A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2022 - Episode XII

The final month of the year has arrived, and 2022 is possibly saving the best for last. Here now are the notable theatrical releases for the packed month of December…

 

 

 

EMANCIPATION – Will Smith runs back into the spotlight, this time playing a runaway slave in 1863. Ben Foster co-stars, and Antoine Fuqua (THE EQUALIZER), directs. 

 

 

EMPIRE OF LIGHT – Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (1917, SKYFALL), helms this love story taking place around an English movie theatre in the 1980’s. It stars Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, and Michael Ward. 

 

 

THE WHALE – Brendan Fraser (THE MUMMY), returns to big-time cinema by playing a severely overweight man trying to re-connect with his daughter. Darren Aronofsky (BLACK SWAN), directs. 

 

 

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – James Cameron returns with his long-overdue sequel to his 2009 Oscar-winner and all-time box office champion, AVATAR. Set a decade after the events of the first film, THE WAY OF WATER follows the Sully family as they face a new threat to their planet. It stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Stephen Lang. 

 

 

BABYLON – Oscar-darling director Damien Chazelle (LA LA LAND, FIRST MAN, WHIPLASH), brings us this comedy-drama taking place in 1920’s Hollywood. The ensemble cast includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde, Katherine Waterston, Flea, and Eric Roberts. 

 

 

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY – Naomi Ackie plays the late great singer Whitney Houston in this biopic. Stanley Tucci co-stars, and it is directed by Kasi Lemmons (HARRIET). 

 

 

A MAN CALLED OTTO – Tom Hanks takes a shot at playing a grumpy old man in this dark comedy about a widowed man looking to commit suicide, only to have his efforts interrupted by new neighbors. Marc Forster (MONSTER’S BALL, FINDING NEVERLAND), directs. 

 

 

THE PALE BLUE EYE – Scott Cooper (CRAZY HEART), directs this gothic mystery about a veteran detective investigating murders at the U.S. Military Academy in 1830. The cast includes Christian Bale, Gillian Anderson, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, and Robert Duvall.

 

 

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH – This spin-off to the long-dormant SHREK franchise has Antonio Banderas reprising his role as the swashbuckling Puss-in-Boots. The voiceover cast includes Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, and Olivia Colman. 

 

 

VIOLENT NIGHT – David Harbour (TV’s STRANGER THINGS), plays Santa Claus as he battles mercenaries who attacked the estate of a wealthy family. 

 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the first month of 2023. 

A Reel Review - GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

In 2019, writer and director Rian Johnson delighted the world with his whodunit mystery KNIVES OUT, which also introduced James Bond actor Daniel Craig as master detective Benoit Blanc. Here in 2022, Blanc returns for yet another case, this time in GLASS ONION. 

 

Blanc (Craig), is invited to the remote island home of billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who has invited his old friends and business partners (Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, and Madelyn Cline), for a weekend highlighted by a murder-mystery game. 

 

Once again written and directed by Rian Johnson, GLASS ONION is a fun, twisting and turning mystery that never goes exactly where we expect it. Inspired by the great mystery writers such as Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, GLASS ONION never once has a scene that isn’t raising questions or keeping us guessing. The spark of it all is Miles, who has a long and sometimes troubled past with his group of invitees, which range from estranged business partners, co-workers, social media stars, supermodels, and personal assistants. The intricate game he has set up eventually goes awry, which turns everyone on the remote island a suspect, as they all have a motive and opportunity. 

 

While Johnson is keeping us guessing with unexpected events and whopper twists, he is also lampooning current society, taking shots at social media clowns, CEO’s who are actually morons, right down to the lengths that a human being would stoop down to in order to keep their status right where it is. It’s done in a clever manner that is never preachy and doesn’t derail the mystery at hand. Johnson, never one to let the audience get ahead of him, even draws attention to the obvious metaphor of the film’s title; letting us know that the characters are well aware of the layers of mystery being peeled back one piece at a time. 

 

Filmed on location in an actual Greek island, GLASS ONION looks gorgeous. Pacing is brisk despite long monologues and extended flashbacks, and the run time of 139 minutes flies by. Despite bad things happening the film is very funny, and every cast member seems like they are having a blast. 

