Matt vs. the Academy

And we finally reach the conclusion of the 1937 race for Best Picture. It's been a long road (the longest since I started this project) but quite a satisfying one. Lots to admire with this pack, but my favourite was relatively easy to single out. The nominees for Best Picture of 1937 are: The Awful Truth Captains Courageous Dead End The Good Earth In Old Chicago The Life of Emile Zola Lost Horizon One Hundred Men and a Girl Stage Door A Star Is Born I managed to discover something inspiring in each of these ten nominees, but for some, the inspiration was limited to a few scenes. The Good Earth is clearly at the bottom of the pack for me. Heavily superficial, even the engaging riot scene doesn't redeem it. Similarly, Dead End contained one gripping sequence, but otherwise, it pales in comparison to greater film noir stories. The rest of the nominees utterly deserve their place on this prestigious list, featuring some truly engrossing or entertaining (or both) cinematic elements....

Last chance to vote on the next group of Best Picture nominees to which Matt vs. the Academy will direct its focus. It's currently a dead heat, so somebody could theoretically decide the fate of this blog's next couple of weeks with one vote. The poll is over to the right. Today, I rounded out the 1937 Best Picture race by taking a look at the last of the nominees... Captains Courageous Director : Victor Fleming Screenplay : John Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly and Dale Van Every (based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling) Starring : Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas, Charley Grapewin, Mickey Rooney, John Carradine Academy Awards : 4 nominations 1 win, for Best Actor (Tracy) Based on popular British author Rudyard Kipling's 19th century novel, Captains Courageous is the coming of age story of Harvey (Bartholomew), the spoiled, arrogant son of wealthy businessman Frank Cheyne (Douglas). With a deceased mother and a father who has little time for him, ...

As an actor, it is helpful to understand where the industry sees you. As much as we don't like to be typecast, it is a necessary evil in order for casting directors and agents to know which roles to call you in for. But sometimes, it still comes as a surprise when you see the other actors in the waiting room who are up for the same role. Yesterday, as I waited to audition for a national yogurt ad, I sat across the room from Joey Slotnick (pictured). It's becoming clearer now exactly what my type is. Next on the 1937 review list is Best Picture nominee... The Awful Truth Director : Leo McCarey Screenplay : Viña Delmar (based on the play by Arthur Richman) Starring : Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, Alexander D'Arcy, Cecil Cunningham, Molly Lamont Academy Awards : 6 nominations 1 win, for Best Director A classic screwball comedy, The Awful Truth pits husband and wife, Jerry and Lucy Warriner (Grant & Dunne), against each other. It's that age-old battle that is...

There is an odd phenomenon that occurs in the vast expanse that is the Times Square subway station. Inside, there is a small electronics store. If that weren't inexplicable enough, the store has a few television displays in its window, one of which appears to be stuck on a channel that only plays footage of boxing matches. But wait, I'm still not at the odd part yet. Every time, and I mean every time, that I walk past this store, there are a handful of men simply standing motionless, eyes transfixed on the bout. Sometimes, it's about half a dozen onlookers. Sometimes, it's more. I can't figure it out. What is the fascination? Do they know the sports schedule so well that they time their commute to be at Times Square at the opportune moment? Or are they merely not in any kind of rush to get to their destination that they are easily distracted by sweaty men pounding the crap out of each other? Whatever it is, they all seem completely hypnotised. Just like the man gaz...

The poll to decide the next awards year to explore in Matt vs. the Academy is our closest one yet. Still a little time to have your say, so shift your eyes to the right and down a little bit and get clicking. Meanwhile, let's take a look at another fine piece of cinema from 1937's list of Best Picture nominees... In Old Chicago Director : Henry King Screenplay : Lamar Trotti and Sonya Levien (based on a story by Niven Busch) Starring : Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Alice Brady, Andy Devine Academy Awards : 6 nominations 2 wins, including Best Supporting Actress (Brady) Iron-willed matriarch Mrs. O'Leary (Brady) has raised three boys after her husband was tragically killed on their way to settle in Chicago. Now, the two eldest sons have taken starkly different career paths. Jack (Ameche) is an overly honest lawyer, poised to be the next Mayor. Dion (Power), on the other hand, has used his entrepreneurial skills to make a name for himself in Chicago's sordid club ...

