Movie Trailer Sunday (224)

Here are this week's trailers.

Badge of Honor

Director: Agustin

Description: Two Narcotics Detectives find themselves in an intense investigation lead by a determined Internal Affairs Detective after a child is wrongfully shot dead in a violent drug bust.

Starring: Jesse Bradford, Mena Suvari, Martin Sheen, Hayley Duff, Natasha Henstridge

Trailer: Trailer "Badge of Honor"

Comment: Mediocre....

Trolls

Director: Mike Mitchell, Walt Dohrn, Gwen Stefani, Russell Brand, Kunal Nayyar

Description: Lovable and friendly the trolls love to play around but one day a mysterious giant shows up to end the party

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden,

Trailer: Trailer "Trolls"

Comment: I used to love those dolls when I was a kid.

The Bronze

Director: Bryan Buckley

Description: A foul-mouthed former gymnastics bronze medalist (Melissa Rauch) must fight for her local celebrity status when a new young athlete's star rises in town.

Starring: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Haley Lu Richardson, Sebastian Stan, Cecily Strong, Thomas Middleditch

Trailer: Trailer "The Bronze"

Comment: Looks fun!

Nine Lives

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Description: A stuffy businessman (Kevin Spacey) finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Garner, Cheryl Hines

Trailer: Trailer "Nine Lives"

Comment: Meh...

Cabin Fever

Director: Travis Zariwny

Description: A group of five friends are terrorized at their getaway cabin. A remake of the 2002 film, 'Cabin Fever'.

Starring: Gage Golightly, Matthew Daddario, Nadine Crocker, Dustin Ingram, Samuel Davis, Randy Schulman, Louise Linton, Jason Rouse

Trailer: Trailer "Cabin Fever"

Comment: Do we really need a a remake to Eli Roth's film?

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 11

Andy Stitzer (“The 40 Year Old Virgin”), Mark (“Love Actually”) and Spock (“Star Trek”)

Marry: Mark is such a sweet guy, who knows how to sweep a girl off her feet. I think he would make a loving and caring husband. (And if a zombie apocalypse would start, he would easily kill them. Yes, that’s the same guy!)

Kiss: Andy Stitzer is the sweetest guy ever. I would easily marry him too, but I most definitely don’t want to push him off a cliff. So I would kiss him instead, because this guy has had all the bad luck one man can handle.

Cliff: Spock is way too serious for me and his haircut is just a no-no!

Movie Favorites: Drive

Synopsis: A mysterious man (Ryan Gosling) who has multiple jobs as a garage mechanic, a Hollywood stuntman and a getaway driver seems to be trying to escape his shady past as he falls for his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) - whose husband is in prison and who's looking after her child alone. Meanwhile, his garage mechanic boss is trying to set up a race team using gangland money, which implicates our driver as he is to be used as the race team's main driver. Our hero gets more than he bargained for when he meets the man who is married to the woman he loves.

 

 

Unique Selling Point: Magnificent montage, great camera work. An easy switch between fast action sequences and slower scenes. Sharp dialogues and on edge humor. The acting is strong, the movie is visually stunning, this is powerful cinema. Very impressive and intriguing.

Most Valuable Player: Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, it’s pure art.

Best Moment: The elevator scene. Driver and Irene are in the elevator when he sees the other passenger is carrying a gun. Driver wants to protect Irene and he pushes her back, kisses her and then he smashes up the guys face.

Top 5 Thursday: Actors/ Actress We Want to See in a Tarantino Movie

Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director and he has made great film, created memorable characters and also managed to get fantastic actors for his films. Think of Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman and Kurt Russell among many others. But there are so many actors we wish would star in a Tarantino movie. Here are my five favorites.

5. Jesse Eisenberg

Not an obvious choice, but I’m kind of tired of seeing Jesse Eisenberg in the same roles. If anyone can get him out of his comfort zone, it’s Quentin Tarantino. Look at Channing Tatum, Diane Kruger and John Travolta. Let Eisenberg get a little crazy with success.

 

 

4. Josh Brolin

He is a well-known face in the Coen Brothers universe, but he would fit into the Tarantino world too. He has been in the Robert Rodriguez directed segment of “Grindhouse” so technically he wasn’t in a Tarantino movie. Josh Brolin is a great actor, who can play dark characters and has a wide range which he proved with movies like “No Country for Old Men” and “Sicario”.