 

Daniel Craig once again shines as Blanc. He’s a delight, and the character isn’t drawn as invincible but certainly formidable. Dave Bautista is a blast, and the show is nearly stolen by Janelle Monae. 

 

GLASS ONION may not earn a cultural status like its predecessor did, as the concept is no longer new for audiences, but as a film it shines brighter than KNIVES OUT, and makes us hope that Johnson and Craig will send Blanc on many more adventures. This is one onion worth cutting into. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Review: MONSTER-MANIA

Horror movies are not for everyone. Not everybody likes to watch a movie with blood and guts, scary guys, creatures from the deep, or the terrifying strange and unusual. The genre has a way of segregating movie fans, but at the same time has produced some of the greatest films of all time, such as JAWS, HALLOWEEN, and THE EXORCIST…to name just a few. But even if only two out of ten people love the horror, the genre has built more than a legion of fans to earn its own place on the convention circuit, and this past weekend (November 11-13), this Blogger was pleased to attend Monster-Mania Con; the semi-annual Philadelphia Horror Film & Memorabilia Convention. 

 

Officially labeled as Monster-Mania 52 (their 52^nd convention, as they host this event across other venues across the east coast), the convention was a showcase for all things creepy and kooky. The vendor floor was packed with vendors selling their scary goods; from good old fashioned masks, autographed memorabilia, comics, action figures, to home-made items ranging from art-prints, clothing, glassware, candles, and even food items like horror-themed hot sauces. Not unlike SPACEBALLS, there was an item for every major scary movie. There was HALLOWEEN the Wine Glass, JAWS the Action Figures, BETELGEUSE the knee-socks, and HELLRAISER the T-Shirt…just to name a few. Also on hand for purchase were vintage horror action figures going back to the seventies, along with the modern Lego’s and Funko’s. 

 

The biggest draw of the event was the guest list. Leading the way was Robert Englund, who originated the role of Freddy Krueger in the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series. Englund was joined by co-star Heather Langenkamp, along with several cast members from the third entry in the franchise, DREAM WARRIORS. Other guests included Corey Taylor from horror-rock group Slipknot, David Morrissey from TV’S THE WALKING DEAD, along with cast-members from MONSTER SQUAD and TERRIFIER. 

 

This Blogger took advantage of the guest list to meet three icons from horror. The first was Tyler Mane. Mane is most famous for playing Sabertooth in X-MEN, and also donned the mask of Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN from 2007. Mane was a cool cat, and comes off as one of those guys you just want to have a beer with and chat movies. 

 

Next up was the delightful Danielle Harris. Harris earned her reputation as one of the best child actors ever after her role in HALLOWEEN 4 and again in HALLOWEEN 5. She played a different character in Zombie’s HALLOWEEN, and has also appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. She is also the co-host of the Talk Scary to Me podcast (with her HALLOWEEN co-star Scout Taylor-Compton). Harris was also very cool, and despite the long lines behind us, took all the time in the world to chat. 

 

Last but certainly not least was Susan Backlinie, who famously played Chrissie, the very first victim in Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. As the very first swimmer to meet the shark, it was Backlinie’ horrific screams that scared audiences out of the water for decades. Backlinie was also a delight, and also made sure you felt welcome. 

 

Despite the horror theme, Monster-Mania still worked as a family event. While there were not many kids being towed around, there was nothing about the event that would earn an R-rating. Everything for big-screen horror was there; from Freddy to Michael to Gomez & Morticia. It was scary, but fun…and offered something for everyone.

A Reel Review - BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

WAKANDA FOREVER, the sequel to the 2018 smash-hit and Oscar winner BLACK PANTHER, and the 30^th (!) film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is a film with a massive hole to fill. In 2020, rising star and new cultural icon Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer, leaving the MCU and its fans with one less hero. For Marvel Studios and director Ryan Coogler (who also helmed BLACK PANTHER), the task is nearly too big to overcome. 

 

A year after the passing of King T’Challa, the country of Wakanda, which is the source of the energy-absorbing element Vibranium, is under threat. Countries of the world are seeking the power, as is a new threat from under sea…led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Without their king, the defense of Wakanda is left to Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and Shuri (Letitia Wright), who is still in mourning. 

