by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
Lovers of the golden statue, welcome back to Oscars: What If! It’s time to once again look back at the Academy Awards from years past, and to look at categories that should’ve existed had the Academy been ahead of the curve. Let’s travel back to the year Sony released the Walkman, Pink Floyd released “The Wall,” the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster took place, Margaret Thatcher became the Prime Minister in the U.K., and the snowboard was invented. It’s time to look at the films of 1979, which were celebrated at the Oscars in 1980. Let’s see what movies would have possibly landed a few extra awards!
Best Stunts and Choreography
Given to the best achievement in dance, stunts, related performances, and overall choreography for film.
And the nominees are… All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, Hair, Moonraker, The Muppet Movie
And the winner is… All That Jazz!
I can hear some of the vitriol now. How does Apocalypse Now or Hair not win this? How is Mad Max not even nominated?! Well, sometimes tough decisions have to be made. But there’s no easier decision than bestowing this award on the little seen musical that could, All That Jazz. Simply put, this movie is choreography. Bob Fosse is a legend in the world of dance, and he’s responsible for classics such as Damn Yankees, Cabaret, and Chicago. In All That Jazz he gives us a reimagined fantasy autobiography of the time when he was producing his film Lenny while also producing the stage musical of Chicago. It quickly becomes a beautiful and tragic film about the five stages of grief and the acceptance of death. Through it all, Fosse gives us some of the most powerful dance choreography you could possibly fathom. It’s powerful, emotional, breathtaking, unique, challenging, and wholly original. There’s not a single moment that is wasted in the movement, it’s all conveying something to the audience. The icing on top of it all is that it is masterfully edited so you can appreciate the dance. It’s quite obvious that this isn’t a macabre stitching together of one dance move after another. There’s a flow to this picture that allows us as the viewer to take in the full weight of this accomplishment. This was an easy slam dunk pick. All That Jazz absolutely deserves to, no, has to win this award.
Best Performance by Voiceover or Motion Capture
Given to the best off screen voice performance, or on screen motion captured performance, for film.
And the nominees are… Dave Goelz as Various in The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson as Various in The Muppet Movie, Frank Oz as Various in The Muppet Movie, Sumi Shimamoto as Lady Clarisse de Cagliostro in Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro, Yasuo Yamada as Arsene Lupin III in Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro
And the winner is… Frank Oz in The Muppet Movie!
Yes, give Frank Oz an Oscar! While the performances in The Castle of Cagliostro are good, and Jim Henson is no doubt a legend, we have to give this award to Oz. While Henson is the iconic Kermit the Frog, most of his other characters are not as famous. Or if they are, they certainly don’t have the presence in this movie that warrants recognition as they really only have one or two lines. But with Oz on the other hand, let’s list the roles in which he’s great: Sam the Eagle, Animal, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie Bear. Each one of these characters are wholly unique. Their personalities are formed by the passion that Oz injects into them with his talents. The way he crafts such original sounds and vocal patterns for all of these characters is astounding in and of itself. You would never know that all of these characters are performed by the same person. And here’s the crazy part — those aren’t even all the voices he did in this movie! These are just the more famous characters that are commonly known, but Oz also did the voices for over half a dozen more characters than these! What Oz did here is extraordinary, and he deserves this Oscar.
Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast
Given to the best overall ensemble cast performance for film.
And the nominees are… Alien, Apocalypse Now, Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan, Stalker
And the winner is… Kramer vs. Kramer!
Now this one was tough, probably taking the crown for the toughest pick of this year. There are so many terrific ensemble performances from this year, but I’m sliding the gold over to Kramer vs. Kramer. Honestly though, it’s not much of a stretch once you consider that Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep did win Oscars for their acting performances in this Best Picture-winning film. Even Justin Henry and Jane Alexander received acting nominations as well. Across the board, the acting throughout this film is next level. But what makes it such a great ensemble performance is how these individuals blend with one another. Seeing Hoffman change as he interacts with Streep. Watching Streep react to Hoffman in the trial. Henry bouncing off either of them as a child without direction. Even seeing Alexander evolve from holding contempt towards Hoffman to respecting and appreciating him by the trial’s end is fascinating. Everyone is pouring their heart and soul into these roles, and the movie sings because of it.
Best Directorial Debut
Given to the best achievement in direction by a debut directing talent for film.
And the nominees are… Carroll Ballard for The Black Stallion, Martin Brest for Going in Style, Albert Brooks for Real Life, George Miller for Mad Max, Hayao Miyazaki for The Castle of Cagliostro
And the winner is… Albert Brooks for Real Life!
I’m pretty sure that 90% of the time this honor would go to George Miller and Mad Max. Miller has certainly had the most illustrious career out of this bunch, with Hayao Miyazaki a close second. But in terms of an actual debut outing, this should go to Albert Brooks. The version he had, and executed on, for Real Life is impressive to say the least. He is prophetic in his understanding of American cultural entertainment, and Real Life feels more prescient than ever in today’s world where a man who was a former reality TV star has become the President of the United States. There’s a well balanced layering of biting satire, original drama, and hilarious jokes that keeps this movie feeling light and engaging. The way Brooks manages all of these elements while also providing the lead performance for the film in a player/coach capacity is noteworthy. For taking on such a challenging concept, for the time, and bringing it to the screen so lushly, this Oscar must go to Brooks.
Best Popular Film
Given to the best audience supported motion picture that earned a spot as one of the top 25 box office films of the year.
And the nominees are… Alien, Apocalypse Now, The Jerk, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Muppet Movie
And the winner is… Alien!
In many ways this could be the most in-your-face, obvious pick from this year. In many other ways this decision might blow your mind, feeling quite controversial. While Kramer vs. Kramer was the darling at the time, bringing home the most at the box office and the most gold at the Oscars, it has certainly not retained that adoration. In fact, of these five nominees, it’s easily the least recognizable in film’s current social consciousness. Every one of these other four films have grown to only become more popular and well regarded with age. The leader of this is Alien. And let’s be clear, Alien is no slouch. It still placed in the top 10 for the 1979 box office, raking in over $62 million. It also was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, winning Best Visual Effects. But the biggest factor working for Alien is its pop culture impact. This was the movie that frightened people beyond belief, that went on to redefine what could be done in horror with sharp cinematography, unique art direction, and gripping visual effects. Hell, to this day Alien is the definite space horror film, it has yet to be surpassed. The movie also went on to spawn a massive franchise that currently sits at six films, eight if you count the Predator crossover movies. The movie even had a social impact with its depiction of a badass female protagonist. Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley has become an icon for female empowerment in film, and it’s not hard to see why her character is so beloved. You couldn’t escape the impact of Alien in 1979. So much so that many feel that the truly terrifying nature of the film limited its box office potential. That’s how scary it was. It was so frightening that it made less money than it should’ve because audiences were too horrified to see it. For all these reasons, Alien has to take home the gold.
As always, it’s a blast to look back at what could’ve been. The Academy Awards of 1980 are no exception to that. Whether it be a musical about accepting death, a coming-of-age story about kids wanting to be champion cyclists, the heartbreak of divorce, or the greatest space horror of all time, there was something for everyone. Of course, the fun times just keep on rolling when you have movies like Raging Bull, The Shining, and The Empire Strikes Back on the horizon. Join us next month as we return to look at the Oscars from 1981, celebrating the films of 1980!
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