In the 80s, the Oscars went to ...

Hey gang -- The latest episode of the Stuck in the 80s podcast is officially online. Click here to listen. Or click here to download all our shows for free via iTunes.

This week's topic: The Oscars in the 80s. And what more appropriate time to cover this topic -- this year marks the 80th edition of the Academy Awards.

This week's guest co-host is Steve Persall, the Times film critic and smarter than Sean Daly and I put together. (Click here to read his "Reeling in the Years" blog).

We'll go over the winners for Best Picture for each year of the 80s -- and honor the flicks we think were unfairly passed over.

TOP 5 MOST UNDER-RATED OSCAR WINNERS OF THE 80s:

5. THE LAST EMPEROR (1987): I'll watch any movie with Peter O'Toole -- even if he's just the gaffer. Also holds the distinction of being the first big film shot in the Forbidden City in Communist China.

4. PLATOON (1986): Second to "Wall Street" as Oliver Stone's best movie, maybe? Anybody? I skipped a fraternity party to see this movie. Talk about a depressing evening.

3. GANDHI (1982): Horrifically long, but for those of us with no lives, that's not a problem. Ben Kingsley deserves 10 Oscars for his transformation of Gandhi throughout his life.

2. AMADEUS (1983): F. Murray Abraham wins an Oscar, though Tom Hulce and Jeffrey Jones had their best career roles as well.

1. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981): Epic performances by Ben Cross, Ian Holm and Ian Charleson as British Olympians at the 1924 Summer Games in Paris. Ignore the dated, electronica theme song and just enjoy a great -- and true -- story of heroism and determination.

Comments

[Mike in Austin]

I own cinema Paradiso (VHS of course)

[jane]

Mike -- good call on "Europa, Europa" and "Olivier, Olivier". Must add a classic: "Cinema Paradiso" to the foreign films l loved list. And the first two subtitled movies I ever saw... "La Cage Aux Falles" ('78) and "La Cage Aux Falles II." ('80) I was probably too young when I saw them initially to really appreciate all that was going on, but I laughed my tuchus off regardless.

[Spears]

I'm not saying "Victory" was Oscar-worthy, but it's probably the one of only a few non-Rocky movies from Stallone that I can tolerate. (The other big one: Demolition Man. "Be well, John Spartan.")

Max Von Sydow is pretty much great in any movie he's in. Another great movie of his from the 80s -- Code Name: Emerald.

[Mike in Austin]

Jane,

With the exception of Where Angels Fear...I've seen them all back in the 80's or 90's. Though I'm rough around the edges, I enjoy emotion provoking period movies.

Al, I read a book in the 90's about the STASI and they were no joke. Deep down the lives of others really made me squirm a bit.
As for foreign films, I love 'em when I'm in the mood to read subtitles. The wife and I have Black book cued up....
As for past foreign movies, I believe in the 80's: Europa Europa, Olivar Olivar (True story in France, spelling?), Journey of Hope (1991) and anything with Gerard Depardieu through the decades (only seen a few, but good ones)
I've seen Downfall, excellent flick.

[jane]

Cultural richness - great descriptor, Al. The attention to detail is what totally blew me away -- once I got used to the era-appropriate, misogynistic dialogue and all that smoking. And I'll take Jon Hamm any day, any way.

Keeping (or at least making an attempt) to stay on task here, if you haven't seen any of the Merchant/Ivory/E.M. Forster film adaptations -- "A Room with a View"; "Passage to India"; "Maurice"; "Where Angels Fear to Tread"; "Howard's End" (although the last two were early '90s releases) you should check out at least one. Sumptuously filmed and impossibly literate, they're little treasures that tend to get overlooked these days when remembering films of past decades. That might just be the English major in me talking, but I dig 'em. And their sensibility.

[Al]

Yes Mike! "Lives of Others" was astounding!

Check out "Downfall"....which is a recent German film on the final days of Hitler, it's excellent.

Also sticking to foreign films, "Joyeux Noel" was about the Christmas Day truce during the First World War. Spectacular film.

[Al]

Fair enough, Mike. I don't think "Victory" is dumb, just a bit silly. The ending is excellent, I concur on that.

Jane......if I had Joan as my secretary (thanks, couldn't remember the name), I'd probably have a heart attack too, I loved it when Don slaps Roger and tells him his wife's name. Ouch.

