10s Movie Review - In the Tall Grass

Director: Vincenzo Natali
Genre: Thriller/ Horror/ Drama/ Mystery
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Laysla de Oliveira, Svery Whitted, Patrick Wilson, Will Wuie Jr., Harrison Gilbertson, Rachel Wilson

Description: After hearing a young boy’s cry for help, a sister and brother vernture into a vast field of tall grass in Kansas, but soon discover there may be no way out… and that something evil lurks within.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 18: A MOVIE BASED ON A STEPHEN KING BOOK

Review: Netflix released another film based on a Stephen King novel, like before “Gerald’s Game” and “1922”. King wrote this story together with his son Joe Hill and it was released in 2012.
The pregnant Becky and her brother Cal are on their way to San Diego. When they make a little stop, they hear a boy calling for help in a big field of grass. They decide to help the boy, but lose each other and can’t seem to find one another. And for some reason, they are not able to get to each other or leave the field. Things get even more mysterious when they meet other people in the grass.
We all know the feeling that you get when you’re lost: helplessness, frustration and fear. You would think that “In the Tall Grass” would give you these feelings too, but it only happens at times. The film has a creepy feel to it, but really lacks enough tension to stay exciting the entire runtime.
What does work are the amazing visuals, both in the dark as in broad daylight. It adds to the total experience of the film, which can be very vague. It never really explains anything, which is not a bad thing per say. Because stories like this can become over-explanatory and lose mystery because of it. So, because of the big mystery element the film does make it worth your time.
I think it’s an okay mystery thriller, but it probably works better as a book or maybe even a short story then a full length film.

Rating: 3 / 5

10s Movie Review - X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Director: Simon Kinberg
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jessica Chastain

Description: Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix, causing the X-Men to decide if her life is worth more than all of humanity.

Review: “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” is reportedly the end of the film series, that started about 20 years ago. But it doesn’t feel like a traditional epic end, with a satisfying ending and closure for all the storylines and characters.
The “X-Men” series never had reboots or remakes and it blew new life into the series with the prequels, starting with “X-Men: First Class”. It never repeats itself or reuses storylines, until “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”. Where we see again how Jean Grey becomes bigger than her powers and finds a darker side to herself. This also happened in “X-Men: The Last Stand”. Because of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Jean Grey could start with a clean sleight, but this film doesn’t use it for the best. There was a great chance her, but they missed out.
The best part of “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” is the acting. This is strong, solid and convincing. And Sophie Turner, who plays Jean Grey, has enough power to stand strong between big names like James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence.
Jessica Chastain plays the villain role, which she does well. But there is no backstory to her and her group and her meeting with Jean should lead to something bigger. But it never really goes anywhere. This storyline is almost disposable because it’s written so poorly.
I also had issues with the timeline. This happened because of “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and it makes everything a lot harder to follow. And overall the film is really bland and dull.
“X-Men: Dark Phoenix” is by no means a terrible movie, but it’s probably not one I will ever rewatch.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

TV Show Review - La Casa de Papel (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 12
Year: 2017
Starring: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Alba Flores, Darco Peric, Fernado Soto, Paco Tous, Roberto Garcia

Description: An unusual group of robbers attempt to carry out the most perfect robbery in Spanish history: stealing 2.4 billion euros from the Royal Mint of Spain

Review: “La Casa de Papel” is a Spanish series streaming on Netflix, which follows the biggest heist at the Royal Mint of Spain. This museum in Madrid focuses on the history of money but also has massive printers backstage to print money bills. A group of unusual criminals team up to rob the Royal Mint.
The team is led by El Profesor, who dedicated a big part of his life to create a masterplan and capture a huge amount of money. The heist will take several says, has multiple hostages, no blood can flow and they have to get away with everything. And he thought of everything and is always one step ahead of the rest. El Profesor sets just a few simple rules: nobody talks about their life and says their real name (to give each other city names), no relationships between people in the group and stick to plan.
What happens when a group of men and women are locked inside a remote mansion, planning a heist? Two of the three rules that were set are definitely being broken and the Spanish police are none to mess with, so rule number 3 is also hard to follow at times.
The actors in “La Casa de Papel” is strong and convincing and the story has many layers and twists, to keep it interesting and exciting. You always feel like it’s slipping through their fingers, but nothing could be further from the truth. The narration is done by character Tokio, which gives it a more personal touch.
In addition, the series provides an insight into the bureaucratic world of the Spanish police and intelligence service. Raquel knows how to hold her own in this hardened male-dominated world of egos and pressure.
to the end of this season you wonder if everything will be okay for the robbers, who are the bad guys. But you can’t help to root for both parties. But there is a cliffhanger and lots of questions stay unanswered. Ready for season 2.

