A Reel 60: MARY POPPINS

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" 

This week marks the 60^th anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures’ MARY POPPINS. 

 

Often considered to be Walt Disney Pictures’ crowning live-action achievement, MARY POPPINS was directed by Robert Stevenson and based on the books by P.L. Travers. It told the tale of a magical nanny who visits a dysfunctional London family and uses her unique style to bring them together. 

 

The film was mostly based on the first book in Travers’ series, which was a favorite of the daughters of Walt Disney. Disney attempted to buy the rights to the books as far back as 1938, but was refused by Travers. He would finally succeed in 1961, with Travers holding script-approval rights. The relationship between Travers and Disney was rocky at first, but would improve throughout the production. 

 

By March of 1961 casting had begun. The role of Mary Poppins would go to Julie Andrews, who would be appearing in her first feature film. The rest of the cast would include Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotice, Matthew Garber, Elsa Lanchester, and Ed Wynn. Filming would take place from May to September of 1963, with post-production and animation work taking another 11 months. A sequence involving Andrews and Van Dyke dancing with animated penguins would use new techniques combining live-action and animation. The music and lyrics would be composed by brothers Richard Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. 

 

MARY POPPINS would have its premiere on August 27, 1964, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles ahead of its September wide-release date. It would receive universal acclaim from critics, and would finish as the highest-grossing film of the year. At the 37^th Academy Awards, it would receive 13 nominations, a record for any Disney film. It would win five; Best Actress for Julie Andrews, along with Best Film Editing, Original Music Score, Visual Effects, and Original Song (Chim Chim Cher-ee). It would be the only Walt Disney film to earn a Best Picture nomination in his lifetime. In 2013, it was selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry. A biographical drama on the making of the film, SAVING MR. BANKS, was released in 2013. A sequel, MARY POPPINS RETURNS, arrived in 2018. 

 

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After 60 years, MARY POPPINS has become so embedded in our culture that it is difficult to imagine a world without her. Glances at chimneys spark visions of dancing chimneysweeps, cherry blossom trees remind us of the Banks’ beautiful and charming Cherry Tree Lane, and moms across the world will say “spit-spot” in an attempt to keep their kids moving along…and sometimes while mimicking Julie Andrews’ razor-sharp delivery. Even for those who have barely watched the film, there is a little bit of MARY POPPINS in everyone. 

 

In 1964, MARY POPPINS brought Walt Disney Pictures back into relevance after a string of box office troubles. Since then, the character has become as big of a part of Disney as Cinderella’s castle. The film represents everything that Disney would master so well; family films that are fun, serious, important…and even magical. 

 

“…Practically perfect, in every way.”

 

 

A Reel 10: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

“I am going to die surrounded by the 

biggest idiots in the galaxy…”

 

This month marks the 10^th anniversary of Marvel Studios’ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. 

 

Directed by James Gunn and serving as the 10^th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY followed the adventure of a team of galactic misfits; Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), who team up to prevent a hostile force from acquiring a devastating weapon. 

 

Development of GUARDIANS was announced by Marvel producer Kevin Feige at the San Diego Comic Con in 2012. Marvel would be adapting the comic title as a way of expanding its vast cosmic universe, which had been hinted at in their previous films (AVENGERS and THOR). Nicole Perlman was initially hired to write the script, which was later taken over by James Gunn when he was hired as director. 

 

In addition to the principal cast, GUARDIANS would assemble an ensemble supporting cast; Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillian, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Benicio del Toro, and Glenn Close. The film also had cameos by Josh Brolin as Thanos, along with Alexis Denisof as Thanos’ vizier, “The Other”. Filming began in July of 2013 and would complete in October. Tyler Bates would provide the score, and the soundtrack would be packed with pop hits from the 1970’s and 1980’s. 

 

On release, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY would be met with high acclaim from critics and fans. It would finish as the third-highest grossing film of the year. At the 87^th Academy Awards, it would be nominated for Best Visual Effects and Makeup & Hairstyling. It would spawn two sequels, and the primary cast would appear in future Marvel films. 

