Movie trailer Sunday (265)

Here are this week's trailers.

Man Down
Director: Dito Montiel
Description: Sia LaBeouf, Kate Mara, Jai Courtney, Gary Oldman, Clifton COllins Jr.
Starring: In a post-apocalyptic America, former U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer (Shia LaBeouf) searches desperately for the whereabouts of his son, accompanied by his best friend and a survivor.
Trailer: Trailer "Man Down"
Comment: Shia LaBeouf's performance looks really impressive in this trailer.

Split
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Description: Kevin (James McAvoy), a man with at least 23 different personalities, is compelled to abduct three teenage girls. As they are held captive, a final personality - "The Beast" - begins to materialize.
Starring: James McAvoy
Trailer: Trailer "Split"
Comment: Spooky role by McAvoy.

Sugar Mountain
Director: Richard Gray
Description: Two brothers, down on their luck, fake a disappearance in the Alaskan wilderness so they'll have a great survival story to sell, but the hoax turns out to be more real than they planned.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Jason Momoa, Melora Walters, Anna Hutchison
Trailer:
Comment: Looks okay. Alaska is a cool film location anyway.

Burn Country
Director: Ian Olds
Description: After being exiled from Afghanistan, a former war journalist settles in a small town in Northern California and takes a job with a local newspaper. But when he attempts to cover local crime, he stumbles into local corruption that puts himself and others in danger.
Starring: James Franco, Melissa Leo
Trailer: Trailer "Burn Country"
Comment: No one will see this movie, which is probably sad. Because it looks really good.

Neruda
Director: Pablo Larrain
Description: An inspector hunts down Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, who becomes a fugitive in his home country in the late 1940s for joining the Communist Party.
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal
Trailer: Trailer "Neruda"
Comment: I love Gael Garcia Bernal

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 139: Black Water

Director: David Nerlich
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller/ Adventure
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody, Andy Rodoreda, Ben Oxenbould, Fiona Press

Description: A terrifying tale of survival in the mangrove swamps of Northern Australia

Review: Like “Lake Placid” and “Rogue”, “Black Water” is a horror movie about toerists that are terrorized by a crocodile. The script is based on an incident from 2003, where three men in Northern Australia were attacked by a crocodile. Because the water had risen, various pieces of land were flooded and the men were attacked at a place that never sighted crocodiles.
In “Black Water” it’s two sisters and one’s husband. After visiting the family, the trio decides to take a trip through one of the national parks. There is no guide available, but a local citizen says he can take them in his own boat. While fishing, the boat is attacked and they have to fight for survival.
“Black Water” was made with a low budget, but the film looks surprisingly professional. The movie has some nailbiting moments, because you never know when the crocodile is going to strike and when he’s watching the group. But most scenes are just the people waiting in the tree, trying to think of options.

Rating: 3/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies That Scared Me as a Kid

It’s almost Halloween and October is always the month to watch lots of scary movies. There are plenty of movies that terrify me and give me sleepless nights. But I took the time to create a list of movies that really scared me when I was a kid. Here are my five picks.

5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The book never scared me, but the movie that. And then specifically that psychedelic boat ride. Kids were treated to images of decapitated birds, dead people with worms crawling across their faces and giant flying monsters. And I’m not even mentioning Gene Wilder’s rhyme about hell and the Grim Reaper.

4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
It’s a fun film, I laughed a lot and enjoyed it. I still do. But that moment where Judge Doom dies freaked me out as a kid. He doesn’t just die, no, he dies slowly run over by a steamroller. Then he comes back to life, has a helium voice and a hacksaw for an arm. He eventually melts away in a pool of acid. Toon Town is supposed to be a happy place.

3. Watership Down
It’s one of the most depressing and sad animated films I’ve ever seen, but still an amazing film. But when I saw this film as a kid (and then already a bunny owner) I was super shocked.

2. The NeverEnding Story
What a scary world, I would never want to live in that universe. All those creepy creatures and off course Gmork, the scariest wolf ever. I can’t believe that my parents let me see this film as a kid, because it was super scary.