10s Movie Review - Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Director: J.J. Abrams
Genre: Science Fiction/ Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Ian McDiarmid, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Billy Dee Williams, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Daniels, Greg Grunberg, Dominic Monaghan, Keri Russell

Description: The surviving members of the resistance face the First Order again, and the legendary conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its peaks bringing the Skywalker saga to its end.

Review: The resurrected Emperor Palpatine recruits Kylo Ren to restore his empire. Jedi-apprentice Rey and her rebel friends are the only ones tat can stop them.
In 2015 director J.J. Abrams had a challenge. He had the tough task to bring new life to the Star Wars franchise. And he managed with “Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens”. And in my opinion the second film in this trilogy, directed by Rian Johnson, was also good and I really liked it (I know this is an unpopular opinion).
For the finale, Abrams returns, but “Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” is not as sleek as its predecessors. The story goes by so fast and important plot development hardly have any time to settle in.
A lot that happens isn’t that new or original, “Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” stays in its comfort zone. The story plays a lot with family bonds and many elements are expected and predictable.
But the heart of the series hasn’t gone and I did enjoy this film. The emotional connection between Rey and Kylo Ren is strong and the moments where Abrams decided to focus on his characters are the best. And the film again looks fantastic, visually it’s great.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Movie Review - Extraction

Director: Sam Hargrave
Genre: Action
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, David Harbour, Golshifteh Farahani

Description: Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), a fearless black market mercenary, embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he’s enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord.

Review: Director Sam Hargrave’s directorial debut serves up lots of bullets, exploding cars and bloody fights. “Extraction” is an action film in its purest form, delivering brute force without a deeply layered story.
Chris Hemsworth plays mercenary Tyler Rake, who is send out to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to extract the kidnapped son of an imprisoned crime lord. The film has a simple set-up, the action starts right away. Blood, explosions, gunfire, fights, it’s all there in large amounts.
Sam Hargrave directs his first feature film, where he worked as a stunt coordinator before on several Marvel films. Tyler is depicted as a stereotypical bad good guy, tortured by personal tragedy and redeemed by the mission. And Chris Hemsworth does this well.
This action flick has a lot of scenes with hand-held cameras, which make it realistic, but can sometimes be distractive. Hargrave choose for some long one-take shots, which look pretty cool. Sometimes you feel like you’re in a “Call of Duty” game.
“Extraction” is a pretty solid action film. It is action packed, but besides Tyler’s character, all the characters are pretty one-dimensional. It’s an above average film, but it would be pretty forgettable if it weren’t for Hemsworth.

Rating: 3 / 5

Best "Community" Episodes

Even though our time at Greendale Community College is over, there is still a debate about the best episodes of “Community”. A show that is not just an innocent sit-com about the interaction between the students at Greendale, but a show that broke every TV rule. I listed what are in my opinion the best episodes of “Community”.

15. Basic Lupin Urology (Season 3, Episode 17)
The group has a biology project, with a yam as the subject. Their yam gets crushed and they try to find our who did it. Off course they do it the “Community” way and parody the crime show “Law and Order”.

14. Epidemiology (Season 2, Episode 6)
A Halloween episode, where a rabies outbreak turns the campus into a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. It’s the originality of their take on the zombie genre that makes this episode fun. Winks to films like “28 Days Later” or “Shaun of the Dead”. And to be honest, this episode is better then what “The Walking Dead” has been doing lately.

13. Digital Estate Planning (Season 3, Episode 20)
What if the study group was in an 8-bit videogame? Well, this episode flings the cast into a delightfully authentic 8-bit videogame experience via the promise of Pierce’s dad’s fortune through his last will and testament. Whoever beats the game gets the money.

12. Pillows and Blankets (Season 3, Episode 14)
“Pillows and Blankets” is one of the most creative episode in sit-com history. A simple pillow fort made by Troy and Abed turns into a war between them and their towns: Blanketsburg and Pillowtown. The episode turns into a documentary civil war style. Lines are read as old combat correspondence and historical pictures of Leonard and Abed dressed as pillow generals. And remember, this episode gave us the Changlourious Basterds and Pillow Pierce.

11. Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design (Season 2, Episode 9)
Dean Pelton is trying to bust Jeff for a phony night school credit, which only unveils a series of conspiracies, plots, and double-crosses between Jeff, Annie and the Dean. You gotta love the twists.

10. Paradigms of Human Memory (Season 2, Episode 21)
Allthough this episode has the structure of a sketch show and shows parts of previous episodes, “Community” is parodying itself here. After Chang crawled down the vent to follow Troy’s monkey (Annie’s boobs), he finds a lot of items that belong to the studygroup and bring back memories. They take a trip down memory lane, to situations and events wer never witnessed.

9. Cooperartive Caligraphy (Season 2, Episode 8)
Chaos and mistrust tear the study group apart as they try to figure out who stole Annie’s pen, causing them to miss the Greendale Puppy parade. This is a so-called bottle episode, where the entire episode is set in one location. And it’s a good one.

8. Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking (Season 2, Episode 16)
After and overdose of medication, Pierce ends up in the hospital. Here he decides to cause some psychological damage to his study buddies, because they never take him seriously. It’s Chevy Chase at his best here. The episode is from Abed’s perspective, since he is filming a documentary. It feel more intimate. And that moment where Troy meets his hero LeVar Burton. He was very clear about never to want to meet him and just wanting a picture. Because you can’t disappoint a picture Pierce!

7. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Season 2, Episode 14)
This episode was directed by Joe Russo, one of the people behind “Avengers: Endgame”. In this episode the study group plays a game of Dungeons and Dragons, to make one of their fellow students Neil feel better.

6. A Fistful of Paintballs & For a Few Paintballs More (Season 2, Episode 23 & 24)
They are two separate episode, but I decided to put them together, because I can’t choose which of the two is better. The first part of the two-parter season 2 finale is a parody of the film “A Fistful of Dollars”. And as the title suggest, it’s again a paintball episode. Josh Holloway has a fun guest role as a mysterious professional paintballer. It’s stupid and over-the-top, but it makes sense in the “Community” universe. The second part of the season 2 finale takes on a “Star Wars” style, where Troy and Jeff collide on who is the leader, Abed woos Annie with his Han Solo actions and the entire school fights against an ice cream company.

5. Critical Film Studies (Season 2, Episode 19)
This episode was director by Richard Ayoade from “It-Crowd”. It focuses on Abed’s obsession for film and TV series. The gang is waiting for Abed’s “Pulp Fiction” themed surprise party, but Abed invited Jeff for a one-on-one dinner, in the style of “My Dinner with Andre”. This part is maybe the most personal the show has ever felt.

4. Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (Season 2, Episode 11)
This episode is told as a charming stop-motion story, where Abed is trying to get his way during Christmas. It’s one of “Community’s” most creative and memorable episodes an shows how much creator Dan Harmon loved his show.

3. Modern Warfare (Season 1, Episode 23)
An abandoned campus, study books spread all over the place. The first paintball-themed episode of “Community”. The episode transforms into a modern war movie, while students fight for a change for priority registration for next semester. From Troy’s “Jeff Winger, I thought you were dead”, to the lazy Terminator jokes by Abed. It all works.

2. Contemporary American Poultry (Season 1, Episode 21)
Jeff thinks of a plan to get Abed a job in the school cafeteria, so they have quicker access to the beloved chicken fingers that they always seem to run out of whenever they arrive. Abed narrates this episode, with winks to mob movies “Goodfellas” and “The Godfather”. Another way “Community” has proved to take on different forms and still keep their own identity. Unique character moments and a great homage and references to pop culture.

1. Remedial Chaos Theory (Season 3, Episode 4)
In this episode we find all seven members of the group at Troy and Abed’s apartment when they host a housewarming party. When the pizza arrives, Jeff suggests to throw a dice to decide who will get the pizza downstairs. That’s when the episode shows us several timelines, which show that different things happen depending on who is getting the pizza. The results are just as varied as hilarious. This episode is creative, stands out, is surprising and hilarious. And that’s why it’s the best episode of “Community”.

00s Movie Review - The Blind Side

Director: John Lee Hancock
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Kathy Bates

Description: The story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman (Sandra Bullock) and her family.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 17: A MOVIE SUGGESTED BY A FRIEND

Review: The true story “The Blind Side” is based on, tells the tale of a boy from a bad neighborhood who lives without the safety of a caring family. His name: Michael Oher. Michael goes from school to school and never found a place where he was loved. This changes when he is discovered as a football talent at a Christian elite-school. Sports he can do well, but learning and studying is a bit harder for Michael, since he never learned how. His nickname is Big Mike, because of height and size. One evening, Leigh Anne Touhy sees Michael wandering through the rain and takes him home. From that moment on, Michael becomes a big part of the Touhy family and he gets a chance on a better life, education and sport.
What makes this story so special is that Michael is taken in without any trouble. Leigh Anne, her husband Sean and their kids Collins and SJ don’t mind having him around and welcome him with open arms. The Touhy family is your perfect America family, they live in a big, beautiful house, father and son love football, the daughter is a cheerleader. It’s almost hard to believe that such a wealthy family takes in Michael this easily, since he comes from the this easily. This gives the film a feel-good atmosphere.
It's very easy to see Michael had a tough life. He barely speaks, is shy, doesn’t make contact with other people. Thanks to the Touhy family, Michael can open up, be himself and live his best life. And most of all because of Leigh Anne, who he has a special bond with.
The story is heartwarming and if you are an emotional person like me, you will shed a tear now and then.
Sandra Bullock is fantastic in her role, I loved her portrayal of Leigh Anne Touhy. She is fierce, strong, caring and treats Michael like her own son. Very understandable that Bullock won an Academy Award for this performance.
“The Blind Side” is a beautiful film, based on an amazing story that will fill your heart with joy.

