A Reel 20: V FOR VENDETTA

“Remember, remember the fifth of November…”

This month marks the 20^th anniversary of V FOR VENDETTA. 

 

Directed by James McTeigue and produced and written by the Wachowski’s, V FOR VENDETTA was an adaptation of the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare. Set in a future where a fascist totalitarian regime has taken over the UK, the film follows V, a masked vigilante in a Guy Fawkes mask who attempts to ignite a revolution, and Evey, a young woman who gets tangled up in V’s plot. 

 

V FOR VENDETTA was made by many of the same filmmakers who were involved in THE MATRIX films. The rights to the graphic novel were picked up by producer Joel Silver in 1988, and the Wachowski’s worked on the script during production even before starting on the first of THE MATRIX films. James McTeigue, who had worked as an assistant director to THE MATRIX, along with STAR WARS: EPISODE II, was brought on to direct. 

 

The role of V was originally to be played by James Purefoy, but he dropped out after six weeks of filming. He was replaced by Hugo Weaving. The role of Evey was taken by Natalie Portman, and the role of the High Chancellor went to the late great John Hurt. The rest of the cast included Stephen Rae, Stephen Fry, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rupert Graves, and Roger Allam, and Eddie Marsan. 

 

The film was originally set for a November 2005 release, but was pushed to the following March to allow more time for post-production. On release, it was number one on its opening weekend. Despite good-to-great-to-mixed reviews (73% on the Tomato Meter), the film would be a hit with audiences and did well with merchandise. Natalie Portman would win Best Actress at the Hugo Awards. 

 

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There are three types of 20-year-old films. There are the ones that don’t age well, the ones that do age well, and the ones that are scary to watch because of how spot-on they are with their vision of the future. The last one, is where V FOR VENDETTA lands. Like the graphic novel, the film sits in a time where a fascist regime has taken over media, persecuted those who are different, and the State taking away basic freedoms. Fear is used to rule and earn power for the powerful, while the common people suffer and are diminished. It’s a fictional plot that now hits hard, 

 

As a film, V FOR VENDETTA also hits hard. By taking inspiration from classic stories such as 1984, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Phantom of the Opera, the film has a familiar, yet fresh feel to it. It looks amazing, the cast is excellent, and the action scenes tremendous. Over time, the mask of V has become a symbol of revolution; not just for the sake of rebellion, but for standing up for those who are diminished. And those who are being diminished will find freedom in that. 

 

“People shouldn’t be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

A Reel Opinion: Oscar Night - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

It was one Oscar after another for Paul Thomas Anderson and his film, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER last night at the 98^th Academy Awards. The thriller with the stacked cast took home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Screenplay, and Directing. Here is how the rest of the night played out in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious. 

 

THE GOOD 

 

-Returning host Conan O’Brien was excellent in the role once again. His jokes were sharp and didn’t overwhelm with political jabs. 

 

-The presenters were well-paired and had good material. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans were a blast, as were Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal. 

 

-Warner Bros. has been in the news a lot lately, mixed up in a sale or a merger or who knows what. But they were the big winning studio, taking home a combined 11 Oscars for their three films (SINNERS, WEAPONS, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER). 

 

-Sean Penn’s win for Best Supporting Actor for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER makes him the fourth male actor to win three career Oscars; an elite club that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Walter Brennan. 

 

- FRANKENSTEIN, SINNERS, and WEAPONS combined for eight Oscars, capping off a great year for the horror genre. 

 

 

THE BAD

 

-The production of the show was like watching a low budget B-movie horror flick. There were many technical issues like missed cues, and the timing just seemed off. There was also a rush to get people off the stage, with the mic dropping away too quickly and speeches cut short. No one seemed to be on the same page. 

 

-The In Memoriam was a muddled mess, doing a combination of still photos and archive clips. Although there were touching tributes to Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford (by Babs herself!!!), the lack of flow made it difficult to keep the emotion going. 

 

THE GLORIOUS

 

-Jessie Buckley’s win for HAMNET makes her the first Best Actress to sweep the awards season this decade (Oscars, Globes, BAFTA, SAG, Critics Choice). She is also the first Irish winner of Best Actress.  

 

-Leonardo DiCaprio joins Dustin Hoffman and Clark Gable as the only actors to lead three Best Picture winners: TITANIC, THE DEPARTED, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. DiCaprio’s filmography has now won 39 Oscars, more than any other actor. 

 

-Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, for her stunning work in SINNERS. 

 

-Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win for SINNERS. Well-earned. 

 

-And as mentioned above, and as mostly expected ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER took home Best Picture. A proper win for Paul Thomas Anderson who has made some of the best films of the last 30 years. The Academy got it right, making it a wonderful night for Oscar. 

 

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The 99^th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 28^th, 2027. 

