Ed's Top 10 (plus) Films Of 2023

By Little Eddie O'Hare

Greetings Wicked Theory readers! My Buddy Bill has been gracious enough to once again let me post my
top ten movies list here this year. I saw 220 new films over the past 12 months. Below are my top ten
(16 if you count the honorable mentions).
 

Quick note up front: THESE ARE MY OPINIONS! There were many other movies that I enjoyed this year. The ones on this list hit me in the feels. So here it is. 

First, Honorable Mentions:

 
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures) dir. Christopher McQuarrie,
runtime 2h 43m – Available on Paramount+
John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) dir. Chad Stahelski, runtime 2h 49m – Available on Starz
Creed III (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) dir. Michael B. Jordan, runtime 1h 56m – Available on Amazon Prime
Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures) dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, runtime 2h 21m – Available in Theaters
The Holdovers (Focus Features) dir. Alexander Payne, runtime 2h 13m – Available on Peacock
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Nickelodeon Movies) dir. Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears,
runtime 1h 39m – Available on Paramount+

And now the Top Ten:

#10 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (Marvel
Studios)
Dir. James Gunn, runtime 2h 30m – Available on Disney+
This year was widely considered a low point for superhero cinema. However, there were a few bright spots. James Gunn and Marvel not only made us care about a talking raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper); they made us cry a river of tears for the scruffy, little guy. The Guardians movies have always been about forming unconventional families. This installment takes that idea to a new level, challenging our heroes to stick together and be there for their grumpiest member when his horrific past comes back with a vengeance. This is a triumphant end to the strongest sci-fi trilogy of the 21 st century so far.

#9 - Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)
Dir. Justine Triet, runtime 2h 30m – Available on Video On-Demand
I abhor the phrase “they don’t make movies like this anymore.” Mainly because I feel like I hear
someone say that every week. However, it was quite refreshing to see a courtroom drama play out on a big screen for a change. This French import features an author (Sandra Hüller) on trial for the murder of her husband. We hear the story from every angle and the film strives to keep the truth unclear. Law & Order fans should note that the French judicial system is very different from America and it can be tricky figuring which side has the upper hand. I found myself wanting to scream at the prosecutor that “She is not a murderer! She’s just German!” There are some breathtaking landscapes of the snow and the Alps in this film. Plus, the writing and performances leaves one pondering heavily on the nature of love and
trust.

#8 - Maestro (Netflix)
Dir. Bradley Cooper, runtime 2h 9m – Available on Netflix
Maestro is a “Great Man” movie and Director/Star Bradley Cooper emphasizes that by making incredibly BOLD choices! Every millimeter of every frame is meticulously considered in an effort to knock the viewers’ shoulders to the back of their seats. Cooper wants watching the film to be just as awe-inspiring as listening to Leonard Bernstein’s music. Despite all the bombast, Cary Mulligan’s performance as Bernstein’s wife, Felicia, grounds the movie so it never feels over-the-top.

#7 - Killers of the Flower Moon (Paramount
Pictures)
Dir. Martin Scorsese, runtime 3h 26m – Available on Video On-Demand
I know. I know. 3 and a half hours. This is a mini-series and not a movie. Well, it was in theaters and I held my bladder long enough to sit through the whole thing (barely). More importantly, this film is
directed by Martin Scorsese and he has not lost a step. We see how a generation of Native women in Osage County, Oklahoma were systematically killed for their oil shares. At the outset, you may think the highlight of the film is the long-awaited team-up of Scorsese favorite leads DeNiro and DiCaprio. However, Lily Gladstone steals this film and really drives home the impact of the victims in a way that has gotten lost in the glitz of some of Marty’s previous works.

#6 - 10 Days of a Good Man (Netflix)
Dir. Uluç Bayraktar, runtime 2h 4m – Available on Netflix
I really tried to branch out and watch more independent and international movies this year and this Turkish mystery was a jewel I never would have seen in past years. Nejat Isler plays Sadik, a private eye who wishes he was Phillip Marlowe. After being hired to find a missing person, Sadik quickly finds himself in over his head with the wrong kind of people. This movie is a warm blanket I could curl up with any day. It has all the style and wit of classic noirs, the edge of ‘70s crime thrillers and sophistication of a modern romance. It is the first film in a trilogy and I am anxiously awaiting the final installment next year.

