Movie Reviews - Arctic

Director: Joe Penna
Genre: Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir

Description: A man stranded in the Arctic (Mads Mikkelsen) after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

Review: This Icelandic drama isn’t rich when it comes to plot, but leans completely on the emotions and experiences of the lead character.
As the title says, the films is set in the Arctic, in the North Pole area, where we meet a man who is busy digging into snow. When the camera pans out, you see he is trying to carve S.O.S into the snow. The situation is clear immediately: the man is stranded and has been there for quite a while. He already made a map of the area and has developed a daily routine to make life bearable. The movie needs just a few simple shots to tells us about his situation. No voice-overs, no flashbacks, no history. The wreckage of the plane says it all.
The movie never shows the actual crash, which makes it unique. The film starts when the end of all the misery has already begun. The man is found by a helicopter, but all hope is lost when it crashes. The pilot dies, but one of the passengers is heavily injured. He starts to take care of her. Now it’s not just him who is surviving, he tries to make sure the young woman also survives. From that moment, the man decides to no longer stay in his ‘safe haven’ but to start walking and find help.
Like I stated before, it’s a simple premise: a man struggling to survive in the cold Arctic. A thin base for a survival film. But luckily for us there is Mads Mikkelsen. He is one of the best actors today. He is a reliable actor that doesn’t necessarily have to play a sympathetic character. Although his performance in “Arctic” is mostly physical, he gives away a perfect one-man-show. There is also a lot of focus on psychological moments and he shows a wide spectrum of emotions. He is just a resourceful and resolute as he is scared and selfish. Mikkelsen himself claims that filming “Arctic” as the hardest thing to do in his career.
“Arctic” has enough to keep your attention for an hour and a half, but it never goes too deep. It could have easily become a boring movie if it weren’t for Mikkelsen.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Crawl

Director: Alexandre Aja
Genre: Horror/ Action/ Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper

Description: While attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

Review: The era of summer blockbuster once started with “Jaws”. And if you loved “Jaws”, you’re really going to like “Crawl” as well. It’s a small survival horror film, where two people are trying to escape hungry alligators. This simple given isn’t a masterpiece like “Jaws”, but results in a surprisingly solid and fun monster movie.
During a hurricane in Florida, Haley is trying to find her father. She finds him knocked out in his basement. And that’s the least of their problems, because the are prey for alligators, who managed to enter the house. And since the water is rising, they have to find a way to get out of the house and away from the alligators.
It’s a pretty simple story, set in one location and it only has two characters. With only 87 minutes of runtime, it’s the perfect recipe for this film. The scare moments are good. No unnecessary jump scares (lots of loud noises and nothing happens), but jump scares when you don’t expect them and something does happen. Very well timed. The characters have a little depth, there is a backstory and you see that father and daughter grew apart. This gives you a little bit of relatability.
The premise could have easily become ridiculous, like “Sharknado” also used a hurricane. But “Crawl” could easily be a true story, for the most part. And it was surprisingly bloody I might say. Just the right amount of horror. And most of the injuries that Haley and her dad get, are believable. Up until the end, it becomes a little less credible, but overall it’s very well done.
What most monster movies miss or horror movies lack, are good performances. Well, not “Crawl”. Both Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper are very strong in their roles. Apart and together. And both portray characters that you can easily relate too or root for.
“Crawl” is definitely a movie that I will rewatch someday and as a lover of monster movies, it’s a film I can recommend.

Rating: 4/ 5

Best Moments of "Stranger Things" (Season 3)

We've waited for a year, only to enjoy it for three days. Season 3 of "Stranger Things" was again great. It brought us a lot of amazing, heartfelt, funny, heroic and epic moments. I will count down my eleven favorites (eleven, since it is "Stranger Things").

11. Operation Child Endangerment
Remember when “Stranger Things” season 2 premiered and it took us 0,02 seconds to fall in love with Erica? I was so happy to see that she had a big part in season 3. In this season, Erica is all about hanging out at Starcourt mall with her friends. Having a good time with her friends and ignoring her nerdy brother and his friends. Because Robin, Dustin and Steve need someone small enough to crawl to the vents, Erica is the perfect person for this. Erica call is “operation child endangerment”. The task is difficult and the danger great, but Erica manages to pull it off.

10. Steve and Dustin reunite
Season 2 brought us an unlikely friendship: Steve and Dustin. And it’s a great bromance. What started in season 2 is no a full-on friendship. There are two moments between the two that I really loved. The first is when Steve and Dustin reunite after spending the summer apart and it’s the most adorable thing. And the second moment is when Dustin tells Steve he won’t leave him behind, when they are cornered by the Russians. In fact, he says: Ïf you die, I die”. If that isn’t friendship!

