Wednesday, January 29, 2020

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2020 - Episode II



February has always been one of the worst months for new movies; we’re months away from the fun Summer blockbuster months, and months past the deadline for Awards Season. It’s a dead zone for studios to release their unwanted and unhopeful foul shit, but the good news is it’s a light month, with not many releases on the docket. Here now is a preview for the notable films of this coming month. 

It all flies in with…

BIRDS OF PREY: THE EMANCIPATION OF HARLEY QUINN – Warner Bros. and DC Comics may be on their way to Oscar gold with their recent film JOKER, but that doesn’t stop them from putting out oddball movies. In this release, Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn from the terrible SUICIDE SQUAD, and joins forces with an all-female squad of fighters to combat Gotham City’s newest bad-guy, Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). 

FANTASY ISLAND – The long-awaited film-adaptation of the 1977 TV series, where guests of a luxury island have their fantasies granted, only to have them turn into nightmares which they have to solve in order to leave the island. Michael Pena (ANT-MAN), stars. 

ORDINARY LOVE – Liam Neeson stars in this romantic drama about a couple dealing with cancer. 

VFW – In this exploitation film, a group of veterans has their night at the local VFW turned upside-down when a teen, being chased down by thugs, arrives looking for help. It stars Stephen Lang (AVATAR), William Sadler, Martin Kove (THE KARATE KID), and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. 

DOWNHILL – Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus play a couple whose marriage goes on the rocks after an avalanche nearly kills them. 

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG – The long awaited big-screen debut of the popular video game character who peaked 20 years ago. James Marsden (X-MEN), plays a small-town sheriff who assists the displaced hedgehog when he arrives from another world. Jim Carrey plays the evil Dr. Robotnik. 

BRAHMS: THE BOY II – The sequel to the 2016 horror film THE BOY. This time, a young family moves into a new estate where their troubled son befriends an eerily life-like doll. Katie Holmes stars. 

THE CALL OF THE WILD – Harrison Ford leads the way in this adaptation of the classic 1903 novel by Jack London. It is the live-action directorial debut of Chris Sanders, who helmed the animated films LILO & STITCH (2002), and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010). 

THE INVISIBLE MAN – In this re-imagining of the classic horror story, Elisabeth Moss (TV’S HANDMAIDENS TALE), plays a widow who believes her husband is still alive; invisible and tormenting her. It is directed by Leigh Whannell, who has had a hand in creating horror franchises such as SAW and INSIDIOUS. 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the month of March. 







Monday, January 27, 2020

Reel Facts & Opinions: How Kobe Won an Oscar


The world is still in a state of shock over the news of the untimely death of retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Considered to be one of the greatest to ever play the game, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, won five NBA Championships, two Olympic gold medals, and sits as the league’s 4th-all-time scorer. 
On top of his massive sporting accomplishments, he also dribbled in the world of film. This dribbling earned him an Academy Award in 2017 for Best Animated Short Film for his film, DEAR BASKETBALL. Historically, he was the first former professional athlete to be nominated and win an Oscar in any category. 

Running just over five minutes, DEAR BASKETBALL is a literal love-letter from Bryant to the game of basketball; a game that he dreamed of playing as a kid and then dedicated his heart and soul to. Far from traditional, the film veers away from the usual story-of-my-life, and instead focuses on Bryant’s deep love for the game; treating the game itself as a living thing. The script reads like a love letter that anyone would write to a lover. But it does have a melancholy to it, as film is based on a letter Bryant wrote to The Player’s Tribune announcing his retirement from basketball. There’s a strong theme at work of letting go something that we love, and it resonates deeply. 


The animation was done by veteran Disney animator Glen Keane, who had worked on classics such as THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The animation style was made to look like a series of hand-drawn pencil drawings, and was layered in a way that was immersive and eye-catching. It retained the classic 2D look, which was a welcome sight in an age of 3D computer-generated imagery that goes out of its way to look too real. The score was provided by another legend, John Williams. 
The film won Best Animated Short Subject at the annual Annie’s, and eventually took home the Oscar at the 90thAcademy Awards. The win was the first for Keane in his storied career. Today, DEAR BASKETBALL still works for any player who has played any game, and it also works for any one of us who have a passion that we have been pursuing our entire lives. Its non-traditional style shows that film doesn’t necessarily have to be used to tell stories, but also to express feelings. Decades from now, DEAR BASKETBALL will stand as one of Kobe Bryant’s finest achievements, and a tribute to his life. 


