One of the things I've started making my students do is reflect on what they've learned. It's a different part of your brain that has to summarize information and send out a new synthesis, rather than just the recall part of your brain that is good for exams. Actually reflecting on what you've learned is a great way for most people to actually retain information (think final exam rather than midterm) and can reveal a lot of the importance of what you've done. So what have I learned about the Oscars after 30 days of watching them?
2. There are a lot of movies, particularly Best Picture winners, that are ahead of their time. Discussing antisemitism even before WWII. Looking at women's rights in the 1930s. They articulate arguments that we still discuss today, with almost the same resolve the movies present.
3. Some movies actually should be remade. There are a few of these that you can see have influenced other films, but others are original enough that they could hold up to a good retelling (Disraeli, Rebecca).
4. Turns out I've seen most of the nominees from all of the 1980s and 1990s - I blame my mom. Maybe next year, I'll focus on sweeping up the last of those. I made up for it by seeing 3 movies from the 30s and 3 from the 40s.
5. We all have preconceptions about movies we've never seen. Turns out The Dirty Dozen wasn't a western. And Jezebel doesn't have Mae West. The Deer Hunter isn't as disturbing as many other things we've put on film since, but it is a heartfelt look at Vietnam.
4. Turns out I've seen most of the nominees from all of the 1980s and 1990s - I blame my mom. Maybe next year, I'll focus on sweeping up the last of those. I made up for it by seeing 3 movies from the 30s and 3 from the 40s.
5. We all have preconceptions about movies we've never seen. Turns out The Dirty Dozen wasn't a western. And Jezebel doesn't have Mae West. The Deer Hunter isn't as disturbing as many other things we've put on film since, but it is a heartfelt look at Vietnam.
Summary for 30 Days of Oscar 2013:
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