Rating: 4 / 5

00s Movie Review - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Chris Parnell, Fred Willard, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen, Seth Rogen, Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller, Missi Pyle, Jack Black

Description: Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) is San Diego’s top-rated newsman in the male-dominated broadcasting of the 1970s, but that’s all about to change for Ron and his cronies when an ambitious woman (Christina Applegate) is hired as a new anchor.

Review: “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” could have easily been a juvenile, forgettable comedy. But director Adam McKay really created a hilarious film, that is a favorite for a lot of people.
We meet the arrogant and quirky Ron Burgundy, who is one of the most successful news anchors in 1970s San Diego. When Veronica Corningstone enters, he gets some rivalry, because she is a very ambitious women with only one big dream: becoming a lead anchor. At first Veronica gets simple stories to cover, like a fashion show for cats, but she doesn’t accept being just that kind of news woman.
When “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” was released in 2004, it wasn’t very well-received by critics. But through the years, the film has gained a cult-status and is a comedy classic. There was even a sequel in 2013.
The constant bickering between Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate’s characters is hilarious and we get fun supporting roles from Paul Rudd, Fred Willard and Vince Vaughn. But it’s Steve Carell that steals the show, as weatherman Brick Tamland. He is seriously the dumbest movie character and you question yourself how it’s possible Brick is still alive. Carell is hilarious in his role.
“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” is definitely one of my favorite comedies off all-time.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Big Short

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Melissa Leo, Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez, Karen Gillan, Finn Wittrock, John Magaro, Hamish Linklater, Jay Jablonski

Description: In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US motgage market. In their research they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.

Review: “The Big Short” is based on the true story of fraud within American banks, right before the financial crisis. Four outsiders try to expose these banks and want to make money from it at the same time. Dr. Michael Burry starts this, when he discovers that most mortgages aren’t as safe and secure as they seem. Most banks think he is crazy and there are only a few others that believe him.
The cast of “The Big Short” is one to be proud of. They are all big names in Hollywood and are all seemingly enjoying the roles they’re playing. Christian Bale portrays the eccentric Dr. Michael Burry, Steve Carell is the loud Mark Baum, Ryan Gosling is the slick Jared Vennett and Brad Pitt plays the reluctant Ben Rickert. All characters are well-developed and the performances are fantastic.
And that’s where I’m going to stop with the positive, because aside from this, I hated this movie. And it’s not the director or the style it is filmed in. It’s simply the theme and story. Adam McKay tried so hard to create an intense and interesting film with the somewhat dry material he had. But in my opinion he didn’t manage to do that. At least not for me.
The film is too long and it drags. I think 90 percent of the dialogue and story didn’t interest me at all and sometimes I had no idea what they were talking about. This movie made me feel dumb, but then again I don’t know much about the financial world nor am I interested in it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad movie. Because it’s well-made and all performances are great. Most critics praise this movie and it’s a typical film for the Academy Awards. “The Big Short” simply didn’t do it for me because of the theme it was dealing with. And if a movie’s theme doesn’t appeal to me and I can’t sympathize with any of the characters, you lose me as a viewer.
A movie not for everyone, and I’m sadly one of the haters. And I don’t often share the more unpopular opinion.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Review - Dark Waters

Director: Todd Haynes
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Anne Hathaway, Mare Winningham, Bill Pullman, Victor Garber

Description: Corporate defense attorney Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.

Review: Wilbur Tennant is a farmer from Parkersburg, West Virginia, who has been trying to find out for years what keeps killing his cows. It has to do something with the chemical factory nearby, he thinks, but nobody wants to help him in his search for the truth. The factory is part of chemical company DuPont. They’re not only an important employer in the region, but also a generous giver for places like playgrounds and libraries. The company has the people in its power and there is no independent chemist or environmental specialist in the area.
Ultimately Tennant gets help from an unexpected source: Robert Bilott, an attorney at a big company in Cincinnati, Ohio. At first out of common courtesy, because his grandmother is from Parkensburg. Bilott is a corporate defense attorney who normally defends companies like DuPont. He thinks he can do this job quickly, but then he sees Tennant’s cows. Convulsing, agressive and with abnormalities in their teeth and eyes. It becomes clear that he is in a minefield.
And a big one. The DuPont case started in 1999 and is still, to the date, not finalized. And the story is astounding. The billion dollar company had been using a chemical called PFOA since the 50s, to produce Teflon, while their own research showed that the substance was extremely dangerous. The American environmental department didn’t do anything, they started checking since 1976 and only to companies that reported chemicals with a high risk factor.
Actor Mark Ruffalo read about the case in 2016 and initiated filming. As a co-producer he managed to get director Todd Haynes to join him and Ruffalo himself plays the role of Rob Bilott. He has played the role of hero before, as Hulk. But this hero role is a more modest, contained and reluctant version. Without any trace of vanity, Ruffalo depicts Bilott as un inconspicuous, introspective man with a worried look, whose work obsession almost cost him his marriage and health.
Anne Hathaway, at first, seems to have a very thankless role, as the wife of Bilott. But as the story develops her role becomes more important and Hathaways performance has more substance. Bill Camp, as Wilbur Tennant, is also a performance to mention. Very solid and convincing and a man you can really empathize with. And I liked seeing Tim Robbins again, since you don’t see him in many movies these days.
Haynes’ direction is also anything but exuberant. Carefully and without fuss, “Dark Waters” follows the fact. The lack of outward display is probably the reason why this fantastic film has been overlooked by the Academy.
Haynes doesn’t need any fuss to impress. This whistleblower drama is very strong and this chilling thriller is also a very important film. Everyone should see this film, because its conclusion is very disturbing and scary.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Movie Review - Hors Normes

