Movie Trailer Sunday (301)

Here are this week's trailer.

Ready Player One
Director: Steven Spielberg
Description: When the creator of an MMO called the Oasis dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all Oasis users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg.
Starring: Mark Rylance, TJ Miller, Ben mendelsohn, Simon Pegg, Olivia Cooke, Tye Sheridan
Trailer: Trailer "Ready Player One"
Comment: Always in for some Spielberg magic

Marjorie Prime
Director: Michael Almereyda
Description: A service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones allows a man to come face-to-face with the younger version of his late father-in-law.
Starring: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins, Lois SMith
Trailer: Trailer "Marjorie Prime"
Comment: It looks stunning

The Vault
Director: Dan Bush
Description: Two estranged sisters are forced to rob a bank in order to save their brother. But this is no ordinary bank.
Starring: James Franco, Taryn Manning, Clifton Collins Jr., Franscesca Eastwood, Q'orianka Kilcher
Trailer: Trailer "The Vault"
Comment: Am I the only one that found this trailer a bit weird?

Suburbicon
Director: George Clooney
Description: A home invasion rattles a quiet family town.
Starring: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac
Trailer: Trailer "Suburbicon"
Comment: Hell yes, want to see this immediately

LBJ
Director: Rob Reiner
Description: The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House.
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey Donovan, Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman
Trailer: Trailer "LBJ"
Comment: Harrelson looks so much like LBJ.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 88: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Director: Jake Szymanski
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root, Jake Johnson

Description: Two hard-partying brothers (Adam Devine, Zac Efron) place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by an uncontrollable duo (Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza).

Review: Mike and Dave are two brothers that always manage to make a party more fun. But not according to their family, because to them they ruin every party. Now their little sister is about to get married and Mike and Dave’s parents want them to bring proper dates to the wedding. Nice girls. They decide to put an add online. Alice and Tatiana see this add and can’t wait to take a free trip to Hawaii and become their wedding dates. But they aren’t nice girls. They party just as hard as Mike and Dave. They manage to fool the boys and they tag along with them to the wedding in Hawaii.
The plot is simple and anything but original. And the humor is juvenile and distasteful. The leading characters, Mike, Dave, Alice and Tatiana, are all just characters. They are to ridiculous to be believable as actual people. Maybe Dave a little bit, but the other three aren’t.
Zac Efron and Adam Devine do see like they had tons of fun making this movie, and that somewhat rubs off on the audience. And I did laugh on occasion. But overall, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” is an average silly and predictable comedy.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 87: Baby Driver

Director: Edgar Wright
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Flea

Description: After being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), a young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

Review: Before I start this review, I have to state that director Edgar Wright is a genius. And as for many geniuses, the big crowd doesn’t understand him. His previous films (like “Shaun of the Dead”, “Hot Fuzz” and “The World’s End”) are examples of how a movie is perfectly edited. His films are never box office hits and he never seems to click with the average moviegoer. In my opion: Edgar Wright is one of the best directors of the moment.
Because of a constant ringing in his ear, Baby listens to music non-stop. That makes music not only a big part of the film, but also the story. Everything is accompanied by the music: every shot, movement, rhythm. And because of Wright’s perfect editing skills, “Baby Driver” is an amazingly synchronized and choreographed film. And that without it distracting from the actual story. Every song fits the scene like a glove and sounds like it belongs there.
Does the film have flaws? Off course, but they are so miniscule. Probably the motives of the characters, but that would be nitpicking.
The film opens with an amazing chase scene, where we see what Baby can do. One giant chunk of adrenaline.
When I saw the trailer for “Baby Driver”, I was sceptic about Ansel Elgort as the leading man. But boy did he surprise me. In a good way! Jon Hamm as Buddy and Jamie Foxx as Bats (the last being one of the most annoying characters of this year, I constantly wanted to slap him in the face) are also worth mentioning. The chemistry between Ansel Elgort and his on-screen love interest Lily James is very strong. Some might say it’s a bit too sweet, but it’s forgivable.
The script is simple, yet Edgar Wright turns it into what I can call the best film of 2017 so far.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (300)

Here are this week's trailers. And BTW, it's my 300th entry of this item!!!!

A Wrinkle in Time
Director: Ava DuVernay
Description: After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.
Starring: Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Peña, Zach Galafianakis, Mindy Kaling
Trailer: Trailer "A Wrinkle in Time"
Comment: Mysterious trailer, still don't really know what it's really about.

