News from the Boston Becks

Almost Famous (2000)

With the recent change in the Academy Awards, upping the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to 10, it calls for a look at Academy history. The first thing to remember is that the number of nominees fluctuated in the early years. It started with 3 (plus 3 for Best Production), then went up to 5 the next year, changed to 8 in 1931-32, went up to 10 the next year, up to 12 the year after that, stayed 12 in 1935, then went back down to 10 where it stayed until 1943. In 1944, it went back down to 5 and has stayed like that ever since.

Of course, the number of Best Director nominees will be staying at 5, so there will be guesses as to what “the real 5 are,” but for now, we are back to 10.

So what about the years between? If it had been 10 this whole time, what would the other nominees have been? I have taken my best stab at this for all the years in between and I tried to keep it as objective as possible. So, I set a few rules. (more…)

Zhang Yimou

Zhang Ziyi bathing in House of Flying Daggers (2004)

• Born:  1951
• Rank:  50
• Score:  573.45
• Awards:  BSFC / NSFC
• Feature Films:  14
• Best:  House of Flying Daggers
• Worst:  Not One Less

Top 5 Films:

1. House of Flying Daggers – 2004
2. Hero – 2002
3. Raise the Red Lantern – 1991
4. Shanghai Triad – 1995
5. Ju Dou – 1990

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1992 – 4th – Raise the Red Lantern
• 2004 – 3rd – House of Flying Daggers
• 2004 – 6th – Hero

(more…)

George Lucas

The Star Wars universe

• Born: 1944
• Rank: 51
• Score: 572.10
• Awards: NYFC / NSFC (both for Screenplay)
• Nominations: 2 Oscars / 2 DGA / 2 GG
• Feature Films: 6
• Best: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Worst: THX-1138

Feature Films (ranked):

1. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
2. American Graffiti
3. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
4. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
5. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
6. THX-1138

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1973 – 6th – American Graffiti
• 1977 – 1st – Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

(more…)

Terry Gilliam

Benicio Del Toro and Johnny Depp embodying Dr. Gonzo and Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

• Born:  1940
• Rank:  52
• Score:  571.20
• Awards:  LAFC
• Nominations:  Golden Globe
• Feature Films:  11
• Best:  The Fisher King
• Worst:  Tideland

Top 5 Films:

1. The Fisher King – 1991
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – 1975
3. Brazil – 1985
4. 12 Monkeys – 1995
5. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – 1998

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1985 – 3rd – Brazil
• 1991 – 3rd – The Fisher King
• 1995 – 3rd – 12 Monkeys
• 1998 – 10th – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

(more…)

Bob Fosse

Roy Scheider in All That Jazz (1979)

• Born:  1927
• Died:  1987
• Rank:  53
• Score:  570.70
• Awards:  Oscar / BAFTA / NBR / numerous Tonys
• Nominations:  3 Oscars / 2 DGA / BAFTA / 2 Golden Globes
• Feature Films:  5
• Best:  All That Jazz
• Worst:  Sweet Charity

Feature Films (ranked):

1. All That Jazz - 1979
2. Cabaret – 1972
3. Lenny – 1974
4. Star 80 – 1983
5. Sweet Charity – 1969

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1972 – 2nd – Cabaret
• 1979 – 5th – All That Jazz

(more…)

So, after a year of claiming that he was already 5, Thomas actually is 5. This first video is him blowing out his candles. If you have problems with it, you can try viewing it here. I’ve had problems with Youtube videos lately, so sorry if it is kind of jumpy for you.

Here is the picture that was promised.

A sight never before seen in nature - a Tigger, a cheeky monkey and a Woobee riding an elephant!

If you go to the rest of the post, there are also some pictures as well as an explanation of the other video I shot. (more…)

Erich von Stroheim

The Death Valley finale of Greed (1925)

• Born:  1885
• Died:  1957
• Rank:  54
• Score:  570.10
• Feature Films:  8
• Best:  Greed
• Worst:  The Wedding March

Feature Films (ranked):

1. Greed – 1925
2. Foolish Wives – 1922
3. Queen Kelly – 1929
4. Blind Husbands – 1919
5. The Merry Widow – 1925
6. The Wedding March – 1928

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• pre-1927 – 2nd – Greed
• pre-1927 – 7th – Foolish Wives
• 1928-29 – 7th – The Wedding March
• 1985 – 9th – Queen Kelly

(more…)

Neil Jordan

Jaye Davidson and Stephen Rea in The Crying Game (1992)

• Born: 1950
• Rank: 55
• Score: 567.00
• Awards: Oscar (for Screenplay) / LAFC (for Foreign Film) / NYFC (for Screenplay)
• Nominations: Oscar / DGA / 3 BAFTA’s / Golden Globe
• Feature Films: 14
• Best: The Crying Game – 1992
• Worst: In Dreams – 1999

Top 5 Feature Films:

1. The Crying Game – 1992
2. The End of the Affair – 1999
3. Mona Lisa – 1986
4. The Good Thief – 2002
5. The Butcher Boy – 1998

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1986 – 4th – Mona Lisa
• 1992 – 2nd – The Crying Game
• 1996 – 6th – Michael Collins
• 1999 – 4th – The End of the Affair

(more…)

Jean Renoir

The aristocratic Erich von Stroheim and the not so aristocratic Jean Gabin in The Grand Illusion (1937)

• Born: 1894
• Died: 1979
• Rank: 56
• Score: 566.90
• Awards: NBR
• Nominations: Oscar
• Feature Films: 27
• Best: The Grand Illusion – 1937
• Worst: Elena and Her Men – 1956

Top 5 Feature Films:

1. The Grand Illusion – 1937
2. The Rules of the Game – 1939
3. La Bete Humaine – 1938
4. Boudu Saved From Drowning – 1932
5. The Crime of Monsieur Lange – 1935

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1937 – 4th – La Marseillaise
• 1937 – 6th – The Lower Depths
• 1938 – 1st – The Grand Illusion
• 1940 – 6th – La Bete Humaine
• 1943 – 6th – This Land is Mine
• 1945 – 6th – The Southerner
• 1950 – 7th – The Rules of the Game
• 1951 – 9th – The River
• 1964 – 9th – The Crime of Monsieur Lange
• 1969 – 9th – Boudu Saved From Drowning

(more…)

Baz Luhrmann

Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge! (2001)

• Born:  1962
• Rank:  57
• Score:  564.05
• Awards:  BAFTA / BFCA
• Nominations:  DGA / 2 BAFTA’s / Golden Globe
• Feature Films:  4
• Best:  Moulin Rouge!
• Worst:  Strictly Ballroom

Films (in rank order):

1. Moulin Rouge! – 2001
2. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet – 1996
3. Australia – 2008
4. Strictly Ballroom – 1993

Top 10 Director Finishes  (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1996 – 10th – Romeo + Juliet
• 2001 – 2nd – Moulin Rouge!
• 2008 – 10th – Australia

(more…)