Director: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb, Hélène Vincent, Bryan Mialoundama, Alban Ivanov, Benjamin Lesieur, Marco Locatelli, Catherine Mouchet, Frédéric Pierrot, Suliane Brahim, Lyna Khoudri, Aloïse Sauvage, Djibril Yoni, Ahmed Abdel Laoui

Description: The story of two men (Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb), educators of children and adolescents with autism.

Review: Jewish Bruno and Islamic Malik are best friends. One runs a facility for autistic children and the other an organization with underprivileged teens and trains them to become support workers. The successful French director duo Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (“Intouchables”) wanted to make a documentary about this duo, but thought the story was too good, so they decided to make a movie about them. It's easy to relate to both men and to feel empathy and emotion throughout the film. Like “Intouchables”, you feel how they play with you emotion, but “Hors Normes” is more reluctant. It’s feel more personal, which is explained by the fact that the directors are friends with the men being portrayed in this film.
“Hors Normes” is a powerful indictment of the way in which society treats a group of its most difficult inhabitants: severely autistic young people. Children and young men and women with parents at their wit’s end because institution after institution refuses to take care of them. Some facilities simply can’t because of protocols, some just won’t. But protocols are not what these kids need, only customization will improve their lives. Bruno and Malik did say yes to those parents, they were the only ones that had attention for them and they dedicated thei
r lives to taking care of them and making their life better. Bruno works with them and makes sure that they get places to work and fit in. Malik takes on problematic teens that grew up in bad neighborhoods and trains them to take care of the autistic kids.
There is hardly a plot, but this would have damaged the film. Bruno and Malik and all the people they work with live through a succession of small problems that need to be solved. But nothing goes smoothly. And then there is inspection, if their organization lives up to their rules. Because they don’t have a permit.
There are little moments of happiness, when something goes right for a change or when they realize how impossible it seems what they are doing. This organization really exists and they did have two inspectors over. They aren’t portrayed as villains though, the film is too clever for that. Both leading men are really strong, but Vincent Cassel is the most memorable. It’s one of his best performances.
“Hors Normes” is not a forced feel-good film, but it does make you feel good and it will make you laugh and cry.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Movie Review - Richard Jewell

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde

Description: American security guard Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but is vilified by journalists and the press who falsely reported that he was a terrorist.

Review: During the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 a bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park. Security guard Richard Jewell was the big hero who prevents a blood bath. At least for the first couple of days. On day four, the Atlanta Journal reports that the discoverer of the bomb is most likely to be the bomber.
Jewell went from hero to culprit in just a few days and whole America condemned him. Richard Jewell is a typical hero for a Clint Eastwood film: American, taunted and forgotten. And on the big screen he is both adjustable and distant.
Richard Jewell is an everyday man, chubby, always wants to do the right thing and living with his mother. He likes to talk and please. But above all Jewell wants to be a part of law enforcement. Preferably as a police officer, but campus officer or security guard will do too. As long as he can use his compulsive sense of justice to protect others. Nobody really takes him seriously though. As seen while working as a security guard during the Olympics at Centennial Park. First when he is trying to talk to some teens that are breaking beer bottles. But when he discovers an unmanned backpack, he alarms the cops at the scene. They think it's nothing, but it eventually turns out there is a bomb inside. Because of Jewell acting so quickly, many lives were saved after the bomb goes off.
Jewell is seen as the hero of the day, people already want to write books about him. But on day four his life completely changes, when he is all of a sudden the main suspect in the case.
When we see Jewell at the start, we can see that he is a good person at heart. Making sure his boss gets his supplies and Snickers. But him being a loner and overly-interested in everything that has to do with law enforcement makes him look suspicious.
The movie makes you believe that Richard Jewell is a hero and not the criminal the press and FBI make him out to be. But there is still this feeling of what if he did do it?
It’s first and foremost the cast that makes this film so good, touching and strong. Paul Walter Hauser, a fairly unknown actor to me, takes on the role of the titular character and makes him layered and human. Kathy Bates plays his mother and is solid and convincing as always. Olivia Wilde is also very good in her role as journalist breaking the story. But it’s Sam Rockwell that leaves the biggest impression. He is a sympathetic character, since he is the only one that has ever really listened to Jewell and took him seriously. And he does everything to help Jewell and proof his innocence. Because he simply believes it.
I think the story has been brushed up a bit, for Hollywood’s sake, but overall “Richard Jewell” is an incredibly gripping story and it has some really good performances.

