Top 100: 50-41
Narrator: We’ve past the halfway point. Before we begin with the next 50 baits, let us recap on the baits from the first part.
100. Tavistock Place
99. Watts
98. Green River
97. A Work of Fiction
96. All Alone
95. Wicked (July 2006)
94. Balton Productions
93. Listening
92. The Curious Case of Phineas Gage
91. Terri
#90 Marilyn
#89 Glitz
#88 Fred & Ethel
#87 Standardized Test
#86 Brain Damage
#85 The Justices
#84 The Wilder Side of Life
#83 Fresh Heir Vol. II
#82 The 27th Victim
#81 Gray Daze
80. Flowers for Algernon
79. Dear Andrea
78. Cigarette Burns
77. Pygmalion
76. Dinah Was…
75. Glass
74. Buster
73. The Road
72. Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical
71. Negatives
70. A Child of Shame
69. I Do Solemnly Swear
68. Fresh Heir Vol. I
67. E.L.
66. The Guy Who Owned the Store
65. Parvana’s Journey
64. Internet Connection
63. Between Elephants and Mice
62. The Iniquity Beyond
61. The It Girl
60. Sweet Black and Blue
59. Record Man
58. The Devil in the White City
57. Dragontown
56. Jersey Boys
55. Bruised Boys
54. The Rainbow Album
53. Steamboat Disney
52. Wicked (March ’07)
51. Wildflower
Now it’s time to continue as we reach our goal to the top voted baits of April 2006 to July 2007. And here’s your host to guide you through this segment, Zgamer.
Zgamer: (Walks up to the center of the stage) Hello again. Yes, we’ve passed the halfway bait and are now ready to unveil the next 50 baits on our list. And thankfully we have a great bait to start off this segment. Written back in August of 2006, this bait helped bring Daniel some of his biggest praise and success. With Steamboat Disney backing it up, it helped Daniel establish one of the site’s best biopics. So here’s his hit bait I, Bergman.
Narrator: I, Bergman opened to great reviews and reception, ranking on many Top 10 lists. Adding the success of this to Daniel’s Steamboat Disney, it helped push Daniel’s status as one of the site’s best authors. Most of the bait’s praise went to its lead Parker Posey and its great writing.
Daniel: Originally conceived as a sole Parker Posey vehicle, I was delighted when this received accolades and a Best Picture nomination. Natalie Portman's character is still one of my favorites that I've baited.
Narrator: I, Bergman got a great reception at the Oscars that month, scoring a good amount of nods and a BP nomination. Though it didn’t win for the month, it placed fourth in the month, won the best crew award and helped Daniel win best author of the month. Even to today, this is considered one of the best biopics one the site.
Title Card: The #50 bait is…
I, BERGMAN
Zgamer: The next bait on our list came from the month of March 2007. It’s an inspiring biopic and one of Harry’s most acclaimed baits. It garnered him many nods and good reviews and now it has a good spot on the list. This is Imagine.
Narrator: Imagine opened to great reviews from almost everyone. From Top 10 lists to Best Picture predictions, Imagine was a bait everyone liked, which surprised many because Harry had only a few great baits to prove himself before.
Daniel: Harry did a great job with this biopic. John Lennon had been tackled before in baits, whether in a supporting role in "Intimate Portraits" or a lead role in "Broken Frames", so I know I was not sure of how this would do. Harry surprised me completely with this bait and it remains one of the best biopics ever to be written.
Narrator: Imagine had a strong precursor showing, winning several GG’s including one for best picture. It gained a lot of Oscar nods too, but unfortunately was beat out by many other baits including La Ventana, Sweet Black and Blue and Wicked. However, Harry did manage to earn an Oscar for his great poster and a #56 spot for the month. A great biopic.
Title Card: The #49 bait is…
IMAGINE
Zgamer: Up next is the oldest winner for BOTM the contest has. Yep, this comes all the way back from April 2006, the birth month of the contest. Written by a one time author, this bait skyrocketed the contest and led the way for many to come. So let’s observe Carter at its finest.
Narrator: Though we have no records of comments for this month, Carter was generally received very well. Many still praise it today, even if its style is archaic.
Daniel: The first Bait of the Month winner. The casting is amazing even though it is a little bloated. Although it would not be considered as great by today's standards, this bait paved the way for many influential biopics and ensemble pieces therefore making it one of the most influential baits in the contest's history.
Narrator: Carter proved very successful at Oscar time. Not only winning BOTM, it also won the now discontinued most Oscar-friendly character award. A true classic and one of Oscar Igloo’s most influential baits.