 

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In the Spring of 2014, this Blogger attended Wizard World Philadelphia. At that glorious convention and celebration of all things cool, there was a panel with future star Dave Bautista. Since this was a few months before GUARDIANS would be sprung upon an unexpecting world, the full auditorium didn’t quite know what to make, or to expect of Dave or his upcoming movie that would make him and his co-stars…stars. After all, the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY were far from household names in the superhero business…but when the dust settled a few months later, the world had changed. 

 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY was a fun, and delightful romp that set a new tone for superhero films. Humor played a central role, and the rapid-fire, endless wit and jokes had audiences sitting there with a big dumb grin on their faces from start to finish. And despite the yuks, the film had a ton of heart. The soundtrack influence, filled with classics of the 1970’s and 1980’s, became a cultural phenomenon. The characters clicked with audiences, became instant household names and cultural icons, and the MCU expanded into the far reaches of the galaxy in a blink. There were many turning points and milestones in the MCU in their first 11 years, and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY was the one that turned the hardest. 

 

 

“We are Groot…”

A Reel Review - ALIEN: ROMULUS

ALIEN: ROMULUS is the seventh film in its franchise, which began with the genre-breaking, closed-quarters horror flick ALIEN (1979), and continued with the action-packed sequel ALIENS (1986). Those were the glory days, because since then, it’s been an endless train wreck of sequels, prequels, and spin-offs…with bad movies, messy mythologies, and what-were-they-thinking stories. This time around, the franchise tries something new: the Interquel. 

 

Set 20 years after the events of ALIEN, and 17 years before the events of ALIENS, Rain (Cailee Spaeny), and her android Andy (David Jonsson), are recruited by their friends (Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu), to raid an abandoned space station to steal cryo-pods…which will enable them to escape to a better life. Once aboard, they are hunted and attacked by deadly…aliens. 

 

Directed by Fede Alvarez, ROMULUS goes back to the roots of what made ALIEN and ALIENS so great. Gone are the attempts at building mythologies or exploring god-concepts or humanity’s place in the universe, and back are the basic building blocks of closed-quarters horror, body-horror, gut-wrenching tension, and feelings of isolation and helplessness. Once the crew is aboard, they awaken the famed facehuggers which leads to the equally famed xenomorphs. The clock is ticking as the station is losing its orbit…and the race is on to survive the fall and being torn apart or cocooned. 

 

Showing no shame, ROMULUS borrows extensively from previous ALIEN films, recreating scenes, situations, and lines of dialogue. It’s almost like a greatest-hits package, but it does enough that it feels like its own thing. Director Fede Alvarez puts together some amazing set pieces, and with a combo of practical and CGI effects, we see the xenomorphs and the facehuggers in a whole new light; they are more terrifying than ever. 

 

Acting is excellent. Cailee Spaeny carries the film very well. David Jonsson is tremendous as the standard-issue android, who goes through his own personality changes in surprising ways. And speaking of surprises, an extended cameo by a franchise legacy character is handled very well and is a shocker. 

 

ROMULUS delivers everything that fans have been demanding from the franchise for many years, going back to basics and ticking the boxes on all the good stuff. The recycling of old moments could be considered lazy, but it does enough to make it feel fresh. As an interquel, it fits nicely between ALIEN and ALIENS, and even cleans up the mess that was left by the goddamn prequel movies. ROMULUS returns the franchise to its glory days. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

 

Reel Facts & Opinions: The Saga of the Phoenix

Oscar winning actor Joaquin Phoenix made headlines in Hollywood last week, for all the wrong reasons. Phoenix, who won his Academy Award for Best Actor for JOKER in 2019, abruptly and unexpectedly walked off the production of his next movie. The detective-noir film, directed by Todd Haynes (CAROL, MAY DECEMBER), was just five days away from starting filming when Phoenix exited. No reasons for his departure have been given, but as a result the film has been scrapped. 

 

The incident had immediate shockwaves that still haven’t settled. Crew members who have already put a lot of work into the project still have to be paid, and the production company (Killer Films) is already on the hook for the money…banked on a movie that won’t have a chance to earn. But in the long term, this could affect Phoenix. Buzz around town is that he may be un-insurable for future films, and that the members of the Academy just may snub him come Oscar season…in a season where Phoenix has a chance to make history. 

