#there are lesser performances getting nominated tbh

[anintelligentoctopus]

Edmond O’Brien’s movies, as evaluated by me, because someone had to do it:

A Girl, A Guy and A Gob (1941): Haven’t been able to watch more than a few clips, but 25/26-year-old Eddie is cute, and Lucille Ball’s in it, so it’s got that going for it too

Parachute Battalion (1941): Blatant recruitment propaganda for the parachute corps (pre-Pearl Harbour). Really only worth watching for handsome young Eddie

Winged Victory (1944): Another bit of propaganda (of the morale-boosting variety). It’s about what you’d expect for wartime propaganda, really.

The Killers (1946): Classic noir. Really good. Eddie’s character isn’t as complex as Ava Gardner’s or Burt Lancaster’s but his investigation ties everything together and he plays the part well

White Heat (1949): Classic noir. James Cagney is great. Eddie has a solid supporting role.

D.O.A. (1950): Another classic noir, slightly lesser-known. He plays ‘desperate’ very well.

The Admiral Was A Lady (1950): Silly, fluffy little comedy about four air corps veterans (Eddie, Richard Erdman, Steve Brodie and Johnny Sands) who put a lot of work into avoiding work.

The Turning Point (1952): Lower-tier but still pretty good noir with William Holden. Eddie has very big role (basically second lead)

The Hitch-Hiker (1953): Edmond O’Brien Needs A Hug: The Movie. Ida Lupino directed.

Julius Caesar (1953): Eddie basically disappears after they all stab Caesar (spoiler: Caesar dies). People always talk about Brando in this movie but I barely noticed him tbh.

The Bigamist (1953): Another Ida Lupino movie. Interesting, and pretty good.

Shield For Murder (1954): Has the most over-the-top hardboiled tagline ever: ‘Dame-Hungry Killer Cop Goes Berserk!’. I once said Eddie never gave a bland performance and one thing I can say for sure about this movie is that he’s not dull.

The Girl Can’t Help It (1956): I’m still not entirely sure what I watched, but I thought Eddie was really funny as the washed-up gangster.

Stopover Tokyo (1957): I keep forgetting I watched this movie because it was just so dull. Eddie doesn’t appear enough and the rest of it is lacking in tension, excitement or engaging characters.

The Last Voyage (1960): Pretty solid disaster movie that doesn’t waste any time in getting to the disaster- it opens on a note saying ‘fire in the engine room’ followed by 90 minutes of the situation getting worse and worse. A good supporting role as the ship’s engineer where he spends the whole movie getting more and more stressed.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): He’s great in this one, playing the wonderfully-named newspaper editor Dutton Peabody. There’s a bit where he gets drunk and starts quoting Shakespeare. Apparently Eddie used to do that at parties after a few drinks.

The Longest Day (1962): Glorified cameo (one of many in this movie). He has a brief scene with Henry Fonda.

Seven Days In May (1964): Great political thriller. He plays an alcoholic Georgia senator and does it very well. No wonder he got nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The Doomsday Flight (1966): Bomb-on-a-plane TV movie written by Rod Serling. Some say it’s good, some say it’s so-so, either way, it’s fun watching Eddie ham it up as the villain. Van Johnson’s in it, too.

The Wild Bunch (1969): I thought it was good. It’s an interesting movie- I’ve never seen a Sam Peckinpah movie before (so all I knew was that there’d be bloody violence). The whole cast is great, and Eddie’s good in his smaller supporting role.

Isn’t It Shocking? (1973): Another TV movie where he plays the villain. Mostly it focuses on Alan Alda. I didn’t think it was that great but it’s watchable. Eddie isn’t given much to do until the climax.

99 and 44/100% Dead (1974): Fucking weird-ass movie. It’s a small part but he’s a darn sight better to watch than Richard Harris who goes around in stupid glasses and a bad haircut looking like an ugly poor man’s Michael Caine. Some movie to end a 35-year movie career.

[westsidevideo]

How Do You Solve A Problem Like An Oscar?

