A Reel Birthday

This week marks Reel Speak’s 15th anniversary. 

 

The year was 2010. There was no streaming, there was only the big screen. THE KING’S SPEECH was on its way to be named Best Picture, while the Box Office was won by TOY STORY 3. Christopher Nolan was spinning heads with INCEPTION, and Disney was swinging into our hearts with TANGLED. 

 

During this time, there was an idea; to share my love and passion for film. It was a passion that began in the summer of 1977, when this young padawan saw STAR WARS for the first time. It was love at first sight and it had to be shared, so Reel Speak was founded. The first review was posted on February 24th, 2010: Martin Scorsese’s SHUTTER ISLAND. Since then, over a thousand blogs have been posted: reviews, previews, opinions, Top 10 lists and Oscar picks. 

 

Every year, to celebrate Reel Speak’s birthday, this Blogger looks back on all the reasons why the movies mean so much to me. This was always a way to share, and to perhaps inspire others to look back and remember what they love about the movies too…and here in Year 15, it has reminded this Blogger that there is always magic to be found when the lights dim and the big screen lights up. 

 

Why do I love the movies? Let us count the ways: 

 

20. Because the trick is not minding that it hurts. 

19. Because if they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you. 

18. Because a Jaguar Shark ate my best friend. 

17. Because all you have to do is think of a wonderful thought.  

16. Because of John Williams.

15. Because I have been, and always shall be your friend. 

14. Because what we do in life echoes in eternity. 

13. Because Red October was hunted.

12. Because the only Virtue is Vengeance. A Vendetta. 

11. Because Crom laughs at your four winds! 

10. Because it’s a wonderful night for Oscar.

9. Because they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

8. Because “I love you”, and “I know”.

7. Because if someone asks me if I’m a god, I say yes.

6. Because I will drink your milkshake.

5. Because every man dies, not every man really lives. 

4. Because they needed a bigger boat.

3. Because there had to be snakes.

2. Because the Fellowship will not fail. 

1. Because the Force will be with you, always. 

 

A Reel 25: The Year in Film 2000

Twenty-five years ago at about this time, the cinematic year of 2000 was just getting warmed up. Looking back, it could be considered the final year before the modern era. Here’s how it unspooled: 

 

The worldwide box office winner for the year 2000 A.D. would be the John Woo-directed MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2. The action film would be the only movie in the top 10 that was a sequel. Also at the box office, CHICKEN RUN became the highest-grossing film done in stop-motion style, and HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey, had the highest debut for a Christmas-themed film. 

 

On the awards circuit, Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR was the big winner at the Oscars, taking home Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe). The historical epic had good competition from Ang Lee’s CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, Lasse Hollstrom’s CHOCOLAT, and two films from Steven Soderbergh: TRAFFIC and ERIN BROCKOVICH. 

 

The cold winter months of 2000 got off to a hot start, with THE BOONDOCK SAINTS blasting into theatres and becoming a cult favorite. SCREAM 3 was rightfully dumped in February, and it was joined by the sci-fi thriller PITCH BLACK, the Bruce Willis-led THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, Disney’s AN EXTREMELY GOOFY MOVIE, and REINDEER GAMES…which would be the final film from director John Frankenheimer. 

 

The spring months would deliver the Brian De Palma-helmed MISSION TO MARS, Roman Polanski’s supernatural THE NINTH GATE, the first of the FINAL DESTINATION series, and the rom-com HIGH FIDELITY.

 

Later in the spring Sandra Bullock and future King Viggo Mortensen would appear in 28 DAYS, future Batman Christian Bale would thrill in AMERICAN PSYCHO, and an ensemble cast would travel the depths in the submarine thriller U-571. 

 

GLADIATOR would arrive in May, and it was joined later by the big stinker that was BATTLEFIELD EARTH. Disney’s DINOSAUR would also stomp in, and the rest of the early summer would include GONE IN 60 SECONDS, SHAFT, TITAN A.E., THE PATRIOT, and THE PERFECT STORM. 

