Monthly 4: April 2015

Here are my highlights for the month of april.

 

 

1. I don’t have a lot of plants. Okay, I have one. And a couple on the balcony, but nature takes care of those. So my mom said I should get some cactuses, because they are low maintenance. So I got three and I actually love them!

2. My friend Natascha gave birth to her second daughter Saar this month. She and her husband Mark already had a girl, named Caro.

3. On King’s day it tradition there are lots of flea markets. I always go to them with my mom, but never buy anything. With the exception of this year. I found two awesome DVD’s for only 1 euro each. That’s a bargain!

4. Call me a nerd, but this was my highlight this month, seeing “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. It was freakin’ awesome!!!

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (April 2015)

April wasn’t good to me. I didn’t watch that many new movies this month and I also didn’t see a lot of really good films either. But I did manage to make a top 5. Here are my favorite movies I watched this month for my challenge.

5. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

This wasn’t just one movie, it was a series of eight short films based on stories by Stephen King. Especially the stories with William Hurt, William H. Macy and Tom Berenger were really good. A fun time!

 

 

4. Brooklyn’s Finest

The fact that it was the same director as “Training Day” made me watch this movie. I enjoyed it, I always like movies with multiple storylines. Richard Gere did a good job, he showed us a different side of himself.

 

 

3. Oculus

I thought it was going to be another one of those cheesy horror flicks with a haunted house. Well, it was better than that. The acting was great, especially Katee Sackhoff. The movie had some good jump scares and was pretty clever. It surprised me.

 

 

2. An American Werewolf in London

A horror cult classic. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. That transformation scene really amazed me, it looks so good. Especially for that time. It’s a great horror movie with humor here and there.

 

 

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron

This was one of the movies I was really looking forward to this year. And it didn’t disappoint me at all. I prefer the first, but only a little bit. Wonderful action sequences, vibrant characters and great acting. I want to see it again, right now actually…

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Divergent, The Expendables 3

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 53: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Director: Joss Whedon

Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure

Runtime: 141 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans,Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, Jeremy Renner, James SPader, Samuel L. Jackson, Coby Smulders, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Stellan Skarsgard, Claudia Kim, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Linda Cardellini

Description: When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Review: “The Avengers” was a huge success. A grand, funny, lively superhero movie with colorful characters. It was unique and exciting to see all those larger-than-life characters together in one film. And now they are back in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, to save the world again. Will Joss Whedon succeed again? In two words: hell yeah!

We get the same ingredients: Tony Stark/ Iron Man makes sharp remarks, Steve Rogers/ Captain America tries to do everything by the book, Thor is the macho who as a God feels more majestic then the rest, Bruce Banner/ Hulk tries to control his anger and Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow is the kick-ass chick of the group. A well-known formula with the perfect actors to play the roles. The action is out of control: fighting, flying, demolishing, lots of spectacular action scenes. The opening scene was so amazing, you are right in the middle of it all. And that action is combined very well with comedy.

The introduction of the villain, the titular Ultron voiced by James Spader, is fascinating. He is a pretty scary villain and powerful. Spader does a great job voicing the character.

Joss Whedon gave some of the characters, that don’t have standalone films yet, a bigger role then the first movie. We get to know Clint Barton/ Hawkeye a bit better and he also has some good one-liners. Black Widow doesn’t only get more physical scenes, but also gets more depth. Her connection with Bruce Banner also gets more depth. Do we need a love arch in this action packed movie? Why not, it’s only minor.

New characters Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch add, besides new cool superpowers, also an interesting dramatic and moral component to the story. They could have used a bit more depth.

With this many characters in one movie, it’s a challenge to not make it superficial or let one character overshadow another character. Whedon managed to give each character a development, more depth or a memorable moment.

“Avengers”Age of Ultron” is highly enjoyable movie. A perfect cast, a huge amount of action, fun humor. I could think of a lot of worse thing to do in 141 minutes.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 52: An American Werewolf in London

Director: John Landis

Genre: Horror/ Comedy

Runtime: 93 minutes

Year: 1981

Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Lila Kaye, Joe Belcher, David Schofield, Brian Glover, Rik Mayall, Sean Baker, Paddy Ryans, Anne-Marie Davies, Frank Oz, Don McKillop, Paul Kember, Colin Fernandes, Albert Moses, Michele Brisigoth, Mark Fisher, Gordon Sterne, Paula Jacobs, Claudine Bowyer, Johanna Crayden, Nina Carter, Geoffrey Burridge, Brenda Cavendish, Christopher Scoular, Mary Tempest, Cynthia Powell, Sydney Bromley, Frank Singuineau, Will Leighton, Michael Carter, Elizabeth Bradley, Rufus Deakin, Lesley Ward, George Hilsdon, Gerry Lewis, Dennis Fraser

Description: Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.