9. The mayor’s unexpected meeting
If you live in a small town and your mayor is a moron who will ruin your summer, you better hope that your Chief of Police has the guts to stand up to him, like Hopper did with Larry Kline. Mayor Kline was helping the Russians with their secret plans. The beating Hopper gave him, while Joyce prevented the secretary from stopping it, was one of the most satisfying moments of the season

8. Robin cracks the code
Robin is a great new character in season 3. She is funny, smart and a welcome addition to the stellar cast. Not only does she stand out on her own, her friendship with Steve made the season even better. Robin doesn’t only bring more humor to the series, but her intelligence plays a big role in figuring out the season’s big mystery. After Dustin intercepts Russian transmission on Cerebro and Steve realized the transmission is actually coming from Hawkins, it’s Robin who figures out what everything means. She translates the Russian transmission and has an epiphany about it as she darts around Starcourt mall.

7. Nancy cracks the case of the Mindflayer
Nancy has a jo at The Hawkins Post and her coworkers aren’t treating her well. But that stop her from doing her thing. Against the wishes of her supervisors, Nancy looks into the case of the rabid rats all over Hawkins. She knows something is up and gets Jonathan to help her. And I’m glad she did. Because apart from Robin, she’s the only reason why anyone managed to survive through season 3. The women really dominated this season. Thanks to Nancy’s detective work, everyone found out that the creepy collection of rats at the start of the season were combining together to form the Mindflayer. But that’s not all. This revelation also taught everyone that it wasn’t just rats being used in this manner; humans were also a part of it.

6. Murray calls out Hopper and Joyce
Paranoid underground investigator Murray Bauman helped Jonathan and Nancy get over the relationship hump in season 2, and he tried to work his Cupid magic again this year. Only, he didn’t mince (his very loud) words when it came to calling out Hopper and Joyce obvious sexual tension, during one of the most hilarious scenes of the season. It only got better when Alexi asked what all the yelling was about.

5. Billy’s sacrifice
Billy was introduced in season 2. Not one of the most liked characters and that sure isn’t going to change at the start of season 3. His character arc took off in a big way in this season. After being taken over by the Mindflayer, Billy goes through a drastic transformation that takes him from agressice asshole to murderous killer. And although he was crossing all kinds of lines, we also got to see a tender side of him. When trying to find him, Eleven sees a young Billy at the beach with his mother. A very sweet moment we never expected. Billy was the Mindflayer’s tool, but he also got a connection with Eleven. And in the final moment, Billy sacrificed himself to save her life. And finally he did something nice.

4. Robin comes out to Steve
Robin and Steve were probably one of the best duos of the season. Their best moment was also their most tender moment, even if it did happen on a public bathroom floor. When Robin came out to Steve is was powerful and moving. This moment showed the strength and vulnerabilities of the characters as the two solidified their friendship in the middle of chaos.

3. Neverending Story
Dustin went away to camp for the summer and he has a girlfriend: Suzie. But no one believes him. We get to see her at the end of the series, when Joyce and Hooper need Planck’s constant to open the Russian safe. Dustin thinks Suzie might know and tries to connect with her through Cerebro. And there she is. She does, but she won’t tell him before coaxing Dustin into singing the theme of “The Neverending Story”. I’m not much for a random musical number usually, but this is the cutest thing ever!!!

2. Joyce and Hopper’s final moment
It’s been three seasons, but Jim and Joyce finally get their moment in season 3. Sort of. Joyce asks Hopper out to sinner, tells him he can pick her up and it’s adorable. Not knowing yet what will happen next. The attraction between the two has build up over the course of the season rather than being forced. And while we didn’t get any declarations of love or even a kiss, their final moments together are enough to satisfy our ‘Jopper’ – loving hearts.

1. Hopper’s note to Eleven
To be honest, I’m still not over this. It’s a beautiful heartfelt moment and I balled my eyes out. At the end of season 2, Mike and Eleven became a couple and when season 3 starts, they can’t seem to get their hands off each other. Hopper isn’t too pleased with all this behind closed doors and insists they keep the door open at least three inches. Hopper isn’t that great with emotions, so he can’t tell Eleven how he really feels. Joyce advices him to write it down. Hopper never gives the speech, but Eleven gets to read it after Hopper dies. And there I go again, tears. Lots of tears! Oh, and I refuse to believe he’s actually dead.

Movies to Look Forward to - August 2019

Summertime is definitely here and going to the movies is for me the perfect way to cool down. Here are some of the movies in August to look forward to.

August 1st – Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Director: David Leitch
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Helen Mirren, Eddie Marsan, Cliff Curtis
Description: Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

August 8th – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Director: André Øvredal
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rish, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Larraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard
Description: A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives.

August 15th – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tmothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Kurt Russel, Emile Hirsch
Description: A faded television actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

August 22nd – Blinded by the Light
Director: Gurinda Chadha
Starring: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Chir, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikita Mehta, Nell Williams, Tara Divina, Rob Brydon, Hayley Atwell, Frankie Fox, Sally Phillips
Description: In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and finds his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

August 22nd – Good Boys
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, Retta, Will Forte, Midori Francis, Lil Rel Howry, Millie Davis, Vanessa Przada, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams, Enid-Raye Adams, Josh Caras, Chance Hurstfield, Lina Renna, Benita ha
Description: Three sixth grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.

