25 years of Academy Awards

[Pale Horse]

As many of you all know, The Academy Awards are one of the top, highly coveted honors in Hollywood, and are presented during a ceremony in which members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences select the winners from their peers. They are held annually and honor the past years performances in film.

From a selection of five nominees, in several categories consisting of all areas of the film industry, one person is selected per category by votes and given the Academy Award for their achievement in film. The awards are lovingly nicknamed "Oscar."

Here at the Raven, there are several Film Buffs, as well as considerable interest in many things related to film. Being that the news on the next Indiana Jones installment is sparse, and timing constraints and collaboration are delaying the Raven 2.0, I thought maybe we could all try to generate some clamor for the up coming Oscars.

But there is a twist, as there always is in my threads. The awards I want you to consider should encompass the last 25 years. :D
(I know this may be confusing, but any longer and it becomes a project for the AFI) Any movie from 1979 forward can be considered for the applicable award. Any actor or actress whose performance falls within the same time frame is to be considered as well. There are 10 categories in this little endeavor, your goal is to pick just 1 winner…


Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography


Have fun

[Pale Horse]

Here is my list, you can agree or disagree, but I think if nothing else it is a good base for all to use.

Best Picture: BraveHeart encompasses so much and is so well rounded, it wins the honor
Best Director: Spielberg (he had 4 Raiders, E.T, Schindler’s, Saving) OUTSTANDING directoral acheivments, shameful to go to anyone else
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs
Best Actress: Glen Close in Fatal Attraction
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Palance in City Slickers
Best Supporting Actress: Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction
Best Original Screenplay: The Usual Suspects
Best Adapted Screenplay: Apocalypse Now
Best Original Score: Raiders
Best Cinematography: Dances with Wolves

[Kate]

Hmm... good idea pale horse (but then again everything about you is good :D)! I'll have to think about it and get back to you. Five minutes... j/k

[Pale Horse]

I'll be asleep in five minuets... ;)

[Kate]

whatever line comes next...

[Kate]

ok, pale horse, I've thought about it. Here it comes.

Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography .....

[Kate]

for heaven's sake, my copy-nd-pasting didn't work. ooohhh my I hate my Linux word processor.

i'll try again soon.

[Joe Brody]

Here goes:

Best Picture: Platoon
Best Director: Scorsese (sp?) for Goodfellas (I'm being a little contrarian here)
Best Actor: Sean Penn for Sweet and Lowdown (while Penn got a great character to play, his performance is that movie)
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman for 'The Hours' (coincidentally narrowly edging out Meryl Streep in 'Deer Hunter')
Best Supporting Actor: Beringer/Dafoe in 'Platoon'
Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton in 'Reds' (her role is critical, she plays against a huge talented cast, and she's playing a historical figure that many people have already formed an opinion)
Best Original Screenplay: Fargo (uniquely American -- it should be in the Smithsonian if it's not)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Silence of the Lambs (clever, with good subplots)
Best Original Score: (?) I'm musically retarded
Best Cinematography: Se7en

[Attila the Professor]

Best Picture: Unforgiven - perhaps the last truly great film in a great genre, and really struck me
Best Director: Martin Scorcese for Goodfellas - innovative, made Pulp Fiction possible
Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man - brave and not overdone
Best Actress: Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy - the part she had worked a lifetime for
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future - yes, this selection is a bit indulgant, but he did have a great energy
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep in Adaptation - nice to see her acting without an accent, isn't it?
Best Original Screenplay: Pulp Fiction, if only because it makes something that shouldn't work, work
Best Adapted Screenplay: Field of Dreams - defines what a great adaptation can be
Best Original Score: Raiders of the Lost Ark - evocative of a lost age
Best Cinematography: Fargo - piercing morality

I'll put the others in later...

