1st Academy Awards

Hmm.. I haven't really figured out how I want this whole thing to look or feel YET. I guess I will figure it out as I go along.

So, just to recap, these are the movies I had for January for the very first Oscars ever:

-7th Heaven
-A Ship Comes In
-The Last Command
-The Noose
-The Patent Leather Kid
-The Racket
-The Way of All Flesh
-Sadie Thompson
-Street Angel
-Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
-Wings

If there is one thing I learned so far from starting this project, it's this.... it is so hard to find some of these older films! In some cases even, there is no known footage of some of them. This is going to make this project a little difficult but I still plan on doing it.

Here we go...Ladies first...

Nominees for Best Actress

Gloria Swanson

(Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson)

First one I watched was Sadie Thompson. In this film, Gloria Swanson plays a prostitute who is looking for a fresh start. Lionel Barrymore is also in this and oh my gosh, I cannot stand his character! He plays the perfect a-hole with a holier than thou personality. Ugh!

Let me just say how much I loved Gloria Swanson in this film! Silent but so powerful. As the lead actress, she was so full of spunk and was so carefree, I absolutely loved the way she carried herself. She definitely deserved to be nominated and you just love her immediately. She has such an intense look and her personality just shines through the screen and she easily gets along great with everyone she interacts with (except Barrymore). Even though you are aware of her past as a prostitute, she never came off as a bad person or someone you didn't take a liking to. I was cheering for her from the very beginning and got mad each time she was mistreated by Barrymore's character. 

One interesting thing about this film is that the last 8 minutes have been completely destroyed. I didn't know that at first when I rented the movie but the last 8 minutes are reconstructed with pictures and title cards. 

Louise Dresser

(Louise Dresser in A Ship Comes In)

Next up, A Ship Comes In. I knew I was going to love the plot from the get go. Stories about immigrants have a very special place in my heart. Louise Dresser plays Mama Pleznik, mother of 3, with her oldest boy, Eric just turning 18 and wanting to become a soldier. When the film ended, I really wished that Louise Dresser would have gotten more screen time. Even though she received a nomination for this role, I believe she deserved more for such an important character in this film. 

When Mama Pleznik sees Eric in his soldier uniform for the first time, her expression and sorrow just dig into your soul. She is so worried and I couldn't help but feel like reaching into the screen wanting to put my arm around her and comfort her in some way as a mom. The scenes where the sad news about Eric are revealed, I just couldn't help but feel her sadness. Dresser's face and body language is just heart breaking. Even though it wasn't as much screen time as the other nominees, I do think it was well deserved and I really enjoyed watching her and the film. 

Janet Gaynor

She was nominated for 3 different roles! But they counted it as one nomination.

(Janet Gaynor in 7th Heaven)

(Janet Gaynor in Street Angel)

(Janet Gaynor in Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans)

Last but definitely not least, we have the lovely Janet Gaynor. She was the winner for the first Academy Awards. I really loved all 3 of the films she was nominated for and was excited to see her in action. I do have to say though, Janet Gaynor has the saddest facial expression I have ever seen! Even when she was smiling in different scenes, I still wanted to reach in and hug her. In 7th Heaven, she plays Diane, a sweet, innocent girl who has turned to prostitution. When police are coming to arrest her, a sweet street sweeper named Chico, tells them that they are married, so they are both forced to keep that lie going unless they both don't want to be arrested. Janet Gaynor plays the role perfectly, especially with her sad puppy dog eyes.

Next movie I watched that she was nominated in was Street Angel. I hardly ever saw her smile in 7th Heaven, so within the first 10 minutes of this film, she was like a completely different woman. I just really assumed she had that sad expression ALWAYS. To be able to pull off such convincing characters in silent films... yup... she's pretty amazing. In Street Angel, Gaynor plays Angela, a woman who is desperately trying to help and save her sick mother. She is so desperate that she turns to prostitution. After getting caught stealing and running from police, she finds really kind circus performers who take her in. Angela has a very devastating story from the beginning and throughout the film, it was always a game of being so close to happiness but it just keeps getting yanked away from her. Gaynor rocked this role.