TV Show Reviews - Stranger Things (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Fantasy/ Horror
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Sadie Dink, Dacre Montgomery, Priah Ferguson

Description: In the summer of 1985 in Hawkins, the new Starcourt Mall has become the focal point of the town, driving other stores out of business. Sherriff Jim Hopper is conflicted over Eleven and Mike’s budding relationship, while Joyce considers moving out of Hawkins for better prospects, leaving the state of the children’s friendships and her own relationship with Hopper in the air. However, strange power fluctuations trigger Will’s awareness of something otherworldly, and Eleven and Max sense something is off about the town’s residents. And despite having closed the portal to the Upside Down, fears that they are all in danger from it still.

Review: For a series with nostalgia as its biggest drive, we are looking back with nostalgia to the first season in 2016. When we didn’t know the Duffer brothers and all the young actors of “Stranger Things”. It was such a pleasant surprise. A strong horror show, with 80s galore and pop culture references, fun characters and a great story. A series that could have easily been created by Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter or Stephen King.
The second season, although still very good, never lived up to the first season. But there was enough hope for season 3.
Season 3 premiered on July 4th: Independence Day in America, the start of the summer season. And besides the fact that the young cast grew older and are caught up in teen love, the most stylistic change is the fact that its set in the summer.
The series is set for a large point in and around the new large Starcourt Mall. Which looks amazing. The 80s atmosphere is brought back to life so well. And again a ton of references to films, series and music from that period. Love it! Especially a scene between Max and Eleven, in that Starcourt Mall, with ‘Material Girl’ by Madonna playing, is the 80s summed up perfectly.
Like I stated before, the young kids are now teenagers with teen problems and it starts to have a certain effect on their friendship. Mike and Eleven are in love, Max and Lucas are in love, even Dustin has a girlfriend. Although nobody believes she is real. And Will is looking from the sideline, still wanting to play Dungeons and Dragons in the basement and read comic books. Hopper is really not that happy about Will and Eleven, but he himself is having certain feelings. For Joyce.
At the end of season 2, the gate to the Upside Down was closed. But the darkness isn’t over. In the beginning of season 3, it’s mostly drama, love, relationships and such things. It takes its time to start. And horror is very far away. But each episode it becomes clear that something is still brewing in Hawkins. The gate might have been closed, but something from that underworld has settled down in Hawkins. And it’s looking for back-up.
A monster in Hawkins, it sounds like the same thing. Something mysterious happens, various groups investigate and eventually they will all come together. But does this bother me? Not at all! Because we’ve come to love all the characters so much and we love the tension, it’s still a lot of fun to watch. Each episode a little more of the horror is revealed.
The creators showed more ‘guts’ by making bold choices. Like the role of Erica in this season. She has a very important role in this season and for a young actress like Priah Ferguson, it could’ve easily gone wrong. But it didn’t. And the introduction of Robin, and what her character is all about. Also very bold. Billy also got a more important role, one of the most important ones actually. And I don’t think any people really liked his character, until the end of this season.
With the third season of “Stranger Things”, Netflix hits another bullseye. Even though it takes a little while to really get interesting, each episode is still worth watching. And that last episode made me cry so hard! Let season 4 come!

Movie Reviews - Fyre

Director: Chris Smith
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Billy MacFarland, Ja Rule, Gabriella Bluestone, Shiyuan Deng, Michael Ciccarelli, Mdavid Low, Samuel Krost, Andy King, Marc Weinstein

Description: An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unrveling of the Fyre music festival.

Review: We follow the true story of a gigantic music festival that turned out the be the biggest disaster.
In 2012 the movie “Project X” was released, where a college party turns into chaos. Imagine this: a similar situation, but then on a bigger scale with a budget of ten millions of dollars on a ‘deserted island’ near the Bahamas. This documentary shows us what went on with the Fyre Festival, that had to take place in 2017.
The documentary has three parts: the way to the festival, what went wrong and the consequences.
The promovideo of the Fyre festival is gorgeous. Famous models like Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin walking around in bikinis, artists such as major Lazer are advertise to attend and there would be villas for the guests. The reality: the models where simple a publicity stunt, the artists were never payed and guests had to sleep in tents.
They started too late with all the preparations and every sign showed organizer Billy MacFarland that the festival would never be ready in time. Attendees paid thousands of dollars to be there. Private jets turned out to be old little crowded planes, villas weren’t even present and became tents with wet matrasses and over 500 people didn’t even have a place to stay. There was no food or water and no charter planes booked for the guest to travel back. And no festival, because there were no artists.
“Fyre” shows us how an arrogant entrepreneur lies, betrays and commits fraude to make this ‘dream’ come true. It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the biggest projects that went horribly wrong.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Abducted in Plain Sight