 

 

3. Oscar Isaac

For Oscar Isaac 2015 was a fantastic year. He starred in “A Most Violent Year”, “Ex Machina” and off course “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Although he didn’t exactly steal the show in the last film, Poe Dameron is becoming this generation’s Han Solo. His performance was both cocky and charismatic and Isaac is also one of the most interesting actors of the moment. In “Ex Machina” he showed us a darker side of himself and he would fit perfectly into a Tarantino film.

 

 

2. Cate Blanchett

I don’t think I need to make an argument. Cate Blanchett is one of the best actresses living today. She is such a graceful actress and wouldn’t it be fun to see her lose that grace in a Tarantino movie. To be a bit more gritty. We all know Blanchett can pull it off, like she does every other role.

 

 

1. Javier Bardem

He can play a mean villain, but how about a villainous character Quentin Tarantino wrote? Tarantino created some memorable bad guys like Mr. Blonde, Hans Landa and Calvin Candy. Javier Bardem can easily portay a villain that feels comfortable in the Tarantino universe.

 

 

They almost made the top 5: Edward Norton, Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johansson, Nicolas Cage

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 15: Princess Mononoke

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Genre: Animation/ Adventure

Runtime: 134 minutes

Year: 1997

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Lewis Arquette, Corey Burton, Jennifer Cihi, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Keith David, John DeMita, John Di Maggio, Minnie Driver, Alex Fernández, Jack Fletcher, Julia Fletcher, Pat Fraley, John Hostetter, Leslie ishii

Description: On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.

Review: “Princess Mononoke” is an animation by Hayao Miyazaki, who also created “Spirited Away” and “My neighbor Totoro”. Those movies were also suitable for children. “Princess Mononoke” is not, due to the theme and the amount of violence. Ashitaka is a prince of an isolated tribe and is cursed after a fight with a demonic boar. To save his life, he has to leave his tribe and find the origin of the demon. On his quest he encounters a mine colony and several animal tribes that have been in war for a while. Both parties are led by strong women: the mine colony is led by Lady Eboshi, and San, also known as Princess Mononoke, leads the animals. Eboshi gives shelter to former prostitutes and tries to give her people a good life. San is raised by wolves and wants to save the forest. Ashitaka tries to get the two tribes together.

“Princess Mononoke” is a beautiful fairytale like story, with strong themes and many layers. I’ve always loved Miyazaki’s style and the music he puts with it. The movie has many things: humor, an original strong story, atmosphere, interesting characters, emotion and it’s all balanced well. The great eye for detail is something I admire in Miyazaki’s work. Another great film from this amazing director. For fans of the genre it’s a definite must-see!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 14: The Shop Around the Corner

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 99 minutes

Year: 1940

Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut, Sara Haden, Felix Bressart, William Tracy, Inez Courtney

Description: Two employees (Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart) at a gift shop can barely stand one another, without realizing that they're falling in love through the post as each other's anonymous pen pal.

Review: “The Shop Around the Corner” was the inspiration for the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie “You’ve Got Mail”, where Ryan’s character works in a store called The Shop Around the Corner. Here it’s modernized and the two lead characters correspond through e-mail. In “The Shop Around the Corner” they send each other good old snail mail.

Klara and Alfred work in a shop in Budapest. They bicker a lot, can’t really stand each other. But they don’t know that they are pen pals.

The movie has some sharp dialogues and great characters. Like the grumpy store owner and one of the employees that runs away every time the boss asks someone for his honest opinion. Almost the entire film is set in the store. James Stewart is charming as ever and it’s a pretty fun film classic.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 13: Neighbors

Director: John G. Avildsen

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 94 minutes

Year: 1981

Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kathryn Walker, Cathy Moriarty

Description: A quiet man's peaceful suburban lifestyle is threatened by the new, obnoxious couple that moves in next door.

Review: Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi and team up again after the successful and super fun “Blues Brothers” in 1980. This is a great comedic duo, so “Neighbors” will be hilarious, right? Ehm, no!

