Catherine O’Hara: 1954-2026

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 Catherine O’Hara; actress, comedian, and screenwriter…has passed away at 71. 

 

Born in Toronto, Catherine Anne O’Hara had her start at The Second City comedy club in her hometown. She would later be an understudy to Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live. She would later earn an Emmy for writing for her work on SCTV Network 90, while appearing on TV on Tales from the Crypt, The Larry Sanders Show, and Dream On. 

 

She would have her cinematic debut in 1980, appearing with her SCTV co-stars John Candy and Eugene Levy in DOUBLE NEGATIVE. She would have many supporting roles, including in Martin Scorsese’s AFTER HOURS. In 1988 she would have one of her most famous roles, that of Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton’s BEETLEJUICE. She would reprise the role in the legacy sequel in 2024. She would have perhaps her most famous role as Kevin McCallister’s mom in HOME ALONE (1990), and it’s 1992 sequel. 

 

Other notable film roles include DICK TRACY (1990), THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993), THE PAPER (1994), WYATT EARP (1994), AWAY WE GO (2009), FRANKENWEENIE (2012), and Pixar’s ELEMENTAL (2023). 

 

She would have a successful return to TV in the CBC sitcom Schitt’s Creek, earning several awards. She would provide the narration for the Canadian movie attraction for World Showcase at Epcot at Disneyworld. 

 

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Catherine O’Hara’s film (and TV), career is a masterclass in comic brilliance and versatility. From her iconic roles in BEETLEJUICE and HOME ALONE to her knee-slapping lines in Schitt’s Creek, she brought intelligence, warmth, and fearless comedy to every role. She had that gift for making the most eccentric characters human; even the flake that was Lydia Deetz could be understood. Her expressions are unforgettable, and her emotional range quietly powerful. She elevated everything she was involved with, and now she has gone home. 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Films Directed by Guillermo del Toro

Last week, the nominations for the 98^th Academy Awards came with many surprises, including an impressive nine nods for Guillermo del Toro’s remake of FRANKENSTEIN (read Reel Speak’s recap of the nominations HERE). The horror flick has been in the discussions as one of GDT’s best works, which leads us to the Top 10 Best Films Directed by Guillermo del Toro. 

 

Born in Mexico, GDT has built a career out of monsters, whom he considers to be a source of great power. But his work has also been heavily inspired by fairy tales, mythology, and religious imagery. He has been prolific, acting as producer for many films…but it is his time in the director’s chair where he truly has us.  

 

So, let’s journey into the dark side…

 

 

 

10. NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021)

 

This remake of the 1947 neo-noir psychological horror (which was originally an adaptation of a book), had a packed cast (Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett Toni Colette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairm), along with dazzling production design, a haunting atmosphere and a devastating ending. All the elements that make up a good nightmare. 

 

 

 

9. MIMIC (1997)

 

Based on the short story of the same name, MIMIC followed the creation of a genetically modified insect. It had a moody atmosphere, gritty urban horror, and just enough heart. Although GDT would disavow the theatrical cut after studio meddling, the film would find new life on home video with a director’s cut. But both versions deliver the chills.

 

 

8. PACIFIC RIM (2013)

 

GDT had made a career out of making monsters sympathetic creatures. But with PACIFIC RIM, he said ah-fuck-it and just made the big monsters the big bad guys. Set in the future where mankind builds giant robots to battle colossal sea monsters, PACIFIC RIM built a self-contained universe with echoes of STAR WARS, and the spectacle was fashioned especially for big-screen oh-wow moments. 

 

 

 

7. CRONOS (1993)

 

GDT’s feature film debut. An antique dealer discovers a mysterious device inside a statue that gives eternal life. Hailed as a modern classic, CRONOS displays gothic horror with outstanding practical effects and poetic symbolism. Masterfully shot and edited, CRONOS has a beautiful melancholy to it, hinting at the style GDT would embrace for the next 30 years. 

 

 

 

6. THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (2001)

 

One of GDT’s most acclaimed films. A young boy during the end of Spanish Civil War is haunted by the ghost of a recently deceased boy. Tender humanity, wartime tragedy, and GDT’s look at his countrymen’s past make this deserve every acclaim.

 

 

5. HELLBOY (2004)

 

There are things that go bump in the night, and what better way for GDT to bump back than with this adaptation of the popular comic, HELLBOY. Ron Perlman and his jaw stars as the demon-turned-investigator of paranormal threats, fighting off monsters and creatures and all sorts of evil. Like PACIFIC RIM, HELLBOY built a dazzling universe of creatures, and this was only a hint of what would come next…

 

 

 

 

 

4. HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (2008)

 

Where HELLBOY gave us a peek of the strange and unusual, THE GOLDEN ARMY drew the curtain back all the way. In this sequel, Hellboy and his team battles an elven king looking to reclaim the world. The universe is expanded by way of breathtaking creatures and setpieces (the troll-market is still amazing), and the action is balanced out with a lot of heart…enforcing GDT’s belief that all creatures are beautiful. 

 

 

 

 

3. FRANKENSTEIN (2025)

 

The newest film from GDT may still have the scent of a fresh corpse, but for now it deserves high praise in his filmography. This re-telling of the Mary Shelly novel pulls great performances out of Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, and most especially Jacob Elordi as the creature. It is a visual stunner, emotional, and pays tribute to nearly every Frankenstein adaptation for the screen. 

