A Reel Preview - The Year in Film 2024: Episode XI

November is about to arrive, and the 11^th month of the year is one for tradition: where the first serving of holiday films and Oscar hopefuls are offered for the gorging. This month’s menu offers just that, along with some of the most anticipated films of the year. Here’s what’s coming out hot in this packed month: 

 

 

 

ABSOLUTION – Liam Neeson continues his second (or third), career in action flicks, this time playing a modern gangster. Ron Perlman co-stars. 

 

 

 

HERE – Robert Zemeckis (BACK TO THE FUTURE), reunites with his FORREST GUMP team of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in this drama that unfolds in a single, fixed location. 

 

 

 

JUROR #2 – Legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood, at 94 years young, directs this legal thriller about a juror struggling with a moral decision. The cast includes Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Dutch, Kiefer Sutherland, and J.K. Simmons. 

 

 

 

BLITZ – Acclaimed director Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE), is back with this historical war drama about a young mother (Saoirse Ronan), who goes searching for her lost boy during a WWII bombing raid.

 

 

 

 

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER – Based on the book of the same name, a group of juvenile delinquents find themselves in their town’s Christmas pageant. 

 

 

 

 

HERETIC – Hugh Grant plays a creep who pulls two missionary students into his home in this horror-thriller. 

 

 

 

RED ONE – In this holiday comedy, Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), is kidnapped and his head of security (Dwayne Johnson), hires a bounty hunter (Chris Evans), to find him. Lucy Liu and Bonnie Hunt co-star. 

 

 

 

GLADIATOR II – Ridley Scott returns to the world of strength and honor in this legacy sequel to his Best Picture-winning epic from 2000. The cast includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Derek Jacobi. 

 

 

 

WICKED (PART 1) – One of the most anticipated films of the year; the long-awaited big-screen treatment of the Broadway smash hit. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name, this musical covers the events of the show’s first act, following the friendship between the eventual Wicked Witch (Cynthia Erivo), and Glinda (Ariana Grade). The rest of the cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, and Jeff Goldblum. It is directed by Jon M. Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS). 

 

 

 

MOANA 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios delivers the sequel to their 2016 classic. Set three years after the events of the first film, Moana (reprised by Auli’i Cravalho) reunites with the demigod Maui (reprised by Dwayne Johnson), to answer a distress call from far across the sea. 

 

 

 

QUEER – Acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME), directs this historical romance drama with an American (Daniel Craig), becoming infatuated with a younger man (Drew Starkey). Jason Schwartzman co-stars. 

 

 

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

 

 

A Reel 20: SAW

“I want to play a game…”

 

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of SAW. 

 

The first of a horror franchise which has so far produced nine sequels with a 10^th on the way in 2025, SAW cut around the tale of the Jigsaw Killer, who tested his victim’s will to live though deadly games. The main story followed two victims who awaken as prisoners with one being ordered to kill the other in order to save his family. 

 

The concept of SAW goes back to 2001, when screenwriter Leigh Whannell co-created the story with director James Wan. After failed attempts to get the script produced, they moved to Los Angeles where they would shoot a low budget short-film of the same name, based on a scene out of the script. In 2003 producers were attracted to the short-film and formed a horror film production label, Twisted Pictures. The film was given a small budget and a shooting schedule of 18 days. 

 

The cast was small but effective. Veteran actor Cary Elwes would play one of the imprisoned victims, with Whannell taking on the role of the other. Danny Glover and Ken Leung would play detectives trying to untwist the case, and Tobin Bell would play the pivotal role of the Jigsaw Kiler. Other roles would be held down by Dina Meyer, Michael Emerson, Shawnee Smith, and Monica Potter. 

 

Lionsgate would pick up the distribution rights to SAW, and premiered it at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. It was originally intended to be direct-to-video, but after a strong showing a Sundance it was changed to theatrical. On release, SAW would open third at the box office, behind the Oscar-darling RAY and fellow horror-film THE GRUDGE. It would earn steadily to finish as the 54^th highest grossing film of the year. It would be nominated for Best Horror Film at the 31^st Saturn Awards. Over time, it’s many sequels would gross over $1 billion. Initial reviews were mixed, but has moved into a cult-favorite status. The franchise would expand into video games, comics, masks, and action figures. It would be credited with re-starting the splatter genre for the 2000’s.

 

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There is a lot to be said about the rising and falling quality of the SAW sequels that have populated theatres nearly every October for the last 20 years. But none of that matters here, because the first film on its own deserves high praise. Twisted and evil, SAW placed victims into psychological ironic terrors of their own doing. The traps were Jigsaw’s sermons to the world, but unlike most preachers, Jigsaw could actually deliver on the promise of punishment. From a filmmaking standpoint, SAW was expertly put together. The non-linear storytelling kept audiences guessing; building layers of mystery that would be peeled back one at a time...and the mighty twist at the end would be an element that would define the franchise. This was a game worth playing, even just once. 

