The Hall of Actors

The Saxcademy decided, in these uncertain times (as all coronavirus era blogposts must be qualified), to select a Hall of Fame for Actors. This is an imperfect science to put it lightly. Literally millions of individuals have been actors in films and distinguishing them is nearly 100% subjective. However, listing and ranking things is one of the more satisfying processes available to some bored, locked-in, and in one case unemployed people - so we set out to do it.

The initial phase was a compilation of 300 names across 10 decades from the 1920s to today with an additional mark for "active" Actors in an 11th column. Then each member of the Saxcademy selected 15 names from the following eras; the 20s-40s: The Early Era, the 50s-70s: The Golden Era, the 80s-90s: The Expansion Era, and the 2000s-now: The Modern Era. As actors career's span several decades in most cases, they were eligible to be added to any list during which they were active. Then each actors total inclusions were summed and the aggregate gave us a 75-man HOF of actors who appeared on 2 or more lists, and an additional 53-man honorable mention list and single-vote getters.

First, the honorable mentions in Alphabetical order by first name:

Alan Arkin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Bruce Lee, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Christopher Lee, Colin Farrell, Derek Jacobi, Ed Harris, Errol Flynn, Fred Astaire, Gene Hackman, Geoffrey Rush, Groucho Marx, Harvey Keitel, Heath Ledger, Hugh Jackman, Idris Elba, James Garner, Jeff Bridges, Jim Carrey, John Cleese, John Hurt, John Huston, Jude Law, Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, Kurt Russell, Laurence Fishburne, Leonard Nimoy, Lee Van Cleef, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew McConaughey, Oliver Hardy, Oscar Isaac, Paul Newman, Peter Lorre, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Robert Mitchum, Rossano Brazzi, Ryan Gosling, Sam Elloitt, Sidney Poitier, Sylvester Stallone, Tim Curry, Tony Curtis, Tyrone Power, William Shatner, Yul Brynner

Presenting the Saxcademy Hall of Actors

Tier 1, appearing on 2 lists, or the "Superstars"

Alan Ladd - Shane, The McConnell Story, Red Mountain, The Gun for Hire, The Blue Dahlia

Alec Guinness - Star Wars, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Horse's Mouth, Kafka, Cromwell, Doctor Zhivago; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations

Basil Rathbone - The Adventures of Robin Hood, Romeo and Juliet, The Court Jester, We're No Angels, The Mask of Zorro; 2 Academy Award nominations

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi, Schindler's List, Ender's Game, Stonehearst Asylum, Tuck Everlasting; 1 Academy Award, 4 nominations

Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born, Silver Linings Playbook, American Sniper, American Hustle; 8 Academy Award nominations

Bruce Willis - Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, Looper, Hart's War, Armageddon

Christopher Walken - Catch Me If You Can, The Deer Hunter, Pulp Fiction, Seven Psycopaths, Man on

Fire, True Romance, King of New York; 1 Academy Award, 2 nominations

Dustin Hoffman - Tootsie, Rain Man, Hook, Finding Neverland, All the President's Men, Kramer vs. Kramer, Runaway Jury; 2 Academy Awards, 7 nominations

Ian McKellan - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gods and Monsters, X-Men, The Da Vinci Code, Last Action Hero; 2 Academy Award nominations

James Earl Jones - Empire Strikes Back, The Lion King, Hunt for Red October, The Great White Hope, Field of Dreams, The Sandlot; 1 Academy Award nomination

Jeff Daniels - The Squid and the Whale, Dumb and Dumber, Gettysburg, Steve Jobs, Good Night and Good Luck.

Jeff Goldblum - Jurassic Park, The Fly, Independence Day, Thor: Ragnarok, Holy Man; 1 Academy Award nomination

John Malkovich - In the Line of Fire; Being John Malkovich; RED, Burn After Reading, Johnny English; 2 Academy Award nominations

Keanu Reeves - The Matrix, Speed, John Wick, Point Break, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Kenneth Branagh - Henry V, Hamlet, Murder on the Orient Express, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dunkirk; 5 Academy Award nominations

Orson Welles - Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Lady from Shanghai, The Trial; 1 Academy Award. 3 nominations

Patrick Stewart - Star Trek: First Contact, X-Men, Dune, Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Peter Ustinov - Spartacus, Logan's Run, We're No Angels, Death on the Nile, Robin Hood, Luther; 2 Academy Awards, 4 nominations

Spencer Tracy - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Judgment at Nuremberg, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Cass Timberlane, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Captain Courageous; 2 Academy Awards, 9 nominations

Willem Dafoe - Spider-man, The Lighthouse, At Eternity's Gate, Paris, je t'aime, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Grand Budapest Hotel; 4 Academy Award nominations

William Holden - Stalag 17, Network, The Towering Inferno, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Force of Arms; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations

Tier 2, appearing on 3 lists, "The Greats"

Adam Driver - Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Marriage Story; Paterson; The Report; Logan Lucky; BlacKkKlansman; 2 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Kylo Ren

Al Pacino - The Godfather, Serpico, Dick Tracy, Scent of a Woman, The Irishman, Carlito's Way, Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon; 1 Academy Award, 9 nominations - Best Character: Michael Corelone

Alan Rickman - Die Hard; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; Galaxy Quest; Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves; Love Actually; Best Character: Hans Gruber

Bill Murray - What About Bob?; Ghostbusters; Lost In Translation; Groundhog Day; Moonrise Kingdom; The Man Who Knew Too Little; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Peter Venkman

