Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards - Revised

Inside Oscar covers everything from the frenzy surrounding Gone with the Wind to the first televised awards to the disastrous 1994 ceremony, which was hosted by a terminally unfunny David Letterman. Each year is great fun to relive, but readers of this book may agree that the most memorable decade for Oscar was the 1970s, when the unexpected consistently prevailed. In 1970, George C. Scott, nominated for Patton, shocked the industry by declining the Best Actor Award. In '72, Marlon Brando refused his prize for The Godfather, sending a Native American woman, Sacheen Littlefeather, to chastise the astonished celebrities for their ill treatment of her people. Vanessa Redgrave accepted the statuette for Julia in 1977, delivering an anti-Zionist diatribe from the podium. And let's not forget the streaker who bolted onstage in '73.

You'll find full accounts of these events and many, many others in a book that's as much fun to thumb through as it is to read from cover to cover. This volume conveys the anticipation, the glamour, the viciousness, the surprises, and the fallout of the ceremonies with tremendous detail and high enthusiasm. --Raphael Efrem Shargel

Now, in this age of media saturation, we know the Oscars are more than a one night affair. The Academy Awards are a contest as competitive, and sometimes just as dirty, as the race for the White House. Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's "Inside Oscar" is the "Gone With the Wind" of Oscar books, the only one that fully details the tasteless and sometimes cutthroat tactics that have been employed to impress Oscar, Hollywood's most enduring superstar.

This mammoth volume covers the show-biz ritual from the very beginning at a small ceremony that attracted little notice ("Wings" was named best picture) through the era when Oscar emerged as a superstar of the small screen in the 50s, right through to the crowning of "Forrest Gump" as best picture of 1994.

There's the inside dope on such controversies as George C. Scott's refusal to accept his Oscar for "Patton" (shamelessly calling the ritual a "meat parade"), and Sacheen Littlefeather's speech on behalf of Marlon Brando who turned down his Oscar for "The Godfather." Wiley and Bona are lively writers who never pass up an opportunity for an amusingly scathing observation. Their behind-the-scenes exploration of what really goes on in the battle for Oscar glory is more entertaining than many of the films honored.

For Oscar junkies, this book provides the most thorough coverage available. Wiley and Bona follow each potential contender through the entire awards season, starting with the prestigious awards from the National Board of Review, to the New York Film Critics Circle, and on to the Golden Globes, right through to Oscar night and its aftermath. There's also the complete list of winners and nominees for each category, a full list of the presenters, and a step-by-step coverage of the Oscar ceremony, complete with the most memorable moments.


One of my bibles   October 17, 2003
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I remember when I was ten when I first picked up this book from the library. It excited me and I can't explain why as I wasn't into movies then. All at once I decided to do an impossible task, to watch all the films ever nominated for an Oscar. As the years went by I realized how unrealistic such a task was, I can't judge cinematography and what not, and more than half the films aren't on video. So I cut down to a number of categories. Frankly as time goes by I realize how political the whole Oscar game and don't consider the phrase "Oscar nominated" to mean the film can be any good. But I still look forward to it every year.
The author takes care of the wrongness of the Oscars by adding an eligible film that should have been nominated category after every year. His tastes are broad too and not snooty as he puts Mommie Dearest even as a candidate. Also he dedicates a chapter to each year so you get to learn about the gossip and the injustice that happened at the time.
The only complaint. I replaced the last issue with the 1998 one, now I'm waiting to replace this one.


filmbuffs...your bible is here   October 6, 2002
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

As I was perusing the book store here at Amazon, I came across
"Inside Oscar 2". I immediatley put in in my shopping cart, as I remembered how glued to the over 1100 pages of "Inside Oscar" by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona, I became. I originally bought this "refrence" book because I have a huge movie collection and I wanted to put my library in some kind of order. This book had all the Oscar winners by year, so I thought I would just be using it to look up dates, actors etc. Fahget about it!
Once I opened it, it was all over, I couldn't put it down.
This book has a year by year, blow by blow account of the Academy Awards history. We get the stories behind the stories. The rivalries,the studio hub bub, the lobbying, poignant moments and LOTS of good laughs.
Each chapter decribes a year in the life of Oscar. It starts out with the events leading up to the nominations,goes into "The Big Night" telling us who won, where it was held, who said what, and even who presented, and ends with "The Aftermath" goings ons.
The second section of the book has detailed lists of every award won and all the nominations in every year. It goes from 1927-1994 ("Wings" to Forrest Gump".)
If you are a movie buff, if you want to impress your freinds with Hollywood history trivia, or you just like reading about the stars, this is the book for you. I can't wait until my "sequel"(1995-2000) arrives.
Ciao dahlings.........Laurie


One of my favorite books   September 19, 2001
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

For those with a love for both film and trivia, this book is indispensable. Its the definative examination of the annual mixture of the heartwarming and the gauche known as the Academy Awards. Going year-by-year, Wiley and Bona carefully detail what ruled the box office and amazed the critics as well as giving all the gossipy details on the mostly forgotten men and women who were temporarily declared to be Hollywood's "next great star." Each years ends with a description of that year's academy awards ceremony. Though this might not sound extremely exciting, Bona and Wiley are not shy about injecting their editorial opinions as far as the ceremonies are concerned and several of their sarcastic descriptions of various misbegotten dance numbers and confused presenters, while bordering on being rather snide, are also laugh out loud funny. No matter how savvy and cynical you may consider yourself to be, after reading their behind-the-scenes take on the Oscars, you'll never be able to look at Hollywood the same way as before.

As well, Wiley and Bona have compiled perhaps the most accurate and complete listing of Oscar nominees and winners in existence. They even include lists, for each year, of notable films and songs that were passed over. These lists are probably my favorite part of the book, though I do wish they'd include some explanations of why they selected certain films as overlooked. (As just one example, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls placement as an overlooked 1970 best picture possibility, has always perplexed me.)

No matter how much you may think you know about film and celebrity trivia, this book will have something to surprise you. This is a book I've never tired of reading because I know with each look, I'll discover something both new and hilarious.
In short, this is my desert island book.


THE definitive reference tool for ALL Oscar fans!   September 15, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

For everyone who gets 'movie madness' every March by eagerly anticipating Oscar night, this is a must-own book. It is the bible of Oscar knowledge and includes every nomination and winner from 1927 until the mid-90's. It is by far the greatest Academy Award reference tool that is available and just by paging through the nominee list in the back for a few minutes, your video rental list will grow by the foot.
The first portion gives the reader a quick history lesson including how the illustrious Academy began and how the golden statue got his trademark name. Following that, every year gets its own chapter in which the authors tell of the studio campaigns to get their films nominated, what the critics and gossip writers were reporting at the time, and who got a nominee and who got screwed. The chapter ends with an "Oscar Night," section, which goes down to the most minute detail of each Awards ceremony from the lame jokes the host tried to crack ("U-ma, O-prah!"),to the most flubbed speeches, embarrassing dance performances (Rob Lowe and Snow White?!), timeless quotes ("You like me, you really like me!") and hideous dresses. It also gives the list of presenters and the highlights of the post-Awards parties.
The back though, with the nominee history, is easily my favorite and one can spent countless hours paging through and remembering the classic films of years past or debating with friends about who got robbed in the best supporting category in 1962. I like to use the back as a checklist of what I've seen and need to see next.
My paperback edition is thoroughly warped and I hope the authors put out a new edition or else mine is going to fall apart soon. A warning though, the book does get rather depressing in April because that means there's 11 more months until next year's big show!