The Oscars (and other awards)

10. Gladiator
Yeah, there were plenty of better movies that year (Memento, Traffic, Requiem For A Dream, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, etc) but that doesn't mean Gladiator isn't awesome. It's got Russel Crowe being a badass stabbing people. Plus it's actually a pretty smart film too, with an interesting theme of using the media to gain power at the center of the film.

9. The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter has some amazing scenes. The Russian roulette scene, the guys last hunt, and the final scene all come to mind. It also features great acting, especially from Robert De Niro and Best Supporting Actor winner Christopher Walken. But there's also large stretches which aren't terribly interesting, hence why it's only at nine.

8. Ben-Hur
I was apprehensive about watching a four hour film, but Ben-Hur really delivered. It was dramatic, exciting, grand, and had great performances from both Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. The final chariot race is one of the best action scenes ever. But after that, the film goes on for about 45 minutes and everything slows down. Ben-Hur would probably be a lot higher if not for the overly long epilogue.

7. The Apartment
This movie is extremely charming. It's a screwball love story with an interesting love triangle and a great cast. How can you not love Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine? It's not exactly the deepest of films, but it's impossible to watch this film and not feel good.

6. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The cast to this film is incredible. Brad Dourif, William Redfield, Danny DeVito, Christopher Loyd, Will Sampson, and others breath life to the inmates at the hospital. And of course there's Jack Nicholson, who delivers a performance which may be the best of his career. Louise Fletcher creates one of cinema's most powerful villains in Nurse Ratchet. The film balances being both side splitting funny, but also heartbreaking. So why does it not make the top five? There's a few scenes that I really dislike. Such as the ending, and a certain scene where they escape the hospital, but there aren't any real repercussions. I think Ebert said it best when he described it as "...a film so good in so many of its parts that there's a temptation to forgive it when it goes wrong. But it does go wrong...".

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Sure, it has about twelve different endings, but Return of the King is still an epic ending to a grand achievement in filmmaking. The stakes are insanely high. You really feel the scope of what the characters are fighting for. The action scenes are spectacular, and being the last film in the trilogy, all the actors bring out their A-game. It's a monumental film which is both emotional, as well as epic. It may not be my favourite Rings film (Fellowship forever), but it's still a tremendous film.

4. Annie Hall
This movie works because the relationship between Alvy and Annie works. Throughout all the ups and downs, you always like these two. You also want them to stay together, not so much because they're a great couple, but because they're just so much fun to watch. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton play off each other wonderfully, and the dialogue is superb. It's a film that makes me laugh, it's a film that makes me think, it's awesome. Also, the amount of small cameos here from people who would later find success is insane. Shelley Duvall, Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, and Sigourney Weaver?!? Damn...

3. The Departed
Go ahead and tell me about how it was a pitty Oscar, guess what, I don't give a s***, cause I freaken love The Departed. I loved it the first time I saw it, I love it now, and I'll likely continue to love it for a very long time. The cast is perfect. Nicholson, Damon, DiCaprio, Baldwin, Farmiga, Wahlberg, Sheen, Winstone, and a crap load of others. The movie also has some wicked dialogue and Scorsese pumps the whole thing with so much energy that you're on the edge of your seat for the entire two and a half hours. It's also got a pretty intricate plot. People complain there isn't a lot of subtext or themes in the film. Maybe not, but even if there was it be hard to tell. There's so much going on that you're focus is on the plot the whole time. And in case anyone's wondering, no, this was not my favourite film of 2006. I preferred Letters From Iwo Jima and Children of Men. But that doesn't mean I can't be happy about The Departed winning. Yeah, I love this film, sue me.

2. Platoon
Of the few Vietnam films I've seen, Platoon is probably my favourite. It's a brilliant study on the war and the effects it had on the soldiers. It studies the conflict that existed between not just the Americans and the Viet Cong, but also Vietnamese villagers, and the conflict within America. Particularly with praising are the excellent performances from Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. The whole cast is great, but those two? Damn. The cinematography is also incredible, and Oliver Stone gives the film a certain cold atmosphere. It's a film that can be appreciated on multiple levels. One of the best war films I've ever seen.

