Feb 11: Oscar time?

As the Oscar presentations are just around the corner, it gets one to thinking about those movies, that for some reason or other managed to miss Oscar's gaze. One wonders if they had been released in another year, how many awards they would have garnered? Today I'll look at a few of those forgotten gems, that should have brought home the gold.

Can anyone ever forget this classic.......

A subtle rendering of the life of two car aficionados, caught up in what society considered to be anti social behavior. Snowden and Hartunian handled their roles with aplomb and nuance. But then what else would you have expected from those two thespians? Any doubts that this was Oscar material?

These next two came out in the same year, so they probably split the votes and allowed some unworthy to walk away with the Oscar gold, but such is life.......

Tag lines like "youth on the loose!" and "Hotter than Hell's Angels!", sum up the great action, Story lines that no doubt left the audience mesmerized and lead to some thought provoking coffee shop discussions. Chuck Connors was featured in an early role, before heading on to one of network TV's great dramas, Rifleman. The line up of great talent in Hot Rods to Hell, could have won awards in any decade  -  Crain, Andrews, Rooney. 'Nuff said.

You want action and more great acting?

Look no further than Fireball 500. And let's talk about talent.......Avalon, Funicello and Fabian. All in one movie! And all in star turns that garnered praise from many a critic who did not see this film. An added extra? The singing. Nothing better to tug at the heart strings, than when a talented voice brings tears to one's eyes. And real crashes, before computer simulations. Great stuff, but once again left out at the Oscars.

Being a car guy, I lusted after the Barris Customs Ala Kart featured in the Hot Rod Gang poster. Also the beautiful rendition of the pointy bra. On graphics alone, this pic should have won something. A classic good vs evil tale as told thru the eyes of youth. Another insightful look at the problems of the day with classically trained thespians showing the way. No awards. Truly a crime.

Even some great foreign films were over looked. One that comes to mind is this Russian epic about wild and crazy Soviet youth rebelling against their restrictive society in the '50's. Set on a collective farm, where they modify heavy equipment in their quest for excitement and social justice. Was Dr. Zhivago any better than this?

So there you have it. A handful of movies that mysteriously missed Oscar's nod.  I wonder if they were released again today, would justice finally be done? Maybe Ron Howard could remake one or all of these classics and give them the credit, that they missed back in the day. Someone want to start a petition?

Until next time.......