Just finished watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - the Oscar Best Picture for 1975.
I didn't know that aside from this movie, only two other films won the Top 5 Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. The other two are "It Happened One Night" (1934) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991).
So, in my usual OCD thing, I looked up a list of all the best picture Oscar winners from time immemorial. Below is the list with an asterisk after the ones I've seen at least once. Of course, I now remember very little from the movies I've seen, but that's why I'm writing this now -- I want to see these gems again.
Those 60s and 70s ones would be fun to relive. This time I'll have a new perspective from the first time. Like in the Cuckoo's Nest... many of the actors were just being discovered then... like Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd (his first movie). Brad Dourif, our favorite Grima Wormtongue in LOTR was here billed as "and introducing..."
This should be a fun project. I'll tack this list on my wall and see how many films I can tick off for however long this journey takes. Netflix is flashing its "ca-ching" grin right now.
2005 - Crash *
2004 - Million Dollar Baby *
2003 - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King *
2002 - Chicago *
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Gladiator *
1999 - American Beauty *
1998 - Shakespeare In Love *
1997 - Titanic *
1996 - The English Patient *
1995 - Braveheart *
1994 - Forrest Gump *
1993 - Schindler'S List *
1992 - Unforgiven *
1991 - The Silence Of The Lambs *
1990 - Dances With Wolves *
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy *
1988 - Rain Man *
1987 - The Last Emperor *
1986 - Platoon *
1985 - Out Of Africa
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - Terms Of Endearment
1982 - Gandhi *
1981 - Chariots Of Fire *
1980 - Ordinary People
1979 - Kramer Vs. Kramer *
1978 - The Deer Hunter *
1977 - Annie Hall *
1976 - Rocky *
1975 - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest *
1974 - The Godfather Part II *
1973 - The Sting *
1972 - The Godfather *
1971 - The French Connection *
1970 - Patton *
1969 - Midnight Cowboy *
1968 - Oliver! *
1967 - In The Heat Of The Night
1966 - A Man For All Seasons *
1965 - The Sound Of Music *
1964 - My Fair Lady *
1963 - Tom Jones
1962 - Lawrence Of Arabia *
1961 - West Side Story *
1960 - The Apartment
1959 - Ben Hur *
1958 - Gigi
1957 - The Bridge On The River Kwai *
1956 - Around The World In 80 Days *
1955 - Marty
1954 - On The Waterfront
1953 - From Here To Eternity *
1952 - The Greatest Show On Earth *
1951 - An American In Paris
1950 - All About Eve
1949 - All The King's Men
1948 - Hamlet *
1947 - Gentleman's Agreement
1946 - Best Years Of Our Lives
1945 - The Lost Weekend
1944 - Going My Way
1943 - Casablanca *
1942 - Mrs. Miniver
1941 - How Green Was My Valley
1940 - Rebecca
1939 - Gone With The Wind *
1938 - You Can't Take It With You
1937 - The Life Of Emile Zola
1936 - The Great Ziegfeld
1935 - Mutiny On The Bounty *
1934 - It Happened One Night
1933 - Cavalcade
1932 - Grand Hotel
1931 - Cimarron
1930 - All Quiet On The Western Front
1929 - The Broadway Melody
1928 - Wings
Oh, and ye, I liked Cuckoo's Nest much more this time around. Excellent movie, certainly deserving of the Top 5 Oscars.
July 6, 2006
July 4, 2006
For the loogah
“Scuse me, while I kiss this guy!” – Jimi Hendrix (or not)
Back in a previous life, I had a pocketbook of misheard song lyrics entitled Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy.
I wish I still had that book. It would be fun to go over it again, now that I’ve had a more extensive exposure to rock songs—the major source of misheard lyrics.
“Clown control to Mao Tse Tung.” (Ground control to Major Tom.) – David Bowie
“It’s a hard egg.” (It’s a heartache.) – Bonnie Tyler
“Sweet dreams are made of cheese.” (Sweet dreams are made of these.) - Eurythmics
Last night, I was listening to a collection of Steely Dan songs from their Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 box set.
