1967

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
*A Man for All Seasons
*Alfie
*The Sand Pebbles
*The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

AND 'MY' WINNER IS...The Sand Pebbles
AND 'THE' WINNER IS...A Man for All Seasons

The Sand Pebbles (1966) directed by: Robert Wise
Main Cast: Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen and Mako

Went into this movie not expecting to like it. I must say I was extremely surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I had never seen a Steve McQueen movie and now I can't wait to see more. Steve McQueen plays Jake Holman, a navy engineer on a battleship in Shanghai. I am going to be making a special trip to the DVD store as soon as possible for this gem.

RATING: 9/10

THE ACADEMY'S PICK

A Man for All Seasons (1966) directed by: Fred Zinnemann
Main Cast: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw and Orson Welles

This one was really not an easy task for me. Cardinals, Kings, Consulates, Queens...anyone bored yet? I sure was! The acting by Paul Scofield, I admit, was superb, but the time period in which the movie was set, just turned me off. This one will certainly not make it into my collection anytime soon, if ever.

RATING: 3/10

BEST OF THE REST

RUNNER-UP:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) directed by: Mike Nichols
Main Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal and Sandy Dennis

This whole movie is based around a middle aged married couple, Martha (Taylor) and George (Burton). Martha is a crazy drunk who is never seen without a drink in her hand. She is constantly yelling at and belittling George. They both seem to hate each other and I do believe they both are a little crazy at points. An entertaining movie that kept me wanting more and wondering what would happen next. Not sure if I would add it to my collection, that's something I'll have to contemplate.

RATING: 8/10

HONORABLE MENTION
The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) directed by: Norman Jewison
Main Cast: Carl Reiner, Eva Mare Saint, Alan Arkin and John Phillip Law

A Russian submarine with a captain that had never seen America, is trying to get a closer look, when suddenly they go aground and are stuck. Nine of the soldiers come inland in search of a boat to free the submarine. Sound like trouble?I recommend you check it out. Not one I will be rushing out to buy, but one that I'd certainly watch on TV if I came across it.

RATING: 6/10

THE REST
Alfie (1966) directed by: Lewis Gilbert
Main Cast: Michael Caine, Shelley Winters and Millicent Martin

Alfie (Caine) is a womanizer who is seeing so many different women that it is hard to keep track. He doesn't care if they are married or not, as long as they give him what he wants. Alfie thinks his life is great until he meets Annie, then he starts to really care for her. Time for Alfie to decide between the life he loves and the woman he's falling in love with. Pretty average movie for me. Not something I will be buying.

RATING: 5/10

1967 at the Oscars certainly paled in comparison to 1983, but still gave me The Sand Pebbles and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, two movies I won't soon forget and two movies that will soon grace my DVD shelf, so for that I can't complain.

Rating for 1967 as a whole: 5/10

NEXT UP: 2001 - which includes Chocolat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, Gladiator and Traffic

September 26. 2009 11:02pm