1988 FILM BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

Another one of my old "Best in Film" ballots.  Other year-end ballots re-posted at TheWanderingImage: 
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,  
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,  
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014...

Also, if you wish to view my favorite 30 films of 1988, go here

Note: "Animated Short" and "Animated Feature" categories have been merged into one Animation category, regardless of runtime length. Also "Sound Editing" and "Sound Mixing" have been combined into one "Sound Design" category. Focusing on both overall mix and sound creation.

1988

*WINGS OF DESIRE
DEAD RINGERS

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

DIE HARD

DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES

ALICE

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

THE HORSE THIEF

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
EIGHT MEN OUT

AKIRA

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

ON THE SILVER GLOBE 

A CRY IN THE DARK
HIGH HOPES
RUNNING ON EMPTY

DAMNATION

RED SORGHUM

actual oscar nominees:  
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
DANGEROUS LIASIONS
MISSISSIPPI BURNING
WORKING GIRL
RAIN MAN (won)

actual oscar nominees:
HANUSSEN
THE MUSIC TEACHER
PELLE THE CONQUEROR (won)
SALAAM BOMBAY!
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN










1988

*Wim Wenders 

                  for WINGS OF DESIRE
Martin Scorsese for THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
David Cronenberg for DEAD RINGERS
John McTiernan for DIE HARD
Zhuangzhuang Tian for THE HORSE THIEF

actual oscar nominees:
Charles Crichton for A FISH CALLED WANDA
Martin Scorsese for THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
Alan Parker for MISSISSIPPI BURNING
Barry Levinson for RAIN MAN (won)
Mike Nichols for WORKING GIRL











1988

*Glenn Close 

          in DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Sigourney Weaver in GORILLAS IN THE MIST
Michelle Pfeiffer in MARRIED TO THE MOB
Meryl Streep in A CRY IN THE DARK
Jodie Foster in THE ACCUSED

actual oscar nominees:
Meryl Streep in A CRY IN THE DARK
Melanie Griffith in WORKING GIRL
Glen Close in DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Jodie Foster in THE ACCUSED (won)
Sigourney Weaver in GORILLAS IN THE MIST










1988

*Tom Hanks in BIG
Jeremy Irons in DEAD RINGERS
Edward James Olmos in STAND AND DELIVER
Michael Keaton in BEETLEJUICE
Warwick Davis in WILLOW

actual oscar nominees:
Gene Hackman in MISSISSIPPI BURNING
Tom Hanks in BIG
Dustin Hoffman in RAIN MAN (won)
Edward James Olmos in STAND AND DELIVER
Max Von Sydow in PELLE THE CONQUEROR











1988

*Juliette Binoche in 

     UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
Debbie Harry in HAIRSPRAY 
Catherine O'Hara in BEETLEJUICE 
Geena Davis in THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
Joan Cusack in WORKING GIRL 

actual oscar nominees:
Frances McDormand in MISSISSIPPI BURNING
Geena Davis in THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (won)
Joan Cusack in WORKING GIRL
Michelle Pfeiffer in DANGEROUS LIAISONS
Sigourney Weaver in WORKING GIRL










1988

*River Phoenix 

          in RUNNING ON EMPTY
Dean Stockwell in MARRIED TO THE MOB
Kevin Kline in A FISH CALLED WANDA
Christopher Lloyd in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT 
Lou Diamond Phillips in STAND AND DELIVER

actual oscar nominees:
Alec Guinness in LITTLE DORRIT
Kevin Kline in A FISH CALLED WANDA  (won)
Martin Landau in TUCKER THE MAN AND HIS DREAM
River Phoenix in RUNNING ON EMPTY
Dean Stockwell in MARRIED TO THE MOB

 









1988

*A FISH CALLED WANDA 

                        - John Cleese
BIG - Gary Ross
WOMEN ON THE VERGE 

             OF NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - Almodovar
RUNNING ON EMPTY - Naomi Foner
HAIRSPRAY - John Waters
BEETLEJUICE - Michael McDowell, Warren Skaaren

actual oscar nominees:
BIG
BULL DURHAM
A FISH CALLED WANDA
RAIN MAN (won)
RUNNING ON EMPTY











1988

*LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST 

                     - Paul Schrader
EIGHT MEN OUT - John Sayles
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT - J.Price, Peter S. Seaman
UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING 

                              - Philip Kaufman, Jean-Claude Carrière
GORILLAS IN THE MIST - Anna Hamilton Phelan 

DANGEROUS LIAISONS - Christopher Hampton

actual oscar nominees:
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
DANGEROUS LIAISONS (won)
GORILLAS IN THE MIST
LITTLE DORRIT
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING











1988

*THE THIN BLUE LINE
POWAQQATSI
IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON
DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILISATION II: METAL YEARS
HOTEL TERMINUS

actual oscar nominees doc feature:
CRY OF REASON
HOTEL TERMINUS (won)
LET'S GET LOST
PROMISES TO KEEP
WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?

actual oscar nominees doc shor:
THE CHILDREN'S STOREFRONT
FAMILY GATHERING
GANG COPS
PORTRAIT OF IMOGEN
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE (won)











1988

*GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO
ALICE
AKIRA
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS
GANDAHAR

PROMETHEUS' GARDEN

STILLE NACHT I: DRAMOLET by the Brothers Quay

MUZNÉ HRY

THE PASS - Перевал

TIN TOY

FIUL STELELOR

actual oscar nominees animated short:
TECHNOLOGICAL THREAT
TIN TOY (won)
THE CAT CAME BACK

