movies Archives - Page 27 of 30 - Ramblin' with Roger

Oscar-Worthy Movies I Have Seen: 1927-1928

I had so much fun with reviwing my experience seeing the Oscar-winning films, I’ve decided to review, year by year, all of the films I’ve seen that have received Oscar consideration for that year.

First up, 1927-1928, when the nominees were:
Production (Picture): “WINGS”, “The Racket”, “Seventh Heaven”
[“The Way of All Flesh” and “The Last Command” are omitted from the latest official Academy list]
Unique and Artistic Picture (also known as Artistic Quality of Production):
“SUNRISE”, “Chang”, “The Crowd”

I saw NONE of them, nor the films nominated for other categories.

NEXT.

ROG

Another Movie Meme

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.

Not sure I’ve seen ANY movie more than 10 times. MAYBE the Wizard of OZ on TV, but the first several times was on a B&W set. “Annie Hall” I’ve seen a lot. Also Le Roi de Coeur, which played in my college town annually for a while. There tend to be scenes, usually because TNT/TBS is running the movie over and over, that I’ve seen a lot: the end of Animal House (from “the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor”), e.g.

2. Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater.
At least three times, and possibly many more: Le Roi de Coeur. Four times: Annie Hall, Midnight Cowboy. Twice: the first Planet of the Apes, Help!, Yellow Submarine. Woodstock, I sat through twice in a row. Catch-22: 1 1/2 times – there’s a story there.

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.

Meryl Streep, apparently. Saw, in the movie theater, two of her movies (Prada, Prairie Home Companion) in 2006. James Cromwell (Babe, L.A. Confidential, The Queen). There are probably others.

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.

Rob Schneider. Actually about a third of the SNL alums (David Spade among them) who are making movies.

5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.

Quote on a regular basis like in my everyday life? Midnight Cowboy: “I’m WALKIN” here!” I try NOT to quote “The Wizard of Oz”.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.

“West Side Story”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, “The Sound of Music”

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.

I don’t sing along with movies. Takes me out of the film.

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.

With the caveat that I don’t think there’s such a thing that everyone MUST see: Schnidler’s List.

9. Name a movie that you own.

I own a number of VHS tapes. One of them is Stuart Little, which I’m pretty sure was a gift. We started watching it, but the cat was too scary for Lydia. I didn’t know that Hugh Laurie, who I only know from the TV show “House” was the father in that movie or that M. Night Shyamalan co-wrote the screenplay; the movie was released the same year as The Sixth Sense.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.

Will Smith, Chuck Connors.

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?

Saw lots of movies at the drive-in as a kid. The last time that I can remember the films were all five Planet of the Apes films (I fell asleep during the last one, which, apparently, is just as well).

12. Ever made out in a movie?

Probably.

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it.

Office Space. Actually went to the library to seek it out last month, then didn’t have time to watch it before it was due back.

14. Ever walked out of a movie?

No, but got awful close with Fellini’s Satyricon.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.

I cried at the end of The Pursuit of Happyness, I cried at the end of Brokeback Mountain. I can be a sucker for a weeper. Oh, and – do I want to admit this? – I got a little misty in Toy Story 2, when Jessie the Cowgirl sang When She Loved Me.

16. Popcorn?

Usually.

17. How often do go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?

Not nearly as often as BL (before Lydia), when it was twice a month, at least, and a lot more in the winter. Now it’s usually every two months, at best.

18. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?

Notes on a Scandal.

19. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?

Intelligent comedy.

20. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?

State Fair

21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?

I don’t remember the title. It was a double feature with some old Francis the Talking Mule film. The story involved this woman who was old and/or homely but became lovely through this potion. Men found her irresistible, but if they kissed her, she’d revert to her former self. She had to kill them, using some ring to the jugular, and blow some powder to return to her beautiful self. I was about 10 or 11, so this movie came out before 1964. The thing gave me nightmares for MONTHS. It was, quite literally, a pain in the neck.

22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?

I don’t know: Life of Brian, The Sixth Sense, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Any of these weird?

23. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?

That I can remember the title to? Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia.

24. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?

Young Frankenstein, which I can quote in part, but it doesn’t make any sense out of context.
***
So I’m going through the list of bloggers I check out, and I come to the site of my buddy Fred Hembeck and what do I read on March 1? “I blame Roger Green.” What?

