And the Nominees are...

MattM — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:51:00 GMT

Today the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards were announced. For the first time since 1943 there are ten Best Picture nominations. This is an interesting decision, since in my opinion it has been tough most years this decade to fill the usual five slots with deserving movies (for comparison, 1939 might be the best year ever when Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Stagecoach and The Wizard of Oz were amongst those competing).

For kicks I am going to jump back in time and pretend they never stopped picking ten films. Here are a few years with my subjective choices (listed in order) to go along with the five that were picked (actual Best Picture winner in all caps).

1996 Academy Awards (films released in 1995)
The Nominees: BRAVEHEART, Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, Sense and Sensibility
My 5 Additions: Heat, Before Sunrise, To Die For, Seven, 12 Monkeys

1995 Academy Awards (films released in 1994)
The Nominees: FORREST GUMP, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption
My 5 Additions: Ed Wood, Three Colors: Red, The Hudsucker Proxy, Léon, Speed

1987 Academy Awards (films released in 1986)
The Nominees: PLATOON, Children of a Lesser God, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Mission, Room with a View
My 5 Additions: Down by Law, Hoosiers, Blue Velvet, Stand by Me, Aliens

1974 Academy Awards (films released in 1973)
The Nominees: THE STING, American Graffiti, Cries and Whispers, The Exorcist, A Touch of Class
My 5 Additions: The Last Detail, Paper Moon, Mean Streets, Serpico, Badlands

1963 Academy Awards (films released in 1962)
The Nominees: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, The Longest Day, The Music Man, Mutiny on the Bounty, To Kill a Mockingbird
My 5 Additions: Ride the High Country, Lolita, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Trial, Long Day's Journey into Night

The More the Merrier?

Phil Dickerson — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:02:00 GMT

While flipping through my news feeds this morning, I came across a story announcing the Academy Awards would be doubling their best picture category from five nominees to ten. The story sights TV ratings for the ceremony are in the gutter, and they are trying to bring in more viewers. I tend to agree with that assessment, but I think it's a bad move.

First of all, the academy has a hard enough time picking five good movies in a year, let alone ten. Come on, I mean if Crash can get nominated AND win, don't you think they're already having problems? Seems to me it will open the door for more movies that don't deserve Hollywood's top prize.

Secondly, the problem isn't that people don't want to watch the academy awards - it's that they don't have four free hours to watch it. Do they think making the show longer will increase viewership? Why should I watch four hours of show for 20 minutes of action? Have they heard of the internet? I can get a full nights sleep and catchup on the highlights next day in 60 seconds.

I don't mean to bad mouth the academy. After all, they tend to get it right most of the time. It just seems to me they are trying to solve a ratings problem the wrong way.

Movies & TV : Academy Awards

And the Nominees are...

The More the Merrier?