A Reel Opinion: Oscar Picks

The 98^th Academy Awards are this weekend, honoring the best in film in the year that was 2025. This year was an Oscar race that seemed poised to be dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson’s ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, however in recent weeks the pendulum has swung towards Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS…setting up a showdown on Oscar Sunday that is sure to be dramatic. So, who wins? Will it be Anderson's modern-day classic, or Coogler's horror film? Or something we are not expecting? 

 

The best guideline has been to follow the Guilds: The Actors (SAG), Writers (WGA), Directors (DGA), and Producers (PGA). And although the Golden Globes and BAFTA do not have any overlap with Academy voters, they can be an indicator of what the industry as a whole likes. These precursors can tell us a lot, but in recent years there has been another factor: the film that has the most energy around it. Both of these approaches can work. Here now are Reel Speak’s analysis and picks for the acting categories, Best Director, and Best Picture. 

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Madigan’s transformative performance in WEAPONS is the favorite to win, having won at SAG just a few weeks ago. She’s also won in several critics awards this year, and although they don’t vote in the Oscars, no one else in her category is getting that much love from Tinseltown. 

 

Winner: Amy Madigan for WEAPONS 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Veteran actor Sean Penn in ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is the favorite, having won at SAG and at the Globes. He has stiff competition from his castmate Benicio Del Toro and Delroy Lindo for SINNERS, but he seems the safe bet to join the elite club of three career Oscars. 

 

Winner: Sean Penn for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 

 

 

BEST ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley for the biographical period film HAMNET won here at SAG, and despite how acclaimed her film is, doesn’t seem set to win anywhere else. This would be a proper win for the film that has had a lot of people talking this year. 

 

Winner: Jessie Buckley for HAMNET 

 

BEST ACTOR

A very tight race between Michael B. Jordan for SINNERS and Timothee Chalamet for MARTY SUPREME. Chalamet won the Globe, but Jordan took the SAG…and for those of us who watched Jordan win the latter, it’s clear there’s a lot of love for him and his film; and that could be an indicator for how things can play out later in the evening…

 

Winner: Michael B. Jordan for SINNERS 

 

 

BEST DIRECTOR 

This is where the fun begins. Paul Thomas Anderson for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is poised to sweep, having won the DGA, Globe, and BAFTA. It’s darn difficult to get around the absolute explosion of applause that happened at SAG when it won its awards, but it’s even more difficult to see an upset happening.  

 

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 

 

BEST PICTURE

And this is where the battle between Oscar-picking strategies meets on the field. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER has won everything; Globes, BAFTA, WGA, DGA, and the all-important PGA, which has correlated with the Oscars Best Picture nine of the last 10 years. Stats say ONE BATTLE, but the other approach of always looking for the film with the most energy around it has to be considered. SINNERS big win at SAG, the Best Ensemble, resulted in a wild and enthusiastic applause from the Actors Guild that could be felt through the screen. We’ve seen this before with PARASITE in 2019 and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE in 2022. Which way to go? For this year This Blogger is going with the statistics and running with the film that has been winning all season long. Stats are tough to get around no matter what vibes are in the air. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER wins. 

But don't be surprised if we see a horror movie pull a shock. 

 

Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

 

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The 98^th Academy Awards are this Sunday. 

 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2026 - Episode III

Movie Siberia has ended, and March has arrived. Even though we will be bombarded with wretched Spring weather for the next two months, theatres should be busy with a full slate of highly anticipated films, starting this month. There will be yet another adaptation of Frankenstein, the return of Pixar, an adaptation of a popular sci-fi novel…and much more. There is also the re-release of THE MUMMY RETURNS for its 25^thanniversary, and the 98^th Academy Awards. Here now is a preview for the cinematic month of March: 

 

THE BRIDE! – Maggie Gyllenhaal directs this adaptation of Frankenstein set in 1930’s Chicago, where the monster (Christian Bale), asks his creator (Annette Benning), to create a bride for him. The rest of the cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penelope Cruz. 

 

 

HOPPERS – Disney and Pixar are back on the big screen with this original tale where the mind of a human is transferred into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals. 

 

 

PROJECT HAIL MARY – In this adaptation of the popular sci-fi novel, Ryan Gosling is sent into deep space to save our sun before it dies. It is directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (THE LEGO MOVIE). 

 

 

READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME – In this sequel to the 2019 comedy/horror romp, Grace (Samara Weaving), finds out that her surviving the events of the first film comes with a price. The rest of the cast includes Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Elijah Wood. 

 

 

THEY WILL KILL YOU – Zazie Beetz (JOKER), plays a housekeeper who enters a community where people have been disappearing. Tom Felton and Heather Graham co-star. 

 

 

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Next month, Reel Speak previews the month of April.