Boris Karloff - Bride of Frankenstein; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Black Friday; The Black Cat; Best Character: The Monster

Clark Gable - Gone with the Wind; Mutiny on the Bounty; It Happened One Night; Red Dust; North Star; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations - Best Character: Rhett Butler

David Niven - The Pink Panther; Murder by Death; Separate Tables; Around the World in 80 Days; Three Blind Mice; 1 Academy Award - Best Character: Dick Charleston

Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour; Bram Stoker's Dracula; Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; The Dark Knight; True Romance; Air Force One; The Fifth Element; 1 Academy Award, 2 nominations - Best Character: Sirius Black

Gene Kelly - Singin' in the Rain; On the Town; An American in Paris; Xanadu; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Don Lockwood

Henry Fonda - 12 Angry Men; The Battle of the Bulge; The Rounders; Madigan; Once Upon a Time in the West; On Golden Pond; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations - Best Character: Juror #8

Jack Nicholson - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Chinatown; The Departed; As Good as It Gets; The Shining; Batman; Terms of Endearment; The Postman Always Rings Twice; 3 Academy Awards, 12 nominations - Best Character: RP McMurphy

Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler; Prisoners; Donnie Darko; Brokeback Mountain; Southpaw; Zodiac; October Sky; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Louis Bloom

James Coburn - The Great Escape; Affliction, The Magnificent Seven; Duck, You Sucker; Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid; Charade; 1 Academy Award - Best Character: Britt

Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Edward Scissorhands; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Public Enemies; Finding Neverland; Sleepy Hollow; Platoon; 3 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Jack Sparrow

Liam Neeson - Taken; The Grey; Schindler's List; Silence; Kinsey; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Gangs of New York; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Bryan Mills

Marlon Brando - The Godfather; On the Waterfront; Apocalypse Now; Julius Caesar; A Streetcar Named Desire; Last Tango in Paris; 2 Academy Awards, 8 nominations - Best Character: Vito Corleone

Matt Damon - The Departed; Good Will Hunting; The Bourne Identity; The Martian; Ocean's Eleven; The Talented Mr. Ripley; True Grit; Rounders; Saving Private Ryan; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations - Best Character: Jason Bourne

Mel Gibson - Braveheart; Lethal Weapon; The Patriot; Payback; We Were Soldiers; Mad Max; Signs; Pocahontas; Hamlet; Gallipoli; 2 Academy Awards, 3 nominations - Best Character: William Wallace

Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia; Troy; The Lion in Winter; The Stunt Man; How to Steal a Million; Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four; Caligula; Man of La Mancha; Goodby Mr. Chips; Kidnapped; 8 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: TE Lawrence

Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove; The Pink Panther; The Ladykillers; Lolita; The Mouse That Roared; 3 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Jacques Clouseau

Philip Seymour-Hoffman - Capote; The Master; Moneyball; Synecdoche, New York; Charlie Wilson's War; Patch Adams; Punch-Drunk Love; Magnolia; Boogie Nights; 1 Academy Award, 4 nominations - Best Character: Truman Capote

Samuel L Jackson - Pulp Fiction; Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Jackie Brown; Shaft; The Hateful Eight; Snakes on a Plane; Captain America: The First Avenger; Coach Carter; Unbreakable; Jurassic Park; Jungle Fever; Black Snake Moan; Juice; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Jules Winnfield

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln; No Country for Old Men; The Fugitive; Men in Black; The Hunted; Rules of Engagement; JFK; Rolling Thunder; Cobb; 1 Academy Award, 4 nominations - Best Character: Agent K

Viggo Mortensen - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Eastern Promises; Green Book; Appaloosa; GI Jane; Carlito's Way; Crimson Tide; Hidalgo; 3 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Aragorn son of Arathorn, and Elessar the Elfstone, Dunadan. Heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor.

Dick Van Dyke - Marry Poppins; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Lt. Robinson Crusoe, USN; Dick Tracy; Curious George; Best Character: Bert

Tier 3 appearing on 4 lists "The All-Timers"

Denzel Washington - Training Day, Remember the Titans, The Book of Eli, Fences, Inside Man, American Gangster, Glory, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, He Got Game, The Pelican Brief; 2 Academy Awards, 9 nominations - Best Character: Alonzo

To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf.                    -Alonzo, Training Day

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence of the Lambs, Hitchcock, The Rite, Fracture, All the King's Men, Amistad, Nixon, Chaplin, Shadowlands, The Good Father, The Elephant Man, The World's Fastest Indian; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations - Best Character: Hannibal Lecter

Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?                                                                       -Hannibal, The Silence of the Lambs

Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird, Roman Holiday, Cape Fear, MacArthur, Arabesque, The Big Country, Moby Dick, Captain Horatio Hornblower RN, The Gunfighter, Duel in the Sun; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations - Best Character: Atticus Finch

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.                                                                -Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird

Humphrey Bogart  - Casablanca, The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon, We're No Angels, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, Invisible Stripes, San Quentin, The Great O'Malley; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations - Best Character: Rick Blaine

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.
       -Rick Blaine, Casablanca

John Wayne - True Grit, Stagecoach, The Alamo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Shootist, Rio Lobo, The Green Berets, El Dorado, McLintock!, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Comancheros, Rio Bravo, The Conqueror, Hondo, Rio Grande, Dakota, The Longest Day, Texas Terror, Baby Face; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations - Best Character: Rooster Cogburn

Backward. I always go backward when I'm backin' away.
       -Rooster Cogburn, True Grit

