Wednesday, 7 March 2018

5 great films that were never Oscar nominated

With certain quarters screaming foul after Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water somehow pipping Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri to a Best Picture Oscar, I decided to have a look over the history books and cast an eye over previous injustices throughout the prestigious Academy Awards. To my shock I discovered a bountiful supply of quality films that never even earned Oscar nominations yet alone win the sought after award. Have a look at my list of five such films below and please add any of your own ideas/suggestions/feedback in the comment box or via social media:


5. The Big Lebowski
Hard to believe such was the love shown to the Coen Brothers in the years to follow but this cult classic never earned a single Oscar nomination in 1998. In fact the only award that this comedy masterpiece took home that year was a Best Foreign Film from a Russian guild of film critics. To add insult to injury the Oscar winner for best picture that year was Shakespeare in Love !

4. Heat
Quite simply, the barometer for all heist movies since it's release, this Michael Mann directed action drama also contains two of Hollywood's greatest actors in top form. But alas in 1995 the Academy in it's infinite wisdom decided that this film was unworthy of a single nomination - bearing in mind that this was the year the Mel Gibson was beloved and Nicholas Cage won an Oscar!

3. Mean Streets
Martin Scorceses poor record being somewhat of a running joke before his eventual welcoming to the exclusive club of Oscar winners in 2007 with The Departed has been well documented. In it incredible however that it wasn't until 1982 with Raging Bull that he even earned his first nomination with the incredible Mean Streets having been released 9 years previously.( He wasn't nominated for Taxi Driver either incidentally)

2. Once Upon a Time in the West
Incredibly, Sergio Leone's iconic masterpiece didn't earn a single nominatin in 1968. The scorching cinematography, perfect direction, Ennio Morricone's famous soundtrack and Henry Fonda's outstanding lead performance all failed to convince the Academy of it's quality that year. To rub salt in the wounds the winner of Best Picture in 1968 was Oliver!

1. The Shining
Unbelievably, Stanley Kubrick's horror classic actually won a Razzie in 1980 rather than earning a single Oscar nomination. The Academy has never been taken by the horror genre but hopefully that trend may soon change with Get Out the first horror film since the Black Swan to earn an Oscar nomination and also earning a well deserved original screenplay win for Jordan Peele.


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