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You can watch DEAR BASKETBALL (HERE).
Read Reel Speak’s original review for DEAR BASKETBALL, along with its fellow nominees, (HERE).







Wednesday, January 22, 2020

A Reel Opinion: The Top 20 Best Films of the Millennium - 2000-2019, Part 2



Over the last month, Reel Speak has been exploring the past 40 years of film history, building rankings of the Best of the Eighties (HERE), the Nineties (HERE), and of 2019 (HERE). This saga now concludes with the Best of the Millennium; 2000-2019. The bottom-half of Reel Speak’s Top 20 of the Millennium can be found HERE.

And now for the Top 10 Best Films released from 2000 through 2019. 




10. HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016)



After spending time in front of the camera for TV’s SONS OF ANARCHY, Taylor Sheridan turned his attention to screenwriting, and has penned some of the best films of the millennium; including SICARIO (2015), and WIND RIVER (2017). His best work turned the old genre of cops-and-robbers upside down, with two brothers (wonderfully played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster), turning to a bank robbing-scheme not for greed but for family survival. It was a simple move set in today’s tough financial world that worked, and gave the cast, which included an always-great Jeff Bridges, plenty of meat to work with.  A modern Western that is timeless. 



9. GLADIATOR (2000)



Sir Ridley Scott’s epic about a Roman general (Russell Crowe), who is betrayed by his king and sentenced to a life as a slave and gladiator. A thrilling spectacle with some iconic moments, GLADIATOR has everything that a Best Picture winner should have; top-notch directing and acting, strong characters, and a balance of intimacy and a grand scale. Classical in nature with the feel of a bygone Hollywood era, it is timeless and hasn’t aged a day. 




8. THE KING’S SPEECH (2010)



Director Tom Hooper’s Oscar-winning story about an obscure, yet important moment in history. Colin Firth plays King George VI, who has to overcome his stammer, helped by his therapist and eventual friend (Geoffrey Rush). An intimate character drama with excellent performances, THE KING’S SPEECH has an elegance to it that makes it feel like a well-composed piece of music; flowing, dipping and rising with the swells arriving in perfect harmony. It is one of those rare films where the personal struggles of the main character has massive ramifications for more than one person…or country. 



7. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)



After dabbling in so many different genres, the directing team of Joel and Ethan Coen turned to the arthouse world with their little drama about a down-and-out folk singer in the 1960’s. Oscar Isaac proves his talent with a guitar and microphone, and the laughs come not with slapstick but with simple, subtle dialogue. It’s a journey that resembles a Greek poem…giving it a personality that works for any generation that watches it. 



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



Andrew Dominik’s introspective look at the final years of famed outlaw Jesse James, as played by Brad Pitt. A unique Western where no more than a dozen shots are fired, Dominik’s character-piece is a wonderful slow burn, patiently revealing plot and character in a style that is just like going somewhere on horseback; a journey that takes a long time to get through but with a fine reward at the end. Pitt and co-star Casey Affleck are excellent, and master cinematographer Roger Deakins films one of the most stunning films of the last 20 years. 



5. WARRIOR (2011)



Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play estranged brothers with complicated histories, who battle each other at a MMA tournament with eyes on a better life. Sports films always give us someone to cheer for, and WARRIOR changed the game by making us care about both opponents; each with their genuine reasons for competing. Far from cliché, WARRIOR ended with the most powerful wallop of emotion sports films have ever seen. 


4. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)



In 1993, Steven Spielberg’s SCHINDLER’S LIST pulled the curtain back on the Holocaust. In 2013, director Steve McQueen did the same with slavery in America. Displaying a unique style of disciplined directing, McQueen takes us on a harrowing journey as seen through one man (Solomon Northup, as brilliantly played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). It is so brutal and honest that it is not an easy film to watch…and similar to SCHINDLER’S LIST, not the type of film to be often pulled off the shelf for casual viewing. This is a movie for hardened fans of film, and historically, one of the most important ones. This film had to made.




