Inexplicable Best Picture Nominees

While looking back through Oscar nominees past to find films I had not seen (or had not seen in years), I saw some nominations that disturbed me. None of them were Roman Polanski films either (except for the brief twinge I had recalling how bored out of my skull I was when I saw Tess). I was flabbergasted that some of the movies had even been nominated. In some cases, these films actually WON (information I had somehow blocked from memory).

Going back only 40 years, I made a list of years with inexplicable Oscar nominations and wins for Best Picture.

1970: Airport
AIRPORT. The other films nominated included Five Easy Pieces, Midnight Cowboy and Z. One of these things is not like the others.

1974: The Towering Inferno
The friggin' Towering Inferno. I thought it was dumb when I was eight. This was a collection of aging big name stars collecting a paycheck (and Richard Chamberlain). If this was worthy, so was Earthquake.

1975: Barry Lyndon
Some will gasp at this. Well, for those that do, come over to my place. I will tie you to a chair, force your eyes open with toothpicks and make you watch this all the way through. You will be screaming for me to substitute The Main Event in about a half hour.

1978: Heaven Can Wait
OK, this was a cute movie. It had Julie Christie, which is always a plus. I loved it when I was twelve. But the BEST movie? Or even one of the five BEST movies for ANY year since the invention of film? No. No. No.

1985: Out of Africa
This one actually WON. This is another that people will be furious to see included. "I had a farm in Africa..." Well..I had a milkshake in New Jersey. What a dull movie about white people in Africa. And Klaus Maria Brandauer gets a best supporting nod for THIS after all the great movies he was in? Blah. Want to see a movie about white people in Africa? Watch White Mischief.

1989: Dead Poets Society
Not as good as you remember.

1990: Godfather III
Were they ALL stoned. Did they see this movie? While I may be on shaky ground with some people on a couple of these, I think every single sentient-being on earth or in other regions of the space time continuum will agree that this was not only one of the worst movies of 1990, but one of the most unwatchable movies ever made. I would rather sit through back-to-back screenings of Heaven’s Gate than see this again. Its only redeeming feature is the cuteness of Sophia Coppola.

1991: Bugsy
OK. No more nominations for anything that has anything to do with Warren Beatty. I gave Reds a pass in case you think I am being uncharitable. Oh and Beauty and the Beast was also nominated this year. A cartoon.

1992: A Few Good Men
Demi Moore - that should be enough right there. Her form-fitting Navy uniforms (not exactly regulation) are the most memorable thing in the film aside from Jack Nicholson chewing up scenery. Even WORSE, Scent of a Woman was nominated that year. I smell the scent of something else.

2002: Chicago
Chicago actually won. Really? I blame Blagojevich.


- Patrick Ogle