You see, I was so unimpressed with what I figured would be the Best Picture Oscar nominees for 2018 that I wanted to completely understand the award and its history. So, on January 1st, I decided to watch every single Best Picture winner during the course of calendar year 2019. I believe that's 91 movies.
Now, a lot of these films I have seen already. Some are favorites that I re-watch every single year. Others I haven't viewed since my initial exposure. Several of the movies I absolutely detested upon first viewing. How will I react a second time? We shall see.
I'm going to give you my progress on this quest at two month intervals. Thanks to TCM, my DVD library, and Netflix, I should manage to do this. The only curve ball, however, is that I am not doing this in a linear order. As the films show up, I watch them. We will be hopscotching from one decade to another. And, as we move along film history, I will give you a quick gut reaction to what I have seen thus far.
So, here we go...
1. It Happened One Night (1934): The very first romantic comedy and they set the bar high for all others to come.
2. You Can't Take It With You (1938): Two in a row for director Frank Capra. Originally a play that now has probably been produced by every single high school acting class. Amusing but stage bound and it feels like it.
3. Marty (1955): So what do you want to do tonight? An incredibly real and organic film about a lonely single man and Ernest Borgnine was never better. Filmed in the Bronx and it exudes that borough.
4. Grand Hotel (1932); All those people coming through the doors of a Berlin hotel. Sort of a tragic version of "The Love Boat." Interesting that the Best Picture nomination was the only one the movie got.
5. Casablanca (1942): Holds up amazingly. I first saw it in college and didn't get it. Then, I saw it again in a NY theater where I was killing time because we thought the Rodney King riots were going to erupt in Manhattan. For some reason, I then loved it. And have adored it ever since.
6. The Artist (2011): Only the second silent movie to win Best Picture and that was in 2011! Thought it was overrated on first viewing and my opinion holds.
7. Rebecca (1940): The only Best Picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock and unlike any other film he did. A terrific story ideal for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
8. Spotlight (2015): All about the Boston Globe busting Catholic priest pedophiles and it unfolds in the best tradition of a "Lou Grant" episode or "All the President's Men."
9. The Lost Weekend (1945): I still shudder when the bat eats the mouse sticking his head out of the wall.
10. On the Waterfront (1954): Not only could he have been a contender, but the movie truly was. Also wonderfully capturing New York of the 1950s.
11. All About Eve (1950): Talky and bitchy and fun, although still a tad over written.
12. Annie Hall (1977): Here's one that I watch once a year. And, oddly enough, it's not my favorite Woody Allen movie. That honor goes to "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Radio Days."
13. Midnight Cowboy (1969): First time I saw it was when it was rated X and two young "grown-ups," my childhood bestie Leo and I, checked it out at the Wakefield Theater in the Bronx. I probably didn't get it then. I do now.
14. Rocky (1976): Evidence that, at one time, Sylvester Stallone could act.
15. Tom Jones (1963): Strangely enough, I watched this one on the day it's star, Albert Finney, died. British and bawdy, but I was lost on its virtues. Not my cup of...ahem...tea.
16. No Country for Old Men (2007): The Coen Brothers go to town. This was only the first time I had seen since it was released in theaters. I might be ready for another viewing of this dark pastiche in another 12 years.
17. Platoon (1986): I get it. The Viet Nam war was hell. Moving on.
18. The Great Ziegfeld (1936): One glorious production number after another. Boy, this must have been a real eye opener back when.
19. Cimarron (1931): An old and creaky western about the Oklahoma land grabs of the late 1800's. My only exposure ever to Richard Dix.
20. My Fair Lady (1964): Still a gem, even though the two big production numbers with Eliza's father seem to be from another musical. They stop the pacing in its tracks and is my one criticism of this movie and Broadway show.
21. Oliver! (1968): I had seen it a long time and remembered it to be a little too dark for a musical comedy. I was right.
22. Chicago (2002): Lots of fun and it should have revitalized the movie musical genre more than it did.
23. A Man For All Seasons (1966): Sir Thomas More and Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
24. Going My Way (1944): Still enjoyable back in the day where priests and choir boys could be in the same room.
25. West Side Story (1961): It's hard to believe that a movie adaptation could be better than the original Broadway musical, but this was perhaps one of the most ingenuous weddings of stage and film.
26. The Deer Hunter (1978): Hated it the first time and I hated it again this go-round.
27. Broadway Melody (1929): The second Best Picture winner and the first one with sound. Capturing a New York that was one big night club and Ziegfield Follie. Did that world really exist?
28. How Green Was My Valley (1941): Life in a Welsh mining town still captivates and young Master Roddy McDowell steals the picture.
So, in two months or so, I will be back with the next installment of my Best Picture journey.
Dinner last night: Leftover tortellini.
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