My Fair Lady

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... My Fair Lady!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th May 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 37 (1964)

I believe that the movie-going public will never forgive Shakespeare in Love for winning Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan....
...and yet no one is bitter that this won Best Picture over Dr. Strangelove.

It would seem that time has not been kind to this movie. Sure the costumes are superb (Those hats!) and Audrey Hepburn has a magnetic presence but there are some parts of this movie that haven't aged well. There is a misogynistic streak throughout, the length is exhausting, the elitism is particularly uncomfortable, the last five minutes severely hinder this movie, and Rex Harrison can't sing to save himself.

I mean, where can we go from this? *checks schedule*...........Oh no............

West Side Story

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... West Side Story!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th May 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 34 (1961)

And now we enter the sixties. A decade where the musical dominated the Academy Award for Best Picture. Seriously: Four of the Best Picture winners decade were musicals. Still, when I started this year long undertaking, I knew I would be stepping out of my comfort zone. And I am willing to be surprised.

And surprised I was with this one.

I guess it's a given that anyone would attempt a rewrite of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Hey I did it myself when I was young and dumb. And who wouldn't? The scenario of 'young lovers separated through forces beyond their control' certainly is potent and will immediately secure a teen audience. 

But's let cut to the chase: I was impressed by this movie. The dancing sequences are jaw-dropping in their fluidity, the songs are immediate and recognisable (Maria, Tonight, America, I Feel Pretty) and the direction is engaging. And I can't help but think this was the progenitor of the modern musical in that it introduced the tropes of 'people in street suddenly launching into well choreographed dance number' and 'song concluding with laughter'. Can anyone confirm this?

So in the end, this film is indeed superb and a well-deserved winner of Best Picture.

Ben-Hur

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Ben-Hur!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd May 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 32 (1959)

And now I face a genuine challenge: A movie that has a reputation as being on the grandest achievements of cinema. Everything about this movie is big: The budget, the scale, the length, the colossal sets, the hordes of extras, the sweeping of the board at the Academy Awards. If you have ever heard of the phrase "Bigger than Ben-Hur' this is why.

Personally, I can see this movie as being the epitome of the 'bigger and better' mentality that defined a lot of the movies of the 1950s. Yet at the same time, it seems that a lot of this movies rests on the shoulders of the chariot race. Indeed, this movie did lose me with it's length and it's self-important nature but I am to forgive such shortcomings purely for those magic nine minutes. 

Gigi

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Gigi!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th April 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 31 (1958)

It would appear that history has not been kind to this movie. I feel inclined to agree. 

Sure Leslie Caron has a magnetic presence, the costumes are great and the images of Paris are superb but I, like most people, feel that this movie has aged very poorly. The sexual politics are waaaaaaay out of date, the sentiment of the opening song is incredibly uncomfortable, Honoré Lachaille has a punchable presence, and the music is rather limp. But the biggest crime this movie commits is that it's boring. Granted I'm not the biggest fan of musicals but I know for a fact that it's movie genre that can't afford to be boring.

One final thought: When I went looking for this movie I couldn't find it on any of the streaming services I use. A lot of the other Best Picture Oscar winners were easily found but this wasn't so I had to rely on finding a physical copy. A red flag if ever there was one...

The Bridge on the River Kwai

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Bridge on the River Kwai!

Original image located here. Accessed 19th April 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 30 (1957)

I've been wanting to see this movie for years but I never got around to it. I recall years ago I was discouraged through my father describing it as 'silly'. But not this time around....

So what makes this movie special? Well it is a unique entity in the war movie genre in that it seems less concerned with getting a commentary on warfare across and more interested in being a character driven piece. The characters are indeed complex, helped considerably by the cast playing them with standouts being Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa. The scale is staggering - as befitting a David Lean film - and it's impressive to know that the crew built the bridge for real. Furthermore, the final twenty minutes are astonishing. If this was attempt to show what the big screen could do, as opposed to the small screen of TV sets, then mission well an truly accomplished. 

