The Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances Bracket -- Round Two, Day Ten
I won’t pretend to make some topical reference to last night’s Super Bowl here, or the many ads of varying qualities. (That’s because I’m writing these words a few days before the big game, so I have no idea who won, but I know the Buffalo Bills didn’t, because they didn’t even survive that long in the playoffs.)
Instead, I’ll say that we should dive right into today’s matchups. Who’s ready to vote?
(4) Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore vs. (29) Martin Landau, Ed Wood: If I had to guess, I would presume that Jason Schwartzman is going to win this one, because I gather that many of you enjoy Rushmore more than other Wes Anderson films. But if I had to vote, I would vote for the Oscar winner here. (Even if I don’t entirely think Martin Landau should have won over the work of Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction.) Ed Wood is my favorite Tim Burton film, and Landau’s performance as Bela Lugosi is precise and respectful and also very funny. Sorry, Max Fischer.
(13) Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid vs. (20) Adam Driver, The Last Jedi: Obviously, a good deal of what makes Samuel E. Wright’s voice performance as Sebastian in The Little Mermaid so special is due to the musical work of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Wright didn’t write lines like “When the sardines / begin the beguine / it’s music to me”. But he did bring them to life with vibrancy and depth and immense charm. I love The Last Jedi and Adam Driver’s nuanced work within the film, but I give this one to the little crab who could (sing).
(5) Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther vs. (28) Rick Moranis, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Yeah, I mean…it’s gotta be Boseman, right? Nothing against Rick Moranis, but I like his work in other comedies. Is it possible that Boseman’s passing, still so tragic and so early, weighs too much on my mind to vote against him? I suppose, but it’s still no question to me who should win here. What do you think?
(53) Laurence Fishburne, What’s Love Got to Do With It? vs. (21) Richard Kind, Inside Out: Kudos to Laurence Fishburne for making it this far, but I’m going with Richard Kind as the exuberant imaginary friend Bing Bong in Inside Out, a film I still think is the last great one from Pixar. But could the man who brought Ike Turner back to life pull off an upset? That’s your call.
Speaking of Ed Wood, which is also my favorite Tim Burton film, I was at an estate sale yesterday and found some real gems. The previous owners of the house must have had some sort of Hollywood connection, as there was an entire dresser full of old screenplays. They all had different talent agency covers on them, so I suspect the owner was a writer or producer. Anyway, among the stack of screenplays was a first draft of Ed Wood! Digging through another part of the house, I found a collection of "For You Consideration" Oscar screener VHS tapes which also included a copy of Ed Wood. Needless to say, I walked out with both of those items, and for only $11!
Go Bills.