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



One of the greatest moments in Geek History is when Steven Spielberg announced at the 78th Oscars, “it’s a clean sweep”, as Peter Jackson’s grand finale to his THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy won Best Picture while nabbing every Oscar it was nominated for. Besides the awards and box office success, THE RETURN OF THE KING was an emotional finale which had people weeping in a way not seen since BAMBI. It had the type of epic, large-scale filmmaking reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and was the most significant entry into pop-culture since STAR WARS. And the topper: it brought the fantasy genre into the world of legitimate film.




2. BLACK SWAN (2010)



There is an idea in filmmaking that a director is better off confusing the audience for five minutes than to let them get ahead…and that seems to be the approach Darren Aronofsky took with his psychological mind-bender, BLACK SWAN. Brilliantly filmed and edited with plenty of twists, turns, and WTF moments, Aronofsky takes us through the seldom-explored world of professional ballet while examining a fragile mind…wrapping it up with one of the most perfect endings in cinema.




1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)



Paul Thomas Anderson’s reputation as a master-filmmaker was solidified with his epic tale of greed in THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Loosely based on the novel by Upton Sinclair, this late-19th century piece about an oil-man and his adopted son explores greed and the lengths men take, along with diving into family, faith, and even hints at the early foundations of America. Daniel Day-Lewis, arguably the best actor of our time, stunningly transforms himself, and his battle with a young preacher (Paul Dano) over the souls of a small town is equal to that of the clashing of large armies. It is as Biblical as it is down-and-gritty. Just as the oil-men of old dove deep into the Earth, Anderson and his characters dive deep into their own souls. The result is a multi-layered picture that reveals more on each viewing…as all great films should. 

REEL SPEAK'S TOP 20 BEST FILMS OF THE MILLENNIUM

  1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD
  2. BLACK SWAN
  3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
  4. 12 YEARS A SLAVE
  5. WARRIOR
  6. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
  7. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
  8. THE KING'S SPEECH
  9. GLADIATOR
  10. HELL OR HIGH WATER
  11. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
  12. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY
  13. GANGS OF NEW YORK
  14. THE MASTER
  15. THE DEPARTED
  16. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
  17. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
  18. AVENGERS: ENDGAME
  19. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
  20. THE DARK KNIGHT
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See you in 2025 for the Top 25 Best of the Millennium. 





Tuesday, January 21, 2020

A Reel Opinion: The Top 20 Best Films of the Millennium, 2000-2019 - Part 1



Twenty years have now passed since Y2K never bothered to show up and destroy us, which is a good thing, as the last 20 trips around the sun have provided us with some most-excellent films…and now is the time to look back and build a stack of the best of the best. 

The early part of the decade continued the trends from The Nineties, with character-driven films taking front and center. CGI was still in its infancy, there wasn’t a superhero in sight, and STAR WARS was just getting re-started with a second trilogy. The first few years saw big-budgeted films enter the Oscar race and win, and change was coming as the events of 9/11 would shake Hollywood into an early age of sensitivity. 

Even before the second-half of the last 20 years, those changes were happening rapidly. Superheroes were suddenly everywhere courtesy of Marvel and parent-company Disney, who also rebooted STAR WARS for a third trilogy. CGI was taking over, and yet the small art-house films were able to push the big-budget films out of the Oscar races. Hollywood began to be more inclusive for women and minorities, and a new thing called streaming was igniting debates over what is cinema and what isn’t. 

Despite all that, it all comes down to what we see on the screen, and here now is Reel Speak’s Top 20 Films of the Millennium, 2000 – 2019, Part 1 (20 through 11). 



20. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)



Christopher Nolan established himself as one of the best filmmakers of the millennium, and it can be argued that his INCEPTION (2010), or THE PRESTIGE (2006) are his best works. But it’s hard to ignore the impact that his Batman sequel has had on the superhero genre. Grounded and not afraid to take a deep-dive into its characters, THE DARK KNIGHT showed that capes and masks can be taken seriously in cinema, that heavyweight actors could be attracted to them, and be good enough to take home Academy Awards. 



19. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005)



David Strathaim puts in the performance of a lifetime as famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney’s look at the early days of television broadcasting. In the days where TV didn’t really know its place, Clooney poses many questions about the medium which are just as relevant now as they were in 1953. Not all are answered…and they shouldn’t be because there is no final answer. That’s what a great film does, and this is sure to inspire many discussions and lectures in Journalism 101 classes for years to come.




18. AVENGERS – ENDGAME (2019)



There is no doubt that Marvel has owned the box office and the collective consciousness of movie fans for the better part of the millennium. Their epic conclusion to their 11-year series wrapped up plots from over 20 movies with nearly a hundred characters, and sent audiences staggering and weeping out the door. An unprecedented achievement in all of cinema. 




17. THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE TWO TOWERS (2002)



Peter Jacksons’ second film in his Oscar-winning THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy/adaptation has the disadvantage of not having its own beginning and ending, but it survives by having some of the most epic battle scenes in cinema history, eye-popping visuals and special effects, and a constant focus on character. 




16. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)



David Fincher arguably is the most successful director of the millennium, with critical and commercial hits such as ZODIAC (2005), THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008), THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011), and GONE GIRL (2014)…and then he took his talent to upstart studio Netflix for their HOUSE OF CARDS series…which suddenly gave legitimacy to streaming services. Fincher’s best out of this era is THE SOCIAL NETWORK, which was scoffed at upon initial announcement, as the subject matter of the founding of Facebook seemed thin. Fincher, along with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, found the heart and soul of it all, and turned it into a story of betrayal and broken friendships…the kind of Greek tragedy story that always works. 




15. THE DEPARTED (2006)



Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winner about a crooked cop and the undercover looking to out him was a thrilling, cat-and-mouse game which brought out career-best performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. Bloody, fun, with perfectly executed building of tension, THE DEPARTED has all of Scorsese’s trademarks made anew. 



14. THE MASTER (2011)



Paul Thomas Anderson pulled outstanding performances from Joaquin Phoenix and the late great Phillip Seymour Hoffman in this introspective look at a lost man not knowing what to do with himself after coming home from WWII. Structured to mirror the relationship between a canine and his master, the film works as one long metaphor, and reveals more and more with each viewing. Deep and layered and brilliant. 



13. GANGS OF NEW YORK (2005)



Martin Scorsese has spent so much celluloid on organized crime, that it would only make sense for him to go back to where it all began. His Civil War-era tale of revenge in a savage New York City had terrific production design and outstanding performances from Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio. A strong slice of American history that works on a grand and intimate scale. 



12. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (2011)



In an age where spy films are headlined by young baby-faces with noisy CGI everywhere, this adaptation of the famed spy novel by John le Carre was a unique entry into the genre; where fistfights and car chases are replaced by the maturity, patience, and thinking-power of seasoned spies. It works with layer upon layer of mystery, and Gary Oldman re-establishes himself as one of this generation’s finest actors. 



11. THE LORD OF THE RINGS – THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)



At the time, it was one of the riskiest endeavors ever taken on by a major studio; to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive fantasy from the page to the big screen. Often deemed unfilmable, the first entry to the trilogy succeeded on dazzling visuals, breathtaking locations, and a whole lot of heart and emotion. Director Peter Jackson assembled a perfect cast, and his screenwriting partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens did outstanding work in adapting the original text for the screen that was concise and faithful. An Oscar-contender and box office monster, FELLOWSHIP re-wrote the book on blockbuster filmmaking. 

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Read the Top 10 HERE







Wednesday, January 15, 2020

A Reel Opinion: The Best & Worst Films of 2019, Part 2



2019 will go down in the history books as the year Disney dominated the box office. The house that Walt built seemed to be the only studio that could make solid crowd pleasers that families could enjoy, please critics, and get people into the theatre seats consistently. Disney made eight of the top 10 earners of the year; an astounding feat…with six of their releases all earning a billion dollars each. Unprecedented and most impressive. 