 

In broad strokes, WAKANDA FOREVER is perfectly balanced. It plays out on a world-wide scale while staying intimate with the grief of the characters. While the world battles for Vibranium, Ramonda and Shuri battle with their emotions and the future; who will protect and lead their beloved country during a time when everything seems to be coming down on top of them? By far, it’s the heaviest-feeling MCU film to date. 

 

For the first time, we have an MCU film that feels overburdened with universe-building. Marvel knows it’s fans and what they expect, and setting up a larger universe has been part of the game since IRON MAN first took flight way back in 2008. This time, it feels like too much. Namor and his underwater army and kingdom gets a ton of backstory and mythology (unavoidable, it’s fine), and he plays out not so much a villain as a man trying for the betterment of his people. Other elements, such a genius college student (a wonderful Dominique Thorne), and CIA fuckery (led by Martin Freeman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus), feel like they could have been left on the cutting-room floor and are just a distraction every time they have a scene. 

 

Coogler is playing with themes of grief and colonization, and pulls them off very well. The storyline of big white countries wanting the shiny objects from colored countries resonates not just in modern optics but throughout history. The film is at its strongest when it is focusing on characters dealing with their grief; T’Challa’s absence hangs over those scenes and it can be felt like a weighted blanket. Masterfully done. The action scenes are staged and executed very well, the film looks amazing, and Ludwig Goranssoon’s score is excellent. 

 

Also excellent is the acting. Angela Bassett dominates every scene, and Letitia Wright carries the emotional heft very well. Tenoch Huerta has a commanding screen presence. Martin Freeman is his usual charming self but he exists to just provide information dumps, and where his character winds up at the end is just weird. 

 

Despite its bumps, WAKANDA FOREVER does find a way to offer a satisfying and emotional closure by way of a mid-credits scene (slight spoiler: nothing at the end), that wraps the film and secures the future of the Black Panther in a tear-jerking wallop. It makes up for the overstuffed feel and sends us out the door feeling all right. WAKANDA FOREVER is a unique film in the MCU, and is needed to be seen for some sense of closure…even if the attempts to fill those holes don’t always stick…which is exactly how grief works. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

A Reel 20: HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

 

“Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts this year…”

 

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. 

 

Directed by Chris Columbus and the second film in the HARRY POTTER film franchise, and based on the second book in the series by J.K. Rowling, CHAMBER OF SECRETS followed Harry Potter and his friends in their second year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as they try to solve the mystery of a chamber that has been opened on school grounds, releasing a monster that petrifies students. 

 

Filming for CHAMBER OF SECRETS began only three days after the release of the first film, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE in 2001. The returning cast included Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, along with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as his best friends. Kenneth Branagh would join the cast as a new professor. Other returning cast members included Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Julie Walters, and Tom Felon…among others. Richard Harris would reprise his role as Professor Dumbledore for the final time. John Williams would return to provide the score. 

 

Upon release, CHAMBER OF SECRETS would be a critical and commercial hit. It would finish as the second-highest grossing film of 2002, behind THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS. It would be nominated for several awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design, Sound, and Visual Effects. 

 

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Twenty years after release, CHAMBER OF SECRETS is often regarded as one of the lower-tier entries into the franchise, with its long running time (161 minutes, longest in the series), and dated visual effects (some early CGI was cartoonishly bad). But with its darker atmosphere and eerie sequences involving giant spiders and a diary that talks back…it set a tone for what was to come in the movies ahead. Long-term, it has that back-to-school vibe going on, along with holiday elements (Halloween and Christmas), which makes it perfect fall and holiday viewing. It also introduced elements that would become iconic in HARRY POTTER lore, including a flying car, the Whomping Willow, the Sword of Gryffindor, Dobby the elf, Fawkes the phoenix, and other hints and places that would pay off years later. As the film that would be the last of Harry and his friends as true children, it would be the bridge that would send them into the more serious world of adulthood and into darker days…

 

“Funny, the damage a silly little book can do…”

A Reel Opinion: Superman Returns and Beyond

Superhero movies tend to hijack all the cinematic headlines these days, and in the last couple of weeks, the most super of them all landed when actor Henry Cavill announced he would be returning to the role of Superman in an as-yet untitled and un-dated film. The announcement came just after Cavill’s return to the cape in a short cameo in BLACK ADAM (read Reel Speak’s review HERE), and his first flight in full since JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017), and the JUSTICE LEAGUE mulligan from 2021. Cavill first took flight as Superman in MAN OF STEEL (2013), and faced off against The Bat in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016). 

