maandag 29 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 27: The Age of Adaline

Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker

Description: A young woman (Blake Lively), born at the turn of the 20th century, is rendered ageless after an accident. After many solitary years, she meets a man (Michiel Huisman) who complicates the eternal life she has settled into.

Review: Many people wish to stay young forever, but by watching movies about immortality you know it’s never the life you dream of. When young Adaline gets into a car accident and hits the water, she gets into a coma. When lightning hits the water, she is brought back. The side effect: she will never age a day. This all happens in the 1930s and we meet Adaline again in the twenty first century. Because Adaline is technically 107 years old, she is forced to move around and take on a new identity.
For a young actress like Blake Lively it’s a challenge to portray an elderly woman. She succeeds, because even though she looks very young, she often makes us realize she is actually an older woman. We get some flashbacks, so we understand Adaline’s life more. This is narrated, like a children’s movie. It somehow bothered me.
Michiel Huisman (Dutch like me) plays Adaline’s love interest Ellis in the 21st century. He has charisma. But from the moment his character enters the story, the film turns into a more standard romance movie. Here it’s immortality, but it could easily be replaced by fear of commitment. Harrison Ford, who plays Ellis’ father, is surprising in the film. His role is much warmer than we are used to see him in these days. He was sadly introduced way too late into the story.
“The Age of Adaline” is a solid romantic drama, which is a bit more standard then I had hoped for. But overall it’s a nice film to watch if you like the genre.

Rating: 3/ 5

zondag 28 februari 2016

Movie Trailer Sunday (228)

Here are this week's trailers.

Pete's Dragon
Director: David Lowery
Description: The adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, Oakes Fegley
Comment: Only a teaser, but I love dragons so much!

The Light Between Oceans
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Description: A lighthouse keeper (Michael Fassbender) and his wife (Alicia VIkander) living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz
Comment: I love this trailer, I must see this film!

Maggie's Plan
Director: Rebecca Miller
Description: Maggie's plan to have a baby on her own is derailed when she falls in love with John, a married man, destroying his volatile marriage to the brilliant Georgette.
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Wallace Shawn
Comment: Looks like fun

Sky
Director: Fabienne Berthaud
Description: Romy (Diane Kruger) is on holiday in the USA with her French husband, Richard (Gilles Lellouche). But the journey quickly turns into a settling of old scores for this worn out couple. After an ultimate fight, Romy decides to break free. She cuts off her ties to a stable and secure life that has become alienating and escapes to the unknown.
Starring: Diane Kruger, Norman Reedus, Q'orianka Kilcher, Lena Dunham, Lou Diamond Phillips
Trailer: Trailer "Sky"
Comment: They had me at Norman Reedus

Precious Cargo
Director: Max Adams
Description: A crime boss tries to make off with loot that belongs to another thief.
Starring: Brice Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani
Comment: Bringing back Zack Morris... why not.

zaterdag 27 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 26: Deadpool

Director: Tim Miller
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Ed Skrein

Description: A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary (Ryan Reynolds) is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.

Review: Looks are everything, that’s Deadpool’s conclusion when he shows his deformed face to his friend. Ryan Reynolds is an actor that has his acting career thanks to his looks. And it’s great to see that same Reynolds portray Wade Wilson aka Deadpool in the most brilliant way. He had to give up his looks in order to cure himself from cancer and to become immortal. His humor he kept, thank goodness. From the fun opening sequence that sums up some common superhero movie elements (moody teenage, CGI character, unnecessary cameo) to the after credits scene: “Deadpool” is, besides a great action film, a fantastic film filled with catchy one liners and sharp dialogues.
It starts with Wade in a cab, who tells the audience that his life was once perfect. In an important acquittal, director Tim Miller takes us back to better times with the use of flashbacks. Wade was once part of Special Forces, later became a mercenary and he was a womanizer. In his bar he meets stripper/ prostitute Vanessa. The two fall for each other and have all the luck in the world. Untill Wade finds out he has cancer. He leaves Vanessa to spare her the pain. Wade meets mutant Ajax, who says he can cure him. Hours of torture are ahead of him, but the prize he pays for continuing his life is much bigger than he thought. Wade becomes his alter ego Deadpool and wants revenge.
“Deadpool” is a pleasant variety in the superhero genre. The movie dares to mock Marvel and itself. Many references to “The Avengers” and “X-Men”, and even “The Green Lantern” which stars Ryan Reynolds. This works great. Ryan Reynolds’ performance is really good and he even breaks the fourth wall. And every time you think you discovered a cheesy or unoriginal element, the writers managed to make it surprising.
“Deadpool” is an unconventional take on a superhero story and this separates it from the rest. Fun times!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