Director: Skye Borgman
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jan Broberg, Bob Broberg, Mary Ann Broberg, Susan Broberg, Karen Campbell, Pete Welsh, Joe Berchtold

Description: The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naïve, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

Review: “Abducted in Plain Sight” is a crime documentary about a family that falls under the spell of a manipulative neighbor, who abducts their young daughter. This documentary has simply one of those “what the fuck” stories. And it will keep you thinking for a while.
The production of “Abducted in Plain Sight” took three years, where film makers wanted to get their hands on the original documents and rapports to create a complete story. Directed and produced by Skye Borgman, this documentary tells the story of Jan Broberg, from the American town of Pocatello. She was sexually abused and kidnapped by her neighbor and friend of the family, Robert Bechtold.
Berchtold was a common guest at the Broberg house and a close friend to the family. In 1974 he offered daughter Jan, twelve at the time, to pick her up from her piano lesson and take her horse back riding. Instead Broberg abducted her. Twice. The second time was to Mexico. There they got married and Jan was repeatedly raped by Berchtold. The adult Jan, believes that Berchtold abused her about 200 times in total.
In the documentary, we hear the story from different points of view: Jan, her parents, her sisters and Berchtold’s brother. It’s not the amount of gruesome details that is so controversial, it’s the parent’s attitude towards everything that happened. It’s hard to understand how both Bob and Mary Ann Broberg dealt with the abuse and the abduction of their daughter. When she first disappeared, they waited almost a week to call the police. And they still thought it was too soon. They had such faith in Berchtold as a friend, that they didn’t want to believe he abducted her. Even when Berchtold asked them to marry Jan, they never pressed charges. And Mary Ann always thought Berchtold fascination for Jan was disturbing, but she let them meet anyway.
There was even a time, where Berchtold was in therapy and he said he had to be around Jan to heal. And they let him sleep in her bed every night, where Berchtold abused Jan again. In their own house. And this was after the first abduction!
Jan’s mother Mary Ann even fell in love with Berchtold and had a brief affaire with him. And father Bob also had a sexual encounter with Berchtold.
Simple disbelief in everything I saw in this documentary. I had several WTF moments, I just don’t understand how these parents could’ve let all of this happen.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Reviews - Behind the Curve

Director: Daniel J. Clark
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 96 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mark K. Sargant, Patricia Steere, Jeran Campanella, Hannalore Gerlings-Dunsmore, Robbie Davidson, Stephan Hagberg, Lamar Glover, Brian Hickey, Scott Kelly, Bob Knodel, Spiros Michalakis, Joe Pierre, Chris Pontius

Description: Meet real Flat Earthers, a small but growing contingent of people who firmly believe in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that the earth is flat.

Review: An incredibly interesting documentary, about people who believe that the earth is flat. Their entire life is dedicated to proving this.
For the most part of the documentary, we follow Mark S. Sargant, head of the still growing community of so-called Flat Earthers.
We see both sides of the story. We see the Flat Earthers talking about why they believe the earth is flat and all kinds of conspiracies that are going on according to them. But we also see scientists, who have studied it, and their opinion on the Flat Earthers.
This is a documentary that I watched while biting my knuckles a lot. I simply don’t understand how they can think the earth is flat. There is so many proof that we live on a globe. And all the tests they do, contradict their theories, but they still believe they are right. They have no actual proof of the earth being flat. They even believe that we live under a dome, like in “The Truman Show”.
It was really interesting to see what drives these people, why they believe it and how dedicated they are to the cause. Even if I think they are a bit nuts.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Zodiac

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 158 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Clea DuVall, Adam Goldberg, Elias Koteas, Dermot Mulroney, Chloë Sevigny, Ione Skye, John Carroll Lynch, Lee Norris, Jimmi Simpson

Description: A San Francisco cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer.

Review: With “Zodiac”, director David Fincher brings us yet another engrossing film. It’s the story of a mysterious serial killer in San Francisco. It illustrates one of the most intriguing unsolved homicide cases of the US.
With his harassing letters, riddles, puzzles and codes, the San Francisco serial killer kept cops, journalists and civilians on the edge of their seats for years. “Zodiac” starts with some gruesome murders, which are very well shot. The killer demands that his messages are put on the front of some newspapers and threatens to kill more people if they don’t obey him. Fincher chose to tell the story from the perspective of the people who were involved in the case and what impact it had on their lives.
The cast of “Zodiac” has been carefully selected and they chose the right actors. The immense popular Jake Gyllenhaal plays a good role as the young unexperienced cartoonist Robert Graysmith. Robert Downey Jr. is Paul Avery, a journalist at ‘The Chronicle’ and is characterized by his self-destructive and irreverent character. With dry humor, arrogance and willfulness Downey Jr. is an enjoyable asshole. Mark Ruffalo is the best actor in the film, as infamous inspector David Toschi. Together with his colleague he is working on the Zodiac case, day and night.
The acting is strong, but the atmosphere is even stronger. He combines dark, grim and violent scenes with scenes in the streets of San Francisco and the meeting room at ‘The Chronicle’. With that, Fincher handles the way of the suspects and suspicion very well. The only problem I had was the length of the film. Towards the end, you start to feel it.
David Fincher succeeds to create an intriguing and intelligent thriller, about a very interesting case. “Zodiac” is an amazing film.

