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A group of unique directors and the essential works that you've got to see.

||| Stanley Kubrick |||
Stanley Kubrick

A filmmaker of international importance, Kubrick was one of the only directors to work within the Studio System and still have full artistic control over his films from scripting through post-production, prompting Time Magazine to compare Kubrick’s early independence with the magnitude of Orson Welles.

An uncompromising antiwar film, this gut-wrenching drama depicts a World War I officer as he labors with an ultimately futile defense for three painfully sympathetic men tried for cowardice. Kubrick artistically utilizes a beautifully washed-out black and white photography to represent the muddied boundaries of right and wrong, and the many gray areas that lay between.

A fabulous and inspiring adventure, this visually stunning epic stars Kirk Douglas as the heroic slave who fights to lead his people to freedom from Roman rule. Although a clear departure from Kubrick’s oeuvre, “Spartacus” is an all time classic helmed by a man with a precise vision who is equally capable of crafting colossal spectacle, tense tête-à-têtes, and a tender moment between lovers.

This film is so stylish it’s easy to forget it’s a horror film at heart. Considered to be the thinking man’s thriller, Kubrick molds this very particularly “Stephan King” material into the portfolio of his films about human failure, as the hero’s desperate desire to become somebody ends in frustration and tragedy.

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Oscar Handicap 2013: Animated Feature

By EdwardHavens

February 19th, 2013

FilmJerk.com continues its annual Oscar Handicap with the newest category to the Academy Awards, Best Animated Feature

Oscar Handicap 2013: Animated Feature

(For explanations as to how our scoring system works, make sure to read our first article in the series, Best Picture of the Year, linked at the bottom of this article.)

While the Best Animated Feature award may be the newest award in Oscar's long history, there have been number of trends already established over the past eleven years to help spot the leaders of the pack.


The Breakdowns
1) Computer animated films have won 9 of the 11 awards given since the Best Animated Feature category was introduced in 2001 (81.82%). Advantage: Brave, Wreck-It Ralph
2) Winners of the Annie Awards (the International Animated Film Society’s highest honor) have gone on to win the Oscar 8 of 11 times (72.73%). Advantage: Wreck-It Ralph
3) Films released before October 1st have won 8 of 11 (72.73%). Advantage: Brave, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits
4) The highest gross nominee has ended up winning 7 of 11 (63.64%). Advantage: Brave
5) The winner of the Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures has gone on to the win the Oscar 4 of 7 since the PGA began its own animated award (57.14%). Advantage: Wreck-It Ralph
6) Winners of the Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award for Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in an Animated Feature film have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar 6 of 11 times (54.55%). Advantage: Wreck-It Ralph
7) Previous Oscar nominees, be it in this category or any other Oscar category, have won here 6 of 11 times. Advantage: Brave (Mark Andrews), Frankenweenie (Tim Burton), The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Peter Lord).

By The Numbers
It should come as little shock that Disney has three nominees amongst the five. And while the Pixar title has an ever-so-slight advantage, it wouldn't be too shocking if its sibling wrecked Emeryville's seventh chance to bring home the gold.
Brave (Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman): +1, -2, +3, +4, -5, -6, +7 (41 of 73, 56.16%)
Frankenweenie (Tim Burton): -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, +7 (26 of 73, 35.62%)
ParaNorman (Sam Fell and Chris Butler): -1, -2, +3, -4, -5, -6, -7 (30 of 73, 41.10%)
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Peter Lord): -1, -2, +3, -4, -5, -6, +7 (31 of 73, 42.47%)
Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore): +1, +2, -3, -4, +5, +6, -7 (40 of 73, 54.79%)


All articles in this series:
Best Picture of the Year
Best Director
Best Actor and Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Animated Feature