donderdag 25 februari 2016

Top 5 Thursday: Characters from "The Hunger Games" Series

I love “The Hunger Games” books and the movies. I wanted to take a look at the characters and rank them. Here are my five favorite characters from “The Hunger Games” franchise.

5. Johanna Mason
Johanna Mason won the Hunger Games for District 7, when she pretended to be a weakling. When only a few tributes were left, she showed her true skills. Johanna was send to the Quarter Quell to protect Katniss.
 
 
4. Haymitch Abernathy
Haymitch is Katniss and Peeta’s mentor in the preparation of the Hunger Games. He won the games himself ones, he was the first winner for District 12. Haymitch is a drunk cynic and he doesn’t have faith in Katniss at first.
 
 
3. Beetee Latier
Beetee doesn’t look like the biggest threat, but his intelligence is something to watch out for. He is very skilled with a wire, which eventually saves him and his allys in the Quarter Quell.
 
 
2. Finnick Odair
Finnick was the winner of the 65th Hunger Games and the youngest ever to win. Katniss was hesitant to make Finnick her ally in the Quarter Quell, but he proved to be valuable. Finnick is a key person in the rebellion.
 
 
1. Katniss Everdeen
Off course Katniss, she is every girls heroine. Katniss doesn’t want to be a hero though, she just wants to survive these awful games. She is very loyal to her family and friends and often fights for them instead of herself.
 
 
They Almost Made the Top 5: Cinna, Rue, Effie Trinkett, Gale Hawthorne, Plutarch Heavensbee, Mags

dinsdag 23 februari 2016

Movie Favorites: Jaws

Synopsis: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
 
 
Unique Selling Point: Probably the only really good shark movie ever made. It’s an absolute classic and it’s still scary after watching it many times. The build-up is great, that creates the tension and gives you scares. Even though it’s not timeless because of technique, no other shark movie will top “Jaws”.

Most Valuable Player: Composer John Williams, by making his music even scarier than the actual shark.

Best Moment: The opening scene, with Chrissy who decides to go skinny dipping. Not a good idea!

maandag 22 februari 2016

TV Review: "Fargo" Season 2

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Year: 2015
Number of episodes: 10
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Bookime Woodbine, Zahn McClare, Cristin Milioti, Jean Smart, Rachel Keller, Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Donovan, Kieran Culkin, Adam Arkin, Nick Offerman

Description: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota

Review: After a great first season of“Fargo”, a second season had to happen. There is a new storyline, new characters, but you can still see the Coen Brother’s touch.
This season is set in the late ‘70s, where cop Lou Solverson (Molly’s - from season 1 - dad in his younger years) tracks down a family who is involved in a very complex conspiracy. The married couple Ed and Peggy Blumquist, get themselves into a series of crimes and blunders. Like season one, it’s about the everyday man who accidentally walks the criminal path.
The perspective changes during the series. There is not one leading character and we get to know something about every character of importance.
Patrick Wilson plays Lou Solverson, the younger version of the character Keith Carradine played in season one. Besides dealing with a difficult case, he is also worrying over his wife who has cancer. Staying professional in his job and also preparing for the possibility he might be a single dad soon. Wilson is very strong is his role. Ted Danson plays his father in law and also the sheriff. His character is calm and soothing, yet a very believable sheriff. Kirsten Dunst is probably the strongest performer in this season. We see her as Peggy Blumquist, a role we’ve never seen her in before. She really shines.
Season 2 was good, but it never lives up to season 1. The storylines are less interesting and there aren’t any characters that are as memorable as for example Lorne Malvo, Lester Nygaard and Molly Solverson from season 1. Dunst character comes close and so do Mike Milligan and Indian Hanzee, but season 1 of “Fargo” was way better.

zondag 21 februari 2016

Movie Trailer Sunday (227)

Here are thise week's trailers.