 

In July, the superhero genre would re-ignite for good with Bryan Singer’s X-MEN. And the rest of the summer brought us the Bruce Willis-led Disney flick THE KID, the horror-comedy SCARY MOVIE, and the Harrison Ford-led WHAT LIES BENEATH. Also arriving would be COYOTE UGLY, HOLLOW MAN, SPACE COWBOYS, THE TAO OF STEVE, THE REPLACEMENTS, THE CELL, and BRING IT ON. 

 

In the early fall months, Cameron Crowe would deliver the acclaimed ALMOST FAMOUS, Denzel Washington would hit the gridiron in REMEMBER THE TITANS, Sylvester Stallone would appear in the big flop GET CARTER, Gary Oldman would thrill in THE CONTENDER, and the sweet little film PAY IT FORWARD would release. 

 

As the fall grew cooler, Darren Aronofsky would spin heads with REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, and CHARLIE’S ANGELS would turn up the heat. Robert Redford would direct THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, Adam Sandler would bomb with LITTLE NICKY, and the second of two Mars-related films, THE RED PLANET, would also bomb. Also arriving would be the military drama MEN OF HONOR, the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led THE 6^TH DAY, along with QUILLS and M. Night Shyamalan’s best film, UNBREAKABLE. 

 

December would deliver the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS bomb, the hit SNATCH, the comedy DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?, and the Disney animated flick THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE. Ed Harris would earn an Oscar nomination for his lead role in POLLOCK, and Tom Hanks would be his competitor for his role in CAST AWAY. The year would close out with FINDING FORRESTER, DRACULA 2000, THE GIFT, O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, THIRTEEN DAYS, and SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE. 

 

The year 2000 would see the film debuts of Jamie Bell, Martin Freeman, Topher Grace, John Krasinski, Aaron Paul, Zoe Saldana, Bill Skarsgard, Kristen Stewart, Sam Worthington, Juno Temple, and Anton Yelchin. The year would also say farewell and adieu to Jim Varney, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Walter Matthau, Jason Robards, and Alec Guinness. 

 

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In 2000, the industry was on the verge of a major change. Three years before, James Cameron’s TITANIC showed that a big-budget epic could earn back its money and be acclaimed. This would show with GLADIATOR…and in just one year’s time Peter Jackson’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS would begin and take things a step further. Sci-fi and fantasy franchises suddenly became coveted, and that would lead us to long-form storytelling with HARRY POTTER, and THE HUNGER GAMES. The success of X-MEN would get the capes and masks going for real, sparking SPIDER-MAN in 2002 and eventually the mighty and endless Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

 

Since then, Hollywood has gone heavy on the franchises. In 2000, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 was the only sequel in the top 10 worldwide box office. In 2024, all of the top 10 were sequels, remakes, or part of a franchise. Audiences have shown their appetite for the familiar, and studios have responded. And while it may the tail wagging the dog, the numbers do speak volumes. Despite this, the most acclaimed films are still the smaller ones. Of the ten Best Picture nominees for 2024, only two earned more than $100 million, with eight of them original. Hollywood is top heavy right now, and wherever it goes next can be traced back to what we were seeing in the year 2000. 

 

 

 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2025 - Episode II

February is the second and final month of Movie Siberia. The month is traditionally a dumping ground, although this year there are a few high-profile films to look forward to. Here is what’s coming to the big screen this month: 

 

 

 

HEART EYES – Upcoming horror director Josh Ruben (WEREWOLVES WITHIN), helms this slasher about a Valentine’s Day killer. Olivia Holt and Jordana Brewster star. 

 

 

 

LOVE HURTS – Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE), plays a former hitman whose past comes back to haunt him in this action and romance flick. Ariana DeBose co-stars. 

 

 

 

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN – This documentary film that charts the formation and early years of famed classic rock group Led Zeppelin will see an IMAX release.

 

 

 

BRING THEM DOWN – Barry Keoghan stars in this Irish drama about a shepherding family thrust into battle on several fronts. 

 

 

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD – Anthony Mackie accepts the shield in the fourth CAPTAIN AMERICA film and the 35^th (!) film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Harrison Ford takes over the role of (now President), Ross…which was played by the late great William Hurt. Giancarlo Esposito co-stars. 

