I haven't worked on these for a while, but over the next couple of weeks, I'll serve up the winners from the 1970s. Eventually, I'll go back and add in the nominees ...
PICTURE (Drama)
winner: The Last Picture Show (prod. Stephen J. Friedman)
PICTURE (Comedy/Musical)
winner: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (prod. Stan Margulies and David L. Wolper)
PICTURE (Foreign Language)
winner: Szerelem (Love) (prod. Hungarofilm and MAFILM Stúdió 1)
ACTOR (Drama)
winner: Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange)
ACTOR (Comedy/Musical)
winner: Walter Matthau (Plaza Suite and Kotch)
ACTRESS (Drama)
winner: Jane Fonda (Klute)
ACTRESS (Comedy/Musical)
winner: Ruth Gordon (Harold and Maude)
DIRECTOR (Drama)
winner: Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show)
DIRECTOR (Comedy/Musical)
winner: Arthur Hiller (The Hospital)
SUPPORTING ACTOR
winner: Ben Johnson (The Last Picture Show)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
winner: Cloris Leachman (The Last Picture Show)
SCREENPLAY
winner: Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich, from the novel by Larry McMurtry (The Last Picture Show)
Methinks your childhood clouds your vision. Did you really just give Willy Wonka Best Picture over Harold and Maude, The Hospital and Carnal Knowledge?
ReplyDeleteAnd I will always give Picture, Director and Screenplay to Clockwork, but every time I watch Last Picture Show, I appreciate it more. Especially once I consider the rest of his career (though Texasville is very under-appreciated).
You know, I don't think I actually saw Willy Wonka as a kid -- saw everything else. My dad was probably out of the country when it was in theaters, and I don't remember my mom ever taking us to the movies without him.
ReplyDeleteI almost went with The Hospital ...
In fact, I almost went with A Clockwork Orange as a comedy -- a very dark, satirical comedy, indeed, but so dark I'm not sure it is a comedy. If I had, you'd have Gene Hackman in the drama category and Malcolm McDowell over Walter Matthau in the comedy ...
I found all of the selections solid -- rock solid -- except for two, but the two were biggies.
ReplyDeleteWilly Wonka. Wow. I can't abide that movie. I find it creepy, unfunny, ugly, and uninspired.
I think Wilder is outstanding, but as a creepy, unfunny, ugly, uninspired character.
And I speak having given a dazzling performance as Mr. Salt in a stage production. But I hold no grudge for their failure to cast me (I was, after all, not yet ten when they began shooting). I just don't dig the picture.
And A Clockwork Orange. I loved that book from my first, precocious early exposure to it as a pre-teen (yes, precocious is apt for much of my early life). Therefore I hated the movie, since it captured the book only in not. Bringing the book to life as a cartoon was whippin'-worthy. Kubrick should be damned.
Having said that, I argue that ACO is a comedy; a dark, dark comedy, but badly executed. Ugly film stock and a couple'a poor performances mar an otherwise crappy piece.
Not trying to pick a fight with the Beckster. I prefer potato crisps to potato chips, and like my meat (when I ate meat) burnt through. Tastes differ. He can have his CLockwork, and I'll lament never seeing mine (and alas, the time has passed).
But what would your blog be without controversy?
[Answer: uncontroversial]
liked
ReplyDeleteAnd I also consider putting Clockwork as a comedy (one of the few films I love that I never argue with people who hate it - there are many good reasons to hate it and I understand that, so no worries Mule).
ReplyDeleteClockwork is on that list of tricky very dark comedies - Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting could fall into the same category.
I assumed you liked Willy Wonka from childhood because I also don't think it's that good a film (except for Wilder) and thought that might be your reason for going with it. My wife and best friend are big fans of Goonies and Big Trouble in Little China because of childhood preferences, but I can't abide either one.