Who's Driving Doug
Director: David Michael Conley
Description: A sheltered, intelligent college student (RJ Mitte) changes his life forever when he hires an underachieving driver (Ray William Johnson). In order to escape his oppressively loving mother (Daphne Zuniga), Doug agrees to go on a spontaneous road trip with Scott and his college crush Stephanie (Paloma Kwiatkowski). At the height of the journey, a tragic series of events tests their bond and opens the road to self discovery.
Starring: RJ MItte, Ray William Johnson, Daphne Zuniga, Paloma Kwiatkowski
Comment: It looks like a movie I will like!

Forsaken
Director: Jon Cassar
Description: An embittered gunslinger (KIefer Sutherland) who attempts to make amends with his estranged father (Donald Sutherland) whilst their community is besieged by ruthless land-grabbers.
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Demi Moore, Brian Cox, Michael Wincott
Comment: Sutherland Junior and Senior joining forces!

Sing
Director: Garth Jennings
Description: A koala named Buster (Matthew McConaughey) recruits his best friend to help him drum up business for his theater by hosting a singing competition.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Edgerton, Reese Witherspoon, Nick Offerman, Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, Leslie Jones, Beck Bennet, Jay Pharoah, Peter Serafinowicz
Trailer: Trailer "Sing"
Comment: Only a teaser, but it already cracked me up. Especially that pig!

App For Life
Director: Luke Tedder
Description: App for Life is a feature length science fiction drama which depicts a future where computer technology has been integrated into the human brain which has changed the way we live our lives forever.
Starring: Laura-Giselle Hardie, Adam J. Bernard, Stephanie Pezolano
Comment: Intriguing...

Hunt For the Wilderpeople
Director: Taika Waititi
Description: A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid (Julian Dennison) and his foster uncle (Sam Neill) who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.
Starring: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill
Comment: This looks like so much fun!!!

zaterdag 20 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 25: Unfriended

Director: Levan Gabriadze
Genre: Thriller/ Horror
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Heather Sossaman, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Will Peltz, Renee Olstead, Jacob Wysocki, Mikey River, Cal Barnes, Christa Hartsock

Description: A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

Review: “Unfriended” is a different kind of horror film. Through Facebook, Skype, Spotify and Google we follow a group of online chat room friends. We see it through the eyes of Blaire. We only get to see her when she is in a Skype conversation with her friends, on the screen. But we do get to know her a bit through everything she does on her laptop. We also literally see her thoughts, when she types them as a response to her friends. And how they change sometimes when she thinks about it.
Blaire and her friends are talking about Laura Barns, a friend who killed herself exactly one year ago. It’s on the internet and there are compromising videos on the net as well. Blaire and her friends all have some connection to why Laura committed suicide. And some supernatural being knows about it and starts haunting them.
It’s all very original, but everything is very illogical too. When they are high school kids, where are all of their parents? Absent parents in horror films always bug me, but we are looking at six teens that are all alone the entire time. At least that’s what I think, because any parent would check on their kid when they hear them screaming. And we never really get the motive of the gruesome actions either. It’s all very vague.
“Unfriended” is definitely something else, it separates itself from other horror films. But the movie never gets really scary. And or a horror movie, that’s a necessity.

