Here's a list of Best Picture winners ranked by estimated tickets sold (source here: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm?adjust_yr=1&p=.htm):
1. Gone with the Wind (1st overall)2. The Sound of Music (3rd overall)3. Titanic (5th overall)4. Ben-Hur (14th overall)5. The Sting (20th overall)6. The Godfather (25th overall)7. Forrest Gump (26th overall)8. Around the World in 80 Days (50th overall)9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (55th overall)10. My Fair Lady (61st overall)11. The Greatest Show on Earth (62nd overall)12. West Side Story (75th overall)13. Lawrence of Arabia (79th overall)14. Rocky (81st overall)15. The Best Years of Our Lives (83rd overall)
― piper at the gates of d'awwww (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:01 (six years ago) link
As you can tell, I'm not much of a Rocky. So maybe I'm letting my own opinion interfere too much there.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:02 (six years ago) link
Oops! "much of a Rocky fan"--the other goes without saying.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:03 (six years ago) link
(I think I want "As you can tell, I'm not much of Rocky" on my tombstone, though.)
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:04 (six years ago) link
Ha
― things you looked shockingly old when you wore (darraghmac), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:10 (six years ago) link
Rocky still >> Network
― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:20 (six years ago) link
Network is sooooo good except for the stuff that's pretty dumb. Or rather, there's a mismatch between the OTT satire stuff and the human drama stuff with Bill Holden (which both are viable in themselves). They collide in his big talking-at-her takedown speech with Faye Dunaway and it suddenly becomes a much meaner-spirited, lecturey movie. A slower build with the craziness of the Beale Show would also work better. I'd be okay with it winning but I also think Rocky is cool.See: 1976 Oscar Nominees
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:37 (six years ago) link
Rocky owes a considerable debt to every boxing picture ever made (especially the shallow ones) as well as On the Waterfront.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:57 (six years ago) link
(and Marty)
(haha Paddy Chayefsky, you got played by your own formula)
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 15:58 (six years ago) link
1969 Oscars: Actresses sound off on lack of roles for women. pic.twitter.com/5Gxilt3CKZ— izzycc (@lookwhoitiz) March 5, 2018
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 18:07 (six years ago) link
Network isnt too far off three billboards folks.
― things you looked shockingly old when you wore (darraghmac), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 18:10 (six years ago) link
otm
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 18:45 (six years ago) link
That's a great clip from '69, and credit to the five actresses for being 50 years ahead of where we are now, but I'm not sure if 2001 or The Battle of Algiers are the best films to target (or the complaint that a newcomer has the lead in Romeo and Juliet). I know, I know, it's meant to be partly lighthearted.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 20:52 (six years ago) link
I mean, they could've at least nominated Polanski for Rosemary's Baby or Cassavetes for Faces to short circuit the argument if only a tad.
― "Minneapolis" (barf) (Eric H.), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:19 (six years ago) link
Also ...
5. The Sting (20th overall)6. The Godfather (25th overall)
I know I've seen it spelled out time and again, but I can not fathom The Sting being the culture-swallowing event that by all indications it was.
― "Minneapolis" (barf) (Eric H.), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:28 (six years ago) link
It had two huge movie stars and there was the whole Scott Joplin revival, I guess. That's it. I was there!
It's a function of a movie sticking around in theaters for 18 months and people saying "let's go see Newman and Redford." I believe there was also a re-release tagline, "The con is better the second time around."
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:39 (six years ago) link
The Sting is - how you say? - a piffle.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:40 (six years ago) link
xpost Maybe that was the tag for the sequel?
I mean, there are worse simple entertainments. Like The Sting II, I suppose.
I don't think it was for the sequel.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:44 (six years ago) link
The sting is great fun I wouldn't necessarily defend it as best picture tbf
― things you looked shockingly old when you wore (darraghmac), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 21:54 (six years ago) link
1973 was a weak Bedt Picture year. Only Cries and Whispers is remotely great.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:00 (six years ago) link
my god A Touch of Class.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:06 (six years ago) link
The Sting might be the most movie-as-comfort-food endeavor I've seen
― mh, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:12 (six years ago) link
like your average Dozvzhenko?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:14 (six years ago) link
Is it really any lesser than Butch Cassidy? (Maybe a little.) It just gets dumped on for winning the Oscar.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:21 (six years ago) link
It's a lot tighter than butch cassidy
― things you looked shockingly old when you wore (darraghmac), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:26 (six years ago) link
well, BC&SK is more languorous, what the kidz call a hangout movie. It has that unforgivable bike/Bacharch scene; George Roy Hill was all about musical anachronisms.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:30 (six years ago) link
The Sting is a good flick, it aired all the time on TV when i was a kid and i thought it was pretty breezy entertainment. pretty lightweight though i mean some woman gets shot through the head iirc, so it wasn't exactly totally lightweight.
― omar little, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:31 (six years ago) link
Redford's only Best Actor nod
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:33 (six years ago) link
and James Earl Jones' dad gets killed in the first 15 minutes.
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 22:34 (six years ago) link
(xpost) Didn't know that. He certainly would have been a better nominee in '72 for The Candidate than the two Sleuth guys (a film I don't mind, but Best Actor nominations?), and I'm kind of amazed neither guy was nominated for All the President's Men. I'd take them over everyone else except De Niro, although I guess I can see why they were passed over (probably had to be both or neither, and stepping back, I'm not sure which two of the five '76 nominees you'd eliminate).
― clemenza, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 23:07 (six years ago) link
The Shape of Water is going to be a Rain Man BP winner, remembered for one thing: she fucked the fish.
― flappy bird, Saturday, 10 March 2018 21:56 (six years ago) link
I don't ... remember Dustin Hoffman doing that?
― "Minneapolis" (barf) (Eric H.), Saturday, 10 March 2018 22:08 (six years ago) link
lol
remembered for one thing i mean.
― flappy bird, Saturday, 10 March 2018 22:23 (six years ago) link
https://youtu.be/_V0VM-cwzBI?t=1m2s
― adam the (abanana), Monday, 12 March 2018 05:06 (six years ago) link