The 89th Academy Awards are happening this month, and once again, we look to the group behind each Oscar nomination and win to find for us the year's best films from around the world. Unfortunately, that prestigious voting body does not always manage to find the best of the best... and when that happens, we call it like it is: a snub. Here are some of the most egregious snubs: [Look for Ashlyn’s ratings in the brackets, as usual.] Doubt (2008, PG-13) - This tale of Catholic school politics and potential impropriety is brilliant in its plotting and tone. This is the first time Viola Davis broke hearts across the continent in a film, too, and she deserved that Best Supporting Actress trophy. [I'm guessing kids and young teens will have very little interest in this film. A certain level of maturity is required for enjoyment.] 4 Months, 3 Weeks, And 2 Days (2007, Unrated) - In 1980s Romania, where birth control is forbidden and terminating a pregnancy is punishable by death, a woman clandestinely helps her friend arrange an illegal abortion. It failed to get a Best Foreign Language Film nomination, which is just...it's a mess, y'all. [This movie is pretty depressing, and involves some pretty heavy matters. I'm going to say anyone under 16 should just watch Juno instead.] City Of God (2002, R) - The Tender Trio in Rio de Janeiro grows up before our eyes, with each boy taking a different path over the span of twenty years. This gripping, brutal coming of age film didn't win any categories, and somehow wasn't nominated at all for Best Foreign Language Film. How in the world? [This is a grown-ups movie.] Do The Right Thing (1989, R) - This landmark Spike Lee picture brings us the hottest day during some real tense times in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Spike Lee has never won an Academy Award, though he was given an honorary award in 2015. The only actor nominated for an Oscar for their work on this extraordinary film was Danny Aiello. [Older teens on this one. There a LOT going on in this one, and it will just be too much for kids.] His Girl Friday (1940, Unrated) - What a whirlwind this one is! Howard Hawks pushed the pace by having his hugely talented cast add glib extras and talk over each others. This popular, enduring film didn't manage a single nomination. Boo. [This one's pretty family friendly. Innuendo will go over the littles' heads.] The Maltese Falcon (1941, Unrated) - John Huston, an absolute film titan, here directs Humphrey Bogart in a spiny noir involving a detective, a dame, various criminals, and a bird statuette. The film got a few nominations, but lost out to How Green Was My Valley and the lesser known Here Comes Mr Jordan. [Little kids probably won't get any of the plot, but it's otherwise reasonably family friendly. There's smoking, drinking, and some 40s violence.] The Shining (1980, R) - This Stephen King adaptation has long been the source of tween nightmares and everyone being scared of Jack Nicholson's face, yet it garnered not one Oscar nod. Horror is one of those genres that simply isn't treated well by major awards, maybe to the detriment of all filmmaking. [I saw this first when I was about 7 years old. I can't watch Lakers games because Nicholson might be there. Maybe start with 12 year olds you really wanna spook.] The Shawshank Redemption (1994, R) - A man is wrongfully imprisoned at the Shawshank facility and chooses to deal with his new hardships by making friends and performing small kindnesses. What a picture! Unfortunately, this was in the running the same year as Forrest Gump, and somebody didn't know how to share. [This is a pretty rough one, even for teens. With trigger warnings for rape and prison guard beatings, I'd still say 17 and up.] Pulp Fiction (1994, R) - How in tarnation did Pulp Fiction, one of the most popular films on the planet, not win a single Oscar? Most especially unfair is Samuel L Jackson not winning Best Supporting Actor. Again- Forrest Gump doesn't share. [Most teens will probably be fine. This is a Quentin Tarantino film, so, you know...there's gonna be a lot of blood and language.] My Own Private Idaho (1991, R) - River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves are a couple of young hustlers, serving whatever clients come their way in Portland while going through the self-discoveries of coming of age. So many feels, helped by a gorgeous score. This one did splendidly at the Independent Spirit Awards, but got no Oscar nods. [This is pretty grown up material. Mature older teens and up.] A League Of Their Own (1992, PG) - This here is a fictionalized account of a team from the Women's Baseball League, featuring fun, heartfelt performances from Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, and more. It's got everything a movie should have, and yet, the Academy did not agree. Well, they're wrong. [If you don't like this movie, you might be dead inside. All ages okay.] American Me (1992, R) - Edward James Olmos plays a Chicano gangster who goes directly from reform school to prison and emerges, eighteen years later, in a new world- one where all the violence in his life no longer makes sense. It's beautiful and visceral and it got no Oscar nods, which is just a shame. [This is rough. There's a ton of realistic physical and sexual violence. Grown ups only.] Fruitvale Station (2013, R) - This film is a day-in-the-life storytelling master class. The fact that it got no nominations proves that politics were interfering in art matters. It's only supposed to go the other way. [Older teens should be fine. Oscar Grant was killed