Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road /Fury Road Black & Chrome (BD Double Feature) [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2016

Won Oscar	Best Achievement in Film Editing Margaret Sixel
	Best Achievement in Costume Design Jenny Beavan
	Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Lesley Vanderwalt Elka Wardega Damian Martin
	Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Chris Jenkins Gregg Rudloff Ben Osmo
	Best Achievement in Sound Editing Mark A. Mangini David White
	Best Achievement in Production Design Colin Gibson (production design) Lisa Thompson (set decoration)
Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Doug Mitchell George Miller
	Best Achievement in Directing George Miller
	Best Achievement in Cinematography John Seale
	Best Achievement in Visual Effects Andrew Jackson Tom Wood Dan Oliver Andy Williams

Warner Bros.
Directed by George Miller
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

Survivor Max from the ongoing series is being held hostage by a war mongering clan for his blood, which has a healing power. The leader of the clan, a tyrannical warlord, realizes his "five wives" have been kidnapped by a renegade female soldier. He sends his entire army after her, including the captive Max. They engage in epic battles on barren landscapes in souped-up vehicles. It's a loud, noisy film that rarely stops for such things as character or plot. The "five wives" are nothing more than waifish, barely dressed Calvin Klein models. On a technical level, the film is a marvel, and the cinematography in the "black and chrome" version I watched particularly effective; just don't expect anything more than escapist entertainment.

The Secret Land (1948)

Academy Awards, USA 1949

Won Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Orville O. Dull

MGM
no director credited
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

A late 40s expedition to the Antarctic is chronicled by military photographers. Just getting there proves treacherous, with a submarine and several ships imperiled by the ice floes. Eventually they make base on the continent and carry out a wide variety of scientifically exciting, but cinematically boring, experiments. Narrated by Hollywood stars Robert Montgomery, Robert Taylor and Van Heflin, all veterans.

The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art (1975)

Academy Awards, USA 1975

Nominated Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Herbert Kline

New Line Cinema
Directed by Herbert Kline
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Orson Welles hosts and narrates this broad review of "modern art", from Cezanne and his contemporaries to the early 70s when the film was made. It touches briefly on most of the important artists, incorporating interviews and whenever possible. Informative but really a starting point, with too much emphasis on contemporary artists who never made much of an impact.

The Way Back (2010)

The Way Back [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2011

Nominated Oscar

Best Achievement in Makeup Edouard F. Henriques Greg Funk Yolanda Toussieng

Image Entertainment
Directed by Peter Weir
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Image Entertainment)

A Polish officer is sent to Siberia by the invading Soviets. He survives in the harsh labor camps with other political prisoners as well as hardened criminals. He joins a group who decides to escape during a snow storm, and then plan on walking thousands of miles south to freedom. They have to overcome harsh physical barriers and changing climates along the way, not to mention the ever present threat of Communists. Improbable story supposed based on a real event is tough sledding. Colin Farell overacts and Ed Harris underacts. Saoirse Ronan elicits sympathy as a young orphan who joins them half way through, but seems like and afterthought. Entertaining, if disappointing, effort from Australian director Weir.

Johnny Doughboy (1942)

Academy Awards, USA 1943

Nominated Oscar

Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture Walter Scharf

Republic Pictures
Directed by John H. Auer
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Teen star Jane Withers becomes disillusioned with Hollywood and hits the road for a vacation. A lookalike fangirl arrives the same day and with the help of her agent substitutes for the missing actress. She is courted by a group of has-been child actors, including members of Our Gang, to star in their stage production to entertain the troops. Meanwhile, the real actress gets stranded at the country estate of a playwright and develops a crush on him. Ridiculous melodrama mainly of interest to see Spanky and Alfalfa together for the last time on film, albeit singing a terrible song.

Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (2014)

Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me DVD

Academy Awards, USA 2015

Nominated Oscar

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song Glen Campbell Julian Raymond Song: "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"

Area 23a
Directed by James Keach
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

Legendary country artist Glen Campbell embarks on a farewell tour while struggling with Alzheimer's. He gets incredible support from his family, including his wife who helps him with just about every aspect of his life, and his young adult children, many of them in the touring band. At the center of it all is Glen, his memory failing but able to tap into the place where music is made. Incredibly moving film, even if you don't like country music.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

Young Mr. Lincoln (The Criterion Collection)

Academy Awards, USA 1940

Nominated Oscar

Best Writing, Original Story Lamar Trotti

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by John Ford
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

Lincoln is a young lawyer in Illinois who offers to defend a pair of brothers accused of murdering a man one night during a Fourth of July brawl. The ensuing trial looks hopeless, until Lincoln manages to elicit a confession from the real killer in dramatic fashion. Henry Fonda, in heavy make up, almost manages to disappear in the role, only his voice gives him away. The script strays too often into comic relief, and the ending is overblown patriotism, but still entertaining as early Americana with that inimitable John Ford touch.

13th (2016)

Academy Awards, USA 2017

Nominated Oscar

Best Documentary Feature Ava DuVernay Spencer Averick Howard Barish

Netflix
Directed by Ava DuVernay
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

The roots of the modern phenomenon of "mass incarceration" are traced to a clause in the 13th amendment to the Constitution, which outlawed slavery, except in the notable exception of punishment for a crime. The clause has been exploited over the decades as a way to incarcerate people of color and use them for cheap labor. The argument is convincing and disturbing, especially in the current political climate. You might want to go out and start protesting after viewing it.

Macario (1960)

Academy Awards, USA 1961

Nominated Oscar

Best Foreign Language Film Mexico.

Azteca Films
Directed by Roberto Gavaldón
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

A Mexican peasant refuses to eat until he gets a whole roast turkey to himself. His obliging wife steals one for him, but before he can eat it three ghostly apparitions appear before him. One of them turns out to be Death, with whom he shares the turkey. Amused, Death gives him a supply of miraculous water which will heal the sick, well most of them anyway. The peasant becomes a famous healer and profits from the water, attracting the Inquisition. He makes a desperate escape, only to end up in the cavern of Death. Interesting concept done in by amateurish special effects and simple-minded approach. Compare to the much superior classic Bergman film The Seventh Seal.

Julia (1977)

Julia (Blu-ray)

Academy Awards, USA 1978

Won Oscar	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Jason Robards Jason Robards was not present at the ceremony. Presenters Maggie Smith and Michael Caine accepted the award on his behalf.
	Best Actress in a Supporting Role Vanessa Redgrave
	Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Alvin Sargent
Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Richard Roth
	Best Actress in a Leading Role Jane Fonda
	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Maximilian Schell
	Best Director Fred Zinnemann
	Best Cinematography Douglas Slocombe
	Best Costume Design Anthea Sylbert
	Best Film Editing Walter Murch Marcel Durham
	Best Music, Original Score Georges Delerue

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Twilight Time)

Childhood friends Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave maintain close ties as adults despite being separated by the demands of work. Jane eventually finds success as a playwright with the help of sometime lover Jason Robards, while Vanessa gets involved with the fight against Nazis. She convinces Jane to smuggle money into Germany while passing through by train. There are some truly tense moments during this sequence of events. Douglas Slocombe's photography can be breathtaking. However, the characters are underdeveloped, particularly the relationship between the two girls which is crucial to the plot, and as a result the finished product is unsatisfying.