Seems that the idea Tom the Dog had to list all of the Oscar-winning movies he’d seen I expanded on somewhat to mention the circumstances. Well, Monsieur Hembeck took the concept much further, not only with far greater detail than I could possible muster about who he saw films with, but also about a dozen responses to MY posts, plus nearly as many pictures. A real bang-up job that you should see here.
***
Hey, Albany: The Oscar-winning “On the Waterfront” at the Palace Theater, Wednesday, March 7, 1 and 7 pm, $5.

Oscar 2006/2007 QUESTIONS

There was this recent newspaper story about famous local author Bill Kennedy
Oscar? He’s an old friend of this author, in which “Kennedy uses his love of movies to help choose Academy Award nominees and vote for winner”. It occurred to me – again – that the process of voting is not directly related to the quality of the film, but many other factors. So, I’m going to make picks, based not on who I want to win, or who OUGHT to win (given the holes in what I’ve seen, I really can’t do that), but who I think will win.

* indicates the sparse number of performances I actually saw – all in the movie theater, BTW, as opposed to on DVD or video, which I contend changes the viewing experience

BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio-Blood Diamond. If he’d been nominated for The Departed, i think he’d have had a better chance.
Ryan Gosling-Half Nelson. Well-received. No one saw it.
Peter O’Toole-Venus. The man’s been up, what seven, eight times before. Where’s the love?
*Will Smith-The Pursuit Of Happyness. Good, but isn’t going to win.
Forest Whitaker-The Last King Of Scotland. Not only as an actor, but as a producer and director. You know how Hollywood loves the hypenates: Robert Redford, Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson, pre-meltdown. He wins.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jackie Earle Haley-Little Children. Won some of the minor awards; wouldn’t totally shock me.
Djimon Hounsou-Blood Diamond. Wish I’d seen this. In the commercials, he seems to be in a constant state of rage. Anyway, I’m not hearing the buzz from the early awards.
*Eddie Murphy-Dreamgirls. The odds-on favorite, won lots of the early awards. But Norbit ads are not helping the cause. And he isn’t Hollywood friendly.
Mark Wahlberg-The Departed. Ptractically every pre-Oscar prognosticator had Jack in this slot, so I think it mitigates against Wahlberg.
*Alan Arkin-Little Miss Sunshine. Been around, likable film. I’m going against the wave and picking the salty grandad. (If I pick all the obvious choices, what’s the fun in that?)
BEST ACTRESS
*Penélope Cruz-Volver. It’s in Spanish, with subtitles. No.
*Judi Dench-Notes On A Scandal. She’s better than the film. Probably my second pick, and if there’s an upset in the category, she’ll win.
*Meryl Streep-The Devil Wears Prada. She’s already gotten her Oscar gold.
Kate Winslet-Little Children. Someday this woman, who’s been nominated more than anyone else at her age, will get one. Not this year.
*Helen Mirren-The Queen. Who I am to argue with EVERY major award-giving organization?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Adriana Barraza-Babel. Might win, but will be cancelled out by Rinko Kikuchi.
*Cate Blanchett-Notes On A Scandal. Won two years ago.
*Abigail Breslin-Little Miss Sunshine. Anna Paquin notwithstanding, they ain’t gonna give it to a kid.
Rinko Kikuchi-Babel. Might win, but will be cancelled out by Adriana Barraza.
*Jennifer Hudson-Dreamgirls. People applauded in the theater when Ms. 7th Place on American Idol sang. The “slight” that Dreamgirls not getting Best Picture may actually enhance her Hudson’s chances. My one concern is whether Dreamgirls plays as well on DVD as it does in the theater.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-Babel. Heard it was a bit of a mess.
Clint Eastwood-Letters from Iwo Jima. With two well-regarded films, and that hyphenate thing going, Eastwood should have a chance. But the film is in Japanese, and I don’t see the older voters actually watching it. Moreover, he’s won recently; are people sick of him winning?
*Stephen Frears-The Queen. Nice little film, which I saw. Don’t think it’ll win.
Paul Greengrass-United 93. By all accounts, a respectful retelling. I’m guessing that some of those screening DVDs will stay in the shrink wrap. (Do screening DVDs COME in shrink wrap?)
Martin Scorsese-The Departed. Finally. When the speculation came up with him on his last two nominated films, it felt forced. But this movie was well-reviewed. It’s time.
BEST PICTURE:
I could make a case for any of them.
Babel-For those who like the convoluted style of Traffic or Crash.
The Departed-For those who want to show Marty and the cast the love.
Letters from Iwo Jima-Since it’s ineligible for Best Foreign Language Film by the Academy, let’s show our love for Clint here, without slighting Marty.
*The Queen-All the other films split the vote, and the monarch reigns.
*Little Miss Sunshine-The Screen Actors Guild Best Assemble film is dark enough that a comedy finally wins for Best Picture. Maybe it’s the fact that I REALLY LIKED THIS FILM, but I’m going to pick Sunshine. Or Babel. Or The Departed. Maybe Iwo Jima. The Queen? OK, Sunshine, even though it wasn’t even nominated for Best Director. (But if it doesn’t, it’ll probably win the Screenplay award.)

