Can you believe the Academy overlooked this gem also?
Posted on 04/27/2008 1:50:30 AM PDT by uncitizen
We can hope our favorite movie will come away with the big prize, but in the long run, some of the best pictures ever made did not receive Best Picture Oscars. A good example would be the AFI’s choice for number one movie of all time, Citizen Kane.
(Excerpt) Read more at filmschoolrejects.com ...
That is because the hollywood elite would rather see an artsy, though provoking, abstract film get the award, than a film which simply entertains time and time again.
I’ve never understood why Citizen Kane is so highly rated. Can anyone explain?
1958.
Two films I have in my collection, both which would easily make it in a list of top 25 films ever.
The Defiant Ones
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Now, Gigi may be a better film (I doubt it) but I will never find out because I’m usually asleep in the first ten minutes or so...
Interesting list.
Some very good picks, though I’d disagree with the author about both Fargo and Philadelphia being amongst the best overlooked films. IMHO, Taxi Driver, Network, and Raging Bull are all better choices.
I have tried to watch Citizen Kane a couple of times. It seemed like a hokey soviet propaganda video.
I have to completely agree with you here.
I don’t agree. It is good, in the classic sense, but very overrated IMO.
Let’s agree to disagree. I think a better discussion would be about the worst movies to WIN best picture at the oscars.
I nominate anything since Forrest Gump in 1994. If you look at the list beforehand, you can make an argument for most of them.
1995 (68th)
Braveheart Ö
1996 (69th)
The English Patient Ö
1997 (70th)
Titanic (1997) Ö
1998 (71st)
Shakespeare in Love Ö
1999 (72nd)
American Beauty Ö
2000 (73rd)
Gladiator Ö
2001 (74th)
A Beautiful Mind Ö
2002 (75th)
Chicago Ö
2003 (76th)
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King Ö
2004 (77th)
Million Dollar Baby Ö
2005 (78th)
Crash Ö
2006 (79th)
The Departed Ö
2007 (80th)
No Country for Old Men
Oh I don’t much disagree with you overall, but I do think CK is a good movie, that’s all. You’re right about the worst movies proclaimed the best as a subject of discussion however.
A Bridge Too Far isn’t mentioned on this list anywhere. Great movie, 1977. Bigtime underrated.
The only one on the list I really liked was Shawshank Redemption.
As for "Fargo", it is a great movie because it is so realistic. Like that scene where the customer and his wife come in to yell at that sleazy car salesman is classic because everybody's been there before (bought a car only to find it ends up costing "more" when they come to pick it up). Or that awkward scene at the Radisson where the old classmate of the police officer who had a crush on her in high school makes a total mess of his lunch date with her. Or the one crook who would rather go to "Pancake house" than go to a strip club. And on and on.
My favorite scene is when the pathetic and sleazy car salesman "flees the interview" with the police officer.
Meanwhile, around these ordinary scenes is pure evil as a "simple kidnapping" gets completely out of control.
Singin’ in the Rain was dismissed...and that is one of the greatest and funniest and best films ever made. Plus, it starred the gorgeous Gene Kelly. Nuff said.
Citizen Kane,
Shawshank Redemption,
Dog Day Afternoon,
Wizard of Oz.
I have a mild disagreement with the list regarding these films. All were excellent, but might have just barely "missed the cut". I could be persuaded, I think, to put these in the "should have won" category--but right now, I have doubts.:
Fargo,
Goodfellas,
Bonnie & Clyde.
A bit of a STRONGER disagreement exists regarding these:
2001: A Space Odyssey,
Star Wars
Again, not to put either film down...I enjoyed both, I just think the case is harder to make. The former--let's face it, though visually stunning--takes two or three viewings just to begin to make sense, and the latter is was a definite groundbreaker, but not unlike a B-movie spaghetti western in terms of plot. Isn't that how Lucas wanted it to be, anyway? Stunning visuals from both--and that is why they should be revered.
I VERY MUCH disagree that these three films should be on the list:
Psycho,
Philadelphia,
E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial.
Entertaining perhaps, interesting twists in the first--social commentary in the second, and lovely allegory and life lesson in the last...but Best Picture of the whole YEAR? Not a chance.
I cannot give a good opinion on
Vertigo,
Apocalypse Now,
or Some Like It Hot,
as I haven't seen them or it has been SO long since I watched them I cannot recall.
How THAT for my 2 cents?
I remember that episode. I had no idea that Kevin Spacey was such a talented impersonator. While that scene was great, one that had me rolling on the floor was Spacey impersonating Walter Mathau auditioning for Chewbacca: "What the hell's a Wookie?"
Mark
Interesting tidbit from the article link:
“The model for the Oscar statuette was a naked Mexican named Emilio Fernández, who had a platonic relationship with fellow Mexican and big Hollywood star, Dolores del Río. Her famous husband, Cedric Gibbons, had been assigned by the Academy to design their award. Del Río introduced Fernández to her husband and he agreed that Fernández was the perfect model.”
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