Lunchtime Poll: English Patient, Last Emperor, or Gigi?

9 DAYS TIL OSCAR NOMINATIONS! Three films in Oscar history have won exactly 9 Oscars. They are the musical Gigi (1958), the epic biopic The Last Emperor (1987), and the sweeping romantic drama The English Patient (1996).

GIGI	LAST EMPEROR	ENGLISH PATIENT
Picture	Picture	Picture
Director	Director	Director
		Supp. Actress
Screenplay	Screenplay
Production Design	Production Design	Production Design
Costume Design	Costume Design	Costume Design
Cinematography	Cinematography	Cinematography
Editing	Editing	Editing
Score	Score	Score
	Sound	Sound
Original Song
lost: nothing (clean sweep)	lost: nothing (clean sweep)	lost: Actor, Actress, Screenplay

Lunchtime Poll: They can only keep 9 Oscars between them. Which wins will you allow each film to keep?

 Sound off in the comments!

Restoration @ 25: Honoring the great James Acheson

by Cláudio Alves

In 1995, Michael Hoffman's Restoration adapted the best-selling novel of Rose Tremain into a sumptuous dramatization of 17th century England. Despite some dumbfounding feats of miscasting and a disjointed structure upended by the advent of the Black Plague, the picture's quite beautiful to look at and features some of the best Baroque designs in film history. The scenography leans into the theatricality of Charles II's court, creating an airless world gilded in gold. The costumes, in turn, indulge in the absurdities of 1660s fashion, conjuring a world of radical contrasts between royal splendor and the austere rigor of Puritan charity.

Both achievements won trophies at the 68th Academy Awards. As usual, I'm more interested in the work of Oscar-winning costume design by the great James Acheson. Let's explore the man's genius, his filmography, and the Baroque stylings of the 25-year-old Restoration…

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The Best Costumes of 1987

by Cláudio Alves

Before we say goodbye to 1987, our final "year of the month" to coincide with the Smackdown events, we must look at one final Oscar category: the Best Costume Design race. It was a stellar line-up, dominated by films set during the first half of the 20th century, whose designs spanned from epic opulence to modest realism. The nominees were…

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1987: Best Cinematography Oscar Race

by Cláudio Alves

The year of the next Supporting Actress Smackdown is quite an impressive Oscar vintage. Despite the sweep of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, which won all nine of its nominations, the 60th Academy Awards showcased a remarkable variety of films and artistic approaches. The Best Actress lineup, for instance, is one for the ages, and, across the board, there was a rare openness to honoring the excellence of comedies, mainstream entertainment, and even European arthouse.

In the so-called "below the line" categories, Best Cinematography deserves particular praise. The legendary Vittorio Storaro conquered his third and final trophy for the opulent lensing of The Last Emperor. However, his competition was none too shabby, representing some of the greatest cinematographers ever who, along with the Italian victor, helped shape and perfect the art of cinema, taking it to new peaks of visual marvel. Come meet these masters and their masterworks…

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Almost There: John Lone in "The Last Emperor"

by Cláudio Alves

Parasite made history by becoming the first non-English-language production to win the Best Picture Oscar. Its many victories marked a series of firsts for the Academy, but there's a couple of feats that Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece shares with other winners. As it happens, Parasite is the third film with a majority Asian cast to conquer Best Picture. The Last Emperor and Slumdog Millionaire are the other two. Another thing they share is a glaring lack of acting nominations, which is rare for Best Picture champions. It's difficult to peruse the data and not smell a whiff of systematic racism.

John Lone's absence from the Oscar line-up for his starring role in The Last Emperor is particularly odd… 

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