Rating: 4 / 5

10s Movie Review - Disobedience

Director: Sebastián Lelio
Genre: Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola, Anton Lesser, Allan Corduner

Description: Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns to her Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her for her attraction to her female childhood friend Esti (Rachel McAdams). Once back, their passions reignite as they explore the

Review: A forbidden love between two women in an oppressive Orthodox Jewish Community. Based on a book by Naomi Alderman. At the start of “Disobedience” a rabbi explains why people are unique. They are the only beings with a free will, he claims. It means that they are the only ones that choose to be disobedient.
His daughter Ronit made a choice, with consequences. She got away from the Orthodox Jewish community and started a new life in New York, as a photographer. When her father dies and she returns to London for his funeral, she isn’t really welcome. Although no one will tell her that to her face. Ronit is an outcast, someone who has been erased from the community.
Why she chose the path that she did, we see later on in the film. There are uncomfortable meetings, especially with her former best friends Dovid and Esti, who are now married to each other. But when Esti kisses Ronit, we learn that this is story of a forbidden love between two women. The perspective shifts and a complicated love affair starts, where Esti is the one that has to make choices.
Director Sebastián Lelio creates his first English-language film with “Disobedience” and shows how oppressive the community is, with its dark color palette and disapproval at each street corner.
The actors perform solid, but somehow the love between Ronit and Esti doesn’t feel that passionate. Even with that somewhat uncomfortable love-making scene. I think it’s because the character of Ronit is more developed than Esti’s is.
“Disobedience” is an overlooked film, but it’s also pretty mediocre.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Genre: Animation/ Family
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2009
Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, Will Forte, Andy Samberg

Description: Local scientist Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is often regarded ad a failure until he invents a machine that can make food fall from the sky. But little does he know, that things are about to take a turn for the worst.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 16: A MOVIE BASED ON A CHILDREN’S BOOK

Review: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is the debut film of Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Flint Lockwood still lives with his father in a town that is known for sardines. In his room, he works on his inventions and every single one of them has turned into a disaster. Until he creates a machine that turns water into food and it actually works. By accident, the machine gets up in the air and all of a sudden it starts raining food.
The set-up is pretty standard. Flint has a struggling relationship with his father, he meets journalist Sam Sparks that also likes ‘nerdy stuff’ and both relationships and Flint’s journey to success are going to develop towards the end. In between there is enough to enjoy both visually and comedically.
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is definitely a fun animation, with an enjoyable story based on the children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett. A great family film.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

90s Movie Review - The Truman Show

Director: Peter Weir
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Ed Harris, Holland Taylor, Paul Giamatti, Philip Baker Hall

Description: Insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.

Review: Jim Carrey has always been a comedic actor, especially in the early 90s. with movies like “Ave Venture: Pet Detective”, “The Mask” and “Dumb & Dumber” he dominated 90s comedies. Even in “Batman Forever” he was the comedic relief. And then there was “The Truman Show”, a tragicomedy director by Peter Weir, where Carrey wasn’t supposed to be the funny guy. At the time, people were really wondering if he could be comfortable in a role like that. Well he did and it’s one of Carrey’s best performances to date.
In the story, written by Andrew Niccol, there is enough room for humor, but the focus is on Truman’s search for a world outside his hometown Seahaven. But his fear of the open water keeps him on the island all his life, when his biggest dream is to leave it and travel to Fiji.
What Truman doesn’t know is that his life has been followed by cameras since he was born and millions of people around the world watch him every day. The unsuspecting insurance agent is living in a reality TV show created by Christof. He lives on the largest TV set ever created and everyone in the town is an actor. The only thing that is real is Truman.
Jim Carrey plays the role of the ignorant and somewhat melancholic Truman excellently and as a viewer you easily sympathize with him. You just hope he finds out the truth and that he can leave the ‘prison’ he has been living in all his life. His search for a life outside Seahaven and the discovery of him being in a TV show is just as gripping as comedic, while the sneaky Christof does everything to keep his star captured. Ed Harris, who plays Christof, is only seen in a few scenes, but he does a lot in the little screen time he has.
Peter Weir succeeded in creating a film that both grabs you and humors you. It’s a tragic comedy and Jim Carrey fits this genre perfectly. Refreshing to see him do this.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Birds of Prey

Director: Cathy Yan
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong

Description: After splitter with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) joins superheroes Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save a young girl (Ella Jay Basco) from an evil crime lord.