The sun is out in New York City as it has been for the last couple of days. The chill in the air seems to have subsided and our old friend warmth has returned. One suspects this is the coming of spring and I speak on behalf of most Australians who live in colder climes when I say, "About bloody time!" While I am looking forward to not needing a heavy coat, scarf and gloves every time I walk outside, for some reason, all I can think of is this . Today, instead of enjoying the sun, I continued my hermit ways by watching another nominee from the Best Picture contest of 1937... Dead End Director : William Wyler Screenplay : Lillian Hellman (based on the play by Sidney Kingsley) Starring : Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart, Wendy Barrie, Claire Trevor Academy Awards : 4 nominations 0 wins The dead end of the title literally refers to the cul-de-sac on the East Side of New York City where all of the film's action takes place. Metaphorically, the dead end is representa...

Don't forget to vote (in the poll on the right) for the next year to be covered in Matt vs. the Academy. Still plenty of time as we reach the halfway point of the 1937 review. Speaking of which, the film at the centre of discussion today has proven to be a hard find. Despite being available on DVD in most overseas markets, it has never had a DVD release in the United States. Fortunately, though, the New York Public Library boasts two copies on VHS, according to their online database. I'd need to purchase a VCR, but at least I'd be able to watch it. After putting one of those copies on hold, I waited to be notified of its availability. Two weeks later, I contacted the library to ask of its whereabouts, only to be told that it was last seen well over a month ago and there appears to be no sign of it. What about the second copy? Oh, that one was lost a long time ago and it shouldn't even be in the system at all. Fantastic. A quick Google search and eBay comes to the rescue...

As is probably evident, I love the Oscars. Unwaveringly. Unconditionally. In an utterly pig-headed defensive sort of way. I'm not even sure what it is exactly that I love so much. It's not the glitz or glamour (although I'm sure that's part of it). Perhaps it is the prestige. Or maybe it's just that it combines two of my favourite things: movies and statistics. In any case, I love the Oscars. However, if you are so inclined, you'll always be able to find something to complain about ... The awards were given to all the wrong people ... They snubbed my favourite movie ... The ceremony was too long ... too boring ... too gaudy ... too fake. Not me, though. Try as they might, the Academy will never lose favour with me. They can give an American Idol contestant an Oscar. They can allow late-night personalities to host the ceremony. They can omit Farrah Fawcett from the In Memoriam montage. They can turn Norbit into an Oscar-nominated film. No matter what, I love ...

One more sleep until the Oscars. While Kat and I get ready for our Academy Awards dinner party (featuring such items as Avatado and The Hurt Liquor), here are my 2009 Oscar predictions , including my wacky Avatar-Bigelow combination for Picture-Director. As Avatar and The Hurt Locker battle it out for the 82nd Best Picture award, yesterday I watched the winner of the 10th Best Picture award... The Life of Emile Zola Director : William Dieterle Screenplay : Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, Geza Herczeg (based on the book "Zola and His Time" by Matthew Josephson) Starring : Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp Academy Awards : 10 nominations 3 wins, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (Schildkraut) Contrary to its title, The Life of Emile Zola is less a biography of the famed French writer as it is an exploration of the Dreyfus affair . While it does deal with Zola's life, especially his rise to fame, the central focus ...

Less than a week now until the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, so allow me these musings on how things may turn out. The four acting awards, as in most previous years, are relatively easy to predict, the supporting categories especially. Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique are all but locks for Inglourious Basterds and Precious respectively. Jeff Bridges is definitely leading the game for Best Actor. And Sandra Bullock currently holds the favourite spot for Best Actress, but don't be surprised if that goes a different way. If there's going to be an upset, this is where it will be. The screenplay awards are also fairly clear. Up In The Air seems to have Adapted Screenplay in the bag, and I suspect The Hurt Locker will edge out Inglourious Basterds for the Original Screenplay gong. Best Director and Best Picture are perhaps a little trickier. The media is certainly touting the competition between ex-spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow for the director's award, an...

New York is once again enveloped by a snowstorm, and as it stretches into its second day of near constant snowfall, what better way to pass the time indoors than watching movie outtakes. I stumbled across a fascinating collection of classic bloopers that Warner Brothers created on a yearly basis for about a decade or so. It is somehow reassuring to know that even the greats like Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis and James Cagney screwed up now and then as well. It is also abundantly clear that "Nuts!" was the curse word of the time. P.S. Don't forget to vote for which early 1970s year we should cover next. Poll is on the right. Yesterday began the journey into the ten-deep set of nominees involved in the battle for Best Picture of 1937... The Good Earth Director : Sidney Franklin Screenplay : Talbot Jennings, Tess Slesinger & Claudine West (based on the novel by Pearl S. Buck) Starring : Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch, Charley Grapewin Academy Aw...