Rating: 4/ 5

Hottest Men on "Game of Thrones"

It was definitely worth hours of crafting to create this list of hottest men on "Game of Thrones". It was tough, so many men to choose from. But this is the ranking I made.

15. Loras Tyrell (portrayed by Finn Jones)
Whenever I see Loras Tyrell, I want to run my fingers through his curly blonde hair. He is every young woman’s dream. A handsome, brave knight, a real heartthrob. Just a shame that he’s not interested in women.

14. Tormund Giantsbane (portrayed by Kristofer Hivju)
Tormund is a scruffy, grizzled ginger who acts as a leader of sorts to the Wildlings and is obsessed with Brienne of Tarth. It’s that wonderful beard that does it.

13. Podrick Payne (portrayed by Daniel Portman)
Podrick was a squire for the Lannisters before he came into the service of Brienne of Tarth. Shy and hardworking, Podrick is one of the sweetest and most attractive men on “Game of Thrones”. And there is still one question we need answered: what did he do to those girls?

12. Ned Stark (portrayed by Sean Bean)
Being and honorable man, with a sense of justice, Ned Stark didn’t live long as the Hand of the King. His honor eventually cost him, but his love for his wife and children and his acts still lived on after his death. Ned always kept his cool and is a great keeper of secrets. Ned is one for the long hall. And he is handsome too (with a killer smile).

11. Jaqen H’ghar (portrayed by Tom Wlaschiha)
Jaqen H’ghar can change his appearance whenever he wants. It’s not shocking that he leans toward this menacing yet dangerously attractive look.

10. Grey Worm (portrayed by Jacob Anderson)
A commander of the Unsullied warriors and another loyal follower of Daenerys. This serious and fierce warrior captured the hearts of many viewers, especially when his hard shell cracks and we start seeing the real man beneath the brutal Unsullied training.

9. Bronn (portrayed by Jerome Flynn)
This cheeky northerner is nothing short of charming. His and Tyrion’s banter is great and his sarcasm brings fun to every scene. I just love a man with sarcasm. He’s definitely one of the most endearing characters, with a rugged appearance and superb fighting skills.

8. Oberyn Martell (portrayed by Pedro Pascal)
Oberyn’s fighting skills, slightly cocky attitude, and passionate temper turned the heads of many viewers. Partner that with a sexy Dornish accent and you’ve got yourself one charismatic and attractive character.

7. Jaime Lannister (portrayed by Nicolaj Coster-Waldau)
Jaime Lannister is a complicated character, who we see do acts of both good and great evil. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying the Kingslayer is another gorgeous character. I prefer his bearded look over his ‘prince charming’ look though. The dirtier her gets, the better looking he becomes.

6. Robb Stark (portrayed by Richard Madden)
There is something distinctly regal about Robb Stark. And watching him follow his heart over his head is very charming. Even if it cost him his life eventually.

5. Gendry (portrayed by Joe Dempsie)
Well hello there, Gendry! He mainly caught my attention in season 2, where he showed of his very muscular body. He is ripped! And how he eventually shows Arya he loves her. How Gendry wanted to marry her and for her to be his lady. We all know Arya is not very ladylike, but kudos for trying.

4. Jorah Mormont (portrayed by Iain Glenn)
If you want a loyal man, who would do anything to keep you safe, Jorah is the man you need. I always found Jorah a very tragic character. Showing his love for Daenerys over and over again, but she never returned it. Although she knew Jorah would do anything for her. His manly, rugged and handsome looks, combined with that loyalty and him willing to die for the woman he loves. That’s the kind of man any good woman deserves.

3. Khal Drogo (portrayed by Jason Momoa)
Khal Drogo was married to Daenerys and they instantly became the hottest couple in television. Muscular, tough, handsome, tall, a great warrior. Perfection I tell you.

2. Daario Naharis (portrayed by Michiel Huisman)
Daario Naharis is a lieutenant of the Second Sons mercenary company before pledging his allegiance to Daenerys. Proud to say that he is Dutch like me, he is one of the finest looking men on the show. We sure understand why Daenerys liked him so much.

1. Jon Snow (portrayed by Kit Harington)
Jon Snow is one of many people’s favorite character in “Game of Thrones”. A brave swordsman and one of the main protagonists. I’ve loved swooning over this handsome bastard since day one. He is handsome, kind, loyal, strong, willing to do anything for the people he loves and he is just.

It's clear that I have the same taste as Daenerys!!!!

Movie Reviews - The Mule

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Dianne Wiest, Taissa Farmiga, Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: A 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood) turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel.