Earl and Enid live a quiet life in a suburban neighborhood, until a strange couple moves in next door. A simple plot, that could go in many different directions and could be really funny. “Neighbors” is a weird comedy. It’s one of those comedies that is painfully unfunny. There is nothing worse than a comedy that doesn’t make you laugh, because the main thing a comedy should do is make you laugh.

“Neighbors” is stupid, weird and not funny at all. Skip!

Rating: 1/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (223)

Here are this week's trailers.

Neighbors 2

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Description: Now that Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne) have a second baby on the way, they are ready to make the final move into adulthood: the suburbs. But just as they thought they'd reclaimed the neighborhood and were safe to sell, they learn that the new occupants next door are a sorority even more out of control than Teddy (Zac Efron) and his brothers ever dreamed of being. Forced to turn to the one ex-neighbor with the skills to bring down the new Greeks, the Radners - alongside best friends Jimmy and Paula - bring in charismatic Teddy as their secret weapon. But if they think that their neighbors are going down without a fight, they have severely underestimated the power of youthful ingenuity and straight-up crazy.

Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Chloë Grace Morets, Selena Gomez, Dave Franco, Lisa Kudrow

Trailer: Trailer "Neighbors 2"

Comment: I love the first movie, but comedy sequels hardly ever work. I hope they break the curse.

Backtrack

Director: Michael Patroni

Description: Psychologist Peter Bower's (Adrien Brody)life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers that the patients he has been seeing are ghosts. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right.

Starring: Adrien Brody, Sam Neill,

Trailer: Trailer "Backtrack"

Comment: Creepy, chilling....

Term Life

Director: Peter Billingsley

Description: A guy (Vince Vaughn) wanted around town by various hit men hopes to stay alive long enough for his life insurance policy to kick in and pay out for his estranged daughter (Hailee Steinfeld).

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Taraji P. Henson, Jon Favreau, Terence Howard, Annabeth Gish

Trailer: Trailer "Term Life"

Comment: Vince Vaughn as an action hero?

Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer

Description: A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Scott Eastwood, Jai Courtney, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, ben Affleck, Common, Jay Hernandez

Trailer: Trailer "Suicide Squad"

Comment: Second trailer, I'm a little bit more excited about this now.

Demolition

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Description: A successful investment banker (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper,

Trailer: Trailer "Demolition"

Comment: Jake and Naomi together!

Top 5 Thursday: Movies That Make Me Happy

Everyone has a list like this. Movies that put a smile on your face, movies you watch to feel better. Well, here’s mine.

5. Pride & Prejudice

It’s based on my favorite book. Doesn’t every woman want her own version of Mr. Darcy? The most romantic story of all time and one to sweep me off my feet every time. A movie that is good for my mood.

 

 

4. Love Actually

Secretly I’m a hopeless romantic and a movie like “Love Actually” gives me exactly what I need in my non-romantic life. Sugar sweet, but oh so good for me.

 

 

3. Amélie

I love random acts of kindness and Amélie takes that very seriously. She actually still believes in the goodness of people and little things make her happy. I want her to be my friend, because she always brightens my day.

 

 

2. Little Miss Sunshine

This family is just too quirky to function, but that’s what’s so great. No matter what other people think, they will stand together. And that dance scene is just something that will curl up the corner of your mouth. Any mouth.

 

 

1. Singin’ in the Rain

There’s just something about Gene Kelly singing in the rain. First, rain always makes me smile for some reason and I always love it when others do. So this is the perfect film to make me happy. It always cheers me up!

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Happy Go Lucky, Julie & Julia, Intouchables, Elf, Juno

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 12: The Croods

Director: Kirk de Micco, Chris Sanders

Genre: Animation/ Family/ Comedy/ Adventure

Runtime: 99 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Cloris Leachmann, Catherine Keener, Chris Sanders, Randy Thom

Description: After their cave is destroyed, a caveman family must trek through an unfamiliar fantastical world with the help of an inventive boy.

Review: The world of computer animation has been ruled by Pixar for years. But Dreamworks shows us with “The Croods” that they are also doing well. This is probably one of their best animations in years.

Since “Shrek” Dreamworks has shown they are very creative with humor. Movies like “Madagascar” and “Bee Movie” show that too. “How to Train Your Dragon” had more emotion and combined it with amazing visuals. “The Croods” has found a perfect mix of it all.

