Culture

Some people tune in the Academy Awards each year to see the stars, the fashion and of course to find out who will with an Oscar or two.

Personally, what has always interested me the most about the ceremony is who is handling the hosting duties.

More and more being an Oscar host has become a job that comes with a lot of scrutiny. This is especially true the day after online and on social media, where seemingly everyone is a critic.

An award show host can be raked over the coals for a joke that was unfunny or maybe one that was possibly made in poor taste. They can be called bland or boring or awkward. Not all hosts are created equal.

Sometimes, you luck into a host that just seems to be a natural fit and they get asked back multiple times. With the audience both in the theatre and watching at home all seem to agree that their particular turn on stage and on TV for the whole world to see is almost always a welcome one.

Here’s my personal top 10 all time Oscar host list. Maybe you’ll agree.

10) Jon Stewart – 2006 & 2008

Jon’s first time hosting debut was described by some as an “Anti-Host” performance. He received mixed reviews; while some praised his sharp wit and “biting remarks,” others found his style a bit subdued for the typical Oscar stage.  For his second time around, Jon was more widely praised. Many said that he appearing more relaxed and “at home” despite the ceremony following a tough writer’s strike.

9) Chris Rock – 2005 & 2016

Chris’ first hosting gig was intended to bring an “edge” and appeal to younger audiences. His second turn as host took place during the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Chris used his opening monologue to directly address Hollywood’s lack of diversity and he received significant critical praise.

8) Ellen DeGeneres – 2007 & 2014

Ellen received an Emmy nomination for her first hosting appearance, which included low-key, conversational humor and a memorable bit where she vacuumed the theatre’s carpet. Her second go around was describes a more relaxed, “dinner party” atmosphere. That ceremony became the most watched Oscar broadcast since 2000, drawing nearly 44 million viewers in the US alone.

7) Jimmy Kimmel – 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024

Over the multiple times that Jimmy hosted the Oscars he became know for his steady, humorous approach. His 2024 hosting stint was generally well-received, contributing to higher viewership numbers.

6) Jack Lemmon – 1958, 1964, 1972, 1985

Jack hosted or co-hosted the Academy Awards four times throughout his career. He is one of the few individuals to have both hosted the ceremony and won multiple Oscars as a actor. His final solo hosting turn, where he adopted a sincere, reverential tone that acted as “counter-programming” to the sharper styles of some other hosts.

5) Steve Martin – 2001, 2003, 2010

Renowned for his witty, droll, and refined humor, Steve hosting stints were generally well-received. His 2010 stint was a co-hosting effort with Alec Baldwin. Steve’s hosting style is often compared to classic, deadpan comedy, distinguishing him from more theatrical hosts.

4) Whoopi Goldberg – 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002

Known for her humorous, well-received monologues, Whoopi often incorporated topical jokes and theatrical entrances. A Best Supporting Actress winner for Ghost (1991), Whoopi was noted for her ability to manage the high-profile, often long, ceremonies. She was also nominated for Emmy awards for two of her hosting gigs.

3) Johnny Carson – 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984

Johnny hosted the Academy Awards five times and was known for his wit and ability to manage the show’s length. Johnny opened his first show by calling it “two hours of sparkling entertainment spread over a four-hour show”. He is considered a classic, reliable host. In 1981 he was tasked with hosting a show that was rescheduled at the last minute due to the assassination attempt on then President Ronald Regan.

2) Bob Hope – 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1975, 1978

Bob Hope holds the unmatched record for hosting the Academy Awards, having served as master of ceremonies or co-host 19 times between 1940 and 1978. Known for his opening monologues and quips, he hosted the first color broadcast in 1966 and the first televised ceremony in 1953.

1) Billy Crystal – 1990–1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012

Billy is one of the most iconic Academy Awards hosts, having emceed the ceremony 9 times. Known for his elaborate opening musical medleys parodying the Best Picture nominees, Billy’s tenure is widely regarded as a “golden era” for the ceremony, blending Hollywood nostalgia with sharp, comedy-driven hosting.

Mid-week we shine the spotlight on some big time tracks

These songs in question are examples of how some musical acts end up being a flash in the pan, but the stories behind the single song that brought them fortune and fame are often REALLY interesting.

It’s ONE HIT WONDER WEDNESDAY!!!