1. The Silence of the Lambs
"Good evening Clarice." I love everything about this film. I love the chilling atmosphere, the fact that you could cut the tension with a knife. I love the writing. It's an intelligent thriller with some brilliant dialogue. I love the blunt, unstylish, and realistic cinematography. I love the haunting music. I love the tight pace. But most of all, I love the acting. Jodie Foster is great as the young Clarice Starling, an F.B.I trainee who grows immensely through the film. Ted Levine is criminally underrated as the sick and twisted Buffalo Bill. And then there's Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins creates Hannibal Lecter, one of my all time favourite characters in film. Everything he does and says is memorable. I will remember Hannibal Lecter til the day I die. Overall, it's a brilliant film which succeeds on all levels. Thank you to Jonathan Demme for bringing all this to the screen flawlessly.

How about we start our own lists of the 10 worst Best Picture Winners?

In no particular order...

10. Cimarron
9. Oliver!
8. An American In Paris
7. Out of Africa
6. Gigi
5. The Greatest Show On Earth
4. Around The World in 80 Days
3. Crash
2. Shakespeare In Love
1. Tom Jones

If there's one thing I learned from my summer of watching all the Best Picture winners, it's that there are a lot of really crummy Best Picture winners.

Keep in mind I've only seen four of the films Doomsday listed, and I've also only seen 65 Best Picture winners.

Eff, HOW did I forget Out of Africa??

Updated.  I left a couple out that were much worse than the ones I previously had.  Oliver, I hated that film.

Just wait, just you wait...

As we patiently await the 85th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, let's take a trip to the past and re-visit some big Oscar moments that are turning an important age this year. You guys are more than welcomed to add some of your favorites.


#10 - ROMAN POLANSKI WON BEST DIRECTOR FOR THE PIANIST!



Some people were furious when Roman Polanski won an Oscar. Here's a rapist and fugitive winning a major award. Personally, I try my best to separate an artist from his personal life but it's definitely very difficult with Polanski. So, I understand people who believe this was a low point for the Oscars.


#9 - EMINEM BECOMES AN OSCAR WINNER!



Roman Polanski wasn't the only surprise winner 10 years ago. Controversial rapper Eminem won Best Song for 8 Mile. White people across the nation hadn't been so upset since the O.J. trial. And it would be deja vu three years later when Three Six Mafia won for It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp. As for me, I'm a minority and from an urban environment so I was thrilled since 8 Mile is my generation's Purple Rain. And that movie won an Oscar too.


#8 - AL PACINO FINALLY GETS AN OSCAR!



Al Pacino is considered one of the greatest actors of the last 40 years. In fact, he was nominated 4 years in a row back in the `70s. That's almost unheard of unless you're Meryl Streep. In 1992, it was crazy to think he hadn't won yet. So when he became a double-nominee for Scent of a Woman and Glengarry Glenn Ross everyone knew he had to win one of them. Conventional wisdom should have been Supporting Actor for the latter since Denzel Washington and Robert Downey, Jr. delivered amazing performances for Malcolm X and Chaplin, but there's also the political side of things. Pacino had never won. You can't just randomly give him a Supporting Actor award. It was okay for Gene Hackman in Unforgiven since he had won Best Actor over 20 years earlier for The French Connection, and so, Pacino got the big price. It's hard to say if he deserved it or not, but the Oscars tend to make mistakes when they're trying to correct other mistakes. In this case, they messed up when they didn't give Pacino the Oscar for The Godfather, Part II.


#7 - MARISA TOMEI MUST HAVE SLEPT FOR AN OSCAR!



In the soon-to-be 85 years of Academy Awards history, one of the most controversial things to ever occur was Marisa Tomei winning Best Supporting Actress for My Cousin Vinny. Gay people have never been so upset in their entire lives. How dare she win an Oscar over Vanessa Redgrave. Did her entire Oscar campaign involve opening her legs? Outrageous! Except... not. 20 years later, who the hell remembers Howards End? Or Enchanted April? Or Damages? My Cousin Vinny is a bonafide classic comedy and Marisa Tomei delivered a very memorable performance. She was the heart and soul of that movie. At the end of the day, she was the rightful winner. Her performance is the only one that stood the test of time. So, Vanessa Redgrave, go suck a ****. Is she even alive? Whatever.


#6 - THE LAST EMPEROR WON BEST PICTURE AND NO ONE GIVES A S--T!



If you've ever bothered to watch The Last Emperor it's understandable why it won the Oscar for Best Picture. However, 25 years later, it has become one of the most forgettable winners of all-time. Which is a shame because Bernardo Bertolucci is a great filmmakers and it's nice to know he has an Oscar. But in hindsight, the movie that should have won was Fatal Attraction. It's a classic and it's one of the few box office sensations made specifically for adults. And for the record, I'm not pulling Fatal Attraction out of a hat. It was nominated for Best Picture. I know that's difficult to believe since it's an erotic thriller... but it happened.