Last movie I watched from her nominations was Sunrise: A Tale of Two Humans. Out of the 3 I watched with Gaynor, this one was definitely my favorite. Again, since we don't get to hear her voice, I am seriously impressed with how versatile her face is. She is so easy to follow and read, especially in this role. In Sunrise, Gaynor plays "The Wife". I don't even want to write too much about the movie itself because I think everyone should watch it. I know it's a movie from the 20's, but I still wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say this though so you kind of get an idea of what kind of film it is: this film seriously felt like THE ORIGINAL FATAL ATTRACTION. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Google it. Anyway! Back to Gaynor... when the Wife and the Man are together, and all seems well and they are enjoying themselves, Gaynor's smile is just so pure and contagious. I am just so in love with her. Throughout the film, she has such an angelic face and the way the wig she wears frames her face, I don't know, it just adds to her innocence. 

Okay.... time for a verdict. 

The big question is, do I agree with the winner of that year? 
This is a little tough because I seriously loved Janet Gaynor in all 3 of the roles. But if I am being completely honest, I think Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson should have won. Janet Gaynor did have 3 amazing roles and I am thinking she was probably the favorite or something for that first year. I just couldn't stop thinking about Gloria Swanson though with her dramatic stare and gutsy personality. Swanson was the main character that stood out to me out of all 3 nominees. All 3 ladies did fantastic in their respective roles but for me, Swanson's character was so different and must have definitely stood out, especially for that time. 

Official Winner- Janet Gaynor

Winner In My Eyes- Gloria Swanson

Now on to the gentlemen...

Nominees for Best Actor

Emil Jannings

He was nominated for two roles but like Gaynor, it counted as one nomination

 (Emil Jannings in The Way Of All Flesh)

(Emil Jannings in The Last Command)

The Way Of All Flesh is nowhere to be found! I was so upset but I knew this would be a possibility with the earlier films. I did find Emil Jannings in a short surviving clip on YouTube. The clip is a little over 3 minutes but I was glued to my laptop the entire time! I wish the whole film was preserved because those 3 minutes are just not enough. 

Emil Jannings plays August Schilling. In the the short clip, Jannings plays embarrassment, shame and regret perfectly! After reading about the plot, I seriously am just wanting to watch it more. Schilling plays a family man who has made mistakes even though he seemed to have the perfect life and family. Due to a another mistake, he is announced as dead and his family believes it too. Rather than return and cause his family embarrassment, he abandons them without them knowing he is alive. Years later, he sees that his son, August Schilling Jr. has become a successful musician. This is where the scene is from. Just watch it. Grrr... each time I watch it, it makes me sad that the film is completely lost.  

(Here is the YouTube vid to check out yourself. Does it peak your curiosity too??)

Second movie was The Last Command. I was able to watch this film on YouTube. Thank goodness people are uploading these gems or else I would have no way to watch them. In this film, Jannings plays General Dolgorucki and Grand Duke Sergius Alexander. When we first see Jannings, we see him as a frail old man, weak and clearly confused. We go to flashbacks and wow, what a difference. He is shown as a bold, confident and even cocky man in the past. It really did make me wonder what happened to him to make him turn into such a sad looking man. There is an overthrown situation, betrayal, Jannings gets treated like absolute garbage (and rightfully so!). This movie has so many twists. I loved it. He did such a great job in this role and when you combine it with the short clip from The Way Of All Flesh, it's no wonder he was nominated.

Richard Barthelmess

He was also nominated for two roles 

 (Richard Barthelmess in The Patent Leather Kid)

(Richard Barthelmess in The Noose)

I was really excited to watch The Patent Leather Kid, so I was very glad to have found the film on YouTube. Seriously! Huge shout out to all the people who upload these classics. You are the real MVP's.

Boxing. How I love watching it. It seems that from the very beginning, the Academy has loved it also. Barthelmess plays the Patent Leather Kid, a pretty boy who may be a little conceited but is a great fighter. Things start getting difficult for The Kid once romance enters the picture. Barthelmess has the best little smirk and it's so cute how well he portrays a smitten young guy. Then comes the war and The Kid has to decide if he is going to enlist. I really felt bad for The Kid. Barthelmess does such a great job showing the stress of being pulled into different directions all at once and feeling the pressure from everyone around him. He suffers a lot and in the end, I couldn't help but feel so incredibly sorry for him. I was very happy with the ending though. He definitely deserved to be nominated.

Just like Emil Jannings, I was only able to watch one film for Richard Barthelmess. Sadly, I could not find The Noose ANYWHERE. This made me a little sad but at least I got to see him in action in The Patent Leather Kid. 

Okay, verdict for these two gentlemen now...