The prehistorical Croods family spends their days in a dark cave. They only leave it to find food. Father Grug wants to protect his family no matter what. His daughter Eep is a little bit more adventurous for his liking. When an earthquake demolishes their cave, the family has to find a new place to live. The intelligent Guy helps them, but Grug isn’t happy with him at all.

It’s a very simple setup, but the creators were very creative with the execution. They put in a lot of work to bring this era to life. And the further into the film we learn it’s not just a fun comedy, but it also touches you.

“The Croods” is a surprisingly good and fun animation.

Rating: 4/ 5

Oscar Prediction 2016

I'm going to give it a shot again. The nominees for the 88th annual Academy Awards were announced and I've been predicting the winners for a couple of years now. So this year is no different. Some really great nominees this year, but as usual I don't agree with every all the winners. So, here are my prediction on who will win and who I think should win the awards.

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Should Win: "Mad Max: Fury Road"

Would Win: "Spotlight"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Revenant"

Would Win: Leonardo DiCaprio for "The Revenant"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Should Win: Brie Larson for "Room"

Would Win: Brie Larson for "Room"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Should Win: Sylvester Stallone for “Creed”

Would Win: Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Should Win: Rachel McAdams for “Spotlight”

Would Win: Kate Winslet for “Steve Jobs”

Best Achievement in Directing

Should Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “The Revenant”

Would Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu for “The Revenant”

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 11: Festen

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 105 minutes

Year: 1998

Starring: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Paprika Steen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Birthe Neumann, Trine Dyrholm, Helle Dolleris, Therese Glahn, Klaus Bondam, Bkarne Henriksen, Gbatokai Dakinah, Lasse Lunderskov, Lars Brygmann, Lene Laub Oksen, Linda Laursen

Description: At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed.

Review: “Festen” is a family drama, the first Dogme 95 film. It’s a realistic film.

The successful businessman Helge Klingenfeldt-Hansen turns 60 and throws a big party for his family and friends in his hotel. The suicide of one of his daughters not long ago shouldn’t spoil their party. But from the moment Helge’s son starts his speech, the party turns into a family drama.

When Thomas Vinterberg, with the help of Lars von Trier, started making “Festen”, it had to be as pure as possible: no special lighting, no props, no additional music, handheld camera. Not your typical Hollywood film and that’s what they were going for. This makes this movie unique and realistic.

The film is very sober and you’re constantly focused on the leading characters. The aggressive son, the sanctimonious mother, the insecure daughter and the racism driven guests. The family drama gets worse and worse. “Festen” shows us how ugly and bad people can be.

The scene where son Christian speeches is most memorable and confronting. But overall the movie disappointed me a little bit. It wasn’t as shocking as I thought it would be and I didn’t understand why all those people stayed at the party or why the children would go in the first place.

“Jagten”, a movie that Thomas Vinterberg made years later, made a bigger impression on me. “Festen” sadly didn’t, and I really wanted to love this movie too.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (222)

Here are this week's trailers.

Kill or Be Killed

Description: In the autumn of 1900, outlaw Claude Barbee puts his 'retirement plan' in action, attempting to lead his train-robbing gang across Texas to recover a cash stash hidden after a botched railroad heist.

Director: Duane Graves, Justin Meeks

Starring: Michael Berryman, Tina Rodriguez, Pepe Serna, Bridger Zadina, Edwin Neal, Andrew Sensenig

Trailer: Trailer "Kill or Be Killed"

Comment: I'm into westerns right now.

Money Monster

Description: In the taut and tense thriller Money Monster, Lee Gates (George Clooney) is a bombastic TV personality whose popular financial network show has made him the money wiz of Wall Street. But after he hawks a high tech stock that mysteriously crashes, an irate investor (Jack O'Connell) takes Gates, his crew, and his ace producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) hostage live on air. Unfolding in real time, Gates and Fenn must find a way to keep themselves alive while simultaneously uncovering the truth behind a tangle of big money lies.

Director: Jodie Foster

Starring: Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West

Trailer: Trailer "Money Monster"

Comment: Off course everyone has high hopes. I'm not so confident about this though....

10 Cloverfield Lane

Description: Waking up from a car accident, a young woman finds herself in the basement of a man who says he's saved her life from a chemical attack Dan Trachtenberg

Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.