Review: We met crazy anti-hero Harley Quinn in the essemble film “Suicide Squad”. Margot Robbie, as Harley Quinn, was the one that made this film better. And we all looked forward to seeing a movie about Harley. Again, Robbie is what makes “Birds of Prey” worth watching. But this is not a Birds of Prey movie, it’s a Harley Quinn movie.
In an animated intro we see some history on Harley, who was born as Harleen Quinzel. We see how she grew up with nuns and didn’t have a great childhood. Still she manages to go to college and become a pshychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. That’s where she fell in love with the Joker, who dragged her to the dark side.
Back to the here and now. Harley Quinn broke up with her Joker. And there isn’t a lot of time to let that rest. Quinn has made a lot of enemies along the way and police detective Renee Montoya is also breathing down he neck.
“Birds of Prey” is not a standard origin story, of how the group got together. Because as I stated before, this movie is mostly about Harley Quinn. They get together and work together almost at the end of the movie. We are introduced to the other characters, through narration by Quinn and flashbacks. But any other characters beside Quinn don’t get that much attention. Their development is rather seen through lightning-quick flashbacks and don’t get too much depth. For instance, the main villain Black Mask, is an evil man, he is more evil then Quinn and her companions. But there is hardly any backstory.
I like Quinn narrating the story, sometimes even breaking the fourth wall, but it happens very often that Quinn stops in the middle of her story and goes back in time with a flashback. It sometimes takes some time for the film to get back to the original story, which makes the film a bit messy at times.
Despite the profusion of madness and witty dialogues and one-liners, “Birds of Prey” excels with its action and fight scenes. They don’t only pop off the screen visually, but are also very original.
“Birds of Prey” is slightly better than “Suicide Squad”. Its power is in leading lady Margot Robbie and the amazing action sequences. That is enough reason to watch this film. But character-wise and story wise it is lacking substance.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - Lost Girls

Director: Liz Garbus
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Amy Ryan, Gabriel Byrne, Thomasin McKenzie, Oona Laurence

Description: When Mari Gilbert’s (Amy Ryan) daughter disappears, police inaction drives her own investigation into the gated Long Island community where Shannan was last seen. Her search brings attention to over a dozen murdered sex workers.

Review: The case of the Long Island serial killer has occupied the minds for almost a decade. Most of the victims were prostitutes and some of them were dead for years when they were found. The estimated number of murders is between ten and sixteen. Some of the women were hard to identify, since only parts of them were found. But the case of Shannan Gilbert has always been a doubtful one.
Especially the police and FBI have their doubts if the 24-year-old woman was one of the victims of the not yet to be caught murderer. Her mother Mari and experts are sure Shannan’s case is one of them. This Netflix film keeps close to the truth, since it’s based on the book by Robert Kolker. Director Liz Garbus is known for her documentary work, but a drama film is something else. A thing she hasn’t quite mastered yet.
Until the conclusion of the film, you are watching a dragging film that sometimes causes frustration. Not only because of the attitude of the authorities, but also because of Amy Ryan’s character. Of course you can understand the anger, grief and desperation the mother feels, but did they really have to make her a manipulative and black-mailing bitch? There are many moments you just want to push her away, so that the police can do their work, since she is interfering and threatening constantly.
The stronger moments in the film is were you see the ‘mother’ Mari, who works hard to keep the lights on, her moments with her daughters, even though she knows she is not the best mom Mari tries to make it work.
I didn’t like this film, it was a bit boring and the characters frustrated me. Sad that a tragic story like this didn’t get a better film.

Rating: 2 / 5

10s Movie Review - Juliet, Naked

Director: Jesse Peretz
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Dowd

Description: Annie (Rose Byrne) starts a unlikely transatlantic romance with once revered, now faded, singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), who also happens to be the subject of Annie’s boyfriend Duncan’s (Chris O’Dowd) musical obsession.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 15: A MOVIE BASED ON A BOOK

Review: The novels of British author Nick Hornby have been the source of many unconventional romantic comedies for a while. Look at movies like “Fever Pitch”, “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy”. In those stories, the focus was on the man. For “Juliet, Naked” Hornby chose a female lead. Annie is a British museum curator and is seemingly living a good life. But she feels a bit trapped in her relationship with Duncan. It’s not a loveless relationship, but Annie does feel she always comes second. Her boyfriend Duncan is completely obsessed by American musician Tucker Crowe. 25 years ago Tucker release the album “Juliet”, which wasn’t successful and he disappeared as an artist. Duncan started a website dedicated to Tucker Crowe and his obsession grows by the day.
Annie doesn’t mind Tucker’s music, but she is kind of sick of Duncan idolizing the man blindly. When a demo version of Tucker’s only album is send to Duncan, called Juliet, Naked, Annie opens the package and listens to the album. Before Duncan hears it and he is furious about it. Duncan, off course, loves the album and posts it on his website. Annie responds with a more negative opinion. And no other then Tucker Crowe himself sends Annie an e-mail that he agrees. They start to chat online and seem to get along very well.
“Juliet, Naked’ works as a light comedic drama that mainly leans on the performances of the leading actors, the sharp humor and the creative wat that the usual Hornby themes are mixed up. Like Annie finding another type of childish adult in Tucker Crowe. The type that always follows his impulses. In his case, it resulted in five children with four different women and two continents and a music career that never got successful. And sensible Annie having to deal with this is makes for a fun film. And what I also always loved about all of Hornby’s stories: they are never sugar sweet and over-sentimental.
“Juliet, Naked” is another fun adaption from author Nick Hornby, that is definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Hereditary