while handcuffed by a BART cop in front of a full passenger train. This documents his last 24 hours.] The Kid Stays In The Picture (2002, R) - This documentary mirrors the autobiography of Robert Evans, legendary producer at Paramount and the first actor to ever run a film studio. This got nominations or wins at a huge amount of festivals and ceremonies, but zero Oscar nods. Sounds like hurt feelings, tbh. [There is quite a bit of language, but other than that it should probably be PG-13.] Children Of Men (2006, R) - This is one of the best science fiction movies of the century so far. In the near-ish future, women around the world have become infertile, no children have been born for nearly 20 years, and yet, miraculously, one woman becomes pregnant. In this world where humanity is actively dying, a former activist agrees to transport the potential mother of the future to a safe haven. This garnered nominations in adapted screenplay, cinematography, and editing, but won no awards. [This is a hard movie to watch, but I think teens can see the violence for what it is- indicative of the lengths to which any of us might go to survive.] In Bruges (2008, R) - After a job gone wrong, two hitmen are sent to cool off and await further instruction from their boss in Belgium, which is the end of the world for the younger man and a sweet refuge for the older, wiser partner. The smaller McDonagh brother directing Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, and an excellent supporting cast makes for wacky movie magic, but the film was nominated for just the screenplay award, and didn't win. [There is a ton of language and strong, visceral violence. 16+.] Gran Torino (2008, R) - A curmudgeonly, racist Korean War veteran decides to reform his young Hmong neighbor when the kid tries to swipe the old man's Gran Torino. Against his will, he ends up connecting with the family and working to protect them from negative outside influences. Since when does a movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood get no big nods? [There is a LOT of language, and quite a bit of violence. 16+.] Sin Nombre (2009, R) - A Hunduran young woman is traveling through Mexico on train tops with the ultimate goal of successfully crossing the border and gaining access to the US. The adventure could cost her her life. Is it worth it? We think the movie is, although it didn't secure even a Best Foreign Language Film nod. [This one is rough. There is a lot of realistic violence, including sexual violence, and some language. I'll say 16+, if they can handle brutality.] The Intouchables (2011, R) - A French millionaire becomes a quadriplegic in a paragliding accident and hires the uncouth African young man who just wants a signature on his unemployment paperwork. The challenge changes both of their lives and outlooks... even though it didn't sway the Academy into a single nomination. [This is a PG-13 movie plus f-words. Tweens and up should be fine.] Let The Right One In (2008, R) - This is a stark and startlingly human monster story, and should be viewed in its original language if at all possible. This is also one of the few movies that is hands down better than the book on which it is based! Where are the Oscars for directing, cinematography, adapted screenplay, and/or foreign language film? [This one is probably technically fine for tweens and up. Not a lot happens on screen, although there is some blood.] The Book Of Eli (2010, R) - In a post-apocalyptic world, one man traverses the country to protect a book he believes will save the remaining population. Denzel Washington should have a museum of Academy Awards with his name on them by now, honestly. [There is violence, that's for sure, but if you know it's coming I'd call this a 14+ movie.] Calvary (2014, R) - The elder McDonagh brother and Brendan Gleeson take another film outing together in this dry-witted, moodily shot story of a priest who has been threatened with death in the confession booth. [This is on the level of In Bruges; older teens will probably be okay with the violence, although they may not understand all the dialogue without the subtitles on.] Far From The Madding Crowd (2015, PG-13) - This is a beautiful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel, wherein Victorian England's Bathsheba Everdene must choose a suitor, sure, but also run her life in a manner most women of the time could not have accomplished. How did this not win a costuming award? [Eh, it's pretty family-friendly, as far as period piece romances go. Hardy is perhaps my least favorite author, but I still really liked this adaptation, so it's worth it if any of his books are assigned in school, too.] Creed (2015, PG-13) - Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan reunite for this new addition to the Rocky franchise- and it's good enough to be a franchise in its own right. Somehow, with a Black writer/director, male lead, and female lead, the only Oscar was for Sylvester Stallone in his supporting role. [If watching an actual boxing match is okay for your kids, watching this movie is probably okay too.] Blow Out (1981, R) - Brian De Palma combines with pre-horrible John Travolta to bring us the story of a sound artist who gets caught up with evidence of a murder. Nowadays films that show Hollywood a piece of itself get major awards, so not sure how this got left out. [There's some language, quite a bit of realistic violence, and some scenes of a sexual nature. I see why it's R, although exceptions could be made.] All these are just off the top! What do you think are some snubs we missed?