Finally, was it as 'silly' as it was described to me? Well there were a few moments that did seem difficult to swallow but there rest of the movie is so strong that it makes such instances easier to forgive. 

A classic without a doubt

On the Waterfront

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... On the Waterfront!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th April 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 27 (1954)

Seeing as we currently going though the 1950s Best Picture winners, it is important to take a step back and see what was going on in Hollywood at the time.
It should be noted that this decade gave cinema some major competition in the form of television: A smaller screen but one that found it's way into many people's homes. So how did film producers rise to the challenge of getting people out of the house and into the cinema? By playing up the whole spectacle angle, offering the kind of visuals that couldn't be found on a smaller screen. So yeah, from here movies start getting bigger, pushing the envelope as to what they could accomplish. 
So where does this movie fit in? Well On the Waterfront seems to take the angle of presenting a realistic and grounded story. It may seem out of place compared to the other winners of the decade but on the other hand, On the Waterfront (as well as Marty) doesn't look like the kind of stuff a small scale TV screen of the day would tackle. 

It seems that this movie's success hinges on two men: Director Elia Kazan and actor Marlon Brando. The former made this movie to address his pariah status in Hollywood when he identified eight communists in the film industry, the latter effectively rewrote the rules of film acting. So how does this movie stand up against the march of time?

No doubt about it: this is Brando's show all the way through. The taxi scene may have been quoted many times but it would seem for a very good reason. Sure the Christ analogies may have been heavy handed but this is still engaging decades later. Particularly the final scene which still packs a punch

From Here to Eternity

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... From Here to Eternity!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th April 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 26 (1953)

If people know this movie it's because of that unforgettable image of it's two stars, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, in a passionate embrace in a beach as the waves roll around them. That's all well and good but what of the movie attached to said image?

In recent years it has become something of a joke that if you want to win big at the Oscars, then just make a movie based on World War II. In which case I think we can blame this movie for that observation. Keep in mind this was made eight years since the end of the war and would no doubt be still fresh in people's minds.
So what we have here is a group of soldiers going through various trials and tribulations, both on and off the military grounds, that eventually leads to a climax where Pearl Harbour is under attack. 
So yeah, I do like that this movie is taking a humane approach to it's subjects - which in turn makes the climax hit hard. Certainly the movie may look archaic now but there is still a lot going for it.
Still I have to wonder if those was the film that Michael Bay had in mind when he made Pearl Harbour...

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Recently I saw Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Well Afterlife was a hit and proved there may be some life in the franchise yet so it should come to no surprise that a sequel would emerge. 

Thing with Ghostbusters though, is that the original movie was a satire of 1980s action heroes - a truth that would no doubt have gone over the heads of it's dedicated fanbase. So the further this franchise advances from the Reagan era, what else can it say?
The impression I got from this movie is that it appears to be at odds with itself.
On one hand the OG Ghostbusters are there to pass the torch to the new guys. But on the other, they seem to play a more active role in the action.
On one hand Melody gives the idea that ghosts are friendly. But on the other, she has her own agenda.
On one hand the film is trying to say something of it's own. But on the other, there are plenty of call-backs to the first movie.
On one hand Phoebe is set up to be the main character. But on the other, there's a large cast here with everyone clamouring for a time to shine.
On one hand it's great to see some familiar faces return. But on the other, they are still competing with the already large cast for something to do.
On one hand the threat has a load of potential. But on the other, it is overcome quite anti-climatically. 

The list goes on.

Where do we go from here indeed....

An American in Paris

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... An American in Paris!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th March 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 24 (1951)

One thing that has arisen from partaking in this year long quest to watch more Best Picture Oscar-winning movies is that I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and watching movies and genres I wouldn't otherwise have given the time of the day. I don't have the best connection with musicals - as I believe the greatest musical movie ever made is the South Park movie - but I am willing to give a chance to any movie to see if it surprises me, 

Well I did enjoy the music and I was astonished by the dance chorography - in particular that astonishing fifteen minute one at the end. But this movie has not aged well: Beyond the spectacle there's not a lot else to this movie and the plot of 'guy hitting on friend's girlfriend' will certainly rub more than few people the wrong way. 
And to think that this won Best Picture over A Streetcar Named Desire. Sheesh....