The rival studios rushed to spit out clones of what works for Disney, mostly at the sacrifice of quality…but there were some successes outside of the Mouse House. Clint Eastwood made his best film in years with RICHARD JEWELL, and James Mangold fired on all cylinders with FORD V. FERRARI. It was a good year for horror, with Jordan Peele’s US and Ari Aster’s MIDSOMMAR shocking audiences. Musical legends were paid tribute in two very different films, with YESTERDAYS showing the impact The Beatles had on the world, and BLINDED BY THE LIGHT exploring how the tunes of Bruce Springsteen changed the life of one man. And the FAST & FURIOUS franchise showed no signs of slowing down with a healthy box office.

Box office dollars are fun to discuss, but it all comes down to what we see on the screen. Reel Speak’s Part 1 of the Best and Worst of 2019 re-capped the failures (HERE), and Part 2 will now stack and rank the successes. 





10. JOKER



Todd Phillips’ film about the origins of the famed Batman villain may have been derivative of some classic films that focused on outsiders, but that does not diminish its impact. Powered by an astonishing performance by Joaquin Phoenix, JOKER toes the line between a spiritual journey and a descent into madness which ignited discussions about mental illness. Winner of the famed Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, an unexpected billion dollars at the box office, and a cultural smash that has everyone talking…not to mention mimicking his now famous dance down a stairway.



9. PARASITE



South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s impactful suspense drama about class division hits hard and resonates deeply. Its suspenseful scenes are some of the best we’ve ever seen in cinema, its messages are clear and meaningful, and is full of surprises with an un-ending, un-nerving atmosphere. 



8. KNIVES OUT



Rian Johnson re-invents the whodunit genre. Told through different perspectives of family members who are all suspects in the death of their father, Johnson takes us through many twists and turns and keeps us all guessing right up to the end. The ensemble cast is excellent, especially Ana de Armas, who also gets the privilege of being in the one of the best closing shots of the year. 



7. LITTLE WOMEN



The umpteenth version of the famed book is given a fresh angle that is welcoming and intriguing. By re-structuring the story in a non-linear style, director Greta Gerwig makes LITTLE WOMEN, an old tale done many, many times, interesting and gripping. It’s a brave and bold move that could have been a disaster if not for some excellent editing. The stellar cast of Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, and Laura Dern make it soar from start to finish. 



6. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER



The 9th and final episode of the Skywalker family saga, which began way back in 1977, brings back an old foe to be faced down by new heroes. Director J.J. Abrams puts the petal to the metal in this episode, which races from planet to planet and battle to battle in an exhilarating ride…which still finds time to reveal many secrets and let its excellent cast of Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega sizzle on the screen. The finale is a proper wrap to the series, bringing us back to the beginning with an emotional landing. And most of all, it reminded us of what STAR WARS is really supposed to be: fun. 



5. THE IRISHMAN



Martin Scorsese returns to the genre that he made famous for more than one generation; real-life gangsters. This time he tells the true story of hitman Frank Sheeran, who may or may not have whacked union-man Jimmy Hoffa. Scorsese and his old friends Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino have crafted a gangster flick for an older generation; requiring seasoned patience and understanding. A hulk of a film that covers a large slice of American history and the little-men who rebelled against the working society of the time. Essential viewing for fans of true crime stories. 



4. THE LIGHTHOUSE



Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe play lighthouse keepers whose stay lasts longer than it is supposed to…which tests their resources and their sanity. Filmed in glorious black-and-white and edited in a way that gets under our skin and stays there, director Robert Eggers gives us a thriller that is impossible to turn away from, and the question of what was real and what wasn’t will have audiences debating for years. Shocking and stunning in every way. 



3. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD



Quentin Tarantino’s fairy tale, which takes place in his beloved Hollywood of old, gives the late actress Sharon Tate the happy ending she deserves and a fresh identity for a new generation; a living breathing person full of talent as opposed to just a footnote in the history of a mass murderer. Along with that, it takes a close look at fame and what its stars do when that fame begins to fade. The inspired cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie help to make this one of the most enjoyable stories of 2019. 