So, who do you think will win, and why? If you have a blog/web page and have already commented on this, please leave your link.

If I were to run out tomorrow night to see one more film before Oscar night, I would tend to look for the one that will give me the most major nominees for the buck, such as Babel or Little Children, but don’t know if I’ll have time.

MOVIE REVIEWS: Volver; Notes on a Scandal

On Washington’s Birthday weekend 1998, I saw five movies, four of them nominated for Academy Awards: L.A. Confidential and Mrs. Brown on Saturday. Afterglow (starring Julie Christie) and some strange French film on Sunday. Don’t remember which Oscar-nominated film on Monday, maybe The Apostle or The Sweet Hereafter. In any case, by Oscar night, I’d seen every film in the six major categories, (movie, director, 2 actor, 2 actress categories) except Ulee’s Gold with Peter Fonda.

On Washington’s Birthday weekend 2007, I saw two movies, both nominated for Academy Awards. By Oscar night, I will have missed several performances in the major categories. Ah well.

Grandma and Grandpa were up watching Lydia, so that Carol and I could see the Sunday film, Volver (To return), starring Penelope Cruz. I don’t recall having seen her in anything except Pedro Almodovar’s Todo sobre mi madre (All About My Mother), in which, if I’m remembering correctly, she played a pregnant nun. Almodovar’s Volver is the more conventional film. The returnee is the Cruz character’s dead mother. I enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery; Carol really enjoyed it. Almodovar tends to luxuriate over certain parts of the female body on occasion, such as their rears, and there’s what’s probably an extraneous shot of Cruz washing dishes, shot from above. Ms. Cruz has been criticized for her lightweight acting, but in this film, in her native tongue, the Madrid-born actress is wonderfully caustic, funny and passionate.

The Monday film featured Judi Dench, who I had seen nine years earlier in Mrs. Brown, and Cate Blanchette. Just from the previews, I knew that Dame Dench would be chewing the scenery, and she does, eventually, but so does Ms. Blanchette. My wife said she felt as though she needed a shower afterwards, and I understood what she meant. The Philip Glass score was too much – too loud, and occasionally too obvious and obtrusive. The performances are better than the movie, but I’m not sure that I can explain why.

Oscar Winning Films I Have Seen

Oh, why not?