1. The Witches
Another film based on a Roald Dahl book. This is a kids movie, about a young boy and his grandmother trying to find out the truth about witches. And those witches aren’t just ugly women with pointy hats. No, they are bald, gruesome creatures with very long nails that don’t even look human. Scarred for life.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Bambi, Labyrinth

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 138: Sully

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laure Linney, Jerry Ferrara, Ann Cusack

Description: The story of Chesley Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), an American pilot who became a hero after landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew.

Review: On January 15th 2009, pilot Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger landed an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River, in order to save his passengers and crew. Because of this act, he saved 155 people and Sully became famous instantly. The fact that the airplane was only in the air for three and a half minutes before the engines stopped working, you ask yourself how a ninety minute movie will captivate you. But the movie does it.
After “J. Edgar” and “American Sniper”, that weren’t that inpressive, director Clint Eastwood decided to turn the autobiographical book “Highest Duty” into a movie. With Tom Hanks as the leading man, who portrayed excisting characters before, it just had to work. And it did, because Hanks carries this movie like no other actor could.
The biggest moment in this movie is the landing itself and Eastwood knows that. It’s and exciting moment and we actually get to see it a couple of times. You really feel with Sully and care for him. But not so much for the passengers on the crew. Eastwood tried to, but the focus is on Sully and not the passengers. That way you don’t really care about any of the other passengers on the airplane, except for Sully and his co-pilot.
The entire film screams hero, how heroic Sully is. Normally it bothers me in movies, but in “Sully” it didn’t. Tom Hanks is probably the main reason for that, because as always his performance is fantastic.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - !37: The Neon Demon

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Christine Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Alessandro Nivola, Desmond Harrington

Description: When aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.

Review: Director Nicolas Winding Refn was really successful with “Drive” in 2011, with which he won at the Cannes Filmfestival. Two years later “Only God Forgives” was critized more, because of the excessive violence and the lack of narrative. “The Neon Demon”, his newest film, got both applaus and boohs at the festival.
The very young and somewhat naïve Jesse moved to Los Angeles by herself, to become a model. Photographers and designers are lining up for her extraordinary beauty and her collegues aren’t happy about it.
“The Neon Demon” is a dark and twisted story about temptation and power. A film about obsession and madness. I once read that it’s “Black Swan” meets “American Psycho”. I can see that.
“The Neon Demon” looks stunning and intrigues the viewer with hypnotizing images and music. The movie has a disturbing twist and it’s a film that will get under your skin.
Elle Fanning does a great job as the leading character. Many scenes in the movie have an artificial feel, but it fits the theme perfectly. “The Neon Demon” never tops “Drive” or even equalizes it, but it’s an original thriller with horror elements.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (264)

Here are this week's trailers.

Priceless
Director: Ben Smallbone
Description: A widower who loses custody of his daughter finds himself unable to hold down a job. He agrees to drive a truck across the country, no questions asked. But when he discovers what he is delivering, he is faced with a life-changing choice.
Starring: Joel Smallbone, Jim Parrack
Trailer: Trailer "Priceless"
Comment: Looks like a made for TV movie.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Director: James Gunn
Description: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Nathan Fillion, Glenn Close, Tommy Flanagan
Trailer: Trailer "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2"
Comment: OMG, Rocket and Baby Groot. They definitely saved the best for last for this teaser.

Logan
Director: James Mangold
Description: Set in the future, Logan and Professor Charles Xavier must cope with the loss of the X-Men when a corporation lead by Nathaniel Essex is destroying the world leaving it to destruction, with Logan's healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier's Alzheimer's forcing him to forget. Logan must defeat Nathaniel Essex with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant
Trailer: Trailer "Logan"
Comment: Deep stuff and a perfect choice of song for this trailer!

A Cure for Wellness
Director: Gore Verbinski
Description: An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps but soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem.
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth, Jason Isaacs
Trailer: Trailer "A Cure for Wellness"
Comment: This trailer looks pretty creepy and interesting.

Assassin's Creed
Director: Justin Kurzel
Description: When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson
Trailer: Trailer "Assassin's Creed"
Comment: Although I never played this videogame, I think I will watch this film.

