Top 5 Oscar Best Pictures

Here's how we watch the Academy Awards at my house--we cheer whenever a film wins that we've actually seen. (Yay, Inception and Toy Story 3!)

In honor of the 83rd annual Oscars, here's MY list of

Top 5 Oscar Best Pictures

(These aren't my Top 5 Movies, per se, but just my Top 5 Favorites that won Best Picture. Sorry, Goonies. The Academy shut you out.)

#5 - My Fair Lady (1964)

Sure, they dubbed over Audrey Hepburn's singing voice with someone else, but you can't mask her terrific transformation from Cockney street flower seller to refined Englishwoman. And Rex Harrison is terrific as the pompous Professor Higgins. (Doesn't hurt that our high school did this musical when I was a sophomore. I can still sing "On the Street Where You Live" to this day.)

#4 - A Beautiful Mind (2001)

What starts out looking like a conspiracy theory story soon becomes a creepy true-life drama. Russell Crowe is more famous for his lead in Gladiator, but he's better here portraying real-life Nobel-prize winner John Forbes Nash, Jr.

#3 - Dances with Wolves (1990)

At first, I didn't like this movie because of its depressing resolution. But then I grew up and realized not all westerns need a happy ending. Kevin Costner's film makes me yearn for a Midwest view absent of highways and cell towers.

#2 - The Sound of Music (1965)

Another musical here, one that I've seen the most times out of all of these, thanks to growing up with only network TV. I have to admit, I still get nervous watching family von Trapp hide in the cemetery from the Nazis. Maybe this is the time they get caught!

(Bonus trivia: I acted in the stage version of this musical, too, as Fritz--the singing son that does NOT dance with Maria but does belt out a high G in "So Long, Farewell.")

#1 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Okay, I'm a geek. Gotta be true to self.

Return of the King received eleven Academy nominations and it won every one, including Best Picture. The recognition was well deserved, three years in the making for the complete trilogy of films.

And that's why it's on my list, too. Peter Jackson's masterpiece rivals only the original Star Wars trio for best movie epic ever. (I told you I'm a geek.)

JotW

Joke of the Week time--double-sized special:

What happens when you play a country music song backwards?

You get your girl back, your house back, your job back, your dog back . . .

How many country western singers does it take to change a light bulb?

Five.

One to change it, and four to sing about how much they missed the old one.

Top 5 Friday - Pop/Rock Music

This week's Top 5 list is

Top 5 Pop/Rock Music Bands.

By "Pop" and "Rock," I mean music that is fairly recent and radio-bound (rock and roll, pop, alternative, etc.). And by "Bands," I mean people that actually PLAY their own instruments.


#5 - The Cranberries


Best known for: Early 90s hits--"Dreams," "Linger," "Zombies"



Rock out to "Promises" (but ignore the weird video)



Mellow low to "Ode to My Family"



#4 - The Hives

Best known for: Mid-2000s hit--"Hate to Say I Told You So" (also on Spider-Man Movie Soundtrack) as well as songs used in recent Nike ads and movie trailers

Rock out to "Die Alright"

Not too much mellow about The Hives, so rock again to "Hey Little World"

#3 - Franz Ferdinand

Best known for: Mid-2000s hit--"Take Me Out"

Punk out to "Do You Want To"

Break your heart to "Fade Together"

#2 - U2

Best known for: Being the most successful band on the planet.

Rock out to "All Because of You"

Express your codependency to "All I Want is You"

#1 - The Presidents of the United States of America

Best known for: Early 90s hits "Peaches" and "Lump" -- and Weird Al Yankovic's parody "Gump", seen here:

The Presidents of the U.S.A. also sang the opening song "Cleveland Rocks" for the Drew Carey Show.

As for The PUSA alone, rock out to the fun lovin' "Mach 5"

And learn about geothermal systems without poopin' your Pampers to "Volcano"

Okay, here's the sad part: I don't have the latest album from four of these bands--all but The Hives, and they're probably about to release a new CD soon. Time to catch up!