The cultural richness of Mad Men is totally amazing......just like stepping into a time machine. Can't wait for Season 2!

January Jones and Rosemary Dewitt? Any decade, I'm in Heaven there between them. Mmmm. I'm starting to slobber like Daly.

[Mike in Austin]

Netflix cue you say, add 'em and leave 'em:
-Becoming Jane
-This is England
-Dare to Dream: the story of the US women's national soccer team, great, great documentary. I followed woman's soccer from the early 90's until the downfall of the WUSA.
-Lives of others (german subtitles)
-End of the Spear (true story)
-The Wind that shakes the barley
-Freedom Writers (true story, my parents went to that high school in east L.A.)
-The Queen

Add 'em!

[jane]

Agreed, Al -- Mad Men is totally addictive. I could wax poetically for a while on everything I dig about it -- but I will spare you that. I can only imagine what your work productivity would be like if you had a secretary like Joan/the red-headed one...

PS: It's encoring on Sunday nights (or would that be Monday morning) @ midnight. Plus it's on iTunes.

Topic: I've only seen bits and pieces of Victory -- my netflix queue keeps getting longer and longer...

[Mike in Austin]

Victory is an awesome, awesome movie. Made well before it's time. Don't forget about Max Van Sydow. While in Iraq (the first time) I watched a handful of movies over and over and over. Victory was one of them, to include a select few (Logan's Run, Goodbye Girl, Cool Hand Luke, Hawk the Slayer). I've tried showing Victory to the younger generation and they think it is incredibly dumb. Who doesn't love the ending!!

[Al]

Jane, Mad Men is wonderful......so addicting! If I had secretaries like the red-headed one, yowzers!

[Al]

VICTOIRE! VICTOIRE! With Stallone as the goalie? Oh Steve......I love the '80's too, but that film was just silly. It was like an episode of Hogan's Heroes, which made the film awesomely silly.

Please give Mr. Persall more air-time on the podcast if you can.......I love Daly, but it's wonderful to up the IQ quotient once in a while.

[jane]

Do NOT get me started on what AMC has become, movie-showing wise. Grrrrrr. Too many commercials, too many movies that I can see elsewhere. However, they get a pass from me these days for producing and providing my absolute favorite (along with 30 Rock) program on TV these days -- Mad Men.

Nice to know I'm not alone with the Bill Murray love -- humor and intelligence are total aphrodisiacs.

[Spears]

Though this way shock you, I probably own more non-80s movies than 80s movies. And yes, "Lost in Translation" is among my treasured collection of 300-plus DVDs. I'm a movie hound.

I'm still waiting to talk someone into doing that podcast on the movie "Victory" -- Stallone, Michael Caine, Pele as WW2 POWs forced to play soccer against the Germans. Great stuff. I have that on DVD as well.

[Marissa]

lol Good thing he made plenty of flicks in the 80s. Steve might chastise us for discussing him otherwise.

[Sherrie]

The first time I saw Lost in Translation, I played that final scene over and over, with the volume up SO loud- I had to know what was said but I was denied. Thanks to the YouTube clip, I am very, very satisfied with what may have really been said.

Jane and Marissa, add me to the list of gals who find Bill Murray strongly, undeniably sexy. Especially in Lost in Translation, he is very, very sexy. He's in my list of top 5 sexiest men, unlikely as it may seem. Yikes, all this chatting about LIT and Bill Murray at breakfast time has me all aflutter!

[Marissa]

Jane, when I first viewed the spoiler, I feared disappointment. If that is indeed what he says to her, I am delighted. I wanted a happy ending.

As far as Murray's sexiness, I've always had this odd crush on the man. Aesthetically he might not be traditionally attractive, but humor and intelligence goes a long way with me.

I seriously need to upgrade my cable. I don't get Turner Classics. I long for the old films of yesteryear. Long ago AMC would have weekend long Tracy and Hepburn marathons (and the like). They currently play a lot of crap and I HATE the commercials. Wrong! Wrong!

[jane]

Aw, Mike -- what a thoughtful sentiment...

Miss Riss -- thanks for the YouTube link. I like how it plays out there -- but I also rather like the ambiguity of it as well, which allows us to put our own supposition onto the moment. By the way -- Bill Murray is very sexy in this flick. One woman's opinion.