Rating: 2/ 5

donderdag 18 februari 2016

TV Review: "Fargo" Season 1

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Year: 2014
Number of episodes: 10
Starring: Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Keith Carradine, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Adam Goldman, Joey King, Gary Valentine, Kate Walsh, Rachel Blanchard, Joshua Close

Description: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota

Review: Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) lives together with his wife in Minnesota. He works as an insurance salesman in a little town called Bemidji. Lester never achieved anything big. His brother Lester on the other hand, is married to a beautiful woman, has a son and a good job. And Sam Hess, the guy who used to bully Lester in high school, is also doing well. When Lester’s wife is threatening to leave him, he meets a mysterious man. His name is Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) and he tells Lester to stand up for himself. But what Lester doesn’t know is, that when he follows his advice, his life will change forever. While Lester’s life is drastically changing, deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) is working on the case of a possible car accident. In that accident one person has died, but he wasn’t the driver. Molly connects Lester to Lorne and no one takes her seriously.
“Fargo” is based on the movie with the same name, from 1996, which was directed by the Coen brothers. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars and won two of them. The film is one of my favorites. If the TV show could keep the same atmosphere and feel as the film, I was going to love it. The Coen brothers were executive producers on this project. The TV show is amazing!
Billy Bob Thornton is brilliant! His humor is just genius, so dark yet hard not to laugh. His role doesn’t make “Fargo” just a crime drama, he adds comedy as well. And so does Martin Freeman. His character kind of reminds me of William H. Macy’s performance in the movie version. Freeman does such a fantastic job as someone who never did anything noteworthy and now is living in a nest full of lies. Created by himself. And he gets more and more creative with it. I also loved Allison Tolman, who played my favorite character on the show. It’s hard to dislike her, just like Marge Gunderson in “Fargo” the film. Molly is so determined to find the right person, even when no one believes her. And then there is Colin Hanks, who plays Gus. A cop that actually always dreamed of being a mailman. He is not very good at his cop job, but he is so loveable and sweet.
The setting of the show is beautiful, all the snowy landscapes. This also adds to the mystery of the entire show.
Some people complained about the ending of the show. I think it was good, especially Lester’s part of the story.
“Fargo” was even better than I initially expected. I’m ready to watch season 2 as well, even though it has a complete different cast.

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 24: Spotlight

Director: Tom McCarthy
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 128 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Live Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian D’Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup

Description: The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Review: Marty Baron, the new boss at The Boston Globe, is very honest on his first day: he wants to write a story about the sexual abuse by Catholic priests and he wants the whole world to know about it. That’s easy to say for Baron, because not only is he Jewish, he also has no connection to the conservative and close community that is Boston.
The journalist team Spotlight notices that people have looked the other way for many years, when local priest John Geoghan structurally molested children in various parishes. And when they dig deeper, they stumble upon more priests. The church settled with many victims and their parents, but some priest just joined another parish. It’s clear that the church has power.
Director Tom McCarthy isn’t so much attacking the Catholic church with “Spotlight”, but he is raising questions to why no one did anything, when lots of people clearly knew about it. We also learn that many of the victims didn’t want any publicity or were afraid.
“Spotlight” is very detailed, just look at the hundreds of cubicles at The Boston Globe. And the actors had an eye for detail while preparing for their roles. This film is made with a lot of dedication.
Michael Keaton, who already played a convincing editor in “The Paper”, succeeds again in his role as Walter Robinson in “Spotlight”. His most fanatic journalist is Michael Rezendes who focuses on the legal side of everything. He is played by Mark Ruffalo. This is the best performance in the film. Rachel McAdams plays Sacha Pfeiffer. She gets the tough task to interview the victims. Also a very strong performance.
“Spotlight” is a strong biographical drama about investigative journalism, with strong performances and a disturbing story.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Fargo Season 1 Characters

I just binge watched the first season of the Netflix show “Fargo” and I loved it. The perfect time to make a top 5 dedicated to this show. So, I made a top 5 of my favorite characters from the first season of “Fargo”.

5. Lou Solverson
Lou is Molly’s father and owns a diner. He was once a cop too, just like his daughter. He seems pretty happy with his job now and always looks out for Molly. He is afraid that something might happen to her, because it’s such a dangerous job.
 
