Best of... Edward Norton

Yesterday I watched "Fight Club" and that reminded me again of how good an actor Edward Norton actually is. And how many great films he made. I think he's kind of underrated. Here are my favorite Norton movies.

"Primal Fear"
The star of the movie was Richard Gere, but Edward Norton was by far the best performer in this film. He even got a Oscar nomination. I haven't seen this film in a long time, but I really do like it.

"The People Vs. Larry Flint"
A very controversial film about a pornography publisher, portrayed by Woody Harrelson, who launched Hustler magazine. Edward plays his lawyer and does a good job. The reason I liked this movie is because the 'hero' isn't perfect but you still kinda root for him.

"American History X"
I was completely overwhelmed when I saw it for the first time. I think this is my favorite Norton movie. He plays Derek Vinyard, an ex-con who used to be a neo-nazi. Now his younger brother is going down the same wrong path as he did and Derek is trying to stop him. Great acting, a fantastic film. I only look away during the scene where the guy has to put his mouth on the curb.

"Fight Club"
I think this is the overall favorite for most people, but a good second for me. This film is brilliant. The way the story is told, the extravagant characters and the plot twist at the end. Nice work!

"The Score"
It's a pretty standard story, but I always liked this film. Three generations of good actors in it: Brando, De Niro and Norton. I think Norton does the best job here, especially when he pretends to be a mentally challenged man.

"Red Dragon"
This film takes place before the events that happened in "The Silence of the Lambs". Off course it's not as good, but I enjoyed this movie very much.

"25th Hour"
The last 24 hours of a guy who will face a seven-year jail term. Not a very well known film, but definitely worth watching. And Nortons acting performance is again great.

"The Painted Veil"
Not a typical Norton film, but one of my favorites as well. Together with Naomi Watts he forms a great couple and they are very believable in their performances. Truly amazing film, beautifully shot.

"The Incredible Hulk"
I hated "Hulk", so I wasn't really thrilled about this at first. But my brother talked me into seeing it. And thank God I did. It was so much better and I actually kinda loved it. The special effects where better, the casting and acting was good and it was a good comic book adaptation.

50 Books Challenge - # 5: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Story: Mary Boleyn catches the eye of Henry VIII when she comes to court as a girl of fourteen. Dazzled by the golden prince, Mary’s joy is cut short when she discovers that she is a pawn in the dynastic plots of her family. When the capricious king’s interest wanes, Mary is ordered to pass on her knowledge of how to please him to her friend and rival: her sister Anne. Anne soon becomes irresistable to Henry, and Mary can do nothing but watch her sister’s rise. Anne stops at nothing to achieve her own ambition. From now on, Mary will be no more than the other Boleyn girl. But beyond the court is a man who dares to challenge the power of her family to offer Mary a life of freedom and passion. If only she has the courage to break away – before the Boleyn enemies turn on the Boleyn girls.
Start: january 22nd 2011
End: january 28th 2011
Comment: This book was truly amazing. I just couldn't put it down. It was a very intriguing story and beautifully written. I love stories about this period of time and I really think Gregory discribed it so well. I can't believe what a bitch Anne Boleyn was and how loyal Mary Boleyn was. She did everything for her sister, even though she took Mary's son away from her and banned her from Anne's court. I saw the movie before I read the book, and I thought the movie was very good. But the novel was so much better. Great book, so perfect.
Rating: 5/ 5

Oscar predictions 2011

Every year I try to predict the Oscar winners. I'm actually pretty good at it, because last year I guessed all the important ones. So, this year I'm going to do it as well. Here's my list of who would and should win.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Should Win: "Inception"
Would Win: "The Social Network"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: James Franco for "127 Hours"
Would Win: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" or Annette Bening for "The Kids Are Alright"
Would Win: Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"
Would Win: Christian Bale for "The Fighter"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Amy Adams for "The Fighter"
Would Win: Melissa Leo for "The Fighter"

Best Achievement in Directing
Should Win: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for "True Grit"
Would Win: David Fincher for "The Social Network"

I'm also looking forward to Anne Hathaway and James Franco hosting. I think they would make a great duo. I saw the promo and it was really funny, so that promises a lot for the show.