“Spirt In The Sky” from Norman Greenbaum (1969)

This song became a massive hit, reaching #1 in Canada, the UK and Australia, and #3 in the US.

Norman Greenbaum first gained fame as the front-man for a psychedelic jug group called “Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band”. They had a novelty hit called “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago”.

Bonus Song!

Despite SITS’s heavy Christian themes, Norman Greenbaum behind it is Jewish. He says that he was inspired to write a “religious rock song” after watching country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner perform on television.

In 2025, this song received its first-ever official music video, complete with a cameo from Normans himself! Check it out…

“Whip It” from Devo (1980)

This one peaked at #14 on the US charts and at #11 here in Canada.

It’s main riff is inspired by Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” with a slightly altered ending.

A lot of people think that this track is about “self pleasure” but the group leader Gerald Casale says it’s really meant to satirize American optimism and “can-do” clichés. He also says that it was partly inspired by the slogans on communist propaganda posters.

“One Headlight” from The Wallflowers (1996)

This was the first single to ever reach #1 on all three of Billboard’s rock airplay charts simultaneously. It’s also topped Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs” chart.

It even won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.

It was so popular in the radio that some people started speculating that Bob Dylan, who is the father of The Wallflowers’ front-man Jakob Dylan, may have delayed the release of his own “Time Out Of Mind” album, because he didn’t want to compete with his own son for airtime.

“Oh Yeah” from Yello (1985)

This one comes from a musical duo out of Switzerland.

It has became a MASSIVE pop culture staple.

It’s been used in classic 80’s films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Secret of My Success.

It is also widely recognized as the theme music for Duffman in The Simpsons.

This song is also the subject of a short documentary film about its cultural impact. Watch the trailer…

March 10 is Mario Day! Do you know why? It’s because “MAR10” resembles the character’s name. That’s pretty neat if you ask me. It reminds me of Star Wars Day on May 4 for it’s resemblance to the phrase, “May the force be with you.”

Mario games have been around a long time (Super Mario Bros marked its 40th anniversary last year) and I feel like they’ve been a part of everyone’s childhood. Whether you grew up playing Mario Kart with your siblings on the Wii and fought over who was player 1, or played Super Mario World day and night.

My favourite game to play growing up was Super Mario Galaxy, a classic. Speaking of that game, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie final trailer just released yesterday. The movie is set to release on April 1.

So, what was your favourite Mario game growing up?

March is going to be very eventful when it comes to movies, TV shows, documentaries and even live events (ex. Harry Styles and BTS…pretty exciting)!

Take a look at the list below for some of the new things you can watch this month:

New on Netflix

Vladimir

Category: TV series

Genre: Drama, comedy

Release date: March 5

Boyfriend on Demand

Category: TV series

Genre: Rom-com

Release date: March 6

The Dinosaurs

Category: Documentary

Genre: Science, nature

Release date: March 6

Harry Styles. One Night in Manchester.

Category: Live event (streaming at 2 p.m. CST)

Release date: March 8

ONE PIECE Season 2

Category: TV series

Genre: Action, adventure, fantasy

Release date: March 10

Age of Attraction

Category: TV series

Genre: Romance, reality TV

Release date: March 11

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Category: Movie

Genre: Historical crime, drama

Release date: March 20

BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG

Category: Live event (streaming at 6 a.m. CST)

Release date: March 21

New on Amazon Prime Video

Young Sherlock

Category: TV series

Genre: Action & adventure

Release date: March 4

Scarpetta

Category: TV series

Genre: Drama, suspense

Release date: March 11

Invincible Season 4

Category: TV series

Genre: Action

Release date: March 18

Pretty Lethal

Category: Movie

Genre: Action, suspense

Release date: March 26

New on Disney Plus/Hulu

RJ Decker

Category: TV series

Genre: Drama, mystery, comedy

Release date: March 4

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

Category: TV series

Genre: Action & adventure, drama, super heroes,

Release date: March 24

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice

Category: Movie

Genre: Action & adventure, comedy, crime

Release date: March 27

We’re smack dab in the middle of the week, and on Wednesdays we highlight some of the biggest songs ever.

These particular tunes were the only time that the artists behind them found mainstream musical success in North America.