 
4. Gus Grimly
Gus is a cop, but it’s not his dream job. He actually always wanted to be a mailman. Gus is somewhat clumsy and not very persuasive as a police officer. He is such a sweet man, perfect for Molly.
 
 
3. Lester Nygaard
Lester looks like you’re average neighbor. But he is nothing more than a liar. And he makes up lie after lie after lie. You have to hand it to him, he is pretty creative with his cover up. But we all know that the truth will be revealed somehow.
 
 
2. Lorne Malvo
Okay, he’s not a nice character. He is a killer, a cold blooded and relentless killer. But he is such an interesting character and he is portrayed perfectly by Billy Bob Thornton.
 
 
1. Molly Solverson
Don’t send a woman to do a man’s job? Well, this female deputy is the only one doing her job well. The murder case is keeping her awake at night and she doesn’t rest until the right man is behind bars.
 
 
They Almost Made the Top 5: Bill Oswalt

woensdag 17 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 23: The Revenant

Director: Alejandro González Iñarritu
Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Thriller
Runtime: 156 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Paul Anderson, Lukas Haas, Javier Botet, Brendan Fletcher, Brad Carter, Kristoffer Joner, Kory Grimm

Description: A frontiersman (Leonardo DiCaprio) on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

Review: “The Revenant” tells the remarkable true story of Hugh Glass. The viewer is sucked in immediately, when we see a fight scene between the traders and natives. Glass, and a small group of survivors, manage to escape on a boat. But that’s when the real drama starts. When they find a place to stay for a while, Glass explores the area. He is attacked by a bear and he is severely injured. It looks like he’s not going to make it. A few men, one of them being John Fitzgerald, offer to stay with him. He however leaves Glass for dead. But Glass is not willing to give up.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Hugh Glass, doesn’t have a lot of dialogue after his bear attack. But he manages to show us his emotions through his eyes and moans. DiCaprio and his will to live are the spindle of “The Revenant”. But Tom Hardy, as Fitzgerald, delivers an equally impressive performance. I think his portrayal of Fitzgerald is a bit underrated and underappreciated, because everyone talks about Dicaprio’s performance. The young Will Poulter, as Bridger, was also surprisingly good.
But the best and most beautiful thing about “The Revenant” is that the great acting goes hand in hand with gorgeous images of nature. It looks breathtaking. Everything was filmed with natural lighting. The camera work is fantastic, there are some shots in the film I still don’t know how they did it. This all makes “The Revenant” a cinematographic masterpiece.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

dinsdag 16 februari 2016

Movie Battle: Interstellar Vs. The Martian

They are very different movies, but both science fiction and also both happen to have Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain in it. I would like to let those two movies go head to head in this battle. Let’s see who wins the battle: “Interstellar” Vs. “The Martian”.
 
 
ACTORS

Interstellar: Matthew McConaughey is the lead and his has proven over the years that he can easily carry a movie. I haven’t been a fan since the beginning, but I’ve come to love McConaughey. Anne Hatahway not so much though, I just never really liked her acting. Jessics Chastain on the other hand is one of my favorites and she is really good in “Interstellar”. And Michael Caine as well.

The Martian: Matt Damon is fantastic in his role as Mark Whatney. Most of the scenes he is in, he is alone. He gives away a great performance, it might even be his best. Jessica Chastain is good as well, very strong and solid.

STORY

Interstellar: It’s a Christopher Nolan directed film, so it’s anything but standard. A group of explorer’s have to travel through a wormhole in order to save humanity. Time is different there, so what’s in space is seven years on earth (or something like that). I didn’t really like the ending.

The Martian: During a mission to Mars, astronaut Mark Whatney is presumed dead and his crew returns. Not knowing that Whatney was actually still alive. Now he is alone on a planet where nothing grows. He has to ‘science the hell out of it’. It’s a great story and so well executed. It was also a lot funnier than I expected it to be.