 

 

 

PADDINGTON IN PERU – The third film in the acclaimed PADDINGTON series, which sees the lovable bear traveling across the world to see family. 

 

 

 

CLEANER – Daisy Ridley (THE FORCE AWAKENS), plays an ex-soldier who gets caught up in a terrorist takeover of a high-rise. Clive Owen co-stars. 

 

 

 

THE MONKEY – Osgood Perkins, who directed the acclaimed LONGLEGS in 2024, adapts this Stephen King short story for the big screen where deaths occur after the discovery of a toy monkey in an attic. It stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, and Elijah Wood. 

 

 

 

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE – Daffy Duck and Porky Pig work together to stop aliens form taking over the Earth, in what is being hailed as the first original Looney Tunes film to get a worldwide theatrical release. 

 

 

 

LAST BREATH – Deep Sea divers battle the elements in this rescue drama. Woody Harrelson stars. 

 

 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews March.

A Reel Opinion: Oscar Nominations - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced this morning. Here’s how it all landed in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious. 

 

THE GOOD

 

-The leader of the pack was EMILIA PEREZ with 13 nominations. The French-language musical, which recently had a great showing at the Golden Globes, is one of a handful of films not in the English language that was able to stretch beyond the Best International Feature category. The Brazilian film I’M STILL HERE earned three nominations; becoming the first Brazilian film since 1986 to be nominated for Best Picture. A good year for international cinema and proof that a great film can be found anywhere. 

 

-Speaking of EMILIA PEREZ, Karla Sofia Gascon became the first openly transgender acting nominee in Oscars history.

 

-Tied for the second most nominations was the heralded THE BRUTALIST and the global phenom WICKED with 10 nominations each. The Vatican-based drama CONCLAVE earned nine, and the Bob Dylan biopic A COMPLETE UNKNOWN came in with eight. 

 

-The ten nominations included only two films that earned over $100 million at the box office, and only two that were part of a franchise. If the general public isn’t showing up for original films, at least the Academy is. 

 

 

THE BAD

 

-Not necessarily bad but worth a discussion: Jon M. Chu, director of the massive hit WICKED, did not get a Best Director nomination. It can be head-scratching that a film this big and beloved could not get recognition for its helmer. Maybe the strength of the source material is what really drove the film, or maybe they’re just waiting to see how he does with the sequel later this year. 

 

-Denis Villeneuve, director of the epic DUNE: PART TWO, also did not get a Best Director nod. 

 

-Acclaimed films such as CHALLENGERS, WE LIVE IN TIME, CIVIL WAR, and BABYGIRL were shut out. 

 

-Margaret Qualley, who literally went toe-to-toe with Demi Moore in THE SUBSTANCE, did not get a nomination. 

 

 

THE GLORIOUS

 

-Her co-star may not have made the cut, but Demi Moore rightfully got her nomination. Joining her is THE SUBSTANCE director Coralie Fargaet. Not bad for a body-horror film. 

 

-Speaking of horror, Robert Eggers’ magnificent NOSFERATU earned four nominations (Cinematography, Costume, Production Design, Hair and Makeup). Not bad for a remake of a 102-year-old vampire movie. 

 

-Two animated films were able to break the barrier around Best Animated Feature and land in other categories. THE WILD ROBOT made Best Original Score and Best Sound, and the dialogue-less kitty film FLOW made Best International Feature. An important step forward for animated films. 

 

-Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones earning nominations for their performances in THE BRUTALIST. The precursors had them overlooked, and its justice for them both to get in. 

 

-As expected, THE BRUTALIST and EMILIA PEREZ seem to the frontrunners on Oscar night, getting nominations in all the vital categories. So far, the right films are in the race. 

 

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The 97^th Academy Awards are March 2^nd.  

 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 25 Films of the Millennium, 2000 - 2024

It is 2025. Which means it has now been 25 years since Y2K failed to come down and destroy us…which is a good thing because the last two-and-a-half decades have provided us with some excellent cinema…which brings us to Reel Speak’s Top 25 Best Films of the Millennium. 