Review: Clint Eastwood is almost 90 years old. In “The Mule” he looks vulnerable, but looking at him and listening to him never gets old. It’s like that characteristic look (pursed eyes, raised mouth corner, pained look on his face) has become more intense because of his age. Mumbling, cursing, snarling at the people that cross him, but he never explodes. Eastwood stays cool, even though it’s not like in his Dirty Harry days.
It’s the first time since “Gran Torino”, which marks my favorite Eastwood film, that he signs up for both directing and starring in the film. Walt Kowalski, who he played in “Gran Torino”, and his character in “The Mule”, Earl Stone, have a lot in common. Both conservative, grumpy Korean War veterans who look down at the foreigners in their neighborhoods.
“The Mule” is based on an article in The New York Times. People could read about a 90-year-old American man, that became a drug mule for a Mexican cartel. Eastwood and screenplay writer nick Schenk used this as their inspiration for this story about loyalty, neglect, regret and forgiveness. All these themes get attention and towards the end are finished off nicely. But midway they get lost a little bit and disappear into the background.
In this part of the film, the focus is on Earl Stone’s rides for the Mexican cartel. Because the happenings are repetitive – loading cocaine in the truck, drive it to the destination and deliver it – the makers try to add some variation. And for the most part it works well. But they also added some jokes here and there and they don’t really work. Often racist or sexist.
We have seen a character like Earl Stone very often, but it’s thanks to Eastwood that he becomes somewhat likeable and you get a connection with him anyway.
Eastwood does a lot with a little. Something he is very good at.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Most Memorable Deaths on "Game of Thrones"

Looking back at the TV show that caused us so much heart ache over the years, “Game of Thrones” was a show were none of your favorite characters were safe. After hours of pondering, I created this list of most memorable deaths on the show. Deaths that were surprising, devastating, satisfying, shocking or cruel. I narrowed it down to a list of 25. Please let me know what you think.

WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS!

25. Jaime and Cersei Lannister (Crushed by falling bricks – Season 8, Episode 5: “The Bells”)
Although it’s not the way we wanted to see either one of the characters go, it’s still a memorable moment. Seeing two of the most important and well-known characters on the show die in each other’s arms. Telling themselves that they are the only thing that matter.

24. The Night King (Stabbed by Arya Stark – Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”)
The entire show worked to this moment: the death of the Night King. Even though he went a bit too quickly, it’s still an epic moment. In an episode that desperately needed something good to happen, it’s a satisfying death. Especially being it by the hand of Arya Stark, my favorite character from the start. Everyone expected it to be Jon, since he’s been the one fighting hardest for this moment, but I was glad it was an unexpected character.

23. Varys (Burned by Drogon – Season 8, Episode 5: “The Bells”)
Varys is almost always right and so he was this time about Daenerys not being the right person for the Iron Throne. In a last try to convince Jon he’s the true king, Daenerys finds out Varys has betrayed her. She brings him out to the beach and has Drogon burn him. Varys isn’t surprised he’s going to die, he stand by what he did. Varys is one of the most important characters on the show.

22. Theon Greyjoy (Stabbed by the Night King – Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”)
Theon had quite the journey to get to this moment. From betraying Robb Stark to his horrible life as Reek, to saving Sansa from Ramsay Bolton, to volunteering to protect Bran. And this is what eventually kills Theon, when he sacrifices his own life to save Bran’s. Ultimately, Theon died a hero.

21. Ygritte (Shot with a bow and arrow by Olly – Season 4, Episode 9: “The Watchers on the Wall”)
No one in Westeros lives happily ever after. The same goes for Ygritte and Jon, who fell for each other north of the wall. Her being a wildling and his being a brother of the Night’s Watch put them at opposite sides of the fight when Mance Rayder showed up to attack Castle Black. Jon managed to talk Ygritte out of killing him, only to have her shot by Olly. Ygritte died in Jon’s arms, telling him she wished they never left that cave.

20. Lysa Arryn (Pushed down the moon door by Littlefinger – Season 4, Episode 7: “Mockingbird”)
Lysa was Catelyn’s sister and the wife of Jon Arryn, Lord of the Vale. Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, manipulated her into killing her husband. Lysa eventually married Littlefinger and he became Lord of the Vale. Because of Littlefinger’s love for Sansa Stark and Lysa’s cruelty against her, Littlefinger pushes her down the moon door.

19. Ser Meryn Trant (Killed by Arya Stark – Season 5, Episode 10: “Mother’s Mercy”)
Meryn Trant was a member of the King’s guard. After killing Arya’s sword master Syrio Forel, she swore to kill Ser Meryn as vengeance. When he visited a brothel in Braavos, she got her chance. Ser Meryn abused various young girls there. Arya disguised herself as one of the girls and brutally killed him by cutting out his eyes and stabbing him multiple times, before finally cutting his throat.

18. Margaery Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell and The High Sparrow (Blown up by wildfire – Season 6, Episode 10: “The Winds of Winter”)
Cersei wanted revenge and did it with a bang. She used wildfire to blow up the Sept of Baelor, which had several important players within the game of thrones in it at the time.

