Customer Reviews

The Oscar [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Combine bad acting, a script with so many cliche lines it's laughable and a storyline that's so predictable that it makes soap operas look serious, and you have one of the greatest bad movies ever made: "The Oscar." This film is so outrageous that it easily crosses that so-awful-it's-tremendous line. Stephen Boyd is so caricaturish as Frankie Fane that he's hilarious. Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but he has no idea where he left his acting ability. Elke Sommer, Jill St. John and Eleanor Parker may form the worst trio of headlining actresses in the history of Hollywood. Ernest Borgnine is a sure sign that the cast is comedic, especially when legendary comedian Milton Berle is ludicrously cast in a dramatic role. I'm not even going to get into Jack Soo as the houseboy. All I can say is that if you can get a rare copy of this cult classic -- which for integrity purposes never seems to find its way on television -- grab it and enjoy. Bad never felt so good.

if you like mellodrama, and you like campy, you will love this movie. it should be listed as a cult movie

Who doesn't love the Oscars altho this movie is watchable for all the stars it doesn't get any better then watching the 2008 Oscar presentations. Half hour after its over you forgot who was nominated and who won. Watchable just to see all the stars and how bad they can all be together in one movie.

I had wanted to see this movie for years, after only knowing the parody SCTV did in the early 80s ("The Nobel")...It exceeded all my expectations; I would say SCTV's version only exaggerated the film by about 10 percent! The real reason to watch is Tony Bennett as the jewish-Irishman Hymie Kelly (do you think we'd get it, with a name like that?):his performance is the opposite of his singing range, a 1-note, over-the-top set-devouring scream! The 'climactic' scene where he beats up Steven Boyd with a wastepaper basket must be seen to be believed!
I really love this film, though, because it represents the final moments of classic Hollywood, before the poisonous influence of late-60s "youth culture"(beginning with BONNIE AND CLYDE) lead American movies down the path of tedious "naturalism" and nihilistic antiheroes...give me the "phony" world of THE OSCAR any day!

Must be careful to get an original in good conduction to have some assurance it will
be watchable.VHS Tape quality was poor and not an original but a copy. Not a good buy at any price!


Sincerely
Dissatisfied

I had the distinct pleasure of watching this dog of a film for an entire week in the 1960s, when I worked as an usher at the RKO Kenmore, an old movie palace that had been a vaudeville theatre in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn (now long gone). It is difficult to describe the awfulness of this film, and that includes the writing, the direction and above all, the acting. This phoney/chic story of a would-be Hollywood star who tried to "buy" an Oscar would probably be the least likely Oscar nominee in history. It was so bad that it was one of the earliest films to open without pre-press reviews (it opened on a Friday, in the hopes that no one would read the Saturday papers), but to no avail. The public, as they say, stayed away in droves. The lowest among many low points (this film put the nail in the coffin of Stephen Boyd's film career) is the climactic "monologue" of pop singer Tony Bennett in his first (and last) film role as Hymie Kelly (don't ask), the anti-hero's best friend.

This film is not available on DVD; be glad.