Pic Spam: Kristen Wiig

Kristen Wiig is the most hilarious and funny woman on TV right now. She's THE female star on "Saturday Night Live" and she was in a lot of funny films ("Adventureland", "Knocked Up", "Extract"). I haven't seen "MacGruber" yet and she gets her own film later this year, "Bridesmaid". I'm also looking forward to seeing "Paul". Here are some of her best photos.

Movie Tip #45 - Whale Rider

Director: Niki Caro

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Cliff Curtis

Description: On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

Review: It starts of as a simple story, as a young girl goes about trying to convince her grandfather that she is to lead the village. She is tougher than any of the boys, but her grandfather won't see it. Like I said, it's a simple story but very well told. "Whale Rider" is a incredibly touching and deeply moving story. And what a wonderfull acting performance by Keisha Castle-Hughes. She has such a strong magnetism while on camera, it's easy to forget the people around her. The end of the film is simply beautiful and breath-taking. Wonderfull film!

Best of... Emily Blunt

I think I said it before, but I absolutely love Emily Blunt. She's a beautifull, natural actress with a certain charm people are impossible to resist. And she's a very good actress as well. I've seen her in many movies now and I decided to make a best of list.

"My Summer of Love"
It's a honest story anout two girls who meet each other over the summer and spend it together. They learn a lot from each other and explore life together. I especially liked Emily in this one and she was actually the reason I decided to watch it.

"The Devil Wears Prada"
Emily's role was great in this film. Everyone said Meryl Streep was the best, but I think Emily should have gotten more credit for her role. She's a real bitch but an awesome bitch. I loved her and that's also the main reason why I love this movie.

"The Jane Austen Book Club"
This movie never got a lot of fame. I never understood it, because it's so much fun. A group of passionate readers who decide to start a bookclub and reread all the Jane Austen books. Jocelyn, Grigg and Prudie (portrayed by Emily) were my favorite characters. I'm hoping to read the book soon.

"Dan in Real Life"
She doesn't have a big role in it, but this movie also didn't get a lot of attention. It's basically Steve Carell that is great, but it was just a fun movie that I only saw once but didn't forget about.

"Charlie Wilson's War"
Again she has a small role. This movie wouldn't be on my Tom Hanks list, but it's defenitely one of Emily's best movies. She plays one of Wilson's romantic interests.

"The Great Buck Howard"
This is the third movie on the list that never really got a lot of credit. I never even read a review on this movie. Great cast, together with Emily we see John Malkovich, Colin Hanks and Tom Hanks. Come on! Malkovich is just wonderfull in this one.

"Sunshine Cleaning"
I LOVE IT!! I think this is my favorite of her. It's a sweet story and Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are great together as sisters and friends. The scene with the matress is hilarious and the part where Rose and Norah see their dead mother on TV. It almost made me cry.

"The Wolfman"
Great horror movie, I saw it in the cinema when it just came out. It was quite enjoyable and very exciting. She had great chemistry with Benicio Del Toro and I liked her as Gwen.

I haven't seen "Young Victoria" yet and I'm really excited for "The Adjustment Bureau" I saw the trailer a couple of times and I'm looking forward to seeing her with Matt Damon. She did a voice for the animated film "Gnomeo and Juliet" which sounds like fun and she's rumored to be in the new Muppet movie.

50 Books Challenge - # 4: A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

Title: A Long Way Down
Author: Nick Hornby
Story: On New Year's Eve, four strangers meet each other on a rooftop, where each has gone to kill himself. JJ is a failed American rock star, Jess a somewhat psychotic teenager, Maureen a middle-aged women with a disabled son, and Martin a disgraced talk show host. On the rooftop, all eventually agree to come down and help Jess find her ex-boyfriend, Chas. The unlikely foursome end up staying together all night, and meet again in six weeks, on Valentine's Day (the next day popular for suicides). When the press gets wind of their escapades, however, they are forced to reunite sooner than planned. The characters struggle to find common ground and convinced each other, and themselves, that staying alive is worth the trouble
Start: january 18th 2011
End: january 21st 2011
Comment: I finished it in three days, which means that I had to keep reading. Nick Hornby is one of my favorite writers, because of "About a Boy" and especially "High Fidelity". I think I can add this one to my favorites list as well. It's a very dramatic theme, but Hornby combines that with a lot of humor. It sounds weird, but it's true. I liked how every chapter was told from a different characters perspective. I liked Maureen the most and then JJ. I thought Jess was very annoying, I would probably punch her if she were real, but there's always that one character you just can't sympathize with. The parts about here weren't as much fun to read as the stories about the other three characters. I really enjoyed "A Long Way Down" and if you like Hornby's previous work, you would probably like this one too.
Rating: 4/ 5