Top 5 Thursday: Hottest Male Characters in Horror Movies

Since it is October and it’s the month of Halloween, I decided to share with you a top 5 featuring horror movies. Well, I do it my way. I focused on the hottest male movie characters in horror movies. Here they are.

5. Seth Gecko (George Clooney in “From Dusk Till Dawn”)
Seth Gecko manages to charm you and you almost forget that he is a criminal. And although I’m not much a tattoo kind of girl, his is pretty awesome. And sexy.

4. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale in “American Psycho”)
Patrick Bateman is exactly the kind of man I would never date: a yuppie, narcissistic and vain man. But he is attractive.

3. Curt (Chris Hemsworth in “Cabin in the Woods”)
Curt is kind of a douche, the jock of the group. But come on, it’s Chris Hemsworth who plays him. I just had to put him on the list.

2. George Lutz (Ryan Reynolds in “The Amityville Horror”)
I don’t know why George Lutz is in this film shirtless so often, but I’m not complaining. George eventually turns into a psychopath, but he still got the looks.

1. Jerry (Colin Farrell in “Fight Night”)
I’ve never liked the swoony vampires, that don’t want to kill people. I liked the bad boys. Having Jerry as your neighbor is not that bad, weren’t it for the fact that he is an evil vampire. A hot evil vampire.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Jerry (Colin Farrell in “Fright Night”), Nick Jones (Chad Michael Murray in “House of Wax”)

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 136: House on Haunted Hill

Director: William Castle
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 75 minutes
Year: 1959
Starring: Vincent Price, Carolyn Craig, Richard Long, Elisha Cook Jr., Carol omhart, Alan Marshal, Julie Mitchum, Leona Anderson, Howard Hoffman

Description: A millionaire (Vincent Price) offers ten thousand dollars to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky, rented house overnight with him and his wife.

Review: In “House on Haunted Hill” the mysterious millionaire Frederick Loren invites a group of strangers to spend the night in a haunted mansion. Death lurks, but for the people who survive a night in the house there will be 10 000 dollars. The guests are okay with it and don’t seem to worry about it. Untill the atmosphere changes and the house really start to feel haunted. Who will leave the house alive?
Vincent Price shines as Frederick Loren. The strange relationship between him and his wife is mysterious. The deadline is only one night, but as a viewer you don’t really get to see the time that passes. This way the build up towards the climax might be blocked a bit. When it comes to tension, the movie isn’t timeless anyway. The effects are old fashioned and everything but scary. The film mostly leans on Price and the actual clue of the film.
For the modern day horror fan, “House on Haunted Hill” will probably not satisfy. It’s old fashioned theater. It’s a fun film, but not at all scary. Entertaining for the 75 minutes it lasts and has a good pace.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (263)

Here are this week's trailers.

Dunkirk
Director: CHristopher Nolan
Description: Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles, James D'Arcy
Trailer: Trailer "Dunkirk"
Comment: Still not much of a trailer, but another look.

Patriots Day
Director: Peter Berg
Description: An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis's actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman
Trailer: Trailer "Patriots Day"
Comment: I'm not a huge fan of patriotic films.

John Wick: Chapter 2
Director: Chad Stahelski
Description: The continuing adventures of former hitman, John Wick.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ruby Rose, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan, Peter Stormare
Trailer: Trailer "John Wick: Chapter 2"
Comment: The first film was a surprisingly good action movie, so pretty excited for this.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Director: Gareth Edwards
Description: The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, James Earl Jones
Trailer: Trailer "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Comment: Another trailer, whoop whoop!!!

Bleed For This
Director: Ben Younger
Description: The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he'd ever walk again, made one of sports most incredible comebacks.
Starring: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, Ted Levine, Ciarán Hinds
Trailer: Trailer "Bleed For This"
Comment: Another trailer for the fighting drama

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Scenes with the Perfect Music

Some scenes are memorable, because of the great acting, dialogue, a quote. But sometimes it’s the music that makes the scene unforgettable. Here is a list of movie scenes with the perfect music.

5. “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”)
All hell breaks loose in a church. Unable to control themselves, the people engage in a battle royal and there is only one person to come out of that church alive. The power balad by Lynyrd Skynyrd elevates this action packed scene.

