Movies

Watch Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Perform at the Oscars

BBG News

As a devoted fan, I couldn’t wait for the moment the Oscars brought us the highly anticipated musical performance – none other than the sensational cast from the blockbuster film “Wicked” performing their iconic anthem live on stage.

In my opinion, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande truly outshone as they took on the iconic number “Defying Gravity.” Their performance wasn’t just a reenactment; it was a tribute to the cinematic adaptations of the beloved tale, The Wizard of Oz. Ariana’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was as enchanting as the original, while Cynthia delivered an electrifying performance of “Home” from The Wiz. A captivating blend of old and new, their performances left me breathless.

You can watch Erivo and Grande’s full performance below

Apart from the Wicked homage, another grand musical segment graced the Oscars this year. In recognition of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s long-standing role as James Bond producers, receiving this year’s Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy, the Oscars also presented an extensive tribute to 007. This tribute, indeed, was quite lengthy, featuring several contemporary artists performing iconic Bond themes from the past.

Although Wicked put on a fantastic show, it wasn’t eligible for the Best Original Song at this year’s Academy Awards because its songs are actually adaptations from the original Broadway musical of the same name. Instead, Emilia Perez took home that award. Interestingly, the film is still in contention for the Best Original Score category.

Here’s where you can find the complete list of this year’s Academy Award winners. Notably, the film “Wicked” has snagged two awards – one for Best Costume Design and another for Best Production Design. The movie was not only visually impressive but also boasted an exceptional sound design.

The Movies Nominated For the Most Oscars With Zero Wins

Double Indemnity (1944)

Any list of the most remarkable film noir movies throughout history should undoubtedly include “Double Indemnity,” a crime masterpiece directed by Billy Wilder, starring an insurance salesman entangled with Barbara Stanwyck’s seductive villainess. The movie was widely acclaimed by critics and even received numerous Oscar nominations, notably for Stanwyck, Wilder, and Best Picture. However, the film faced stiff competition during that year’s Oscars, as Leo McCarey’s “Going My Way” swept seven awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Unfortunately, despite her exceptional performance, Stanwyck lost to Ingrid Bergman for “Gaslight.

The Godfather Part III (1990)

As a die-hard film enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary success of “The Godfather” trilogy. The first two installments were unstoppable forces in the Oscar race. The original film scooped up three Academy Awards, while its sequel swept an impressive six. Both movies took home the Best Picture award for their respective years. Unfortunately, the third part, released in 1990, didn’t quite capture hearts like its predecessors did, but it still managed to secure seven Oscar nominations, among them Best Director and Picture. However, that year belonged to Kevin Costner, not Francis Ford Coppola; Costner triumphed with wins for Best Picture and Best Director for “Dances With Wolves.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

7 nominations were given to “The Shawshank Redemption” during its time, yet this remarkable film of the 1990s failed to win any awards despite being nominated in categories such as Best Actor (Morgan Freeman), Adapted Screenplay, and Picture. The year 1994 was particularly competitive at the Oscars, with other films like “Pulp Fiction” also receiving multiple nominations. Interestingly, while “Shawshank” is now often hailed as a classic, “Pulp Fiction” won only one award that year – for Quentin Tarantino’s screenplay.

The Elephant Man (1980)

Despite its powerful true narrative and striking cinematography, the film “The Elephant Man” didn’t win any awards at the 1981 Academy Awards. Director David Lynch is yet to receive an Oscar for Best Director; he has been nominated three times (for “Elephant Man”, “Blue Velvet”, and “Mulholland Drive”), but hasn’t won one yet.

The Remains of the Day (1993)

As a cinephile, I’ve always been intrigued by Anthony Hopkins’ movies that garner numerous nominations but fall short at the Oscars. Take this one, for instance – the Merchant Ivory production based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel. Despite eight attempts, it didn’t take home any awards. However, let’s not forget that Sir Hopkins already has two Oscars under his belt for The Silence of the Lambs and The Father. In the grand scheme of things, eight nominations but no wins might seem like a disappointment, but it’s still an incredible achievement. Interestingly enough, this year’s top winner was Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, which has also experienced its fair share of Oscar snubs.

American Hustle (2013)

10 films were nominated for Oscars, among them being “American Hustle”. Despite receiving recognition in several categories such as Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best Costume Design, it failed to win any awards. In a year filled with critically acclaimed films like “12 Years a Slave”, “Gravity”, and “Dallas Buyers Club” which did secure multiple Oscars, “American Hustle” was not one of the winners. Additionally, that year, Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” also didn’t win any of its five nominations.

Gangs of New York (2002)

10 nominations, and here’s one of Martin Scorsese’s films that surprisingly didn’t win any Oscars: “Gangs of New York”! It’s hard to believe it walked away empty-handed; after all, it was heavily backed by Harvey Weinstein during his peak awards campaigning time, and Daniel Day-Lewis delivered a truly outstanding performance as Bill the Butcher. Unfortunately, he lost out to Adrian Brody for “The Pianist” in the Best Actor category (with Scorsese losing to Roman Polanski for Best Director). The top prize that year went to the musical “Chicago”.

True Grit (2010)

As a dedicated cinephile, I must say that the 2010 remake of “True Grit,” directed by the Coen brothers, earned an impressive ten Oscar nominations. Interestingly enough, the original 1969 version featuring John Wayne, who portrayed the iconic one-eyed cowboy Rooster Cogburn, only received two nods – Best Actor for Wayne and Best Original Song. Remarkably, Wayne took home the Oscar for his performance, while the 2010 film, with Jeff Bridges as Cogburn, unfortunately didn’t win any of its nominations. That year’s Best Picture and Best Director went to Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech.

The Color Purple (1985)

11 nods were given to Steven Spielberg’s 1986 film adaptation of “The Color Purple,” based on Alice Walker’s novel. However, despite receiving numerous nominations, the movie failed to win in any category at the Academy Awards that year. In contrast, Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” won seven out of its 12 nominations in 1994, including Best Picture. The 1985 Best Picture winner was “Out of Africa.” Eventually, the musical version of “The Color Purple,” released in 2023, only managed to secure a single Oscar nomination for Danielle Brooks’ captivating portrayal of Sofia.

The Turning Point (1977)

Prior to Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple,” only one movie had received 11 Oscar nominations without a single victory: Herbert Ross’s 1977 ballet drama film “The Turning Point.” Despite its popularity and critical praise, the film suffered from poor timing in its awards campaign. It was released in the same year as “Star Wars,” “Annie Hall,” “The Goodbye Girl,” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” causing it to lose out on all its Oscar nominations and become the biggest Oscar loser up until that point in history.

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2025-03-03 05:24

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