[Edited by Attila the Professor on 02-13-2004 at 09:55 pm]

[Pale Horse]

Originally posted by Joe Brody
Here goes:

Best Picture: Platoon
Best Director: Scorsese (sp?) for Goodfellas (I'm being a little contrarian here)
Best Actor: Sean Penn for Sweet and Lowdown (while Penn got a great character to play, his performance is that movie)
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman for 'The Hours' (coincidentally narrowly edging out Meryl Streep in 'Deer Hunter')
Best Supporting Actor: Beringer/Dafoe in 'Platoon'
Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton in 'Reds' (her role is critical, she plays against a huge talented cast, and she's playing a historical figure that many people have already formed an opinion)
Best Original Screenplay: Fargo (uniquely American -- it should be in the Smithsonian if it's not)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Silence of the Lambs (clever, with good subplots)
Best Original Score: (?) I'm musically retarded
Best Cinematography: Se7en



Fascinating insight, I love it :)

Originally posted by Attila the Professor
Best Picture: Unforgiven - perhaps the last truly great film in a great genre, and really struck me
Best Director: Martin Scorcese for Goodfellas - innovative, made Pulp Fiction possible
Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man - brave and not overdone
Best Actress: Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy - the part she had worked a lifetime for
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future - yes, this selection is a bit indulgant, but he did have a great energy
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep in Adaptation - nice to see her acting without an accent, isn't it?
Best Original Screenplay: Pulp Fiction, if only because it makes something that shouldn't work, work
Best Adapted Screenplay: Field of Dreams - defines what a great adaptation can be
Best Original Score: Raiders of the Lost Ark - evocative of a lost age
Best Cinematography: Fargo - piercing morality

I'll put the others in later...

[Edited by Attila the Professor on 02-13-2004 at 09:55 pm]

Both you and Joe truely demonstrate why you are pure connoisseurs of film. I am humbled.

[Joe Brody]

I don't know what you're talking about apalehorse, you made great picks yourself.

The one category that gave me fits was adapted screenplay. How do you make a pick like that? What is the best adaptation? Is it the script that stays close to the source material and results in a great film (which I think is easy to dismiss but still takes real skill)? Is it the one that uses the source material as the foundation/inspiration for a great new story? Or is just the best film, period?

[westford]

Originally posted by Joe Brody
Best Original Screenplay: Fargo (uniquely American -- it should be in the Smithsonian if it's not)

Pity that poor Chinese (Japanese?) woman didn't know it was an Original Screenplay before she went off looking for the cash... D'oh!

[Adventurer]

"Is it the script that stays close to the source material and results in a great film (which I think is easy to dismiss but still takes real skill)?"

I asked myself the same question. If it's like the way you are suggesting with the quoted above, doesn't that mean every single Academy member should have read the book or source in order to give a qualified vote? Hm. Sounds very time consiming for all the adaptions out there. But what if it isn't that way? Either you give a 'random' vote, because you don't know the original, or it is, as you said, just the best film. Maybe the Academy just wanted to split the category in two, because of better comparableness.

[Joe Brody]

Hey Adventurer, how about filling out your card?

. . . and Westford, I'm not understanding your reference to the lady and the money regarding 'Fargo'.

[Pale Horse]

Originally posted by Kate
for heaven's sake, my copy-nd-pasting didn't work. ooohhh my I hate my Linux word processor.

i'll try again soon.

Still waiting my dear...;)

[Kate]

Ok pale horse here we go... sorry I made you wait so long.

Best picture... "Moulin Rouge."It's completely unique, and Baz Luhrmann is a genius. There is no other movie quite like this one. An awesome achievement.

Best director.... Spielberg (cliche, I'm sorry. I knew you were hoping I'd be more original). He is THE giant in the business. So many great movies, from "Minority Report" to, of course, Indy. And no misstep but "A.I."

Best actor.... I'm gonna be wierd here and go with Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day." His transformation from selfish to selfless is brilliant. He's the rare man who is funny by NOT being funny!

Best actress.... Kelly McGillis in "Witness." She is better at acting like an Amish woman than a real Amish woman would be! (and palehorse, remind me to tell you my funny Amish story sometime)

Best supporting actor.... Joaquin Pheonix in "Gladiator." A creepy and underrated performance.

Best supporting actress... I love Catherine McCormack in "Braveheart." She is just so beautiful and inspiring. PS: Does anyone else think she looks like Eowyn from "The Lord of the Rings?"

Best original screenplay.... This is the award I want to win someday! My choice for this is unusual: "Moonlight Mile." Kind of obscure, I know, but it's extremely sharp and well-written.

Best adapted screenplay: "Big Fish." This book was effortlessly adapted for screen, so effortlessly that it feels completely original, and not like the writers were trying to be faithful to a text.