17. The Hound and The Mountain aka Sandor Clegane and Gregor Clegane (Killed each other – Season 8, Episode 5: “The Bells”)
The fight we’ve been waiting for for so long. We even gave it a name: Clegane Bowl. And with this fight, it tied up a storyline we’ve been waiting for since very early on. When The Hound finally faces his older brother, it’s the beginning of a very epic battle. The Hound manages to knock of The Mountain’s helmet, finally revealing his face. And he looks awful. The two fight to the dead and eventually they plummet into the flames

16. Tywin Lannister ( Shot down with a crossbow by Tyrion Lannister – Season 4, Episode 10: “The Children”)
Most of the Lannister family are terrible people, but Tywin is probably the worst of them all. Tyrion, who was sentenced to die by his own father, escapes his prison and heads to his father to find his lover Shae in his bed. His father is on the toilet, where Tyrion shoots Tywin with a crossbow. Not a very graceful or honorable death for Tywin Lannister.

15. Viserion (Speared down by The Night King – Season 7, Epsiode 6: “Beyond the Wall”)
While Jon and his team go behind the wall to capture a wight, The Night King has other plans. They end up in an epic battle and Daenerys comes to the rescue. But Viserion gets speared down by The Night King and crashes down. Later he is touched by The Night King, becoming an important weapon in the army of the undead.

14. Jon Snow (Stabbed by his own men of the Night’s Watch – Season 5, Episode 10: “Mother’s Mercy”)
I know, Jon was resurrected in Season 6, but he still died even if it was for a while. His death in the Season 5 finale was a major blow for all the fans. The season had been leading up to a mutiny at Castle Black, with the mutineers each taking turns stabbing Jon.

13. Walder Frey (Killed by Arya Stark – Season 6, Episode 10: “The Winds of Winter”)
Taking on a face of another, Arya Stark finally gets her well-deserved vengeance on Walder Frey after him being responsible for the deaths of her mother Catelyn and brother Robb. And she doesn’t only kill him. Before Arya slits Walder Frey’s throat, she feeds him a pie with his sons in it.

12. Jorah Mormont (Killed by Wights – Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”)
This death was particularly hard on me, since Jorah has been one of my favorite character from the start. As ‘king of the friendzone’, he died in the only way that makes sense for his character: protecting his beloved Queen Daenerys to the end. It’s a touching scene, dying in Daenerys’ arms and her weeping like her heart is breaking.

11. Lyanna Mormont (Killed by a giant – Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”)
She became Lady of Bear Island on a very young age and from the moment we met her, we couldn’t get around her and she will be forever in our hearts. As the battle rages, Lyanna rushes to the giant. He crushes her body in its fist, but she holds on long enough to stab him right in the eye.

10. Viserys Targaryen (Burned by liquid gold over his head – Season 1, Episode 6: “A Golden Crown”)
One of the show’s first brutal deaths was this one. After trying Khal Drogo’s last nerve, the Khal melts down some of his gold medallions and pours the molten remains over Viserys’ head, giving him the crown he always wanted. Long live the king.

9. Littlefinger (Killed by Arya Stark – Season 7, Episode 7: “The Dragon and the Wolf”)
Littlefinger still tries to win over Sansa and also attempts on turning her against her sister Arya. When Arya is confronted by Sansa, publicly, it’s actually Littlefinger who is on trial. In his last attempt to proof how much he loves Sansa, Arya slits his throat.

8. Ramsay Bolton (Eaten by his hounds – Season 6, Epsiode 9: “Battle of the Bastards”)
Ramsay was one of the vilest villains on “Game of Thrones”, taking pleasure in torturing and mutilating people. After being put into an arranged marriage with Sansa Stark, Ramsay repeatedly rapes and mentally tortures her. When Sansa gets away and reaches Jon, they beat him in the Battle of the Bastards. And Sansa finally gets the last laugh, seeing him being devoured by his own hounds.

7. Daenerys Targaryen (Stabbed by Jon Snow – Season 8, Episode 6: “The Iron Throne”)
She finally did it, Daenerys defeated Cersei and her people and claimed the Iron Throne for herself. But before even getting to sit on that throne, Jon stabs her and she dies in his arms. Even though he loved her, Jon knew she wouldn’t have been the Queen Westeros needed. The moment when Drogon sees his mother dead on the ground, is truly heart breaking.

6. Joffrey Baratheon (Poisoned – Season 4, Episode 2: “The Lion and the Rose”)
Never have I cheered so loud for a character’s death as this one. And if you’ve followed the show from the beginning, you understand why fans were dreaming of this death for so long. Joffrey died, at his own wedding no less, after choking on poisoned wine. Tyrion and Sansa were accused of murdering him, but it eventually turned out to be Olenna Tyrell with Littlefinger’s help. No tears of sadness here, just tears of joy.