Review: “An American Werewolf in London” is a movie that, within its genre, has reached a cult status. The start of the movie says enough and tells us which direction it’s heading: full moon, warnings, a pentagram on the wall of the local pub and a hostile attitude from the villagers. Something bad is about to happen. It’s in the form of a werewolf, that attacks both David and Jack while on a nightly stroll. Jack is killed and David survives the attack. But that’s just the beginning of David’s nightmare.

This film has that cult status to thanks to the wonderfully visualized transformation, where David turns into a werewolf. Director John Landis wanted the camera to stay close and to shoot the scene in clear light. This makes the transformation very realistic, especially for its time. This scene is definitely the best and most memorable moment of the movie.

Aside from that one scene, the physical appearance isn’t that present. It’s often more short and quick scenes with a bloody werewolf’s head and some growling noises. Only a couple of times the beast is fully shown, mostly from a distance. This doesn’t make the movie less exciting or scary. Landis managed to create an oppressive atmosphere and a good build-up.

At the time the movie came out, it got mixed reviews. People weren’t sure in which category “An American Werewolf in London” belonged. That’s because of the mix between horror and comedy. Landis claimed it was a horror movie. And that’s the case. The comedy, also thanks to lead actor David Naughton, is just a little bit of relief from all the gore. If this movie is a horror comedy, we will leave that up to the audience.

“An American Werewolf in London” is one of the best movies in the genre of werewolf movies and will definitely make every horror fan happy.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Moments: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones is my favorite male movie character of all time and I just love these movies (pretending the fourth one was never made). “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is still my favorite in the series, so I decided to pick my favorite moments from that movie. Here they are.

Moment # 1: Opening scene

We meet Indiana Jones while he is trying to capture an important relic from a hidden temple. This scene shows us everything we want from an adventure movie.

Moment # 2: Drinking game

We meet Marion Ravenwood, the owner of a bar. She is in the middle of a drinking game. Just when it looks like she’s about to give up, she wins!

Moment # 3: Bar fight

Indiana Jones is trying to find one of the pieces Marion’s father collected. But more people are after it. Dr. René Beloq, a rival archeologist, wants it too.

Moment # 4: Show off

On a busy market a man is trying to show his sword skills and he wants to fight Indiana Jones. Well, Indiana isn’t in the mood and just shoots him. Just like that.

Moment # 5: “Why did it have to be snakes?”

While still on a mission , Indiana Jones has to face what he fears and hates most: snakes! A pit full of snakes.

Moment # 6: Brutal beheading

Indiana and Marion are trying to get on a plane, but someone is in the way. The big guy is putting up a fight, but Indiana is smarter. One of the propellers is coming towards the bad guy, beheading him. Which is a very brutal scene by the way for this movie anyway.

Moment # 7: Truck chase

One of the most awesome chases ever. Especially the part where Indiana Jones is hanging at the back of a truck and then manages to climb back up on it again.

Moment # 8: The ark revealed

The ark is finally revealed by René Beloq and his men, but it probably wasn’t a good idea. Because they, well…. They melt.

 

 

Favorite Moment: Moment # 4: Show off

Movie Favorites: Hot Fuzz

Synopsis: Top London cop, PC Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is good. Too good. And to stop the rest of his team looking bad, he is reassigned to the quiet town of Sandford. He is paired with Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), who endlessly questions him on the action lifestyle. Everything seems quiet for Angel, until two actors are found decapitated. It is called an accident, but Angel isn't going to accept that, especially when more and more people turn up dead. Angel and Danny clash with everyone, whilst trying to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the apparent "accidents".

 

 

Unique Selling Point: This is how action and comedy should be mixed. This is probably my favorite out of the cornetto-trilogy.

Most Valuable Player: Edgar Wright, for writing one of the greatest comedies in movie history. Clever jokes, something that makes me laugh every time.

