In My Mailbox (131)

I received seven cards this weeks. First another US mapcard that I can add to my collection. It's from Richmond, Virginia, US.

Sent: january 2nd 2014
Received: january 12th 2014
Distance: 6,452 km (4,009 miles)
Travel Time: 10 days

I just love this add card from Graham, Texas, US. I already have another card like this. It's fantastic!

Sent: january 2nd 2014
Received: january 12th 2014
Distance: 8,125 km (5,049 miles)
Travel Time: 10 days

A nice view from Allgäu, Germany.

Sent: january 7th 2014
Received: january 12th 2014
Distance: 496 km (308 miles)
Travel Time: 5 days

From Dörverden, Germany I got this wonderful rainy postcard. I love it!

Sent: january 10th 2014
Received: january 14th 2014
Distance: 288 km (179 miles)
Travel Time: 4 days

My favorite of the week was from Dongen, Netherlands. Just simply beautiful, this card.

Sent: january 11th 2014
Received: january 14th 2014
Distance: 87 km (54 miles)
Travel Time: 3 days

This gorgeous Paris card is from Kiev, Ukraine. The picture was made with coffee. How amazing!

Sent: january 10th 2014
Received: january 18th 2014
Distance: 1,722 km (1,070 miles)
Travel Time: 8 days

And last I got this postcard from Sträseni, Moldova. First time I got a card from this country and it was send to me from a Postcrossing meeting.

Sent: january 10th 2014
Received: january 18th 2014
Distance: 1,701 km (1,057 miles)
Travel Time: 8 days

Thanks Hannah, Midoritorah, Jonas, Claas, Ella, Marta and Julia for your stunning postcards this week!

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 15: The Host

Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller/ Romance
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, Jake Abel, William Hurt

Description: When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

Review: After the Twilight saga ended, author Stephenie Meyer had one more book that could be turned into a movie. Andrew Niccol, who we know from “Lord of War” and “In Time” was given the task to direct “The Host”.
The story is set in the future where mankind is taken over by parasites called Souls. They mean well and are convinced to help people in times of war and hunger. Melanie Stryder is one of the last humans, but is also taken over by one of the Souls. But the human in her is still very strong and she finds a way to work together with the Soul.
Like “Twilight” the young actors have the biggest roles in the story and a love triangle is present. That makes this movie more like a paranormal version of “Twilight’. The storyline is like “Invasion of the Body Snatcher”, but it never grabs you like the 1978 movie did. The movie is slow at times, because they are trying to create some character development. They never succeed in making us love the characters.
Saoirse Ronan plays her role well, but that annoying voice-over in her hear is a real burden. Unfortunately it’s necessary for the story. Diane Kruger and William Hurt don’t disappoint either, but the rest of the actors are forgettable.
“The Host” is the victim of a badly executed scenario, which already wasn’t strong as a novel. There is absolutely no tension and this movie feels like it takes forever to end. At some points it was so boring and ridiculous, I just wasn’t entertained.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies from 2008

The most recent year so far for my top five of movies from a certain year. It’s 2008. An what a great year it was for film.

5. In Bruges
It’s Colin Farrell surprising me in this fast paced black comedy, about two assassins who’re laying low after one of them mistakenly kills a young boy instead of his mark. And Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as the coldhearted boss. I laughed so hard!

4. Happy Go Lucky
Sally Hawkins shines as Poppy, a London schoolteacher who is probably the happiest person on Earth. Some will hate her for it, but I loved her and this witty comedy.

3. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke was nominated for an Oscar and took home the Golden Globe. His best performance so far and there is no single misstep in Darren Aronofsky’s drama.

2. Pineapple Express
When I first heard about this I thought it would be silly. Well, it is, but it’s a good kind of silly. Seth Rogen and James Franco are an awesome duo and how loveable was Franco as stoner Saul Silver?

1. Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood played the most miserable SOB on screen that year (a racist Korean War veteran), but he turns into an unlikely hero worthy of tears shed. That's a stunning accomplishment. I love this movie!

They Almost Made the Top 5: Cloverfield, Untraceable, Definitely Maybe, The Other Boleyn Girl, Horton Hears a Who, Get Smart, The Dark Knight, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Burn After Reading, Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/ Nixon, Marley & Me, Wall E, Milk

Quotables: "Brokeback Mountain"

Such a great movie, I really fell in love with it when I saw it for the first time. What great performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. Here are some quotes.

Jack Twist: As for our marriage, we can do it over the phone.

Ennis Del Mar: You ever get the feelin'... I don't know, er... when you're in town and someone looks at you all suspicious, like he knows? And then you go out on the pavement and everyone looks like they know too?

Jack Twist: There ain't never enough time, never enough...

Lureen Newsome: He always said he wanted his ashes scattered on Brokeback Mountain, but I wasn't sure where that was. I thought Brokeback Mountain might be around where he grew up. Knowing Jack, it was probably some pretend place, where bluebirds sing and there's a whiskey spring...

Joe Aguirre: You boys sure found a way to make the time pass up there. Twist, you guys wasn't gettin' paid to leave the dogs babysittin' the sheep while you stem the rose.

Jack Twist: Tell you what... truth is, sometimes I miss you so bad I can hardly stand it...