4. “The Murder” by Bernard Herrmann (“Psycho”)
If there is a piece of music that guarantees to give you the chills, it’s this. The violin screech from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is probably one of the most recognizable pieces of music in film history.

3. “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds (“The Breakfast Club”)
Five teens have to spend a whole Saturday in detention. At first sight the gang couldn’t be more different. As the day progresses, they find out that they are all struggling with similar inner demons. And although they run in different social circles and at the end they will go their own separate ways, what they learned in that short time will never be forgotten. And that song makes it even better.

2. “Welcome to Jurassic Park” by John Williams (“Jurassic Park”)
During the moment where Alan, Ian and Ellie see a real life dinosaurs for the first time, the experience is enhanced by the perfect score created by John Williams.

1. “A Real Hero” by College feat. Electric Youth (“Drive”)
Music acts like a window for the main character’s soul, because the Driver has limited dialogue or facial expressions. In one of the brighter scenes of “Drive”, Driver is taking Irene and her son for a L.A. tour in his car. We can see that there is more to the man than just an empty shell. The story says everything the hero can’t.

They Almost Made the Top 5: “The End” by The Doors (“Apocalypse Now”), “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop (“Trainspotting”), “Mad World” by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules (“Donnie Darko”), “Born to be Wild” by Steppenwold (“Easy Rider”), “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel (“The Graduate”)

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 135: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Director: Jim Sharman
Genre: Comedy/ Musical
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 1975
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray, Jeremy Newson, Hilary Labow, Perry Bedden, Christopher Biggins, Gaye Brown, Ishaq Bux, Stephen Calcutt, Hugh Cecil, Imogen Claire, Tony Cowan, Sadie Corre, Fran Fullenwider, Lindsay Ingram, Peggy Ledger, Annabel Leventon, Anthony Milner, Pamela Obermeyer, Tony Then, Kimi Wong, Gina Barrie, Rufus Collins, Petra Leah, Frank Lester, John Marquand, Koo Stark, Henry Woolf

Description: A newly engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must pay a call to the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

Review: When “The Rocky Horror Picture” was released, the audience ignored it and the movie was taken out of the theaters after a few weeks. It wasn’t until the early eighties that this movie got fans and praise. It’s one of the most extravagant, provocative and strange musical ever made.
The story itself isn’t very special. A newly engaged couple has car trouble and ends up in a castle, where they are trying to find a phone. It belongs to Frank-n-Furter.
The film is filled with catchy songs and dance routines, like “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite”. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a celebration of sexuality, glitter and glamour.
Dr. Frank-n-Furter is played by Tim Curry, who shows how versatile he actually is. He steals every scene and has a surprisingly good singing voice. Meatloaf also shows up for one song, which is my highlight of the film. But for the rest “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a weird mess. It’s a daring musical, that I was exciting to finally seeing. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. It’s very kitschy and feels incoherent. Maybe this is one of those movies you have to experience on the big screen or as a live action stage musical.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 134: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Director: Jake Kasdan
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig, Raymond J. Barry, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Craig Robinson, Harold Ramis, Martin Starr, Jack McBrayer, Frankie Muniz, Adam Herschman, David Krumholtz, Cheryl Tiegs, Patrick Duffy, Morgan Fairchild, Cheryl Ladd, Jane Lynch, Simon Helberg, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, Justin Long, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman

Description: Singer Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.

Review: Every genre is parodied these days. With “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” it’s a parody of the music biopic. John C. Reilly plays the title character and the movie is a parody of films like “Ray”and especially “Walk the Line”, the story of Johnny Cash. For the fans of “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”, this is a fun comedy. For the ones who didn’t like those, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” isn’t going to be entertaining.
The film is filled with comedy that is anything but subtle and it is very crude at times. A lot of caricatured scenes and juvenile sex jokes. The most embarrasing scene is the moment where Dewey Cox wakes up after an orgie, in his hotel room.
The songs in the film are fun and catchy and sometimes have hilarious lyrics. And John C. Reilly is really funny in this movie. He can easily carry this comedy.
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” doesn’t take itself seriously, that’s why this film eventually is very funny. If you, as a viewer, do take it serious, you will hate it. Just pause your brain and enjoy the comedy.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (262)

Here are this week's trailers.

