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March 2, 2008
Oscar Challenge: Wings
So we were watching the boring-ass Oscars last weekend and we said like we do every year, "Wouldn't it be fun to watch all of the Best Picture films in order?" The show was so boring that Nathan got on his laptop and proceeded to rent or buy every last film. I think it's going to be a fun project, even if it means having to suffer through Forrest Gump again.
This weekend we watched Wings. It was, um, interesting. It took us two nights to watch it. Friday night, lulled perhaps by the dulcet tones of the Mighty Wurlitzer and/or too much pizza, Nathan conked out. Last night, lulled by said organ and insanely good smoked pork chops from The Fatted Calf (but I digress), Nathan conked out again. Bread pudding got him through the rest.
So I know the film is 81 years old. I've seen old movies before. I love old movies. I've even seen other silent movies. I've seen Sunrise, which should have been Best Picture that year (and in fact, sort of was). But this was almost unwatchable. It was very skimpy on plot, which had nary an unpredictable turn, and the acting was just...silly.
The aerial battles, on the other hand, were genuinely amazing. And it was entertaining to see Clara Bow practically naked, and young, super-hot Gary Cooper in the world's most ridiculous cameo. Best picture? I don't think so. It was sort of like that time the other movie with really cool special effects and a dopey love story won Best Picture. But I *loved* Titanic.