 

 

 

2. THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017)

 

GDT’s take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale in this period dark fantasy about a mute cleaner at a secret government lab who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian. By using alternate ways of communication, the story unfolds in a very unique way, and it is supported by excellent performances from Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Shannon. Nominated for 13 Oscars and winner of four, including Best Picture and Director for GDT. 

 

 

 

1. PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006)

 

GDT’s compassionate imagination for dark fantasy and creatures with eyeballs in all the wrong places comes to life in this stunner that elevated his name into pop culture and elite cinema. Set in 1944, PAN’S LABYRINTH follows a young girl during post-Civil War Spain who falls into a hidden labyrinth and given three dangerous tasks. Loaded with GDT’s love for fairy tales, folklore, fantasy, and breathtaking creatures…PAN’S LABYRINTH is a journey into the unknown with emotional gravity and a few gory surprises. There are films made that we just cannot take our eyes away from, and this is where GDT had us all. 

Reel Speak's Top 10 Films Directed by Guillermo del Toro

1. PAN'S LABYRINTH
2. THE SHAPE OF WATER
3. FRANKENSTEIN
4. HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
5. HELLBOY
6. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE
7. CRONOS
8. PACIFIC RIM
9. MIMIC
10. NIGHTMARE ALLEY

A Reel Opinion: The 98th Oscar Nominations - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

The nominations for the 98^th Academy Awards were announced this morning at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, delivered by hosts Danielle Brooks (THE COLOR PURPLE), and Lewis Pullman (THUNDERBOLTS), bringing a fair share of surprises and letdowns. 

 

The most nominations went to Ryan Coogler’s one-half musical, one-half horror flick SINNERS, with a record 16 nominations. It earned a nod in every category it was eligible for, including the brand-new Best Casting (which gave it the record). Right behind SINNERS was Paul Thomas Anderson’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER with 13, followed by MARTY SUPREME, SENTIMENTAL VALUE, and FRANKENSTEIN with nine. Here is how the rest played out in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious: 

 

THE GOOD

-This year’s Best Picture nominees (10 in total), included four films that have earned over $100 million at the box office, including Joseph Kosinski’s racing flick, F1. A good sign that the Academy is not afraid to nominate popular films. 

 

-James Cameron’s AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH earned a Best Visual Effects nomination (expected), but surprisingly got a nod for Best Costume Design. And why not? It may be digital, but the costume still has to be designed. And the name of the award is Best Design, not best weaving or sewing. 

 

-The Academy announced that Conan O’Brien would be returning as host. 

 

THE BAD

-Zero nominations for WICKED: FOR GOOD. 

 

-No acting nomination for Jeremy Allen White, for his portrayal of Bruce Springsteen in DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE.

 

-Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN earned nine nominations, but he oddly missed out on Best Director. 

 

THE GLORIOUS

-ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER earned the respect of the Acting Branch of the Academy, pulling in four total acting nominations: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and Teyana Taylor.

 

-SINNERS Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman of color to be nominated in that category. 

 

-It is a magnificent year for the horror genre, with SINNERS and FRANKENSTEIN pulling in 25 total nominations. A great film can be found anywhere, and the Academy knows it. 

 

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The 98^th Academy Awards are March 15^th. 

A Reel Opinion: King of the Box Office World

James Cameron has done it again. 

 

Last week, Cameron’s newest film, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, crossed the $1 billion mark at the international box office. That makes Cameron the first director in history to have four consecutive films reach that $1 billion mark. Although he is still behind Steven Spielberg as the second-highest grossing director of all time, right now it seems Cameron is the king of the box office. 

 

How did he get there? 

 

The writing was on the wall in 1991, when his sci-fi thriller TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY wowed audiences and critics on its way to becoming the third-highest grossing film of its time. Audiences loved his sense of spectacle, action, and emotional hook. He would capitalize on that five years later, when his beloved epic TITANIC became the highest-grossing film of all time while earning a boatload of awards. TITANIC would be the first film in history to hit $1 billion. 

 

Despite rising ticket prices, TITANIC would hold on to that top spot for an impressive twelve years. And it turned out that the only director who could topple a James Cameron film would be…James Cameron. His own sci-fi epic AVATAR would take that spot in 2009. The sequel, THE WAY OF WATER would hit that billion mark in 2022, and now FIRE AND ASH has done it. TITANIC and the three AVATAR films would give him that special, and impressive four film run of $1 billion each. 

 

It's a feat that can’t be praised enough. Directors such as Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Peter Jackson haven’t done it, and in age where movie theatres struggle, any box office hit has to be considered a significant win. 

 

And how does it do it? It’s a question that has perplexed many movie fans. Cameron blends spectacle, emotion, and technological ambition better than anyone, and he pushes new filmmaking tools so well that audiences know they will always see something new. But it is not all spectacle. His visuals serve simple, universal stories about love, survival, and moral choices that translate across cultures and are timeless. He also builds immersive worlds that reward repeat viewing and belong on larger IMAX screens. His films have become global events, and the world will be ready when the king returns for a fifth try at the billion.