Queen of Katwe
Director: Myra Nair
Description: A Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.
Starring: Luipta Nyong'o, David Oyelowo
Trailer: Trailer "Queen of Katwe"
Comment: It looks like a very inspiring story.

Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Description: A young African American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend's cursed family estate.
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Bradley Whitford, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener
Trailer: Trailer "Get Out"
Comment: It looks really scary.

Jackie
Director:Pablo Larrain
Description: Following the assassination of her husband, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.
Starring: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, Beth Grant, Richard E. Grant
Trailer: Trailer "Jackie"
Comment: I smell an Oscar nomination!

Sleepless
Director: Baran bo Odar
Description: A cop with a connection to the criminal underworld scours a nightclub in search of his kidnapped son.
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monoghan, Dermot Mulroney, Gabrielle Union, Scoot McNairy
Trailer: Trailer "Sleepless"
Comment: Could be standard, could be really good....

Power Rangers
Director: Dean Israelite
Description: A group of high-school kids, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader, Naomi Scott, Becky G, Ludi Lin, RJ Cyler, Dacre Montgomery, David Denman
Trailer: Trailer "Power Rangers"
Comment: Go go Power Rangers!!!

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 133: Pathology

Director: March Schoelermann
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Horror/ Crime
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2008
Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee Smith

Description: A group of medical students devise a deadly game: to see which one of them can commit the perfect murder.

Review: A group of intelligent pathologists decides to play a sick game: who can commit the perfect murder. Each one of them commits a murder and then they are trying to find the cause of death.
“Pathology” is a bit gruesome, because of the dead and mutilation that is also mixed with sexuality. Not every viewer can handle this, but it is original and provoking. And “Pathology” is definitely a thriller you will not easily forget.
But it’s mostly the shock effect that will stay in your memory. I never got intrigued by the film and it didn’t hold my attention the entire runtime. And it’s not very convincing that Ted, who is a good and smart doctor who loves his fiancée, all of a sudden turns into a relentless killer and adulterer. With that, there are no characters that you feel for or want to identify with.
“Pathology” is original and shocking, but overall it’s not very special.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Supporting Females in Drama Films

We always focus on the main man or woman in a film, but today I’m putting the supporting characters in the spotlight. Females in drama films to be exact.

5. Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”)
A very smart woman standing strong doing a man’s job. Joan Clarke believes in Alan Turing and his ideas, she holds the team together.

4. Pam (Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler”)
Pam is the highlight in Randy Robinson’s day. A mother by day, a stripper by night. But there is more to her than meets the eye.

3. Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams in “Spotlight”)
Sacha Pfeiffer was one of the people that revealed shocking news about the catholic church. She is working with men, faces people who share with her very disturbing stories. But Sacha stays strong and only wants one thing: to let people know what really happened.

2. Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave”)
Patsey is a brave woman. She has to go through so much and still manages to keep smiling. And she keeps doing her job as no other, better than the men doing the same job.

1. Celia Foote (Jessica Chastain in “The Help”)
Celia Foote is an outcast, but her enthusiasm, good heart, naïve look at the world and kind intentions should brighten everyone’s day. She is the only woman (besides Skeeter) that really appreciates the help she gets.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl”), Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams in “The Fighter”), Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer in “The Help”), Iris (Jodie Foster in “Taxi Driver”), Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”), Lynn Margareth Bracken (Kim Basinger in “L.A. Confidential”)

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 132: The Monster Squad

Director: Fred Dekker
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Family/ Horror
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: André Gower, Robert Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Mary Ellen Trainor, Michael Faustino

Description: A young group of monster fanatics attempt to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his monsters.

