8) Batman
Won for: Best Art Direction.
11 years after Superman, Tim Burton’s Batman came along to revitalize the superhero movie genre. Whereas the Man of Steel‘s movie had been all about old-fashioned heroics, 1989’s Batman was a dark gothic neo-noir. Its striking visual style – inspired by Burton’s love for German Expressionism – has not lost its power over the years and it remains one of the best looking comic book films to this day.
Fittingly, then, the movie won the gong for Best Art Direction at the 62nd Oscars, with art director Anton Furst and set decorator Peter Young earning the award. Tragically, Furst took his own life just two years later, prematurely curtailing what would no doubt have been an illustrious career.
Batman‘s sequel, Batman Returns, was also up for two Oscars: Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup. However, it failed to win either, losing to Death Becomes Her and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, respectively.