and is truly evil and Waltz starts to become unhinged. Waltz isn't the same person after this scene, he becomes nervous and agitated. For the first time he is truly introduced to the horrors of slavery, and therefore falls out of character, which eventually leads to his demise. Overall it's a really enjoyable film, but it's also a simple film which only takes a few risks. I think every Tarantino film is groundbreaking in someway and Django Unchained is the least groundbreaking of all of his films. I believe this film was a baby step for QT because he was testing the waters without his second in command Sally Menke. 3.5 out 5 Stars

Cody's Film Review: Prometheus

Throughout his entire career Ridley Scott has been criticized as a director who cares for vision over characters and plot. I have always thought of him as a more talented Brian De Palma, the king of all style and no substance. The main difference between these two directors is Scott has a unique vision that when rendered becomes ground breaking and changes the face of cinema. De Palma looks more to the past and takes from the old masters of classic film. Ridley Scott has made about 30 films and only 4 are good and 2 are great, and like Prometheus, were science fiction films. It's a rare thing when a visionary director and a good script come together and a great film is made. I thought Ridley Scott's career like many past visionary directors (Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam) suffered with the advent of computer technology. These directors need to be reeled in and instead of finding a creative way to put their visions on screen they just put whatever their hearts desired with shitty CGI. For the first time in 15 years Scott shot a visually stunning and flawless film, it's just too bad the script got in the way of making his 3rd great film. First off it's on par with Alien and Blade Runner visually, but not as ground breaking set and design wise. I saw this film in IMAX 3-D and although the 3-D wasn't necessary, the IMAX experience encompassed me. This is what every CGI film should look like, there is nothing half-assed about it, and the whole point of using computers is not to see the computers! I still can't wrap my head around why this film and The Dark Knight cost 130-140 million to make and Indiana Jones and Crystal Crap and Spidercrap 3 cost 190-250 million to make.Unlike Alien and Blade Runner there are holes in the story with plot lines that go nowhere and misuse of characters. *Spoilers* I can deal with a few holes, but after The Mystery man at the beginning, the cave drawings, David's knowledge of how to make the queen (he may have been experimenting, but he knew what to do and what to look for) , everything with the Engineers, over the top reveals, stupid scientist doing un-scientific things, and leaving the film open for a sequel, it begins to add up. The cast is great with the exception of Logan Marshall Green as Dr. Holloway who seems more like an extreme sports rock climber than an scientist. Fassbender is amazing and is really the centerpiece of this film, but his motivation is never clear. David's motivation is of course tied into Guy Pearce's motivation as well, and Pearce is just wasted in this film and it's never clear exactly what he wants or expects to happen.There must be 45 minutes of deleted scenes that all involve Pearce, because the TED Talk 2023 ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7YK2uKxil8&feature=share ) is far superior than anything he does in the film. One thing that I loved was Ridley Scott's homage to Lawrence Of Arabia and 2001: A Space Odyssey, two of my all-time favorite films. David is pretty much the android form of HAL and Old man Pearce looks exactly like old man Dave Bowman, but the one that blew me away was David's obsession with Peter O'Toole's Lawrence. I love Lawrence of Arabia and I wanted to watch the whole thing in IMAX 3-D. Overall  I recommend this film just for the visuals alone, it's just about flawless and see it in IMAX if you can. My problems with the plot and characters is sometimes petty, but I want every movie I see to be great. If it falls short in one department and is great in another, then I see that as a missed opportunity. 3 out of 5 stars