2. AVENGERS: ENDGAME



The film that became the all-time box office champion while sending audiences out the door an emotional wreck. Marvel’s epic roller-coaster ride served as a wrap to the Infinity Saga that they started back in 2008, which covered over 20 films and thousands of characters…all of which are paid tribute in this monster of a film. It had everyone reaching for the tissues, while still rousing people out of their seats with some of the best crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping, whoop-and-holler-worthy moments we’ve ever seen in blockbuster filmmaking. Beloved comic characters, who are now elevated even higher in pop culture, are given a final farewell and proper closure that no one can forget. This is the very definition of epic. 



1. 1917



Also epic is Sam Mendes’ WWI film about two soldiers on an impossible mission. Shot and cut to look like one continuous take, 1917 is a visual miracle; dropping audiences right into the middle of the action and keeping us there. It has a perfect balance of large-scale war and intimacy with its characters, and the amount of suspense is breathtaking. Mendes based the film on stories that his grandfather had told him, which makes this a labor of love for him and it shows…as it works as a great war film and a tribute to the men who fought and died. Emotional, brutal, and beautiful…1917 has the perfect balance of the most important elements in filmmaking. As all great films should.  

REEL SPEAK'S BEST FILMS OF 2019
  1. 1917
  2. AVENGERS: ENDGAME
  3. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
  4. THE LIGHTHOUSE
  5. THE IRISHMAN
  6. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
  7. LITTLE WOMEN
  8. KNIVES OUT
  9. PARASITE
  10. JOKER


Tuesday, January 14, 2020

A Reel Opinion: The Best & Worst Films of 2019, Part 1



Filmmaking is a hard job. With so many hands in the soup it’s a miracle any film makes it to the big screen, and thousands of people work their best (we hope) to make that miracle happen. Careers and livelihoods depend on that work, and any effort on the big screen deserves credit. But those efforts can still range from good, glorious, and bad…and this first part of Reel Speak’s annual Best & Worst blog will take a look at the worst of 2019; the movies that should have been better than what we got. 

As with every year, the worst of 2019 was saying goodbye to celebrated actresses, actors, and filmmakers. In this past year we said farewell and adieu to Albert Finney, Michael J. Pollard, Rutger Hauer, Doris Day, Sid Haig, Danny Aiello, John Witherspoon, Rip Torn, Tim Conway, Peter Mayhew, Sue Lyon, Robert Forster, Freddie Jones, Jan Michael Vincent, Carol Channing, Diahann Carroll, and director John Singleton. 

Back on the screen, the domestic box office was down 4% from the previous year, but still finished as the second biggest in history (figure that one out). Disney seemed to be the only studio capable of making a blockbuster that worked with critics, audiences, and ticket sales, with the house that Walt built owning eight (!) of the top 10 earners. But before we start screaming “monopoly” at Disney, it’s fair to point out that competing studios such as Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros. had more than one chance to cut into that top 10, and they blew it with their half-ass movies. 

And speaking of half-ass movies, here we go with the Worst Films of 2019…



10. TOY STORY 4



This may come as a shock, as Reel Speak gave this a recommendation back in June, but the longer this Blogger thinks about the way Pixar ended things with Woody and Buzz and their beloved gang, the worse it gets. Back in 2010, the most-excellent TOY STORY 3 ended things perfectly for the gang of toys and their owner Andy, so another sequel really needed to justify its existence. Their answer was to break up the gang for good, and send our hero Woody into the land of lost toys. This was a move that went against everything our good sheriff had been believing in for years, and exactly what Andy didn’t want to happen to the toys he loved. It’s a shame as the film was a delight before it ended stupidly. Long-time Pixar fans would be better off ending their marathons at TOY STORY 3. 


9. X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX



Fox’s final film before losing control of the once famed X-MEN franchise went out with a whimper. The film went through a lot of turmoil behind the scenes, including late re-shoots and it showed. Character drama was thin, the action sequences were boring (a sin for a superhero movie), and the editing was a chop-job…making it obvious that most of the cast was not on the set at the same time. One big ball of blah. 


8. GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS



The newest film in the “rejuvenated” GODZILLA franchise had one of the laziest screenplays of the year, which had scene after scene of one single character being the only person who knew how to solve a crisis. It was lazy and uninspired, and basically sank what was promised to be a return to form for GODZILLA. The film was overloaded with too many characters, and the battles between the monsters once again took place in the dark; cheating audiences of seeing what they came for. 


7. CHILD’S PLAY



This reboot of the 30-year-old slasher-doll series had some neat ideas on how to update Chucky for this new, technology-heavy era, but it all came down to one problem: it wasn’t scary. At all. Not one bit. And for a horror movie, that is a serious problem and the only problem. 


6. HELLBOY



Audiences rejected this reboot of the popular comic character mostly on principle; as it was ignoring and wiping out the two beloved films by Guillermo del Toro (2004 and 2008). Those who stayed home were the smart ones, as the ones who did show up were witness to an over-complicated plot with a redundant structure of talk-talk-talk and fight-fight-fight. Many scenes are pointless, characters act without explanation, and the things that do get explained are contradicted within minutes. A complete unholy mess. 


5. GEMINI MAN



Oscar winning director Ang Lee helmed this oddball with a CGI version of Will Smith, which only looked good when the thing was in a dark room. Once the lights were on, ugh. Visual effects aside, this film was sunk by a lazy script; every crisis that the characters found themselves in was resolved by a phone call. No stakes, no tension, no drama…no nothing. 


4. MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL



Speaking of Will Smith, the popular actor was wise to steer clear of this soft reboot of the alien-battling franchise that he started over 20 years ago. Set in the same continuity of the Smith-verse, this MIB adventure suffered from an undefined script; it lacked a stepping-off point where the story actually began, and it meandered from scene to scene looking for something to do. The jokes landed with a thud, the action sequences dull, CGI terrible, a late twist that makes no sense, and despite being an extended sequel…contradicts what was established in the first film. 


3. TERMINATOR: DARK FATE



A lot of promises were made going into this much-hyped TERMINATOR sequel, which had series creator James Cameron returning as a producer. They told us it would right the ship (it didn’t), and as a direct sequel to TERMINATOR 2 (1991) and ignoring all the other sequels, that the franchise would take a new direction (it didn’t). Instead, it wound up in the same place the third film finished at. On its own, DARK FATE had lousy CGI, and despite wanting to establish new continuity, borrows (steals) elements from every single TERMINATOR film ever made. Lazy, un-inspired, and very stupid. This and the new Rambo film, LAST BLOOD, are prime examples of 30-year-old franchises that just need to end. 


2. CATS



The most bizarre, nightmare-inducing film of the year if not the decade. Celebrated director Tom Hooper helmed this adaptation of the loved-and-hated Broadway play which did not resemble a movie at all. It had no story structure whatsoever and merely went from song to song going nowhere. The CGI was not only bad but grotesque (dancing cockroaches with children’s faces, for starters), and the design of the cats was inconsistent and made no sense. A loaded litter box doesn’t stink as much as this movie. 


1. THE KITCHEN



Actress Melissa McCarthy is carving a career very similar to Adam Sandler; for every good movie she makes (BRIDESMAIDS, ST. VINCENT), she follows it up with a giant turd (GHOSTBUSTERS, HAPPYTIME MURDERS)…and now we can add THE KITCHEN to that list. Based on the Vertigo comic book series, the half-ass script jumps from one place to another too quickly, and is overloaded with F-bombs trying to sound tough. Characters are inconsistent as they say one thing and do another, and they are developed as lousy people with little context so it is impossible to care about them. Editing is choppy, and characters treat the audience like idiots by blurting out what they’re about to do every five seconds. A late twist is seen coming a mile away, and the ending is dumber than the whole of the movie. No movie summed up the laziness and dysfunction of 2019’s Worst than THE KITCHEN. 

REEL SPEAK'S WORST FILMS OF 2019

  1. THE KITCHEN
  2. CATS
  3. TERMINATOR: DARK FATE
  4. MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL 
  5. GEMINI MAN
  6. HELLBOY
  7. CHILD'S PLAY
  8. GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS
  9. X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX
  10. TOY STORY 4
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Read Reel Speak's Best of 2019 HERE