This is one of my favorite years for film. Several categories were tough to narrow down, and ranking the nominees was even harder. I made twelve images this week, so I'll update the rest later. Note: You can click on the images to enlarge them.
I still need to see films like Purple Noon, Jigoku, Les Bonnes Femme, Primary, House of Usher, Naked Island, The Criminal, La Verite, Sunrise at Campobello, Late Autumn, Wild River, The Facts of Life, It Started in Naples, Pepe, Midnight Lace, Let's Make Love, Village of the Damned, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and When a Woman Ascends the Stairs.
BEST ART DIRECTION:
The Apartment
Peeping Tom*
Psycho
Spartacus
Testament of Orpheus
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Kidnapped
Pollyanna
Spartacus*
Swiss Family Robinson
Testament of Orpheus
BEST MAKEUP:
Black Sunday
Eyes Without a Face*
Spartacus
BEST SOUND (MIXING AND EDITING):
Le Trou
Peeping Tom*
Psycho
Spartacus
Swiss Family Robinson
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Black Sunday
Swiss Family Robinson
The Time Machine*
YES! I love your love for The Apartment and Psycho. They are both so perfect. Great picks :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Those movies are marvelous.
DeleteWhat a great year for horror! Psycho,Peeping Tom, Village of the Damned, Eyes Without a Face, and Black Sunday-I love the creepy atmosphere of that film.
ReplyDeleteThere were some good ones, but Peeping Tom and Psycho stand out for me. The atmosphere of Black Sunday was the best part, though I was a little underwhelmed by the film overall.
DeleteWait, so you put both Perkins and Leigh in supporting? I understand not wanting to interfere with Lemmon or MacLaine, but if neither of them are the lead of Psycho, then who is?
ReplyDeleteI don't see a true lead in Psycho. The narrative never focuses on one character for long, so I'd call it an ensemble piece I suppose. Either way, I'd rank Lemmon and MacLaine ahead of Perkins and Leigh.
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These may be my favorite CinSpec awards EVER!!!! So freaking awesome. I have a couple films in different years (namely, Rocco and His Brothers) but I absolutely love the double dipped wins for The Apartment and Psycho, and I love the strong showing for Rocco. I have Peeping Tom on my DVR right now, so YUM, can't wait to watch that! In fact, I think this is my favorite complete ballot from you, period. Everything that I've seen that you nominate is delicious, and everything that you nominate that I haven't seen is very high on my MUST SEE list.
UGH!!!
YAY!
DeleteI'm in love with most of my lineups this year, though I do want to see a few more '60 films. Hope you love Peeping Tom!
A good year, I had at least one candidate for each category I had to exclude. Haven't seen two of the big foreign films: La Dolce Vita and The Virgin Spring.
ReplyDeletePicture:
The Apartment
Home from the Hill
Inherit the Wind-Winner
Psycho
Spartacus
Runner up-Breathless
All excellent films but perhaps it's my fondness for courtroom dramas but Inherit is the one I return to again and again.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock-Psycho
Stanley Kramer-Inherit the Wind-Winner
Stanley Kubrick-Spartacus
Home from the Hill-Vincente Minnelli
Billy Wilder-The Apartment
Runner up-Jean-Luc Godard-Breathless
Those courtroom dramas can be dry as dust if not probably driven and Kramer manages to keep this one moving by occasionally stepping outside but always keeping the central issue ever present in the viewers awareness.
Actor:
Kirk Douglas-Spartacus
Burt Lancaster-Elmer Gantry
Fredric March-Inherit the Wind
Anthony Perkins-Psycho
Spencer Tracy-Inherit the Wind-Winner
Runner-ups-Ralph Bellamy-Sunrise at Campobello, Jack Lemmon-The Apartment, Laurence Olivier-The Entertainer and Robert Preston-The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
The richest category with several iconic portrayals and I was torn between many including both leads in Inherit. March's flashy work delights me whenever I view the film but I prefer Tracy's laid back lived in Drummond that takes advantage of all the years of his experience.
Actress:
Greer Garson-Sunrise at Campobello
Judy Holliday-Belles are Ringing
Shirley MacLaine-The Apartment
Melina Mecouri-Never on Sunday
Jean Simmons-Elmer Gantry
Runner-ups-Eleanor Parker-Home from the Hill, Debbie Reynolds-The Rat Race
This came down to Judy Holliday's swan song and Jean Simmons Sister Sharon for me and while I'm captivated by Judy I went with Jean's wonderfully controlled work. A less assured actress would have been swamped by Lancaster's bombastic Elmer but she holds her own and creates an indelible portrait of a truly pious woman.
Supporting Actor:
Tony Curtis-Spartacus
Peter Falk-Murder, Inc.
Fred MacMurray-The Apartment
George Peppard-Home from the Hill-Winner
Peter Ustinov-Spartacus
Runner-up-Sal Mineo-Exodus
I love winner Ustinov's florid work but admire Peppard's controlled performance more.
Supporting Actress:
Eve Arden-The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Florence Eldridge-Inherit the Wind-Winner
Glynis Johns-The Sundowners
Angela Lansbury-The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
Myrna Loy-From the Terrace
Runner-up-Shirley Jones-Elmer Gantry
I loved all these performances so much that this was the hardest for me to select a winner. The criminally under-rated Florence Eldridge however provided the calm, heartfelt common ground to both leads in Inherit with gentle humor and subtlety providing a window into each man's character that illuminated not only their differences but their similarities. Since she went un-nominated though I'm pleased with Shirley Jones's win.
Interesting choices. I liked Inherit the Wind, but not as much as you did. Simmons was terrific, and she just missed my lineup. Oh, I really need to watch Home from the Hill.
DeleteOh, great blog! And this is one of the best years for cinema.
ReplyDeleteMy Winners would be:
Picture: Peeping Tom
Director: Alfred Hitchcock - Psycho
Actor: Anthony Perkins - Psycho
Actress: Brigitte Bardot - The Truth
S. Actor: Renato Savaltori - Rocco and His Brothers
S. Actress: Annie Girardot - Rocco and His Brothers
Thanks! I have several years of these posted if you're interested: http://classicblanca.blogspot.com/p/decades.html
DeleteLove your choices, though I haven't seen The Truth. (I do give Bardot a win for And God Created Woman, however.)
I was like, "No Perkins nom for Actor?!" But I think it's cool and bold that you put him in supporting. And I saw in another comment that you said you didn't think Psycho had a lead, which is fair.
ReplyDeleteThanks man. I watched some scenes from the film again before I posted these, and I just can't see Perkins as a lead. Though, if I HAD to chose a lead, it would be him.
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