What does one do when they have too much time on their hands, enjoys watching movies and is goal orientated? Among the many goals I have which include crazy, easy and fun I realised I had seen very few of those movies that the "experts" have deemed to be the best picture of the year. I love the Oscars, the showbiz night of nights when the stars come out to play and sometimes make an arse of themselves with speeches that make you weep in pain and fashion that both inspires and horrifies.
But I'm also curious about what makes a film stand out above others and if those movies stand the test of time. I love movies from all eras - I have fond memories of Saturday nights at my grandparents house watching Bill Collins introduce black and white classics. It's a shame that these movies no longer make it to prime time TV as they were, in many cases, good for the soul. Watching Errol Flynn as Robin Hood dancing up the stairs in true swashbuckling style is one of those everlasting happy moments of my childhood.
I suspect the age of the internet has made these movies seem old fashioned. What kid with his or her games, iPods, Facebook and an endless array of new movies and TV shows to feast on wants to go back and watch a black and white movie! Little do they realise that some of the best lines still in use today come from those movies. I have almost wept with joy at hearing the original use of lines such as "I could have been a contender, I could have been somebody" from On the Waterfront.
Some of the best picture Oscar winning movies are talked about with reverence as much today as I imagine they were in their time. Others have faded to some obscurity, maintaned prehaps only by the honour they were bestowed at the time. It will be interesting to watch these movies and try and work out why a movie wins at the time and why some continue to be classics.
