[woodbutcher1963]

I have seen three:

Boyhood: very well done, filmed over a 12 year period with the same actors & actresses. It does not promote the liberal agenda too much. There is even a part where the ex-husband really does not become happy until he remarries into a religious right, gun loving family. The story follows a boy and his extended family as he grows up from age 6 to going off to college. Patricia Arquet plays the mom, who goes through three husbands in the movie. Two of which are abusive.

The Grand Budapest Hotel:
I thought this was a funny, strange, weird movie. I thought it was OK. I am not sure I could recommend it.

American Sniper:
A very moving story. I also read the book. Similar story line to The Deer Hunter and Coming Home regarding the effect of war not only on the soldier but on everyone around him.

The rest of these movies are your typical liberal cult films. Some may be great acting, but stories that very few people want to see.

Birdman is a story about an actor. People in Hollywood loves stories about themselves. “Shakespeare in Love” won against “Saving Private Ryan”. Sometimes they get it correct like “The Godfather and The Godfather part II”, “Gladiator”, “Braveheart”, “Unforgiven”, or “The Silence of the Lambs”. However, some years they don’t.

Some years there are two or even three great movies. !975 for example: One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest(winner), Dog Day Afternoon and Jaws lost. Also, in 1972: The Godfather wins. Deliverance loses. Both great movies.

Some years there are not. 2008, Slumdog Millionaire wins. A nice movie with a happy ending. It beat out: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk and The Reader.
None of these are GREAT movies.

[rollo tomasi]

"However, some years they don’t."

No, the Academy got it right. 'Birdman' was pure Oscar Bait from the artsy angle after last year's Oscar Bait movie "12 Years..." won from the dramatic angle.

Anderson's downfall was repetition based on the same "quirkiness" of his past films.

Modern day members stay clear of War Films pushing past the finish line unless of course its Oscar Bait (Recent 'Hurt Locker' anti-hero Character Development angle which is portrayed as a "norm" the the military, lol)

Some bait tactics

[JimSEA]

American Sniper was so sold out here that we thought to avoid the hassle and wait for it to come out on Amazon. Normally we just watch Netflix or Amazon, particularly BBC series and mysteries. Just reading the Birdman descriptions would keep me away. Not bad, just not our preference in film types.

[the scotsman]

The Theory of Everything or The Imitation Game are hardly cult films. Brilliant films I would recommend to you, yes.