#5 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
(Columbia Pictures)
Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K. Thompson, runtime 2h 20m – Available on Netflix
Into the Spider-Verse felt like a revolution in animation and Across the Spider-Verse takes things to a whole new level. The mix of animation styles works even better. I feel as though an entire college course could be taught just on the use of color in this movie. That said, what really make movie gel is the characters. If you build heroes as strong as Miles and Gwen, the audience will stay with you, no matter how complex the story gets.

#4 - Godzilla Minus One (Toho International)
Dir. Takashi Yamazaki, runtime 2h 5m – Available in Theaters
I have a confession to make. For years, I thought the American versions of Godzilla were boring because they spent too much time with the human characters, when all we wanted to see was the big monsters fight. This film proved me wrong. It showed me that the American versions of Godzilla are boring because they find convoluted ways to make the Monster the hero, when instead the Green Guy should be treated like a horror villain. The simplicity of this story makes for the most emotional impact. Ryunosuke Kamiki plays Koichi Shikishima, a Kamikaze pilot who failed to complete his mission in the war and is helpless to stop Godzilla’s destruction. Do not scoff at the fact that this is a monster movie. This is about the real price of war and the struggle to overcome personal trauma.

#3 - Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Dir. Christopher Nolan, runtime 3h – Available on Video On-Demand
Pretty much every established prestige filmmaker put out a movie in 2023. Christopher Nolan led the
charge with his take on the “Great Man” story. Nolan used his signature narrative structure to go back and forth in J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life to show how he helped create the first weapon of mass-destruction and dealt with the consequences of his creation. The film has a way of effortlessly moving from naturalistic moments to lyrical ones that makes the viewer feel the real weight of Oppenheimer’s genius, as well as the closed-mindedness of his rivals.

#2 - Sisu (Lionsgate)
Dir. Jalmari Helander, runtime 1h 31m – Available on Starz
Finland, 1944. An old man digs up a bunch of gold and the only thing standing between him and the
nearest bank is a whole army of Nazis. This year had a running theme of killing Nazis. I feel like I saw about dozen movies that all revolved around killing Nazis. Sisu was far and away the most intense and violent of the bunch. Watching this film was one of my most therapeutic cinematic experiences of the last decade. I can’t think of many things more inspiring than watching a man who has just set himself on fire swim underneath a row boat, tip it over, slice open the neck of the Nazi that falls out of the boat and suck in the air from that Nazi’s exposed windpipe so he can continue to swim underwater and kill more Nazis. Please seek this out.

#1 The Iron Claw (A24)
Dir. Sean Durkin, runtime 2h 10m – Available in Theaters
The Iron Claw is inspired by the true story of the Von-Erichs, a family of wrestlers from Texas whose immense talent became overshadowed by a mountain of personal tragedies. While Fritz (Holt McCallany) is a demanding father, I do not think it is fair to say he is the villain of this story. The love between all the brothers (Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson & Stanley Simons) is palpable. Durkin finds a new way to show wrestling on screen that puts you right in the action and really translates the appeal of the sport to the uninitiated. While this may seem like a real downer, Efron’s performance lifts up the whole movie and should inspire us all to have the courage to carry on.

 

Another great year of film and looking forward to 2024!

Ed's Top 10 Movies For 2022

By Little Eddie O'Hare

 

Greetings Wicked Theory readers! My Buddy Bill has been gracious enough to let me post my top ten movies list here this year. I saw 112 new films over the past 12 months. Below are my top ten (16 if you count the honorable mentions).

Quick note up front: THESE ARE MY OPINIONS! There were many other movies that I enjoyed this year. The ones on this list hit me in the feels.

 

So here it is. First, Honorable Mentions:

RRR (Raftar Creations) dir. S.S. Rajamouli, runtime 3h 7m – Available on Netflix

Tár (Focus Features) dir. Todd Field, runtime 3h 7m – Available on Theaters and on Video On-Demand

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix) dir. Edward Berger, runtime 2h 28m – Available on Netflix

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios) dir. Ryan Coogler, runtime 2h 41m – Available in Theaters

Nope (Universal Pictures) dir. Jordan Peele, runtime 2h 10m – Available on Peacock

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) dir. Rian Johnson, runtime 2h 19m – Available on Netflix

 

And now the Top Ten:

#10 - Troll (Netflix)

Dir. Roar Uthaug, runtime 1h 41m – Available on Netflix

This is Denmark’s stab at a Kaiju movie and boy, does it deliver. Most Godzilla movies leave me bored with the pesky humans and anxious for the big guy to show up again. Troll, on the other hand, has much more engaging human characters with real personalities and motivations for an audience to invest in. Finally, the creature effects were top notch and the reveal of the Troll was truly awe-inspiring.