Review: “The Monster Squad” is a mix of a lot of things. It’s “The Goonies” meets “The Lost Boys” meets “Ghostbusters” meets “The Little Rascals”. Especially eighties kids will love this movie, because it’s full of nostalgia.
Count Dracula and his groups of monster sidekicks is ready to take over the world. But they didn’t know about “The Monster Squad”, a groups of school kids that love monster stories.
“The Monster Squad” is for us geeks, it’s a fun eighties flick that will entertain you during the entire runtime. I think this film gained a cult status over the years. It’s also obvious that the ‘80s were more tolerable, because there is a lot of swearing and there are sexual references in this family movie.
For anyone that is from the eighties, this will be a treat.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 131: The Danish Girl

Director: Tom Hooper
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Eddie Redmayne, Amber Heard, Ben Wishaw, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sebastian Koch

Description: A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander). Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Review: “The Danish Girl” starts in 1926, where we meet Einar and Gerda Wegener. Einar is a very successful painter, Gerda’s work isn’t as popular. When Gerda asks Einar to dress up as a woman, because her model is absent, it’s the beginning of a big change in their lives. Einar feels surprisingly comfortable in woman’s clothing. When the two plan on a joke, where Einar dresses up as a woman and pretending to be Lili, the long way from man to woman starts for Einar. He isn’t Einar anymore, he is Lili.
What I find conspicious is that the radical transformation hardly gets any social resistance. The film is set in the twenties/ thirties and this is a pretty shocking and groundbreaking action. It’s not very realistic. What we see is a melodramatic story where Lili struggles with her identity an Gerda stays by her side.
The actors make this movie good. Eddie Redmayne is really strong, but it’s Alicia Vikander that steals the show. She is sublime and manages to lift the film to a higher level. The chemistry between the two is very good.
The film looks fantastic, the ydillic shots of Denmark, the costumes, paintings and décor. But the movie is simply a melodramatic story with great actors.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 130: Trick 'r Treat

Director: Michael Dougherty
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Lauren Lee Smith, Quinn Lord, Moneca Delain, Tahmoh Penikett, Brett Kelly, Britt McKillip, Leslie Bibb, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Chisi, Samm Todd

Description: Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.

Review: Halloween is the perfect setting for a horror movie. And when it comes to horror movies with this theme, there are way too many. “Trick r Treat” is surprisingly fresh, eventhough the movie never played in theaters and went direct to DVD. For real horror fans, “Trick ‘r Treat” is a favorite.
The movie follows severals stories, set during the night of Halloween: A group of young pretty girls are on their way to a party, where one of them will probably experience their ‘first time’. A chubby boy steals candy from the porch of his teacher, with major consequences. This teacher’s neighbor gets an unwanted visitor. And a group of teens wants to reveal the truth about a story they once heard about a massacre. Between all these stories we see a kid wearing a bag on his head.
The way the stories intertwine, is done very well. The movie is not predictable and is sometimes very surprising. “Trick ‘r Treat” also has humor and manages to create a scary atmosphere. The film shows the essence of Halloween: legends that are told and passed on and traditions that no one knows where they came from and why we do them. Filled with a lot of elements that horror movies need: killers, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, creepy kids and a lot fo pumpkins.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (261)

Here are this week's trailer's.

Fences
Director: Denzel Washington
Description: An African-American father (Denzel Washington) struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson
Trailer: Trailer "Fences"
Comment: Directed by and starring with Denzel Washington, I hope it's good.

20th Century Women
Director: Mike Mills
Description: The story of three women who explore love and freedom in Southern California during the late 1970s.
Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Alia Shawkat, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup
Trailer: Trailer "20th Century Women"
Comment: I Always like a good movie with a strong female cast.

Paterson
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Description: Set in the present in Paterson, New Jersey, this is a tale about a bus driver and poet (Adam Driver).
Starring: Adam Driver
Trailer: Trailer "Paterson"
Comment: Can't wait to see this. Alicia Malone was very enthusiastic about it and I take her very seriously.

Rupture
Director: Steven Shainberg
Description: A single mom (Noomi Rapace)tries to break free from a mysterious organization that has abducted her.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Peter Stormare, Michael Chiklis
Trailer: Trailer "Rupture"
Comment: Creepy and disturbing...

Space Between Us
Director: Peter Chelsom
Description: The first human born on Mars travels to Earth for the first time, experiencing the wonders of the planet through fresh eyes. He embarks on an adventure with a street smart girl to discover how he came to be.
Starring: Asa Buterfield, Britt Robertson, Carla Cugino, Gary Oldman, BD Wong,
Trailer: Trailer "Space Between Us"
Comment: Looks good, yet a little over sentimental probably.