I got four movies to talk about here. Let’s get started.

First of all, I rewatched Fargo since the series has now ended (hopefully just for now) on FX. It has been my favorite weekly show these last 10 weeks. There are quite a few similarities between the show and the movie, but the show still holds its own heroically. The movie has aged pretty well. It is signature Coen Brother’s, and the wood chipper scene still is hilariously morbid. I feel like had the movie not been up against The English Patient at the Oscars back in 1997, then it probably would have taken more than just Screenplay and Actress. It surprises me that the score was not nominated, it is hauntingly beautiful.

Next up is The French Connection. I had never seen this movie before, probably because it is one of those Best Pictures you probably don’t assume won Best Picture. The thing that astounds me the most is that it did not win for cinematography. The car chase and the fast-paced handheld camera work all helped to add to the tension and excitement of the movie. Interestingly it lost to Fiddler on the Roof. I have never seen it, but it must have something special going for the cinematography in order to have won it. Still though, this movie was up against The Last Picture Show and A Clockwork Orange. The latter would never win Best Picture even if it was the only film up for the award, but The Last Picture Show surprised me that it lost (it only won two Oscars for acting).

Third, a significantly less serious film: Knight and Day. I love Tom Cruise, I will see anything with him in it (check out my review for his latest here). Knight and Day was released back in 2010 and did not gain any recognition at the Oscars. It is still a fun little action movie. It is very, very cheesy. I wish they would’ve found someone other than Cameron Diaz for the lead female role, there’s something about her that just bugs me. The movie has a bit of a weak script. They travel around the world and reuse the same device (knocking Diaz out somehow) in order to transport between different countries without any sort of idea of what’s going on to the point where it becomes repetitive.

Finally, The King of Comedy. Back when Scorsese and De Niro were synonymous, their fifth film was a dark comedy. It follows Rupert Pupkin, a man who nobody knows and can never pronounce his name right. His dream is to become a late night show host, much like his idol Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). He stalks his idol, knows his schedule, and imagining fake conversations after their first meeting. Think Electro in the latest Spider Man and you get the idea. De Niro is fantastic. He should have been nominated, but sadly the film received absolutely no love from the Academy. Go check it out sometime.