 

#9 - The Northman (Focus Features)

Dir. Robert Eggers, runtime 2h 17m – Available on Peacock

Alexander Skarsgård stars in this fever dream of a movie about a Viking bent on revenge. While this story feels like it could have been adapted from ancient poetry, it offers different viewpoints of the narrative that make it feel modern and realistic. Plus, the music and visual ambience are moving enough to inspire one to tear off their shirt and run into the night wielding an axe!

 

#8 - Bullet Train (Columbia Pictures)

Dir. David Leitch, runtime 2h 7m – Available on Netflix

I would swear Guy Ritchie made this movie. It has all the visual flair, quirky characters and fast-paced dialogue of Snatch but with a more international cast and David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) takes it to the next level with top-notch fighting and stunt work.  

 

#7 - Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century Studios)

Dir. James Cameron, runtime 3h 12m – Available in Theaters

Never underestimate Big Jim. Many fanboys (myself included) have written off Avatar over the years but I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong. The Way of Water, like its predecessor, offers an immersive experience that should be viewed in 3-D on the largest screen available. Also, the family aspect of the film brings in great new characters and makes the story even more engaging than the first film.

#6 - Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (The Roku Channel)

Dir. Eric Appel, runtime 1h 48m – Available on The Roku Channel

Yes, I know it is shocking. “Ed, how in Hell could a fake biopic about a parody musician rank higher on your list than Avatar 2?” Weird is a rare breed of movie… Rarer than the White Stagg. It is a truly silly farce that harkens back to the great Zucker brothers’ comedies of the 1980s that does not bother with sentimentality and focuses solely on delivering as many jokes per square inch as possible. It is, pound-for-pound, the funniest movie I have seen in a decade. I hope to see more like it in the not-too-distant future.

 

#5 Prey (20th Century Studios)

Dir. Dan Trachtenberg, runtime 1h 40m – Available on Hulu

Predator, much like its cousins Alien and Terminator, is a seminal action franchise of the 1980s that has suffered a slow death as each new installment became bloated and convoluted. Prey is a refreshing turn in the other direction. Trachtenberg gets back to basics and takes us back in time to the 18^th century American frontier, where a young Comanche girl discovers something dangerous hunting in the forest. It is a simple story told with killer suspense and effects.

 

#4 - Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)

Dir. Joseph Kosinski, runtime 2h 10m – Available on Paramount+

Tom Cruise saved movie theaters this past summer. I can’t think of this movie without smiling. Pure Adventure.

 

#3 - The Fabelmans (Universal Pictures)

Dir. Steven Spielberg, runtime 2h 31m – Available in Theaters and on Video On-Demand

Over the past few years, it seems like every big-name director has decided to make a semi-autobiographical film about a young version of themselves falling in love with movies. It should be no surprise that Steven Spielberg has directed the best example of these films. The coming-of-age story is paired with a heartbreaking narrative of a loving family that slowly grows apart.

 

#2 - The Batman (DC Entertainment)

Dir. Matt Reeves, runtime 2h 56m – Available on HBO Max

How do you make a Batman movie feel fresh and unique again? Well Matt Reeves decided to get back to basics and really focus on the caped crusader’s detective skills. This film has the big, giant effects extravaganza finale we have come to expect from superhero fair, but everything that comes before that feels like a ‘40s noir. The rain, the street lights… I also loved how Reeves built the world out and included many classic villains as supporting characters. The sequence where the Batmobile chases down the Penguin has to be my favorite cinematic moment of the year.

 

#1 Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)

Dir. Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, runtime 2h 19m – Available on Showtime

The title says it all, really. This movie has the whole package. It uses high concept genre conventions to tell a deeply emotional story about family, love and the choices we make in life. Michelle Yeoh delivers a knockout performance and shows us that bravery comes in all shapes and sizes.

 

Ed Re-Watches The Entire MCU!

Our buddy and yours, the scrutable Edward O'Hare (@EdwardOHareTBD)took on a project for the ages - to watch ALL of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! That's like 1,000 films! The most amazing part is that somehow - between recording the DCTV PODCAST and WICKED THEORY - he found the time to watch them all. AND give you little "after thoughts"!

I compiled them into three videos, one for each "Phase" of the Marvel film library, and then added semi-obnoxious text of my thoughts about... whatever I felt like. We hope you enjoy these, or at least appreciate the fact that Ed watched them so you don't have to. Just watch the vids below instead!