5. Shireen Baratheon (Burned alive by Melisandre – Season 5, Episode 9: “The Dance of Dragons”)
Melisandre managed to brainwash Stannis several times, about the Lord of Light. But never had it such a huge impact as when Melisandre convinced Stannis to burn his own daughter Shireen at the stake, as a sacrifice. Shireen’s cry for help still echoes in my head.

4. Hodor (Killed by White Walkers/ Wights – Season 6, Episode 5: “The Door”)
Hodor’s death is one of the most devastating four minutes of television. Not only because he may have been the only truly good person in the entirety of Westeros, but that he was preordained to die this way his entire life. Hold the door….

3. Oberyn Martell (Head crushed by The Mountain – Season 4, Episode 8: “The Mountain and the Viper”)
Oberyn is one of the most-beloved “Game of Thrones” characters, even if he was only in a few episodes. While fighting for Tyrion in a trial by combat, against The Mountain, he made a big mistake by becoming too cocky. He started monologuing instead of finishing the job. What followed is probably the most brutal kill in “Game of Thrones” history, as the mountain knocks Oberyn to the ground and crushes his skull with his bare hands.

2. Eddard “Ned” Stark (Beheaded by Ser Illyn Payne– Season 1, Episode 9: “Baelor”
Ned Stark was probably the most important character when “Game of Thrones” started and he only lived for 9 episodes. His beheading in the first season’s ninth episode is the most significant and important death to date. Since that’s what started the game of thrones truly. And Ned Stark’s death meant that no one was truly safe.

1. Catelyn Stark, Robb Stark and Talisa Stark (Stabbed/ slit throat by Walder Frey’s men and Roose Bolton – Season 3, Episode 9: “The Rains of Castamere”)
The Red Wedding, the knife through viewers’ hearts. At this point, people are used to fear for their favorite character’s lives, but seeing Robb, Catelyn and Talisa being brutally murdered like that still was a huge shock. Talisa being repeatedly stabbed in her pregnant belly, Robb being stabbed by Roose Bolton, it’s like being stabbed yourself. And then Catelyn’s cry for her son before her throat is slit, it still gives me chills.

Honorable Mentions:

Ser Barristan Selmy (Killed by the Sons of the Harpy – Season 5, Episode 4: “Sons of the Harpy”)
Ser Barristan is a legendary member of the King’s Guard, wanting no more than to find a monarch worth serving. He got that with Daenerys Targaryen. He defended her with his life as she sought to end slavery in Slaver’s Bay. When the Sons of the Harpy attack Grey Worm, Ser Barristan intervenes and eventually gets killed himself.

Shae (Strangled by Tyrion Lannister – Season 4, Episode 10: “The Children”)
Shae was Tyrion’s lover. He went to great lengths to keep her safe in King’s Landing, but Tyrion also forced her to leave after his marriage to Sansa Stark. Shae was so hurt, that she testified against him when he was tried for murdering Joffrey, a crime he did not commit. When Tyrion went to confront his father after escaping execution he found Shae in Tywin’s bed and he strangles her.

Khal Drogo (Died after an infected wound – Season 1, Episode 10: “Fire and Blood”)
Fearsome Dothraki leader Khal Drogo was gearing up to help Daenerys invade Westeros, but succumbed to an infection from a wound sustained fighting one of his own men. He was left in a coma-like state after Daenerys used blood magic to save him. She eventually smothered him with a pillow, so he wouldn’t have to live a half-life.

Dolorous Edd (Killed by a Wight – Season 8, Epsiode 3: “The Long Night”)
The acting Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch is the first to die during this epic battle, after saving Samwell Tarly as the Night King’s army begins their assault on Winterfell. He’s stabbed in the back in dies right in front of Sam.

Beric Dondarrion (Sacrificed himself for Arya and The Hound – Season 8, Episode 3: “The Long Night”)
Beric Dondarrion had died and was resurrected many times before, but during the battle of Winterfell he falls for the last time. He dies a true hero’s death, rousing The Hound to go find and save Arya from getting overrun by the dead. Once they find her, he scarifeces himself to ensure that The Hound and Arya can get to safety. Melisandre later tells Arya he was brought back for a purpose, and that now he’s served it.

Missandei (Beheaded by the Mountain – Season 8, Episode 4: “The Last of the Starks”)
Missandei is one of the only true good people in all of Westeros. She has a kind heart and is very loyal to the ones that she loves. Defending and standing by her Queen Daenerys, the breaker of her chains. And she eventually died in chains. With her final words being ‘Dracarys’, she was beheaded by The Mountain on Cersei’s command.

Rhaegal (Shot down by Euron – Season 8, Episode 4: “The Last of the Starks”)
His brother Viserion’s death had a bigger impact on us and on Daenerys, Rhaegal was probably the bigger shock because it came out of nowhere. Leaving all logics behind on how Daenerys never saw Euron’s fleet from up above, seeing Rhaegal being shot down and crashing into the sea like this still hurts.