Kirk Douglas - Spartacus, The Vikings, Ace in the Hole, Lust for Life, The Man from Snowy River, The Brotherhood, Catch Me a Spy, The Hook, Paths of Glory, The Racers, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Big Sky, The Walls of Jericho; 3 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Spartacus

When a free man dies, he loses the pleasure of life. A slave loses his pain. Death is the only freedom a slave knows.
        -Spartacus, Spartacus

Laurence Olivier - Spartacus, Sleuth, Hamlet, Clash of the Titans, A Bridge Too Far, The Shoes of the Fisherman, Othello, Richard III, Battle of Britain, Henry V, That Hamilton Woman, Fire Over England, Westward Passage, Wuthering Heights, Adventure for Two; 1 Academy Award, 11 nominations - Best Character: Hamlet

Frailty, thy name is woman.
         -Hamlet, Hamlet

Michael Caine  - The Prestige, The Dark Knight, The Quiet American, Youth, Now You See Me, Inception, Children of Men, Secondhand Lions, Get Carter, The Island, A Bridge Too Far, Kidnapped, Gambit, Alfie, The Italian Job, Battle of Britain, The Man Who Would Be King; 2 Academy Awards, 6 nominations - Best Character: Alfred Pennyworth

Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn                        -Alfred Pennyworth, The Dark Knight

Morgan Freeman - Driving Miss Daisy, Invictus, Million Dollar Baby, Glory, Se7en, The Lego Movie, The Dark Knight, Evan Almighty, Dreamcatcher, The Shawshank Redemption, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Blade; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations - Best Character: Red Redding

There's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then: a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone, and this old man is all that's left. I got to live with that.                                                                                                                                          -Red Redding, The Shawshank Redemption

Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, The Irishman, Joker, The Good Shepherd, Shark Tale, Ronin, Sleepers, The Deer Hunter, Casino, Heat, The Untouchables, One Upon a Time in America, The Godfather: Part II, The King of Comedy; 2 Academy Awards, 8 nominations - Best Character: Travis Bickle

Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man...
         -Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver

Robert Redford - All the President's Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Natural, Spy Game, A Bridge Too Far, The Way We Were, The Sting, The Chase, The Last Castle; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations - Best Character: Roy Hobbs

And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.
       -Roy Hobbs, The Natural

Sean Connery - Dr. No, The Man Who Would Be King, The Untouchables, The Great Train Robbery, Robin and Marian, The Hunt for Red October, Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, First Knight, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; 1 Academy Award - Best Character: James Bond

The name's Bond, James Bond.
       -James Bond, A View to Kill

Steve McQueen - Bullitt, The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, Papillon, The Getaway, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Cincinnati Kid, The Sand Pebbles, Never Call Me a Stranger, The Towering Inferno; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Hilts 'The Cooler King'

I haven't seen Berlin yet, from the ground or from the air, and I plan on doing both before the war is over. 
       -Hilts, The Great Escape

Tom Cruise - Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, Edge of Tomorrow, Rock of Ages, Jerry Maguire, The Last Samurai, Minority Report, Magnolia, Days of Thunder, A Few Good Men, Rain Man, Vanilla Sky, War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher, The Mummy; 3 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Ethan Hunt

Can I ask you something, Kittridge? If you're dealing with a man who has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you think you're gonna make him by hauling Mom and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?
      -Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible

Tom Hardy - Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road, Locke, The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant, Legend, Bronson, Lawless, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Child 44, RocknRolla, Dunkirk, Venom; 1 Academy Award nomination - Best Character: Bane

Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
       -Bane, The Dark Knight Rises

Will Smith - I Am Legend, Bad Boys, Wild Wild West, Men in Black, Concussion, Hancock, I, Robot, Shark Tale, Hitch, Ali, Enemy of the State, Focus, Seven Pounds; 2 Academy Award nominations - Best Character: Agent J

You know what the difference is between you and me? I make this look good.                               -Agent J, Men in Black

Tier 4 appearing on all 5 lists "The Pantheon"

Jimmy Stewart - Vertigo, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Anatomy of a Murder, The Philadelphia Story, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Rear Window, The Greatest Show on Earth, You Gotta Stay Happy, You Can't Take It with You, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Last Gangster; 1 Academy Award, 5 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Jefferson Smith, Elwood P. Dowd, George Bailey, Macauley Connor

You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.                     -George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life

Brad Pitt - 12 Monkeys, Moneyball, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fight Club, Se7en, Ocean's Eleven, The Big Short, 12 Years a Slave, Inglourious Basterds, Troy, Snatch, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, World War Z, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Burn After Reading, Ad Astra, Fury; 2 Academy Awards, 7 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Tyler Durden, Billy Beane, Aldo Raine, Rusty Ryan

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life...are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it?
        -Tyler Durden, Fight Club

Cary Grant - Charade, His Girl Friday, Father Goose, An Affair to Remember, North by Northwest, I Was a Male War Bride, The Bishop's Wife, Aresenic and Old Lace, Penny Serenade, Only Angels Have Wings, My Favorite Wife, Gunga Din, Bringing Up Baby, The Eagle and the Hawk, Holiday, The Philadelphia Story, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer; 2 Academy Award nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Roger Thornhill, Peter Joshua, Nickie Ferrante, CK Dexter Haven

Well, in this highly competitive world, when a man has no profession, there isn't much choice, so I began looking for people who had more money than they needed...                             -Adam Canfield, Charade

 

Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes, Julius Caesar, Khartoum, Major Dundee, The Pigeon That Took Rome, The Big Country, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Touch of Evil, El Cid, Lucy Gallant, The President's Lady, The Awakening, Tombstone; 1 Academy Award