#5 - GORDON GEKKO, CHER, AND JAMES BOND WON OSCARS!



The 60th Academy Awards gave us some of the most fascinating actors to win an Oscar. Michael Douglas won for his iconic performance in Wall Street. Cher won for slapping Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck. Her co-star, Olympia Dukakis, also won. And James Bond himself, Sir Sean Connery, won for his memorable role in The Untouchables. If that isn't the most awesome collection of actors to win in a single year, then I don't know what is.


#4 - GANDHI vs E.T.



30 years ago, Richard Attenborough's biopic, Gandhi, went head-to-head with Steven Spielberg's record-breaking blockbuster, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Over the past 84 Oscars there have been numerous instances of "art versus entertainment," but there's something about this one that really stands out, and I'll tell you why. Gandhi - kind of - sucks. It's difficult to say that because it's a movie about Gandhi, but there's no denying it's the type of film you fall asleep watching in a high school history class. I'm sure some will disagree, and I'm prepared for the flaming, but there's no doubt that E.T. is the more - enduring - of the two. By the way, did you guys know Tootsie was also nominated for Best Picture that year? How awesome is that? See, now THAT movie should have won.


#3 - MARLON BRANDO GIVES HOLLYWOOD THE MIDDLE FINGER!



This year marks the 40th anniversary of the most jaw-dropping moment in the history of the Academy Awards. Marlon Brando won Best Actor for his iconic portrayal of Don Corleone in The Godfather, but instead of showing up to accept the award, he sents an actress named Sacheen Littlefeather to complain about Hollywood's mistreatment of Native Americans. To say everyone in the room was pissed is an understatement. John Wayne almost beat the s--t out of this poor woman backstage. I kid you not. And look at the expression on Roger Moore's face. He knew some s--t was about to go down. And this all happened before the Internet. I'm sure the Oscars are crossing their fingers, hoping, that nothing like this ever happens again.


#2 - 2012 vs 1962



Everyone believes there was no clear-cut winner in 2012. This is considered the tighest Oscar race in recent memory, which is why tomorrow's ceremony will be so interesting. But for those of us with some knowledge of Oscar history, this year is deja vu. Half-a-century ago, Lawrence of Arabia won Best Picture, but it's easy to forget the other movies being honored that year. First up is To Kill a Mockingbird. It lost the big prize but Gregory Peck won Best Actor for playing Atticus Finch, a lawyer that defends a Black kid from a wrongful rape charge. This year, Ben Affleck's little desert movie, Argo, may win Best Picture, but Daniel Day-Lewis is a lock to win Best Actor for his portrayal of the man responsible for ending slavery. Interesting parallel, huh? But wait. It gets better. In 1962, The Music Man, based on a popular broadway musical, was nominated for Best Picture. This year, we have Les Miserable nominated in the same category and it's also based on a popular broadway musical. Weird, huh? Other movies being honored that year include Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Divorce Italian Style, and Days of Wine and Rose to name a few.


#1 - THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH IS ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES TO WIN BEST PICTURE... OR MAYBE NOT?



Cecil B. DeMille is one of the most iconic filmmakers in the history of Hollywood. He put the show in show-business. So when he made a movie about Charlton Heston's struggles to put together the biggest circus show in America, it's understandable why it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. DeMille made a movie that's a metaphor for Hollywood. So, considering that the Oscars are an industry award, it's easy to see why they related to it. HOWEVER, for those of us who don't work in Hollywood, we see only one thing. High Noon was robbed. But let's also keep in mind that High Noon wasn't fully appreciated in 1952. It was the first movie to spit on the traditional American western. So, despite its obvious supporters, it also had people that wanted to see it fail, most notably Mr. John Wayne who ended up making a rival movie. You may have heard of it. It's called Rio Bravo. So, while it may seem crazy that this movie won, it makes sense within the context and Hollywood politics of 1952. In 60 years, I wonder what people will be saying about Zero Dark Thirty losing to Argo or Lincoln. It certainly seems like a similar scenario.

John Wayne was a one-trick pony anyway.

The Last Emperor is one of my most painful Best Picture blind spots. Very disappointed in myself for not seeing it yet.

Adjusted for inflation, The Last Emperor was actually the lowest grossing Best Picture winner of the modern Post-1980 era until The Hurt Locker came along.