Making a sequel in Hollywood might be the single most stress-inducing task for cast, crew, director and producer. Why? Because expectations are that the first film was, in all likelihood, well-liked and popular and thus by making a sequel you stand a chance to tarnish its legacy if not done right. You also run the risk of pissing off a considerably well-built fanbase that will ask for someone's head if the film fails to meet expectations. That's Hollywood for you. Most of the time the sequel doesn't come remotedly close to the original's freshness, but sometimes, in the case of these 10 classics, it turns out to be a landmark moment.
Read more14 Great Movies with “Rotten” Scores
For a film to be "rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes it has to have a score of under 60%. Even films that were at first critically reviled, but have aged like fine wine, have (for the most part) had their scores boosted above 60% by present-day reviews and reconsideration. Because of that, it was actually tough to find 10 “classic” movies which are still rotten. These are all still below 60%, but as time passes they will more than likely move towards that 60 percent fresh spot. For now, they belong on this list.
Read moreBrad Pitt's 12 Best Performances
With one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces hitting the big screen twice this awards season with Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’, and James Gray’s ‘Ad Astra’, It’s time to take a look at Brad Pitt’s most recognizable performances.
Read moreThe 10 Best Scenes from ‘The Irishman'
It’s been nearly a month since Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” hit Netflix, and whether you think its Scorsese’s best, an instant classic or just plainly too long, it can’t be denied it has some of the greatest cinematic moments of the year, and in some cases, the decade.
Read moreThe 25 Best Movies of the Decade [2010s]
As the decade closes in, I’ve decided to make a list of the 20 best movies I have seen since 2010. To say that I have painstakingly been trying to refine this list over and over again would be an understatement. The general questions I set forth to ask were quite simple: which films left the biggest impression on me this decade? Which works of art transcended the medium and paved their way into my deepest subconscious? Which films will have a lasting impact in the years to come?
Read moreThe 10 Best Documentaries of the 2010s
This was the richest decade yet for non-fiction film. As technology further advanced itself into unpredictable and shape-shifting ways, so did the doc form. We now seem to be part of a generation that records just about everything, which has given documentary filmmakers worldwide a treasure trove of creative freedom to mold and shape storytelling narratives through the footage taken. And yet, that didn’t scare some directors from completely inserting themselves into their narratives. Films by Kirsten Johnson, Jafar Panahi and Laurie Anderson were as much about the artist directing as the topic being tackled.
Read moreRanked: All 8 Martin Scorsese Movies From the 21st Century
With “The Irishman” currently in limited release, and dropping on Netflix later this month, let’s look back on one of Hollywood’s most legendary director’s work since the turn of the millennia.
Read moreThe 10 Best Movie Performances of the 2010s
Today, we continue our decade series, where we recap the best cinema had to offer in the 2010s. This time, we tackle the best acting of the last 10 years by highlighting the actors and actresses who turned in the most iconic performances. The performers, six men, and five women, must have surely not known that their work would not only be remembered but would also be celebrated years after its initial release. Whenever art is created, albeit a painting, a written novella or acting performances, the artist rarely thinks about the effect his or her work will have on the zeitgeist years from now; however, the following 10 performances have turned into time-capsule worthy moments not just within the present decade at hand but will surely stand the test of time.
Read moreThe 10 Longest Hollywood Movies Ever Made
They may be great, but some still had us checking our watches and rushing to the washroom before the sweet bliss of their end credits. For this list of the longest Hollywood movies ever made, I have narrowed my picks to only mainstream Hollywood movies that must have been over 200 minutes long when shown originally in theaters. We’re also excluding experimental films, director’s cuts and extended versions.
The 10 Best Animated Movies of the 2010s
This last decade in animation brought a lot of technological advancement. Yes, Studio Ghibli's iconic Hayao Miyazaki entered retirement, only to announce he would soon make a comeback, but animators took over his mantle as lines were stretched out as to what was visually possible, with the use of both traditional and computer-generated techniques. The storytelling, however, was a little less risk-taking, with many of the very best films opting for traditional storylines and narratives. However, if in the past much of animation was designed to appeal to kids, the adults in the room were entertained as well this decade. There was less of a divide in animation appealing to both adults and children alike.
Read moreTop 10 Best Australian Movies
The word “movie” itself screams Hollywood and makes us think about the masterpieces that have been created in the state of California, but very often we forget that almost every country has its film industry and pretty good ones at that. Australia is one of the most prominent countries in terms of film, in fact, some of the most popular Hollywood actors are Aussies themselves, so why wouldn’t they have such a developed industry?
Read moreThe 10 Best Space Movies: From ‘2001: A Space Odyssey' to ‘Gravity'
Space movies are a dime a dozen but only a handful have actually captured the zeitgeist and become cinematic landmarks. What are some of the essential films set amongst the stars?
Read moreTom Cruise's 10 Best Performances
Tom Cruise has been one of Hollywood’s biggest stars ever since he slid onto the screen to the sound of Bob Seger’s Old time rock and roll in 1983’s ‘Risky Business’. Jumping between serious roles and as Hollywood’s go to action man, Cruise has built a career around authenticity, both in performance and in the stunts he performs. Still one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, but what have been his career highlights?
Read moreTop 10 Kevin Spacey Performances
Good guy or bad, does separating the art from the artist justify the acknowledgement that this unpredictable and unconventional actor is a great one?
Read moreTop 10 Best Plot Twists in Modern Cinema History
It isn’t my fault that this list, and video, which I scripted and B-rolled for WatchMojo back in 2014 mostly contains American movies. Hollywood has always had a knack to try to one-up its audience with gimmickry. Whereas European and Asian filmmakers are not interested as much, because, truth be told, twists are indeed gimmicks, but, sometimes, they can work marvelously well.
Read moreTop 10 Worst Movies Based On Real Life Events
I found this little nugget that I wrote back in the day, when I used to work for WatchMojo and had a little more say in how the lists were chosen. This is all me. I approve of every choice and every word.
Read moreThe Best Movies of 2018
This has been a tumultuous, but rewarding, year for films. Despite all the hoopla that we are living in dire times for moviemaking, the last 12 months have proved the naysayers wrong yet again. In fact, every year it’s the same story. Film critics will lament a doom and gloom overview of the year at the movies, how Hollywood doesn’t produce original stories anymore, how the multiplexes are filled with reboots, sequels, and prequels galore. Those assessments may not be wrong, but we now live at a time when so many options are at our disposal. Forget about Hollywood; seek stuff on the indie and foreign circuits and you’ll be rewarded with treasure upon treasure of cinematic delights. Much of the quality came from films that had originally premiered at film festivals.
Read moreThe 25 Most Anticipated American Movies of 2019
After 52 weeks of 2018 releases (look for my top ten list to be posted tomorrow) we must now concentrate on 2019. I narrowed down the list of must-see American films to 25 this year. You won't find "Avengers: Endgame" or "The Lion King" anywhere on this list because, well, every other 2019 article has them on there and isn't it more fun to include two other less-known titles in place of what will surely be the top two money-makers of the year. Also disqualified are foreign language films, because those will be included next week in my annual top 20 anticipated foreign-language film of 2019. Look for upcoming movies from Paul Verehoeven, Bong Joon-Ho, Pedro Almodóvar, Pablo Larrain, and Mia Hansen-Love to be included.
Read moreWorld of Reel's 35 most anticipated movies of 2019
Taking a cue from Hollywood-Elsewhere's 2019 preview, I present to you World of Reel's 35 most anticipated movies of 2019. The original list was of around 100 movies, but these are the cream of the crop, what should be considered a cinephiles wet dream of projects. You won't find 'The Avengers' of 'The Lion King' because, quite frankly, those are sure-fire box-office bonanzas and I am just not that excited about them. In fact, there are only 4 sequels or reboots on this list, already a high enough number for me.
Read moreMovies Originally Trashed by Critics That Ended Up Classics
In Julian Schanbel's Vincent Van Gogh biopic, "At Eternity's Gate," a priest played by Mads Mikkelsen tells Van Gogh that his work, quite frankly, stinks and that it shouldn't be considered a 'painting,' or at least what the standard definition was back in the 1880s. Van Gogh responds by saying that he feels like he's painting for people that haven't been born yet. This got me thinking about all the great cinematic artists that didn't get their due until much later in life or even after their deaths. It's a very common thing, so much so that I stumbled upon so many classic films that were trashed by film critics upon their release that I decided to just limit it to the all-timers.
Read more