Ennis Del Mar: Bottom line is... we're around each other an'... this thing, it grabs hold of us again... at the wrong place... at the wrong time... and we're dead.

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 14: Goats

Director: Christopher Neil
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Keri Russell, Justin Kirk, Anthony Anderson, Ty Burrell, Alan Ruck, Dakota Johnson

Description: As Ellis (Graham Phillips) prepares to leave Tucson for his freshman year at an East Coast prep school, he also faces separating from his flaky, new age mother (Vera Farmiga) and the only real father he has ever known: Goat Man (David Duchovny).

Review: In this strange coming-of-age-comedy the young Ellis has to deal with a lot of things: a new school, his new age mom, his estranged dad and the Goat Man. The man who has been like a dad to him, more than his actual father. All these freaky and quirky characters make this a fresh and light dramedy.
Graham Phillips is touching as the young adult struggling with all the people in his life. David Duchovny makes you laugh with his vague character. Vera Farmiga is the weirdest one of the bunch, but she never overdoes it. The other characters don’t have enough depth to even care about them.The story is interesting, but it never seems to go towards an actual ending, which leaves you with an unsatisfied feeling.
“Goats” has heart, it’s a fun film when you’re in the mood for something that’s a bit strange. But a good kind of strange.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 13: The Watch

Director: Akiva Schaffer
Genre: Comedy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Rosemarie DeWitt, Will Forte Description: Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.

Review: It’s a very noble deed: starting a neighborhood watch to help de police out. Evan is the initiator, but only three other people in Glenview want to help him. Soon the four men stumble upon something that’s bigger than any of them: extraterrestrials. That’s basically the story and you shouldn’t take it too seriously. It’s a simplistic comedy with jokes that pass you in warp speed. Occasionally they will make you laugh, but they’re mostly juvenile sex jokes.
Although we’re dealing with a cast who has lots of experience with the comedy genre, they don’t lift “The Watch” to a level above average. Ben Stiller is just being his silly self, Vince Vaughn is overly loud and outspoken and Jonah Hill is constantly proving that he’s not a loser. The one that made me laugh the most was Richard Ayoade, who’s just starting to make a name in Hollywood. But then again he’s British and their humor is almost always better than American humor.
Time goes fast while watching this movie, but when it comes to humor the makers were aiming for quantity instead of quality. “The Watch” isn’t a movie you should expect much from, it’s simple and easy to watch.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (121)

Here are this weeks trailers.

The Right Kind of Wrong

Description: Leo Palamino (Ryan Kwanten) is a failed-writer-turned-dishwasher made famous for his many flaws and shortcomings in a blog called "Why You Suck," a huge Internet success written by his ex-wife. Then Leo meets Colette (Sara Canning), the girl of his dreams... on the day she is marrying the perfect man. And so, the ultimate underdog story begins as Leo, a fearless dreamer, risks all to show Colette and the whole wide world all that is right with a man famous for being wrong.

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Sara Canning, Will Sasso, Catherine O'Hara

Trailer: Trailer "The Right Kind of Wrong"

Comment: Probably awfull, but I do love Catherine O'Hara. She's funny!

 

Don Peyote

Description: We follow a man's decent into perceived madness as he goes on a journey to unravel the fabric of status-quo society. Fogler's leading character, Warren Allman, dives deep down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, secret societies, and counter culture to try and figure out what's really happening in our world and who is pulling the strings.

Director: Michael Canzoniero, Dan Fogler

Starring: Dan Fogler, Anne Hathaway, Jay Baruchel, Dean Winters, Josh Duhamel, Daniel Pinchbeck, Yang Miller

Trailer: Trailer "Don Peyote"

Comment: What the hell is this? This is either briljant or terrible.

Small Time

Description: Al Klein (Christopher Meloni) and his longtime friend, Ash Martini (Dean Norris) own a used car lot. These two know every trick in the book when it comes to selling cars. Martini is a good time charley, who never settled down. Klein, however, still pines for his ex-wife Barbara (Bridget Moynahan) who left him years ago for a more successful man. After their son, Freddy (Devon Bostick,) graduates high school, he decides to forego college in favor of selling cars with his old man. Klein is thrilled when Freddy moves in with him, it's the first time these two have lived under one roof since Freddy was kid. Barbara, on the other hand, is very far from thrilled. But what's good for Klein might not be the best thing for Freddy, as Freddy quickly transforms from innocent young man into a seasoned car salesman, leaving Al with a tough decision to make.

Director: Joel Surnow

Starring: Christopher Meloni, Dean Norris, Devon Bostick, Bridget Moynahan, Kevin Nealon

Trailer: Trailer "Small Time"

Comment: Nothing special.

Summer in February

Description: A true tale of love, liberty and scandal amongst the Edwardian artists' colony in Cornwall

Director: Christopher Menaul

Starring: Dominic Cooper, Emily Browning, Dan Stevens

Trailer: Trailer "Summer in February"

Comment: I always like stories like this.

The Stag

Description: A bachelor party weekend in the great outdoors takes some unexpected detours.

Director: John Butler

Starring: Andrew Scott, Hugh O'Conor, Peter McDonald, Brian Gleeson, Michael Lugge, Andrew Bennet

Trailer: Trailer "The Stag"

Comment: This looks hilarious!