Cody's Film Review: The Avengers

I grew up reading comic books and have always had a love / hate relationship with their film counterparts. I deem a comic book film a success if it gives me the same feeling and excitement that the book does. I don't care if the filmmaker veers away from the original book content as long as it is a creative alternative. I understand it's impossible to adapt a 400 issue series with forty plus years of history into a two hour film, but that doesn't excuse the existence of Ben Affleck's Daredevil. I wasn't super excited about this film, mainly because the films leading up to The Avengers were dull. The Bana Hulk was too psychological and boring, and even though I enjoyed the Norton Hulk more I still don't have the desire to watch it multiple times. Captain America was forgettable and the second Iron Man was just terrible. I never saw Thor, and the only film I really enjoyed was the first Iron Man. Iron Man worked for me because it gave me that feeling a good comic book has, great characters, dialogue, and captivating story. Everybody hates comic books full of action and splash pages, sure we want to see great art, but the story and characters are what keeps a reader buying the book. The worse part of Iron Man is the final battle scene, there is nothing you haven't seen before and it's a dim ending to an exciting origin story. The first two X-Men and Spiderman films are the only other Marvel Comic productions that have captured this feeling I got when I saw Iron Man, and now I add The Avengers to this list. I was worried about how good an Avengers film would be because the only time I've seen a team film done right was the first two X-men films and at times X-men 1st Class, but they both had competent directors. The Avengers is good for two reasons Joss Whedon and The Hulk. Whedon has proven himself a talented film director/screenwriter with Firefly and Serenity and comic book writer with his Astonishing X-men series and he is what makes this boat float. He conveys the comic book feel along with intensive action and most important interlaces the two correctly. The Avengers has a nice mix of action, then lets you breath with scenes of character and story development, and then hits you with more action. A majority of superhero films spend too much time on one or the other, and because of this approach they become forgettable. The other bright spot of this film was Whedon knew how to utilize the Hulk. The Hulk, like the Punisher, is only great in spurts, and is a better secondary character than a main one. A whole series, or film, becomes repetitive and there is only so much you can do with the character. The reason the Hulk makes this film for me is because he is the only loose cannon. You know what your getting from Iron Man, Cap, Thor and the rest, the Hulk is the only wild card. Not only does the Hulk deliver, but so does Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. Ruffalo takes out the self loathing Bana/Norton Banner and brings back the intelligent and at times comic Bill Bixby Banner. The chemistry between the two best characters of the film Ruffalo and Downey Jr. is fantastic, I have to believe it's still left over from Zodiac, and I would watch a movie of them two just working in a lab. Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evens and Chris Hemsworth are the only other stand outs in the cast. I thought Renner, Jackson, and Scarlett do a fine job, but really don't bring much to the table.  SPOILER The main problem I had with the film was the event that brings them all together was rather weak. The death of Agent Coulson would be hardly the reason a bunch of superheroes would unite against evil. I liked the guy and all, but it was really drawn out and I doubt anyone besides Iron Man knew who the hell he was. I thought the SFX were fantastic, the mix of CGI and real objects and backgrounds is the proper use of computer technology. The improper use of CGI, and stories aimed at 12 year olds, has been my main deterrent with Hollywood Blockbusters in recent years. I am not impressed with stunts and action scenes that are 90% done in a computer. Hat's off to Joss Whedon for knowing how to put together a superhero team Iron Man's your leader, Cap is your field commander, Hulk and Thor are your muscle and the rest is window dressing that's the comic book way. 4 out of 5 Stars

R.I.P. Ralph McQuarrie

This past weekend a huge influence of my childhood passed, artist Ralph McQuarrie. As a kid I collected everything Star Wars and one of the cheapest and most endearing was the Star Wars Trading Cards. I loved these because you could reenact the films and see your favorite scenes over and over.  This was before home video, so these cards and picture books were the only thing that filled my hunger between re-releases or new films. In 1980 Topps released 20 plus Ralph McQuarrie concept art cards and these I cherished the most of my card collection. These cards were hard to find and I would just stare for hours at the re imagining of familiar scenes and characters. McQuarrie also helped with concept art for Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Close Encounters, E.T., and won an Oscar in 1986 for Visual Effects for the film Cocoon. He was 82 years old. Below are some of my favorite paintings by him.

Cody's 2011 Oscar Predictions

This is my 4th annual Oscar Predictions, and it was another snoozer of a year. I had a hard time coming up with a top 10, but like last year I predict what I think will win not what I want to win.