Let’s explore some of the facts and stories behind a few choice tracks.

It’s ONE HIT WONDER WEDNESDAY!!!

”Play That Funky Music” from Wild Cherry (1976)

This One Hit Wonder comes from a group that started out as a hard rock cover band. Disco was all the rage at the time and they were finding it harder and harder to book gigs. The band’s front man Rob Parissi was trying to convinces his bandmates to incorporate dance tunes into their sets, but they were resisting.

While playing at the 2001 Club on the north side of Pittsburgh, to a predominantly black audience, someone in the crowd asked them if they were ever going to get around to playing a different style of music in their set.

At that point, Rob grabbed a pen and order pad and in about five minutes he had and written what would end up being his group’s only hit song,

It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and it also topped their Hot Soul Singles chart.

She Blinded Me with Science from Thomas Dolby (1982)

This One Hit Wonder From is a synth-pop track that comes from a British Artist.

It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and it went to #1 in Canada.

The voice you hear shouting “Science” belongs to Magnus Pyke, a real-life UK scientist and TV presenter.

It was used as the theme song for the original in unaired pilot of the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”. That version was WAY different than what we got weekly TV by the way.

Bonus Original Unaired Big Bang Theory Images!

”Mexican Radio” from Wall of Voodoo (1982)

This One Hit Wonder From 1982 comes from an American New Wave band.

It was a top 20 in Canada.

The song was apparently inspired by powerful unregulated AM radio stations south of the border, whose signals could reach far and wide, even well into the US.

The band says they would be on long roads trips while traveling around playing shows and they’d get excited when they could tune into one of these stations, that were often playing mariachi music.

In order to emulate the sounds of AM radio, many of the song’s instruments were played through amplifiers, rather than being recorded directly through the microphones to the mixing console. They recorded some of lead guitarist Marc Moreland’s tracks through an amplifier that was placed in a bathroom at the back of the studio, while front man Stan Ridgway sang some of the vocals through a handmade bullhorn.

The song also includes soundbites recorded by during a trip to Mexico, including the broadcast of a dog race that was playing over the radio in a bar that they visited.

Ice Ice Baby from Vanilla Ice (1990)

This One Hit Wonder From 1990 is the first rap song to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.

It reached #1 in several different countries, while hitting #11 here in Canada.

The rapper behind this track, whose real name is, Robert Van Winkle, apparently wrote the first draft in just 15 minutes when he was only 16 years old. Robert is said to have got his nickname because he was the only white member of a breakdancing group.

After threatening a lawsuit, over the blatant and uncredited sampling of the song “Under Pressure” in the baseline, Queen and David Bowie reached an out-of-court settlement, with them receiving songwriting royalties and credits.

Bonus Song!

Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2, was released on Thursday, so fans of the show finally got to finish the season and form their thoughts.

This season is based on Julia Quinn’s third novel, An Offer from a Gentleman, where you will meet a new character, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), who appears to be Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) next love match. After being on the sidelines for the first three seasons, it is finally Benedict’s turn to take the spotlight!

You can also expect some more new characters to join the mix: Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung… yes, the actress who played Cho Chang in Harry Potter), Rosamund Li (Michelle Mao) and Posy Li (Isabella Wei). Lady Araminta Gun is a twice-widowed single mother looking to get at least one of her daughters married. It’s a very Cinderella-coded story.

My thoughts on Season 4 (Spoilers ahead)

After finishing the season last night, I have to say it has to be the most adorable romance trope of all of the seasons. My favourite scene was in the first episode, when Benedict teaches Sophie how to dance. Just from the eye contact, you can feel the romance begin to blossom.

Benedict has always been an intriguing character: never able to commit to one thing or see it through, whether that’s pursuing his art or finding his life partner. It all changes when he meets Sophie. I like how even after he discovers that she is a maid, he continues to pursue her. Despite the difficult circumstance, he learns what he truly wants after years of not knowing what love is. Sophie has shown him.

He does make a big mistake along the way, asking Sophie to be his mistress, but thankfully in Part 2, Benedict is able to redeem himself.

He has to make a lot of difficult choices; courting Sophie could cause scandal for the entire Bridgerton family and bring on new challenges for Hyacinth who one day wishes to find her match. After a discussion with Anthony, who knows about his involvement with Sophie and heavily disagrees with pursuing her, Violet (their mother) accepts their fate and tells Benedict to choose love if that’s what he desires (I love Violet for this; she has always wanted only the best for her children).