I never used to bother with the lyrics, much less what they mean, since most of the time Fagen’s lyric poetry could hold a candle to... uhm... Beowulf. But this time, “Third World Man” bothered me.
The song went... or at least it sounded like:
Soon you’ll throw down your disguise
We’ll see behind those bright eyes
Flying by
When the sidewalks are safe
For the loogah
“For the loogah”?! What the heck is a loogah?! That couldn't have been "lugaw" (porridge in Tagalog).
Of course, the whole stanza didn’t make sense at all, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to know what he said that sounded like "loogah"!
Thank heavens for the Internet, I found a site that listed the lyrics of “Third World Man.” LyricsFreak.com.
“Flying by” is actually “By and by” and “the loogah” is actually “the little guy.”
The whole song still didn't make sense... but now I can sleep.
But then again, who can sleep after watching THIS?! How do you wash your brain with soap?
Back in a previous life, I had a pocketbook of misheard song lyrics entitled Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy.
I wish I still had that book. It would be fun to go over it again, now that I’ve had a more extensive exposure to rock songs—the major source of misheard lyrics.
“Clown control to Mao Tse Tung.” (Ground control to Major Tom.) – David Bowie
“It’s a hard egg.” (It’s a heartache.) – Bonnie Tyler
“Sweet dreams are made of cheese.” (Sweet dreams are made of these.) - Eurythmics
Last night, I was listening to a collection of Steely Dan songs from their Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 box set.
I never used to bother with the lyrics, much less what they mean, since most of the time Fagen’s lyric poetry could hold a candle to... uhm... Beowulf. But this time, “Third World Man” bothered me.
The song went... or at least it sounded like:
Soon you’ll throw down your disguise
We’ll see behind those bright eyes
Flying by
When the sidewalks are safe
For the loogah
“For the loogah”?! What the heck is a loogah?! That couldn't have been "lugaw" (porridge in Tagalog).
Of course, the whole stanza didn’t make sense at all, but I didn’t care, I just wanted to know what he said that sounded like "loogah"!
Thank heavens for the Internet, I found a site that listed the lyrics of “Third World Man.” LyricsFreak.com.
“Flying by” is actually “By and by” and “the loogah” is actually “the little guy.”
The whole song still didn't make sense... but now I can sleep.
But then again, who can sleep after watching THIS?! How do you wash your brain with soap?
June 14, 2006
Extra-terrestrial
My brother and I often discuss the mysteries of the universe. We've always been sci-fi, my brother and I. Growing up we devoured "Chariots of the Gods?" by Erich Von Daniken, the first book to present proof that we are not alone in the universe, and that our most ancient art and artifacts are works of aliens passing through.
Recently, he asked me if I've read the works of Dr. Michio Kaku, a renowned theroretical physicist who has taken after Einstein's quest for the "theory of everything." I replied, "Dr. who?" He said, "No, not Dr. Who... Dr. Kaku!"
Before we could both stop laughing, my fingers were already Googling the doctor. I quickly found his site: mkaku.org. And before the end of the day, I had read all the articles posted on the site. My favorite is The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations, which explains how our planet can evolve into a Type I, II, and III in order for our species to survive.
I am reminded of this today when I read an article about the thoughts of another renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking: Hawking: Humans must colonize space to survive.
It's just interesting--okay, mind-boggling--to think of all this. Certainly a lot of questions remain unanswered... or actually "fictionally" answered by the plot lines in our favorite sci-fi worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica. I would love to actually own a replicator or feel the effects of going through the "gate."
For now, in this fraction of time that humans try to not annihilate themselves and somehow succeed in evolving from a Type O to a Type I civilization, my brother and I will just continue to look up at the moon and imagine...
What would it be like to live on Mars... or slip through a tear in the fabric of time and space?
[Photos by Ronald Bayan]
Recently, he asked me if I've read the works of Dr. Michio Kaku, a renowned theroretical physicist who has taken after Einstein's quest for the "theory of everything." I replied, "Dr. who?" He said, "No, not Dr. Who... Dr. Kaku!"