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Judah Ben-Hur, Moses, George Taylor, John the Baptist

You may conquer the land; you may slaughter the people. But that is not the end. We will rise again.
          -Judah Ben-Hur, Ben-Hur

Christian Bale - Batman Begins, American Psycho, The Big Short, Vice, American Hustle, Reign of Fire, Equilibrium, Little Women, Shaft, I'm Not There, The Fighter, The Prestige, The Machinist, 3:10 to Yuma, Ford vs. Ferrari, Public Enemies, Terminator Salvation, Empire of the Sun, Newsies; 1 Academy Award, 4 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Bruce Wayne, Patrick Bateman, Alfred Borden, Dicky Eklund

There is an idea of Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me...I simply am not there.
          -Patrick Bateman, American Psycho

Clint Eastwood - Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Kelly's Heroes, Hang 'Em High, Where Eagles Dare, A Fistful of Dollars, Joe Kidd, The Outlaw Josey Wales, For a Few Dollars More, Bronco Billy, The Rookie, Space Cowboys, Gran Torino, The Mule, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Pale Rider, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Escape from Alcatraz, High Plains Drifter, Coogan's Bluff; 4 Academy Awards, 7 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Harry Callahan, Joe, The Stranger, Kelly

This is a 44. Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and it could blow your head clean off. Do you feel lucky?
         -Harry Callahan, Magnum Force

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln, The Last of the Mohicans, Gangs of New York, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, My Left Foot, The Boxer, Gandhi, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Nanou, In the Name of the Father, The Crucible; 3 Academy Awards, 6 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Daniel Plainview, Abraham Lincoln, Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting, Reynolds Woodcock

Did you think your song and dance and your superstition would help you, Eli? I am the Third Revelation! I am who the Lord has chosen!                                                                             -Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood

Gary Cooper - Sergeant York, High Noon, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You're in the Navy Now, Cloak and Dagger, The Cowboy and the Lady, The Plainsman, Design for Living, If I Had a Million, Seven Days Leave, Nevada; 2 Academy Awards, 5 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Will Kane, Alvin C York, Longfellow Deeds, Robert Jordan

People here are funny. They work so hard at living they forget how to live.                                         -Longfellow Deeds, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Harrison Ford - The Fugitive, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Witness, Air Force One, 42, Cowboys & Aliens, Patriot Games, Frantic, Blade Runner, American Graffiti, The Mosquito Coast, K-19: The Widowmaker, Ender's Game, Firewall; 1 Academy Award nomination

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Indiana Jones, Han Solo, Richard Kimble, Rick Deckard

Never tell me the odds.
        -Han Solo, Empire Strike Back

Joaquin Phoenix - Gladiator, The Master, Joker, Walk the Line, Her, Signs, I'm Still Here, You Were Never Really Here, 8MM, The Village, The Sisters Brothers; 1 Academy Award, 4 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Arthur Fleck, John R Cash, Commodus, Theodore

Sometimes I think I have felt everything I'm ever gonna feel. And from here on out, I'm not gonna feel anything new. Just lesser versions of what I've already felt.
        -Theodore, Her

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Departed, Inception, Titanic, Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, The Great Gatsby, Shutter Island, J. Edgar, Gangs of New York, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Blood Diamond, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator, Romeo + Juliet, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, The Quick and the Dead, The Man in the Iron Mask; 1 Academy Award, 7 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Rick Dalton, Jordan Belfort, Cobb, Billy

You sit there with a mass murderer. A mass murderer. Your heart rate is jacked, and your hand...steady. That's one thing I learned about myself in prison. My hand does not shake...ever.
        -Billy, The Departed

Russell Crowe - Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Les Misérables, Noah, Robin Hood, American Gangster, The Quick and the Dead, L.A. Confidential, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, 3:10 to Yuma, State of Play, Man of Steel, The Nice Guys; 1 Academy Award, 3 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Maximus, John Nash, Ben Wade, Bud White

Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity.
        -Maximus, Gladiator

Tom Hanks - Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Big, Bridge of Spies, Captain Philips, Toy Story, The Da Vinci Code, The Ladykillers, Philadelphia, The Green Mile, Apollo 13, Sleepless in Seattle, Turner & Hooch, A League of the Their Own, You've Got Mail, The Terminal, The Polar Express, Saving Mr. Banks; 2 Academy Awards, 6 nominations

Mount Rushmore of Characters: Woody, Captain Miller, Forrest Gump, Chuck Noland

My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
        -Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump

There it is. Authoritative, conclusive, and immutable. Or not - who'd we miss?

In Defense of the Online Church

A priori argumentation assumes definitions and therefore can be somewhat dissatisfying. Certain presuppositions anchor the propositions and if interpreted in the manner they are presented become a compelling foundation but if interpreted differently from the intention of the arguer create a dissonance that destroys the entire framework of the argument. In short, if I didn't believe it, to begin with, it'll hardly convince me to believe it after the fact.

I, not unlike many of you I'm sure, have read a litany of articles both short and long, weighty and light, humorous and stern, from the young and the old, from the conservative to the perhaps less so on the weaknesses and difficulties of doing church in an online format. I italicize because I feel no matter how strongly these well-meaning authors distance themselves from that concept, they ultimately fall prey to the underlying implications. At the end of reading each one, I am left with that a priori taste in my mouth. A fundamental proposition to everyone's argument is "gathering cannot be done virtually" and then they proceed to show that the church must gather. That being a local church is being a local gathering. That oversight of the Elders must be in person. That the sacraments are inherently physical and must meet certain parameters to be legitimate, including personal presence. All of which are compelling arguments if "gathering cannot be done virtually."

