Based on Happy Lendervedder’s innovative sitcom tourney thread, here’s the same idea with a different theme: Best Picture Academy Award winning movies.
All 78 contenders are in the playoffs. They’ve been divided into four divisions based on years. The movies have been seeded based on their box office performance (data supplied by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers).
Of course 78 is more than 64, so while the top ticket sellers have a by round, the other movies fight it out for a wildcard position. The rules are simple, you have until 12:00 midnight (EST) on Sunday to vote for your favorites. You pick one movie from each paired-up competition (so for this round, you’re picking a total of 14 movies). The movies that get the most votes advance to the next round. Ties will be decided by coin toss.
Division I (1927-1946) The Life of Emile Zola vs Wings Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) vs Sunrise Cavalcade vs All Quiet on the Western Front Grand Hotel vs Cimarron
Division II (1947-1966) On the Waterfront vs Hamlet (1948) All About Eve vs All the King’s Men Gentleman’s Agreement vs Marty Gigi vs An American in Paris
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter vs In the Heat of the Night Midnight Cowboy vs Oliver! The French Connection vs Annie Hall
Division IV (1987-2006) Shakespeare in Love vs The Last Emperor Schindler’s List vs Crash The English Patient vs Braveheart
Division I (1927-1946)
The Life of Emile Zola vs Wings Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) vs Sunrise
Cavalcade vs All Quiet on the Western Front
Grand Hotel vs Cimarron
Division II (1947-1966) On the Waterfront vs Hamlet (1948)
All About Eve vs All the King’s Men
Gentleman’s Agreement vs Marty
Gigi vs An American in Paris
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter vs In the Heat of the Night Midnight Cowboy vs Oliver!
The French Connection vs Annie Hall
Division IV (1987-2006)
Shakespeare in Love vs The Last Emperor Schindler’s List vs Crash The English Patient vs Braveheart
Division I (1927-1946)
The Life of Emile Zola vs Wings Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) vs Sunrise
Cavalcade vs All Quiet on the Western Front Grand Hotel vs Cimarron
Division II (1947-1966) On the Waterfront vs Hamlet (1948) All About Eve vs All the King’s Men
Gentleman’s Agreement vs Marty Gigi vs An American in Paris
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter vs In the Heat of the Night Midnight Cowboy vs Oliver!
The French Connection vs Annie Hall
Division IV (1987-2006)
Shakespeare in Love vs The Last Emperor Schindler’s List vs Crash
The English Patient vs Braveheart
The first two divisions were tough (for me)!
I guess there’s no rule against me playing in my own game.
Division I (1927-1946)
Wings
Mutiny on the Bounty - A lot of people say Sunrise is a masterpiece. But I’ve never seen it and the descriptions I’ve read don’t make it sound all that great.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Grand Hotel
Division II (1947-1966)
Hamlet - I was never that impressed by On the Waterfront so Shakespeare and Sir Larry get my vote
All About Eve
Marty
Gigi - a Leslie Carron musical set in France vs a Leslie Carron musical set in France. Maurice Chevalier is the deciding factor.
Division III (1967-1986)
In the Heat of the Night - I think The Deer Hunter is overrated.
Midnight Cowboy
The French Connection
Division IV (1987-2006)
The Last Emperor
Schindler’s List
Braveheart
Division I (1927-1946)
The Life of Emile Zola vs Wings Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) vs Sunrise
Cavalcade vs All Quiet on the Western Front
Grand Hotel vs Cimarron
Division II (1947-1966)
On the Waterfront vs Hamlet (1948)
All About Eve vs All the King’s Men Gentleman’s Agreement vs Marty Gigi vs An American in Paris
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter vs In the Heat of the Night Midnight Cowboy vs Oliver! The French Connection vs Annie Hall
Division IV (1987-2006) Shakespeare in Love vs The Last Emperor Schindler’s List vs Crash
The English Patient vs Braveheart
These were *tough! *
Division I (1927-1946) The Life of Emile Zola vs Wings Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) vs Sunrise Cavalcade vs All Quiet on the Western Front Grand Hotel vs Cimarron
Division II (1947-1966) On the Waterfront vs Hamlet (1948) All About Eve vs All the King’s Men Gentleman’s Agreement vs Marty Gigi vs An American in Paris
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter vs In the Heat of the Night Midnight Cowboy vs Oliver! The French Connection vs Annie Hall
Division IV (1987-2006) Shakespeare in Love vs The Last Emperor Schindler’s List vs Crash The English Patient vs Braveheart
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The winners that will be enter the field of sixty four are as follows:
Division I (1927-1946) Wings (10-1-0) - No life for Zola as it goes voteless Mutiny on the Bounty (9-1-1) - Franchise players Laughton and Gable take out Murnau’s masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front (10-1-0) - AQWF puts up a strong fight for an anti-war movie Grand Hotel (7-1-3) - The closest contest in the division
Division II (1947-1966) On the Waterfront (8-3) - Kazan and Brando defeat Shakespeare and Olivier All About Eve (7-4) - A bumpy night for the political classic Marty (7-4) - Cooper can’t make it past Borgnine An American in Paris (7-4) - It must have been Gene Kelly’s night
Division III (1967-1986) The Deer Hunter (6-5) - A close fought victory Midnight Cowboy (8-3) - The family classic never had a chance against the x-rater The French Connection (6-5) - Surges back from an early deficit
Division IV (1987-2006) Shakespeare in Love (7-4) - The Bard’s revenge Schindler’s List (11-0) - Must be a lot of disappointed Brokeback Mountain fans out there Braveheart (10-1) - History repeats itself as the Scots beat the English