 

The age of movies we are in now can be traced back to James Cameron’s TITANIC in 1997; a big-budget spectacle that could be taken seriously in the snootiest of awards voters while earning big bucks at the box office. Since then, studios started taking big gambles on big franchises that would define the last 25 years…such as HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, and not to mention the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite this, we still get the smaller, character-driven films which the awards circuits heavily favor. We’ve had some great films, but we’ve also had turbulent times. A mishandled pandemic nearly destroyed theatres and marked a cultural shift in the way we watch movies. It seems like cinema is always on the verge of a major change, and since it’s impossible to predict what’s next, the best thing to do is to look back at the films that have endured the all-important test of time. 

 

Here now is Reel Speak’s Top 25 Films of the Millennium, 2000 – 2024. 

 

 

 

 

25. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)

 

The Coen Brothers had a great run in this millennium, winning Oscars with their NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in 2007 and a masterful re-do of TRUE GRIT in 2010. But it was this intimate, week-in-the-life fable of a 1960’s struggling folk singer that hits all the right notes. 

 

24. MUHOLLAND DRIVE (2001)

The late great David Lynch’s best film. A neo-noir mystery that unfolds like a dream and strikes our nerves before we know it. In later years, filmmakers Christopher Nolan would play with time, and JJ Abrams would embrace the mystery box; two storytelling devices that can be traced back to MUHOLLAND DRIVE. 

 

23. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019)

 

Superhero films dominated theatres in the last 25 years, and this mega-opus from Marvel Studios that wrapped up a nearly ten-year storyline was not only epic, but delivered tons of emotional weight along with rousing, satisfying, this-is-for-the-fans spectacle. 

 

22. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

 

When David Fincher announced he was doing a movie about Facebook, most of us couldn’t stop laughing. But it was Fincher who got the last chuckle, as his drama, with unique storytelling and excellent acting, made all the right clicks. 

 

21. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

 

Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film that elevated the superhero genre from popcorn-flick to true cinema. The late great Heath Ledger rightfully won an Oscar for his chilling and fascinating performance as The Joker, and the film set a grounded and gritty standard for cinematic Batman that is still being honored today. 

 

20. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005)

 

George Clooney directed this old-school film that explored the responsibility of the media and the abuse of power of government. Based on a true story of 1950’s American turmoil and manufactured paranoia, it is more relevant today than it was 20 years ago. 

 

 

19. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)

 

Big-budget fantasy and franchises launched big-time with Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, giving Hollywood a shiny new toy that it is still playing with. Jackson’s second film faithfully adapted the middle book while finding an excellent balance of spectacle and emotion. 

 

18. SICARIO (2015)

 

Denis Villeneuve has had a remarkable run in the 2000’s, including his two-part epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. But it was this twisting and turning drama about Mexican drug lords and revenge that ramped up the tension in some of the most intense scenes of the last 25 years. 

 

 

17. OPPENHEIMER (2023)

 

Christopher Nolan gave us a lot of options in the 2000’s to praise, including his mind-bending INCEPTION (2010), and his magic-trick THE PRESTIGE (2006). With OPPENHEIMER, the story of the father of the atomic bomb, he pulled off that rare trifecta; winning with box office, critics, and audiences…and capped off with an awards season sweep. 

 

16. ARGO (2012)

Ben Affleck directed and starred in this Best Picture winner about an obscure moment in history; the rescue of six Americans out of Iran in 1979-80 under the cover of a Hollywood production. The humor is great (John Goodman and Alan Arkin are electric), the story important, and the tension subtlety gets the heart rates going. 

 

15. THE BRUTALIST (2024)

 

Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian immigrant in a post-WWII world who struggles with a country that doesn’t know what to do with his genius, architectural designs. Time will be the true test of this film that is being hailed as a new American classic (this Blogger agrees), but for now it’s earned its place here. 

 

14. NOSFERATU (2024)

 

This 2024 film may also still have the new-car smell on it, but for now it deserves a high spot. Robert Eggers helmed this remake of the 1922 vampire tale that puts audiences into a trance, and gives us a towering new cinematic villain with Bill Skarsgard’s Count Orlok. 

 

 

13. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLIDER, SPY (2011)

 

Gary Oldman leads the way in this dense and tense adaptation of the John le Carre spy novel set in 1974. Navigating this is like navigating a maze on top of a maze…and repeat viewings only reveal more and more. 