PS: I totally forgot until just now about Turner Classic Movies' 31 Days of Oscar. Duh. Here's the link to the schedule:
http://www.tcm.com/2008/31days/index.jsp?o_cid=200831days_homepageflash

The films of the '80s are featured on Saturday nights -- next week: Ordinary People and Raging Bull. Plus Pavarotti in Yes, Giorgio! Set your DVRs now!

(And if you can pull yourself away from AI coverage on Wednesday night -- Some Like It Hot is on at 8pm. Pretty close to perfect, despite what Oswald says...)

[Marissa]

You know, youtube has the supposed spoiler on what he says to her.
I loved Lost in Translation. Loved. It!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MV7Sym8bIQ
Go if you dare!

[Mike in Austin]

Jane,

Not sure if you'll get this post....but....Holy cow, I almost mentioned the whisper scene at the end of Lost in Translation in my post. Oh the kiss and what did Bill say to Scarlet. I watched that scene over and over and over. As a guy in my late 30's, what would I say to a young woman who brings me a few days of utter happiness, making me feel young, loved, wanted, cares what I have to say but in the same breath knows that if we were back in the states we would be worlds apart....

[jane]

I would totally dig a weekly movie podcast -- or even a virtual movie club where there's a movie of the week/fortnight/month and we watch and discuss.

PS: Mike -- great list. Dangerous Liaisons is totally in my top tier as well. Glad to see Lost In Translation on there -- I loved it, unlike many of my friends who loathed it. So... what do you think Bill whispered in Scarlett's ear at the end...

[Douglas Arthur]

or as Brando said: "Bring me the buttah"

[Marissa]

OH jeez! I'm not that special.. get me my grapes, boy. I'm hungry!

[Douglas Arthur]

now you are joking about my size?

of my posts, i mean...
:)

Ahhh, Mariss, you are the queen of the blog!
All others are just pretenders to the throne!

excuse me while I toss about some palm fronds...

[Douglas Arthur]

hey Steve, I for one would welcome a weekly movie podcast. i have been jonesing ever since the powers that be at Disney decided that I should have to pay to hear the Ebert and Roper podcast.
mmmm, no.

Chariots Of Fire held a lot of resonance with me in the 80's since I was a runner back in the day and I found quite a bit of inspiration in it. I was never that fast ( though I could break 5 minutes in the mile, so I was okay)

[Marissa]

lol the length is just fine, Douglas.

I tease. I keed.

[Douglas Arthur]

huh? must shorten my posts.

[Marissa]

Hokey smokes! My comment was longer than Doug's. Write that one down, kids! It won't happen often. :)

[Marissa]

I know it's hard to believe, Steve. I hang my head in shame, but I'll remedy that as soon as I have the time to sit and fully enjoy its splendor.
Shawshank is one of my all time favorites. I can't really explain why. It should be obvious, but I'm not a reviewer or critic. I just know what I like.

I can relate to line #5. "I'm forever in pursuit and I don't even know what I am chasing" And I don't mean that in a cheeky manner. I think it speaks volumes and I don't even know what context in which it is used.

I do and did give SP kudos for a job well done. Or maybe I dreamed it while devouring mashed potatoes. Anyway, Steve Persall you did an fantabulous job! I'd welcome you anytime to join the podcast-ala movie style.

[Douglas Arthur]

There was a great cartoon called Tom the Dancing Bug, that featured a semi regular character Harvey Richards, lawyer For Children, who would go to playgrounds and settle arguments using such edicts. I remember one such episode when he solved an argument by noting that by using the principal of "whoever smelt it dealt it" that timmy was the guilty party! Was very funny and I don't do it justice
Google it and see what comes up. Actually I did. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Dancing-Bug-Collection-Cartoons/dp/0060969490. worth every penny I tell you.

[Spears]

Marissa -- you've never seen Chariots of Fire? I know Steve P. didn't love it, but I'm addicted to it. I sob like a baby at the end. It's up there with Rudy and Field of Dreams for super-charge ability to make me cry.

Top 5 favorite lines from Chariots of Fire:

5. I'm forever in pursuit and I don't even know what I am chasing.

4. Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within.

