Ranking ALL of John Williams' Oscar Nominations

by Cláudio Alves

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY earned John Williams his 54th Oscar nomination.

Last week, John Williams celebrated his 92nd birthday, so it seems proper to shine a light on the legendary composer before the month ends. After all, in January, he also became the oldest person ever to secure an Oscar nomination, as he got into the Best Original Score lineup with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It was his 54th honor - he's won five Oscars as well - making him the most nominated living artist and runner-up for most nominated individual ever. That record is still held by Walt Disney, with 59.

In American Film History, there will never be a more iconic and influential composer than John Williams. If you don't believe it, join me as I go through his 54 nominations and offer my ranking…

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What If?: When Meryl Streep / Michelle Pfeiffer Almost Starred in "Evita"

by Gabriel Mayora

On Christmas day, twenty-five years ago, Evita (1996) premiered nationwide in theaters. The musical adaptation was helmed by Alan Parker and international superstar Madonna was its leading lady. For her divisive star turn, the actress was famously awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy over Frances McDormand (Fargo), who went on to claim the Academy Award in the equivalent category a couple of months later. Yet, Madonna’s name was left out of the Academy’s Best Actress line-up, suggesting the casting and Madonna's pop stardom may have proven too controversial for the group. 

Much like Effie White, Fantine, and Velma Kelly, Eva Perón is the kind of role that appears destined to win awards sight unseen. What happened, then?

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Gay Best Friend: Erich in "Midnight Express"

 a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope

Norbert Weisser co-stars as Erich in Alan Pakula's 1978 hit "Midnight Express."Our journeys into classic cinema has allowed us to explore the beginnings of the gay best friend trope and coding during the Hayes Code. Once the code was abolished, the late 60s and 70s were able to go wild. While sex, swearing and violence began to populate films, the depiction of gay people stayed relatively the same. Movies were able to actually define characters as LGBTQ+, but they were often villains or would meet a tragic fate. Sympathetic LGBTQ+ characters were tough to come by.

At first glance, the brutal prison drama Midnight Express would not seem like the place to find a nice gay best friend. But Erich (Norbert Weisser) stands out as a light among the considerable darkness. Erich acts as the confidant and guide for our protagonist, Bill Hayes (Brad Davis in a BAFTA & Globe nominated debut), who was sent to this Turkish prison for smuggling hashish from Turkey. His kindness is a wonderful tonic for the grim realities of the Turkish prison. 

However, once Erich acts on his desires, he is immediately removed from the narrative...

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Showbiz History: Tommy Lee, Tom Hardy, and Mother!

7 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history...

1890: Agatha Christie born in Devon, England. She would become one of the world's most famous writers of all time. Over 70 (!!!) adaptations of her work have hit film and television over the years from as early as 1928 (a silent film called The Passing of Mr Quinn) to the forthcoming Death on the Nile in 2020. Only one of the adaptations was ever nominated for Best Picture though: Billy Wilder's take on Witness for the Prosecution (1957)...

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Good Joe Link

• LA Times RIP the iconic Diana Rigg (1938-2020)
• MNPP celebrating Michelle Williams, who just turned 40
• /Film Ewan McGregor confirms that he'll return to the role of Obi Wan Kenobi for a one season series on Disney Plus. For what it's worth Ewan will be 50 years old when they start shooting next year but that's still young for Obi Wan adventures. Sir Alec Guiness was 63 when the original Star Wars was released in 1977

After the jump, we stan Jane Fonda, Oscar dreams for Mark Wahlberg?, a 'what if' for 2020 movie culture, Sigourney Weaver on set and more....

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