Trailer: Trailer "10 Cloverfield Lane"

Comment: Actually excited about this.

Green Room

Description: A young punk rock band find themselves trapped in a secluded venue after stumbling upon a horrific act of violence.

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

Starring: Imogen Poots, Anton Yelchin, Patrick Stewart, ALia Shawkat, Mark Webber

Trailer: Trailer "Green Room"

Comment: I heard about this, I'm really intrigued about this film.

Triple 9

Description: A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.

Director: John Hillcoat

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Norman Reedus, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, CLifton Collins Jr.

Trailer: Trailer "Triple 9"

Comment: I really think this is going to be pretty good

100 Movie Challenge 216 - # 10: The Hateful Eight

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 167 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, Demian Bichir, Walton Goggins, Zoë Bell, James Parks

Description: In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.

Review: “The Hateful Eight” is Quentin Tarantino’s eight film and his second official western. At the same time it’s a return to his first film from the nineties, with Samuel L. Jackson leading an ensemble cast and almost every scene takes place in one location.

Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell are the leading men. They play two bounty hunters who are stuck in a snow storm somewhere in Wyoming. Russsel’s John Ruth delivers a life one, Daisy Domergue, who is going to be hanged, while Jackson’s Marquis Warren delivers his bounties dead. Because of the weather, they have to stop at Minnie’s Haberdashery. They are not the only guests there.

“The Hateful Eight” is one of Tarantino’s meanest films. Lots of racism and violence, which gives us both entertaining and uneasy moments. Tarantino’s dialogues are good as always and all the actors seem to enjoy being in the film.

“The Hateful Eight” is very violent and bloody, but when you’re familiar with Quentin Tarantino’s work it comes as no surprise. What makes it a bit different is that the film is not stuffed with pop songs or references to other movies. The music was composed by Ennio Morricone. This all makes it surprising.

The movie starts a bit slow, but be patient. It will get a lot better.

Tarantino used 70 mm film, something that hasn’t been used since 1996. It’s an unique, very wide format. The snowy landscapes and the interior of Minnie’s Haberdashery get an extra dimension. You’re sometimes so close to the characters, that you can experience how small the room is they are in. This wide screen really does make a different. the lighting is also warm and more subtle.

“The Hateful Eight” is a true show, with great dialogues and performances. It’s not one of his best, but still a very Tarantino like film for any Tarantino fan.

Rating: 4/ 5

Best Alan Rickman Performances

I honor of Alan Rickman, who passed away January 14th 2016 at the age of 69, I decided to make a list of his best performances. Here are Alan Rickman’s best roles, in no particular order.

Sense and Sensibility

In the adaptation of Jane Austen’s brilliant novel “Sense and Sensibility”, Rickman portrays Colonel Brandon. That makes him part of the love triangle for Marianne’s affection, putting him in competition with John Willoughby. Rickman’s performance is one of measured restraint. It’s a more warm role then we’re used to seeing him in.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The very best actors have range and don’t back away from a musical either. Okay, singing might not be Rickman’s strength, but his character Judge Turpin is one to remember. Just a supporting role, but Rickman’s the man you remember.

Love Actually

“Love Actually” is a collection of loosely linked stories, set a few weeks before Christmas. One of the stories involves Harry and Karen (Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson), a husband and wife with a fractured relationship. This segment works because of the actors.

Harry Potter

Across eight films, Alan Rickman had a chance to develop the character of Severus Snap into someone far greater that the outright villain that he initially appears as in the Harry Potter story. The trick to his performance as Snape is that, in both his heroic and darker moments, he never lets us really like him that much.

Galaxy Quest

Alan Rickman does have a real flare for comedy as well and his performance in “Galaxy Quest” is there to proof that. “Galaxy Quest” is the film where a bunch of actors from a once-popular television series are doing the convention circuit. Where they encounter real aliens. Rickmans’ character gets a catchphrase, which he spits out with weary reluctance. That Rickman’s character continues to get pissed off by this more and more as the film progresses only adds to the comedy. Proof?

