Tuesday, July 10, 2012

My All-Time Award Winners

In honor of reaching 100 posts, I thought I'd post my all-time award winners in 18 categories. Interestingly enough, only one film was honored twice here, but some were very much in contention in other categories. More after the cut.

BEST PICTURE:
The Apartment (1960)

Billy Wilder's masterpiece is a tender romance that offers a plethora of classic moments in a deeply satisfying blend of comedy and drama.



BEST DIRECTOR:
Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal (1957)

The great Swedish director creates a terrifying apocalyptic vision in glorious black-and-white.

BEST ACTOR:
Richard Burton, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

He spews venom and breaks down just as easily in a powerful performance for the ages.

BEST ACTRESS:
Juliette Binoche, Three Colors: Blue (1993)

The underrated French thespian lives on-screen, becoming the character before our very eyes.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

He's so hilarious and so obnoxious that he leaves you wanting more, and that's the best a supporting performance can do.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Armed with terrific one-liners, she manages to steal the show from Grant, Stewart, and Hepburn, which is no easy task. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
All the President's Men (1976)

Adaptation is never easy, and this one succeeds in making a true story captivating and suspenseful.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Sunset Blvd. (1950)

A noir send-up of Hollywood crackles with fantastic dialogue and a barrage of classic scenes.

BEST ART DIRECTION:
Blade Runner (1982)

The film features a dystopian future of robots, flying cars, and cool gadgetry with intricately designed sets.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Janus Kaminski's work is gorgeous, haunting, and remarkably effective. Just beautiful from start to finish.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Gone with the Wind (1939)

This epic love story set during the Civil War renders authentic eye-candy on all of its many characters.

BEST FILM EDITING:
The French Connection (1971)

At 104 minutes, the pacing is excellent, and that chase sequence under the bridge rivals no other.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Three Colors: Blue (1993)

It's so simple, so tormented, so uplifting. Perfect for mirroring the emotions of Kieslowski's film.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
"This One's from the Heart", One from the Heart

Tom Waits creates a jazzy ballad that both encompasses the story and breathes life into it as well.

BEST MAKEUP:
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Though not groundbreaking in any way, it's a fine display of beautiful and filth-covered characters.

BEST SOUND MIXING:
Apocalypse Now (1979)

A perfect mix of the horror of war and the noise (and sometimes lack of it) of the jungle.

BEST SOUND EDITING:
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

An aural showcase of snakes, slaps, punches, explosions, shootouts, chase sequences, and the crack of a whip.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Incorporated with the live actors, the multiple CGI environments and characters here are quite stunning.

There you have it! 100 posts.

4 comments:

  1. Great choices all around, I especially love Blade Runner and AI on the list, those would be strong contenders in my awards. The scene with Pris hiding among the dolls is just ingenious and aI is one of those rare movies where the moving story mixes with truly impressive visual effects.

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    1. Thanks Sati! I love that scene with Pris, and it's nice to see that someone else likes AI. :)

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  2. Ha, that was an inspired turn by Kevin Kline, well-deserved oscar, he stole that film!

    I admire screenplays that make a true life story captivating, Apollo 13 (1995) comes to mind for me.

    Blade Runner, the best! Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton movies are up there too for art direction!

    If you love Richard Burton's acting in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), I would recommend checking his performance in The Night of the Iguana (1964)

    Have you seen Orpheus (1950) directed by Jean Cocteau ? Likewise, since you loved The Seventh Seal, worth tracking down.

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    1. Totally agree on Kline. It's one of my favorite Oscar wins ever.

      Apollo 13's an interesting choice. I need to revisit it again sometime.

      Gilliam and Burton for sure, but nothing tops design of Blade Runner.

      Burton is fantastic in The Night of the Iguana and is my pick Best Actor of 1964.

      I haven't seen Orpheus, but will add it to my watchlist. Thanks for the comment and the recommendation!

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