Professor Marston & the Wonder Woman
Director: Angela Robinson
Description: Details the unconventional life of Dr. William Marston, the Harvard psychologist and inventor who helped invent the modern lie detector test and created Wonder Woman in 1941. Marston was in a polyamorous relationship with his wife Elizabeth, a psychologist and inventor in her own right, and Olive Byrne, a former student who became an academic. This relationship was key to the creation of Wonder Woman, as Elizabeth and Olive's feminist ideals were ingrained in the character from her creation. Marston died of skin cancer in 1947, but Elizabeth and Olive remained a couple and raised their and Marston's children together. The film is said to focus on how Marston dealt with the controversy surrounding Wonder Woman's creation.
Starring: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Connie Britton, Bella Heathcote
Trailer: Trailer "Professor Marston & the Wonder Woman"
Comment: This is an interesting story.

The Disaster Artist
Director: James Franco
Description: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tommy Wiseau's The Room (2003).
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Zoey Deutch, Zac Efron, Bryan Cranston, Kristen Bell, Josh Hutcherson, Sharon Stone, Adam Scott
Trailer: Trailer "The Disaster Artist"
Comment: I cannot wait to see this.

The Snowman
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Description: Detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Val Kilmer, Chloë Sevigny, J.K. Simmons, Charlotte Gainsbourg, James D'Arcy, Toby Jones
Trailer: Trailer "The Snowman"
Comment: I love stories like this.

Wonderstruck
Director: Todd Haynes
Description: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
Starring: Julianne Moore
Trailer: Trailer "Wonderstruck"
Comment: This one I need to see!!!

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 86: The Big Year

Director: David Frankel
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Steve Martin, Rosamund Pike, Kevin Pollack, Joel McHale, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy, June Squibb, Rashida Jones, Tim Blake Nelson, Al Roker, Jim Parsons, Anjelica Huston

Description: Two bird enthusiasts (Jack Black, Steve Martin) try to defeat the cocky, cutthroat world record holder (Owen Wilson) in a year-long bird-spotting competition.

Review: Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin. With this cast the film will draw a crowd, but a movie can disappoint with high expectations. I didn’t expect much, but this movie was surprisingly fun. A movie about bird watching or birding.
Kenny Bostick holds the record of spotting the most birds in one year, which the call the big year. Brad Harris and Stu Preissler have the same passion for birds and decide to do a big year themselves. But they have to be one step ahead of cocky Bostick.
Most people are not that positive about “The Big Year” but I found it highly enjoyable and think it deserves a bit more praise. I really like the theme of the film and how it was executed. The cast is fun, all three actors are solid and I always love watching them work.
“The Big Year” is more a feel-good film than a comedy. The film develops slowly, but it never really gets comedic. But that didn’t bother me. The movie could have easily fallen into that ridiculous comedy trend, where everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. I found this really refreshing and I really enjoyed watching it.
“The Big Year” is a good movie, that surprised me.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 85: Victoria

Director: Sebastian Schipper
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit, Max Mauff, André Hennicke, Anna Lena Klenke, Hans-Ulrich Laux, Eike Frederik Schulz, Adolfo Assor, Jan Breustedt, Ambar de la Horra, Anne Düe, Daniel Fripan, Martin Goeres, Philipp Kubitza, Nadja Laura Mijthab, Dennis Oestreich, Ulrike Runge

Description: A young Spanish woman (Laia Costa) who has recently moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.

Review: A film made from one long shot. That’s mainly what makes “Victoria” such an impressive film.
Over two hours long, we follow the Spanish Victoria. The film opens with her standing in the middle of a Berlin club, dancing, without any friends. She tries to connect with people, but no one really bites. Until she meets four Berlin men, who are interested in her company. Without giving anything away, thing go downhill pretty quickly.
Like I stated before, the film is one long take. And that’s very impressive. We go from clubs, to Berlin suburbs, a roof, an underground garage to a hotel. This gives “Victoria” extra intensity.
It also asks a lot from the actors. The script was apparently only 12 pages long and the actors mostly improvised. It’s brilliant to see how leading actress Laia Costa gets into her role and keeps your attention the entire runtime.
“Victoria” is a film that everyone that has the slightest insight in films can appreciate. If you see this film, you will understand what I mean.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 84: Jackie

Director: Pablo Larrain
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Beth Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Max Casella, Richard E. Grant

Description: Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.

