My Science School

Have you heard the story of the sleeping beauty that slept for one hundred years? Although, not all that happens in stories happens in real life, sleeping seeds can do a far better job than what the sleeping princess can! The seeds of silene stenophylla, a flowering plant found in Siberia, slept under the Arctic ice for more than 30,000 years!

A group of scientists discovered more than 600,000 frozen mature and immature seeds of this plant burried in squirrel burrows near the banks of the river Kolyma in 2007. Arctic ground squirrels are believed to have buried them during the ice Age. With the help of the latest dating techniques, scientists determined that the seeds were around 31,800 years old.

They planted some of the seeds, and tried to germinate some of them. It was a heartening sight to see the ancient plant bringing forth little white blooms and fruits after more than 30,000 years. The discovery, and the experiment, left the plant the most ancient, viable, multi-cellular, living organism on Earth.

 

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               The film, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ won in the Best Picture category at the 48th Academy Awards. It is a movie co-produced by Michael Douglas, directed by Milos Forman, and starring Jack Nicholson as McMurphy, and Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched. it is loosely based on the 1962 novel by Ken Kesey.

               ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ is one of the greatest American films of all time. It takes place in an asylum for the insane, run by Nurse Ratched, who rules over the patients with an iron fist. She has so much power over them that no one dares to stand up to her, until one day when a confident Randle Patrick McMurphy swaggers into the ward. Things are never the same again.

               This is one of a small number of films to sweep the “Big Five” major Academy Awards-Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. In 1993, the film was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress, and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

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              ‘The Godfather Part II’ is a 1974, American crime film, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo, starring AI Pacino and Robert De Niro. It is the sequel of ‘The Godfather’. Many critics believe this film sequel is a superior improvement over the original film. ‘The Godfather Partin’, a further sequel, was released in 1990.

              The movie’s plot is a continuation of the first part, basically revolving around the infamous mafia family, the Corleone family. ‘The Godfather’ series are among the highly influential films of all time, especially in the gangster genre.

              The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won six: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Original Dramatic Score. In 1997, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd greatest film in American film history. It was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

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             ‘The Sting’ was a 1973 movie that won the Best Picture award at the 46th Academy Awards. It is undoubtedly considered as one of the movies that can be enjoyed by all categories of viewers. The movie was directed by George Roy Hill, and stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman. It was interesting that George Hill had already done another successful movie with this star duo.

              Created by screenwriter David S. Ward, the story was inspired by real-life cons. Set in 1936 Chicago, the film tells the story of novice con (a grafter) Johnny Hooker, along with Joe Erie and Hooker's mentor, Luther Coleman, as they pull off their latest sting operation.

             The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It is also one of the biggest box office hits of all-time. When adjusted for inflation, it currently sits as the 19th best domestic earner of all time. Once, the Supreme Court of India even referenced the movie ‘Sting’ in a judgement involving a sting operation.

 

              ‘The Godfather’ is a series three films about the fictional Corleone family, an infamous mafia family. The movie was based on Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel of the same name. The first movie came out in 1972. It was followed by ‘The Godfather Part in 1974, and ‘The Godfather Part Ill’ in 1990. Francis Ford Coppola, directed the films, and scripted them with Puzo.

               The story, spanning 1945 to 1955, chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone, focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss. The first two films are widely considered to be among the greatest films of all time and the flagship of the New Hollywood, due to being the first film to portray gangsters with lots of deep analysis and drama.

               ‘The Godfather’ was nominated for nine Academy Awards. The movie won three of its nominations: Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. The movie was also nominated for seven awards at the 30th Golden Globe Awards. It won the categories for: Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor - Drama, Best Original Score, and Best Picture - Drama. ‘The Godfather’ won a record five Golden Globes, which was not surpassed until 2017.

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               ‘The French Connection’ is the movie that won the Best Picture Oscar at the 44th Academy Awards. The movie is a crime thriller directed by William Friedkin, written by Ernest Tidyman and produced by Phillip D’Antoni.

               The movie’s plot is based on a true story. It tells the tale of New York City cop Jimmy Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner, Buddy Cloudy Russo (Roy Scheider).

               The film’s script was adapted from Robin Moore’s best-selling book of the same name about the ruthless, real-life adventures of two special narcotics squad officers Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. To keep up the authenticity, the movie was mainly shot in New York City itself.

               The movie had a total of eight nominations at the Academy Awards. The film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Friedkin, and Best Actor for Hackman. It also won for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

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               ‘Patton’ was the movie that won in the Best Picture category at the 43rd Academy Awards. ‘Patton’ was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, and written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. It was based on the life of General George S. Patton. The movie stars George C. Scott in his most iconic role as the General.

               The film concerns Patton as he leads the American forces during World War II. On the battlefield, he is a competent commander, respected by both sides. Off the battlefield, Patton is full of ego, and has a volatile temperament.

               The film received ten Academy Awards nominations and won seven major awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. When Scott’s performance won him an Oscar for Best Actor, he famously refused to accept it. He cited a dislike of the voting process and the concept of acting competitions.

               ‘Patton’ was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.

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               ‘Midnight Cowboy’ is a 1969 American drama film. The film was adapted from the novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. It was directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.

               The movie tells the story of Joe Buck, a dishwasher in a rural Texas diner. One day, Buck decides to dress like a rodeo cowboy and move to New York City with socially inappropriate intentions. The movie received a lot of criticism due its bold and indecorous content. However, it is now seen as one of the defining movies of its era.

               The film won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 1994, the film was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. John Barry, who supervised the music, and composed the score, won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Theme.

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               The movie ‘Oliver!’ that won the Best Picture award at the 41st Academy Awards was an adaptation of a novel. It was astonishing when Charles Dickens’ famous novel ‘Oliver Twist’, was made into a big-budget musical film, directed by Sir Carol Reed.

               The extraordinary screenplay was written by Vernon Harris. The film includes such musical numbers as ‘Food, Glorious Food’, ‘Consider Yourself’, ‘As Long as He Needs Me’, ‘You have Got to Pick a Pocket or Two’, and ‘Where Is Love?’ The music and lyrics were contributions of Lionel Bart.

               The movie was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and won six, including Best Picture, Best Director for Reed, and an Honorary Award for choreographer Onna White. ‘Oliver!’ was the last movie musical to win the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year until ‘Chicago’ thirty-four years later. The British Film Institute ranked ‘Oliver!’ the 77th greatest British film of the 20th century.

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               ‘In the Heat of the Night’ is a mystery drama film, adapted from a 1965 novel of the same name by John Ball. It was directed by Norman Jewison. It stars Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, and was produced by Walter Mirisch. The screenplay was by Stirling Silliphant.

               The movie is about Philadelphian Virgil Tibbs, who gets arrested on suspicion of the murder of a factory owner in Sparta, Mississippi, due to the simple circumstance of being black, and having money in his pocket.

               However, while the police are questioning him, he reveals that he is, in fact, a police officer himself. When he has Police Chief Bill Gillespie contact his department for verification, he is told by his superiors that he should assist the locals in solving the case, partnering with the same, casually racist Gillespie.

               ‘In the Heat of the Night’ received seven Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Picture, Actor (Steiger), Editing (Hal Ashby), Adapted Screenplay, and Sound.

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               ‘A Man for All Seasons’, a British biographical drama film based on Robert Bolt’s play of the same name, is the film that won at the 39th Academy Awards. The film and play both depict the final years of Sir Thomas More, the 16th century Lord Chancellor of England who refused to take an oath of supremacy declaring King Henry VIII supreme head of the Church of England.

               The screenplay, well adapted by Robert Bolt himself, is intelligent.  It was directed by the already very famous Fred Zinnemann. The movie won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Paul Scofield).

               In 1995, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of cinema, the Vatican listed it among the greatest movies of all time. In 1999, the British Film Institute named ‘A Man for All Seasons’ the 43rd greatest British film of all time. In 2008, it came 106th on Empire magazine’s ‘500 Greatest Movies of All Time’ list.

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               The two top 1965 films in the Best Picture Oscars race were ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Doctor Zhivago’. Both the movies had ten nominations each, and also won five Oscars respectively. ‘The Sound of Music’ won Best Picture, Best Director (Robert Wise), Best Musical Score, Best Editing, and Best Sound Recording.

               The movie was adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical. It was the real life story of a spirited postulant Maria, who left Austria’s Nonnberg Abbey, and became governess to seven motherless Von Trapp children. She eventually helped to lead the singing family out of Nazi-occupied Austria to Switzerland

               ‘The Sound of Music’ was a successful film at the time of its release. The movie also topped ‘Gone with the Wind’ as the most money-grossing film to date - thereby saving its studio, 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy.

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               ‘My Fair Lady’ is a 1964 musical film from Warner Bros., adapted from the popular play of the same name. ‘My Fair Lady’ stars Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins. The film was very well received, winning eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

               The exquisite picture is extraordinary-and is a unique gem of filmmaking. The screenplay was written by Alan Jay Lerner and the movie was directed by George Cukor. Cukor and Lerner have not done the conventional treatment of a stage play made into a movie, i.e., erratically moving scenes outdoors for greater playing area, or into bigger settings than the stage could manage.

               The film depicts Eliza’s transformation from a poor flower seller to a proper lady, as she takes speech lessons from Professor Higgins. In 1998, the American Film Institute named this movie the 91st greatest American film of all time.

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             The smash hit period comedy, ‘Tom Jones!’ (1963), winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture was based on Henry Fielding’s classic novel – ‘The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling’ (1749).The screenplay was adapted by playwright John Osborne.

               The movie stars Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards. The film was directed by Tony Richardson.

               The movie tells the story of Tom Jones, a country boy living in England. Over the course of the film, Jones tries to amass his own fortune, and win the heart of Sophie.

               ‘Tom Jones!’ is the only film in the history of the Academy in which three actresses were nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

               However, all three nominations were unsuccessful.

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               ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ is an epic, historical film directed by David Lean, about British officer T.E. Lawrence’s activities leading the Arab revolt against the Turks during World War I.

               The film depicts Lawrence’s experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during World War I, and in particular, his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus, and his involvement in the Arab National Council.

               Producer Sam Spiegel bought the rights to Lawrence’s 1922 autobiography ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, which mainly portrays his experiences in the Middle East. It took two years to shoot the entire movie, in locations like Jordan, Morocco and Spain.

               When finally released in 1962, the movie won a host of awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and remains highly-regarded by most critics, even decades later.

               ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ had ten Academy Award nominations, and won seven, including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Colour Cinematography, Best Colour Art Direction Score and Set Decoration, Best Sound, Best Music Score, and Best Film Editing.