Beat Picture- The Artist. I think the Weinstein Machine is in full effect on this one, and mixed with the Hollywood nostalgia, I think this is a shoe in. I haven't seen Midnight In Paris or War Horse, and have no interest in The Help & Extremely Corny. I also realized that now that the Academy went to 5+ films for Best Picture format, a Sandra Bullock film has been nominated in consecutive years. I liked The Artist and the only other nominations I liked more were Moneyball and Tree of Life. Ignored: I can name 10 films I liked better than Hugo but the top two films ignored are A Separation and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Best Actor- Jean Dujardin. This was hard to pick and I think he does a phenomenal job in The Artist. I think Clooney and Pitt cancel each other out and Dujardin's performance will come off as more of a challenge to the voters. I wouldn't be shocked if the dark horse Gary Oldman walked away with it. Ignored: Michael Fassbender for Shame. I still don't understand why he was left out. Brad Pitt for Tree of Life.

Best Actress- Meryl Streep. Why not, but hefty competition with a woman playing a man, a famous starlet, and a maid in the 60's. I really hope Rooney Mara wins. Ignored: Michelle Williams for Meeks Cutoff, she plays a better frontier wife than Marilyn Monroe.

Supporting Actor- Christopher Plummer. They have been trying to give this guy an Oscar for 10 years now, and without any stiff competition, he grandfathers this one. This is usually the strongest category, but weak this year because of all the omissions. I did like Kenneth Branagh in My Week With Marilyn Ignored: Albert Brooks for Drive (The best part of the film) John Lithgow for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hunter McCracken for Tree of Life and Alan Rickman for Harry Potter.

Supporting Actress- Octavia Spencer. This movie has to win something I guess. Ignored: Carey Mulligan for Shame.

Directing- Michel Hazanavicius. Hard category this year and I think they give it to the new guy. I really wish Malick would win this, but the Academy likes to give awards to people who show up, this goes for Woody too. Remember I haven't seen Midnight In Paris, so besides Tree of Life, the Artist is the best film nominated. Ignored: I think Hugo is Marty's worst film since New York, New York and all of the attention this film is getting is baffling to me. Bennet Miller for Moneyball and Tomas Alfredson for Tinker Tailor not getting nod is a crime.

Original Screenplay- Michel Hazanavicius. I am worried that he wins for this they may not give him the Best Director award. I really hope Asghar Farhadi wins for A Separation. It is one of the best screenplay's I have seen in years, and I will jump for joy if he wins. Ignored: Terry for Tree of Life.

Adapted Screenplay- Alexander Payne. This is a shame because I liked the film, but thought it is Paynes worst film, he needs Jim Taylor back. I am pulling for Moneyball and Tinker Tailor, but Sorkin won his last year. Ignored: Dragon Tattoo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Harry Potter, Carnage

Cinematography- The Artist. It's Black and White!, but that hasn't made much of a difference recently. Tattoo and Hugo looked great, but I'm really pulling for Tree of Life. Ignored: The Way Back, Meeks, Drive,Tinker Tailor.

Editing- The Artist. I think it will win best picture, so I automatically choose it for editing. Ignored: Tinker, Apes,Harry Potter, Tree of Life and most of all A Separation.

Foreign Film- A Separation. This was one of the best films of the year and if it doesn't win, then I will hurt people. Great acting all around and the Screenplay is so convoluted that it has a thriller aspect to it. A Must see!!!!

Best Animated- Rango. I haven't seen any of these and now that I'm a father this may be the last year this happens.

Documentary Feature- Paradise Lost 3. This is a personal pick(which I try and stay away from) but this trilogy helped free three innocent men and I hope the Academy takes that into consideration. Ignored: Bill Cunningham New York.

Doc. Short- The Barber of Birmingham. It's about Civil Rights

Animated Short- The Fantastic Flying Books. Clever title.

Live Action Short- Tuba Atlantic. It's about death.

Art Direction, Costume Design, and Make-Up- The Artist, Jane Eyre, and Albert Nobbs. 1920's Hollywood, Period Piece, women looking like men.

Sound Editing, Mixing and Visual Effects- Hugo and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Only wins for Hugo and Apes looked pretty good.

Best Song and Score- Muppets and The Artist. Muppets win because they aren't exactly a Mop or a Puppet. The Artist would be a guaranteed win if they didn't sample the great Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo soundtrack, but not sure if the Academy cares,but it really pissed me off that they did it. John Williams probably cancels himself out with two nominations.

That's it! The above picture is from an exhibit celebrating the Great Stanley Kubrick in Paris I went to last year. Let's hope Terrance Malick can have one too this year.

Podcast #30: The Best of 2011

A year that saw one of the most visionary films of the century will also stand as one of the weakest years in film in our recent history.  However the end of 2011 managed to produce a few gems that we will discuss tonight.  Please join us.

click the player below to listen or visit doomsdaypodcast.com  


 

    
  
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Podcast #29: The Phantom Menace

Remember how excited you were when "The Phantom Menace" came out?  How long did it take you to detest it as much as you do today?  Cody and I reflect on one of the biggest movie events in our lifetime and the subsequent disappointment that set in the following years.

here is the article that sparked the conversation

here is Red Letter Media's full Phantom Menace Review

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Cody's Film Review: Drive

Drive is a fun and stylish film, but I didn't love it like many of my friends and critics have. This is my fault because I would have liked it more with no expectations, but when I hear  "Oscar worthy" or" Best film of the year" I better see something really original and powerful. It reminded me a bit of 80's Michael Mann, but that was mainly because of the films font, music, and Ryan Gosling's character. Gosling is a quintessential Michael Mann antagonist quiet, tough, and quick to action if pushed. I was more reminded of early Tarantino and Indie action films of the mid 90's that always encompassed a great cast, style, and sharp dialogue. I wouldn't put Drive in the same category of greatness as Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but more like True Romance and better than Tarantino rip offs like 2 Days In the Valley. The cast was good, but besides Gosling the only stand out was Albert Brooks. Every scene with Brooks is captivating and I wanted more scenes like the one between him and Gosling at the restaurant. I really enjoyed the look and pace of the film, but I was also just relieved to see an action film without 100 cuts per minute or shaky cam.I will look forward to Nicolas Refn's future projects because he has great sense of pacing and knows how to shoot an action film correctly. I feel a stronger script would help him immensely and he could add substance to his already established style. Overall I enjoyed Drive, but I felt the film was a little too simple and really lacked originality. I think the film comes off as fresh and unconventional because of all the shit Hollywood has been throwing at us the last 15 years, and basically we all long for films of the 80's. 3.5 out of 5 Stars

You know, for kids.

A recent twitter debate has led me to revisit one of my favorite films as a child and defend it. I have always considered Stand By Me one of the greatest kid's movies of all time. Yes, a kid's movie. I just happened to be that age when it was released, and to me I always appreciated the fact that a movie about 12-year-olds could be written with depth and character and not just fart jokes and fall-downs. It's a coming-of-age film not only for the characters, but for the audience as well.
Our pre-teen years are usually when we start learning those hard life lessons and how to deal with them and move forward: loved ones can die prematurely, parents can be abusive, you will get bullied by older kids...and sometimes the only people that truly understand you are your friends. Each of the four boys in the film carries a heavy issue which ultimately, is their bonding point and the motivation for the story. OK, yes, Vern is mainly there for comic relief, but I'm relying on the fact that he's a fat kid and was probably beat up daily by other kids and was the motivation for Gordies story about “Lard Ass.”
As a viewer and lover of film, even at that age, it's the first adult drama I can remember seeing that was actually aimed at my demographic. I'm not saying you had to be there to appreciate it, but it did help and is a movie I would encourage other kids of that age to see. It's hard to say that I would like it as much if I had never seen it as a kid but I really think I would. It has every element that comprises a quality film and I wish filmmakers would take a mature approach to younger audiences more often.

Read The Movie Anarchist's review here

The Tree of Life (Podcast)

The most anticipated film of not only this year, but the last two as well, is Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. Filmed in 2008 and held out of theaters with distribution problems, we have waited at the opportunity for a mere glimpse of it. Finally, after adverse festival reactions and mainly positive reviews we can now see it for ourselves. One thing is for sure, love it or hate it, it will have a place for discussion amongst this round table for years to come.