I finish these articles and immediately feel the urge to call the author and ask, "why?" Their explanations in the articles themselves range from "there's something missing" to "of course we know it's not the same" which serves perfectly well for convincing someone who already agrees with them. Hardly airtight logic or Theological proof. More personal conversations typically end up with me being kindly referred to as a "semantic" and the same general "feeling" of something missing, something unachievable in a virtual setting, being the shifting sand of a foundation for the argument. Thinking about it has finally burst into writing, so I present my defense of the Online Church.

What is gathering? Mirriam-Webster defines it by linking to two other words: Assembly and Meeting. Assembly uses gathering in its definition so that's not necessarily that helpful but its "a company of persons gathered for deliberation and legislation, worship, or entertainment." In this definition, common intent is the key to an assembly. Meeting adds an element: "an act or process of coming together." So that implies movement from not together to together. In both of these cases, physical presence is not specified. A virtual gathering can be both intentional and moves from not together (video call not connected) to together. A common proof text is Hebrews 10:25 (ESV) "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." I'm no Greek scholar but I can look things up with the best of them, that is ἐπισυναγωγὴν and is translated "assembly" by the KJV and other times "assembling together" and according to Bible Hub has an implication of a complete group. Again, maybe physically is assumed but an ancient near-eastern thinker wouldn't even be able to conceive of a virtual gathering so the absence of an insistence on physical presence is not evidence for either concept. 

Commands to the church in Scripture are given to individual groups with the ultimate result of being instructional, binding, edifying, and directed towards the rest of the Body in the Universal sense. I in no way deny the logistical and Theological importance of the local assembly. Each autonomous unit is a relationship-center of believers who worship, serve, and minister through the structure and agency of the local body. So, what does attending church physically provide that attending it virtually does not? I'd contend nothing of spiritual importance. It can provide a sense of separation from the day-to-day which could enhance the ability of a worshipper to "get in the frame of mind" to worship. Which is all well and good, as long as we don't lose the fact that we should be always be worshipping! We fall into the trap of compartmentalizing our lives and then when circumstances mash our neatly sorted divisions together we get out of sorts. Maybe this is just the kickstart the American church needs to remember our responsibilities as worshippers don't begin and end on Sundays?

What about the ordinances? Can someone be Baptized virtually? It would certainly be odd. Picture it, the Pastor on one screen, the convert on another, the Pastor recites his favorite Baptismal passage as the convert submerges in his bathtub. Not a particularly convenient or effective ceremony, but is it wrong? If the convert is following Christ's example, the process is observed in as public a setting as a local church assembly (not that public really), and its purpose is to identify with Christ and join the local membership I see no reason it could not be called a Baptism. It is reasonable to argue that the individual cannot Baptize himself, but is it really the being physically submerged into the water that makes it Baptism? Immersion is by definition submersion, I don't suggest the modality isn't important but it derives its importance from its meaning - not its meaning from its form. Hence in extreme circumstances, full immersion may not be entirely necessary while preserving the intent and message of the act of obedience. As such, in an extreme circumstance that prevents physical presence, Baptism is not such a rigid physical ritual to be impossible.

How about the Lord's Supper? Can the Eucharist be observed virtually? This, to me, is much easier to answer. Of course, it can. Generally, I'd say the Lord's Supper is designed to represent the unity of the body both in the identification as recipients of Christ's atoning sacrifice and in the longing for His imminent coming and the Marriage Feast celebration. What about physically being in a room changes the experience of the Lord's Supper? Are the nursery workers no longer members of the Body? If it is a physical manifestation of grace and the elements must be blessed by the ordained clergy and each member must take a piece of the same loaf and a sip from the same cup to physically receive a spiritual blessing than sure, can't be done virtually. St. Bernard's can't hold Mass virtually, or at least shouldn't by their own rules. But the benefits of The Lord's Supper are not given to me by the elements or the Pastors or the holding hands and singing Blessed Be the Tie That Binds. All of those things are physical representations of spiritual benefits, representations that can be replicated in a virtual setting.

Is physical church attendance preferable? Certainly! I enjoy physical presence more than virtual presence. I am less distracted and forced to prepare physically and mentally to a higher degree to be in another person's presence. However, with time and adjustment, if the current way of life continues or gets worse this will change. We will grow more comfortable in the virtual space and the negatives will fade. Ultimately, the outcry against virtual church smacks of sacramentalism and closes off local churches from a modality of ministry that could be explored. Perhaps the best thing that could come of this difficult time would be an expansion of The Church's presence in the online world. We live in the digital age and the Church is called to minister to people where they are.

The Saxcademy: Best Picture - Three Decades

The "Saxcademy" is a group of film-enjoyers who happen to share the same last name. I thought it might be interesting to look at the "best" film across the past 3 decades (since 1990) but with a twist. Instead of stuffy, "Oscar-bait" type films dominating the nominations, 6 films across all genres were chosen as nominees and presented to the members of the Saxcademy. They were asked to rank each film in a grid from 1st to 6th with the option of writing in another film and indicating where it would finish. They were able to give multiple films votes at the same tier (so two 1st place films etc) and could also put a movie in multiple tiers although nobody did that. I then compiled the results and used the following formula to determine a winner.

1st Place - 6pts
2nd Place - 4pts
3rd Place -  3pts
2nd Place - 2pts
4th, 5th, and No Vote - 1 pt

So, here are the Saxcademy's Best Picture selections.