 

“Game over!”

A Reel Review - JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX

There is plenty of debate to be had over what a good sequel should do, and there are no wrong answers. Should they go bigger, or deeper? Some choose one or the other, while others find a balance and do both. For JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX, the sequel to the Oscar-winning hit JOKER from 2019, there is no attempt at all to go bigger. 

 

Arthur/The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix), is incarcerated at the inhumane Arkham Hospital, awaiting trial for five murders. There, in a music class, he meets Lee (Lady Gaga), a fellow patient who is obsessed with his Joker persona. 

 

To say much more of the plot wouldn’t be giving away much, because there isn’t much more to give away. Written and directed by Todd Phillips (who helmed JOKER), this second go-around has very little to do. Arthur waits around for his trial, the trial begins, a little bit of chaos happens, and then right back to Arkham. 

 

Beefing things up is Arthur’s struggle with himself: is he Arthur, or the Joker? It’s an interesting question that puts him in a tough spot: Lee loves him for the Joker, and the persona has been idolized in pop culture around Gotham. At his trial, blaming a split personality for the murders works in his favor. Arthur struggles with this, and this is explored in his head via musical numbers with himself and Lee. The numbers are clever in places, spectacular in others, and do well to express what’s going on in Arthur’s complicated head, but the thin and sluggish story in-between the singing and dancing makes it feel less of a movie and more like a highlight reel. 

 

Phillips is playing with themes of mental illness, love, and hero worship. Solid themes to work with but the film gets bogged down with it; there’s plot and theme, and FOLIE A DEUX is 95% theme. But when it isn’t brooding and sulking, there’s some pieces to admire: the cinematography is stunning, and the soundtrack has a great balance between chilling and toe-tapping. 

 

Acting is excellent to a point. Joaquin Phoenix once again is mesmerizing. Lady Gaga is brilliant in her acting and her singing performances, and she commits to the thin material she’s given. The issue around her is she feels underutilized and is never let off the leash; the film cheats her and it feels like a waste of her powerhouse talent. The supporting cast of Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, and Steve Coogan are all excellent. 

 

One thing that all sequels should do is to smash expectations, and this JOKER sequel certainly does that. It takes some big swings in providing shocks and surprises, and the biggest shock of them all comes in the ending. It’s a bold way to go out, and is sure to spark plenty of outrage and debate. But overall, it completely changes how we view the first film and everything that after to that point, and not in a great way. FOLIE A DEUX has its moments here and there, but nothing much after. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2024 - Episode X

Glorious Fall is here! For the first full month of the windy and colorful season we have new horror films, along with some notable re-releases: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS will get another run, as will SAW for its 20^th anniversary. Along with the ghosts and goblins of the season, we have the first wave of films with Oscar potential. Here is what’s coming to the big screen for October: 

 

 

 

 

JOKER: FOLIE & DEUX – Joaquin Phoenix reprises the role of Arthur Fleck/The Joker from JOKER in 2019 which won him an Oscar. This time around Fleck faces trial for his crimes and meets and falls in love with Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), in what is being described as a Jukebox Musical film. Todd Philips, who directed JOKER, returns to direct. 

 

 

 

MONSTER SUMMER – Mel Gibson plays a retired police detective who helps a group of kids solve the mystery of a monster on their vacation island. 

 

 

 

PIECE BY PIECE – In this animated film, the biography of famed singer Pharrell Williams is told in Lego style. 

 

 

 

SATURDAY NIGHT – Jason Reitman (GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE), directs this comedy-drama about the first night of Saturday Night Live. 

 

 

 

TERRIFIER 3 – The third entry in the slasher franchise, with Art the Clown going on a bloody rampage on Christmas Eve. 

 

 

 

THE APPRENTICE – In one of the most controversial films of the year, Sebastian Stan (THE WINTER SOLDIER), plays a young Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova (BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM), plays Ivana Trump in this drama which follows Trump’s early days. Jeremy Strong co-stars. 

 

 

 

WE LIVE IN TIME – Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in this love story which follows their accidental meeting, marriage, and raising a child. It is directed by John Crowley (BROOKLYN). 

 

 

 

SMILE 2 – The second entry in this horror franchise. Naomi Scott (Jasmine from the live-action ALADDIN), plays a pop-star experiencing disturbing events. 

 

 

 

ANORA – Acclaimed director Sean Baker (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), returns with this drama about a young stripper who falls in love with a client. 

 

 

 

VENOM: THE LAST DANCE – Tom Hardy reprises his role as Eddie Brock in the third film in the craptastic VENOM franchise. This time Eddie and his talking blob of poo go on the run when they are hunted by both of their worlds. 

 

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Next month: Reel Speak previews the month of November.