R.I.P. Milos Forman (1932-2018)

Milos Forman

On April 13, 2018, director Milos Forman died at the age of 86 in Danbury, Connecticut. Over the course of his career, he is best remembered for two Best Picture-winning films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. Beyond that, his career encapsulated stories about people trying to understand what freedom truly mean, which he understood as a Czechoslovakian immigrant. His films tended to feature naturalist approaches to stories, capturing a documentary-like look to stories no matter how fictional. He was also great with actors, managing to earn major awards for actors ranging from Jack Nicholson to Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey. His legacy can be found in his provocative cinema whose messages still feel immediate. He will be greatly missed, even if his influence isn't likely to go away any time soon.

A Look at the Brilliance of the Ballgame Scene in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

For an actor like Jack Nicholson, there's an embarrassment of riches to be found in his filmography for "best performance." Who could argue with The Last Detail, Chinatown, The Shining, or even later in The Departed? It's tough to narrow it down. However, to understand what made him an essential icon, one doesn't have to look further than "The World Series scene" of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to understand what has kept him an indelible part of pop culture. It's by no means a scene that forwards the story, yet reflect the dovetailing effect of the late Milos Forman's ability to direct a scene with nothing more than a hand raise. It's one of Nicholson's finest scenes, and evidence of the magic that came from a director who took a psych ward and turned it into a grander metaphor for society. When Nicholson's scream breaks the sound barrier, it unleashes the purest joy of cinema, and it's all so simple.

A Look at the Oldest Oscar Winners That Are Still With Us

Olivia De Havilland in Gone With the Wind

Today marks a very special occasion. It's actress Olivia De Havilland's 100th birthday. Unlike her peers who in recent years we've celebrated centennials (Frank Sinatra, Ingrid Bergman), she has the distinct honor of being the oldest living Oscar winner, having won twice for The Heiress and more imporant as Melanie in the box office sensation Gone With the Wind. While she leaves behind an impressive career, one of her most recent achievements is being the oldest Oscar winner to still be alive. So, who else is getting up there in age? The following is the 10 actors and actresses who come close, but no cigar.

Ranking the Performances from the "Big Five" Oscar Winners

Scene from The Silence of the Lambs

With Oscar Sunday mere days away, it feels like as good of a time as any to do a commemorative countdown. In this case, we are five days away from finding out if The Revenant can beat Spotlight for Best Picture or Brie Larson can beat Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress. So, how do you commemorate five days left? Why, by honoring "The Big Five": an honor held by only three films that have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay (and strangely enough, nothing else). It's rarer than you think. For the sake of an expansive list, I have decided to rank the six performances in order of quality to highlight not only what makes a great performance, but what can enhance a great film.

Nothing But the Best: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

Scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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.