 

Phoenix won his Oscar for playing The Joker in JOKER, and this year he will be reprising the character in JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX. If he should be nominated, he would be joining an elite, yet small group of actors who have accomplished the same feat: Sylvester Stallone for playing Rocky Balboa in ROCKY (1976), and CREED (2015), Paul Newman for playing “Fast Eddie” Nelson in THE HUSTLER (1961), and THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986), Cate Blanchett for playing Queen Elizabeth I in ELIZABETH (1998), and ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007), Al Pacino for Michael Corleone in THE GODFATHER (1972), and THE GODFATHER PART II (1974), Peter O’Toole for King Henry in BECKET (1964), and THE LION IN WINTER (1968), and Bing Crosby for Father O’Malley in GOING MY WAY (1944), and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY’S (1945). 

 

Of that prestigious group, none won both of their nominations. With the JOKER sequel already gaining huge buzz, Phoenix could very well join this group and be the first to win for playing the same character twice. All this depends on how pissed off Hollywood stays at him. Hollywood is a small town, and sometimes they can have long memories. There have been plenty of actors and filmmakers who have been snubbed or even blacklisted over the years for their behavior, but there have also been instances where their memories are very short (self-exiled director Roman Polanski getting a Best Director win in 2002 for THE PIANIST). Phoenix could have had some very legit reasons for exiting the film, but in doing so he left a lot of money hanging out there. In a year where studios are struggling because of a light box office, messing with industry money is no joke. 

 

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JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX will be released October 4^th. 

The Oscar nominations will be announced January 17, 2025. 

A Reel Review: BORDERLANDS

For years, movies based on video games were stuck in the dark ages; no one could seem to crack the code to adapt them for the screen and it was flop after flop and bomb after bomb. Then things started to brighten, with hits such as SILENT HILL (2006), and perhaps a peak with THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023). This year, we turn to BORDERLANDS, the popular first-person shooter-looter set in a space western universe. 

 

Lilith (Cate Blanchett), is a bounty hunter who is hired by Atlas (Edgar Ramirez), to travel to the savage and lawless planet of Pandora to rescue his daughter Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), who holds the key to an ancient, hidden vault where the unlimited powers of a lost civilization are kept.

 

Directed by Eli Roth, BORDERLANDS moves into the familiar territory of a bunch of misfits coming together to achieve a common goal. Lilith teams up with Roland (Kevin Hart), a mercenary gone rogue, Krieg (Florian Munteanu), a muscular half-brain thug, Dr. Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), who has been searching for the Vault, and Claptrap (voiced by Jack Black), a wise-cracking robot. Together, they set out to find the vault before Atlas does, who wants the power to create weapons. 

 

What seems simple enough becomes convoluted and messy right quick. Plot holes are everywhere (they don’t want Atlas to find the vault, they know he’s tracking them, so they lead him right to it anyway), the world-building is lazy (the various groups are presented rapid-fire with no context or backstory), and every character is a thin cliché with zero development. There is nothing to care about and impossible to grasp who is doing what for why. 

 

Action sequences are dull and inspired, gunfire is redundant (and no one runs out of ammo), and the jokes land with a thud. Visual effects are very good and, in some places, it’s hard to tell what is CGI and what is practical. But like many lazy sci-fi movies, characters dress weird for absolutely no reason. 

 

Cate Blanchett is the standout amongst the cast, but like everyone else, has nothing of substance to work with. Ariana Greenblatt is excellent, and Jamie Lee Curtis seems to be sleepwalking. Kevin Hart is completely out of place as a rogue soldier; sometimes the funny guys should be allowed to be funny. Gina Gershon shows up as a madam and acts like a Looney Tunes character. 

 

Another big strike against BORDERLANDS is that it is horribly predictable. A supposed big twist towards the end is telegraphed early, and the big reveal is a snore. BORDERLANDS is so half-baked it feels like pieces of the movie are missing, or it was shot on a rough draft of the script…but no recut is going to save it (let’s not go there). This one sets the video game movie back into the dark ages. Maybe even the stone ages. Or the shit ages. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Fuck it 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Films of the 1950's

Over the past few years, This Blogger has done Top 10 lists exploring the best of selected decades, but the 1950’s had yet to get the treatment. It is a decade that is often overlooked; in fact, the last time anyone really talked about the era was a few years back when famed director Quentin Tarantino said that everyone was happy when it ended. When doing research for this blog, it was clear that QT was a little off base; the 1950’s were a fantastic decade for cinema. 