EFFECTS

Interstellar: If you know Nolan’s work, you know that he is great with effects. Although he doesn’t overuse CGI, it always looks stunning.

The Martian: The movie looks very good, also not overusing any CGI. Just clean and solid.

WINNER

I think “Interstellar” is a bit overrated, so I’m going with “The Martian” which I absolutely loved and it was one of my favorites of 2015.

maandag 15 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 22: Point Break (remake)

Director: Ericson Core
Genre: Action
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Luke Bracey, Édgar Ramirez, Teresa Palmer, Matias Varela, Clemens Schick, Ray Winstone

Description: A young FBI agent (Luke Bracey) infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists.

Review: Hollywood has an urge to remake or reboot movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Nothing is sacred anymore. “Point Break” is also the victim. The action film from 1991, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, is seen as a cult classic from the 1990s. The 2015 version has, besides characters with the same names, a similar plot as the original. It adds some new camera and computer techniques, idealism and a soggy love story. This “Point Break” is nothing more than a chain of tough overconfident hipsters doing one impossible stunt after another. A big shell with not a lot in it.
As an excuse for all those daredevils and extreme sports, there is a story. A young traumatized FBI agent infiltrates into a group of ‘Robin Hoods’ who rob banks in the most spectacular ways. In the opening scene we see how Johnny Utah loses his best friend during a motorcycle stunt. When he joins the FBI, they don’t see potential in him. This changes when he sees a pattern in the daring actions led by Bodhi. Utah will have to infiltrate and win Bodhi’s trust.
Okay, the camera work and the stunts are cool. But that’s it. There is really nothing more to this film. The more we get into the film, the more unbelievable it gets. And then there is this unnecessary side plot, a love story. I don’t care about that! Keanu Reeves may not be the best actor in Hollywood, but he has more charisma and talent than Luke Bracey. His performance is bland. The only one that actually does give it his best shot is Ray Winstone, but he is just a supporting character.
“Point Break” is a hopeless remake. Hollywood, please don’t be lazy!

Rating: 1,5/ 5

zondag 14 februari 2016

Movie Trailer Sunday (226)

Here are this week's trailers.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
Director: Jake Szymanski
Description: Two brothers (Zac Efron, Adam DeVine) place an online ad to find dates for a wedding and the ad goes viral.
Starring: Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root
Comment: I hope it's better then I expect it to be.

Mr. Right
Director: Paco Cabezas
Description: A girl falls for the "perfect" guy, who happens to have a very fatal flaw: he's a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him.
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell, Tim Roth, RZA
Comment: Can't wait to see this!

Equals
Director: Drake Doremus
Description: A futuristic love story set in a world where emotions have been eradicated.
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Kristen Stewart, Guy Pearce
Trailer: Trailer "Equals"
Comment: Somehow it reminds me of "Her" and "Equilibrium".

Mother's Day
Director: Garry Marshall
Description: Intersecting stories with different moms collide on Mother's Day.
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis, Britt Robertson, Timothy Olyphant, Sarah Chalke, Jon Lovitz
Comment: Okay, not looking forward to this whatsoever. And since when are we doing voice-overs in trailers again?

Criminal
Director: Ariel Vromen
Description: The memories & skills of a deceased CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds) are implanted into an unpredictable and dangerous convict (Kevin Cosnter).
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Costner, Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman, Alice Eve, Amaury Nolasco, Tommy Lee Jones
Comment: A weird plot, but this movie has a seriously good cast!

zaterdag 13 februari 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 21: Absolute Beginners

Director: Julien Temple
Genre: Musical/ Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 1986
Starring: Patsy Kensit, Eddie O’Connell, David Bowie, James Fox, Ray Davies

Description: A musical adaptation of Colin MacInnes' novel about life in late 1950s London. Nineteen-year-old photographer Colin (Eddie O’Connell) is hopelessly in love with model Crepe Suzette (Patsy Kensit) , but her relationships are strictly connected with her progress in the fashion world. So Colin gets involved with a pop promoter (David Bowie) and tries to crack the big time. Meanwhile, racial tension is brewing in Colin's Notting Hill housing estate...

