We reimagined the iconic ceremony to shine a light on these secondhand treasures and forgotten gems
Every year, on the Hollywood Hills, the top dogs in modern cinema meet to choose their favourite actor, film or costume designer to be honoured in the ultimate hall of fame. They call it the Oscars.
Without the big shiny awards and recognition, it can often feel that a movie is unworthy of our viewing. But, when only 96 films have ever won ‘Best Picture’, why be snobs and limit ourselves?
To reclaim the joy of award-giving, DITCH went to local charity shops and picked five DVDs at £1 each to watch, review and appropriately award – but with titles you probably won’t find at your bog-standard awards ceremony.
Most 2000s Movie
The Hangover (2009) dir. Todd Phillips
What happens in Vegas stays in an immortalised DVD for this 2000s comedy. This film set exceptional standards for stag dos for years to come. In the city that never sleeps, three friends try to piece together a sh!t-faced, drugged-up memory of a bachelor party in the hopes of finding their missing groom-to-be. Without even watching the film, you can get the gist of what it’s about in its closing montage of slot machines, sex workers, and some white powder.
If aliens were to come to Earth and find a time capsule documenting pop culture throughout time, this movie would be the ultimate reference for that 2009 feral club rat culture. Sure, there’s a good few laughs sprinkled in, with a 10/10 cast (you get to see a young Bradley Cooper in a linen shirt). But it is filled with dated jokes and wince-worthy representations, so proceed with caution.
Critic’s Chick Flick
Devil Wears Prada (2006) dir. David Frankel
A successful woman at work? Who has a healthy relationship? Nah, never heard of it mate. And neither has Anne Hathaway, as she stars as an assistant in a Vogue-esque fashion magazine. Whilst she reinvents herself through her job, her biggest crisis isn’t her boss’ ‘wintory’ glare, but her boyfriend’s inability to make a non-burnt cheese toastie!?
This DVD? In the bargain bin? Groundbreaking. Despite being on every DVD shelf around the nation, this rom-com is a feast for the eyes that you can’t help but smile whilst watching. After all, we are living in a material world.
Greatest Family Fantasy
Stardust (2007) dir. Matthew Vaughn
Magic, piracy and witchcraft? Oh my! The story of a boy living in a sad, rural country village (no, not Surrey) who discovers a secret magical world. Can the young adventurer find the star that has fallen out of the sky, proving his manhood and worth to his village?
Any film that has a soundtrack featuring Take That is a winner in transporting you to 2000s nostalgia. This film transports us back to crowding around the television set you had in your living room, with those static streaks on a screen- bound to give you an electric shock. With magic, mayhem and plenty of cheeky jokes for the adults, what’s not to love?
Man + Gun + Violence
Tears Of The Sun (2003) dir. Antoine Fuqua
Bruce Willis leads in this reductive yet accurately labelled film, where a man has a gun and encounters violence. In Nigeria, can the US navy battle rebel groups and satisfy their orders from above, or with the moral ‘conflict’ of helping refugees make them develop virtues like empathy?
I know, I know. It’s not every day you see a movie about men with guns, especially not about a leading A-list actor being dropped into a violent environment of war and destruction! Although this film fits the loose stereotypes that any Man + Gun + Violence genre may conjure, it’s still worth a watch. Albeit slow in pacing, this film is a solid mid-range thriller that will (slightly) get your pulse racing.
Inevitable Locker Room Pep Talk
Any Given Sunday (1999) dir. William Oliver Stone
Attempting to redefine an American football team is a challenge. Add a romantic affair and a personal tragedy, a challenge only one man can face. The man? Al Pacino. The Scarface and Godfather Trilogy actor gives a cracking performance, proving yet again why he’s one of the best.
Sports cinema peaked in the 1990s, with the likes of Cool Runnings, Jerry McGuire and White Men Can’t Jump hitting the big screen. Although Any Given Sunday may not top the list, it’s definitely a classic movie about an underdog team you can’t help but root for.
So, in the spirit of award season, taking a trip to your local charity shop is a great way to feel like you’re a part of the conversation, without the pressure to overload on cinema trips (that’s a lot of overpriced popcorn).
It can also be a great way of building your own cinematic library of film culture, and having these cult classics at your fingertips forever.