1928 – Wings: no
1928 – Sunrise: no (read the Wikipedia explanation on this)
1929 – The Broadway Melody: no
1930 – All Quiet on the Western Front: Seems that I’ve seen parts of it on TV, not enough to say yes
1931 – Cimarron: ditto
1932 – Grand Hotel: no
1933 – Cavalcade: no
1934 – It Happened One Night: No, and given its pedigree(Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay), I feel that I ought to. I’ve seen that famous clip with Claudette Colbert showing Clark Gable how to stop a car dozens of times.
1935 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Saw this on TV years ago, but wasn’t the movie experience I need to really appreciate the film. This isn’t knocking the film, just the environment in which I saw it.
1936 – The Great Ziegfeld: Don’t think so.
1937 – The Life of Emile Zola: no
1938 – You Can’t Take It With You: Seems that I started watching this on broadcast TV.
1939 – Gone With the Wind: Started to maybe three times. Can’t, or deep down, really don’t want to. Seems I’ve seen the burning of Atlanta scene a number of times though, including the first time it aired on network TV a couple decades back.
1940 – Rebecca: no.
1941 – How Green Was My Valley: no
1942 – Mrs. Miniver: no
1943 – Casablanca: Now this is a film I’ve seen, and more than once. It may not have been the first time, but I recall seeing this film outdoor near Rochester with my now-lost friend Debi. I did enjoy this tremendously.
1944 – Going My Way: Saw this on video. It’s OK. Don’t remember it that well, to tell the truth.
1945 – The Lost Weekend: No, but I really want to.
1946 – The Best Years of Our Lives: I did see this, on TV. Didn’t know anything about it except the title. Found it moving, but left me a tad melancholy.
1947 – Gentleman’s Agreement: No, or did I?
1948 – Hamlet: I recorded it at some point. Still haven’t watched it.
1949 – All the King’s Men: Don’t think so.
1950 – All About Eve: I started to, on broadcast TV, but never finished it.
1951 – An American in Paris: Seems that I’ve seen it on PBS or something, years ago. The musical numbers were great and still vivid in my mind, but the rest felt somehow lacking.
1952 – The Greatest Show on Earth: I’m sure I saw it on TV as a kid, but don’t remember enough to comment.
1953 – From Here to Eternity: I’m afraid not yet.
1954 – On the Waterfront: Saw this sometime this century on TV. Quite good. Always liked Lee J. Cobb.
1955 – Marty: not yet
1956 – Around the World in 80 Days: Feels like more TV fare from my childhood.
1957 – The Bridge on the River Kwai: I don’t know that I’ve ever sat from beginning to end, but I’ve seen great chunks of it, enough to appreciate its greatness.
1958 – Gigi: On TV as a kid.
1959 – Ben-Hur: ditto, should probably see again.
1960 – The Apartment: parts, on broadcast TV.
1961 – West Side Story – OK, a movie I saw in the movie theater at the time it came out! Sure it’s a bit dated, but I LOVE this movie. I’ve probably mentioned it on this blog about a dozen times. I’m heavily versed how the musical differs from the movie (the strategic switch of Cool and Gee, Officer Krupke), the dubbing by Marni Nixon. The ending still gets to me. Did I mention that I’m rather fond of this film? Own on VHS and DVD. Have both the Broadway and movie albums.
1962 – Lawrence of Arabia: On TV at some point, but probably didn’t do it justice.
1963 – Tom Jones: no
1964 – My Fair Lady: On TV, enjoyed it well enough.
1965 – The Sound of Music: This movie I saw fairly recently. Much more substantial storyline than I had recalled. And I LOVE the music, even if it encourages Gwen Stefani.
1966 – A Man For All Seasons: Saw years ago, don’t remember much at all.
1967 – In the Heat of the Night: Oh, my. I’m not sure it’s a great film, but it spoke about race in a way that hadn’t seen seen much in American cinema. The slaps in the face were jaw-dropping at the time. Here’s a review that pretty well reflects my opinion.
1968 – Oliver!: Seen bits and pieces.
1969 – Midnight Cowboy: I saw this film four times the first year it came out. Has my favorite line that I use to this day, “I’m WALKING here!” Don’t know if it would still stand up for me, but seeing the clips has a visceral feeling of awe.
1970 – Patton: broadcast TV, didn’t see enough of it.
1971 – The French Connection: Did I see this in Poughkeepsie? (Sorry, line from the movie.) Saw it in the movie theater. Don’t know that it was a great film, but I got caught up in it anyway, especially the chase scene.
1972 – The Godfather: Seems that I was in Binghamton, but that my friends Carol & Jon, and my then-girlfriend Nona drove to Syracuse to see this film. Undoubtedly a masterful work, but along with seeing Catch-22 and A Clockwork Orange, got me off most movies rated R for violence for nearly a decade. It was the horse, the dance that Jimmy Caan does when he’s character’s killed, the keyhole. Haven’t seen the movie since, and I still have too vivid recollections.
1973 – The Sting: In the theater. It was a fun film (with one disturbing scene, I think), the camaraderie was great, the music was great.
1974 – The Godfather Part II: No, still haven’t seen it. I’m sure it’s great.
1975 – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Saw it in a theater years after its release. Great movie.
1976 – Rocky: Saw this movie in Charlotte, NC with my mother. I think it was a bit violent for her, but she liked it. I liked it. A bit cornball, but it worked.
1977 – Annie Hall: Warrants its own post. Saw it four times in the theater. My touchstone movie.
