Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 9

Year: 1973

Movie: The Exorcist

Best Picture Winner: The Sting

I'm a huge horror fan and when a horror movie is nominated for Best Picture it's just a big deal for me, because it doesn't happen that often.

The Exorcist, the movie many consider the scariest movie ever made. The film was released to the public in 1973 and quickly became a nationwide success. People were actually fainting in theaters after seeing the horrific images the movie shows and religious groups constantly boycotted it. Yet, it had huge box office returns.

The film centers around a young girl named Regan (Linda Blair), a 12 year-old who has been recently possessed by a demon. Her mother, Chris (Ellen Burstyn), becomes aware of her daughters strange behavior and exhausts ever medical effort to find a cure. She soon discovers that her daughter’s condition can’t be solved medically but spiritually and recruits Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) to perform an exorcism.

Karras is not only dealing with the supernatural in this film, he also has scarce faith and displaced quilt over his mother’s recent death.During the exorcist he is joined by a strange Jesuit exorcist Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and together they have to confront the evil that possesses young Reagan.

The great thing about this movie that I really admired about it is how it grounds itself in realism and has the everyday tone, and then it lets the terror come in slowly and then hits you hard with it.

Watching the movie now, it still holds up and remains a classic. This film should of won best picture, forget about The Sting - The Exorcist and American Graffiti were better films in my opinion.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 8

Year: 1973

Movie: American Graffiti

Best Picture Winner: The Sting

For those of you who don't know there was a George Lucas before Star Wars and he made some great films and one of those films was American Graffiti.

The movie is about four teenagers on their last summer night before they head off to college. They rediscover drag racing, inspiration point and the classic drive-ins, in this nostalgic look back at the early '60's.

Besides the story and the performances from Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Suzanne Somers and pre-Han Solo Harrison Ford, the movie is all about it's music. The soundtrack that the film has brings back all those memorable rock 'n' roll hits from the '60's, surrounding you in that time period.

The Sting has a classic score and it's a good movie but not one of my favorites. American Graffiti was definitely a better film in my opinion but for the year of '73 there was another film that was nominated that also deserved a best picture win and I'll talk about that tomorrow.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 7

Year: 1971

Move: A Clockwork Orange

Best Picture Winner: The French Connection

The French Connection is a great movie but the effect of A Clockwork Orange will stay with you forever.

Derby-topped teddy-boy hooligan Alex (Malcolm McDowell) has his own way of having a good time - at the expense of others. His journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper citizen and back again forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shock vision of Anthony Burgess' novel. Controversial when first released, A Clockwork Orange won New York Film Critics Best Picture and Director awards and earned four Oscar nominations, including best picture. The movie still has the power to grab you and keep you tangled up in the messed up world of Alex until the very end.

The French Connection is a great movie that everyone should watch but A Clockwork Orange is an experience that you won't get from any other movie.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 6

Year: 1967

Movie: The Graduate

Best Picture Winner: In the Heat of the Night

a social satire that launched the career of Dustin Hoffman and cemented the reputation of acclaimed director Mike Nichols. Pulsating with the rebellious spirit of the '60s and a memorable score sung by Simon and Garfunkle, The Graduate is a classic and a landmark in film making.The movie is about Benjamin Braddock (Hoffman) who returns home from college with an uncertain future. He soon meets the wife of his father's business partner, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and she seduces him, and the affair only deepens his confusion. That is, until he meets the girl of his dreams.
This film had tough competition going up against In the Heat of the Night but also deserved a Best Picture win. Some years you get multiple movies that deserve the title, but this should have been a tie at least.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 5

Year: 1964

Movie: Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Best Picture Winner: My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady is a good movie, but it’s not a film that I can watch again and again but when it comes to Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy about an “accidental” nuclear attack, well now there something that’s worth multiple viewings.
Dr. Strangelove came out when the paranoia about the Cold War was at an all-time high. A crazed General (Sterling Hayden) is convinced that communist are polluting America’s “precious bodily fluids”, so he orders a surprise nuclear air strike on the USSR.
His aide Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) sees the Generals’ crazy ways and tries to figure out a recall code to stop the bombing.
In America the President (Peter Sellers) gets on the hot line to try and convince the drunk Soviet premier hat the attack is a mistake. This is all happening as the President’s ex-Nazi scientist, Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers), confirms the existence of the Doomsday Machine. A machine that is a secret Soviet retaliatory device guaranteed to end the human race.
This movie has so much to keep you entertained and to keep coming back for more. The performances by Peter Sellers is what made this film, they were all funny, strange and unique. This film had a lot of competition when it came to My Fair Lady but it should have won Best Picture.
Dr. Strangelove was a unique experience, something no one had thought of or could ever recreate.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 4

Year: 1956

Movie: Giant

Best Picture Winner: Around the World in 80 Days

Want to talk about a film being robbed, well Giant is that film. I never cared much for Around the World in 80 Days, yeah it’s entertaining but it doesn’t have the emotion that Giant had.
Giant is such a large movie in scale and in story. It covers three generations of land-rich Texans and all the goings on in their family. Director George Stevens won the Academy Award for this film and that is no surprise.
The cast made up of Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. This is by far James Dean’s best work. I know a lot of people remember him from the movie “A Rebel Without a Cause” but that performances does not even compare to his work in this film.
Everything in this film was put together so well, from the settings, to the story to the performances there is something that will grab everyone.
If you haven’t seen Giant you’re missing out on so much.

Best Pictures That Never Were: Day 3

Year: 1953

Movie: Shane

Best Picture Winner: From Here to Eternity

Director George Steven’s brings to life the defining western myth. The movie is about Shane (Alan Ladd), a drifter and retired gunfighter, to the assistance of a homestead family terrorized by a wealthy cattleman and his hired gun Jack Wilson (Jack Palance). In fighting the last decisive battle, Shane sees the end of his own way of life. Mysterious, moody and atmospheric, the film is made by its intense performances from a stunning cast.

They don't make westerns like this anymore and I don't care what anyone says the Western genre isn't dead and they should really stat bringing it back (not remakes though).
The character Shane is by far one of the greatest movie hero’s of all-time and if you haven’t seen this piece of American History you should go and BUY it, because this movie is something you’ll watch again and again because its simply one of the best westerns ever made.

I will say that this movie deserved the title of Best Picture.