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2011 NBA CHAMPS! (Podcast)

Before the 2010-11 NBA season, one would be hard pressed to find a more bitter sports fan than that of the Dallas Mavericks. For over thirty years we have been teased (in every sense of the word) on every level of it's meaning. A good stretch in the mid 80s only led to one conference final and then the humiliating downward spiral of the 90s. The 2000s brought us new ownership and the rise of a legitimate superstar, but the basketball gods saw fit to toy with us for yet another decade leaving the ever-growing bitter taste of defeat we were all getting used to. If you were to bring up the '06 finals to any true fan and you would have still seen the pain of loss in their eyes....yes it still did hurt, and our window was closing. The beginning of the 10-11 season did feel different. For the first time since the early 90s we had a legitimate center and the rest of the machine was working flawlessly. However, big injuries seemed to derail the defensive mentality and by the end of the regular season, it looked like this would be another one and done postseason. Instead, our beloved Mavericks nutted up and played the greatest NBA postseason a fan could imagine. Tonight we take a break from our regular movie based banter and continue to celebrate the greatest basketball season we have ever seen.

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R.I.P. Sidney Lumet (podcast)

Sidney Lumet passed away Saturday Apr. 9 and on this day we pay tribute to one of the great American Filmmakers. Below is Cody's must see list of Lumet films:

Q&A (1990)
Running on Empty (1988)
The Verdict (1982)
Deathtrap (1982)
Prince of the City (1981)
Network (1976)*
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)*
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Serpico (1973)
The Offence (1972)
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
The Hill (1965)*
Fail-Safe (1964)
The Pawnbroker (1964)
Long Day's Journey into night (1962)
12 Angry Men (1957)*

*personal favorite

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Have you seen 'Tetro?' (podcast)

Back in 2009, young Matt Fickel walked into a theater showing the latest film by Francis Ford Coppola, "Tetro," and walked out a changed man. Maybe that's over dramatic but hey, so is "Tetro." In all fairness, Matt has been trying to get us to see the film for months and we all finally got around to it and the following podcast is what occurred. Enjoy. (Major Spoilers)


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R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor

One of the last true heavies from the Hollywood Star System has died. Although Elizabeth Taylor began at the tail end of the failing system she always had a Golden Age star quality about her. She was a bridge between the Golden Age and the Method Age, and she blended in with both. Taylor held her own with William Powell and Spencer Tracy as she did with Montgomery Clift and James Dean. Her career fell off by the late sixties, but she stayed relevant for the rest of her life. Taylor was famous first as a movie star,then her personal life(marriage, health/weight problems, and Richard Burton) and finally as an activist. She was one of the first and easily the most famous person to bring the A.I.D.S. problem into America's households. Elizabeth Taylor was more than a pretty face, she was a great actress with a lot of range. My three favorite performances from her are Giant (1956), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?(1966),solid films that she helps carry.  These are other highlights of her film career that are must sees. National Velvet (1944), Life With Father (1947), Father Of The Bride (1950), A Place In The Sun (1951) one of her best films,but this movie belongs to Monty, Raintree County (1957)another great Liz performance, and Butterfield 8 (1960) not a great film, but she was good enough to win her first of two Oscars for it. Elizabeth Taylor left behind two great legacies, iconic star and trailblazing activist,she was 79.

The Oscars post-game show 2011

What the hell happened this year? Bad writing, horrible skits, and a host that looked as interested as a gay man in the playboy mansion. Hal and Cody take time out of their busy schedules to discuss the worst televised Oscar presentation....ever.


......


Below is the rejected "Grease" parody opening number...........thank God.








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Cody's 2010 Oscar Predictions

My 3rd Annual Oscar predictions is here!!!! This year is a better quality of film, but it seems to be a bit tricky this year, just like every year. This is what I think will win, not what I want to win, here we go.

Best Picture- The King's Speech. I would have said The Social Network is a shoe in a month ago, but the Weinstein Machine is working overtime and it feels like Shakespeare In Love and The English Patient all over again. I liked The King's Speech, but I think it's the 6th best film nominated. Ignored: I can't really think of anything that was left out. There are still some films I haven't seen, but with 10 nomination the Academy did pretty good this year.

Best Actor-Colin Firth. I smell make up Oscar all over this one. Firth was very good in this film, but between having a speech impediment and his performance in A Single Man last year the award is his. I was glad that Jeff Bridges and Jesse Eisenberg got nominated and I really hope Bridges wins, but he won't. Ignored: Again can't really think of anyone, pretty weak category this year.