Title Card: The #48 bait is…
CARTER
Zgamer: Now I am truly honored to have this bait be on the list. Written back in July of 2007, this bait was more of an experiment rather than a true bait. I wanted to try something unique with the synopsis and casting. I wanted to give a more artsy feel to a forgotten and misunderstood time period. And I just wanted to dive back into the realms of baity stories. Ironically, the idea for writing this came from when I watched “We Were Soldiers”. So here is The Valley of Ashes.
Narrator: The Valley of Ashes opened to a wildly mixed reception. While it had some very openly spoken critics, including blog posts dedicated to bashing it, others praised to its unique synopsis, compelling lead and interesting style.
Daniel: The synopsis is beautiful prose. This was a very controversial bait which definitely had a huge love it or hate it effect on the contest. I loved it.
Narrator: The Valley of Ashes had a surprising precursor run, nabbing the Festival and GG top prizes for best picture. When Oscar time came around, it followed a good amount of nods with what some consider one of the biggest acting snubs of the month. However, Valley still did well, earning #5 in the month and winning an award for director Roman Polanski.
Title Card: The #47 bait is…
THE VALLEY OF ASHES
Zgamer: Up next, a bait that headed a very popular trilogy. Written by Connor Campbell back in September of 2007, this bait helped solidify his status as one of the contest’s best under the radar authors. Here’s to The Breadwinner.
Narrator: The Breadwinner opened to a good reception by many. While some of its flaws were pointed out by many, most praised it for just being the top adapted bait of the month. Plus, its cast was liked by many.
Daniel: One of the biggest snubs in Best Actress history. Take notes baiters, this is how to do an adaptation. The first in a great trilogy, "The Breadwinner" is a huge achievement.
Narrator: The bait’s precursor run was mixed, garnering many nods but only a few wins for lead star Hughes. Come Oscar time, it played out mostly the same way. However, it did score wins for director Milos Foreman and its adapted screenplay, as well as push Connor to a best author win and earning #2 of the month. Worth a good look.
Title Card: The #46 bait is…
THE BREADWINNER
Zgamer: We now go back to July of 2006 to take a look at one of the contest’s earliest BOTM. Written by Tom Houseman, this was the second biopic to win the coveted prize. So let’s get started with The Great Fitzgerald.
Narrator: In a highly competitive month, this bait stood out with its fair amount of praise. Most consider it Houseman’s best bait. Though it had its criticisms for grammar and such, it still garnered plenty of attention to make it a hit.
Daniel: Tom Houseman's career was short and full of great baits but this was his best. Charlize Theron's role in this bait is one of the best cast Best Actress roles ever
Narrator: Come Oscar time, The Great Fitzgerald had a great showing. Not only did it snag many nods, but it also walked home with the coveted plot/synopsis, awards campaign and BOTM prizes. One of the contest’s most overlooked (and somewhat debatable) big winners.
Title Card: The #45 bait is…
THE GREAT FITZGERALD
Zgamer: Again, we go back to the early months of the competition to unearth this gem. Written by Brian (from Minneapolis), this adaptation to the acclaimed play knocked one out of the park (and somewhat set a path for similar styled bait Midnight Mass). This is Doubt.
Narrator: Our records don’t contain reviews this early into the competition, but we do know that the bait had a good though somewhat mixed reception when it came to reviews. While it did have many supporters, some didn’t feel that this justified a BOTM win. Still, most everyone praised its well picked cast, particularly star Frances McDormand.
Daniel: Without a doubt, this is is Bait an Oscar's most controversial Bait of the Month winner. I agree with the choice, it would make an excellent film. The casting is fantastic.
Narrator: Come Oscar time, Doubt had a small but powerful line up of nods. Along with its BOTM win, it also snagged an award for the now discontinued “Most Likely to be Nominated for An Oscar” award for star McDormand. Definitely worth a read.
Title Card: The #44 bait is…
DOUBT
Zgamer: It seems like it’s a big night to go back deep into the past for these baits. This next entry is also from the inaugural month of April 06. The first bait from acclaimed author D.W., this bait made splashes with its short but compelling plot and great writing. This is I Am A Patsy.
Narrator: Our records are not accurate for reviews, but most everyone agrees that this was one of the best baits of that month. Though it had to compete with heavyweights Carter and Once a Hero, I Am A Patsy helped solidify D.W. as one of the top authors on the site.