Luckily, they were able to bring down Araminta after she had Sophie jailed for “stealing her shoe clips.” As it turns out, Araminta has been hiding Sophie’s dowry for years, which is a far worse crime. She, Violet and Benedict formed a scheme to present Sophie as a noble ward so she and Benedict could live a peaceful life together, away from social scandal.

In the final scene, the pair get married and it just makes me so happy. Even though it’s a fictional story, how can you not be? They’re such likeable characters. And especially after what Sophie endured living with Araminta, who saw her only as a burden, she has finally found a life worth living: a life full of love and desire.

Bridgerton seasons ranking

After watching every single Bridgerton season, including the series Queen Charlotte, here is my ranking of best to worst:

1. Season 2: Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s enemies-to-lover trope
2. Season 4: Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek’s forbidden love trope
3. Queen Charlotte: Prince George and Queen Charlotte’s arranged marriage trope
4. Season 1: Daphne Bridgerton and Duke of Hastings’ fake courtship trope
5. Season 3: Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s friends-to-lovers trope

If you had to give your final ranking, what would it look like?

We’re looking back on some milestone moments in music that happened during this exact week back in the 80s!

February 26th 1983 (43 Years Ago This Week)

Michael Jackson’s Thriller went to No.1 on the US album chart. It has gone on to became the best selling album of all time with over 70 million copies sold. It was also one of the first albums to use music videos as a successful promotional tools. It broke racial barriers in pop music, leading to Michael’s appearances on MTV where videos for the songs ‘Thriller’, ‘Billie Jean’, and ‘Beat It’ all received regular rotation. The later was released in February 21st 1983.

February 28th 1986 (40 Years Ago This Week)

George Michael announced that Wham! would officially be splitting that upcoming summer. Ending his musical partnership with Andrew Ridgeley. George wanted to create more sophisticated music for a more mature audience. Their Final Concert was Held at Wembley Stadium in London on June 28th 1986, with roughly 72,000 fans in attendance. At that point, Wham had became one of the most successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more than 30 million records worldwide. The singles ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ and ‘Careless Whisper’, all topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.

February 27th 1981 (45 Years Ago This Week)

The Who released ‘You Better You Bet,’ which was their first single since the death of their drummer, Keith Moon, in 1978. Keith was replaced by Kenney Jones, who has formerly been with The Faces. The single peaked at No. 9 in the UK and No. 18 in the US. The music video for this song was aired on the initial launch day of MTV later that year.

February 25th 1984 (42 Years Ago This Week)

‘Jump’, by Van Halen started a five-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. Singer David Lee Roth wrote the lyrics after seeing a television news report about a man who was threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a high building. He thought that one of the onlookers of such a scene would probably shout “go ahead and jump”.

Veteran pitcher Max Scherzer is coming back for a 19 season of Major League Baseball….and he’s coming back with the Blue Jays!

Max has agreed to a one year $3 million contract with Toronto.

That’s his base salary. With incentivesm, he could he could an additional $10 million in bonuses.

“Mad Max” was such a great addition during their World Series run last season.

A really sweet aspect to this though..

Apparently, late last year Max’s eight-year-old daughter Brooke, wrote a letter and mailed it to the Blue Jays. 

The letter has been posted on social media and it’s gone viral.

She mentions how much her family enjoyed spending time together in Toronto, especially visiting the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium, and she simply said to the Jays…”I hope my dad is back on the team”.

It looks like she got her wish!

Picture this: you’re watching a show, and you experience the most gut-wrenching cliffhanger ever, only to realize you have to wait a whole month for the next part. That’s the reality of being a Bridgerton fan.

After a month of waiting, Season 4, Part 2 of Bridgerton is officially out at last! Here is a list of the next four episodes:

• Ep 5: Yes or No
• Ep 6: The Passing Winter
• Ep 7: The Beyond
• Ep 8: Dance in the Country

In these new episodes, you can also expect instrumental covers, including “360” by Charli XCX, “Bird of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims, “Just What I Needed” by The Cars, “Fields of Gold” by Sting, “Never Be the Same” by Camilla Cabello and “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron.

