The Oscars Got It Wrong Every Year, Tell Me a Year and I'll Fix It (2 Viewers)

[Ilov80s]

While this is bumped… 1940 awards for 1939 movies. Lots of all-timers to pick from.

1940

Actual Winner: Gone with the Wind

Probably the most significant movie ever made. Adjustting for inflation, it's the highrest grossing movie of all time still to this day. It's not just that it was a smash it in 1939. It kept getting re-released and everytime it would, it made a ton of money. In 1954, it became the first film ever shown in widescreen. As a matter of fact, it got big MGM nationwide re-releases in 47, 54, 67,71,74, 89, 98, 2014, 2024. It premiered on network TV in 1976, NBC paid the equivalent of $34 million for the right to air one time. It was the highest rated tv program in history, watched by 65% of all TV owners. Still the record to this day. In 1978, CBS paid the modern equivalent of $180 million to be able to air it 20 times over 20 years. Unfortunately, with that comes the clear downside which is that it froze in amber this awful myth of the gallant South that still persists today. The question is how much of GwtW's POV was a reflection of society and how much was the narrative really driven by Hollywood? If you look at movies from the Old Golden Age of Hollywood, the Confederacy is quite often painted as heroes relative to the North. I don't know why exactly but a romanticism existed for a long time around the Old South- I have some ideas but best we don't talk too much about that. Anyway, I like Gone with the Wind a lot. It's truly epic, gorgeously produced and puts it female characters front and center which is progressive (unlike it's racial depictions).

But 1939 was an all time great year in Hollywood. There are probably 5-6 movies as good or better than Gone with the Wind and another handful that could have won Best Picture in most years in the 30s. Still to me, this call is easy. There is another 1939 movie that is beautifully produced, centers on a strong female lead and has won the hearts of people for 85 years. There probably isn't a movie in existance seen by more people and perhaps no story better known to young and old alike. Funny part is the same director made both of them. Not a bad year for old Victor Fleming.

In 1940, the Best Picture winner should have been The Wizard of Oz

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

In 1940, the Best Picture winner should have been The Wizard of Oz

frankly my dear, I don't give a damn

 

[Ilov80s]

In 1940, the Best Picture winner should have been The Wizard of Oz

frankly my dear, I don't give a damn

You’ve no power here! Begone, before someone drops a house on you too!

 

[Ilov80s]

Looks like you already did my favorite year - 1997. How about another favorite year of 2007 movies/2008 Oscars?

2008

Actual Winner: No Country for Old Men

I just did the 1939 movie year which is perhaps the greatest year in Hollywood. But the 2007 calendar year can give movie history a run for it's money. If you put up No Country, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, MIchael Clayton and The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford it would have been such an elite GUYS collection of Best Picture nominees. Cohen Bros, PTA, Fincher. Clooney, Pitt, DDL, RDJ. Serial killers and Texas sherrifs and train robbers and oil barrons and fixers. It makes me want to drink whiskey and fire a gun just thinking about it. How does one choose? Jesse James is out because it's name is just too darn long and nobody saw it at the time. Zodiac had a much shorter name but still nobody turned out to theaters for it. No Country is out because as we know the academy got it wrong every year. So that leaves us Michael Clayton vs There Will Be Blood. On one hand very different movies in their setting and aestethics but ultimatley kind of about the same thing. Waleis on Reddit said that one of these movies "examines the moral, psychological, and spiritual degradation that occurs when someone works..." in a corporate capitalistic system that prioritizes wealth and domination over all other ends. Now which movie was that user talking about? Could be either one because it's really the same story just from 2 different time periods. Blood focuses on the building of that empire and Clayton on how the empire preserves itself. The hate and fire it takes to build something of that size and then icy indifference it takes to preserve it. So how do we split the difference here? My one small gripe with Clayton is the name. Should have been The Fixer of if you dont want to accidentally get mistaken for the novel and previous movie, maybe just Fixer?

The 2008 winner should have been There Will Be Blood

 

[Ilov80s]

I am watching The Brutalist again now and yeah this is such an impressive well made movie. A true American epic.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Looks like you already did my favorite year - 1997. How about another favorite year of 2007 movies/2008 Oscars?

2008

Actual Winner: No Country for Old Men

I just did the 1939 movie year which is perhaps the greatest year in Hollywood. But the 2007 calendar year can give movie history a run for it's money. If you put up No Country, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, MIchael Clayton and The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford it would have been such an elite GUYS collection of Best Picture nominees. Cohen Bros, PTA, Fincher. Clooney, Pitt, DDL, RDJ. Serial killers and Texas sherrifs and train robbers and oil barrons and fixers. It makes me want to drink whiskey and fire a gun just thinking about it. How does one choose? Jesse James is out because it's name is just too darn long and nobody saw it at the time. Zodiac had a much shorter name but still nobody turned out to theaters for it. No Country is out because as we know the academy got it wrong every year. So that leaves us Michael Clayton vs There Will Be Blood. On one hand very different movies in their setting and aestethics but ultimatley kind of about the same thing. Waleis on Reddit said that one of these movies "examines the moral, psychological, and spiritual degradation that occurs when someone works..." in a corporate capitalistic system that prioritizes wealth and domination over all other ends. Now which movie was that user talking about? Could be either one because it's really the same story just from 2 different time periods. Blood focuses on the building of that empire and Clayton on how the empire preserves itself. The hate and fire it takes to build something of that size and then icy indifference it takes to preserve it. So how do we split the difference here? My one small gripe with Clayton is the name. Should have been The Fixer of if you dont want to accidentally get mistaken for the novel and previous movie, maybe just Fixer?