 

It was a period of change for America and Hollywood. The Second World War was long done but still close enough for plenty of films to be made about it, with one of the standouts being the iconic FROM HERE TO ETERNITY from 1953. The Space Race and the atomic age was in its early days, leading to fear and fascination and films such as THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1954), and GODZILLA (1954). Musicals were aplenty, and Westerns were still the bread and butter of movie theatres. The power in Hollywood was taken over by rising stars such as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe. Also rising were famed filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, John Ford, and Akira Kurosawa. And Disney made classics such as CINDERELLA (1950), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951), and the ageless PETER PAN (1953). It was a grand decade that would produce some of the best films in history, and here are the best ones that have stood the test of time and influenced the six decades that would come after: 

 

 

10. WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

 

Twelve years after directing the classic CASABLANCA (1942), Michael Curtiz made another classic which has become as common over the holidays as egg-nogg. Mega-star Bing Crosby leads the way with Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen in this charming musical that serves not only as a holiday story, but also explores the themes of deep friendship and loyalty from WWII veterans now at home, looking for something to do to fill in the gaps. As the first film to be released in VistaVision (a new widescreen process), it would change the way films would be presented. 

 

 

 

 

9. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956)

 

The great Cecil B. DeMille helmed this biblical epic based on the Book of Exodus. With stunning visual effects that even hold up against today’s CGI, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS became iconic thanks to its imagery, and towering performances from Charlton Heston and Yul Brenner. Arguably the best film ever made based on a biblical story, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS has traditionally been broadcast every Easter since 1973…and rightfully so. 

 

 

 

8. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)

 

No one in history has had a three-film run like David Lean, and it started with this epic that is consistently mentioned as one of the greatest war pictures of all time. Set in WWII, it centers around British POW’s who are tasked with building a bridge for the Japanese army. Simple on the surface, KWAI brilliantly gives solid human motivations for both sides, and offers several layers of internal battle; no character here is a defined hero or villain, and it’s one of those films that can be debated in classrooms and on barstools. Winner of seven Oscars including Best Picture…and would propel Lean to deliver his next two classics: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1962 and DOCTOR ZHIVAGO in 1965. 

 

 

7. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)

 

Another Best Picture winner (out of a whopping 12 nominations), which also gave Marlon Brando a Best Actor win. Brando would find his star in ascent in the 1950’s, with this crime drama and the excellent A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE from 1951. Either one of those films could have taken this spot, but WATERFRONT gets the nod as a statement of the times it was made in; Brando’s character testifying against old friends is a metaphor for the turmoil in Hollywood where writers and directors were being accused of being communists. 

 

 

 

 

 

6. 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)

 

One of the greatest legal dramas of all time. Sidney Lument helmed this story of a jury of 12 men deliberating a murder case which serves as a fascinating look at human dynamics. Mostly set in the jury room, the feelings of claustrophobia and tension hang over the film heavily, and themes of prejudice, class separation, and bringing personal issues into the jury room are explored. For a film that has little to no action, it is stunningly gripping. 

 

 

 

5. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)

 

Song and dance man Gene Kelly had a string of hits in this era, including the Best Picture winning AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951). With SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN he had his most iconic moment with his spin around a lamppost in a downpour, and the song itself has become core-memory even for those who have never even seen the film. Arguably the greatest of the technicolor musicals, it’s impossible to watch this one and not feel joy. 

 

 

 

4. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

 

The great Billy Wilder helmed this black comedy and noir about an aging movie star looking to make a return to the silver screen. Wonderfully shot and acted, SUNSET BOULEVARD strips away the glamor of Hollywood and exposes the actors who were chewed up and spit out…a trend that continues today. Another look at post-war America in an unexpected setting. 