1988

*LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST 

                      - Peter Gabriel >
POWAQQATSI - Philip Glass > 
BEETLEJUICE - Danny Elfman >
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST - John Williams >
GORILLAS IN THE MIST - Maurice Jarre >
MIRACLE MILE - Tangerine Dream >

actual oscar nominees:
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
GORILLAS IN THE MIST
THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR (won)
RAIN MAN
DANGEROUS LIAISONS

1988

*THE EVENING SACRIFICE 

         [ZHERTVA VECHERNYAYA]
THE APPOINTMENTS OF DENNIS JENNINGS
RUNAWAY RALPH

DAWN OF AN EVIL MILLENNIUM

actual oscar nominees:
CADILLAC DREAMS
GULLAH TALES
THE APPOINTMENTS OF DENNIS JENNINGS (won)

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

1988

*WINGS OF DESIRE 

                    - Henri Aleka, BVK
LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST - Michael Ballhaus, BVK, ASC
MISSISSIPPI BURNING - Peter Biziou, ASC
TEQUILA SUNRISE - Conrad L. Hall, ASC
UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING - Sven Nykvist, FSF 

actual oscar nominees:
MISSISSIPPI BURNING (won)
RAIN MAN
TEQUILA SUNRISE
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

1988

*DIE HARD 

       - Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link 
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST - Thelma Schoonmaker
GORILLAS IN THE MIST - Stuart Baird
WINGS OF DESIRE - Peter Przygodda
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT - Arthur Schmidt

actual oscar nominees:
DIE HARD
GORILLAS IN THE MIST
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (won) 
RAIN MAN
MISSISSIPPI BURNING

1988 - production design + set decor

*DANGEROUS LIAISONS 

           - Stuart Craig; Gerard James
BEETLEJUICE - Bo Welch, Catherine Mann
TUCKER THE MAN & HIS DREAM - Tavoularis; Armin Ganz
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT - Elliot Scott; Peter Howitt
ALICE - Jan Svankmajer 

actual oscar nominees:
RAIN MAN
TUCKER THE MAN AND HIS DREAM
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
DANGEROUS LIAISONS (won)
BEACHES 
 

1988

*DANGEROUS LIAISONS 

                       - James Acheson
TUCKER THE MAN & HIS DREAM - Milena Canonero
COMING TO AMERICA - Deborah Nadoolman
SUNSET - Patricia Norris
HAIRSPRAY - Van Smith

actual oscar nominees:
DANGEROUS LIAISONS (won)
TUCKER THE MAN & HIS DREAM
COMING TO AMERICA
SUNSET
A HANDFUL OF DUST










1988

*BEETLEJUICE - Ve Neill, 

       Steve LaPorte, Robert Short
SCROOGED - Tom Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II - Geoffrey Portass

THE BLOB - Tony & Cynthia Gardner, Thomas Floutz
COMING TO AMERICA - Rick Baker

DEAD HEAT - Steve Johnson; Kenny Myers; XFX inc.

THE MISSING LINK - Rick Baker

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS - Steve Johnson

actual oscar nominees:
BEETLEJUICE (won)
SCROOGED
COMING TO AMERICA












1988

*WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
THE BLOB
WILLOW

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER

DEAD RINGERS

DIE HARD
GORILLAS IN THE MIST

PUMPKINHEAD

PHANTASM II

A CHINESE GHOST STORY

KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE

actual oscar nominees:
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (won)
WILLOW
DIE HARD










1988

*THE BIG BLUE
DIE HARD
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
BIRD
GORILLAS IN THE MIST

WILLOW

actual oscar nominees mix:
BIRD (won)
DIE HARD
GORILLAS IN THE MIST
MISSISSIPPI BURNING
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

actual oscar nominees sound editing:
DIE HARD
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (won)
WILLOW

↓the following are Muriel Awards categories:

1988

*1) Damiel is finally given his wish **finale monologue** 

     - WINGS OF DESIRE
2) Opening motorcycle gang clash - AKIRA
3) Forty days & nights in the desert 

---------------------------------- THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
4) Harry Belafonte dinner table possession - BEETLEJUICE
5) The Cat Bus running - MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 
6) Eddie's entire visit to Toon Town 

--------------------------------------- WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
7) Nada first views the true world with the alien shades 

---------------------------------------------------- THEY LIVE
8) Movie theatre massacre - THE BLOB [remake] 
9) "In the Still of the Night" double seduction 

---------------------------------------------------------- DEAD RINGERS
10) Josh & MacMillan play giant FAO Schwarz floor piano 

------------------------------------------------------------ BIG
11) climax at skyscraper rooftop - DIE HARD
12) Prague spring 1968 sequence 

-------------------------------- UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
13) The entire Nick Cave segment at the rock club 

-------------------------------------------------------- WINGS OF DESIRE
14) Judge Doom reveals true identity 

------------------------------------ WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT
15) bridge troll implodes & morphs into 2 headed dragon 

------------------------------------------------------- WILLOW

-tie- Telekinesis VS Jason climax 

-------------------------- FRIDAY 13TH - PART 7: THE NEW BLOOD 

also this;

*MARRIED TO THE MOB
EIGHT MEN OUT
DANGEROUS LIAISONS
RUNNING ON EMPTY
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
A FISH CALLED WANDA

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image: 1980, 1981, 
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990,1991, 1992,  
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014...