Best original score.... "The Last of the Mohicans" wins hands down. I have listened to it countless times, and it never fails to move me.

Best cinematography.... "Girl With a Pearl Earring" has by and far the most lush photography I've ever seen. There is absolutely no comparison. If you haven't seen this movie, you must. It is an incredible experience!

and now for a category of my own....

Best documentary.... "Touching the Void." It's brand-new, but by far the best documentary I've ever seen, and I have seen a lot! It's inspiring and just as thrilling as any suspense movie. I think that Raveners would really enjoy it.

Yes, I know I put a lot of new movies, but in my opinion, movies are getting better, not worse. *ducks to avoid a punch thrown by Ren.*

So there you have it.

:)

[Joe Brody]

Wow Kate -- good pics.

I'll agree that Baz Luhrmann is a genius -- but I've got to go with "William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet' as his superior film. For me, 'Moulin Rouge' is 'Thespian's Gone Awry'. If you've seen both, why do you prefer 'Moulin Rouge'?

[Strider]

Bill Murry in Groundhog Day! that's one I don't hear to often! I love that movie, we have a family tradition to whach it every Groundhog Day. :)

[Adventurer]

Best Picture: 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
Best Director: James Cameron for 'Aliens' (so absolutely perfect, it's kind of scary (no pun))
Best Actor: Russell Crowe for 'Insider'
Best Actress: Emma Thompson for 'The Remains of the Day'
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones for 'The Fugitive'
Best Supporting Actress: That was tough. Helen Hunt for 'Cast Away' (her appearance is soo short)
Best Original Screenplay: John Huges for 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' (hell yes! :) )
Best Adapted Screenplay: Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar for 'JFK'
Best Original Score: John Williams for 'The Empire Strikes Back' (btw., he was robbed twice; where's that Oscar for Raiders?)
Best Cinematography: Dante Spinotti for 'Insider' (two words: playing golf...)

[Kate]

Originally posted by Joe Brody
Wow Kate -- good pics.

I'll agree that Baz Luhrmann is a genius -- but I've got to go with "William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet' as his superior film. For me, 'Moulin Rouge' is 'Thespian's Gone Awry'. If you've seen both, why do you prefer 'Moulin Rouge'?

Well, Joe, I really like the music in "Moulin Rouge-" the soundtrack is one of my favorite CDs of all time. I listen to it and listen to it and never get sick of it. My favorite song on the album is one by David Bowie called "Diamond Dogs." Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I like "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" a lot as well, but the soundtrack is what makes me prefer "Moulin Rouge." Here's a thought... what if Baz Luhrmann directed Indy 4?

[westford]

Best Picture: American Beauty

Best Director: M Night Shylaman (sp?) for Sixth Sense

Best Actor: Richard Dreyfuss in Mr Holland's Opus

Best Actress: Frances McDormand in Fargo

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive

Best Supporting Actress: Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost

Best Original Screenplay: Donnie Darko

Best Adapted Screenplay: Romeo + Juliet

Best Original Score: John Williams for Empire Strikes Back

Best Cinematography: Gladiator


PS - Joe, some woman took the 'based on a true story' part literally, went to Fargo to find the money, and froze to death in the process. There's a documentary based on the story. Read more here (http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,970908,00.html)

[Joe Brody]

Originally posted by Kate
... what if Baz Luhrmann directed Indy 4?

Not a bad idea. He's got the sense of humor to carry the torch from LC and his uptempo style might be the shot in the arm that the franchise needs. Now, I'm not talking about his three-second-a-shot style that he used for 'Moulin Rouge' -- but more the style/pacing that he used for R+J. One of the biggest problems that I have with both ToD and LC is how plodding much of those two movies are. Spielberg's recent work is a little better -- but I still feel like there's too much standing around in his movies. Luhrmann understands movement and I'd like to see more from him.

Speaking of three-seconds-a-shot, that's a slight exaggeration but I'm not far off. What's the longest shot in 'Moulin Rouge'? That's basically why I don't like the film. The movie is too long to sustain that kind of activity. It hurts the eyes. I like it for some of the musical numbers but not the whole d*** movie.

Westford,

Thanks for the link. Crazy stuff. [Bad Joke] I wonder if the Coen Brothers sent the girl's family one of the Fargo pomotional snow-globes.