Best Moment: Nicholas Angel jumps over a fence, smoothly. Danny also does it, not so smoothly. “What’s the matter, Danny? Never taken a shortcut before?” Well, he clearly hasn’t.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 51: Graveyard Shift

Director: Ralph S. Singleton

Genre: Horror

Runtime: 89 minutes

Year: 1990

Starring: David Andrews, Kelly Wolf, Stephen Macht, Andrew Divoff, Brad Dourif, Vic Polizos, Robert Alan Beuth, Illona Margolis, Jimmy Woodard, Jonathan Emerson, Minor Rootes, Kelly L. Goodman, Susan Lowden, Joe Perham, Dana Packard

Description: In a very old textile mill, with a serious rat infestation, the workers discover a horrifying secret deep in the basement.

Review: The term graveyard shift simply means working at night, when every living soul is sleeping. The movie is based on a short story by Stephen King. The movie is set in Maine, like almost every other King story. Leading character is traveler John Hall and ends up in a little town, where he decides to start working in an old textile factory. What he doesn’t know is that an enormous monster is living there as well.

Stephen King is probably the author with the most book to movie adaptations. “Graveyard Shift” is more conventional scary story, with lots of gore. The bloody opening makes room for a long intro where we get to know the characters. The story loses tempo and the actors don’t manage to keep it interesting. The acting is terrible. Although the movie is a bit dated, the monster itself looks okay for that time.

The movie is too long. They tried to turn a short story into a full length movie, which doesn’t work. It’s not a very good movie and not a film Stephen King would be proud of.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Pic Spam: Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke is a beautiful woman and a rising star. This year she will star in the new Terminator movie and she will portray Sarah Connor. After the latest trailer I think she is the perfect choice for the role. But for now, here are some awesome pics of Emilia Clarke.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 50: De Verbouwing

Director: Will Koopman

Genre: Thriller/ Drama

Runtime: 104 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Tjitske Reidinga, Peter Blok, Mark Rietman, Alex Hendrickx, Nanett Drazic, Terence Schreurs, Sieger Sloot, Gene Bervoets

Description: Tessa (Tjitske Reidinga) opens her luxurious clinic with a big party. She is smart, beautiful, savvy, and happily married with an intelligent adolescent son. But appearances are deceptive. In reality, her marriage is falling apart, her house renovation is a disaster and the finances of her clinic are a mess. Desperate, she accepts the helping hand of a friend from the past who has turned up suddenly, but in doing so, opens herself up to an ordeal of terror and blackmail.

Review: Saskia Noort is one of the most popular Dutch writers and this is already her third book to movie adaptation. Her debut, “Terug naar de Kust”, was loved by the audience and her second film “De Eetclub” got a lot less good reviews. Will Koopman, director of the first, also directs “De Verbouwing”.

Tjitske Reidinga plays Tessa van Asselt, a plastic surgeon who runs her own private clinic. Her success doesn’t affect her marriage very well. Husband Rogier, once a successful psychiatrist, has a burn out and can’t handle the fact that his wife is more successful. Tessa’s financial state isn’t as great as you might think, because she has a debt. With that she also has a struggling relationship with her teenage son Thom and her house is in the middle of a renovation. A coincidental meeting with ex Johan might change everything. He is a businessman and wants to invest in Tessa’s clinic. It sounds too good to be true, and it is. Because Johan has a hidden agenda.

Tjitske Reidinga plays her role very well. She could be you next door neighbor, but also has a certain class. Tessa is a woman who wants to be in charge, but has to let that go once she starts working with the wrong people. Peter Blok, as Johan, also does a solid job. He is very good as the charmer with a dark side.

For a thriller “De Verbouwing” doesn’t have a lot of surprise elements. Only the last 30 to 40 minutes could be called a thriller. And the movie becomes more and more unbelievable once we go towards the end. The actors are what keep our attention. The script could be more effective.

Just a standard drama movie with some thriller elements. It has some twists, but it never gets really exciting. Fun for a girl’s night, that’s it.

Rating: 2/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (187)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Barely Lethal

Description: Megan(Hailee Steinfld) is a young international assassin who yearns for a "normal" adolescence, prompting her to fake her own death and enroll in a suburban high school. Victoria (Jessica Alba), Megan's former handler and current nemesis, enlists Heather (Sophia Turner), to go undercover at the high school and reacquire the runaway.

Director: Kyle Newman

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Hailee Steinfeld, Sophie Turner

Trailer: Trailer "Barely Lethal"

Comment: What is this, "Mean Girls" meets "Kill Bill"?