Do I agree with the winner for this year? I most certainly do. Emil Jannings just blew my mind in The Last Command and maybe it was a little unfair I didn't get to watch all 4 films but that short clip from The Way Of All Flesh also helped seal the deal for me. Richard Barthelmess did an excellent job also but Jannings acting was just too great in comparison in my opinion.

Official Winner- Emil Jannings

Winner In My Eyes- Emil Jannings

 Now onto the big one... Best Picture

Nominees for Best Picture

First, let's talk about 7th Heaven. There is a quote on there that I absolutely loved; "For those who will climb it, there is a ladder leading from the depths to the heights- from the sewer to the stars- the ladder of courage." That quote summarizes the entire film. It is such a great story of courage and finding love when you least expect it. The chemistry between Diane (Janet Gaynor) and Chico (Charles Farrell) is perfect. It was fun seeing their relationship blossom from nothing to everything. There is one short scene that I loved and I pretty much freaked out over. Have you ever seen the 2011 film The Artist? It is black and white and also a movie about Hollywood's silent era. Anyway, there is a scene that happens in The Artist where the lead actress, Peppy, is playing around with the jacket of the lead actor, George. Well, I have no idea if this was intentional or not, but when I watched 7th Heaven for the first time, Diane did the same thing with Chico's jacket! I instantly thought of The Artist. It did make me wonder if it was a small shout out to 7th Heaven. Either way, I loved it.

(Isn't that adorable? Even if it wasn't something intentional, I still think it's pretty neat)

Next up, The Racket. Just like The Patent Leather Kid, it seems like the Academy has been in love with mob/crime films from the beginning. This film was great; ruthless killings, payback for family, no mercy-Scorsese style. Basically, it was right up my alley and I was pleasantly surprised to see this genre being nominated for the first Academy Awards. The casting was great for this film and I really enjoyed the plot. It seems like this was the prime example for gangster movies for years to come. This movie really makes you think. Sure, the bad guy gets killed but with all of the corruption and blackmail happening, was he the only bad guy? Great film and I am so glad it was nominated.

Last nominee and last film I watched was Wings. All of the Best Picture nominees are great but Wings definitely had the biggest production and for being filmed in the 20's, had some of the most impressive shots. Especially the aerial shots! Even for movies now, when they can easily use CGI, this film was rather impressive. For me, it is incredible what they were able to pull off with this film.

I really loved this story. It focuses on unrequited love, friendship, what people will do to protect friendships and all of this is happening during a war. Two guys that started out as foes, become the best of friends and it's all because of a girl. Isn't that the most classic story of them all? Great story, sad ending, lots of twists, lots of heartbreak, especially as a parent. 

 And the Oscar went/goes to...

Official Winner- Wings

Winner In My Eyes- Wings

I will be completely honest because I had a tough time choosing Wings over 7th Heaven. Yes, I talked about the production of Wings and when it comes to that, I don't think it's really very fair to compare these two. Story wise, I would say I slightly prefer 7th Heaven over The Racket and Wings. When choosing Best Picture though, I had to look past what kind of genre I prefer and look at what the best film of that year was and Wings definitely deserved to win. It just has that "Wow" factor that cannot be overlooked. 

What do you think? Have you watched any of these films? Do you think the Academy got them right?

-Next up-

2nd Academy Awards (February 2019)

movies to watch

Alibi

Coquette

Hollywood Revue

In Old Arizona

Madame X

The Barker

The Broadway Melody

The Divine Lady

The Letter

The Patriot

The Valiant

Thunderbolt

P.S. I am due to have my baby at the very end of February, so this month will be interesting on how things are handled. Ideally, I will get them all done before my little one arrives. Wish me luck!

QUIET ON SET!

Ready?

AND ACTION!

My Love For Film (An Introduction)

My name is Marilei and I love movies. They have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I don't know what the first movie I saw was. What I do remember though is crying myself to sleep when my older sister and older brother were allowed to go watch Ghostbusters and I had to stay home. My mom said I would have gotten too scared. At the time, I thought she was full of crap, but she was probably right.

I was born and spent the first 8 years of my life in La Paz, Bolivia.

(It's between Peru and Brazil in South America. Sorry. I feel the need to point it out because I have had to do that for years since most people I've met have never heard of it)

The reason why I'm mentioning Bolivia is because movies were a little delayed when they finally arrived to La Paz. There was no internet, no instant tweeting your own opinion whether a movie sucked or was awesome. So, we had to wait. And we had to wait a little longer than our North American friends.