3. My arrogance, sir, extends just as far as my conscience demands.

2. Now there are just two of us - young Aubrey Montague and myself - who can close our eyes and remember those few young men with hope in our hearts and wings on our heels.

1. I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.

[Spears]

I'd like to think I've seen every movie based in Chicago -- a city I always wanted to live in. Best Chicago movie -- probably Ferris Bueller? Worst one -- no such thing. I even liked Dutch.

As for the Last Emperor, I'm not sure I'd put it in my all-time top 10 (in fact, I know I wouldn't), but it's worth watching. It holds up great -- more so than Terms of Endearment.

Let's give a round of applause to Steve Persall for his job on this week's podcast. Fantastic commentary. I could talk movies all day long with him.

Interesting story: I once asked Steve if he ever second-guessed one of his reviews. He said yeah, for "Shawshank Redemption," which didn't get his highest mark when he first saw it. I really gotta get Steve to tell the full story again.

Anyone out there in favor of a weekly movie podcast???

[Marissa]

I might have to take myself on a time-trip and watch Steve's top 5 flicks up yonder. I shamefully admit I've never seen Chariots of Fire. The rest I have seen more than once.

[Marissa]

I think all movies made in or about Chicago should be heralded in some manner. C'mon! Home of Al Bundy, baby!

[Steve Persall]

I think he and Siskel are/were easier on Chicago-set movies. Got to be a joke between Princess Di and I, when they'd start a TV review by identifying that setting. I think it came to us after Dutch and Curly Sue.

[Mike in Austin]

Jane,

By all means watch the The Last Emperor, it is truly a wonderful piece of work. I rank it in the top 10 movies of all time (along with Excalibur, Valley Girl, Glory, Reckless, Goodbye Girl, Dangerous Liasons, maybe even Lost in Translation).

The story of Pui Yi (spelling) is wonderful, the puppet emperor.

[Spears]

Usually, I'm always in Ebert's corner. I always wondered if he holds movies set in Chicago to a higher standard.

[Steve Persall]

Ebert is never wrong. He just misspeaks the correct opinion.

[Spears]

Steve P -- Can you believe that Roger Ebert panned the lawnmower scene in "She's Having a Baby"? He said the fantasy scenes didn't fit in.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

[Spears]

There should be a top 20 list here somewhere for fart sayings:

-- He who denied it supplied it.

-- He who smelt it dealt it.

etc, etc.

[Marissa]

OH sure, Douglas! We're talking flatulence,and you have to come in here talking intelligently about movies and 'riveting performances.' Who the hell do you think you are busting up our fart-rific chat? HUH? hehe

[Douglas Arthur]

I remember being fascinated by Ghandi. I was all of 14 or 15 when it came out and I remember having an argument with my film teacher in high school about that movie. She thought E.T. was overlooked and should have been best picture...and while I enjoyed ET very much, Ghandi was easily the superior film. Ben Kingsley busted onto the scene in a big way with that movie. For a completely opposite view of his acting you really ought to do yourself a favor and see Sexy Beast from a few years back...a tour de force of sheer ugly. Riveting performance I thought.
I liked Platoon well enough, though I skipped Wall Street, and have still never seen it all the way through.
Jane, great call on Bernardo's speech. i remember there was quite a debate the next day as to what he really meant. I think eventually he got a pass because he is Italian.

[Tom]

Well it is a time mastered skill, like juggling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ZayhhK-Ro
here's the clip, just watch the first part

[Steve Persall]

That's called "cropdusting."

[Marissa]

I was trying to find the clip on youtube. I know it's on there. My son has watched it umpteen times.
I work with a woman who is a fart on the fly. She casually walks by, and keeps on walking as if nothing has happened. Meanwhile, the rest of us are gasping for air!

[Tom]

Or he coughs whilst trying to cover them up like Peter does.

[Marissa]

Since he's encased in glass during the podcast, I can't help but think of an episode of The Family Guy when Peter is in a glass box and breaks wind. He is desperately trying to get out and can't. He eventually passes out.

[Steve Persall]

Too many syllables for me. I prefer "fart." I know Spears did it during the podcast recording but he was in another room and could deny.

[Marissa]

Odiferous Gaseousness.

[Steve Persall]

It's all those FunYums.