[Kate]

Originally posted by westford
[/B]
Best Adapted Screenplay: Romeo + Juliet

[/B]

Well, ahve we another Luhrmann fan here?

[westford]

Originally posted by Kate
Well, ahve we another Luhrmann fan here?
Yep, I saw Moulin Rouge at the cinema about 7 times. My boyfriend got fed up with me going on about it, so he took me to Paris to see the real thing! :D

[Kate]

You lucky lady!!

What's your favorite song in the film?

PS: palehorse, you still haven't shown your appreciation for my list. tsk, tsk.

[Pale Horse]

<small>Originally posted by Kate
Ok pale horse here we go... sorry I made you wait so long.

Best picture... "Moulin Rouge."It's completely unique, and Baz Luhrmann is a genius. There is no other movie quite like this one. An awesome achievement.

Best director.... Spielberg (cliche, I'm sorry. I knew you were hoping I'd be more original). He is THE giant in the business. So many great movies, from "Minority Report" to, of course, Indy. And no misstep but "A.I."

Best actor.... I'm gonna be wierd here and go with Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day." His transformation from selfish to selfless is brilliant. He's the rare man who is funny by NOT being funny!

Best actress.... Kelly McGillis in "Witness." She is better at acting like an Amish woman than a real Amish woman would be! (and palehorse, remind me to tell you my funny Amish story sometime)

Best supporting actor.... Joaquin Pheonix in "Gladiator." A creepy and underrated performance.

Best supporting actress... I love Catherine McCormack in "Braveheart." She is just so beautiful and inspiring. PS: Does anyone else think she looks like Eowyn from "The Lord of the Rings?"

Best original screenplay.... This is the award I want to win someday! My choice for this is unusual: "Moonlight Mile." Kind of obscure, I know, but it's extremely sharp and well-written.

Best adapted screenplay: "Big Fish." This book was effortlessly adapted for screen, so effortlessly that it feels completely original, and not like the writers were trying to be faithful to a text.

Best original score.... "The Last of the Mohicans" wins hands down. I have listened to it countless times, and it never fails to move me.

Best cinematography.... "Girl With a Pearl Earring" has by and far the most lush photography I've ever seen. There is absolutely no comparison. If you haven't seen this movie, you must. It is an incredible experience!

and now for a category of my own....

Best documentary.... "Touching the Void." It's brand-new, but by far the best documentary I've ever seen, and I have seen a lot! It's inspiring and just as thrilling as any suspense movie. I think that Raveners would really enjoy it.

Yes, I know I put a lot of new movies, but in my opinion, movies are getting better, not worse. *ducks to avoid a punch thrown by Ren.*

So there you have it.

:) </small>

Waiting is half the fun. ;)

I must say you have a great eye for performances and pictures that are both original and quirky for lack of a better word. As I read through the lists, I can almost see the Raven personality come through each one. It's almost like gaining a picture of the person who writes the list. There is a great deal of sentimentality throughout your picks. I think that is a good quality for you, especially as you aspire to become a screenwriter. To many people fall into cynicism and the pieces become too dark (even If I like it) but the better movies seem to be more in your style.

[Kate]

Why, thank you.

and pray, what might that picture look like?

[Pale Horse]

Beauty.

<small>there's more to that answer than you might think.</small>

[Kate]

Do elaborate, my love.

[Pale Horse]

Here? :eek: I wish this forum was appropriate for that.

[Kate]

as do I, my dearest one.

[Pale Horse]

Wait a sec, just because I'm mildly charming, comicly witty, undeniably brilliant, devastatingly handsome, unquestionably rugged, and unsurpassably modest, I don't feel like I should be deemed to be your dearest one. ;)

[Kate]

Don't flatter yourself, love. I'm easily the most wonderous-looking woman in the world, surpassing even Aphrodite, and I'm as kind as I am beautiful. I am also humble, modest, and charitable. You should feel lucky I call you my dearest one. ;0

[Pale Horse]

"Lucks got nothin' to do with it, kid"

[westford]

*ahem* get a room you guys... :p

Favourite song from Moulin Rouge would have to be either Spectacular Spectacular, or the version of Like A Virgin - cracks me up every time! :D

[Kate]

are those on the Moulin Rouge 2 cd?

[Strider]

Modest?! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!
Whew, good times. :)