I was probably 4 or 5 when the tragedy of not watching Ghostbusters occurred, but I think it's pretty funny that it still sticks with me today. I also remember crying about not being allowed to watch Gremlins with my siblings. I saw a picture of what Gizmo looked like and he was just adorable! How could I not handle it?

Awww!! No way he would ever hurt me. Right? RIGHT?!

Again, she was probably right but who knows. Another thing that stands out is my first time in a movie theater in La Paz. I don't remember what movie it was, but I do know I was learning how to read and boy, was I excited to finally make sense of these shapes that supposedly made words. So, as you can probably guess, all the movies in Bolivia at that time had Spanish subtitles.
"No problem!" I thought since I could basically zoom through my ABC'S and could read well over 100 words *snaps fingers* like that.

Yeah... no.
It was disappointing that I was taking so long to read and I missed most of the movie anyway. I can't tell you if it was action movie, a sci-fi thriller or even a Disney movie. I simply don't remember. I just
remember being pissed off and realizing that I needed to speed up this reading business. And I did. I soaked up as much information from as many things as I could. My grandpa was always reading newspapers, so any chance I had, I would bug him on how to pronounce certain words or what they meant. I knew my mom worked in some kind of newspaper building, but being a kid, I really had no clue what she did, but I do remember knowing she was smart and she probably knew all the words that have ever existed. So she was going to be my next victim.

In school, they had us practice our writing constantly. It was incredibly irritating because I didn't care about writing, I only cared about reading! (My love for writing came to me with a vengeance later on in life). I only wanted to read so I could finally read the subtitles next time I was able to go to the movies. Why I was so obsessed to go to the movies at such a young age, I don't know. But it is a love that has lasted and only grown since.

The first movie I do remember watching when I was in La Paz was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I was better at reading (not great yet) and I was able to keep up for the most part. I'm sure you've heard of love at first sight. I'm not sure if you believe in it or not, but THIS WAS love at first sight. Being in that theater, with that giant screen, I think we had snacks though I'm not sure, and FINALLY being able to understand the people (and mutants) on that screen. I was in love. This is also where my love for all the Turtles started. Especially for Donatello. He has been my fave since.

(Here is Donatello thinking about our everlasting friendship that started

in that theater all those years ago)

Years later (1993) we moved to the United States. Wow! What a difference. I remember lots of little, simple things. I remember the flight attendant's pretty blonde hair. I remember how cool it was that my mom could ask for ice cream on the plane in perfect English (in my ears of course). The only word that I remembered from my English class was 'cookie'. I thought it sounded so cute. I remember the airport being the cleanest place I had ever seen in my entire life. The bathrooms were insane because you would put your hand under the faucet and water magically came out. AND! they had a hot and cold option for water. Wow... amazing. Not only that, but there was carpet everywhere. Soft,
colorful carpet. But the coolest thing I remember seeing for the first time were the automatic doors. You would just stand in front of it, and it would open for you. What a crazy thing, but it was the best thing my 8 year old eyes had ever seen.

We first lived in California with my grandma and aunt. When I think back on it, I always thought we stayed for a few years. But my family has confirmed that it was only for a few months. We ended up moving to Salt Lake City, Utah shortly after with another aunt and my cousins and SLC has been home since.

The first movie I saw in theaters in the United States was Hocus Pocus. I remember being excited to watch it but can you guess what happened when the movie started?

If you haven't guessed yet, here it is...

NO SPANISH SUBTITLES

(This was my exact reaction. No lie)

I was young and didn't know any better, but I was utterly disappointed. All of that practicing and memorizing words and this is what I get? I was angry but now had a new goal. Learn English. Of course I had to learn English to function in this new society and understand everything around me. Being able to understand movies was just going to be a plus. If English is your first language, then you don't know the struggle. For the few months we lived in California, my grandma taught me the days of the week, months of the year and how to say 'hello' in its different variations (hey, hi, etc.) But that was the only lesson I ever received. And in California, almost everyone spoke Spanish at my school. But Utah was a different story. Out of my entire elementary school, I was probably 1 out of 5 kids who were Latino. And this was in West Valley too! If you're not familiar with this area, let me put it this way, non Latinos are the minority now. There were no translators, no bilingual teachers, and no ESL at that time. I was put in the same class as my younger cousin simply because they thought she would help me adjust. My own cousin didn't speak Spanish, so I was technically held back for no reason. The struggle was real. It was hard, frustrating, and at times depressing. But we did it because there was no other way.

