Oh, Those Oscars

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If I had a steak, I would f**k it!
Welp, the Academy Awards are tomorrow night. You know, that ceremony where a bunch of celebrities in suits get together to give each other awards? Yeah, that one.

The fact is the Academy has been giving movie awards for a long time, and some of those decisions were good, and some of them were not so good. Which ones were good? That depends on the person, I suppose. But this is my thread, so right now, if you continue reading, it's my opinion that matters. I am going to go through every Best Picture winner that I've seen right now and tell if I think they were deserving winners. And let me just say before I start, that yes, there are still a lot of classic Best Picture winners I need to see, like Lawrence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind, and hopefully I will see them at some point. But for now, I'm just talking about the ones I've seen already.

Casablanca



Yes, I do think this movie is a worthy Best Picture winner and one of the best movies of all time of course. Even though a lot of the movie would be considered cliche now, this was the movie that started those cliches and thus the one that did them best. I like that even though Humphrey Bogart first appears to be the hardened antihero in the story, he eventually did the right thing and sent the woman he loved away with her husband, even though he had the chance to get rid of him and keep her. A very moral decision we probably wouldn't see made in any current film!

On the Waterfront



Absolutely. No question about it. Definitely one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen. It still feels relevant in spite of being over sixty years old. The story is very well-developed and the acting is great, and it just remains a cinematic masterpiece that everyone should see.

The Bridge on the River Kwai



This was a very good film, yes. Good acting, good story, good cinematography, everything needed for a good movie is here. However, it did drag on a bit, and got a little boring. But, I am still gonna go ahead and say it's worthy, although if I were making the decision, I probably would have favored 12 Angry Men instead.

Ben-Hur



I'll be honest, I haven't actually seen the whole movie because I kind of dozed off. And no, not because it was boring me, just because. But based on what I saw, yes it is a good Best Picture winner. Good story, good acting, good script, and that chariot race...

West Side Story



It's been awhile since I saw it. I had to watch it in class freshman year of high school after reading Romeo and Juliet. From what I remember, it was a pretty good film. And I'm not even someone who generally likes to watch musicals, but this was one of the few I enjoyed watching. So yes, I'm giving it my thumbs up!

My Fair Lady



I enjoyed this movie just fine...until the end, where she goes back to the jerk in the end who hasn't changed a bit. And I have just been informed that the original ending in the source material (Pygmalion) had her staying gone, marrying the young man, and ruining her life, which is depressing yes, but still makes more sense than the one this version has! Add this to the fact that it was nominated the same year as Dr. Stangelove, and I just have to say no, this movie was not deserving of its Oscar!

Sound of Music



I have to give it a thumbs up because if I don't it just confirms I have no soul, moving on...

Oliver!



Only seen bits and pieces, but I liked what I saw. I'm a big fan of the story of Oliver Twist, and I like every version that I've seen of it, so there is that. And the songs that I've heard were pretty catchy. But since I haven't seen all of it, I don't know if I can give it a thumbs up, but I won't condemn it either. Just give it a "pass" here, I guess.

Midnight Cowboy


Interesting, to say the least. I'm just gonna say yes and leave it there. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was also nominated that year, but this one was decidedly more human.

The French Connection



Kind of a little film that could. Nowadays it just looks like your basic crime flick, but at the time people were surprised at its grittiness. It's the movie that you wish would get recognized at the Academy, but probably won't. But this time it did! But sadly I can't thumbs up it because it came out the same year as Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, which while not for the faint of heart, is certainly a masterpiece.

The Godfather



Seriously? I can't thumbs-up this one because I don't have enough thumbs for such a masterpiece.

The Godfather Part II



Same!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest





Jack Nicholson is awesome, and this was the movie that set the standard for what he would do in the future. Also, the story, though sad, is very inspiring, so yes this is a good winner!

Rocky


This is a toughie for me. It was nominated the same year as Taxi Driver and Network, which I personally feel are better movies. However, it's Rocky! This movie was written by Sylvester Stallone over a weekend! Yet, it became everyone's favorite movie of the year, Best Picture, and is still considered today one of the greatest films of all time. So, the movie itself is a much of an underdog story as the story within the movie. So, in spite of the reservations I mentioned, this one does get the thumbs-up from me.

Annie Hall



Very good movie, yes. A masterpiece. A legend in its own time. However, its legendary status is nothing compared to what it beat out. A really great sci-fi film you may have heard of called STAR WARS! So, half-way thumbs-up.

Chariots of Fire



In spite of the fact that it beat Raiders of the Lost Ark, which many more today would favor, it is one the most inspirational stories I've ever seen, so yes, thumbs up. No question about it.

Amadeus



Not for the faint of heart? Certainly. Overlong? Without a doubt. A masterpiece that it would have been a crime to deny an Oscar to? Absolutely!

Rain Man



Another inspiring story, this one of a man's redemption after spending time with his autistic brother. I definitely do think this movie deserves the praise it's gotten and that Oscar. Also contains Dustin Hoffman's best performance, imo.

Silence of the Lambs



I'm just gonna stay neutral on this one. But I will give it props for being the first, and I believe only horror film to win Best Picture!

Unforgiven



Although A Few Good Men is great and was nominated the same year, this movie easily tops it. Maybe it's because I'm just a sucker for Westerns (good ones, anyway), but this movie gave a very compelling and thought-provoking story that I would recommend for anyone.

Schindler's List



Without question, one of the best films of all time, and more than worthy of its awards!

Forrest Gump



I like this movie. A lot. More than most, probably. But, I'm still withholding the thumbs-up here because it's a bit dated, and it beat out Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption both of which have aged like wine.

Braveheart



I have to thumbs up this one because just as I would have no heart for turning down Sound of Music, I wouldn't have another part of the anatomy if I turned down Braveheart!

Titanic



Sadly, no, I'm not approving this choice. While the way it depicts the tragedy is very compelling, it is way too long and the love story is beyond believability. Plus, it was nominated the same year as Good Will Hunting, one of the most inspiring films in film history. I do like the theme music in this movie, though. That was beautiful...

American Beauty



NO! It's not terrible, but I just don't really think it has a place anymore. Yeah, it's a good picture of some struggles from the 90s, but so were Office Space and Fight Club, and those actually tried to be interesting in addition to showing the problems. It was relevant at the time, but not so much anymore, as opposed to those other movies I mentioned, which feel a lot more universal. And no, making you sympathize with a potential pedophile (I still respect you, Kevin Spacey) does not make it more interesting, it makes it creepy. Plus, it beat The Green Mile?!!!!!!!!!!!! How?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gladiator



Despite what I said about Braveheart, this one only gets a half thumbs-up! I really like this movie and think it's a lot fun, but if it comes down to this or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the latter wins!

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King



It's Lord of the Rings. Hopefully, enough said!

Million Dollar Baby



A lot of people like it. I'm not one of them! It seems like the first half is just female Rocky, and the second is a euthanasia commercial! Plus, it beat Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, which is mind-boggling.

Crash



Hate to just jump on the bandwagon, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I haven't seen any of its competitors, but I don't have to. This movie was just not good and definitely not deserving of any Oscars whatsoever.

The Departed



One of my favorite movies, but is it a worthy Best Picture winner? Maybe, maybe not...you know the rest. It is a bit of an unusual winner. Not the kind of thing the Academy usually favors. But Scorsese's Oscar was a long-time coming. I'm a huge Scorsese fan, so that might be clouding my judgment, but yes I am giving this one a pass.

No Country For Old Men



Another toughie. I think I'm gonna give this a 3/4 thumbs up. Even though this is a very good and very powerful film (plus, I'm a big Coen brothers fan), There Will Be Blood was just a bit better. I won't complain, though, because at least something beat JUNO!

Slumdog Millionaire



Yes, this film is a modern masterpiece, and everyone saying it's overrated can bite me.

The King's Speech



This pains me, but sorry, no thumbs-up. I really like this movie, but almost every other nominee I saw from that year (127 Hours, The Social Network, The Fighter, Inception, Toy Story 3, True Grit) was better. This is a clear case of the Academy making the safe choice.

Argo



Half-way! This was a very well-done, edge of your seat, historical thriller, and definitely deserved its recognition. The only reservations I have about it are that I like some of the other nominees, like Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, and maybe Life of Pi better.

12 Years a Slave



Half. Very good movie, and in my opinion, it should be mandatory viewing for its historical value. But it's obvious Oscar bait, and Dallas Buyers Club, Wolf of Wall Street, or Her would have been better choices.\

Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)



Finally, here's last year's winner. And I hate to keep repeating myself, but it's another half. I really, really like this movie, more than most people I've talked to seem to like it anyway. But The Grand Budapest Hotel was so much more deserving. Maybe even Whiplash! Boyhood? Nah, it was good, but Birdman was better....

So that's my opinion, man. How about this year? I've only seen five of the eight nominees: Mad Max, The Revenant, Spotlight, The Big Short, and The Martian. Except for Spotlight, I think they're all worthy contenders for different reasons. Don't get me wrong, I thought Spotlight was a good film. It just seems like a straightforward investigation movie that doesn't really bring anything new to the table to me. Of the five, I think The Revenant is the most deserving, but I would still be happy if Mad Max won. Picking an action film would be a super ballsy move by Academy standards!



Thanks for taking the time to post.
I can't believe some of the winners.
Gladiator!!! WTF.

But nevermind,the oscars is an arselicking PC excercise.



Thanks for taking the time to post.
I can't believe some of the winners.
Gladiator!!! WTF.

But nevermind,the oscars is an arselicking PC excercise.
I dont know who you are, but youre right as hell. That was excruciatingly bad, worst Oscars past 20 years. Cram packed with pc goodness, and self adoration. They should just do away with the Oscars and have the Golden Globes. Tradition my balls, the Oscars have ruined their "tradition" like Boxing did to its own sport. Crooked and flawed.