All About Eve

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... All About Eve!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd March 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 23 (1950)

One of the undisputed classics of cinema. It tells the story of an aging theatre actress taking on a younger protégé only for the latter becoming more successful and famous than the former.

It seems that this movie's reputation relies on the performances - in particular that of Bette Davis - as well as the witty dialogue, the satire and the general nastiness involved. Personally I'm not one to argue with such an assessment so yeah, this was a lot of fun to watch. 
Having done a number of stage shows, can I confirm that such an environment is anything like this? Yes and no. Yes I may have had my share of bitchiness in certain shows but other times I have found such an environment to be very supportive. Guess a lot depends on which cast you end up surrounding yourself with...

All the Kings Men

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... All the King's Men!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th March 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 22 (1949)

I was drawn to this one as it tells a story that would sound familiar to modern audiences: A lawyer makes the leap into politics where he appeals to the common man. Utilising claims that he represents their interests, the politician goes from strength to strength but it isn't long before he starts getting his hands dirty.

For a movie made in 1949 this is hasn't aged and is still relevant (unfortunately). It was even quite ballsy for the time, having elements that I wouldn't have expected from a movie of this era. And it is equally surprising that a movie of this nature would've won Best Picture at the Oscars.
But what makes this movie particularly interesting is the unclear nature of the protagonist: Was he a good man seduced by corruption of power? Or was he already a bad man whose intent truly came out when success came? And that's what makes this movie shine.

Hamlet

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Hamlet!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th March 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 21 (1948)

 I recall watching the Academy Awards on TV back in 1998. It was the seventieth anniversary year so, as part of the broadcast, a montage was shown of previous Best Picture winners. Many of these winners were new to me and I saw plenty of names I recognised. But one standout was the 1948 winner: An actual adaptation of a Shakespeare play.
This was a major surprise to me because the Academy didn't strike me as the kind who would honour such an adaptation. This is compounded by the fact that, as anyone who has adapted Shakespeare will tell you, the challenge presented by Shakespeare is taking material that has been performed countless times before and putting a new spin on it. 
Needless to say, when I started this year-long project, this was one movie I was keen on seeing - moreso considering that this featured Laurence Olivier, quite possibly the greatest Shakespearean actor ever lived, in the title role. And director. And producer. 

And what Olivier does is approach the title with that of a horror movie. There are plenty of shadows, towering sets, lots of fog, and striking angles, all building up to an astonishing atmosphere. And even the Ghost is the most frightening interpretation that I have ever seen.
Other highlights are Jean Simmons' performance of Ophelia, nailing the moment where she goes insane, Patrick Troughton (yes, THAT Patrick Troughton) as the Player King, the handling of Claudius' character and the final duel. But in the end, it's Olivier's show and he delivers in spades.
Certainly a surprise to see a Shakespeare adaptation win the Best Picture Oscar but it seems it was a well-deserved winner.

The Best Years of Our Lives

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Best Years Of Our Lives!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st March 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 19 (1946)

Last month I watched Mrs Miniver so it's fitting I should watch this. That's because both films share the same director, William Wyler, and both have the same DNA. Whereas Mrs Miniver was a film made during World War II and focuses on the civilian life during the war, The Best Years of Our Lives was made after the war and focuses on the lives of three servicemen as they adjust to the aftermath. 
Well, you can't accuse the Academy for not lauding films that tackle topical narratives.

I assume it would be safe to say that this movie perfectly described the feelings and mood of people in the aftermath of World War II. And if this movie exists to function as a document of that time period then it is well and truly successful. It is, if anything, honest and challenging - pretty much all that a great movie needs to do.