The Longest Day (1962)

The 35th Academy Awards (1963)
Nominations: 5
Wins: 2

From Wings to Apocalypse Now to 1917 to All Quiet On The Western Front (twice), there have been a lot of war movies nominated for Best Picture over the years. So much so that there are plenty of war movies nominated for the big prize that have been lost to time or have been replaced by subsequent Best Picture winners as the definitive retelling of a particular chapter in a godforsaken war. Both of these categories feel like they apply to The Longest Day, as it’s a film I’ve been long aware of but have never really heard anyone ever talk about. Some of this probably has to do with the fact that Saving Private Ryan has more or less become the definitive D-Day movie, though this is a bit unfair considering The Longest Day takes a very different approach from that Spielberg film, which in many ways makes it even more impressive. Continue reading →

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

The 24th Academy Awards (1952)
Nominations: 12
Wins: 4

Like Ben-Hur last year, most of my frame of reference for A Streetcar Named Desire comes from the Simpsons. In this case, it’s the episode “A Streetcar Named Marge” where Marge is cast as Blanche DuBois in a musical adaptation of Tennessee William’s play called “Oh, Streetcar!” Here’s a recap if you don’t recall.

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All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

3rd Academy Awards (1930)
Nominations: 4
Wins: 2

Like last year, I’m taking advantage of a remake of a best picture winner being nominated for best picture as an opportunity to see both films for the first time. Unlike last year, instead of doing that in one post, I’m planning on doing it in two! That is, unless I find I’ve used up most of what I’ve got to say about this subject here, in which case, don’t worry, I’ve got a backup plan. So then, let us head back in time, nearly a century ago, to the third ever Academy Awards. There, an anti-war film called All Quiet on the Western Front made history as the first ever to win both Best Picture and Best Director, which, by the way, also made its director, Lewis Milestone, the first person to win two Oscars (he also won Best Director – Comedy at the First Academy Awards for Two Arabian Knights). This triumph capped off a whirlwind of success for this story, which began as a novel published in English only a year prior. But does it hold up?

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Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

The 1st Academy Awards (1929)
Nominations: 4
Wins: 3

Welcome to another “Oscars Fortnight” where for the next two weeks we’ll be reviewing all your favorite Oscar nominated films. Films like, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans! All the kids love 96-year-old silent movies… Right? No? Well then maybe we need a reboot. Maybe it’s about time Dwayne Johnson changes the hierarchy of the Sunrise-universe. Okay, so if the cool kids don’t care about silent movies. Why should you? Let’s talk about it and see if I can sell you on a timeless love story filled with strangulation and trippy carnivals.

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