R.I.P. Bernardo Bertolucci (1941-2018)

Bernardo Bertolucci

On November 26, 2018, writer and director Bernardo Bertolucci died at the age of 77 in Rome, Italy. Over the course of his career he has been a big part of the Italian film movement with such projects as The Conformist, 1900, and The Dreamers. He also directed The Last Emperor, which also won Best Picture at the Oscars. Considering that he has been known to stick his political views into his films, his work has often been charged with undertones of social changes and a need to better society. He has also been a figure of controversy because of this, and he leaves behind a body of work that is audacious by nature. Whatever the case may be, his films speak for itself, leaving behind the portrait of a passionate artist and someone who wanted to make a difference.

Nothing But the Best: "The Last Emperor" (1987)

Scene from The Last Emperor

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

A Look Back at My Oscar Best Picture Challenge (1960-2013)

While it is fun to report on the future of The Oscars, I also have set up a challenge to myself to see every previous Best Picture winner. Through this method, I am hoping to get an overall understanding of themes and hopefully to understand the psychology that goes with the voting. With 2013 coming to a close, I have finished another leg of my goal by having seen everything that won after 1960. This feels like as good of a time as any to look back and see what made the running goal worthwhile and if it continues to be an enjoyable experience.

My Top 20 Favorite Post-1970's Academy Award Best Picture Winners

As someone who enjoys writing about the Oscars for fun, I have also tried to make a decision to watch all of the Best Picture winners. At very least, this would help me to understand the cultural impact more and notice trends. I have gone through some highs and lows, and in the end, I come away with expectations that were either met or disappointed. In the past week, I have reached a new milestone with my goal and have seen every film that has won after 1970. The following is a compilation of my top 20 favorite as well as some honorable mentions and the five that I felt were least deserving (hint: I found some I liked less than Crash)