Day 42: The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music: 1966; Winner of the 38th Academy Awards

Starring:

• Julie Andrews as Maria von Trapp


• Christopher Plummer as Captain Georg von Trapp,

• Richard Haydn as Max Detweiler,

• Eleanor Parker as Baroness Elsa Schraeder,

• Charmian Carr as Liesl von Trapp,

• Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp,

• Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp

• Duane Chase as Kurt von Trapp, the fourth child

• Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp,

• Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp,

• Kym Karath as Gretl von Trapp,

• Peggy Wood as Mother Abbess,

• Anna Lee as Sister Margaretta,

• Portia Nelson as Sister Berthe,

• Daniel Truhitte as Rolfe,

• Ben Wright as Hans Zeller,

Oh Julie Andrews I love you so. You and that stupid song that once started I can’t get out of my head. “You are sixteen going on seventeen” That song is way catchy. Ok I love the idea of a nanny/nun going to take care of six crazy ass brats, but then she forgoes her vows and falls in love with the count. But wait it isn’t finished then they get married and have a wonderful life but they do not like the Nazi’s so they preform and they try to escape and wait there is more, the young man who falls in love with the oldest daughter is a German officer and he is not in love with the girl enough to not let the official’s know they are escaping, so he gives them out. Now it’s done. Apparently they escape, but still you never will be quite sure. The whole story is beautiful, even though it is inexplicably long. The songs are very catchy and you can hear them in many other movies, this is a classic example of epic movies making a mark in American History. Even though the leads were British. This joined the ranks quite quickly with “Gone With the Wind” “Wizard of Oz” and “Ben-Hur” A staple of American Media that you just had to watch if you wanted to be considered anyone in the Cinema Industry. Personally I watch this movie every Christmas with my Grandmother, she loves it so I know it by heart, but I also understand how it can get tiresome. Furthermore I really hate Lisel’s boyfriend. He’s a real jerk. If you don’t like musicals I don’t recommend this.

It also won awards for:

Best Sound (James Corcoran, Fred Hynes)

Best Director – Robert Wise

Best Scoring of Music – Adaptation or Treatment

Day 41: Mutiny on the Bounty

Mutiny on the Bounty: 1936: Winner of the 8th Academy Award
 Starring:

Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh


Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian

Franchot Tone as Byam

Herbert Mundin as Smith

Eddie Quillan as Ellison

Dudley Digges as Bacchus

Donald Crisp as Burkitt

Henry Stephenson as Sir Joseph Banks

Francis Lister as Captain Nelson

Spring Byington as Mrs. Byam

Movita as Tehani

Mamo Clark as Maimiti (as Mamo)

Byron Russell as Quintal

Percy Waram as Coleman

David Torrence as Lord Hood

John Harrington as Mr. Purcell

Douglas Walton as Stewart

Ian Wolfe as Maggs

DeWitt Jennings as Fryer

Ivan F. Simpson as Morgan (as Ivan Simpson)

Vernon Downing as Hayward

Bill Bambridge as Hitihiti (as William Bambridge)

Marion Clayton Anderson as Mary Ellison (as Marion Clayton)

Stanley Fields as Muspratt

Wallis Clark as Morrison

Crauford Kent as Lieutenant Edwards (as Craufurd Kent)

Pat Flaherty as Churchill

This was a Clark Gable movie and it was about mutiny!! So the story revolves around the relationship between, Christian and Capt. Bligh this nasty mean dude who looks like my turd on a Wednesday. I really didn't think I would like this movie, because I don't like movies that have asshole characters in them, like All the King's Men, but I found that I really enjoyed it. I think what really did it for me was the character of Hititi. The chief of the island of Tahiti, it was like the little bit of fun and laughter the movie needed. I also liked the weird but hilariously pathetic boatswain ( I believe thats what they call the boats janitor). I don;t even remember his name to be honest but the performance was unforgettable. One thing however was I didn't understand why the last guy Byam, best friend to Gable's character got a Oscar nod when he was forgettable. Furthermore I had a real problem with the ending of the movie. I understand it was mutiny but the officers didn't deserve to be hanged. That made me upset because Bligh deserved to die in the sea! I swear he should have been ripped to bits! And then he should regenerate and they do it again all over again!!! He is one nasty piece of work. This is the second movie that won best picture for Clark Gable.