 

 

 

3. THE SEARCHERS (1956)

 

John Ford defined the modern Western and made a star out of John Wayne, and with this epic about a Civil War veteran looking for his abducted niece, he re-wrote the book again. Ford spent several films looking at Native American treatment, and here he goes even deeper. What looks like a Western adventure is layered with themes of racism and moral quandaries. Wayne is joined by the gorgeous Natalie Wood and Jeffrey Hunter (the future Captain Pike from TV’s STAR TREK), and the film makes great use of the famed Monument Valley. Often considered to be one of the best Westerns of all time, there is a lot of modern cinema to be found in THE SEARCHERS.  

 

 

 

2. VERTIGO (1958)

 

The great Alfred Hitchcock had a loaded decade: DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954), REAR WINDOW (1954), and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959). But it was in 1958 where he delivered probably his best film. James Stewart plays a former cop turned P.I. who suffers from a fear of heights in this thriller, which also stars Kim Novak. This was the first film to utilize the dolly zoom; an in-camera effect that distorts perspective to create disorientation…and it is stunning even by today’s standards. The best part about it is Jimmy Stewart shedding his usual aw-shucks good guy for an icy performance that is one of his best. 

 

 

 

1. SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)

 

The great Akira Kurosawa, who would influence nearly every future filmmaker from George Lucas to Steven Spielberg to Stanley Kubrick, created this epic that has cast a long shadow over every adventure film made since 1954. Following the story of a village hiring samurai to defend themselves against bandits, SEVEN SAMURAI is so great that even its loose remakes have become their own classics, such as THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), and A BUG’S LIFE (1998). It's display of swordsmanship, action sequences, and team-ups of varying characters have set a template for modern blockbusters, and everything about it holds up today. Kurosawa had a philosophy in characters that no two people are alike, and that basis for drama makes SEVEN SAMURAI really tick, and stand tall in the 1950’s. 

 

 

 

 REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST FILMS OF THE 1950's

1. SEVEN SAMURAI
2. VERTIGO
3. THE SEARCHERS
4. SUNSET BOULEVARD
5. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
6. 12 ANGRY MEN
7. ON THE WATERFRONT
8. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
9. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
10. WHITE CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 

 

A Reel Review: TRAP

Ever since THE SIXTH SENSE (1999), the films of M. Night Shyamalan have been unfairly judged by the expected big twist ending. Even some of his best works, such as SIGNS (2002), and UNBREAKABLE (2000), are often considered letdowns because they didn’t repeat the SIXTH SENSE twist. It’s like judging your meal on the quality of the dessert alone. With his newest film, TRAP, M. Night once again asks us to consider the entire plate. 

 

Cooper (Josh Hartnett), is a serial killer who takes his young daughter (Ariel Donoghue), to a concert featuring her favorite performer, Lady Raven. Once at the venue, Cooper finds out that the entire concert was set up to catch him. 

 

TRAP starts right away with a disadvantage, as Cooper’s secret life as a serial killer is given away early in the film (or even months ago, in the trailers), so the film is left filling time with Cooper avoiding the law and keeping his secret from his daughter. It becomes a witty cat-and-mouse game, with Cooper sneaking around the bowels of the stadium and even weaseling his way into the backstage and making friends with Lady Raven. 

 

What should be a film loaded with tension just comes off as dull. The identity of Cooper being known means we are sitting around waiting for the other characters to catch up to what we already know. Some films can get away with this, but the energy just isn’t there. The film drags on from scenario to scenario with no sense of urgency. Worse, it is very straightforward with little surprises. It’s a bore. 

 

There is still some to enjoy here. Acting is excellent, and M. Night films a great looking movie. His camerawork is excellent, and the large crowd scenes and coordination is impressive. The idea of an entire concert put on to catch one guy seems silly on paper, but eventually makes sense. 

 

Josh Hartnett is outstanding, showing a troubled and twisted man. It’s one of his best works and the film is carried by him. Also standing out is young Ariel Donoghue, and Saleka Shyamalan (daughter of M. Night). 

 

The question everyone wants answered is, is there a twist ending? Sort of. It’s more of a light surprise in a film that is very light on surprises. The wrap-up feels like it takes forever, and for a movie that runs only 105 minutes, it feels longer. TRAP is a film that is carried by its lead actor and that gives it a lot of points, but overall, this time it’s the main course and not the dessert that deducts the score. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it