Review: I love musicals, they’re my guilty pleasure. And I always get excited when I see a musical. But “Absolute Beginners” is not one I liked very much.
We meet photographer Colin, who is in love with model Suzette. Colin gets involved with a pop promoter. That’s all I can really remember, the film didn’t impress me. And it couldn’t keep my attention.
In musicals there is always some overacting, but there is overacting and bad acting. In this movie the acting is not very good unfortunately. The one thing I did really love about “Absolute Beginners” is the David Bowie music.
“Absolute Beginners” would look great on stage, but isn’t a good movie. It’s very forgettable.

Rating: 2/ 5

vrijdag 12 februari 2016

Best & Worst: Matthew McConaughey

I used to hate Matthew McConaughey as an actor, but the past years he has delivered and proved he has serious acting chops. It’s also his choice of film nowadays and the fabulous performance he delivered in the TV show “True Detective”. Here are my best and worst picks.
 
 
A movie that doesn’t have a lot of action or spectacle, but it has the great performance by Matthew McConaughey. When you read the synopsis, it’s not that interesting so this movie really took me by surprise. It’s really good!
Honorable Mentions: “Dallas Buyers Club”, “The Lincoln Lawyer”, “A Time to Kill”, “Killer Joe”, “Amistad”, “Contact”
 
 
One of those stupid, dumb, cheesy, predictable romantic comedies. I hate this movie and the fact that Jennifer Lopez is in it has nothing to do with that hate. At all (*sarcasm*). Even then, in the time McConaughey mostly did movies like this, he deserved better.
Dishonorable Mentions: “Failure to Launch”, “Fool’s Gold”, “Two For the Money”

donderdag 11 februari 2016

Top 5 Thursday: Tv Shows Perfect for Binge Watching

What do I love to do when it’s a rainy day and have nothing planned? Binge watch TV shows! And I got a list for you with some of the shows that are perfect for such an occasion.

5. Community
It’s not one of my favorite shows, but this is a perfect show to binge watch. Whenever Comedy Central is airing a marathon, I’m in!
 
 
4. The Office
Who doesn’t want to enjoy Michael Scott’s shenanigans for hours in a row? I always loved how this movie was filmed, like a documentary. I have to admit that Michael Scott leaving wasn’t the best for the show, but there are still enough episodes to binge watch.
 
 
3. The Walking Dead
It is not a 20 minute per episode kind of show, but once you watch an episode, it’s really hard to stop. It’s such an exciting and thrilling show! My favorite show of the moment.
 
 
2. Friends
I lost count at how many times I’ve watched all the episodes, but it never gets old. I just love “Friends” and that love will never die. I still laugh at the same jokes.
 
 
1. Modern Family
Filmed in the same style as “The Office” and I just love every single character in this show. It’s a show that always makes me happy and I can enjoy this show every single day of every single week.
 
 
They Almost Made the Top 5: How I Met Your Mother, Supernatural

maandag 8 februari 2016

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 12

Lance Brumbder (“Orange County”), Saul Silver (“Pineapple Express”) and Don Lockwood (“Singin’ in the Rain”)

Marry: Don Lockwood would be the most sensible choice. He is charming and he always knows how to lighten up your day. Don can get you in the right mood.

Kiss: Okay, he might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but let’s face it. You gotta love Saul Silver. I think he’s great!

Cliff: As much as I like Lance Brumbder, he’s also a pain in the ass. He can’t do anything right, he actually doesn’t really do anything but watch TV.

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 20: Grizzly Man

Director: Werner Herzog
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Werner Herzog, Amie Huguenard, Timothy Treadwell

Description: A take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska.