Day 40: The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai: 1957: Winner of the 39th Academy Award

Starring:


William Holden as US Navy Commander/Seaman Shears

Alec Guinness as Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson

Jack Hawkins as Major Warden

Sessue Hayakawa as Colonel Saito

James Donald as Major Clipton

Geoffrey Horne as Lieutenant Joyce

André Morell as Colonel Hornsby

Peter Williams as Captain Reeves

John Boxer as Major Hughes

Percy Herbert as Private Grogan

Harold Goodwin as Private Baker


Well here's one movie where none of the main characters survive. It took me nearly an entire day to finish this movie. But I did it. And here's what I got to say about it. It had a very awesome soundtrack but it was by far unnecessarily long. I think it had something to do with thte way the movie began with a showmanship of British upstanding and pride and then he was in the oven for so long and .. well you can see how long the intro was. The end was quite good and I actually liked the ending, although I have to say, that stupid captain Nicholson was a real dud and possibly going through hostage loves kidnapper syndrome. He was trying to out the people that we're trying to help him escape, in what right mind does someone do that? He is crazy but I blame the Japanese commandeer. This movie was decent, but it doesn't really call my attention and I don't think I’d watch if it wasn't on the list. I swear War movies just suck and they are all pretty much the same. Thank the higher power that nowadays, most films aren't about war, because if they were they'd be sure to win. Look for example at the past 20 yrs. Of those movies 6 have been war related, three were actual war movies. It's like war movies were made for awards, truthfully I propose an incentive in the other direction, please for the sake of viewers, look at the brilliance of comedy, let go of the war worshiping past filmmakers!!.. On to the next war movie yawns.

It also won awards for:

Best Director :David Lean

Best Actor :Alec Guinness

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium :Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman, Pierre Boulle

Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Film : Malcolm Arnold

Best Film Editing :Peter Taylor

Best Cinematography :Jack Hildyard

Day 39: Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy: 1969: Winner of the 42nd Academy Awards

Starring:

Dustin Hoffman as Enrico Salvatore "Ratso" Rizzo


Jon Voight as Joe Buck

Sylvia Miles as Cass

John McGiver as Mr. O'Daniel

Brenda Vaccaro as Shirley

Barnard Hughes as Towny


This movie was weird, but it was short so I forgive it. Ok so Jon Voight is an annoying cowboy and Dustin Hoffman is a weird looking Hispanic and/ or Italian. The cowboy is trying to hustle his way in New York after things didn’t go so well for him back home after he came back from the army. His backstory is told mainly thru flashbacks and hallucinations of past events. Ratso is a third rate con-man who should most likely be called a third rate pickpocket. Anyway after Ratso tries to con the cowboy some weird happenstance of chance brings them together and they form a bond. Then they go to this Andy Warhol/ Rocky Horror Picture Show Transylvanian like peoples/ bad 70’s art deco’s party. The cowboy unknowingly gets high of his keister and ends up in bed with one of the wealthy ladies at the party. And he does it with her. Blah Blah Blah, the ending is really sad though. Ok here’s the truth about the 70’s: they were too fucking high to make one steady pic! I swear even thought the camera work was great it was a shoddy way to tell the story of some shit for brains cowboy. Plus did Hoffman have to look so repulsive. Maybe that was the whole point, but it made me want to turn of the movie for fear he would stink it up. I guess I just didn’t like the movie. Not because of it’s sexual premise but because I hate it when the main character is so fucking stupid you might as well just shoot him eh won’t wonder anyhow. Gah! The movie frustrated me a bit and the whole back story about him and Crazy Annie that was super weird. The weird Grandma, he should be n therapy.

It also won awards for:
 
Best Director : John Schlesinger
Best Adapted Screenplay: Waldo Salt

Day 38: Titanic

Titanic: 1998: Winner of the 70th Academy Award

Starring 

Leonardo DiCaprio:Jack Dawson

Kate Winslet :Rose DeWitt Bukater

Billy Zane :Caledon 'Cal' Hockley

Kathy Bates:Molly Brown

Frances Fisher :Ruth Dewitt Bukater

Gloria Stuart :Old Rose

Bill Paxton :Brock Lovett

Bernard Hill :Captain Edward James Smith

David Warner :Spicer Lovejoy

Victor Garber :Thomas Andrews

Jonathan Hyde :Bruce Ismay

Suzy Amis :Lizzy Calvert

 Lewis Abernathy :Lewis Bodine

 Nicholas Cascone :Bobby Buell

“I’m the king of the World” those were Leonardo DiCaprio’s words as eh outstretched his arms on the dream movie of James Cameron. Yo did you know this movie won 11 academy awards? Only won or equaled to by LOTR #3? With a slightly smaller cast and generally two unknowns who were about to make movie box office and movie cinema history. This movie was titanic in every way, the way it was filmed, the cost, the production, the stars, the idea, the award sweep, the audience, it was the movie that was literally unsinkable. I’ve watched everything documentary like on this moive and I can tell you it was the little engine that could. I was 8 when this movie came out.  My parents were so friggin;’ happy when this movie came out and because it was rated R they couldn’t take me so my consolation prize was a titanic t-shirt that I had until I was about 15. This movie totally made it big and it is forever inspiring really bad spin-offs of the first opening line and then the one with Leo and Kate on the rails. One of my favorite movies “Love Actually” uses it for romantic  therapy. The story of the underdog romance will go on and onnnnn… Celine Dion status. 