Daniel: It has since been deemed a "classic" and rightfully so since it had its debut. One of my all time favorite biopics.
Narrator: While I Am A Patsy missed out on most awards, it did snag the #3 spot and an award for its synopsis. As Daniel said, this was one of the best early biopics on the sit.
Title Card: The #43 bait is…
I AM A PATSY
Zgamer: Finally, something not in the earliest months. This next bait was written by Tony back in November. Back then, Tony was still a struggling author trying to make a hit. Then he wrote this bait. So please join us as we induct Freakshow to the list.
Narrator: While many agreed it wasn’t a particularly baity story, almost everyone had great things to say about Freakshow. The most praised aspect was its cast. Not only was it considered to be well picked for its characters, but it just stunned many that a bait could include people like Wayne Brady and Hugh Laurie in the same bait.
Daniel: Great characters in this good ensemble bait.
Narrator: Freakshow enjoyed a good precursor run, gaining many nods and a win for its ensemble at the SAG. At the Oscars, it garnered many awards but failed to win best picture, since it had to compete against James Somerton’s phenomenal reign with The Wall and Silence. However, it didn’t leave empty handed, as it picked up a prize for its original screenplay and a #4 spot in the month. One of the best character ensembles on the site.
Title Card: The #42 bait is…
FREAKSHOW
Zgamer: We’ve reached the final bait of the night. Now, before we close, I will say a few things. For one, Michael is said to be back and will be heading the next section of the countdown. And…well, we only had that to say. Ok, now we are going to cover the last bait of this section and its one of my personal favorites. After a great debut with River City Blue, Ross followed his success with this hit. A compelling story, a stellar cast and a great crew all head his last bait of his career (for now?). So here’s to Ross’s May 07 hit Rush.
Narrator: Thanks to the help of his previous success, Rush opened to a great reception. Although it competed with heavyweights Dominion and Rivalry at 6 P.M., Rush earned plenty of praise for its quality writing and really interesting plot. Stars Russell Crowe and Heath Ledger also received plenty of attention.
Daniel: Ross was a baiter whose career was all too brief although he may come back, who knows. "Rush" was a great achievement in every way.
Narrator: Rush enjoyed a fair but positive precursor run with its prestigious nods. At the Oscars, it pulled out two wins for its great cast and director Michael Mann, as well as a #3 spot for the month. A great bait from an author that is sorely missed.
Title Card: The #41 bait is…
RUSH
Zgamer: So concludes this segment. Tune in soon for the next segment. And as this recap comes up, I say good night and I can’t wait to see the big winners.
#50 I, Bergman
#49 Imagine
#48 Carter
#47 The Valley of Ashes
#46 The Breadwinner
#45 The Great Fitzgerald
#44 Doubt
#43 I Am A Patsy
#42 Freakshow
#41 Rush
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5 comments:
Great job...congrats except River City Blue was not Ross' debut bait. He started writing in either Jan. or Feb. 2007
Oh yeah. Sorry, I guess I just remember his two great baits.
:( i wish freakshow was higher
John Lennon was one of the most unique composers of all times and a very complex person with much idealism. While he had defects and committed some wrong actions like all of us, he expressed his deepest message thru his art in many ways; furious with the album “Sometime in New York City” and the song “Working Class Hero” and spiritually inspired with the songs “Love” and “Mind Games”. There was one song that stood out as the most pure, simple and breathtaking of them all, “Imagine”. This was the song that showed Lennon’s message of peace and love in the most emotional and passionate way. With the bait “Imagine”, I wanted to show the man’s deepest message by mixing his conflicts, defects and the events after his death with one of the most beautiful messages ever: “Imagine all the people living life in peace”.
Today, this bait is considered one of the 50 greatest baits of all time, by getting the 49th place. I must say, I was amazed to see it making the list. I would like to thank all of my family and friends for supporting my projects, the other baiters for making me a better author with a unique vision and for your encouragements, but most of all, I would like to dedicate this spot to John Lennon for inspiring many persons with his persona and idealisms. Thanks a very big ton for your support and I can’t wait to see the next part of the list, as always.
The Bait an Oscar contest was what got me excited about The Oscar Igloo. If it hadn't been for that, I might not have become an Igloo writer. I was very happy to see Brain Damage and Buster both on the list, especially because Buster was not very well received at the time. But I knew that The Great Fitzgerald would get me the most love, and the fact that it's on the top 50 is a huge win for me. Now I'm just assuming that Auschwitz Love, my gay holocaust Spielberg film, will be in the top ten... right?
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