Review: Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens

  By Brother Bob

Note: This review is free of the Larger Spoilers - but does cover some other specific story points, reveals and events. Read at your own risk.

     Disney bought STAR WARS from George Lucas for 4 billion dollars - give or take a few hundred million. Disney took on the task of making a movie that would fit in the universe while avoiding the errors of the past (cough *Jar Jar* cough.) Disney had to make a movie that would appease a rabidly loyal, world-spanning fan base or their investment would go down the drain. To ensure they recoup their $$$ as fast as possible, Disney had to do this while making a movie that would lead them down a path which would allow those at the helm breathing room to be creative with the material in the future and not feel constrained by the universe they work in. In a nutshell, Disney had to make a movie that was both safe and good or potentially damage their image as relatively consistent purveyors of quality family entertainment. 

"Dude, nobody found our stash!"

    That is exactly what they delivered.

     It is clear to me that JJ Abrams, who did an excellent job, looked to the original trilogy for inspiration, liberally taking cues from them when needed. As a result, STAR WARS VII feels both familiar and new from beginning to end. 

The story both ties the original characters to the next movie or 2 either thru physical presence or by bloodline, and creates what seems to be a familiar a path to the future with new cast members. 

"All these laser swords are making it hot in here..."

    The movie is not without its flaws, however.

     The original trilogy cast members are looking their age and in an action movie, that is not a good thing. Han Solo moves around like he forgot to apply the Ben-Gay before the shoot sometimes and Leia sounds old and tired at times, as well as looking like the make up person applied her foundation with a trowel to hide wrinkles. Kylo Ren seems like a huge wuss. This is probably for character development. I believe in the next film he'll become more evil due to events in this film but him being a bit of a weakling here, did take away from my enjoyment a little. Also, this film opens similarly to Episode 4: A New Hope, so when I saw him for the first time I was expecting to see those in scene fear him the way Darth Vader was feared. New cast members Finn, Rey, Poe, and BB-8 are all solid, reasonably well developed for this point in the story line and bode well for the future. By movies end you’ll know who’s role each is replacing from the original cast and you'll be looking forward to seeing more of them.

"We're NOT clones? I could have worn something different?!?"

   Let's talk about other changes made. The “evil empire” (used here as a general term) has been reborn in a new form and the way storm troopers are created is quite different. Assuming these weren’t George Lucas’ original ideas, both change the universe in ways that are potentially significant... and both of these bother me for different reasons. The storm trooper change wasn’t needed in my opinion and ultimately reduces Boba & Jango Fett into story extras. I tend to think the change of the “evil empire” would/should lead to different looking ships - but we get the same tie fighters and battle cruisers. 

"Without you BB, we'll never win the volleyball championship."

    Another area of contention is the mechanic of using a new “death star.” There are differences of course but the use of this plot mechanism for a 3rd time in the series deflates this movie. There are other little issues with this movie as well, mostly concerning science, communication logistics, etc some of which would not be noticed by the average viewer since we are usually too busy enjoying the ride.

     The bottom line is that this is the STAR WARS movie Disney had to make. It’s flawed, yet it’s fun, it tells a story that is both familiar and new. People will either love it or hate it because of this, but it will lead us into the future of this franchise. It’s because of this, I choose to look at it as a good film and an overall positive experience which I believe will take us on another great ride. 

"OK, I get it! You guys are better at cammoflage! Gaahh! Leaving!"

As someone who tends to be a picky movie viewer, I went into this one only looking to enjoy the ride and after seeing it I think you should too, but because there is so much in it that can be contentious to some, if you go in looking for that stuff, it will be enough to potentially have you feeling like disney screwed up. 

Enjoy it for the good (and there is plenty) and you will leave hopeful for the future of the franchise which is what this movie set out to do. Pick apart the next one. Be sure to see this one at least once on the big screen. 

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!

WTPC Ep.10 - Ant-Man Review And More!

Welcome back! Thanks for listening!

This week: did Bill & Bob do their Flash/Orphan Black homework? Dom saw The Foo Fighters and who?

In News: Girl Meets World Meets Batman? What's up with Fox's Apocalypse? Was the idea for Spider-Man stolen from a 1954 halloween costume?

Then we give a brief Non-Spoiler review of ANT-MAN before we give a Full-Spoiler review! What did we think? Did we like it? Listen to find out!

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