 

It also won awards for:

Best Cinematography,

Best Costume Design

Best Visual Effects

Best Sound (Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson, Gary Summers, Mark Ulano)

Best Sound Effects Editing,

Best Original Dramatic Score

Best Film Editing,

Best Original Song

Best Art Direction

Best Director

Day 37: Out of Africa

Out of Africa : 1985: Winner of the 58th  Academy Award

Starring:

Robert Redford - Denys Finch Hatton

Meryl Streep - Karen Blixen

Klaus Maria Brandauer - Bror Blixen/Hans Blixen

Michael Kitchen - Berkeley Cole

Shane Rimmer - Belknap

Malick Bowens - Farah

Joseph Thiaka - Kamante

Stephen Kinyanjui - Chief Kinanjui

Michael Gough - Lord Delamere

Suzanna Hamilton - Felicity

Rachel Kempson - Lady Belfield

Graham Crowden - Lord Belfield

Benny Young - Minister

Leslie Phillips - Sir Jospeh

Annabel Maule - Lady Byrne

Iman - Mariammo

Meryl Streep is so pretty, its so not fair she aged too damn well. So in this movie she is a wealthy heiress who is dying  to have adventures but needs to get married and have a title so she strikes up a deal with Baron Von Blixen who is broke. Perfect match. They travel to Africa in the British Colony, get married and start a coffee plantation.  However this man is so not marriage material, he is cheating on his wife as soon as they get married. Granted it was a marriage for convenience it still means something. Right? Anyway, so then she stays at the coffee plantation and the whole movie is about her being strong willed and yada yada, being a lone woman in the land of no women. Anyway the e crux is when the war starts and she has to go to deliver some supplies to her husband and they have smush  time and she contracts syphilis. Yes this is an important point. Because later she wants to sleep with Brad Pitt  Robert Redford. But she tells him the truth. He don’t care he loves her. Later they argue that he doesn’t love her  and frankly she’s being one of those naggy needy girls. The man needs his space girl. Has she not seen “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”?  “You can’t go and give your heart to a wild thing…”its like a staple by which you should live on.  I had issues with this movie. Mainly how long it was, kind of unnecessary and the damn accent bothered me a heap ton. I swear I prefer it when they say they are Dutch and speak normally, it might leave you wondering a bit, but at least you can understand what they are saying.  The other would be getting someone who could portray a decent accent. I will say this thought the costumes were very pretty and someone should have casted Brad Pitt in a Robert Redford life story sometime.  I mean it, I swear different nose and jawline but essentially same dude. Boy the 80’s had really crappy serious movies. 

It also won awards for:

Best Director (Sydney Pollack)

Best Art Direction (Stephen Grimes, Josie MacAvin)

Best Cinematography (David Watkin)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Kurt Luedtke)

Best Original Score (John Barry)

Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Gary Alexander, Larry Stensvold, Peter Handford)

Day 36: Dances With Wolves

Dances with Wolves 1990: Winner of the 63rd Academy Award

Starring:

Kevin Costner as Lt. John J. Dunbar / Dances with Wolves / Narrator

Mary McDonnell as Stands With A Fist

Graham Greene as Kicking Bird

Rodney A. Grant as Wind In His Hair

Floyd Red Crow Westerman as Chief Ten Bears

Tantoo Cardinal as Black Shawl

Jimmy Herman as Stone Calf

Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse as Smiles A Lot

Michael Spears as Otter

Jason R. Lone Hill as Worm

Charles Rocket as Lt. Elgin

Robert Pastorelli as Timmons

Larry Joshua as Sgt. Bauer

Tony Pierce as Spivey

Kirk Baltz as Edwards

This movie was surprisingly funny. Ok so this one guy gets sent to the prairie, but he is a retard and he then shots himself but of course this guy never figures to go and check why. The guy was fucking loony. Anyway so this dude gets sent out to some flat land where the Sioux Indians inhabit and therehe is alone in the hinterlands until some Indians decide to mess with him. Blah blah blah later they are best friends and he gets captured by the US Army. I expected this movie to be like Brave Heart but it was a unlikely and very welcomed surprise. It was funny when it needed to be it was heartbreaking, dramatic, romantic and violent. All in its due time and course. Even though I wished with all my heart that Dances with Wolves and Stands with a Fist stayed with the Sioux, I understood why he had to leave. Plus, I totally loved Two Socks! He was pretty awesome. Even if he was a wolf, I so cried when he died. I also wanted to watch this movie because all of my friends had watched it. Even my cousin who is soo not a movie buff.  However rest assured it was pretty awesome. 

It also won awards for:

Best Director – Kevin Costner

Best Adapted Screenplay – Michael Blake

Best Cinematography – Dean Semler

Best Film Editing – Neil Travis

Best Sound – Russell Williams II, Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton and Gregory H. Watkins

Best Original Score – John Barry