Scorsese at the Oscars: The Complete Tally

by Cláudio Alves

With Killers of the Flower Moon still in theaters, conversation on the film has drifted from first impressions to Oscar prognostication. Amid these talks, Martin Scorsese's golden record has been heavily debated. Some say he's been severely under-rewarded, while others regard such talking points with disdain usually reserved for teenaged pop stans. Wherever you fall in this spectrum, knowing the director's exact Oscar stats will be helpful, if not enlightening. None of his short or documentary work has ever been recognized by AMPAS, and out of 25 narrative features, 17 have received at least one nomination – or 68%. Seven of those won an Oscar – or roughly 41% of his nominated work.

For a more in-depth analysis, let's consider the complete tally, sorted by category…

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Showbiz History: A Very Meryl Streep Kind of Day

5 random things that happened on this day, December 8th, in showbiz history

1861 Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès born in Paris to boot factory owners. He would eventually become a stage magician and then in the early days of the silent era, a popular filmmaker. He is often regarded as the father of visual effects so he really ought to be more canonized given that that's the kind of movie the public cares most about for many many years now. You might recall Ben Kingsley played him in Scorsese's Hugo.

Gene Kelly, Meryl Streep, and Matthias Schoenaerts after the jump...

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Sandy Powell ❤️ plaid

Powell on the set of "The Irishman"by Cláudio Alves

Some auteurists would have you believe that only directors among filmmakers have a distinctive style, a visual language transversal to all their projects. People like Sandy Powell, one of AMPAS' favorite costume designers, defy this logic. Her films share an aesthetic ethos and her taste is ever-present. Notice, for instance, how Powell has a penchant for saturated contrasting colors and bold patterns, often filling the frame with a cacophony of clashing prints. Her approach is so characteristic, in part, because busy textiles aren't something that normally works on camera.

Too much visual information can often distract the audience, dispersing the focus instead of guiding the eye with careful purpose. Powell, however, is capable of making it all work and her films are always bursting at the seams with complicated motifs, be it moiré silks or paisley wools, sequined brocades or floral cotton. Most of all, Powell loves plaid...

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Last Chance, Netflix: Blazing Saddles, Hello Dolly!, An Unmarried Woman

There are quite a few Oscar'ed titles leaving Netflix on July 1st as they continue to thin their streaming catalogue. So you officially have 1 week left to watch them if you're trying to fill in holes in your movie knowledge. After the jump let's play a little screengrab roulette (sharing whatever comes up), shall we?

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On this day: Billy the Kid, The Dark Knight, Hello Nasty

Happy Bastille Day! Isn't it weird that violent/bloody days often become holidays later on?

On this day in history as it relates to the movies...

Howard Hughes The Outlaw (1943)

1862 The Artist Gustav Klimt is born. Later Dame Helen Mirren will fight for custody of one of his most famous paintings in the bad movie Woman in Gold (2015).
1868 Explorer Gertrud Bell is born. Nicole Kidman played her in an ill-fated unreleased Werner Herzog movie Queen of the Desert
1881 Outlaw Billy the Kid is shot and killed outside Fort Sumner. Numerous stars have played him in movies including Roy Rogers (Billy the Kid Returns), Kris Kristofferson (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid), Emilio Estevez (Young Guns), and Paul Newman (The Left-Handed Gun). The most famous film version of his story may well be The Outlaw (1943) the Howard Hughes film which starred Jack Buetel as Billy and Jane Russell, in her star-making role, as his girl. You'll probably remember the funny scenes about this scandalous film (and Jane Russell's controversial cleavagae) within Martin Scorsese's The Aviator (2004)

more after the jump including Harry Dean Stanton's 90th birthday...

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