Review: For thirteen years Timothy Treadwell spend his summers in the wilderness of Alaska, among a group of grizzly bears. The last five years he brought a camera, to document the behavior of the bears and himself. Timothy wanted to protect the bears, wanted to show the world how beautiful they are. In October 2003 they found his remains inside the stomach of a bear. Together with his girlfriend Amie he filled up to four garbage bags of human remains. He had shot hundreds of hours of material, including his own death. This material was picked up by Werner Herzog and he made “Grizzly Man”.
Timothy wanted to film the bears to protect them and to observe them. He felt at home with the bears and gave them names, he had a connection with them. There are only a few moments that Timothy is aware of the dangerous situation he is in. There is a part of him that wants to be seen as a hero, a fighter for nature. But he is also someone that despises mankind and he feels one with the bears.
Timothy saw emotion, love, grief and brotherhood when he watched the bears. Herzog didn’t. According to him nature is nothing more than a harmonic mass murder. Although Herzog hardly doubts Timothy’s sincere intentions, he doesn’t agree with his idea of nature. This makes “Grizzly Man” not just a documentary about the beautiful nature images Timothy shot, but also about the differences between man and nature.
As a viewer you’re not forced to take one side, although Timothy’s death somehow proofs Herzog’s theory. Timothy was depressed and took drugs and didn’t know what to do with his life. Thanks to the bears, Timothy found himself again, they gave him a new life. And eventually also took it.
When Timothy was attacked, the camera was running. The lens cap was still on, so there is only audio material. We don’t get to hear it, but there is a scene where Herzog is listening to it. Halfway through he asks to stop, because he can’t take to listen to it anymore.
“Grizzly Man” is an impressive documentary, a great look into the life of Timothy Treadwell. You might not agree with him and you might also say it’s his own fault he died. I think he didn’t want to go any other way.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

zondag 7 februari 2016

Movie Favorites: Jane Eyre

Synopsis: After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?
 
 
Unique Selling Point: Although the story has been told many times, it does the classic novel justice. It’s filmed beautifully and the actors have plenty of room to show their skills. It’s great to see how efficiently the hundreds of pages of the book are made into a film.

Most Valuable Player: Michael Fassbender as Rochester, the handsome and charismatic man with a dark edge.

Best Moment: Every hopeless romantic would go for the part where Rochester asks for Jane’s hand in marriage.

Movie Trailer Sunday (225)

Here are this week's trailers.

Get a Job
Director: Dylan Kidd
Description: Life after college graduation is not exactly going as planned for Will (Miles Teller) and Jillian (Anna Kendrick) who find themselves lost in a sea of increasingly strange jobs. But with help from their family, friends and coworkers they soon discover that the most important (and hilarious) adventures are the ones that we don't see coming.
Starring: Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Alison Brie, John Cho, Bryan Cranston, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jorge Garcia, John C. McGinley, Bruce Davison, Greg Germann
Comment: Some fun actors in this film.

Miles Ahead
Director: Don Cheadle
Description: An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis (Don Cheadle).
Starring: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor
Comment: I'm not into his music, but it looks interesting. And I love Don Cheadle.

Ice Age: Collision Course
Director: Mike Thurmeier, Galen T. Chu
Description: Scrat's epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego, and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure while traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters as well as a new enemy who is a brother to one of their old foes.
Starring: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Lopez, Simon Pegg, Nick Offerman, MIchelle Rauch, Max Greenfield, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Wanda Sykes, Jessie J,
Comment: Another one? Don't get me wrong, I like the first two/ three, but sometimes you just need to give it a rest.

Me Before You
Director: Thea Sharrock
Description: A girl (Emilia Clarke) in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man (Sam Claflin) she's taking care of.
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Jenna Coleman, Charles Dance, Matthew Lewis
Comment: It reminds me a bit of "Intouchables", but I loved that one and I really want to see this as well!

Misconduct
Director: Shintaro Shimosawa
Description: When an ambitious young lawyer takes on a big case against a powerful and ruthless executive of a large pharmaceutical company, he soon finds himself involved in a case of blackmail and corruption.
Starring: Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman, Alice Even, Julia Stiles
Comment: Meh...