Review: After president John F. Kennedy was murdered during a parade in Dallas, he got an almost mythical state. But how his wife Jackie experienced this all, no one really knows. What images she was left with. Director Pablo Larrain and leading lady Natalie Portman give us these insights.
It takes a while to get into it. At first because it looks like Portman is just portraying a character. But when the film gets more serious and dramatic, like the depression that Jackie feels after her husband’s death, we can see the amazing performance Portman is delivering.
If you never saw the real Jackie Kennedy, or heard her speak, it looks like a character. But Portman really did a fantastic job portraying her. She looked like that and she talked like that.
The film evolves around an interview that Jackie had with Theodore H. White, for Life magazine. And between we switch to Jackie’s life with Kennedy and everything that happened after the assassination. And the film is really detailed.
“Jackie” is a stunning looking film with an amazing lead.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 83: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
Genre: Adventure/ Action/ Fantasy
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Orlando Bloom, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Keira Knightley, Paul McCartney

Description: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) searches for the trident of Poseidon while being pursued by an undead sea captain (Javier Bardem) and his crew.

Review: Was anyone waiting for another Pirates film? Apparently, because it was made. As all the other films, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” is entertaining and fun. But it’s also uninspiring and has many storylines that clash.
The young Henry Turner wants to lift the curse that is hanging over his father Will. For this, he has to find Poseidon’s trident. When he is all grown up, he is trying to find Jack Sparrow, so he can help him. Sparrow is hunted down by Captain Salazar, and they are also accompanied by Carina, a woman who also never knew her father.
It’s almost impossible not to compare this film with the others in the series. The young lovers in this film hardly have any chemistry, that the very small return of both Will and Eliabeth is a breath of fresh air. And there is so much going on in this film, that it’s a hot mess. And it’s really predictable. Jack Sparrow is still very well portrayed by Johnny Depp though.
Was this film necessary? No! Entertaing? Yes! Good? Not really.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (299)

Here are this week's trailers.

Polaroid
Director: Lars Klevberg
Description: High school loner Bird Fitcher has no idea what dark secrets are tied to the mysterious Polaroid vintage camera she stumbles upon, but it doesn't take long to discover that those who have their picture taken meet a tragic end.
Starring: Madelaine Petsch, Kathryn Prescott, Katie Stevens
Trailer: Trailer "Polaroid"
Comment: Looks creepy.

Borg Vs McEnroe
Director: Janus Metz
Description: Borg/McEnroe is a film about one of the world's greatest icons Björn Borg and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe and their legendary duel during the 1980's Wimbledon tournament. It's a story about two men who changed the face of tennis and who became legends and the price they had to pay.
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny, Sverrir Gudnason
Trailer: Trailer "Borg Vs McEnroe
Comment: Interesting film

Geostorm
Director: Dean Devlin, Danny Cannon
Description: When the network of satellites designed to control the global climate start to attack Earth, it's a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Abbie Cornish, Ed Harris, Andy Garcia, Jum Sturgess, Mare Winningham
Trailer: Trailer "Geostorm"
Comment: I don't know if this is serious, a comedy, a disaster movie. What is it!?!?

Pitch Perfect 3
Director: Trish Sie
Description: Following their win at the world championship, the now separated Bellas reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour, but face a group who uses both instruments and voices.
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Ruby Rose, Elizabeth Banks, John Lithgow
Trailer: Trailer "Pitch Perfect 3"
Comment: Guilty pleasure!

Dunkirk
Director: Christopher Nolan
Description: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada, and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Cillian Murpy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles, James D'Arcy
Trailer: Trailer "Dunkirk"
Comment: An extended trailer for "Dunkirk". I want to see this film with my dad.

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched For My Challenge (June 2017)

I know it's not Thursday, I'm a little late to the party. But I wanted this top 5 to go up. Here are my five favorite film that I watched for my challenge, for the month of June.

5. El Faro de las Orcas
A Netflix film I stumbled upon by accident. But I’m glad about that, because its’s a beautiful film. And since orcas are my favorite animals, it’s super special for me.

4. Split
I always stood by M. Night Shyamalan, even though he did make some stinkers. With “Split” he is finally back and proofs that he is an amazing director. James McAvoy is fabulous in his role and I loved the ending.

3. Wonder Woman
I always love a strong female lead, but when the characters is also physically strong, it’s double awesome. “Wonder Woman” is the film DC needed (and I needed).