When we finally got our own apartment, I was in 4th grade and we lived in Sugarhouse. My mom worked a lot and any time I wasn't playing in the complex playground, I was watching TV. My days and nights were drowned in Beavis and Butt-Head, Bobby's World, and Mighty Max. And of course, like any kid from the 90's, we had THE BEST cartoons. Wacko, Yacko and Dot and countless others were my unofficial teachers on language, pronunciation and lingo. Another blessing from the entertainment Gods was a little thing called Closed Captioning. I used and abused the crap out of that (and still do). Some find it annoying to have subtitles on, but I have been so used to that my entire life, that I sometimes get bothered when it's NOT on. Having subtitles constantly on helped me understand the crazy English spelling. And in turn, helped me win spelling bees in elementary school (but that's a whole different story). I was fluent within a year of soaking up everything English and
the next movie I remember watching was Jurassic Park. This is where my Jeff Goldblum crush started.

"Draw me like one of your French boys, Marilei"

So glad he survived, but what an idiot to not stay still after he threw away the flare, even after Dr. Grant told him to stay still. People in movies never listen, do they?

My mom took us to the movies every weekend. Back when movies were cheap. You know how I mentioned that my mom didn't allow me to watch Gremlins or Ghostbusters cause she didn't think I could handle it? Well, those thoughts went right out the window once we moved to the U.S. There was no one to watch me, and in a foreign country, my mom took all of us everywhere together. So, when I was 9, I saw everything with my family when it came to movies. True Lies, Die Hard With a Vengeance, The Professional, even Species in all its glory (*cough* nudity gallore!). My mom tried to cover my eyes but I could see right through her fingers. So I guess that's what sex is, huh?

The Professional made me realize that when I grew up, I wanted to be a hitman just like Leon. True Lies also made me realize that I could probably be a spy on the side. If Harry can provide for his family while still kicking butt, then why not me? John McClane was the epitome of a bad ass. He bled, got whooped on occassion, but always came out on top, and was a total stud muffin to boot.
I didn't care too much for Species. I fell in love with sci-fi after that, but the movie as a whole... meh. Natasha Henstridge was naked for most of the movie! Well, I haven't watched it since, so I don't recall exactly, but that's what I remember. Why be a vulnerable, naked alien when I could be figuring out riddles with Samuel L. Jackson? 1994 and 1995 was all action in my household and I still love those movies to this day and I am a sucker for action flicks.

My mom was able to purchase our first family home in 1995, and we moved to West Jordan. I was jumping right into of 5th grade at Jim Bridger Elementary. Something happened that year that changed the way I would look at films for the rest of my life. I was 10 and my mom owned a VHS tape that had two hands holding each other on the cover. It was all black and white, except for the smaller hand. The sleeve of the jacket had a pinkish-reddish hue. I don't know if I asked about it, or how it was brought up, but we watched it. The movie was Schindler's List.

(Absolute masterpiece)

If you haven't watched it, I would highly recommend it as it is one of the best films I have ever seen in my entire 34 years on this planet. This movie gutted me, and still does as I watch the 'liquidation of the ghetto' sequence. This was the first film that I became emotionally attached to. I bawled my eyes out afterwards. I couldn't believe what I just watched. But what changed me wasn't seeing the kindness in Oskar Schindler (a member of the Nazi party), the ruthlessness of Amon Goeth, it wasn't all those innocent lives lost. It was at the end. I never once stayed to watch the credits, but this time I did and across our small TV screen I noticed "Directed by Steven Spielberg".

I sat and was obviously crying, but was also paying attention to these titles pop up on the screen. Screenplay by, Executive Producer, Director of Photography. What?? What are all these people doing for this movie? And then it hit me. All of these people made the movie possible. There was an actual person (Spielberg in this case) that was directing people and telling them how to act. There was something called a script that people memorized, and said those words on screen. It was something that never occurred to me before. I always thought of movies as something that was done fast and were probably not that hard to make. It never occurred to me that so much went into making a movie.
I noticed this little Golden statue on the corner on the cover that said 'BEST PICTURE 1993'. I had no idea what that meant. I read the back of the tape and it said the film was the winner of seven Academy Awards. After that, I became obsessed with the Academy Awards and although I did not watch the broadcast that year, or the year after. I was aware of it and wanted to know more.