Best Actress-Natalie Portman. The strongest this category has been in years too bad it's a year too late and Sandra Bullock has the same amount of Oscars as Stanley Kubrick! I think Portman gives one her best performances ever, and now that she is pregnant the statue is hers. Ignored: I don't know.

Best Supporting Actor- Christian Bale. Every year this is the best category with the most talent, maybe this should go up to ten nominations. Bale was great and lets all hope for a freak out on stage. Ignored: Andrew Garfield and (gulp) Justin Timberlake for The Social Network. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin for True Grit. The biggest snub and second best supporting performance is Vincent Cassel in Black Swan. Portman and Cassel made that boat float.

Beat Supporting Actress-Melissa Leo. Even though she has been self sabotaging lately I think she squeaks this one out. I think her only real competition is Hailee Steinfeld and if Mrs.Tim Burton wins I will be pissed. Ignored: All of the sisters from The Fighter and Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis from Black Swan.

Best Director-David Fincher. Fincher finally gets his Oscar and it's about time!! It's a shame his film won't get Best Picture and again the Weinsteins get a statue while their directors are left out in the cold. Ignored: Banksy!

Original Screenplay-The King's Speech. Not a strong category this year, probably because nobody seems to be writing and Hollywood isn't buying original screenplays nowadays. The Fighter is a good film, but just a newer version of Rocky. I think Inception would have a chance if it wasn't against the Oscar favorite and if didn't seem like a sequel to Flatliners. Ignored: Black Swan, it's nominated for every other category why not screen play?

Adapted Screenplay- The Social Network. Better than Original Screenplay nominations this year, and Aaron Sorkin really deserves this one. I think it is very hard to write a good contemporary history screenplay that works, and every once in awhile you get a All The President's Men or The Insider. I don't think any screenplay this year touches The Social Network, and it's the best thing about the movie. Ignored: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Every year a Harry Potter film comes out they ignore it. It can't be easy turning a 600 page book into a 2 hour film that keeps everyone happy.

Cinematography-The Social Network. This is very hard because The Academy is never consistent on this one. The King's Speech could win and it shouldn't have been nominated, every other film belongs. The King's Speech may win because they link this to Best Picture and not to photography, but sometimes they do. I don't know, I'm rooting for the Roger Deakins western flick.

Editing-The Kings Speech. If this film wins editing then it wins Best Picture. I think it's a toss up between this and The Social Network.Ignored: Inception and True Grit.

Foreign Film-Biutiful. I haven't seen any of the nominated films and I picked this because it has a nomination in another category.

Best Animated-Toy Story 3. What a waste of time, shouldn't this be given during the Science Awards at the local Arby's?

Art Direction,Costume Design,and Make Up-The King's Speech and The Wolfman. The Kings Speech is a period piece(instant win) and The Wolfmans got nards,ehh I mean make up monster effects. Ignored: Black Swan

Sound Editing,Mixing, and Visual Effects-Inception. Duhhhh!!!!! Ignored: Black Swan and The Social Network! Unstoppable and Iron Man 2 shouldn't exist in this world.

Score-The Social Network. I want Trent Reznor to have as many Oscars as Sandra Bullock! I wouldn't mind Inception winning.

Song-Toy Story 3.Some years this is a nice category, but this year it's just dreadful. Now that the Academy likes Randy Newman he will win 12 Oscars. Ignored: Any song from Get Him To The Greek is better than this crap.

Documentary-Restrepo. The happiest I will get on Oscar night is if Exit Through The Gift Shop wins. I think it will lose for one reason, the Academy is frightened of what Banksy will do if he wins. Too bad, because it's one of the best films of the year.

Doc Short-Killing In The Name. It's about terrorism,weddings, and religion. Nuff said.

Short Film-Wish 143. Terminally ill patient wants to lose his virginity. Nuff Nuff said. Ignored: A Man Of His Word,or will this count towards next year Timmy?

Animated Short Film-The Gruffalo. It has star power and that's my only reason.

Okay that's it, please give me feed back, I love it!!!

2010 - The Best of the Rest

In the previous episode we covered the academy's favorites of 2010. Continuing that discussion brings us to our personal favorites and other notables of last year.

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