2. A Cure for Wellness
The movie got mixed reviews, but I really loved it. It was already one of my most anticipated films of 2017 and it didn’t disappoint me. I don’t understand the hate for this movie, but the few people who love it as much as I did, I do get.

1. Annie Hall
When Woody Allen is on a roll, I love him. He directed and starred in “Annie Hall” and I loved everything about his film. And Alvy Singer, the character Allen plays, is basically me. I’m Alvy Singer’s long lost sister.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Okja

Movie Trailer Sunday (298)

Here are this week's trailers.

Stronger
Director: David Gordon Green
Description: A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing (Jake Gyllenhaal) in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal
Trailer: Trailer "Stronger"
Comment: Seems a bit sappy, but I love Jake Gyllenhaal.

Seven Sisters
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Description: In a world where families are limited to one child due to overpopulation, a set of identical septuplets must avoid being put to a long sleep by the government and dangerous infighting while investigating the disappearance of one of their own.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, Glenn Close,
Trailer: Trailer "Seven Sisters"
Comment: I love films set in dystopian futures.

The Greatest Showman
Director: Michael Gracey
Description: Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary (Hugh Jackman) who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron
Trailer: Trailer "The Greatest Showman"
Comment: I love this!

Jumanji
Director: Jake Kasdan
Description: In a brand new Jumanji adventure, four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game's jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don't just play Jumanji - you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they'll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves - or they'll be stuck in the game forever, to be played by others without break.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillian, Missi Pyle, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale
Trailer: Trailer "Jumanji"
Comment: I wasn't at first, but I'm actually excited to see this film.

Breathe
Director: Andy Serkis
Description: Based on the true story of Robin (Andrew Garfield), a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Diana Rigg, Hugh Bonnevilli
Trailer: Trailer "Breathe"
Comment: Dramatic much! Looks good.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - #82: Okja

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Genre: Adventure/ Drama/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Jake Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito

Description: Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

Review: Cannes 2017 got criticized because it showed two Netflix original films. But thankfully the boohs the audience gave when seeing the Netflix logo, turned into smiles and tears, because “Okja” is an endearing film.
Lucy Mirando thinks she has the solution for the world wide food problem and introduces the so-called super pig. Farmers all over the world are given the task to take care of those pigs. It’s a ten year project, where eventually the pigs will become food.
Okja is one of those super pigs, who grows up with Mija, in a beautiful green environment in Korea. Okja is as big as a hippo now and enjoys his life in freedom. He is sweet and loyal, yet clumsy and happy. The connection between Mija and Okja is heartwarming. But the Mirando Corporation disturbs their careless life when they take Okja away.
“Okja” calls for many different emotions. It puts a smile on your face, gets you excited, touches you and gets you to think. The acting is somewhat over-the-top, but fits the setting perfectly. Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal excel here.
The message of the film is strong, if you are an animal lover or not. “Okja” is a great film, watch it on Netflix now!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 81: Baywatch

Director: Seth Gordon
Genre: Comedy/ Action
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, Jon Bass, Priyanka Chopra, Ilfenesh Hadera

Description: Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) butts heads with a brash new recruit (Zac Efron), as they uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the bay.

Review: The 80s television was dominated by “Miami Vice” and the next decade it was “Baywatch”, with a billion viewers. It wasn’t only iconic because of Pamela Anderson running in slow-motion in her red bathing suit, but also the restart of David Hasselhoff’s career. And since translation televisions shows into movies is a trend, “Baywatch” couldn’t be left behind.
Mitch isn’t played by The Hoff this time, but Dwayne Johnson. Zac Efron plays Matt Brody and Kelly Rorhbach is CJ Parker. It’s fun to see the same characters, but weird to see them being portrayed by different actors. Hasselhoff and Anderson both have a cameo, off course.
This film is nothing like the show. First, the comedy is pretty juvenile. A lot of ball/ boob/ sex related jokes. Second, there isn’t a lot of beach recuing going on. The characters are after a drug dealer that’s working their beach.
Off course, this is a film that doesn’t completely take itself seriously. And that’s exactly what you should do: don’t take it too seriously. It’s a joy to watch if you like beach bods and it is entertaining. But the film is way too cheesy and it doesn’t do the TV show justice (not that this was of such a high level, but it was my favorite show in the 90s).

Rating: 2/ 5