That was the year Braveheart won Best Picture at the Oscars. I actually watched Braveheart with my family in the theaters, and I saw on magazines afterwards that it won and my instant thought was, "Well, duh!" It was such an excellent film and I was glad it won. It wasn't until years (more than a decade actually) that I found out that most of the movie was fictional. It was a little disappointing since I was so in love with the idea of true stories (I blame Spielberg for that). That year was also when Babe and Apollo 13 came out. I saw all of them in theaters with my family. I loved Babe but I thought Apollo 13 was sooo boring. It wasn't until years later that I truly appreciated the film and I began to read up about the real astronauts and could not believe all of this was true. That was the first time I SAW Tom Hanks act but it wasn't until I saw Toy Story at the end of that year that I fell in love with Hanks. I had never seen anything like Toy Story before, and even though I thought of myself as a little more sophisticated than my peers because I was ALWAYS allowed to watch rated R films, I could not help but be excited about this new kind of animation.

(Here is my cinematic friend, Andy. Andy was a few years younger than me but he 

remained my friend for years and grew up with me)

As I entered junior high, an entire fleet of emotions and thoughts overpowered my body. Boys, boys and more boys. And maybe this is a little crazy to think this, but from junior high until high school, it has always felt like movies were released just for me. Not for wide audiences, or to break box office records, but they were made just for me. Mainly because of all the stuff happening in my life, and the
feelings of my brain and heart, movies always seemed to reach out to me and say, "Hey, I understand." or "Ha! Totally been there!" but most importantly they told me, "This can happen to you too." Before I keep going, let me just say one more thing you must know. You already know that I love films, and that I believe in love at first sight. With that second part, I will just state the obvious; I am a huge hopeless romantic. I love the idea of falling in love, and staying in love, and working for love. I love love!

So with that being said, in my first year of junior high, Titanic came out.

James Cameron, how dare you?!? How dare you make a film with such a perfect gentleman like Jack? Oh Jack, I would have shared the door with you! Jack Dawson only made me want a boyfriend more than ever and if you've survived teenagehood and the crazy hormones that happen, you can imagine what I mean. During those teen years, the following movies came out;

Can't Hardly Wait

10 Things I Hate About You

(Heath teaching me a lesson I will cherish for as long as I live)

American Pie

She's All That

Drive Me Crazy

Never Been Kissed

Save The Last Dance

A Walk To Remember

(I know all girls wanted a guy to do this kind of stuff for her. Landon was perfection)

And the year after I graduated, one of the most important movies of my adolescence and a movie that I quote on a weekly basis came out;

Mean Girls

(Oh Janice, how I love you)

Do you see a connection? They're all teen movies or romantic comedies. But these movies were released just for me. Or at least it always seemed that way. I watch these movies now and with my daughter being a teenager (15), I can't wait to share some of them with her. Maybe she will feel the same way about them as I did all those years ago.
It wasn't just romantic ones that grabbed my attention. Ever since watching my first sci-fi film (Species), I was hooked on sci fi movies. So besides these teen flicks, I was bestowed with the following films during those years;

Men In Black (I and II)

(Yes you do, J. Yes you do.)

StarShip Troopers

The Fifth Element

The Matrix Trilogy

(Red pill for me! What about you?)

And one of the most horrifying sci-fi movies I have ever seen; Event Horizon.

Thinking about it, I can see how you (yes, you!) or anyone felt the same way I did. I can only imagine what it would have been like to be in high school when America Graffiti came out in '73. Or what it was like to be a teenager or young adult and experience Star Wars for the first time in '77. I would have loved to have been there.

Movies speak to us on such a personal level and that's why I love them. Starting a conversation with me about cinema or my favorite movies, will guarantee a few hours of hearing me ramble on and on.
It was in my early twenties when I realized how special movies were to me. It wasn't just some weird fascination that began with wanting to tag along with my siblings. I really do love films. I love the work behind it, I love the passion you can see and feel from the directors AND actors. The screenplays.... oh my goodness. Some of these writers have such an imagination, I can't even wrap my head around it!

I have been following the Academy Awards ever since Titanic came out. I quickly learned what it meant when a movie "swept" the Oscars. I do need to clarify something though; by "following" the Oscars, I don't mean that I watched the live telecast every year. No one in my circle of friends or family was into movies like I was. So I usually heard about it the next day on any channel that I turned on. So, by "following", I mean I had a strong opinion on who I think should have won (even if I didn't watch every film in each category), and cheered when my favorites won, and was pissed for weeks (years?) when someone won that I was positive didn't deserve to (Shakespeare in Love, I'm looking at you!).

