Just like the rest of the 80s, 1984 would be a hugely forgettable year if not for a good decision on Best Picture. Seriously, looking at the nominees they had to choose from, you almost have to sigh and go, “Thank god they didn’t screw that up.” Because they really did fuck up the 80s. I think America did as a country. You just have to be grateful when something good came out of it.

Just so we’re on the same page, Best Picture for 1984 was Amadeus, and F. Murray Abraham won Best Actor for it as well. Best Actress was Sally Field for Places in the Heart — yeah, we’ll get to that at some point. Best Supporting Actor was Haing S. Ngor for The Killing Fields, one of the categories I’ve actually done already, and Best Supporting Actress was Peggy Ashcroft in A Passage to India. Notice what I mean about a boring year aside from Best Picture? Yeah… the 80s are all about that.

BEST DIRECTOR – 1984

And the nominees were…

Woody Allen, Broadway Danny Rose

Robert Benton, Places in the Heart

Miloš Forman, Amadeus

Roland Joffé, The Killing Fields

David Lean, A Passage to India Read the rest of this page »

God, I hate 1981. This year ends — actually, it doesn’t — it sits in the middle of a really terrible, five year stretch of Best Picture winners. Worst five-year plan this side of the Pacific. 1979 is Kramer vs. Kramer, a good film but not a Best Picture winner. 1980 is Ordinary People, one of the worst decisions of all time. 1981 is Chariots of Fire, perhaps the worst decision of all time. (When I get to it, though, in context it will make more sense than some of the other decisions. As a choice though, it’s the opposite of Sam Adams.) 1982 was Gandhi, a boring choice. 1983 was Terms of Endearment, a good film, but a weak choice in a weak year for nominees. Then, we got Amadeus, which broke the streak.But then the rest of the 80s were also a disaster (’85, ’87 and ’89 sucked, while ’86 and ’88 are up for discussion when the time comes), so, really, we had a really big cold streak after this too. This is just our lowest point.

I won’t even hide the fact that I hate this decision. Most times I’ll try to keep my opinions concealed enough so that when I get to Best Picture for this year there’s some sort of intrigue. Not here. This is universally proclaimed one of the top five, perhaps top three, worst Best Picture winners of all time. It’s that bad. We’re talking straight film. Nothing else. It really was bad. The rest of 1981 wasn’t so hot either. Sort of.

Best Actor went to Henry Fonda for On Golden Pond. It was the only choice, really, since they only nominated him once before — for The Grapes of Wrath — and he lost because of a blatant makeup Oscar for Jimmy Stewart. So there was no way he wasn’t winning here, and that’s that. Best Actress was Kate Hepburn, which was really insult to injury, since this was her fourth Oscar, and third in the span of 14 years. Right? ’67-’81? That span. She won three in that time. She also won for On Golden Pond. Best Supporting Actor was John Gielgud for Arthur, a decision I’m over the moon about. I love that movie so much. And Best Supporting Actress was Maureen Stapleton for Reds, which, to me, always felt like a career achievement Oscar mixed with a, “Hey, we know we don’t want to vote for you to win Best Picture, but we actually did like you more than we liked that other thing we voted for, so here’s another consolation prize.” The acting awards I guess weren’t so bad. I’ll need to look specifically to make my final decisions. But, overall, 1981 is a decent year marred by a horrible Best Picture choice. Read the rest of this page »

1980 will always go down as one of the worst Oscar years of all time. One of the worst years of all time.

I will sum it up by saying this. Have you heard of Ordinary People? If you have, would you consider that an amazing film? Or is it just a good film that’s pretty plain? Now know that the film it beat for Best Picture was Raging Bull. That’s it.

Best Actor went to Robert De Niro for Raging Bull. That is one of those decisions that’s impossible to fuck up. Best Actress went to Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner’s Daughter. Probably a good decision, I haven’t fully made up my mind on that one. (I’m not not voting for her, I just may think I prefer someone else. Still, good decision.) Best Supporting Actor went to Timothy Hutton for Ordinary People, which isn’t so much a bad decision as much as it is, he’s the lead of the movie. And the category ends up being so weak that just by being the lead and being pretty good he ends up dominating the category. Which is kind of annoying. And Best Supporting Actress went to Mary Steenburgen for Melvin and Howard. Weak category. Really weak category.

BEST DIRECTOR – 1980

And the nominees were…

David Lynch, The Elephant Man

Richard Rush, The Stunt Man

Roman Polanski, Tess

Robert Redford, Ordinary People

Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull Read the rest of this page »

1978 is one of those years people look at and go, “Hmm, yeah,” as though it were a good decision. I know I do. I love The Deer Hunter. I think it was one of the best Best Picture choices they ever made. Though I’m sure there are people who don’t care for the film as I do. Meh.

Best Actor went to Jon Voight for Coming Home. I don’t necessarily understand the strength of the performance, but I like that Jon Voight has an Oscar. Plus De Niro would win his two years later anyway. The other three really weren’t in contention. Jane Fonda won Best Actress for Coming Home. Which, surprises me. They gave her two before they gave her father one. That’s, strange. Best Supporting Actor was Christopher Walken for The Deer Hunter. I fully support Christopher Walken winning an award for anything, so that’s awesome. And Best Supporting Actress was Maggie Smith for California Suite. Maggie Smith is awesome.

That’s really it. Overall a strong set of winners, and the whole, “who should have beat who” is just a matter of personal preference. I like that in my Oscar years. I’d rather it be, “Yeah, I like (this) better, but I can see why that won.” I like being able to understand and not get angry.

BEST DIRECTOR – 1978

And the nominees were…

Woody Allen, Interiors

Hal Ashby, Coming Home

Warren Beatty & Buck Henry, Heaven Can Wait

Michael Cimino, The Deer Hunter

Alan Parker, Midnight Express Read the rest of this page »

BEST DIRECTOR – 1977

And the nominees were…

Woody Allen, Annie Hall

George Lucas, Star Wars

Herbert Ross, The Turning Point

Steven Spielberg, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Fred Zinnemann, Julia Read the rest of this page »