Ten on Tuesday - Ten Favorite Oscar Winning Movies

Oh, this should be fun (she says sarcastically)!  I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that wasn't part of some 24-hour Cary Grant or Gene Kelly film festival on AMC.  Truth be told, I refuse to watch any movie where anyone bleeds or throws up, so that severely limits my choices.  My philosophy of movie watching is this:  I want to be entertained.  I don't want to be grossed out, pissed off, scared to death or driven to wrist-slitting depression.  Just a little entertainment, please.

I went to the Oscar database and looked at all the films that have won Best Picture.  There are 82 of them (very quick count, may be a little off).  I've seen 30 of them, and not all of them would count in any way as a favorite movie, but here are my ten best.

1. Lawrence of Arabia.  Yes, there is blood, especially in the newer release (ugh...).  Part of my love for this movie is due to the fact that, when I was 14 and passionate about movies, my father took me to see it at the newly restored Ohio Theatre.  Oh, and Peter O'Toole...
2. Out of Africa.  Meryl Streep.  Beautiful costumes.  Nuff said.
3. Annie Hall.  For the lobster scene.  And the cocaine scene.
4. Rocky.  Probably wouldn't see it now, but during the summer of 1977, my roommate and I must have seen that movie 20 times.  Had the posters, too.  And the soundtrack.  DA DA Dadada Dadada Dadada...
5. Oliver!  OMG...Oliver!  Dad and I saw this at The Midland in Newark when I was 12.  Ron Moody's Fagan is still one of my favorite movie characters.
6. My Fair Lady.  Audrey Hepburn.  Great songs.
7. On the Waterfront.  Young, gorgeous Marlon Brando.  Amazing performance.
8. An American in Paris.  Gene Kelly.  Best dancer ever.  I'm still in love with Gene Kelly.
9. How Green Was My Valley.  Classic tearjerker of a movie.  Everyone dies, but it's beautiful.
10. The Deer Hunter.  Lots of violence.  Went to this movie with friends back in 1979.  Didn't know anything about it.  I was totally freaked out and traumatized, but loved the story, REALLY loved Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep, and (knowing when to clamp my eyes shut) saw the movie a couple more times.

Wow...I did it!  What I learned from this is that most of the movies I really love were not Best Picture winners.