Matt vs. the Academy

Matt's tip of the day: Don't ever get a bruised rib. It hurts to cough. It hurts to sneeze. It hurts to go from lying down to sitting up. It just hurts. And it's not really worth the three seconds of laughter that you might get from an audience who witness your pratfall. Since rest is pretty much the only suggested remedy for a bruised rib, last night I rested as I watched the victor among 1948's Best Picture contenders... Hamlet Director : Laurence Olivier Screenplay : Laurence Olivier (based on the play by William Shakespeare) Starring : Laurence Olivier, Basil Sydney, Eileen Herlie, Jean Simmons, Norman Wooland, Felix Aylmer, Terence Morgan Academy Awards : 7 nominations 4 wins, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Olivier) Laurence Olivier's iconic adaptation of Shakespeare's most famous work, Hamlet centres on that angst-ridden prince of Denmark with the funny name. Hamlet (Olivier) is depressed. His father is dead, murdered by his uncl...

Keep those votes coming in for the next year of review for Matt vs. the Academy. The poll remains in the right-hand sidebar for your voting pleasure. Yesterday, my look at 1948's Best Picture nominees continued with a viewing of... The Snake Pit Director : Anatole Litvak Screenplay : Frank Partos and Millen Brand (based on the novel by Mary Jane Ward) Starring : Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Glenn Langan, Helen Craig, Leif Erickson, Beulah Bondi Academy Awards : 6 nominations 1 win, for Best Sound As The Snake Pit begins, Virginia Stuart (de Havilland) is confused and anxious, seemingly unaware that she is living in a mental institution. She barely recognises her own husband Robert (Stevens) when he visits and only vaguely remembers the events of the past few months. With the help of Dr. Kik (Genn), she is treated with a variety of psychiatric therapies, including shock treatment, hydrotherapy and hypnosis. Her condition fluctuates as s...

Well, I'm back in Las Vegas, making stuff up on stage with the rest of the cast of Aussie Improv Comedy Explosion . The weather is certainly much more agreeable than in New York City, but the trade-off is the increased static electricity due to the dry desert air. And, unfortunately, it is next to impossible to avoid touching metallic objects, so the sparks are flying. You can now put your request in for the next year of review by using the poll over there on the right. You have your choice from a bunch of fine 1980s films. For now, let's begin our look at the Best Picture nominees from 1948 by discussing... The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Director : John Huston Screenplay : John Huston (based on the novel by B. Traven) Starring : Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya Academy Awards : 4 nominations 3 wins, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Huston) Fred C. Dobbs (Bogart) and his new buddy Bob ...

Another set of nominees in the can and another verdict to be made. I must say that the decision this time around was one of the easiest I've had to make in quite some time. In my mind, there was a clear frontrunner that was simply the most enjoyable. Consequently, my verdict below is possibly the shortest I've yet written. The nominees for Best Picture of 1973 are: American Graffiti Cries and Whispers The Exorcist The Sting A Touch of Class Forget about trying to compare this bunch. Nominee shortlists have been diverse before, but 1973's selection is ridiculously multifarious. A 1960s coming-of-age comedy, a foreign arthouse film, a supernatural horror, a 1930s heist flick and a quirky romantic comedy. Although, perhaps these films' commonality, with one exception, is in their sense of fun, albeit for entirely different reasons. American Graffiti's youthful fun is borne out of nostalgia. A Touch of Class delights with its witty and romantic fun. For those w...

Last chance to vote for which year from the 1940s we will investigate next. The poll is over there on the right and down a little. Closing out our current shortlist, the last nominee from the 1973 Best Picture race is... A Touch of Class Director : Melvin Frank Screenplay : Melvin Frank & Jack Rose Starring : George Segal, Glenda Jackson, Paul Sorvino, K Callan, Hildegard Neil Academy Awards : 5 nominations 1 win, for Best Actress (Jackson) In the classic screwball style of 1940s Hollywood, A Touch of Class follows the shamelessly unfaithful Steve Blackburn (Segal), an American living with his family in London. By chance, he meets divorced English designer Vicky Allessio (Jackson) and, after sharing a flirtatious cab ride, they arrange a date. A couple of rendezvous later, Steve takes Vicky to a hotel for some, ahem ... action. Apparently unperturbed by beginning an illicit affair, Vicky is more concerned that a hotel room is not the ideally romantic place for it. N...