1990

In a close race, the first year was determined by a single point.

The Hunt for Red October

John McTiernan's adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel by the same name starring Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Sam Neill, and James Earl Jones received 2 1st place votes and 2 2nd place votes.

Martin Scorsese's gangster epic Goodfellas received 3 1st place votes but no other votes leaving it one point short.

The other nominees ended up in this order: Arachnophobia; The Godfather, Part III; Home Alone; Days of Thunder; and write-in King of New York.

1991

3 films received 1st place votes but the leader was clear in '91.

What About Bob?

The delightful Bill Murray/Richard Dreyfuss comedy from director Frank Oz got 2 1sts and 3 2nds.

James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day received 2 1sts, 2 3rds, and 1 5th finishing second while the thrilling Silence of the Lambs finished 3rd with a 1st, 2 2nds, and a 3rd.

The remaining films lined up like this: Beauty and the Beast; Hook; Point Break; and write-in Cape Fear.

1992

Another tight contest in '92 saw 4 films receive a 1st place vote.

Reservoir Dogs

Tarantino's debut crime film edged out Aladdin by a single point. Dogs had 2 1sts, 1 2nd, and a 4th. Aladdin had a 1st, 2 2nds, and a 3rd.

The Last of the Mohicans got a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, and 2 4ths putting it tied for 3rd with The Muppet Christmas Carol which had a 1st, a 2nd, 2 3rds and a 5th. A Few Good Men, Glengarry Glen Ross, and write-in Malcolm X rounded off the list.

1993

Again 4 films got a 1st place vote in '93 but the winner was more clear.

Jurassic Park

Spielberg's epic Crichton adaptation dominated with 3 1sts and 2 3rds.

The Harrison Ford thriller The Fugitive was next with a 1st, 3 2nds, and a 5th. The Civil War epic Gettysburg with a 1st, 2 3rds, and 2 4ths tied it with Spielberg's Holocaust tale Schindler's List which received a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th. The rest were Tombstone; The Nightmare Before Christmas, and write-in Groundhog Day.

1994

Tarantino was back on top in '94.

Pulp Fiction

3 1sts and a 2nd gave the masterpiece an easy victory.

The Lion King also got 2 1sts, a 4th, and a 5th. The rest were The Shawshank Redemption; Forrest Gump; Dumb and Dumber; write-in The Santa Clause; and Quiz Show.

1995

3 films got 1st place votes in '95.

Apollo 13

3 1sts and 2 3rds gave the Tom Hanks-led biopic the win. Michael Mann's crime thriller Heat got 2 1sts and a 2nd and the Richard Dreyfuss drama Mr. Holland's Opus got a 1st, 3 3rds, and a 5th. The rest were Toy Story; Braveheart; Crimson Tide; and the write-in Se7en.

1996

A tight 2-horse race came down to 3 points in '96.

Mission: Impossible

De Palma's franchise launcher got 3 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd to barely edge out the Sci-Fi thriller Independence Day and its 2 1sts, a 2nd, and 2 3rds.

The rest were The Ghost and the Darkness; Fargo; the write-in Jerry Maguire; James and the Giant Peach; and The Rock.

1997

Good Will Hunting

3 1sts and a 2nd gave the Robin Williams/Matt Damon drama the win. Alien action-comedy Men In Black got 2 1sts and 2nds. The remaining films ended up like this: Air Force One; Jackie Brown; write-in Con Air; L.A. Confidential; and Gattaca.

1998

'98 was the first year with a unanimous decision.

Saving Private Ryan

5 1st place votes slam-dunked the Spielberg-Hanks War epic. Second place was also unanimous going to Jim Carrey's dramedy The Truman Show.

The rest were A Bug's Life; The Big Lebowski; Rushmore; write-in Mulan; and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

1999

The Matrix

The Sixth Sense received 2 1sts, 2 2nds, and a 4th but that fell short of The Matrix's 3 1sts and 2 2nds.

The rest were Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace; Magnolia; The Mummy; Fight Club; and write-in The Insider.

2000

Another unanimous victory in '00.

Gladiator

5 1sts for Ridley Scott's actual Best Picture Oscar winner.

The rest were Remember the Titans; The Patriot; Memento; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; and The Emperor's New Groove.

2001

Strong finishes from the Peter Jackson trilogy highlight the next three years.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

4 1sts and a 2nd gave the first Tolkein adaptation the win over A Beautiful Mind which got a 1st, 2 2nds, and a 5th.

The rest were Ocean's Eleven; Training Day; Enemy at the Gates; Black Hawk Down; and write-in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

2002

The ability to award multiple films the same tier created an interesting situation in '02. 4 films received 1st place votes but the winner was unanimously given 5 1sts.

Signs

I've written at length about how much I love Signs so I appreciated the respect it received from the Saxcademy. The other 1st place vote-getters were The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with a 1st, 2 2nds, a 3rd, and a 4th; The Bourne Identity with a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th; and We Were Soldiers with a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, a 4th, and a 5th.

Minority Report; Gangs of New York; and write-in Ice Age wrapped up the list.

2003

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The trilogy got 2 Best Pictures and a 2nd place finish in 3 years. A much better reflection of reality here with the Saxcademy than with that Oscar crowd. Master and Commander of the Far Side of the World got a 1st, 2 3rds, and a 4th but only managed to finish third behind The Last Samurai with 2 2nds and 3 3rds.

The rest were Elf; write-in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Kill Bill. Vol 1; and Mystic River.

