Blog Archives
RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor
I can’t remember life without Elizabeth Taylor. I’ve always loved her. I think for the longest time it was mostly because we both had brown hair and blue eyes (it’s amazing how powerful that kind of connection can be when you are six years old). Over the last year or so I have seen about 9 of her films (prior to that I think I’d seen five others) and I’ve grown to appreciate her talent. She was an amazing woman on and off the screen and she will be sorely missed.
Oscar Vault Monday – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966 (dir. Mike Nichols)
I saw this for the first time about a month ago during TCM’s Summer Under The Stars and I was completely blown away by it. It’s compelling and perfectly shot, featuring some truly exquisite black-and-white cinematography. It sinks its hooks into you from the very beginning and doesn’t let up for a minute, ending with one of the most simultaneously heartbreaking and tender finales in cinematic history. It also features one of the greatest on-screen, as well as off-screen, couples, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, in some of their greatest work. It was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, winning five: Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Film Editing, Best B&W Costume Design (won), Best B&W Cinematography (won), Best B&W Art Direction (won), Best Supporting Actress Sandy Dennis (won), Best Supporting Actor George Segal, Best Actress Elizabeth Taylor (won), Best Actor Richard Burton, Best Director Mike Nichols and Best Picture. It was up against The Sand Pebbles, Alfie, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and winner A Man For All Seasons.
