BATMAN (1989)
Jack Nicholson – Best Actor
“Wait till they get a load of me.” You might argue that Nicholson was really a supporting actor, but even though the movie is called Batman, it was The Joker that got top billing. It was worth it, too, since at the time Nicholson was a two-time Oscar-winner who brought prestige and a level of star power to Tim Burton’s risky take on the Dark Knight, earning over $50 million for his trouble thanks to gross points. He proved a formidable villain for Michael Keaton and brought a psychotic intensity to the part that made it iconic. Jack was actually nominated for a Golden Globe that year, but when it came time for Academy recognition it would be another two decades before The Joker would take home Oscar gold via Heath Ledger.
THE CROW (1994)
Alex McDowell – Best Production Design
Although comic book films like Batman and Dick Tracy have won in the past, production design is a category that seems sadly exclusive to period pieces much of the time. British designer Alex McDowell has created amazing sets for films like Minority Report and Man of Steel, and his first real breakout genre movie was The Crow where he recreated James O’Barr’s gothic, somber tone from page to screen with striking fidelity. The rain-streaked, impossibly gloomy streets of Detroit reflect the headspace of resurrected musician Eric Draven on a quest for vengeance. The camera lingers over the rooftops and alleyways in a way that feels like a complete world, one which films ranging from Se7en to The Matrix have all tried to mimic in one way or another.
Head to page 3 for a pair of films with a social justice theme!