Is your plan to ask your partner to watch the kids so you can binge Part 2 with the girlies?

Welcome back Dear Reader for what I do hope will be a very helpful feature. First I should tell you, I have two favourite seasons – Autumn and Awards! And before the latter draws to a close for another year, I want to take a moment of your time to hearken back to some big big winners from way way back in the day. I mean those Best Picture title holders that were all the rage in the moment, yet over time have been relegated to the far far end of the rows and rows of streaming categories. Back in my day we didn’t have to endlessly scroll through the litany of lesser-thans. We needed only proceed to the nearest Blockbuster where we could peruse an entire wall of winners perched proudly for your rental pleasure. But however exalted I deemed the display, I recognize now how all that ‘home viewing’ evolved into where we are today – with these gems slowly fading from your purview. A demise most aptly delivered by the fictional character of legendary Oscar winning screenwriter, Arthur Abbott in Nancy Meyers THE HOLIDAY. Arthur explains while reading the paper “I counted 9 movies are opening today. I remember when 9 movies would open in a month. Now a picture has to make a killing the first weekend or they’re dead… I came to Hollywood over 60 years ago, and immediately fell in love with motion pictures….When I first arrived in Tinseltown, there were no cineplexes or multiplexes. No such thing as a Blockbuster or DVD. I was here before conglomerates owned the studios. Before pictures had special effects teams. And definitely before box office results were reported like baseball scores on the nightly news.” Now, I will grant you it was great when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences expanded the Best Picture category from 5 to 10 nominees in 2010. Did it accommodate more of the deserving? For sure! But I’d be willing to bet in the 15 years since, most of you would be hard pressed to list all the winners, let alone their fellow nominees. Indeed, we have arrived at the era of ‘excess and immediacy’; too many options coupled with fleeting attention spans spell pending obscurity for even the greatest among them. So while there’s no going back, I was thinking – before the 98^th Annual Academy Awards are broadcast live on March 15^th – I could draw your attention to a few previous Best Picture Winners that deserve your attention – for the first time or once again may they live on and not fade away.

Starting with IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. A movie that we romantic comedy fans regard as ‘when it all started,’ but if you haven’t seen it my friends, treat yourself to the film that took home 5 Oscars including Best Picture back in 1934.  Frank Capra won Best Director for this film featuring “A rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.” Hollywood legends Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert took home the Best Actor Oscars in their respective categories all thanks to an Oscar winning Adapted script by Robert Riskin. It’s a classic for all the right reasons and for all you romcom fanatics – pure joy! Oh, it’s definitely worth falling in love with over and over again. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT is streaming now on Hollywood Suite part of the Prime Video collection.

If you grew up in Ontario like I did, when I did – there’s a good chance your folks tuned in every week to Elwy Yost’s “Saturday Night at the Movies”. That meant, with only one TV in the house (perish the thought), you were tuning in too. Back then his show was one of the few ways you could see old classics (apart from those PBS marathons). He used to give you the inside scoop on the films and interview the stars and filmmakers about their experience making it. Looking back on it now, it was groundbreaking television, and in retrospect really formed my love of movies and movie making. I mention that because it was on “Saturday Night at the Movies” where I first saw HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY. It was also the first time I can recall seeing my mom cry. Watch it for yourself and you’ll see why she did. Maureen O’Hara is beyond incredible, as are all the performances in this movie based “at the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, as the Morgans, he stern, she gentle, raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.” HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY is available to rent/buy through most streaming platforms.

Now before I get too heavy on the Black & White side of cinema, I’m going to list a few more of the classics that, if you’re any kind of cinephile you’re infinitely familiar, but for anyone reading who hasn’t seen the following Best Picture Winners, please do so at your first opportunity: CASABLANCA 1943 (CRAVE), AN AMERICAN IN PARIS 1951 (Prime Video), ON THE WATERFRONT 1954 (Prime Video) and THE APARTMENT 1960 (TUBI). All wonderful. All so worth watching (again and again).

