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.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" Remains Disney's Underrated Masterpiece 20 Years Later

Scene from Hunchback of Notre Dame

There were few studios in the 1990's that had as great of a winning streak as Disney. In 1991, they produced the first ever animated film to get a Best Picture Oscar nomination with Beauty and the Beast. With help of course from Alan Menken in the music department, they released a whole string of now iconic films such as Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Lion King, and Mulan. Along with introducing princesses, it was the last gasp of fresh air for traditional hand drawn animation with some of the most beautiful mainstream cinema outside of Studio Ghibli. However, there is one film that often gets forgotten among the traditional musicals: The Hunchback of Notre Dame. While it gave the world gypsy princess Esmeralda, it gets overshadowed for being the darker tale that the studio has released. After 20 years, it still remains the most underrated of Disney's 90's animated hits - and it's definitely worth giving a second chance.

Nothing But the Best: "Amadeus" (1984)

Tom Hulce in Amadeus

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.