 

The news brought a lot of grins to fans, and those grins grew even wider when Cavill stated that the character would be an “enormously joyful Superman”, which would finally be a return to the roots of the character. Since the character first debuted in 1938, Superman has been the gold standard for all superheroes; to inspire, to be the symbol of good, and always be a beacon of hope. This was embraced in TV shows and taken to even greater heights in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978), with Christopher Reeve in the cape; a film that set a standard for comic book films that still stands today. 

 

Those Superman roots were obliterated in Cavill’s first outing as the character in Zack Snyder’s MAN OF STEEL, which portrayed him as a miserable, moping, slog. It wasn’t just a departure from the comic roots, but it made for a main character that no one could find a reason to care about, cheer for, or overcome. The film would end with Superman murdering his nemesis, which was a shocking move that fans still debate today. The question of Superman murdering was one thing, but the bigger issue was that it was un-earned and meant little; for the whole movie Supes was unhappy about everything…and after the kill he had even more reason to be unhappy. All this was compounded in DAWN OF JUSTICE, and even though the first version of JUSTICE LEAGUE cheered his sourpuss up a little bit, that was quickly erased in the second version of the film four years later. 

 

Today, with the apparent effort to take Supes back to his roots, the stage is set for DC Comics and parent studio Warner Bros. to finally make strides in the superhero cinematic war; a war that DC has been losing to Marvel in a rout that has never been close in the last 14 years. Superman from the get-go has been the ultimate superhero, and deserves such a presence on the big screen. With rival Marvel now moved on to lower-tier characters, the opportunity is there to make Superman super again. And as he should be for fans: hope. 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2022 - Episode XI

The cool, glorious winds of Autumn are in full gust, with this month bringing in Oscar contenders, the return of a legendary director, and a final farewell to a hero. Here now is a preview of what will be falling into theatres for the month of November…

 

 

THE WONDER – This Netflix production will have a two-week cinema run before going to streaming. Florence Pugh plays a nurse in 1862 Ireland, sent to look after a young girl who has not eaten in months. 

 

 

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – The 30^th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), serving as a sequel to the mega-hit BLACK PANTHER from 2018. With the late great Chadwick Boseman now gone, WAKANDA FOREVER picks up the pieces of their former king’s reign while facing a new threat. Ryan Coogler, who directed the first film and the CREED films, returns to direct. The cast includes Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Martin Freeman. 

 

 

BONES AND ALL – A coming-of-age romantic cannibal film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, who brought us CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017). Timothee Chalmet (DUNE), and Taylor Russell play cannibalistic lovers who travel across Reagan-era America. 

 

 

SHE SAID – The true story of the journalistic work that exposed the story of Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes. It stars Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, and Ashley Judd. 

 

 

 

THE MENU – In this black comedy, a young couple travels to an exclusive restaurant where the chef takes his menu items very seriously. It stars Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Ralph Fiennes. 

 

 

DEVOTION – A true story based on the heroics of two Korean war fighter pilots. It stars Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell. 

 

 

THE FABELMANS – Steven Spielberg returns with this coming-of-age drama that is loosely based on his own childhood. Michele Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch lead the way. 

 

 

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY – Rain Johnson returns to direct this sequel to his 2019 whodunit smash hit. The cast includes Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, and Dave Bautista. 

 

 

STRANGE WORLD – Walt Disney Animation Studios brings us this adventure about a family exploring a strange planet. The voice cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid. 

 

 

WHITE NOISE – A college professor deals with a cataclysmic event in his small hometown. It is directed by Noah Baumbach, director of MARRIAGE STORY from 2019. The cast includes Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle. 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the final month of the year.