 

12. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

 

Peter Jackson started to shift Hollywood forever with this first film in his THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and this was only the warmup. For his trilogy to succeed, the first steps had to work, and FELLOWSHIP introduced Middle-Earth to the world so successfully that it instantly became a permanent fixture in our culture. 

 

11. HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016)

 

Chris Pine and Ben Foster play brothers robbing banks in this modern-Western that goes beyond the cops-and-robbers trope and takes a hard look at big banks and the power they wield. A satisfying, stick-it-to-the-man film with excellent direction and acting. 

 

 

 

10. THE KING’S SPEECH (2010)

 

Tom Hooper directed this elegant Oscar-winner about an overlooked, yet vital moment in world history. Colin Firth plays the stammering new king who must lead his country during the threat of war, and Geoffrey Rush plays the speech therapist tasked with helping him. A rare character study with world-wide stakes. 

 

9. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)

 

Stylistic and quirky filmmaker Wes Anderson has been one of the most prolific of the millennium, consistently putting out one feature every three or four years. His best arrived in 2014 with this award-winner with unique storytelling devices that explored friendship, nostalgia, fascism, and the art of storytelling itself. 

 

8. GLADIATOR (2000)

His name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, and with one chilling monologue, Russell Crowe became an overnight international star. Ridley Scott helmed this sweeping epic that became an instant icon; loaded with fantastic spectacle and old-school, golden-age-of-Hollywood sensibilities. 

 

 

7. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007)

Brad Pitt stars as the outlaw Jesse James and Casey Affleck plays his wanna-be sidekick and eventual murderer in this thoughtful, brooding, and artful Western epic. Andrew Dominik directed with famed cinematographer Roger Deakins at his side…resulting in a stunningly gorgeous film that doesn’t waste a single frame.  

 

6. WARRIOR (2011)

 

Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play feuding brothers who face each other in a big-money MMA tournament. On the surface it looks like a standard sports film, but underneath the fighting there’s a serious family drama at work, and the unexpected emotional wallop at the end can break the hardest of fists. 

 

5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)

Quentin Tarantino directed his best film in this alternate-history fairy tale set in 1960’s Hollywood which gave real-life actress Sharon Tate the happy ending that she deserved. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are perfectly matched in this love-letter to classic Hollywood. 

 

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022)

Legacy sequels were another shiny new toy for Hollywood in the last 10 years, and they got their biggest and best with MAVERICK. Tom Cruise reprised his 1986 role in this incredibly shot film that brings stunning visuals and a surprising blast of emotion. 

 

3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

 

The final film in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy that swept the Oscars and elevated the fantasy genre. Grand spectacle and emotion circle together as beautifully as a golden ring. 

 

2. BLACK SWAN (2010)

Darren Aronofsky helmed this multi-layered psychological drama about a ballerina (Natalie Portman), who just wants to be perfect. Cleverly set during a production of Swan Lake, BLACK SWAN takes elements from the ballet and expands upon them, giving us an often-shocking film that has us questioning our own minds. 

 

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)

 

Daniel-Day Lewis won two of his three Oscars in the 2000’s, including this portrayal of an oilman battling for possession of the souls of a small town who just happens to be in his way. Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed this loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil, and recaptured an America that was on the verge of discovering industry. A dark character study that serves as a tale of faith, power, and greed, THERE WILL BE BLOOD is intimate but has a towering feeling in acting and directing. And as any great film should do, feels timeless.  

 

 

 REEL SPEAK'S TOP 25 FILMS OF THE MILLENNIUM

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2. BLACK SWAN

3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK

5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

6. WARRIOR

7. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

8. GLADIATOR

9. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

10. THE KING'S SPEECH

11. HELL OR HIGH WATER

12. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

13. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

14. NOSFERATU

15. THE BRUTALIST

16. ARGO

17. OPPENHEIMER

18. SICARIO

19. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

20. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

21. THE DARK KNIGHT

22. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

23. AVENGERS: ENDGAME

24. MUHOLLAND DRIVE

25. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS