Editor of 'Oddity' here and longtime fan of watching your takes. Thanks for going out to see it and for all the support. Wasn't a huge amount of marketing so word of mouth really helped. Working with Damian on his third movie in 2025. Happy New Year 🎉
thanks for the movie! it's shaping up to be a cult classic. so cool that you are working on a new one. now its a must see for any horror fan. happy new year!
Many thanks! 'Dune: Part Two' was definitely one of the real highlights of the year. Beyond fired up to see what Villeneuve does with his adaptation of 'Dune Messiah'. Thanks for sticking with the channel!
So glad Oddity made the list! It’s one of those films that gets better and better after a rewatching. The jumpscares were so incredibly well executed, and the beginning of the film had me utterly hooked… a total nightmare scenario that I’ll never forget. Thinking I’m alone in a house when a total stranger suddenly comes knocking, and tells me there’s someone in my house… that is some twisted shit!
My first time seeing your channel - thanks James. I watched your list and love your passion. What a surprise to see your number 1 is the same as mine. I've not seen anyone else mention Powell & Pressburger. I've seen almost 19,000 movies over many years and it's obviously been a lifelong passion. P&P feature highly for me, as does Martin Scorsese. Time is short.
Great video as always, James! You added a ton of new stuff to my "to-watch" list (more of a "pile" at this point!) and had a few of the ones I already got to listed as well. Hope your holiday season is treating you well!
Holiday was splendid and looking forward to tackling more flicks in the not-so-distant future. Trying to upload a 3-hour roundtable conversation about the best of the year, but I need to wait for a manual review. Apparently our conversation is so scandalous it is unfit for adverstisers.
Flashbacks of WR with Becky coming on. Good stuff! I saw the Beast 2024 and I thought it was interesting, but not as much as Becky. But I also remember watching that Walerian Borowczyk movie based on that WR episode. That was something else.
I’m wearing a Terrifier 3 shirt as I watch this. 😂 I hadn’t even watched the first two films because as much as I love horror, I’m not a gore hound. I was so surprised at how much I liked that movie. lol. And I went to see Oddity in an empty theater by myself just because of your review and reaction to it. I’d say it’s probably still my favorite of the year! I don’t know if I can put them all in a certain order, but Longlegs, Heretic, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Nosferatu and Strange Darling are my top picks for sure. 😁👍
Massive fan of all those horror movies you mentioned. It was truly a stellar year for the genre and I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed 'Oddity' as much as I did. Happy New Year!
Many thanks! January and February tend to be a little slow when it comes to movie releases but luckily there are a few cool video games on the horizon to keep us entertained.
Mr Hancock, It's always a pleasure listening to your assessments of films and filmmakers. I appreciated your top choice, and particularly the Woody Allen acknowledgement. I just can't think of a more intelligent and prolific filmmaker in my lifetime. I've never been that impassioned about horror movies, except maybe the collected accomplishments of Hammer Studios, but enjoy your enthusiasm with fright films. The movies I regret having sat through this year were THE FALL GUY, HORIZON #1 and MEGALOPOLIS, but was lucky enough to pass on all of your worst-movie choices. I look forward to your end-of-year get together.
James, you‘re wrong about MacKay being miscast. He‘s only slightly above average in looks which means he would struggle in today‘s (or even 2014’s) dating market if he wasn‘t so famous. So the casting is perfect.
Great list! Here are my 10 favorites: 1. Nosferatu 2. Dune 2 3. The Substance 4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 5. Strange Darling 6. Smile 2 7. Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 8. The Coffee Table 9. Oddity 10. Alien Romulus
So glad horror is a true part of your year end list… just surprised Smile 2 was not mentioned once, one of the most entertaining movie going experience I had all year, furthermore one of the best performances by an actress this year
Love your comments at the end. I hope you still sprinkle in videos about film history here and there. You episodes of WR w Mr Stella were epic, would you consider having him on again to do another deep dive?
Really enjoyed listening to you throughout the year. My list contains mainly non-English language movies. 1. The Taste of Things. 2. La Chimera. 3. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. 4. Challengers, 5 The Teacher's Lounge. 6. About Dry Grasses. 7. Small Things Like These. 8. Green Border. 9. Girls will be Girls. 10 The Promised Land. 11 Hoard. 12 Cadejo Blanco. I haven't seen The Brutalist, Baby girl, A Complete Unknown. A Real Pain, September 5, Nosferatu, The Seed of the Sacred Fig or Hard Truths which might have featured. No UK releases yet for these.
Do you have an opinion of Hundreds of Beavers ? (Technically a 2022 movie but wasn’t released beyond film festivals until this year). My favorite movie I’ve seen in 2024.
I recorded a roundtable video last night and Jon James included it in his top 10. As soon as the video gets through the manual review process for ad suitability, I'll be posting it.
Willa Fitzgerald's performance in Strange Darling might be my favorite performance of the year. Haven't seen The Brutalist yet, but right now, when thinking about movies that stuck out to me the most in 2024, I feel like The Substance might be my favorite film of the year, much as I loved Dune Part Two and Nosferatu.
I hope Willa Fitzgerald books a lot of new jobs based on her work in Strange Darling. She's had some good roles so far but definitely deserves to be a much bigger star.
I need to circle back to Mars Express. I had a ticket to see it opening weekend but ticket sales were so bad, the movie was pulled from release. The animation looks gorgeous.
Since you asked...my list is: 1) dune 2 2) Strang Darling 3) The Substance 4) Longlegs 5) Love Lies Bleeding 6) Challengers 7) Fall Guy 8) Terrifier 3 9) Anora 10) Furiosa Going to see Nosferatu tomorrow so i really hope that cracks the list.
Thank you so much for this video James. So good. I love your lists of flicks. I heard about 'The Beast' and I wanted to check it out on the big screen but alas I missed it. It may sound odd but 'The Beast' sounds a bit like the X-Men story 'House of X Powers of X'. George MacKay is a hunk and Léa Seydoux is a sexy vixen, I will definitely check it out. Tell Becky D'Anna if she wants more George MacKay check out 'Femme' it came out in the UK in 2023 & here over the summer, it's streaming on Hulu. Georgie shows of his bod in the film. 1:21:18 - 😆 That had to come out. Oh man I need to see 'Oddity'. James, should I go see 'Babygirl'? is it pretty good or just meh? My favs of the year so far in no particular order: 'A Complete Unknown' 'Dune Part 2' 'Femme' 'Strange Darling' 'Anora' 'The Substance' 'Nosferatu' 'Love Lies Bleeding' 'Queer'/'Challengers'
Babygirl is totally worth a look but I was really hoping for something a little more scandalous and provocative. And I'll definitely relay to Becky that Femme is required viewing for anyone in the George MacKay fan club. Happy New Year!
BEST films of 2024: (have not seen the brutalist, complete unknown , and a few other noteworthy titles...) 1. The Substance (the rest i will list alphabetically) *Anora *Asphalt City *Dead pool & Wolverine * Furiosa *Kinds of Kindness * Knox Goes Away * Krazy House *Love Lies Bleeding * Maxxxine *Riddle of Fire *sasquatch Sunset * Saturday night *Tuesday WORST films of 2024 1. It ends with us 2. Harold and the purple crayon 3. Uglies 4. Lola 5. Inside out 2 6. Witches 7. Salems lot 8. Damaged 9. Madame Web 10. Wicked part 1 11. Tarot 12. Fabulous four 13. Piano lesson 14. The boneyard 15. Hold your breathe
Looks like I dodged quite a few bullets. My hat is off to you for being able to endure Harold and the Purple Crayon. I walked into it by mistake for a few minutes and quickly started going insane.
Lisa Frankenstein is the only great film of the year for me and largely because its not just a throwback to the horror comedies of the 80s but also a nice callback to one of the most underrated films of 1984, Once Bitten.
As far as young talented starlets go this was defenitely the year of Margaret Qualley and Mikey Madison. Who both were in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood coincidentally.
My top ten: 1.) Hard Truths 2.) Timestalker 3.) Afternoons of Solitude 4.) Rumours 5.) Cloud 6.) On Becoming a Guinea Fowl 7.) Red Rooms 8.) Dahomey 9.) Anora 10.) The Vourdalak Bottom five: Speak No Evil remake, Argylle, The Antisocial Network, Rob Peace and Slay.
well now I will have to watch BEAST :). and to add to the list of really enjoyable movies LOWLIFES and What You Wish For...best to watch both movies without knowing anything about it so you can really enjoy the messed up twists.
I suspect that Disney will continue to make Alien movies and shows for decades and never once will they come close to recapturing the glories of 'Alien' and 'Aliens'.
Not sure if there were enough movies from 2024 that would qualify in order to put together a list but I could definitely do one for old school movies from before my birth.
10.Godzilla x Kong 9.Civil War 8.A Quiet Place Day One 7.Furiosa 6.Nosferatu 5.Longlegs 4.Monkey Man 3.Late night with the Devil 2.The Substance 1. *ᕲ ᑘ ᑎ ᕮ Part Two*
This was one of my favourite films of the year. My advice, dont watch the sketch comedy first, may take away from the creepiness, but there comedy is gold. ua-cam.com/video/pbzGQ1lszv4/v-deo.html
Hey, James! In defense of "Alien: Romulus", I think Fede Alvarez successfully synthesized the prequels and the sequels which could foster unity among the fractured fandom. Another reactor had a lot of issues that were easily explained away by internal evidence from the franchise. I hope these plausible explanations to issues you might have found problematic might enhance your appreciation of the new movie. I personally thought it was the best film in the franchise since "Aliens" and would love a sequel! The callbacks were largely subliminal and respectful. 1. How could there be localized debris after the huge, vaporizing blasts that destroyed the 'Nostromo'? 1. Nuclear blasts leave debris and the 'Nostromo' was a behemoth of a vessel. Some fragments could remain although they probably would have been propelled away from the blast epicenter in every direction. The Company would likelier have tracked the radiation but that isn't quite as cinematic. Still, debris fields are a sci-fi trope and I didn't mind the artistic license. 2. Where did all the facehuggers come from without a Queen? 2. Rook explained that they reverse bio-engineered the ovomorphs from Big Chap's DNA samples and used 3D printing to replicate facehugger specimens. It's pseudo-science but plausible because organic tissue printing is already being done! In a century in that universe, we're meant to assume biotech has advanced sufficiently that the procedure would be successful. The acidic blood could have been neutralized as well. 3. Ridley Scott is trying to retcon the Queen! 3. Ridley Scott is not trying to retcon the Queen. That may have been the initial intent of his ambitious but pretentious prequels but other YT lore channels have uncovered production info on those films that reveal that neither David nor the Engineers created the Xeno but were manipulating the organism after encountering it. The Engineers created us on Earth and the beings David massacred in "Alien: Covenant". The goo is distilled Xeno and a synthesized version of Deacon-blood, the progenitor-Xeno the Engineers worship. I, too, prefer the Xenomorph as a naturally-occurring creature that the Predators also encountered and manipulate for their own ends even though Ridley unjustly repudiates those films. 4. How did the Jackson's Star Administration not know about the station in orbit overhead but these kids did? 4. 'Renaissance' Station DRIFTED into the gravity well of Jackson's Star. It was adrift in space, not orbital. The Colony administration hadn't even detected it yet because of the thick atmosphere. The station was derelict, powered down and in a non-geosynchronous orbit that was degrading. Nevarro had spotted it during her most recent shuttle run because she works as a shuttle pilot. 5. The characters were paper-thin teen slasher-movie fodder with nothing to distinguish them so I didn't care about them when they died! 5. The colony orphans were as briefly fleshed out as the 'Nostromo' crew or 'Sulaco' Marines. The love triangle between Bjorn, Nevarro and Kay was as subtle as the implied relationship between Dallas and Ripley in "Alien". The infidelity and pregnancy lend poignant resonance to their horrible fates! Raine and Andy's relationship is the heart of the movie and his switch to Company loyalty is chilling! Even so, his acerbic aside about being left behind makes you sympathize with him over Raine's planned abandonment. The fact that they're all orphans having to survive on their own explains their youth and highlights the brutality of colony life! 6. Xeno life-cycle speed is whatever the writers want or the plot demands! 6. The accelerated life cycle is explained by Rook as well. The Xeno's metabolism is variable contingent on circumstances to help it adapt to situations. It is nothing if not an adaptive organism. If that's a cop-out then you can account for it as a result of the genetic manipulation of Rook, David, Wren or the Engineers depending on the film. The Predators (officially known as Yautjas) add hormonal additives to speed up the cycle for the hunt. 7. Since when does cold bother xenos? 7. The liquid nitrogen freezing of the facehugger tail to force its release of Nevarro has precedent in "Alien" when Ripley blasts Big Chap with coolant to wake it up in the 'Narcissus' and when Brad Dourif's scientist blasts the captive Xenos with liquid nitrogen to punish their bad behavior in "Alien Resurrection". Extreme heat and cold seems to irritate them. 8. Using Ian Holm's digital likeness was ghoulish, a cheap member-berry and distracting enough to pull me out of the movie! 8. Ian Holm's widow and children approved of the use of his likeness stating he loved the character and would have participated had he been able to. The prop was animatronic with digital touch-ups. It's an organic addition to the story as he is the appropriate generational model the company would employ for R&D work during this time period and it subtly speaks to the disposability of Company employees which is what he was researching anyway by trying to create a durable workforce. Alvarez felt the other androids had multiple appearances and wanted to give Holm another showcase. 9. Why would that stupid girl inject herself with the goo? 9. Kay injected herself with the goo because she was bleeding out fast and was desperate enough to try anything to keep herself and her baby alive even though Raine had expressed her reservations. She had overheard them discussing its positive impact on the rat. Little did she realize she would soon be lactating black goo for her Offspring to suckle with its proboscis! 10. This movie added nothing new to the Alien universe. New Xenomorph lore: resin cocoon capable of maintaining viability in vacuum, facehugger heat detection, variable metabolism contingent on circumstances, post-molting chestburster pupa, black goo taxonomic nomenclature revealed as 'plagiarus praepotens' (powerful mimic). New Weyland-Yutani lore: some terraformed planets like Yvaga are INDEPENDENT of the Company, synthetics unwelcome on independent worlds, corporate interest in a durable slave workforce, knowledge of the truth about the 'Nostromo' incident at the highest levels, off-world employment is like indentured servitude. New set pieces: use of zero-G for the acidic gauntlet and the vertiginous elevator shaft sequence, use of acidic decompression in the shaft and cargo hold! 11. Continuity is already screwed up and "Alien: Earth" is just going to muddy the waters even more. They should have stopped at three! 11. That could very well be but as it currently stands the Company became aware of the xenomorph during the AvP incidents wherein we are introduced to co-founders Charles Bishop Weyland and Ms. Yutani. Although considered a separate film universe and repudiated by Ridley Scott, they fit perfectly into the timeline. Guy Pearce's Peter Weyland could easily be Lance Henriksen's son delivering that TED Talk in 2023. However, the canonical first contact will probably be in the new Hulu series, "Alien: Earth", set in 2120, two years before the events of "Alien". 12. I hate the idea of David creating the Alien! 12. David found an egg in stasis on the "Alien: Covenant" planet which he mentions in the novelization or original screenplay. It's just barely visible in his workshop in the finished film. The Engineers worshipped the Deacon-Xeno and the "Covenant" planet people worshipped the Engineers so the ovomorph was kept secure in some reliquary as an artifact significant to their gods. None of this is apparent in the film but is found in supplementary material. So David had raw organic material to work with for a decade but his xenos are just variants of the original naturally-occurring samples. 13. All the "Prometheus" Engineer goo nonsense should have been left out! 13. Alvarez successfully unified the prequels with the sequels in a digestible way that doesn't require adherence to Ridley's pet philosophies. A Xenomorph-human hybrid was first seen in "Alien Resurrection" birthed by a Queen with a uterus rather than an ovipositor. Audiences unfamiliar with "Prometheus" will simply take the Offspring as another such hybrid without the philosophical baggage. 14. Andy ripping off Ripley's iconic line is unforgivable! 14. I'm in complete agreement about Andy cribbing Ripley's line, though. It was out of context and the Alpha was male! It made no sense! Andy should have been established as clumsily employing swear words when teased by Bjorn to have it pay off in the shaft during his hero moment. The audience would have recognized the intent. 15. Why was the Alpha's cracked dome sparking? 15. That was the tip of Bjorn's cattleprod lodged in the Alpha's brainpan still firing off! 16. Why did the Alpha save Raine from freefall? 16. It snatched her from her plummet in order to restrain her for the facehugger in the shaft that was making its way toward her!
For better or worse, "The Polar Express" has become a Christmas/holiday season staple. Between licensing fees (from TV reruns/streaming) and Blu-Ray/DVD sales (which total $150 million approx. As per the Numbers), it is likely that "The Polar Express" has eked out a profit by this point. Additionally, "Flight" was profitable and well-received critically. However, I do concur about your point pertaining to the majority of Zemeckis' output in the 2000s as being more driven by a specific technical aspect (motion capture, 3-D, stationary camera) as opposed to choices that may better support the overall narrative of a film.
Top 10 Favorite Movies 2024 1. Dune Part 2 2. Kingdom of the planet of the Apes 3. Nosferatu 4. Conclave 5. The Substance 6. Sing Sing 7. Heretic 8. Monkey Man 9. Time Addicts 10. Love lies Bleeding
Love your passion, James. I deeply admire "The Beast"! I think it's the best film of 2023. Here's my list for 2024 (so far): 10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (8/10) 9. The Order (8/10) 8. The End (8/10) 7. Dune: Part Two (8/10) 6. History of Souleymane (8/10) 5. Christspiracy (9/10) 4. Oddity (9/10) 3. Monkey Man (10/10) 2. Longlegs (10/10) 1. Kinds of Kindness (10/10) Yet to see: Nosferatu, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Devil’s Bath, The Girl with the Needle, Scorched Earth (Verbrannte Erde) Biggest disappointment of 2024: Megalopolis (4/10) and The Substance (4/10), tie Worst film of 2024: Joker 2
Great list! After I posted my video I felt very guilty about not giving 'Kinds of Kindness' more attention. Here's my review from its initial release: ua-cam.com/video/h2KOd1wCTfM/v-deo.html
My favorites of the year: 1. Nosferatu 2. The Wild Robot 3. Strange Darling 4. The Substance 5. Furiosa Still need to see Anora and The Brutalist but saw everything else pretty much.
Not having seen Nosferatu or The Brutalist my top ten is: 1.The Substance 2.Late Night with the Devil 3.Terrifier 3 4.Ghostlight 5.Oddity 6.Reverse the Curse 7.Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 8.Challengers 9.Strange Darling 10.A Different Man Really difficult time getting the ranking right this year. Overall a bit disappointing year but what can you do🤷♂
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Yup, pretty much. Looking forward to your roundtable discussion with the lads, have listened to every single one you've done. Keep up the good work!
Becky ~ I highly recommend you check out the film Mr. Nobody. Based on your description of The Beast, this movie is absolutely right up your alley! You're taken on a journey through the perspective of Jared Leto's character - across multiple timelines and past lives, etc. Like The Beast, it also spans across different genres (science fiction, romance, thriller, drama). It's also a movie that rewards the viewer with rewatches - as there are so many layers and complexities to it. It has become a personal favorite of mine after the hours of obsessive ruminating & thinking about the meaning behind some of the key scenes. Mr. Nobody is grossly underrated, but I suspect it's because the film cannot be easily devoured on a single watch. The direction and music are also so beautiful. The visuals are so clever and striking, but never overrides the emotional core of the story. Thanks to your review, I will be checking out The Beast very soon. Hopefully you're able to give Mr. Nobody a chance. If you haven't seen it yet you are in for a treat!
@@beckydanna9866 No doubt we will both be thanking each other. There appears to be a longing-romantic element in both films as well... so ENJOY, and I plan to see The Beast very soon.
@@beckydanna9866 Wow... just watched The Beast! So much going on, and so much to say. The home invasion scene (and the additional *gravity* of the situation because of the themes of this movie) was one of the most suspenseful sequences I ever saw. Lea's shrieking screams were not only unsettling, but they also had 3 different meanings depending on the scene. I have not yet seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but I imagine The Beast to be kind of a mix between that film and a Black Mirror episode. I think I might understand the meaning behind the final scene... and perhaps "The Beast" is A.I. itself? I will need to watch this at least a few more times to digest everything. There is probably more going on with submersion in water, the meaning of the dolls, and the pigeons. It's also very difficult to determine what's real and what may be a manipulated memory. Thank you so much for recommending this! I really enjoyed it.
I liked "Made in England". If you like "Made in England", try "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies." It is similar to the other documentary but much longer (3 discs) and with an American focus.
TOP 10 FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2024: 1. Dune: Part 2 2. Deadpool & Wolverine 3. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story 4. Nosferatu 5. The Wild Robot 6. Inside Out 2 7. Anora 8. Hit Man 9. Society Of The Snow & Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 10. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Damien Leone is my hero when it comes to maintaining independence and autonomy while making hardcore unrated feature films. Total badass and fired up for whatever he does next.
That's a strange way to frame the Sebastian Stan situation with Variety's Actors on Actors thing. No one said anything about "disapproving of him playing Donald Trump". They said they didn't want to talk about Trump. Which could mean anything. They were tired of talking about him, they had nothing to say about him, they loved him, they hated him. All I know is the phrase wasn't used by either Variety or Stan. Variety said none of the actors wanted to talk with him about Trump, and Stan said they were too afraid to talk about Trump. Implying talking about Trump (positive or negative. I could imagine both) is harmful to your career or any chances at winning an award (which is what the Variety series is for) Because of politics? Partially perhaps, but also because people are exhausted by it. Particularly this part of the year. Like consider this for a second. You are Adrian Brody and your publicist gives you a list of actors that includes Tilda Swinton (a friend), Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Sebastian Stan among many others I imagine. Would you really want to talk about Donald Trump for an hour in a couple weeks after the election? You probably love the performance even, but what are you going to say that hasn't already been said for the past 8 years that is interesting or fun to even talk about? Add to that the public scrutiny aspect and you have the perfect recipe for each actor to place him at the bottom of the list of people they wanted to talk to. I mean if every single actor was told "oh hey guys, by the way if someone doesn't volunteer Sebastian isn't going to be on the show and talk to anyone, i'm sure someone would have offered to, but that's of course not how this works.
I stopped doing the audio only version after episode 666. Seemed like a good stopping point. Now I do episodes of Wrong Reel on special occasions like yesterday: ua-cam.com/video/ZOB8joEGHgI/v-deo.html
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Understand! Will check it out! But I suggest to consider publish also as a audio only, people like me listen a lot of podcasts while running, cooking etc, and YT (free) on mobile doesn't allow turn off the screen and listen :( Also is good to have the show on the podcast app! Is a better context than the YT hell/algo/videos/shorts
@@geekinwithJamesHancockcount me as someone who misses the Wrong Reel format. Love hearing you and great guests exploring all exciting corners of the w film world. I still watch all the yt stuff as well of course.
The Beast sadly not available on Criterion channel depending on your region. Not in Canada for example and no I don't have VPN nor plan on getting one.
I heard Speak No Evil wasn't bad. Wait a minute Robert Zemeckis doesn't know heart and humanity? Here may have been a turd but have you seen the Back To The Future trilogy? Castaway, Flight, Contact, Forrest Gump is not embued with "heart and humanity"?
Woody Allen & Roman Polanski having to hide away making films in France whilst a certain orange man gets voted back into power to run the most powerful country in the world, who mad is that??
"The right thought it was too critical of Donald Trump" Yet the right is always saying "facts don't care about your feelings" to everyone else. Funny how that works out?
Editor of 'Oddity' here and longtime fan of watching your takes. Thanks for going out to see it and for all the support. Wasn't a huge amount of marketing so word of mouth really helped. Working with Damian on his third movie in 2025. Happy New Year 🎉
Amazing work. I've only seen people raving about the movie, which it deserves utterly.
you creeped me out Mr. Davis!!!
thanks for the movie! it's shaping up to be a cult classic. so cool that you are working on a new one. now its a must see for any horror fan. happy new year!
Great film, Brian. Looking forward to the next film from your creative team.
You've been my favorite critic this year. Keep it up.
Found him this year and I Eighth that motion.
High five, Jay! Hope you had a great Christmas and Happy early New Year!
Hi James! I found your channel via your Dune 2 review. You've become my go-to for movie reviews. Keep up the great job. 😊
Many thanks! 'Dune: Part Two' was definitely one of the real highlights of the year. Beyond fired up to see what Villeneuve does with his adaptation of 'Dune Messiah'. Thanks for sticking with the channel!
So glad Oddity made the list! It’s one of those films that gets better and better after a rewatching. The jumpscares were so incredibly well executed, and the beginning of the film had me utterly hooked… a total nightmare scenario that I’ll never forget. Thinking I’m alone in a house when a total stranger suddenly comes knocking, and tells me there’s someone in my house… that is some twisted shit!
Thanks, it’s 11 pm and I’ve now signed up for a trial of Criterion to watch The Beast
🔥🔥
My first time seeing your channel - thanks James. I watched your list and love your passion. What a surprise to see your number 1 is the same as mine. I've not seen anyone else mention Powell & Pressburger. I've seen almost 19,000 movies over many years and it's obviously been a lifelong passion. P&P feature highly for me, as does Martin Scorsese. Time is short.
Great video as always, James! You added a ton of new stuff to my "to-watch" list (more of a "pile" at this point!) and had a few of the ones I already got to listed as well. Hope your holiday season is treating you well!
Holiday was splendid and looking forward to tackling more flicks in the not-so-distant future. Trying to upload a 3-hour roundtable conversation about the best of the year, but I need to wait for a manual review. Apparently our conversation is so scandalous it is unfit for adverstisers.
Flashbacks of WR with Becky coming on. Good stuff! I saw the Beast 2024 and I thought it was interesting, but not as much as Becky. But I also remember watching that Walerian Borowczyk movie based on that WR episode. That was something else.
I’m wearing a Terrifier 3 shirt as I watch this. 😂 I hadn’t even watched the first two films because as much as I love horror, I’m not a gore hound. I was so surprised at how much I liked that movie. lol. And I went to see Oddity in an empty theater by myself just because of your review and reaction to it. I’d say it’s probably still my favorite of the year! I don’t know if I can put them all in a certain order, but Longlegs, Heretic, Terrifier 3, The Substance, Nosferatu and Strange Darling are my top picks for sure. 😁👍
Massive fan of all those horror movies you mentioned. It was truly a stellar year for the genre and I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed 'Oddity' as much as I did. Happy New Year!
Wow thankyou for the tip about Made in England. Had not heard of it and LOVE documentaries like this!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Fingers crossed the doc helps a new generation of fans discover Powell & Pressburger.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock oh it was fab!!!! What lovely people they were. Made me teary in some bits. Scorsese is wonderful too.
thanks for spotlighting The Beast, watching now
Yay!! 🥰
Love Becky’s video about THE BEAST. I’m going to rewatch ASAP after this video
it was a pretty good year, I hate when people say it was a bad year for movies every year
I barely went to the movies more than once a month this year
Agreed It's annoying when people say every year is bad like wtf man....
Yeah I agree but it was a bad year for movies.
James still the horniest critic in the scene 😂
Great year of videos James!! Looking forward to next year
Many thanks! January and February tend to be a little slow when it comes to movie releases but luckily there are a few cool video games on the horizon to keep us entertained.
Great video man you always bring the good insight and Mahe it fun 😊
Stacked post and happy everything to you Sir awesome🙏🏽🙌🏾🤘🏼
Thanks! Happy New Year!
Mr Hancock, It's always a pleasure listening to your assessments of films and filmmakers. I appreciated your top choice, and particularly the Woody Allen acknowledgement. I just can't think of a more intelligent and prolific filmmaker in my lifetime. I've never been that impassioned about horror movies, except maybe the collected accomplishments of Hammer Studios, but enjoy your enthusiasm with fright films. The movies I regret having sat through this year were THE FALL GUY, HORIZON #1 and MEGALOPOLIS, but was lucky enough to pass on all of your worst-movie choices. I look forward to your end-of-year get together.
Rewatched 'Husbands and Wives' and 'Hannah and Her Sisters' recently with my parents. They're better than ever.
James, you‘re wrong about MacKay being miscast. He‘s only slightly above average in looks which means he would struggle in today‘s (or even 2014’s) dating market if he wasn‘t so famous. So the casting is perfect.
I'm so happy to see Terrifier 3 on this list 🎉 - couldn't agree more on all you've said. Keep up the great work, James 💪🏻
Great list!
Here are my 10 favorites:
1. Nosferatu
2. Dune 2
3. The Substance
4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
5. Strange Darling
6. Smile 2
7. Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
8. The Coffee Table
9. Oddity
10. Alien Romulus
So glad horror is a true part of your year end list… just surprised Smile 2 was not mentioned once, one of the most entertaining movie going experience I had all year, furthermore one of the best performances by an actress this year
Great video as always! Keep it up good sir.
James, I also suffer from thalassophobia 😂 you’re not alone!
Love your comments at the end. I hope you still sprinkle in videos about film history here and there. You episodes of WR w Mr Stella were epic, would you consider having him on again to do another deep dive?
MERRY CHRISTMAS, JAMES 😀
Happy New Year!
You’re the number one movie commentator/reviewer of 2024 i know that’s for sure
Awesome vid!
Really enjoyed listening to you throughout the year. My list contains mainly non-English language movies. 1. The Taste of Things. 2. La Chimera. 3. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. 4. Challengers, 5 The Teacher's Lounge. 6. About Dry Grasses. 7. Small Things Like These. 8. Green Border. 9. Girls will be Girls. 10 The Promised Land. 11 Hoard. 12 Cadejo Blanco.
I haven't seen The Brutalist, Baby girl, A Complete Unknown. A Real Pain, September 5, Nosferatu, The Seed of the Sacred Fig or Hard Truths which might have featured. No UK releases yet for these.
La Chimera and Challengers 👏
I keep hearing nothing but amazing things about La Chimera. I'll definitely be watching it before all the big awards shows.
Do you have an opinion of Hundreds of Beavers ? (Technically a 2022 movie but wasn’t released beyond film festivals until this year). My favorite movie I’ve seen in 2024.
I recorded a roundtable video last night and Jon James included it in his top 10. As soon as the video gets through the manual review process for ad suitability, I'll be posting it.
Willa Fitzgerald's performance in Strange Darling might be my favorite performance of the year. Haven't seen The Brutalist yet, but right now, when thinking about movies that stuck out to me the most in 2024, I feel like The Substance might be my favorite film of the year, much as I loved Dune Part Two and Nosferatu.
I hope Willa Fitzgerald books a lot of new jobs based on her work in Strange Darling. She's had some good roles so far but definitely deserves to be a much bigger star.
You're videos are great. Thanks for the Lord's work.
1 Challengers
2 Gladiator 2
3 Alien Romulus
4 Dune 2
5 Exhibiting Forgiveness
6 Anora
7 Cukoo
8 The Apprentice
9 Cabrini
10 Smile 2
11 Young Woman and the Sea
12 Nosferatu
13 Monkey Man
14 Magpie
15 Suncoast
16 Furiosa
17 Red Rooms
18 Hitman
19 Civil War
20 Saturday Night
Anora should’ve been a smash hit.
I thought it was going to perform far better as well, but with $30 million in box office it is still Sean Baker's biggest hit yet.
I lovvvve 'The Beast' lea seydoux was fantastic! 'Mars Express' is also quite a gem
I need to circle back to Mars Express. I had a ticket to see it opening weekend but ticket sales were so bad, the movie was pulled from release. The animation looks gorgeous.
@ the ending is as indelible as ever
I can’t release my list until I’ve seen “The Brutalist.”
The only thing I needed to know was whether you had Dune part 2 w/in your top 3 which you did...so I'll allow it. Lol, j/k (not really). Solid list!
Much obliged! Very fired up to see what Villeneuve does with his adaptation of 'Dune Messiah'.
Since you asked...my list is:
1) dune 2
2) Strang Darling
3) The Substance
4) Longlegs
5) Love Lies Bleeding
6) Challengers
7) Fall Guy
8) Terrifier 3
9) Anora
10) Furiosa
Going to see Nosferatu tomorrow so i really hope that cracks the list.
cheers
For me
1. Dune Part 2 10/10
2. Wicked 10/10
3. Anora 10/10
4. Inside Out 2 9.5/10
5. Nosferatu 9/10
6. Hit Man 9/10
7. Babygirl 9/10
8. Deadpool & Wolverine 8.5/10
9. Saturday Night 8.5/10
10. Furiosa 8.5/10
I still need to see Saturday Night but part of me just wants to watch highlights from Season 1 of SNL instead.
Thank you so much for this video James. So good. I love your lists of flicks. I heard about 'The Beast' and I wanted to check it out on the big screen but alas I missed it. It may sound odd but 'The Beast' sounds a bit like the X-Men story 'House of X Powers of X'. George MacKay is a hunk and Léa Seydoux is a sexy vixen, I will definitely check it out. Tell Becky D'Anna if she wants more George MacKay check out 'Femme' it came out in the UK in 2023 & here over the summer, it's streaming on Hulu. Georgie shows of his bod in the film. 1:21:18 - 😆 That had to come out. Oh man I need to see 'Oddity'. James, should I go see 'Babygirl'? is it pretty good or just meh?
My favs of the year so far in no particular order:
'A Complete Unknown'
'Dune Part 2'
'Femme'
'Strange Darling'
'Anora'
'The Substance'
'Nosferatu'
'Love Lies Bleeding'
'Queer'/'Challengers'
Babygirl is totally worth a look but I was really hoping for something a little more scandalous and provocative. And I'll definitely relay to Becky that Femme is required viewing for anyone in the George MacKay fan club. Happy New Year!
BEST films of 2024: (have not seen the brutalist, complete unknown , and a few other noteworthy titles...)
1. The Substance
(the rest i will list alphabetically)
*Anora
*Asphalt City
*Dead pool & Wolverine
* Furiosa
*Kinds of Kindness
* Knox Goes Away
* Krazy House
*Love Lies Bleeding
* Maxxxine
*Riddle of Fire
*sasquatch Sunset
* Saturday night
*Tuesday
WORST films of 2024
1. It ends with us
2. Harold and the purple crayon
3. Uglies
4. Lola
5. Inside out 2
6. Witches
7. Salems lot
8. Damaged
9. Madame Web
10. Wicked part 1
11. Tarot
12. Fabulous four
13. Piano lesson
14. The boneyard
15. Hold your breathe
Looks like I dodged quite a few bullets. My hat is off to you for being able to endure Harold and the Purple Crayon. I walked into it by mistake for a few minutes and quickly started going insane.
And I'm thrilled to see Sasquatch Sunset on your list. It totally flew under the radar for most people.
Lisa Frankenstein is the only great film of the year for me and largely because its not just a throwback to the horror comedies of the 80s but also a nice callback to one of the most underrated films of 1984, Once Bitten.
As far as young talented starlets go this was defenitely the year of Margaret Qualley and Mikey Madison. Who both were in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood coincidentally.
My top ten: 1.) Hard Truths 2.) Timestalker 3.) Afternoons of Solitude 4.) Rumours 5.) Cloud
6.) On Becoming a Guinea Fowl 7.) Red Rooms 8.) Dahomey 9.) Anora 10.) The Vourdalak
Bottom five: Speak No Evil remake, Argylle, The Antisocial Network, Rob Peace and Slay.
Good vid
Thanks so much for another banging video & for all your great videos this year. Your work is very much appreciated.
Well the appreciation is mutual. Many thanks for watching!
Dune: Part 2 is the rare culmination of literally everyone involved showing up literally every day with their A Game locked & loaded.
ok ok you twisted my arm, will check out The Apprentice. :)
Definitely worth a look. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong go all out.
well now I will have to watch BEAST :). and to add to the list of really enjoyable movies LOWLIFES and What You Wish For...best to watch both movies without knowing anything about it so you can really enjoy the messed up twists.
Glad to see Oddity on here. Caveat scared the absolute shit out of me back in 2021 😂
Thank you for saying what I was thinking after viewing Alien Romulus.
I suspect that Disney will continue to make Alien movies and shows for decades and never once will they come close to recapturing the glories of 'Alien' and 'Aliens'.
I didn't expect it to be 1 and a half hours 😅
Need some tea for that
Edit : finished !
James you should do a video on what movies list you liked but was hated by most movie goers.
Not sure if there were enough movies from 2024 that would qualify in order to put together a list but I could definitely do one for old school movies from before my birth.
The Beast sounds interesting and I really like Lea Seydoux. There's got to be somewhere to watch it.
You can stream on Criterion Channel or rent on ITunes or UA-cam for $3.99!
I rented it on prime
10.Godzilla x Kong 9.Civil War 8.A Quiet Place Day One 7.Furiosa 6.Nosferatu 5.Longlegs 4.Monkey Man 3.Late night with the Devil 2.The Substance
1. *ᕲ ᑘ ᑎ ᕮ Part Two*
I can't find the milk and cereal horror film on youtube that you mentioned. Any links available ? Thanks.
This was one of my favourite films of the year. My advice, dont watch the sketch comedy first, may take away from the creepiness, but there comedy is gold. ua-cam.com/video/pbzGQ1lszv4/v-deo.html
@@harryrodd4383thanks !
Booyah: ua-cam.com/video/pbzGQ1lszv4/v-deo.html
Now that's a unique #1!
Hey, James! In defense of "Alien: Romulus", I think Fede Alvarez successfully synthesized the prequels and the sequels which could foster unity among the fractured fandom. Another reactor had a lot of issues that were easily explained away by internal evidence from the franchise. I hope these plausible explanations to issues you might have found problematic might enhance your appreciation of the new movie. I personally thought it was the best film in the franchise since "Aliens" and would love a sequel! The callbacks were largely subliminal and respectful.
1. How could there be localized debris after the huge, vaporizing blasts that destroyed the 'Nostromo'?
1. Nuclear blasts leave debris and the 'Nostromo' was a behemoth of a vessel. Some fragments could remain although they probably would have been propelled away from the blast epicenter in every direction. The Company would likelier have tracked the radiation but that isn't quite as cinematic. Still, debris fields are a sci-fi trope and I didn't mind the artistic license.
2. Where did all the facehuggers come from without a Queen?
2. Rook explained that they reverse bio-engineered the ovomorphs from Big Chap's DNA samples and used 3D printing to replicate facehugger specimens. It's pseudo-science but plausible because organic tissue printing is already being done! In a century in that universe, we're meant to assume biotech has advanced sufficiently that the procedure would be successful. The acidic blood could have been neutralized as well.
3. Ridley Scott is trying to retcon the Queen!
3. Ridley Scott is not trying to retcon the Queen. That may have been the initial intent of his ambitious but pretentious prequels but other YT lore channels have uncovered production info on those films that reveal that neither David nor the Engineers created the Xeno but were manipulating the organism after encountering it. The Engineers created us on Earth and the beings David massacred in "Alien: Covenant". The goo is distilled Xeno and a synthesized version of Deacon-blood, the progenitor-Xeno the Engineers worship. I, too, prefer the Xenomorph as a naturally-occurring creature that the Predators also encountered and manipulate for their own ends even though Ridley unjustly repudiates those films.
4. How did the Jackson's Star Administration not know about the station in orbit overhead but these kids did?
4. 'Renaissance' Station DRIFTED into the gravity well of Jackson's Star. It was adrift in space, not orbital. The Colony administration hadn't even detected it yet because of the thick atmosphere. The station was derelict, powered down and in a non-geosynchronous orbit that was degrading. Nevarro had spotted it during her most recent shuttle run because she works as a shuttle pilot.
5. The characters were paper-thin teen slasher-movie fodder with nothing to distinguish them so I didn't care about them when they died!
5. The colony orphans were as briefly fleshed out as the 'Nostromo' crew or 'Sulaco' Marines. The love triangle between Bjorn, Nevarro and Kay was as subtle as the implied relationship between Dallas and Ripley in "Alien". The infidelity and pregnancy lend poignant resonance to their horrible fates! Raine and Andy's relationship is the heart of the movie and his switch to Company loyalty is chilling! Even so, his acerbic aside about being left behind makes you sympathize with him over Raine's planned abandonment. The fact that they're all orphans having to survive on their own explains their youth and highlights the brutality of colony life!
6. Xeno life-cycle speed is whatever the writers want or the plot demands!
6. The accelerated life cycle is explained by Rook as well. The Xeno's metabolism is variable contingent on circumstances to help it adapt to situations. It is nothing if not an adaptive organism. If that's a cop-out then you can account for it as a result of the genetic manipulation of Rook, David, Wren or the Engineers depending on the film. The Predators (officially known as Yautjas) add hormonal additives to speed up the cycle for the hunt.
7. Since when does cold bother xenos?
7. The liquid nitrogen freezing of the facehugger tail to force its release of Nevarro has precedent in "Alien" when Ripley blasts Big Chap with coolant to wake it up in the 'Narcissus' and when Brad Dourif's scientist blasts the captive Xenos with liquid nitrogen to punish their bad behavior in "Alien Resurrection". Extreme heat and cold seems to irritate them.
8. Using Ian Holm's digital likeness was ghoulish, a cheap member-berry and distracting enough to pull me out of the movie!
8. Ian Holm's widow and children approved of the use of his likeness stating he loved the character and would have participated had he been able to. The prop was animatronic with digital touch-ups. It's an organic addition to the story as he is the appropriate generational model the company would employ for R&D work during this time period and it subtly speaks to the disposability of Company employees which is what he was researching anyway by trying to create a durable workforce. Alvarez felt the other androids had multiple appearances and wanted to give Holm another showcase.
9. Why would that stupid girl inject herself with the goo?
9. Kay injected herself with the goo because she was bleeding out fast and was desperate enough to try anything to keep herself and her baby alive even though Raine had expressed her reservations. She had overheard them discussing its positive impact on the rat. Little did she realize she would soon be lactating black goo for her Offspring to suckle with its proboscis!
10. This movie added nothing new to the Alien universe.
New Xenomorph lore: resin cocoon capable of maintaining viability in vacuum, facehugger heat detection, variable metabolism contingent on circumstances, post-molting chestburster pupa, black goo taxonomic nomenclature revealed as 'plagiarus praepotens' (powerful mimic).
New Weyland-Yutani lore: some terraformed planets like Yvaga are INDEPENDENT of the Company, synthetics unwelcome on independent worlds, corporate interest in a durable slave workforce, knowledge of the truth about the 'Nostromo' incident at the highest levels, off-world employment is like indentured servitude.
New set pieces: use of zero-G for the acidic gauntlet and the vertiginous elevator shaft sequence, use of acidic decompression in the shaft and cargo hold!
11. Continuity is already screwed up and "Alien: Earth" is just going to muddy the waters even more. They should have stopped at three!
11. That could very well be but as it currently stands the Company became aware of the xenomorph during the AvP incidents wherein we are introduced to co-founders Charles Bishop Weyland and Ms. Yutani. Although considered a separate film universe and repudiated by Ridley Scott, they fit perfectly into the timeline. Guy Pearce's Peter Weyland could easily be Lance Henriksen's son delivering that TED Talk in 2023. However, the canonical first contact will probably be in the new Hulu series, "Alien: Earth", set in 2120, two years before the events of "Alien".
12. I hate the idea of David creating the Alien!
12. David found an egg in stasis on the "Alien: Covenant" planet which he mentions in the novelization or original screenplay. It's just barely visible in his workshop in the finished film. The Engineers worshipped the Deacon-Xeno and the "Covenant" planet people worshipped the Engineers so the ovomorph was kept secure in some reliquary as an artifact significant to their gods. None of this is apparent in the film but is found in supplementary material. So David had raw organic material to work with for a decade but his xenos are just variants of the original naturally-occurring samples.
13. All the "Prometheus" Engineer goo nonsense should have been left out!
13. Alvarez successfully unified the prequels with the sequels in a digestible way that doesn't require adherence to Ridley's pet philosophies. A Xenomorph-human hybrid was first seen in "Alien Resurrection" birthed by a Queen with a uterus rather than an ovipositor. Audiences unfamiliar with "Prometheus" will simply take the Offspring as another such hybrid without the philosophical baggage.
14. Andy ripping off Ripley's iconic line is unforgivable!
14. I'm in complete agreement about Andy cribbing Ripley's line, though. It was out of context and the Alpha was male! It made no sense! Andy should have been established as clumsily employing swear words when teased by Bjorn to have it pay off in the shaft during his hero moment. The audience would have recognized the intent.
15. Why was the Alpha's cracked dome sparking?
15. That was the tip of Bjorn's cattleprod lodged in the Alpha's brainpan still firing off!
16. Why did the Alpha save Raine from freefall?
16. It snatched her from her plummet in order to restrain her for the facehugger in the shaft that was making its way toward her!
For better or worse, "The Polar Express" has become a Christmas/holiday season staple. Between licensing fees (from TV reruns/streaming) and Blu-Ray/DVD sales (which total $150 million approx. As per the Numbers), it is likely that "The Polar Express" has eked out a profit by this point. Additionally, "Flight" was profitable and well-received critically.
However, I do concur about your point pertaining to the majority of Zemeckis' output in the 2000s as being more driven by a specific technical aspect (motion capture, 3-D, stationary camera) as opposed to choices that may better support the overall narrative of a film.
Penny Dreadful is a good compliment if you enjoyed Nosferatu 2024
I'll watch anything with Eva Green. Thanks for the reminder!
La Chimera was like a good arthouse Indiana Jones movie lol
It's a good flick!
About to post a roundtable video where my friend Jon James sang its praises. I'm definitely going to hunt it down.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock it’s on Hulu
Top 10 Favorite Movies 2024
1. Dune Part 2
2. Kingdom of the planet of the Apes
3. Nosferatu
4. Conclave
5. The Substance
6. Sing Sing
7. Heretic
8. Monkey Man
9. Time Addicts
10. Love lies Bleeding
I actually thought the remake of Speak No Evil was pretty decent. But I agree that the original is better and it didn’t necessarily need to be remade
substance is a masterpiece demi nails it just wow
I think I'm on a bit of an island in thinking Dune Part 1 was immensely superior film to the second one. Second one was great, but Part 1 was perfect.
Love your passion, James. I deeply admire "The Beast"! I think it's the best film of 2023. Here's my list for 2024 (so far):
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (8/10)
9. The Order (8/10)
8. The End (8/10)
7. Dune: Part Two (8/10)
6. History of Souleymane (8/10)
5. Christspiracy (9/10)
4. Oddity (9/10)
3. Monkey Man (10/10)
2. Longlegs (10/10)
1. Kinds of Kindness (10/10)
Yet to see: Nosferatu, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Devil’s Bath, The Girl with the Needle, Scorched Earth (Verbrannte Erde)
Biggest disappointment of 2024: Megalopolis (4/10) and The Substance (4/10), tie
Worst film of 2024: Joker 2
Great list! After I posted my video I felt very guilty about not giving 'Kinds of Kindness' more attention. Here's my review from its initial release: ua-cam.com/video/h2KOd1wCTfM/v-deo.html
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Thank you.
My favorites of the year:
1. Nosferatu
2. The Wild Robot
3. Strange Darling
4. The Substance
5. Furiosa
Still need to see Anora and The Brutalist but saw everything else pretty much.
Furiosa was in 2024?
@ Yup, I believe it was released in May.
@@themtgdude486 that’s bonkers seems like forever ago
Not having seen Nosferatu or The Brutalist my top ten is:
1.The Substance
2.Late Night with the Devil
3.Terrifier 3
4.Ghostlight
5.Oddity
6.Reverse the Curse
7.Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
8.Challengers
9.Strange Darling
10.A Different Man
Really difficult time getting the ranking right this year.
Overall a bit disappointing year but what can you do🤷♂
I like seeing so many horror movies on your list. It was a bit of an off year for movies, but a great year for horror overall.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Yup, pretty much. Looking forward to your roundtable discussion with the lads, have listened to every single one you've done. Keep up the good work!
James what about the first omen ? Come on
No Smile 2 on your horror list? Naomi Scott’s performance by itself made it one of the better horror movies of the year to me.
Becky ~ I highly recommend you check out the film Mr. Nobody. Based on your description of The Beast, this movie is absolutely right up your alley! You're taken on a journey through the perspective of Jared Leto's character - across multiple timelines and past lives, etc. Like The Beast, it also spans across different genres (science fiction, romance, thriller, drama). It's also a movie that rewards the viewer with rewatches - as there are so many layers and complexities to it. It has become a personal favorite of mine after the hours of obsessive ruminating & thinking about the meaning behind some of the key scenes. Mr. Nobody is grossly underrated, but I suspect it's because the film cannot be easily devoured on a single watch. The direction and music are also so beautiful. The visuals are so clever and striking, but never overrides the emotional core of the story. Thanks to your review, I will be checking out The Beast very soon. Hopefully you're able to give Mr. Nobody a chance. If you haven't seen it yet you are in for a treat!
Omg, thank you for the recommendation! It’s going on my watch list for January!! Let me know what you think of THE BEAST!!
@@beckydanna9866 No doubt we will both be thanking each other. There appears to be a longing-romantic element in both films as well... so ENJOY, and I plan to see The Beast very soon.
@@beckydanna9866 Wow... just watched The Beast! So much going on, and so much to say. The home invasion scene (and the additional *gravity* of the situation because of the themes of this movie) was one of the most suspenseful sequences I ever saw. Lea's shrieking screams were not only unsettling, but they also had 3 different meanings depending on the scene. I have not yet seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but I imagine The Beast to be kind of a mix between that film and a Black Mirror episode. I think I might understand the meaning behind the final scene... and perhaps "The Beast" is A.I. itself? I will need to watch this at least a few more times to digest everything. There is probably more going on with submersion in water, the meaning of the dolls, and the pigeons. It's also very difficult to determine what's real and what may be a manipulated memory. Thank you so much for recommending this! I really enjoyed it.
Over the moon to hear it! I’ll check back in once I see your recommendation in Jan!!
Sounds good! I'll hunt it down.
Ghostbusters destroyed me. No faith in seeing anything going forward from that franchise. It was the worst thing I saw this year by far.
It blows my mind how Sony keeps trying to turn that series of movies into something that it is not.
I liked "Made in England". If you like "Made in England", try "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies." It is similar to the other documentary but much longer (3 discs) and with an American focus.
Lewanski ? 😁
Just watched THE BEAST now get it Thanks
@@matthewbooth547 Couldn't resist.
Top 5 theatrical releases:
Civil War
Blitz
The Substance
Sing Sing
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
When Evil Lurks not in your list? Best horror movie of 2024. Waaaaaaa😢!
It might have been on his 2023 list.
My fave horrors are the substance, smile 2, and heretic
I feel like Smile 2 is heavily influenced by Powell/ Pressburger.
TOP 10 FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2024:
1. Dune: Part 2
2. Deadpool & Wolverine
3. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
4. Nosferatu
5. The Wild Robot
6. Inside Out 2
7. Anora
8. Hit Man
9. Society Of The Snow & Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
10. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Good list. Damn it seems like society of the snow came out 2 years ago.
@@ladyhotep5189 It's from 2023.
Thrilled to see I'm not the only one who got into 'Hit Man'. I feel that movie would have cleaned up with a theatrical release.
Love your channel but not a fan of all the G-Damn’s, another great vid tho.
Damien Leone is my hero when it comes to maintaining independence and autonomy while making hardcore unrated feature films. Total badass and fired up for whatever he does next.
Me and all your subscribers better be invited to the wedding
If I ever become an honest man, everyone will absolutely be invited to the event. Happy New Year!
@ 😂😂😂
Happy new year to you too! Really appreciate all the content. Been listening to you since you reviewed the watchmen series.
That's a strange way to frame the Sebastian Stan situation with Variety's Actors on Actors thing. No one said anything about "disapproving of him playing Donald Trump". They said they didn't want to talk about Trump. Which could mean anything. They were tired of talking about him, they had nothing to say about him, they loved him, they hated him. All I know is the phrase wasn't used by either Variety or Stan. Variety said none of the actors wanted to talk with him about Trump, and Stan said they were too afraid to talk about Trump. Implying talking about Trump (positive or negative. I could imagine both) is harmful to your career or any chances at winning an award (which is what the Variety series is for) Because of politics? Partially perhaps, but also because people are exhausted by it. Particularly this part of the year.
Like consider this for a second. You are Adrian Brody and your publicist gives you a list of actors that includes Tilda Swinton (a friend), Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and Sebastian Stan among many others I imagine. Would you really want to talk about Donald Trump for an hour in a couple weeks after the election? You probably love the performance even, but what are you going to say that hasn't already been said for the past 8 years that is interesting or fun to even talk about? Add to that the public scrutiny aspect and you have the perfect recipe for each actor to place him at the bottom of the list of people they wanted to talk to. I mean if every single actor was told "oh hey guys, by the way if someone doesn't volunteer Sebastian isn't going to be on the show and talk to anyone, i'm sure someone would have offered to, but that's of course not how this works.
Love your movie picks, hate how often you curse. Gotta earmuff the kids when I'm listening. You say goddamn so much it makes my skin crawl.
Subnautica might tickle your thalassophobia if you game.
Lol, much obliged for the heads up! Looking up Subnautica trailers now. I'm an avid gamer.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Glad to hear!
Wheres deadpool and wolverine
Hi searched for the Wrong Reel podcast on Pocket Casts and the last episode published is from 2023. Is a paid podcast or something now?
I stopped doing the audio only version after episode 666. Seemed like a good stopping point. Now I do episodes of Wrong Reel on special occasions like yesterday: ua-cam.com/video/ZOB8joEGHgI/v-deo.html
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Understand! Will check it out! But I suggest to consider publish also as a audio only, people like me listen a lot of podcasts while running, cooking etc, and YT (free) on mobile doesn't allow turn off the screen and listen :( Also is good to have the show on the podcast app! Is a better context than the YT hell/algo/videos/shorts
@@geekinwithJamesHancockcount me as someone who misses the Wrong Reel format. Love hearing you and great guests exploring all exciting corners of the w film world. I still watch all the yt stuff as well of course.
GOOD FOR YOU, BECKY, for calling out “Dune 2” for the boring movie that it was. I too, was shifting in my seat of boredom.
Conclave an honorable mention? Are you kidding me??
I don't speak French either.
Lol, high five to fellow uncivilized man.
The Beast sadly not available on Criterion channel depending on your region. Not in Canada for example and no I don't have VPN nor plan on getting one.
Great watch. Please drink some water and slow down. We are not going anywhere
I heard Speak No Evil wasn't bad. Wait a minute Robert Zemeckis doesn't know heart and humanity? Here may have been a turd but have you seen the Back To The Future trilogy? Castaway, Flight, Contact, Forrest Gump is not embued with "heart and humanity"?
Woody Allen & Roman Polanski having to hide away making films in France whilst a certain orange man gets voted back into power to run the most powerful country in the world, who mad is that??
Cure your TDS dude
He duped a lot of people like a huckster. But his day will come too.
@@MrLakaveli Cure your OES .... ostrich effect syndrome 🤠🥵☠🤡
"The right thought it was too critical of Donald Trump" Yet the right is always saying "facts don't care about your feelings" to everyone else. Funny how that works out?