2004

'04 has the first write-in 1st place vote.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The third Potter film got 3 1sts, a 2nd, and a 5th. The gave it a comfortable win over second-place finisher Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with 1 1st and 2 3rds. Write-in Spider-Man 2 got a 1st place vote which put it fifth overall.

The others were Napoleon Dynamite; National Treasure; Miracle; and Man on Fire.

2005

Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan's reboot got 4 1st and a 2nd to give it a clear win over Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and its 1 1st, 2 3rds, and a 4th.

The rest lined up The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; War of the Worlds; write-in Hoodwinked; Munich; and Good Night, and Good Luck.

2006

Nolan went back to back in '06.

The Prestige

3 1sts and 2 2nds gave the Bale/Jackman magician mystery the win over Scorsese's The Departed and its 2 1sts, 1 2nd, and 2 3rds. Stranger Than Fiction also got a 1st, a 2nd, and a 4th.

The rest were Amazing Grace; Pan's Labyrinth; Children of Men; and write-in Inside Man.

2007

3 films got 1st place votes in 2007 but the winner was clear once again.

No Country for Old Men

The Coens Brother's western got 4 1sts and a 3rd. Will Smith's Zombie thriller I Am Legend got a 1st, a 2nd, and 3 4ths and Paul Thomas Anderson's Updike adaptation There Will Be Blood got a 1st, a 3rd, and a 5th.

The rest were 3:10 to Yuma; Zodiac; Juno; and write-in Hot Rod.

2008

Nolan took a year off but was back on top in '08.

The Dark Knight

The sequel was unanimously on top.

The rest of the year listed as follows: Kung Fu Panda; Taken; The Hurt Locker; Burn After Reading; write-in Wall-E, and The Brothers Bloom.

2009

Inglourious Basterds

Tarantino's WWII piece got 4 1st place and 1 4th. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince got a 1st, 2 2nds, a 3rd, and a 5th.

Sherlock Holmes; Star Trek; Avatar; write-in Zombieland; and The Men Who Stare at Goats were the rest.

2010

4 of 6 to Nolan. Quite a run.

Inception

4 1sts and a 2nd solidified a dominant win for the time-bending mind heist. The King's Speech got a 1st, a 2nd, a 4th, and a 6th.

The rest were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1; Despicable Me; write-in Megamind; Shutter Island; The Social Network.

Megamind was a big oversight for the nomination committee.

2011

The next two were much closer races.

Moneyball

3 1sts and 2 2nds gave the Michael Lewis adaptation the edge over Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's 2 1sts, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, and 1 5th.

The rest were Drive; write-in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; and The Ides of March.

2012

Even closer was '12 which saw 4 films get a 1st place vote.

Lincoln

Spielberg's epic got 2 1sts, a 2nd, and 2 3rds. That barely beat Argo and its 1 1st, 2 2nds, and 2 4ths; Django Unchained's 1 1st, 2 2nds, and 1 5th and the second write-in 1st place vote for Dark Knight Rises.

The others were Zero Dark Thirty; The Place Beyond the Pines; and Life of Pi.

2013

No question in '13 with another unanimous winner.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The rest fell in this order: World War Z; Inside Llewyn Davis; Gravity; Snowpiercer; write-in 12 Years a Slave; and 42.

2014

Nolan again! Truly a Saxcademy favorite.

Interstellar

3 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd set it clearly above the others. John Wick and its 1st, 2 3rds, and a 4th and another write-in 1st to Guardians of the Galaxy were next.

The rest were The Lego Movie; Love & Mercy; Nightcrawler; and Whiplash.

2015

The narrowest of margins determined the winner in '15 as it was the first single-point victory since 1990.

Spotlight

2 1sts and 2 2nds gave the journalism expose the single point it needed to beat Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and its 2 1sts, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, and 1 5th.


The Big Short also got a 1st, 2 2nds, a 4th, and a 5th. The rest were The Martian; The Revenant; write-in Inside Out; and Mad Max: Fury Road.

2016

While Star Wars was on the losing end of a 1 point matchup in '15 it ended up on top in '16.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

1 1st and 3 2nds made the spin-off the first winner to not actually get the most 1st place votes since the first year, 1990. Scorsese ended up in second again (a bit of a theme perhaps?) as Silence got 2 1sts, a 3rd, and a 4th.

Arrival also got a 1st, a 2nd, and 2 4ths to finish third and Hell or High Water took fourth with 1 1st, 2 3rds, and a 5th.

The rest were write-in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Deadpool; and Hidden Figures.

2017

It seems like its been a while since Nolan won (2 years) but he's back.

Dunkirk

The film Tarantino called the 2nd best of the decade got 3 1sts and 2 2nds. It won easily over Get Out's 1 1st and 2 2nds and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi's 1 1st, 1 2nd, 1 3rd, and 1 4th.

The others were mother!; Logan; write-in Blade Runner 2049; and The Death of Stalin.

2018

A tie sat at the top of '18 but in cases of a tie the film with the most 1st place votes gets the win.

Avengers: Infinity War

The only Avengers film to get a Saxcademy Best Picture (Saxcar?) award (spoilers), Infinity War got 2 1sts and 2 4ths. That tied Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman in total score, but it only got 1 1st, along with 2 2nds, and a 4th.

A Star is Born also got a 1st, 2 2nds, and a 6th and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs got a 1st and a 3rd.

The rest were Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Vice; and write-in Annihilation.