 

Die Hard

No matter how many sequels this franchise will have, there will never be a villain like Hans Gruber. The antagonist was perfectly portrayed by Alan Rickman and is without a doubt one of the best villains in movie history. An intensely clever man.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I’ve seen this movie so many times I’ve lost count. And the reason I love it so much, is partly because of the awesome villain role played by Alan Rickman. I think in fact the main reason people are still talking about this movie is because of Rickman. “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” is brilliantly entertaining and Rickman steals the show with his overly dramatic acting as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Cameos of 2015

Still looking back on 2015 as a movie year, I’ve started listing the best cameos in movies of that year. It was pretty tough, I had to dig deep. But here are my five favorite cameos of 2015.

5. 50 Cent (“Spy”)

The rapper has been in the acting game for a while now, but in “Spy” he plays himself while on a way to a concert near to the end of the film. Mostly alongside Miranda Hart’s character Nancy.

 

 

4. Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei (“Trainwreck”)

Radcliffe and Tomei show up in the movie within the movie. Amy Shumer’s character and John Cena’s Steven go and see it. It’s an Indie parody called “The Dogwalker”.

 

 

3. Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”)

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon had no idea if he was going to be able to snag Hugh Jackman to voice a picture of Wolverine in Rachel’s room. But when he told him about the scene, Jackman signed on.

 

 

2. Liam Neeson (“Entourage” and “Ted 2”)

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of either of the movies, Liam Neeson makes it all a lot more fun. In “Entourage” he does something we all want to do: he gives Ari Gold the finger. In “Ted 2” he buys a box of US cereal Trix and is concerned it’s just for kids. Really funny.

 

 

1. Mark Hamill (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”)

Mark Hamill pops up as professor Arnold, a scientist that the Kingsmen send Lancelot to rescue. This mission doesn’t go that well though. And Professor Arnold ends up, well…. He explodes.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Stan Lee (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Nemo (“Inside Out”)

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 9: The Informant!

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Crime

Runtime: 108 minutes

Year: 2009

Starring: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula, Patton Oswalt, Joel McHale, Thomas F. Wilson, Scott Adsit

Description: The U.S. government decides to go after an agro-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president-turned-informant Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon).

Review: After Mark Whitacre graduated from Cornell University as a biochemist he starts working for a multinational company Archer Daniels Midland. In the early nineties he has worked his way up to vice-president of the company and everything is going well. In 1992 Mark discovers a mole in the company and tells his superiors. They rather let the FBI handle everything and they ask Mark to be their informant. But is he the right person for the job?

The movie is based on true events and director Steven Soderbergh made it a dark comedy. It’s a film with humor. Matt Damon, who plays the lead role, is irresistibly funny in “The Informant!” Not only because of his role, also his voice-over and the tragi-comedic take on the film. The look of the films suggest another time period then the nineties.

The start might feel a bit slow and has some weaker moments, but the more we get the know Mark Whitacre, the more fun it gets. Lie upon lie, a man that goes from being a naïve informant to a vicious fraud.

Matt Damon is perfect for the role, he does a great job. This is one of those overlooked and underrated Damon films.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 8: Tyrannosaur

Director: Paddy Considine

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 91 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy, Samuel Bottomley, Sally Carman, Sian Breckin, Paul Conway, Lee Rufford, Robin Butler, Archie Lal, Julia Mallam, Fiona Carnegie, Piers Mettrick, Vicki Hackett, Robert Haythorne, Jag Sanghera, Carol Plant

Description: Joseph (Peter Mullan), a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction, earns a chance of redemption that appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker (Olivia Colman).

Review: Joseph is a mad man, a very mad man. He is a widow, spends his days in the suburbs of Leeds and has a temper he can’t control. He yells at everyone and often uses violence when they don’t do as they say. Without too much human contact, Joseph goes through the days. Joseph is the main character in “Tyrannosaur”, a very impressive directorial debut by actor Paddy Considine.

After the opening, where we meet Joseph and his rage, director Considine focuses on the relationship between Joseph and Hannah. She is the owner of a thrift shop where Joseph hides one day. Hannah is scared of Joseph at first, but along the way the two tortured souls connect.

Because Hannah also has some problems. The Christian woman is married to a man who can’t keep his hands to himself and she is in a deep depression. The film is raw and has some great performances.

“Tyrannosaur” is a very depressive film, very heavy too. The film is pretty short, but it feels longer. That’s because this is such a heavy film, with no lighter moments. Considine wanted to show us that for some people, it really never gets any better.

Rating: 3,5/ 5