The Visit

Description: A single mother (Kathryn Hahn) finds that things in her family's life go very wrong after her two young children visit their grandparents.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Olivia DeJonge

Trailer: Trailer "The Visit"

Comment: I've been waiting for M. Night Shyamalan's new movie. I still have faith in his qualities.

Black Mass

Description: The true story of Whitey Bulger (Johnny Depp), the brother of a state senator (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Adam Scott, Johnny Depp, Sienna Miller, Kevin Bacon, Juno Temple, Joel Edgerton, Rory Cochrane, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Dakota Johnson, Corey Stoll

Trailer: Trailer "Black Mass"

Comment: I also still have faith in Johnny Depp. Besides, this cast is amazing!

Preggoland

Description: When Ruth (Sonja Bennett) ruins a baby shower with her drunken, juvenile antics, her old high school cronies, who are all mothers now, promptly de-friend her. But when she is later mistakenly thought to be "with child," she is inexplicably welcomed back into the group. Ruth plans on coming clean, but when her dad has a heart attack and tells her that the only thing keeping him alive is the promise of grandkids, Ruth decides to continue to fake the pregnancy. Things get even more complicated when Ruth falls in love with her new boss, who seems to wants nothing more than to raise her unborn child as his own. Can she get out of this without losing her job, friends, respect of her family, and the new love of her life? This edgy comedy challenges the stereotypes of finding love and motherhood.

Director: Jacob Tierney

Starring: Danny Trejo, James Caan, Sonja Bennett

Trailer: Trailer "Preggoland"

Comment: This looks hilarious!

Gemma Bovery

Description: Martin (Fabrice Luchini), an ex-Parisian well-heeled hipster passionate about Gustave Flaubert who settled into a Norman village as a baker, sees an English couple moving into a small farm nearby. Not only are the names of the new arrivals Gemma (Gemma Arterton) and Charles Bovery (Jason Flemyng), but their behavior also seems to be inspired by Flaubert's heroes.

Director: Anne Fontaine

Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton, Mel Raido, Pip Torrens, Niels Schneider, Isabelle Candelier, Elsa Zylbrerstein

Trailer: Trailer "Gemma Bovery"

Comment: Wow, loving it already!

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 49: The Expendables 3

Director: Patrick Hughes

Genre: Action/ Adventure

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kelsey Grammer, Antonio Banderas, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Ronda Rousey, Kellan Lutz, Jet Li 

Description: Barney (Sylvester Stallone) augments his team with new blood for a personal battle: to take down Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), the Expendables co-founder and notorious arms trader who is hell bent on wiping out Barney and every single one of his associates.

Review: It’s again time for an adventure with some of our favorite action stars: “The Expendables 3”. As the driving engine behind the film series, Sylvester Stallone managed to find some new actors. Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford are added to the cast. Alongside the ‘oldies’, we also get some new young stars. Kellan Lutz is probably the only one that will ring a bell. Bruce Willis isn’t part of it anymore.

The movie starts with a lot of action. Barney and his team have to save an ex-Expendable, named Doctor Death. During their next mission, Barney finds out that Stonebanks, an Expendable gone bad, is still alive. All he wants is to go up against him one more time, especially after severely injuring Caesar. Barney doesn’t want his other friends to get hurt, so he decides to set up a new team. But it’s not that easy to exchange experience.

Just like how The Rolling Stones still keep coming back and fill concert halls, “The Expendables 3” will attract audience. The storyline is never the strong point, although there is a more emotional side to it this time.

Introducing Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas to the franchise is a smart move. Their loud characters often manage to make you laugh. The search for the new generation, led by Kelsey Grammer, is more fun than the new group itself. All of them are easily replaceable. Mel Gibson is very convincing as the villain.

The action is again of a high level. If you liked the previous movies in this series, “The Expedables 3” gives you again what you expect. The formula hasn’t stopped working yet and another sequel isn’t unthinkable.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 48: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

Director: Rob Bowman, Mark Haber, Brian Henson, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Mike Rober, Mikael Salomon

Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Fantasy/ Drama

Runtime: 378 minutes

Year: 2006

Starring: William Hurt, William H. Macy, Eion Bailey, Ron Livingston, Claire Forlani, Jeremy Sisto, Henry Thomas, Kim Delaney, Steven Weber, Jacqueline McKenzie, Samantha Mathis, Tom Berenger, Marsha Mason, Andy Anderson, Bill Barretta, Jude Beaumont, Portia Bradley, Mitchell Butel, Richard Cawthorne, Michelle Cele, Jennifer Congram, Tyler Coppin, Paul Gleeson, Sara Gleeson, Christopher Kirby, William McNamara, Joe Sagal, Mia Sara, Greta Scacchi, Kristian Schmid

Description: A series of short films, an adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.

Review: “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” is a series of eight independent stories, by Stephen King. The stories have very diverse themes, which make it a fun experience.

1. Battleground: Jason Renshaw is a cold blooded hitman, who can live in wealth because of that job. The hit on an important toymaker looks like a routine job. This thought changes when he receives a package, right after the kill. The package contains a box with toy soldiers. “Battleground” is a very original story and is adapted to the screen very well. William Hurt is convincing as the very silent hitman and the toy soldiers that come to life look pretty good. Even though the viewer understands what is going on in the movie, it does keep your attention. It’s one of the best stories of this collection.

 

2. Crouch End: Lonnie Freeman has, together with his wife, an important business meeting in the London neighborhood Crouch End. When a taxi driver tells them it’s not a good idea to visit it, the decide to ignore it. Weird things start to happen as soon as they arrive at Crouch End. “Crouch End” is definitely a story with potential, but the makes of this film don’t succeed completely. The first 25 minutes are pretty exciting. Mysterious messages and weird appearances create a spooky atmosphere and stimulate your curiosity. What follows is not a good and lacks logic and incredibility. With that the special effects are pretty bad.

 

3. Umney’s Last Case: Clyde Umney is a semi successful detective in 1930s Los Angeles. One day it looks like everything in his life has changed. The blind paperboy is rich all of a sudden and his favorite bar is closed. In his office is a mysterious man that claims he has created the world that Clyde is living in. “Umney’s Last Case” looks like an ode to the classic film-noir. The traditional whiskey drinking and cynical detective, the femme fatale and lots of smoking are all elements that are typical for the genre. But King wouldn’t be King if a story with a traditional character didn’t have a supernatural twist. Sometimes the story is a bit slow, but William H. Macy’s acting and the originality of the story make up for this.

 

4. The End of the Whole Mess: In this film we get to hear a remarkable story, told by Howard Fornoy. It’s about his brother Robert, who is a genius. From a young age it’s very clear that Robert has a gift. But, as he grows older, Robert never manages to finish school of get a job. He is also tortured by the misery and cruelty of the world. He decides to find a remedy for those problems. Robert succeed to find a cure against aggression, but it has some ugly side effects. “The End of the Whole Mess” is not a ghost story or anything of the supernatural. It’s more about themes like innocence, childhood memories and human nature. The movie is somewhat slow, but the dialogues are solid and has depth.

 

5. The Road Virus Heads North: Author Richard Kinnell finds a second hand painting, while traveling. The painting has a strange attraction. It was made by a tortured artist, who eventually committed suicide. Richard decided to buy the painting, but soon sees that the image keeps changing. “The Road Virus Heads North” is the scariest story from this collection. A desolate atmosphere, great build-up of tension and some blood spilling may induce the fans of horror or thriller.

 

6. The Fifth Quarter: Willie Evans has just left prison and is determined to live an honest life. His former cellmate Barney is not successful and has been part of a robbery. When his partners betray him, Barney seeks Willie. Willie has a dilemma: help his friend or keep the promise to his wife? “The Fifth Quarter” is one of my least favorite stories in this collection. It’s nothing more than a simple crime thriller and can be called mediocre. The acting is okay, but the characters don’t have enough depth to make you care about them. Surprising twists and memorable scenes are not present. Not very memorable.

 

7. Autopsy Room Four: “Autopsy Room Four” depicts one of our greatest fears, without any supernatural elements or gore. The movie follows who has been bitten by a venomous snake and ends up in the hospital. There is a problem: the doctors think he is dead and he isn’t in the hospital but on an autopsy table. He can’t move, but sees and feels everything. All he can do is watch how the coroner’s are preparing for his autopsy. “Autopsy Room Four” is not as threatening as the original story, mainly because of the cynical and funny remarks of the lead character. The computer animated snake is also not a success. I read the story and it’s much better than this adaptation. It’s not a bad film, but with a bit more darkness it could have been better.

 

8. You Know They Got a Hell of a Band: After taking a wrong turn, Clark and Mary Rivingham end up in a mysterious village called Rock and Roll Heaven. The come to the conclusion that many of the citizens look like dead rock stars. It looks like an homage to the rock heroes we used to love, like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Jimi Hendrix. Like many times before Stephen King manages to add a supernatural twist. It’s a fun film, but not very special.

 

Because of the diversity and the many differences between the stories, not all the movies are successful. “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” is a fun series of films.

Rating: 3/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Comedies of the 1990s

I like a good laugh, because I think life is better when you’re laughing. But what are my favorite comedies? Well, that’s a task, so I decided to go by decade. Starting with the 1990s. Here they come.

5. Groundhog Day

Not slapstick comedy, but Bill Murray comedy. Murray is one of the funniest actors in Hollywood and “Groundhog Day” is one of those comedies that will stay timeless.

 

 

4. Dumb and Dumber

When you say 90s comedy, Jim Carrey is definitely a big part of it. I saw “Dumb and Dumber” in theatres and it cracked me up back then. It still does. I haven’t seen the sequel though, I really don’t want to.

 

 

3. The Big Lebowski

This humor is slightly different from the other ones on the list, but I really liked seeing Jeff Bridges as ‘The Dude’. He is kind of useless, but boy do we love him. And his attachment to his rug.

 

 

2. There’s Something About Mary

I love this comedy, it makes me laugh every single time. Ben Stiller is loveable and clumbsy Ted, Matt Dillon as creepy and sleezy Pat and off course pretty Cameron Diaz as Mary.

 

 

1. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

This is a role only Jim Carrey can pull off. “Ace Venture: Pet Detective” is even one of my favorite comedies of all time. It has so many memorable scenes: the sliding door, Ace wearing a tutu, thinking he found Snowflake.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Wayne’ss World, Mrs. Doubtfire, Happy Gilmore

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 47: Devil's Knot

Director: Atom Egoyan

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Alessandro Nivola, James Hamrick, Seth Meriwether, Kristopher Higgins, Amy Ryan, Robert Baker, Collette Wolfe, Rex Linn, Bruce Greenwood, Kristoffer Polaha, Matt Letscher, Michael Gladis, Stephen Moyer, Martin Hednerson, Ted Huckabee, Elias Koteas, Dane DeHaan, Kerry Cahill, Jet Jurgensmeyer, Paul Boardman Jr., Brandon Spink, Kevin Durand, Julie Ivey

Description: The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.

Review: “Devil’s Knot” is based on the book with the same name by Mara Leveritt. The author was inspired by real life events. The trial of ‘The West Memphis Three’ was the inspiration for both book and movie. Director Atom Egoyan decided to make it into a movie.

In 1993 three children were murdered, in a town in Memphis. After a few weeks the suspects were arrested. Three teenagers, The West Memphis Three, were caught and they were accused of using satanic rituals. They were convicted for the murders. The end? Not exactly, because a lot of facts were wrong and the police wasn’t thorough enough. The question is: are the teenagers really guilty? The movie is almost two hours long and this is simply not enough time to tell the entire story. It’s a complicated case and there isn’t enough room for the characters, because there are so many people involved in the case. Director Egoyan bit off more than he could chew.

Reese Witherspoon plays the mother of one of the murdered boys. She does a good job. She manages to show desperation and despair, but her character doesn’t really add anything. Colin Firth’s character has the same problem. The three suspects don’t get enough screen time, which is a shame.

Atom Egoyan tried, that’s a plus. He didn’t want to give us a boring history lesson. But the movie simply doesn’t work that wellm when the source material is so interesting. It’s just an okay film, which could have been so much better. Shame.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (186)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

Description: Plot still unknown

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons, Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Eisenberg, Holly Hunter, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Scoot McNairy

Trailer: Trailer Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Comment: The long awaited trailer, but Ben Affleck as Batman just doesn't get me excited.

Star Wars: Wpisode VII - The Force Awakens

Description: Set 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi."

Director: J.J. Abrams

Starring: Harrison Ford, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Max von Sydow, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o, Crystal Clarke, Pip Anderson, Christina Chong, Miltos Yerolemou

Trailer: Trailer "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens"

Comment: Yet another teaser, but when I saw Han Solo and Chewbaca I lost my mind!