I’m going to fast forward through the technical musical masterpieces of THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1965 (Disney+) and OLIVER 1968 (Prime Video), past the oh so epic GODFATHER 1972 and GODFATHER PART II 1974 (both on CRAVE), beyond my previously saluted film favourite ROCKY 1976 (CRAVE) with the hopes everyone out there who claims to love movies has seen all of those as they remain firmly ensconced in most “Best of” lists. I’ll leave you to watch those again at your leisure and point your attention to the following oh-so-worthwhile winning films that may have fallen off your radar.

Have you seen KRAMER VS. KRAMER?! Because I’m here to tell you – this movie is a must see, and once you do, it never leaves you. The genre listed on IMDb is “legal drama” which explains the title, but this movie is a masterclass in acting. It is real and raw and, have mercy, is it amazing. It is quiet without question, but the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep will resonate through the rafters, and Justin Henry as their son… look! Grab some tissue and get ready for a roller coaster of emotions. KRAMER VS. KRAMER is streaming now on STARZ.

Since we’re on the topic of tearjerkers, if that’s your scene, you haven’t lived until you’ve watch James L. Brooks Best Picture Winner TERMS OF ENDEARMENT 1983.  It’s all in the tagline – “Come to laugh. Come to cry. Come to care. Come to terms.” I promise you will laugh plenty, and I guarantee you will shed a ton of tears… or, at the very least, well up way more than you have before as Shirley MacLaine plays widow “Aurora Greenway, who juggles her own struggles with a new romantic interest while trying to sort out the emotional problems of her daughter who’s married to a philandering husband.”  Jack Nicholson, Debra Winger, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow and Danny DeVito round out the incredible cast of grownups. The little kids are pretty spectacular too. I gave a quick shout out to this film in my last feature and I still can’t believe how many people told me they’d never heard of it. So, I’ll tell you now what I told all of them – treat yourself and watch it as soon as possible!

Since we’re on the subject of Jack Nicholson, I’m going to tell you about THE DEPARTED. Jack is part of a super-packed slate of powerhouse actors in this crime thriller that took home the gold in 2006. I’ll confess, I didn’t catch this one during its theatrical release days. It wasn’t until much later, following my second binge of OZARK, when Netflix slipped it into my “Top Picks for You” cue. Sometimes their suggestions are more hurtful than hit, but after recalling the initial buzz around this one I gave in and watched, and boy – were they bang on! Martin Scorsese took home the Oscar for his direction of this gripping drama about “an undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.” The ensemble includes Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and more. Oh, it’s such a great ride with some twists and turns you truly don’t see coming. Watch and you’ll see. THE DEPARTED is streaming now on CRAVE.

I’m sure you’ve heard of that saying “It was life imitating art.” When it comes to the 2012 Best Picture winner ARGO, a more appropriate description might be “art imitating life imitating art.” Here’s how the logline reads: “Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.” Yes, based on a true story! In fact Chris Terrio took home the Oscar for his adaptation of the 1999 memoir “The Master of Disguise” by U.S. CIA operative Tony Mendez and an article by Joshuah Bearman that appeared in Wired magazine entitled “The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.” It’s edge-of-your-seat stuff, and knowing it all really happened in real life makes it even more so. For all the real life rundown, just Google “The Canadian Caper”. Ben Affleck directs this big screen telling and stars alongside a stellar cast that includes Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy and so many more. It’s a must see to be sure of it!!! ARGO is streaming now Paramount +.

A few more of my special “must see” mentions include SPOTLIGHT 2015 (Prime Video) which has been in the news a lot lately as it reflects a time when America’s First Amendment regarding Freedom of the Press was assured and not attacked as it is today. It’s based on a true story and oh so powerful in its telling. I gave great salute toCODA 2021 in my New Year’s feature so read that here and know for sure that one will have you feeling all the feels. Finally, I want to include GREEN BOOK which took home the Oscar back in 2018 amidst a crazy amount of controversy. I don’t want to rehash the criticisms, but rather salute the wonderful performances by the always outstanding Mahershala Ali and the equally incomparable Viggo Mortensen.

Those are just a few of my pics for past Best Picture Winners to watch (or watch again). With any luck, you’ll find a few worth remembering too and decide to pass them on to your film-loving friends! For a complete list of Best Picture winners from the past 97 years head to oscars.org, and be sure to tune in to CTV/ABC/HULU for the live broadcast of the 98^th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15^th They’ll be handing out the hardware to the best of the best and I simply can’t wait!