OSCAR MADNESS

The Oscars are just a few days away, with Jimmy Kimmel returning to host the ninety-fifth ceremony. So here is a bit of cinema ranking and some lively bits of Oscar information to go over before showtime this Sunday:

There was much chatter about the recent polling by the British film magazine, Sight and Sound with their survey, taken every ten years, ranking the top-ten greatest movies of all-time. Beginning in 1952, with Vittorio De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" topping the list, each decade saw a shifting in order of films but it was "Citizen Kane" that ruled the number one position starting in 1962. Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece remained at the top of this poll until 2012 when the stylish psychological thriller, "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock took over the top spot. At this time, the list was expanded to include one hundred movies and increased the number of international film professionals and critics to participate in the selections. And last year with the latest poll, "Vertigo" was replaced by a new film that had previously ranked thirty-seven on the list. The New York Times explores the history of the Sight and Sound poll, examining how opinions and tastes have changed over the decades.

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What Makes a Movie the Greatest of All-Time?

Many were taken aback when the British performer, Andrea Riseborough was announced this year as one of the nominees for Best Actress in a little-seen, off-the-radar, indie drama, "To Leslie". After just watching her searing performance in the film as an alcoholic, single mother who squanders all the prize money after winning the lottery and abandoning her son, it is quite clear to me that not only does Riseborough earn her spot in the category but is actually a true contender to receive the award. But this is hardly the first time that the actress has impressed audiences, critics and her fellow actors with her captivating, committed work. Vulture has selected eleven of Riseborough's previous film and television appearances to highlight, giving a better understanding on why she is in the conversation.

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Eleven Andrea Riseborough Performances That Will Turn You Into a Convert

Roger Deakins is one of the most honored cinematographers by the Academy with the British director of photography earning his sixteenth Oscar nomination this year for his breathtaking work in Sam Mendes' "Empire of Light". Cláudio Alves, for the blog, The Film Expereince, has ranked this visionary master's sixteen nominations, breaking them down from great although not thrilling to absolute transcendence.

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Ranking Roger Deakins' Oscar Nominations

Vulture has also gone on to rank all fifty-four films nominated this year for an Oscar (including the short films). This is an impressive endeavor and I have to say I'm a little shocked at what was ranked at the bottom of this list. Check it out for yourself:

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All 54 Oscar-Nominated Movies Ranked

And to close this Oscar Madness out, here is a clip of the first, almost thirty minutes of the 1974 Academy Awards which includes a dazzling opening musical number by Liza Minnelli that pays tribute to the award, an introduction by then-Academy President Walter Mirisch (who just recently passed away in February at the age of 101) and opening comedy monologue by host Burt Reynolds: