36d6 Themovierambler.com http://www.themovierambler.com Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 5 Actors Who Have, Shockingly, Never Won an Oscar http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/09/5-actors-who-have-shockingly-never-won-an-oscar/ http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/09/5-actors-who-have-shockingly-never-won-an-oscar/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.themovierambler.com/?p=7 While many A-list actors have received an Oscar, there are also some very big names that have surprisingly not had the chance to grace the stage at the Academy Awards. These actors are brilliant, talented and have made names for themselves across the world, yet they remain without an award.

Will Smith

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor was nominated for his role in both “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Ali,” and while his show dominated televisions and music charts for the single “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” the actor still seems to be pursuing that coveted Academy Award.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio, best known for taking on challenging and diverse roles, has many critics claiming he is one of the most talented actors of this generation. Although he gave stunning performances in “Titanic” and “Inception” and received a few Oscar nods for “Blood Diamond,” “The Aviator,” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” this A-list actor cannot seem to take home an Oscar.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is a household name across the world. Nominated in 1989 and again in 1997 for his roles in “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Jerry Maguire,” he still remained Oscar-less. Thinking that the third time would be the charm, his nomination for “Magnolia” left him empty-handed.

Johnny Depp

This A-list celebrity has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, yet he does not have an Oscar on his mantle. Over the last ten years, Depp received plenty of Oscar nods and three nominations for “Finding Neverland,” “Sweeny Todd,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” and while his films send box offices soaring, earning millions of dollars, the actor has never won the award.

Brad Pitt

Last but not least, Brad Pitt has also been snubbed by the golden Oscar statue. He may be a heartthrob to many, but the Academy Awards have not been giving him a second look. Three nominations for “Moneyball,” “Twelve Monkeys,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” have left him without an Oscar.

]]> http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/09/5-actors-who-have-shockingly-never-won-an-oscar/feed/ 0 Django Unchained vs. Inglourious Basterds: Tarantino’s Historical Revenge Flicks http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/05/django-unchained-vs-inglourious-basterds-tarantinos-historical-revenge-flicks/ http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/05/django-unchained-vs-inglourious-basterds-tarantinos-historical-revenge-flicks/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.themovierambler.com/?p=6 There are more similarities than differences between these two films. Examining them head-to-head, let’s count the ways:

Both films are copiously violent, over-the-top, sensationalized period pieces that pay homage to their respective genres. Django is a southern slave drama done as a spaghetti western. Basterds is a World War II film more in line with the action-filled post-war G.I. comics than any serious battle epic.

Both feature oppressed “minority” protagonists; the African-American ex-slave, Django and the Jewish heroine, Shoshana. Both films feature protagonists that ran away from their atrocities, only to later seize the opportunity to right those wrongs in a deeply personal way by literally killing practically everybody in the house, in true Tarantino fashion.

Both distort history in ways that, while enjoyable for the underdog, are historically inaccurate, particularly in the case of Basterds’ depiction of Hitler’s demise in a French movie theater.

Both feature elements of the forbidden love theme. In Basterds it is Shoshana and her Black-French boyfriend. In Django, it is the love affair between two black slaves that have been sold apart.

Both feature amazing villans; the Nazi officer in Basterds and the clever, sadistic slave owner in Django.

Each film stands on it’s own as a great movie, the major differences being time period, setting and subject matter. More importantly, both of them are truly representative of Quentin Tarantino’s style and should take their rightful place within his colorful body of work.

]]> http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/05/django-unchained-vs-inglourious-basterds-tarantinos-historical-revenge-flicks/feed/ 0 Movies That Mix Comedy and Drama Perfectly http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/03/movies-that-mix-comedy-and-drama-perfectly/ http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/03/movies-that-mix-comedy-and-drama-perfectly/#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.themovierambler.com/?p=5 There are a countless number of things that make a film successful, but there is just something special about a movie that can perfectly blend comedy and drama. It takes a really special film maker to make a viewer laugh and cry in the same movie.

One of the best dramedies released in the past few years is “Little Miss Sunshine.” The film has the ability to make you cry from several of its heart touching moments and from laughing so hard. The family in the film may not be on the greatest vacation, but they are still able to have a good time together despite their problems.

“50-50″ was also able to blend comedy and drama perfectly. It is hard to make a comedy film about someone getting diagnosed with cancer, but “50-50″ somehow managed to pull it off. The film will have you laughing throughout, but it is also impossible to avoid crying while watching the movie.

The most iconic movie that blends comedy and drama perfectly may be “The Breakfast Club.” Life is filled with funny and sad moments, and “The Breakfast Club” was able to show this perfectly through the eyes of teenagers in high school.

]]> http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/03/movies-that-mix-comedy-and-drama-perfectly/feed/ 0 The Best Foreign Films From the Last 10 Years http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/02/the-best-foreign-films-from-the-last-10-years/ http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/02/the-best-foreign-films-from-the-last-10-years/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.themovierambler.com/?p=4 Some of the greatest films ever made have been foreign films. Classic masters of film like Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, and Francois Truffaut remain critical favorites. There has been plenty of recent love for foreign films as well, though. Here are the best foreign films released since 2013 so far.

1. Oldboy (2003). This Korean revenge flick’s plot has been compared to that of The Count of Monte Cristo, but with far more twists and turns.

2. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). In this highly imaginative Spanish fantasy, a young girl with a cruel and brutal soldier for a father finds escape in a fantasy world full of monsters.Want more? Click here{{/tag}

3. Let the Right One In (2008). Sweden gave us this beautiful, dark movie about two children who bond, only to discover that one of them is a vampire. It was remade into the American movie Let Me In in 2010, but most agree the original is better.

4. The Lives of Others (2006). This German drama looks at themes of voyeurism and compassion as it tells the story of a man and woman in East Berlin who are suspected of acting against the government and the man who is assigned to monitor the secret surveillance in their home.

]]> http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/05/02/the-best-foreign-films-from-the-last-10-years/feed/ 0 The Best Film Noir Detectives of the 1940s http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/04/29/the-best-film-noir-detectives-of-the-1940s/ http://www.themovierambler.com/2013/04/29/the-best-film-noir-detectives-of-the-1940s/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.themovierambler.com/?p=3 The 1940s was the golden age of film noir. So many of the greatest noir detectives were created during this time. It’s nearly impossible to choose which of them were the greatest, but here are some of the most well-known.

1. Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. He’s intelligent, good at his job, and is not about to let a romantic entanglement keep him from doing what he was hired to do. Truly one of the most iconic noir detectives.

2. Philip Marlowe, played by Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. Bogart portrayed two of the greatest detectives of all time in the same decade. Marlowe, based on Raymond Chandler’s literary detective, is every bit as tough and memorable as Spade.

3. Mark McPherson, played by Dana Andrews in Laura. As McPherson explores the murder of a dead woman, he finds himself strangely drawn to an idealized version of the murdered woman, perhaps even falling for her. He’s a fascinating character and a very human one.

4. Jeff, played by Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past. He’s never given a last name, but this private investigator finds himself tangled up with the femme fatale of all femme fatales.

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