Before we could both stop laughing, my fingers were already Googling the doctor. I quickly found his site: mkaku.org. And before the end of the day, I had read all the articles posted on the site. My favorite is The Physics of Extra-Terrestrial Civilizations, which explains how our planet can evolve into a Type I, II, and III in order for our species to survive.
I am reminded of this today when I read an article about the thoughts of another renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking: Hawking: Humans must colonize space to survive.
It's just interesting--okay, mind-boggling--to think of all this. Certainly a lot of questions remain unanswered... or actually "fictionally" answered by the plot lines in our favorite sci-fi worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, and Battlestar Galactica. I would love to actually own a replicator or feel the effects of going through the "gate."
For now, in this fraction of time that humans try to not annihilate themselves and somehow succeed in evolving from a Type O to a Type I civilization, my brother and I will just continue to look up at the moon and imagine...
What would it be like to live on Mars... or slip through a tear in the fabric of time and space?
[Photos by Ronald Bayan]
May 15, 2006
Da Vinci Cryptex
I had mentioned the Da Vinci Code Quest on Google in a previous post. Yes, I had so much fun solving the daily puzzles. I even set an alarm to remind me to solve the last puzzle as soon as it came out. Took me about 5 minutes, so I was confident I made the first 10,000 who completed the puzzle.
Got my confirmation in the mail today... the Da Vinci Code Cryptex! It's brass and quite heavy. Very nice souvenir for the fun I had with the puzzles. A big Thank You to everyone who made this happen.
Now, will I try to solve the final puzzle to win the Grand Prize of untold riches? Who knows?!
Postscript [05/27/06]: Yes, I tried solving the final puzzle, but no, I didn't solve it. Unlike some who cheated by picking up solutions posted online, I worked on the puzzle on my own... ergo, I didn't even get to finish the first set! I'd blame it on the eternal conflict between my ADD and my OCD.
But I did get to see the movie. My take: I'd have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't read the book. The film has its merits, surely. Still worth seeing if only to learn something new... or at least come out wondering "what if?"
Got my confirmation in the mail today... the Da Vinci Code Cryptex! It's brass and quite heavy. Very nice souvenir for the fun I had with the puzzles. A big Thank You to everyone who made this happen.
Now, will I try to solve the final puzzle to win the Grand Prize of untold riches? Who knows?!
Postscript [05/27/06]: Yes, I tried solving the final puzzle, but no, I didn't solve it. Unlike some who cheated by picking up solutions posted online, I worked on the puzzle on my own... ergo, I didn't even get to finish the first set! I'd blame it on the eternal conflict between my ADD and my OCD.
But I did get to see the movie. My take: I'd have enjoyed the movie more if I hadn't read the book. The film has its merits, surely. Still worth seeing if only to learn something new... or at least come out wondering "what if?"
May 7, 2006
Cabbage shoot - Part 3
Another follow-up on my "Cabbage Shoot" and "Cabbage Shoot - Part 2" posts.
Someone (Rej) suggested that I plant the cabbage shoot in soil. Well, a few days ago, I noticed that the bright yellow plant sitting in my crisper drawer had started to wither because the mother wedge had almost totally dried up. No more nutrients to sustain the shoot!
So, I pulled out an old pot and planted my new plant in the soil. I sheltered it under the plants just outside our patio so it won't get shocked by the light, the Florida heat, and the general outside world.
It's been a week and here's how she looks today:
Notice how green the leaves are! And there seems to be a flower blooming! I'll continue to monitor our little cabbage darling for as long as I can. Until next time.
Someone (Rej) suggested that I plant the cabbage shoot in soil. Well, a few days ago, I noticed that the bright yellow plant sitting in my crisper drawer had started to wither because the mother wedge had almost totally dried up. No more nutrients to sustain the shoot!
So, I pulled out an old pot and planted my new plant in the soil. I sheltered it under the plants just outside our patio so it won't get shocked by the light, the Florida heat, and the general outside world.
It's been a week and here's how she looks today:
Notice how green the leaves are! And there seems to be a flower blooming! I'll continue to monitor our little cabbage darling for as long as I can. Until next time.
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