Terminator Genisys

Description: When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…

Director: Alan Taylor

Starring: Sandrine Holt, J.K. Simmons, Byung-hun Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Matt Smith, Michael Gladis, Emilia Clarke, Dayo Okeniyi

Trailer: Trailer "Terminator Genisys"

Comment: The new trailer showed us so much more and I'm more excited now! Looks like Emilia Clarke is a good choice for Sarah Connor.

Dope

Description: Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a geek, carefully surviving life in The Bottoms, a tough neighborhood in Inglewood, CA filled gangsters and drugs dealers, while juggling his senior year of college applications, interviews and the SAT. His dream is to attend Harvard. A chance invitation to a big underground party leads Malcolm and his friends into a, only in Los Angeles, gritty adventure filed with offbeat characters and bad choices. If Malcolm can persevere, he'll go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.

Director: Rick Famuyiwa

Starring: Kimberly Elise, Forest Whitaker, Zoe Kravitz, Blake Anderson, Tony Revolori, Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons

Trailer: Trailer "Dope"

Comment: Looks like fun.

Learning to Drive

Description: As her marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor with marriage troubles of his own. In each other's company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel.

Director: Isabel Coixet

Starring:Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber, Grace Gummer

Trailer: Trailer "Learning to Drive"

Comment: I just know I will love this movie, because I love Patricia Clarkson.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 46: Brooklyn's Finest

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 132 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Will Patton, Ellen Barkin, Jesse Williams, Logan Marshall-Green

Description: Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths.

Review: Antoine Fuqua showed us the tough reality of cops and the street life in “Training Day”. Ethan Hawke, who was also in “Training Day”, stars in “Brooklyn’s Finest, together with Richard Gere and Don Cheadle. It’s a cop drama, but not standard: violent, without compromise and gritty as hell.

The effective intro sets the mood. The movie opens with criminal Carlo and cop Sal, in a parked car. The conversation isn’t important, but you can conclude that Sal needs money. He breaks the law for that. Then we meet cop Eddie, who wakes up and drinks a glass of whiskey right before he is about to start the last seven days of being a cop. Last we meet undercover cop Tango who, while driving a BMW, enters an apartment in the projects in Brooklyn with some gang members. It appears that a young dealer has just been shot by a cop.

This is the setup to the film and we shift between those three storylines. We follow them for a week and sometimes the stories intertwine. It gives you better insights in all the characters. For instance Sal, who needs to support his five children, and two on the way. Everyday there is the temptation of taking drug money that is found at the scene of the crime. Sal starts to take more risks. Ethan Hawke really impresses in his role. Eddie is set to pass on his experience to some new rookies. Richard Gere plays his role very subtle, he is a broken man. I liked seeing Gere in a role like this. Don Cheadle is undercover detective Tango and probably has the most interesting role. He managed to infiltrate and become friends with local drug lord Caz, played by Wesley Snipes. He is on the point of a break through and a promotion, so he can say goodbye to being an undercover agent. But his connection with Caz make the thin line between good and bad even thinner.

“Brooklyn’s Finest” is an above average cop drama, that doesn’t succeed because of its plot, but because of the strong cast and the anguished atmosphere. It’s an overlooked movie, that deserves more credit.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Horror Movies from the 2000s

I did a 1990s version of this list last week, so I’m doing kind of like a series. This time, horror movies from the 2000s. I’m excluding horror comedies, like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Zombieland”. Here are my favorites.

5. The Mist

Creepy and disturbing. Not just the monsters and creatures, but also what a situation like this can do to people. People are crazy

 

 

4. Final Destination

No visible monster, ghost or any other creatures. This time it’s death itself and the people in “Final Destination” are trying to cheat death. A really good movie in the genre.

 

 

3. Let the Right One In

It’s a Swedish movie, based on the story of John Ajvide Lindqvist (the Scandinavian Stephen King). The bullied Oskar befriends a girl, Eli. She is a bit peculiar, later shown she is a vampire. Very good horror movie without any spectacle.

 

 

2. 28 Days Later

Danny Boyle likes to play around with different genres. And the horror genre went well for him. This is such a good movie, which also terrifies me. It all looks so realistic.

 

 

1. The Descent

The movie is scary for a couple of reasons. At first, the spelunking. Tight spaces and darkness all around, two things that are very frightening, even without monsters around you. But that’s the second scary thing, because there are monsters in that cave. I remember when I first saw one of the monsters. It shocked me.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Saw, Rec, Slither, Hostel, Paranormal Activity, The Ring, Drag Me to hell