So, listen... I have this idea. Well, to be honest, I've had this idea for quite some time and maybe it's because it's the new year, I feel the need to finally do it.

The idea is this...

I am going to watch every movie that has ever won Best Picture at the Oscars. Not only that, I am also adding the movies that have won for Best Actor and Best Actress. I thought about that and thought, "Hmm...well, I can't just watch the winners. I gotta watch all the nominees so I can see if I agree or not!" So, that's the plan. All the nominees and winners for those categories for every
Academy Awards that have happened.

That may not sound like a lot, but after doing some research, it is plenty to keep me occupied for quite some time. The Academy Awards started in 1929. I am terrible at math (and despise doing it) but even I can tell that this is going to take a while and be a lot of work. But it will be fun work. At least, fun in my terms.

There are so many great films out there that I have never watched. Therefore, this project is going to have a lot of confessions, connections, and hopefully some comedy.

Confession #1
To this day, I have yet to watch Gremlins. I know, I know. The movie that I wanted so desperately to watch as a young kid, I haven't even tried to rent it during Blockbuster's glory days? Nope. Not once.

Confession #2
I have never seen some of the great films of all time... Casablanca, Sound Of Music, E.T., Wizard of Oz, Jaws or even any Indiana Jones films. For a self professed movie lover/critic/walking dictionary, that is pretty pathetic. I can fully admit that. But this project will hopefully change that.

Confession #3
I still can't believe Shakespeare In Love beat out Saving Private Ryan! Are you kidding me, Academy? It even beat out Life Is Beautiful?! What the crap happened that year? I promised myself that I would never watch THAT movie. But with this project, I will have to. Sorry past Marilei, I am breaking that promise. I don't see my opinion changing about the Movie That Shall Not Be Named, but only time will tell.


That's enough confessions for now, so now you know a few (embarrassing) things about me. If you are a movie lover like myself, or just have a strong opinion about who should have won instead of another (Saving Private Ryan, amiright?), then join me in writing about the films I will watch.
I have already started this project. It begins this January 2019.

So here is the plan....

*deep breath*

I will watch the movie winners and nominees for one month at a time. I was thinking two weeks would work, but that will be impossible with work, family, especially with a new baby on the way. The 8th Oscars alone have 18 movies to watch! In the 1934/1935 Academy Awards, there were 12 nominees for Best Picture. It wasn't until 1944 where they went to 5 nominees. Phew! But that only lasted until 2009 and they went to 10 nominees for Best Picture. So, I did the math (yes, I am that
dedicated to this idea). One month to review all of the nominees and winners for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Actor and I will be done in....

*drumroll please*


April 2027!

Is this doable? Yes
Is it going to be fun? YES!
Is it going to be frustrating? Of course!
Will people read this? Probably not.
Why am I doing this? I wanna.
Am I crazy for doing this? That's questionable.

But it's just a fun project I thought up. I have seen plenty of movies, have already watched lots of the nominees and winners and even own a good amount. With this project, I am going to watch every single one with a new perspective. I know there will be issues with deadlines or even with getting a hold of some movies, so forgive me for that in advance.


OFFICIAL CONTRACT

I, Marilei, promise to watch all of the nominees and winners for Best Picture, Best

Actress, Best Actor (Hmmm...should I include Best Supporting Actor/Actress??? I'll

decide that later on) of the Academy Awards since its beginning in 1929. I will try

to the best of my ability to watch them and give an honest opinion. Even though I know

Shakespeare in Love majorly sucks, I will watch that movie and others that I am not looking

forward to (a.k.a The Exorcist... will someone please watch it with me??) with an open

mind and promise to write what I truly think and feel about the movie.

I am human, therefore I am undoubtedly biased. I like what I like, but the fun

thing is when it comes to movies... I like LOTS of different things :)

(yeah this doesn't sound like a contract anymore) THE END

1st Academy Awards (January 2019)
-movies to watch-

7th Heaven
A Ship Comes In
The Last Command
The Noose
The Patent Leather Kid
The Racket
The Way of All Flesh
Sadie Thompson
Street Angel
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Wings


QUIET ON SET!

Ready?

And ACTION!