Matt vs. the Academy

From the chill of Sydney's winter back to the oppressive heat of another Los Angeles summer, I've returned to my adopted home without blogging about the last film I watched before leaving L.A. in the first place. The three weeks in Australia was a nice holiday, but now it's time to get back to business. Next up, we take a look at another musical entry into 1935's Best Picture contest... Broadway Melody of 1936 Director : Roy Del Ruth Screenplay : Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers, Moss Hart, Harry W. Conn Starring : Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers, Buddy Ebsen, June Knight, Vilma Ebsen Academy Awards : 3 nominations 1 win, for Best Dance Direction After his boss orders him to make his column more sensational, Broadway gossip columnist Bert Keeler (Benny) stumbles upon a potentially sleazy relationship between producer Bob Gordon (Taylor) and wealthy widow Lillian Brent (Knight). She is investing in his show on the ...

Greetings from wintry Sydney, Australia. I'm back in my home town for a few weeks visiting family and friends, so I may not get much of a chance to watch more of the current crop of nominees, but I had already watched two more of them before I left L.A., so I hope to at least find a little time to blog about them while I'm here. And indeed, here are my thoughts on one of those films, another Best Picture nominee from 1935... Naughty Marietta Director : Robert Z. Leonard, W.S. Van Dyke Screenplay : Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, John Lee Mahin (based on the operetta by Victor Herbert [music] and Rida Johnson Young [book & lyrics]) Starring : Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, Elsa Lanchester, Douglas Dumbrille, Joseph Cawthorne, Cecilia Parker, Walter Kingsford, Greta Meyer, Akim Tamiroff Academy Awards : 2 nominations 1 win, for Best Sound In order to escape an arranged marriage, a French princess (MacDonald) adopts the identity of a ...

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an Academy event which, for this Oscars freak, was a giddy experience, despite it being a fairly low-key affair, open to the public. In any case, I'm grateful to be living in a city that affords me the opportunity to attend such things. As you can see from the program (pictured to the right), this was a George Stevens Lecture, the Academy's long-running series of screenings/lectures celebrating the cinematic arts (and, if I'm not mistaken, I believe the point is that it's always a George Stevens film). While waiting for the event to begin, the audience was treated to some archival footage of interviews with legendary director George Stevens and producer Pandro S. Berman , discussing some behind-the-scenes tidbits about the movie we were about to see. Then, after a brief introduction by Academy President John Bailey, we heard from the director's own son, George Stevens Jr. , also a filmmaker and an important figure in ...

It's always a little difficult writing a verdict when I've left so long in between the first and last film viewings of a review year because I barely remember the first film any more. Thankfully, though, this is a blog, so I can just read my posted thoughts on each film to refresh my memory. Funny how that works. The nominees for Best Picture of 1946 are: The Best Years of Our Lives Henry V It's a Wonderful Life The Razor's Edge The Yearling This shortlist is heavy on classics and, with a diverse range of subject matter, no two are particularly alike, either. From a Shakespeare adaptation to a coming-of-age drama to the ultimate feelgood Christmas flick, it's quite a mixed bag. The Yearling was probably my least favourite, though certainly not unworthy of its recognition as a Best Picture nominee. The Razor's Edge, too, is fine but the melodrama prevents it from being at the top of my list. Third to go is Henry V. I thoroughly enjoyed the clev...

Well, I've got a verdict post to write, as well as the first post of the next year of review, so let's move this right along. Our final film in the race for 1944's Best Picture is... Henry V Director : Laurence Olivier Screenplay : Laurence Olivier, Dallas Bower, Alan Dent (based on the play by William Shakespeare) Starring : Laurence Olivier, Renée Asherson, Robert Newton, Leslie Banks, Felix Aylmer, Esmond Knight, Leo Genn Academy Awards : 4 nominations 0 wins, plus 1 Honorary Award Young King Henry V of England (Olivier) believes that France is rightfully part of his domain, and after being teased by the French, he begins a military campaign to claim their throne. His troops successfully take Harfleur, but at Agincourt, they are vastly outnumbered. Victory will be hard won here, testing Henry's skills as a strategist, a leader, and even an orator. Henry V begins with the clever conceit that we are actually watching a filmed version of the play ...

This is beginning to be a bit of a pattern. I neglect the blog for several months and then I notice there's a local screening of a Best Picture nominee, so I book myself a ticket, but because the screening is of a film in a different year of review than the one I'm currently working on, I'm forced to watch a number of films in quick succession in order to complete the current year of review before going to the screening. So, here we are again. With two films remaining in 1946's Best Picture race, here's a look at... The Yearling Director : Clarence Brown Screenplay : Paul Osborn (based on the novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawling) Starring : Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr., Chill Wills, Henry Travers, Forrest Tucker Academy Awards : 7 nominations 2 wins In the latter part of the 19th century, 11-year-old Jody (Jarman) lives with his parents, Penny (Peck) & Ora (Wyman), on their farm in rural Florida. As the family struggles to make ends...

I was hoping to have watched a couple more 1946 movies before making this post so that I could have spent a bit more time discussing this year's Oscar race, but we'll have to make do with a quick 11th hour post instead. I know I said it last year, but this year really has been the toughest Oscar race to predict in about as long as I can remember. Despite the fact that Best Director and the four acting categories seem like foregone conclusions, almost every other category is a toss-up. For so many categories, there are two main contenders (sometimes three) that are almost impossible to separate, including Best Picture. At the risk of repeating myself from last year, I'm really not confident of my selections here at all. We'll know in less than 24 hours whether my coin tosses paid off. So, for those of you interested, here are my predictions for the 2017 Academy Awards. Enjoy!

With the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night (which, incidentally, Kat and I were very fortunate to attend - more on that in an upcoming post), the acting races now have very clear frontrunners. And tomorrow morning, we'll find out who is in contention as the Oscar nominations are announced. Here are my predictions on which films will see themselves shortlisted. Some are near certainties, but overall, this was a slightly tougher year to predict. We'll find out soon enough how well I did.

Just over two weeks now until the Oscar nominations are announced, so let's take a quick look at how the lead acting categories are shaping up. Gary Oldman was the early frontrunner for the Best Actor prize for his transformation into Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. However, 22-year-old Timothée Chalamet could give him a run for his money due to a star-making performance in Call Me By Your Name. He'd be the youngest winner in that category by several years if he can pull it off. Tonight's Golden Globes (which are in progress as I write this) may boost one of their chances since they're competing against each other in the Best Actor in a Drama category. The Globes may also provide some insight into the Best Actress race, which is much more unclear at this stage. Sally Hawkins probably has the most buzz so far for her role in The Shape of Water, but Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) have both garnered attentio...