1978 – The Deer Hunter: Was still avoiding the R-rated violence. Never saw.
1979 – Kramer vs. Kramer: I saw Dustin Hoffman on that Actor’s Studio show and he explained that the dialogue at the end was ad libbed. His performance and Meryl Streep’s kept this from soap opera. I felt the sense of frustration the Hoffman character felt. Saw in the theater.
1980 – Ordinary People: I remember liking it at the time, when I saw in the theater, as much for Mary Tyler Moore playing against type as anything. Depressing, though.
1981 – Chariots of Fire: I saw this in the theater the week after the movie won for Best Picture, with my girlfriend at the time, and her son, and we all felt “Is that all there is?” Pretty vistas weren’t enough. Here’s a case where high expectations probably ruined the film for me. I should probably watch it again.
1982 – Gandhi: Epic, moving, I thought at the time when I saw it in the theater, but I haven’t seen it since, and don’t specifically REMEMBER scenes, just feelings.
1983 – Terms of Endearment: Or as I am wont to call it, “Tears of Internment”. Actually, I probably liked the first half, when I saw it in the theater, but after that, pretty much hated it.
1984 – Amadeus: I liked it a lot at the time I saw it in the theater; didn’t care about the historical inaccuracies.
1985 – Out of Africa: Saw in the movie theater, thought it looked nice, but it never engaged me.
1986 – Platoon: Never saw, although I feel that I have.
1987 – The Last Emperor: Saw this in the movie theater and fell asleep. Maybe I was just tired.
1988 – Rain Man: I liked it when I saw it in the theater, thought that Tom Cruise was actually pretty good in it. Got into great debates about whether his character could change so much in a six-day car ride; I contended that it was plausible. Have the soundtrack; the first half includes great tunes I love, the second half standard soundtrack fare.
1989 – Driving Miss Daisy: Had real ambivalence about seeing Morgan Freeman’s “wise old black man” character as someone put it. It was good, but felt very stagy. Saw in a theater.
1990 – Dances With Wolves: I liked it in parts, but it was too long by about 30 minutes. In theater.
1991 – The Silence of the Lambs: Was visiting my parents and was watching HBO, started watching it, bailed.
1992 – Unforgiven: Ambivalent about seeing a western, but ended up liking this movie quite a bit. In the theater.
1993 – Schindler’s List -Oh, yeah. I did see this film in the theater. It’s a very good film. I will NEVER see this film again. I spent more time dissecting this film with the two people I saw it with than the film’s ample running time.
1994 – Forrest Gump: Talked about this here. Some of the others too, I see. The other thing about this movie is the soundtrack picked such the cliches (For What It’s Worth, Get Together) That said, I do own it – bought it used – for the songs that I didn’t own on CD.
1995 – Braveheart: Saw this on a huge screen at Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady, the place you’d want to see a film like this. Ultimately, though, there was at least one too many battle scenes. And that tortured messianic scene at the end – yuck. Made me know that I wouldn’t be seeing his films about Christ or the Amazon people, thank you.
1996 – The English Patient: My goodness, I forgot this won. I was bored to tears by this movie in the theater.
1997 – Titanic: A very schizo movie, part romance, part disaster film. Don’t know that I LIKED it when I saw it in the theater so much as admired the chutzpah of gambling big and pulling it off. Actually liked some of the incidental music, but I don’t expect to see this film again. Ever.
1998 – Shakespeare in Love: I liked it when I saw in the theater. Best picture? Maybe not.
1999 – American Beauty: I liked this one a lot at the time, when I saw it in the theater, but I’m not remembering why.
2000 – Gladiator: Didn’t see, wasn’t interested in seeing.
2001 – A Beautiful Mind: Liked it well enough when I saw it in the theater, but don’t imagine watching again soon.
2002 – Chicago: I was rather fond of it when I saw it in the theater. Occasionally very funny, and occasionally (as with the only woman probably innocent of the crime), somewhat poignant.
2003 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Saw the first LotR movie, thought it was fine, didn’t feel compelled to get through the other two. But then, I couldn’t get through 50 pages when I read The Hobbit, which I know to be grand treachery, but there it is.
2004 – Million Dollar Baby: This was the year Lydia was born. Really wanted to see this, but it just didn’t happen.
2005 – Crash: Lots of people HATE this movie, just HATE it. One of my office mates was going on about it recently, citing that it was just condescendingly telling us what we already know. Others hated it for the contrivance of the interlocking stories. For the former, I found that it rang true in my own life, the sibling thing, particularly – maybe Joe Biden should go see it – and for the latter, I was willing to accept the premise. Saw in the theater BEFORE the buzz.
And here’s my theory why Brokeback Mountain lost to Crash, which I, BTW, predicted: most Oscar voters saw it on DVD, where all that Western vista stuff might have been boring. To be honest, I was a little bored myself in the theater; the story didn’t really grab me until they got off the mountain, and Academy voters, with tons of films to view in a short time, might well have just given up on it.