2019

This past year the Saxcar made it back to Tarantino, his 4th in the 30 years.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

3 1sts and a 4th set it above Joker and its 1 1st, 1 2nd, and 1 4th. Knives Out also got a 1st, a 3rd, and a 5th but finished fourth behind The Irishman's 3 2nds and 1 5th.

The others were The King; Ford v Ferrari; and write-in Avengers: Endgame.



So, the winners were:

1990 - The Hunt for Red October
1991 - What About Bob?
1992 - Reservoir Dogs
1993 - Jurassic Park
1994 - Pulp Fiction
1995 - Apollo 13
1996 - Mission: Impossible
1997 - Good Will Hunting
1998 - Saving Private Ryan
1999 - The Matrix
2000 - Gladiator
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002 - Signs
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2005 - Batman Begins
2006 - The Prestige
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2008 - The Dark Knight
2009 - Inglourious Basterds
2010 - Inception
2011 - Moneyball
2012 - Lincoln
2013 - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2014 - Interstellar
2015 - Spotlight
2016 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2017 - Dunkirk
2018 - Avengers: Infinity War
2019 - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Let us know where we were wrong.

What Makes a Good Movie - a Cinematic Prolegomena

            For the next year, as a goal or personal project, if you will, I’ve decided to write reviews for 52 films. A film a week. I’ve written a few film reviews but nothing consistent so I think it’ll be a fun challenge and hopefully improve my writing on cinema and in general. I’ll try to maintain the variety I’m accustomed to in my current cinematic diet and that in turn should force me to wrestle with a diverse set of genres, eras, and voices. 

Before evaluating whether or not a particular film is “good” or “effective” or “compelling” or whatever other positive categorical description you prefer, I need to first make an attempt at defining the traits, attributes, pieces, and processes that compose the formula of the cinematic experience. You may consider this my cinematic prolegomena. 

Cast, Crew, Collaborators

One of the primary draws for me when considering whether or not to give a movie a try is the collection of individuals on the project. Generally, the number of names I recognize in the cast and crew correlates with my expectations. 

This does not mean I’m not excited to see up-and-coming actors or directing debuts, but my expectations will be tempered accordingly.

Setting, Sense of Place, Ambience, Environment, World

Stories can’t occur in a vacuum. Unless of course, they occur in space or inside the home appliance used to remove particulates from the carpet. Even in both of these remarkably different but suspiciously similar examples, the “where” for the story creates the means by which it is understood. A good film is in a recognizable place with consistency, clarity, and often a certain level of sophistication in its design. Details are better shown and not told, experienced not explained. With more familiarity, there’s more capacity for errors or inconsistencies to stick out. The more radical and bizarre the world, the more difficult it can be to understand.

A well-built world can cover a multitude of screenplay, character, and acting sins.

Writing, Screenplay, Dialogue

How the film communicates to the viewer is hands down the most important part of making a film. The best story in the world can’t overcome a clumsy telling. Effective writing is an elusive idea. I think it’s similar to effective painting. Individual brushstrokes and color choices can be analyzed and perfected but if the picture isn’t coherent, communicative, and meaningful all the technical skill in the world can’t save it. 

Characters, Acting

Great characters come in many different varieties. On the one hand, complete, deep, multi-dimensional characters resonate in the real world. On the other hand, caricatures are effective ways to form analogies, establish and deconstruct stereotypes, relate to literary archetypes, and feed the fantastical nature of many stories. Bad characters are flat in three-dimensional worlds; their motives and stimuli either incoherent or telegraphed.

Good acting is either such a magnificent transformation or emotional display it dominates the experience or its so subtle as to be ignored. I like both types of performers but admittedly will praise the former more than the latter. Bad acting is like rotten fruit, impossible to ignore and it ruins whatever it’s a part of. Elements like wild emotional swings, no emotion at all, and inconsistent characterizations will reduce my enjoyment.

Story, Plot

Something has to happen for me to enjoy a film. This, more than the other categories, can set me against films that have historically received critical backing. Not only does something need to happen but I have to care about that something, either in real life or as a result of the film providing a reason to believe, if you will. There are films which are beautifully made, well-acted and scripted, with plenty of thespian curb appeal that fail miserably to get me to care. The ultimate example of this is probably Speilberg’s War Horse. I just didn’t care enough to enjoy it. 

The story, or more accurately the plot, needs to have interior consistency. Plot holes are forgivable for a myriad of reasons ranging from perspective to time constraints but at the end of the day if the world doesn’t “make sense” I’m going to complain about it.

Technical Features, Soundtrack, Lighting, Sound, Editing, Mixing, Etc

I have no training or special knowledge about the technical aspects of film. I can appreciate a beautifully framed shot or a perfectly timed swell in the score but I’ll completely miss most of the nuanced bits and pieces of making a movie. Maybe someday I’ll pursue some technical training but for now, I’ll remain a blissfully-ignorant layman. That being said, obvious editing is distracting and annoying and I don’t like it.

Meaning, Moral, Philosophy, Zeitgeist, Theme

The center of all communication is the message. Film presents a unique way to transmit a message. When I consider a film’s theme, the criteria is two-fold. Did I understand the message? And, did I appreciate, resonate with, like the message? My favorite movie, Signs, earned its top spot for excellence in many categories but specifically unparalleled personal connection to me in its meaning. A good message communicated poorly is less enjoyable than a bad message picked up loud and clear.

So, in summary, a good film has a strong cast and crew, a clear sense of place, memorable dialogue, relatable characters, an interesting and coherent plot, technical skill, and a defined theme. I am looking forward to tackling this challenge and hope it will be interesting for any who decide to come along for the ride.