The 2008 winner should have been There Will Be Blood

Interesting. I don’t really like most of those movies that much. They are all solid, but I don’t consider it an exceptional movie year. No doubt most will disagree, and that’s fine by me.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

yep, they got it wrong in 2023 too.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Looks like you already did my favorite year - 1997. How about another favorite year of 2007 movies/2008 Oscars?

2008

Actual Winner: No Country for Old Men

I just did the 1939 movie year which is perhaps the greatest year in Hollywood. But the 2007 calendar year can give movie history a run for it's money. If you put up No Country, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, MIchael Clayton and The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford it would have been such an elite GUYS collection of Best Picture nominees. Cohen Bros, PTA, Fincher. Clooney, Pitt, DDL, RDJ. Serial killers and Texas sherrifs and train robbers and oil barrons and fixers. It makes me want to drink whiskey and fire a gun just thinking about it. How does one choose? Jesse James is out because it's name is just too darn long and nobody saw it at the time. Zodiac had a much shorter name but still nobody turned out to theaters for it. No Country is out because as we know the academy got it wrong every year. So that leaves us Michael Clayton vs There Will Be Blood. On one hand very different movies in their setting and aestethics but ultimatley kind of about the same thing. Waleis on Reddit said that one of these movies "examines the moral, psychological, and spiritual degradation that occurs when someone works..." in a corporate capitalistic system that prioritizes wealth and domination over all other ends. Now which movie was that user talking about? Could be either one because it's really the same story just from 2 different time periods. Blood focuses on the building of that empire and Clayton on how the empire preserves itself. The hate and fire it takes to build something of that size and then icy indifference it takes to preserve it. So how do we split the difference here? My one small gripe with Clayton is the name. Should have been The Fixer of if you dont want to accidentally get mistaken for the novel and previous movie, maybe just Fixer?

The 2008 winner should have been There Will Be Blood

Interesting. I don’t really like most of those movies that much. They are all solid, but I don’t consider it an exceptional movie year. No doubt most will disagree, and that’s fine by me.

80s is putting this in the context of Oscar noms and winners, so that is a smaller pool. I do think most disagree because those listed are often listed as those director's best movies, or at least at the top. For me what elevates the year even more is the genre movies. This year you also have comedies like Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod that I laugh at a lot (especially the first 2). Ratatouille was this year as well, and our family loved that movie. I love foreign horror movies, and two favorites in Rec and The Orphanage were this year. Then sprinkle in other good to great movies like Gone Baby Gone, Sunshine, The Mist, Into the Wild, etc..

 

[massraider]

This year you also have comedies like Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod

Wow.

Was this the last good year of comedy movies??

 

[KarmaPolice]

This year you also have comedies like Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod

Wow.

Was this the last good year of comedy movies??

I'd have to look at specific years, but I think it at least is the beginning of the end. In my mind the late 00s in general were the end of this wave of comedies. There are still others after this year like Step Brothers, The Hangover, Role Models, and others but IMO the peak of that run of movies already happened.

 

[Ilov80s]

yep, they got it wrong in 2023 too.

Yes they did. I have it narrowed down to 2 movies that year. One of the harder calls imo.

 

[bigbottom]

I am watching The Brutalist again now and yeah this is such an impressive well made movie. A true American epic.

Nope. Had you made the call before the announcement you’d have my undying respect. I’m not letting you bolster your untimely choice after the fact!!!

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

yep, they got it wrong in 2023 too.

Yes they did. I have it narrowed down to 2 movies that year. One of the harder calls imo.

Given that the old Oscar standards used to be watch as much or as little as you want....my vote would go to Top Gun: Maverick since that's the only one I've seen besides Everything all at Once. Though I'll likely see Tar at some point.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

This year you also have comedies like Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod

Wow.

Was this the last good year of comedy movies??

I liked Zombieland and Tropic Thunder

 

[KarmaPolice]

This year you also have comedies like Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Blades of Glory, and Hot Rod

Wow.

Was this the last good year of comedy movies??

I liked Zombieland and Tropic Thunder

A couple other good ones from after that year. Like I said above, my mental cutoff for the great run of comedy movies is 2010 or so. Not 100% sure what happened, but those felt like they fell off a cliff. Or I just got old.

 

[Ilov80s]

I am watching The Brutalist again now and yeah this is such an impressive well made movie. A true American epic.

Nope. Had you made the call before the announcement you’d have my undying respect. I’m not letting you bolster your untimely choice after the fact!!!

I said that about it originally but I couldn’t just have said that before the award ceremony. What if the academy had got it right and ruined my whole thread? There’s a lot of years left to be done. I can so much more mileage out of this thing.

 

[bigbottom]

I am watching The Brutalist again now and yeah this is such an impressive well made movie. A true American epic.

Nope. Had you made the call before the announcement you’d have my undying respect. I’m not letting you bolster your untimely choice after the fact!!!

I said that about it originally but I couldn’t just have said that before the award ceremony. What if the academy had got it right and ruined my whole thread? There’s a lot of years left to be done. I can so much more mileage out of this thing.

You had no faith! For shame!!