50 Books Challenge - # 3: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

Title: Digital Fortress
Author: Dan Brown
Story: Susan is one of the top Code breakers at the NSA. She monitors the use of the code breaking machine that can break all codes in less than 3 hrs and is used by all forms of US intelligance. She is called in when a program is still running after 12+ hrs. At the same time her fiance is sent to Spain to try and locate the "key" to stopping the release of a code program that will allow the NSA to break codes that Digital Fortress (the encrypting program) is used to protect. In Spain it becomes clear that someone is out to keep the key safe as people who have come in contact with it are killed. The story follows the progress to not only figuring out who has planted the code but how to keep it from letting the world into the NSA files
Start: january 13th 2011
End: january 18th 2011
Comment: It took me a while to get into this book. I didn't like this one as much as "Angels & Demons", which was awesome. This story didn't have as much excitement as the other one and Susan Fletcher isn't as interesting as Robert Langdon. When the story developed, I really liked it and at some points I didn't want to put it down. Browns stories are a bit complicated, because he uses a lot of difficult terms, but it was still easy to follow. It turned out to be good after all, something I didn't expect when I started reading.
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Horror Movie Clichés

I while ago I posted a list with action movie clichés. Well, that's not the only genre with a lot over overused clichés. There's also Horror. And really, there are a lot of them. Here they are.

Cliché # 1 Characters who are stereotypically less intelligent, such as jocks or cheerleaders, always die.

Cliché # 2 Anyone who gets naked for any reason, will get killed.

Cliché # 3 There are always women who start screaming and then cover themselves instead of running away. Like that's gonna help.

Cliché # 4 The last person to survive is often a 'pure' character, a virgin or someone who never used drugs before.

Cliché # 5 Serial killers never run. They walk slowly to create tension yet, they manage to capture their running victims.

Cliché # 6 A character will run from a killer and go through a door. They will lock it and put their back to the door. Not much later, the killer or monster will punch through that door, but they miss the person on the other side.

Cliché # 7 The killers almost never use a gun. They will most often use a sharp object like a knife, machete or chainsaw.

Cliché # 8 Killers and monsters kill everyone, but children or dogs.

Cliché # 9 Whenever someone is being chased, they trip. They always manage to get away anyway.

Cliché # 10 The car never starts, at least not right away. They try to start the car several times and it finally works when the killer is about to strike.

Cliché # 11 Today everyone has a cellphone, but in horrormovies no one does. And when they do, they don't have any reception.

Cliché # 12 People, when chased in a house, always run up the stairs. Like there's a place you can go.

Cliché # 13 When people hear a mysterious sound, they will always walk towards it (most of the time it's coming from a basement, attic, shead). Sometimes people even yell: "hello, is someone there". Like if it's a serial killer he's going to say: "Yeah, I'm right here".

Cliché # 14 Sometimes when someone hears a sound, they will walk towards it and creepy music starts playing in the background. We all know it's probably a cat (or maybe one of the characters friends).

Cliché # 15 There will be a female who is scared shitless because there is a type of killer or monster on the loose. Then another character figures the best way to get her attention is to silently sneak up behind her and grab her shoulder.

Cliché # 16 Some characters think, that whenever they hear a weird sound and there's a killer on the loose, it's probably just the wind. IT'S NEVER THE WIND!!!

Cliché # 17 The person who says "I'll be right back", won't be back.

Cliché # 18 When a character is standing in front of a mirror, it’s possible the killer will appear in that mirror a few seconds later. This also happens with fridges, after they close the door the killer is standing there, like he came out of nowhere.

Cliché # 19 Parents or cops never seem to believe the kids who are telling that there is a crazy killer on the loose. And when they want to show them the dead body, it's gone.

There is still one genre with a lot of clichés. Romantic comedies. Maybe soon I will make a list for those movies.

Golden Globes 2011

Last night the Golden Globe awards were on TV. I love awardshows. Again it had a lot of highlights and some downsides. Here's my list of them:

{Highlights}

- Natalie Portman winning for "Black Swan". I didn't see the movie yet, but from the clips and the trailer I can already tell that she gave away a fantastic performance. I alos loved her acceptence speech. Very endeering.
- Christian Bale winning for "The Fighter". I said it in a blog message, that I really wanted him to win an award. Well he did it and he finally got credit for his talent. Bale is a magnificent actor and I really think he deserved it. This was my favorite win of the night.
- Ricky Gervais' opening monologue. I thought it was funny. The Hugh Hefner part and then the part about "Sex and the City 2". That was hilarious. I also like te reverence to John Travolta and him being gay, when he was talking about "I Love You Phillip Morris". He's one funny guy.
- Robert Downey Jr. being ridiculously adorable. Seriously, my heart melts every time I see him.
- "Toy Story 3" winning for best animated film. I think that one was predictable, but still.
- "Boardwalk Empire" winning for Best Television Show, Drama and Steve Buscemi winning for best TV Actor. I only saw it a couple of times, but it's a very good show. And I always loved Steve.
- Rickey gervais introducing Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. "As a man whose movies have made $3.5 billion and he's won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes... and Tim Allen".
- Jim Parsons winning for "The Big Bang Theory". This guy is hilarious. He also won an Emmy for this role and I think he was the one who deserved it the most.
- Katey Sagal winning for "Sons of Anarchy". This is a kick ass show that I only recently discovered. Bad ass bikers! And Katey plays Gemma, a biker mom/wife you don't want to mess with. You go Katey!

{Downsides}

- The best picture winner. I was secretly hoping for "Inception" because it was awesome. And in fact, they didn't win anything! Sad face...
- Colin Firth winning for "The King's Speech". I'm not a huge Colin Firth fan. I just hoped that James Franco, Mark Wahlberg or Ryan Gosling would win this award.
- Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Lopez presenting best original song. I hate them both, so nothing good could come from this.
- Amy Adams didn't win. Melissa Leo deserved it, but I just like Amy so very much.
- "Modern Family" not winning an award. They are funnier then "Glee" and Eric Stonestreet is way funnier then Chris Colfer. I don't mind them winning, but I have my preferences.

The rest was just OK for me but nothing special.

Best Movies about College

There are so many movies about High School, but coming to think of it there are also some great films about College. So I thought of my favorites. Here they are, in random order:

- "Dead Man On Campus"
Two college friends are trying to find a suicidal roommate, so that if he commits suicide their teacher is required to give them straight A's. Off course it doesn't work that way in real life. This is one of those movies I watch every time it's on TV. I'm not saying it's the best college movie, but it's so enjoyable. And I love Tom Everett Scott!!

- "Van Wilder"
Van Wilder has been attending college for years and has no intention of graduating any time soon. And he throws the best party's. I thought it was hilarious. It's a very funny movie, with a great leading man. I really liked the dog and Taj. Even though I was never really a fan of poop and semen jokes, they seem to work for me in this film. Maybe it's Ryan.

- "Old School"
Three guys who want to relive their college years. They form a fraternity with men who don't fit in elsewhere. One of the most hilarious films ever. I think Will Ferrell steals the show here. I love the scene where he sings "Dust in the Wind" and where he does gymnastics. Oh my God, I'm rolling on the ground!!

- "Road Trip"
Josh makes a sextape with a girl, who's not his girlfriend. Of course this tape gets send to the real girlfriend, by accident. All sorts of mishaps and adventures occur in this wild road movie.

- "Revenge of the Nerds"
Nerd buddies Lewis and Gilbert have just arrived at Adams College. When the jock/frat boys burn down their own fraternity house, they put pressure on the school to put them up somewhere else. They invade the freshman dorms, much to Lewis and Gilberts chagrin. Not my favorite, but you have to admit that they're fun to watch.

- "The Skulls"
A very good thriller set in college, about a group of college students who join a secret fraternity. It promises a lot, but it's also very dangerous and misleading. Great movie and Joshua Jackson is awesome!

- "Good Will Hunting"
There are also serious movies about college, because it's not all about partying. Will is a janitor at a college but he's actually a very gifted mathematic. Matt Damon's breakthrough, Ben Affleck's writing debut and I just loved Minnie Driver in this one.

- "A Beautiful Mind"
One of my all time favorite movies! John Nash is a genius, but he's misunderstood by others. His intelligence makes him go mad and the only one standing by him is his wife Alicia. Fantastic acting performance by both Russel Crowe and Jennifer Connolly.

- "Mona Lisa Smile"
A free-thinking teacher teaches a student body of girls in the 1950's how to change the way they think. I actually really liked this movie.

I know you're missing "Animal House" but I saw it only once and it was a long time ago. I don't remember much about it. I hope to see it again, because everyone keeps telling me how great it is.

Pic Spam: James Franco

This guy is in so many movies right now. James Franco is a fine looking man AND a good actor. I really want to see "127 Hours" and "Your Highness" seems like a lot of fun. Here are some nice pictures (really, this guy had too many)and the third picture is my favorite.

50 Books Challenge - # 2: Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

Title: Gone Baby Gone
Author: Dennis Lehane
Story: Boston private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are hired to find four-year-old Amanda McCready, abducted from her home without leaving a trace. Despite extensive news coverage and dogged investigation, the police inquiry has uncovered nothing. The case is rife with oddities: Amanda's indifferent mother, a couple with a history of paedophilia and a shadowy police unit. As the Indian summer fades, Amanda McCready stays gone - vanished so completely that she seems never to have existed. When a second child disappears, Kenzie and Gennaro face a local media more interested in sensationalizing the abductions than helping to solve them, a local police force seething with lethal secrets, and a faceless power determined to obstruct their efforts. Caught in a deadly tangle of lies, and determined to unravel a riddle that is anything but child's play, they soon discover that those who go looking for the missing may not come back alive.
Start: january 4th 2011
End: january 12th 2011
Comment: It's a very good story but some parts weren't as interesting. I really liked both Patrick and Angie and the ending was very surprising. It got me thinking, what would I do in a situation like that. It took me a long time to finish it, because I couldn't keep my attention at all times. I'm glad that I finished it eventually, because it's an OK book.
Rating: 3/ 5

Lovely Ladies

Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, two of my favorite actresses. They star together in "The Other Boleyn Girl", which is great. And they are a great on screen duo. I made a wallpaper with those two lovely ladies. I have it on my desktop and you can use it for your own computer if you want. Here it is:

2011 Movie Preview

At the start of every year, movie websites take a look at all the movies coming out that year. Their are a lot of movies coming out and seriously it looks kinda great. I made a list and devided it in three categories.

Movies I definitely want to see

- "Unknown" (Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones and Frank Langella);
- "Hall Pass" (Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate");
- The Adjusment Bureau" (Matt Damon and Emily Blunt);
- "Paul" (Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig and the voice of Seth Rogen);
- "Tree of Life" (Brad Pitt and Sean Penn);
- "Larry Crown" (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Brian Cranston and Nia Vardalos);
- "Captain America: The First Avenger" (Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving);
- "Cowboys & Aliens" (Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Paul Dano and Sam Rockwell);
- "The Muppets" (Jason Segal, Amy Adams and the Muppets);
- "New Years Eve" (Robert De Niro, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ashton Kutcher");
- "Sherlock Holmes 2" (Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry and hopefully Rachel McAdams)


Movies I might give a shot

- "The Dilemma" (Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connolly and Channing Tatum);
- "The Green Hornet" (Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou and Christoph Waltz);
- "Just Go With It" (Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker and Nicole Kidman);
- "Your Highness" (James Franco, Danny McBride, Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel);
- "Scream 4" (Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere);
- "Bridesmaid" (Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne and Maya Rudolph);
- "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane);
- "Green Lantern" (Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett);
- "Contagion" (Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet)

Movies I will not see

- "The Mechanic (Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland);
- "The Roommate" (Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly);
- "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" (Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Jaden Smith);
- "The Lincoln Lawyer" (Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe and Marisa Tomei);
- "Fast Five" (Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Jordana Brewster);
- "Friends with Benefits" (Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake)

Best of... Christian Bale

He is not only one of the finest men in Hollywood, he's also a magnificent actor. He really doesn't have any limits, he does everything to prepare for his role. I think he's one of the best of his generation and he hasn't really gotten any credit for that. Here are his best films.

"Empire of the Sun"
He was only just a kid, but even back then he proved his acting abilities. It's a great movie and Bale is endeering in this picture.

"Little Women"
This movie is not so much about him, but I always loved it. Four young girls living with their mother while their dad is fighting in the Civil War. Beautiful story.

"American Psycho"
I think his best role so far. He is really a mad man and unstoppable. And I really thought he was a slick dude in this one, but he does it perfectly well. I love the scene with the chainsaw, classic!

"Equilibrium"
I always loved this film. I know a lot of people think it's a bit like "The Matrix", but it's actually a lot cooler (don't shoot me please). And Bale's performance is again great. I love the gun fighting scene at the end and the scene where he hears the music.

"The Machinist"
This is one of the examples why this guy doesn't have any limits. How much weight did he lose here? He looks very creepy, but it's a very good movie. And wonderfull acting by Christian Bale. Seriously, why wasn't this guy nominated for an Academy Award yet?

"Batman Begins"
I like this one better than "The Dark Knight", because its atmosphere is a lot darker, the way it was ment to be. It's not one of Bale's best roles though.

"Rescue Dawn"
Wow! That was my first reaction after seeing this one for the first time. Bale was awesome, very strong performance. I really loved this film.

"The Prestige"
Fantastic movie, I think my favorite on this list. Great story, with a big WTF-moment in the end. And really, I never sympathized Jackman's character in this film, I was more drawn to Bale. But then again, he does that to me.

"The Dark Knight"
Off course I put this one up on the list. Again, not his best role, but so much fun to watch. I think we all know that it was Heath Ledger who stole the show in this one.

"Terminator Salvation"
He's a good John Connor. It's definitely not the best in the series, but I really enjoyed watching it.

I haven't seen "3:10 to Yuma", "I'm Not There", "Public Enemies" and "The Fighter" yet. I actually really want to see the last one. And I'm hoping he will get an Oscar nomination for that. It's a posibility, because he got nominated for a Golden Globe. Maybe he finally gets the credit he deserves, for he is a fantastic and brilliant actor.

50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 1: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Story: Susie Salmon is a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death.
Start: january 1th 2011
End: january 3rd 2011
Comments: Beautiful story and very well written. Sebold really did a good job telling the story from Susie's point of view. Sometimes I had to put the book down, because it was a little too much. For instance the part where Susie gets murdered. Heavy stuff. I didn't like what happened to Mr. Harvey at the end. Too abrupt, but that's the only critical note. Overall it was a fantastic book.
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Tip #44 - Shutter Island

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley

Description: 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

Review: We all know that all the films Scorcese made with DiCaprio kinda turn into gold. So does this one. "Shutter Island" is one of those thrillers that literally messes with your head. It seems like a standard story, a crazy escapee that they have to track down. But nothing is as it seems. You don't know who to trust and what actually is going on on that creepy island. DiCaprio delivers a nice, strong performance and so does Ben Kingsley. His character surprised me the most, because he turned out to be someone completely different than I thought he would be. Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams and Mark Ruffalo also know how to draw the attention of the audience. I think this is one of the best ensemble casts of the year. All in all this is a very intriguing psychological thriller, that actually gets you to think and I realize that there aren't a lot of movies like this anymore. A truly unique and well written story (a novel by Dennis Lehane) directed by a true genius and performed by a strong cast. Two thumbs up!