Director: Ari Aster
Genre: Horror/ Drama
Runtime: 126 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Milly Shapiro, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd

Description: A grieving family is a hunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.

Review: The horror films that get under your skin are the once that provide you with a story where the drama is just as important as the shock effects, scares and gore. Look at “The Exorcist” or more recent “The Conjuring” “Get Out” or “It Follows’. The drama surrounding these stories make the characters more vulnerable and the story eventually more disturbing and scary.
“Hereditary” is the directorial debut by Ari Aster and is carried by the unprecedented Toni Collette. The film has the so-called slow burn, where Aster takes his time to build the story and its characters. And with that you can conclude that the first hour goes by, being gripping and filled with tension, without even one jump scare. Then you’re a great horror director.
You know something is wrong. Aster plays with the empathy and sentiment of the viewer and he also plays with their expectations of the horror genre. A dead grandmother, a big old house, an eccentric child. Lots of clichés, but Aster has other plans with them than you would expect. Mother of the family, Annie, decides to join a support group to deal with her dead mother. Or actually the fact that she feels relieved and she feels guilty about it. Because her mother wasn’t really someone she bonded with. Annie also has a daughter, Charlie, who seems to have autistic tendencies and had a special connection with her grandmother. Charlie starts seeing things after her death.
Aster changes paths when Charlie is taken to a party alongside her older brother Peter. That’s when you realize that every plot element and each character trade has been chosen carefully. Not only visually does Ari Aster proof he is one to watch, but his screenplay is extraordinary. Everything works, everything is right. Annie’s husband Steve is hard to communicate with, so she does it through her self-made miniatures. And this vague relationship Annie has with her husband, makes for her to go deeper into isolation. And her connection with son Peter is also not healthy. However, the most important trump of “Hereditary” is the ominous atmosphere. The film isn’t about effects or jump scares, but nestles in the human mind and gets under your skin.
Toni Collette is extremely good in “Hereditary”. It’s the best performance I have seen in a horror movie for quite some time. Her portrayal of a woman who is going through several stages of grief and eventually becomes entangles in a web of fear, disbelief and misunderstanding. The last twenty minutes of the film might not please everyone, but I think this film is perfect. “Hereditary” does what a good horror movie has to do: it scares, gets under your skin and will haunt you for a while. I think it’s an instant classic.

Rating: 5 / 5

80s Review - Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Director: Richard Marquand
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 1983
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Alec Guinness

Description: After a daring mission to rescue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) from Jaba the Hutt, the Rebels dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. Meanwhile, Luke (Mark Hamill) struggle to help Darth Vader back from the dark side without falling into the Emperor’s trap.

Review: To start off, this is my least favorite of the original three “Star Wars” films, but by no means do I hate this movie. I love anything “Star Wars”.
This was, at the time, the last chapter in the “Star Wars” saga. And it is for most people their least favorite and it’s noticeable not the best in this series. When it comes to the story, the characters and the setting, it’s just as good as the other two. But those Ewoks really bring this film down. And although they look pretty adorable, they are actually a bit creepy and annoying and take all the tempo out of the film.
That final fight between Luke, Darth Vader and the Emperor is really cool and this is what all “Star Wars” fans want. And this fight has many layers, since it’s between a father and son. They are trying to get Luke to join the dark side, but Luke still knows there is something good in his father and he tries to do the opposite. Luke is a Jedi now, he has come a long way since the first film.
“Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” is a great end to a wonderful saga, which we all know eventually continued, but it tied all these storylines together and rounded them off. It’s the least of all three, but still a joy to watch.

Rating: 4/ 5

Best "Seinfeld" Episodes

While the show ran from 1989 to 1998, it’s still one of the best sitcoms (if not THE best) that was ever on television. Our favorite show about nothing introduces us to a group of friends and everyday situations, but then presented the “Seinfeld” way. I created a list of favorite episodes, and since 10 was a bit too hard I made a top 20.

20. The Serenity Now (Season 9, Episode 3)
Most characters on “Seinfeld” could use some good old-fashioned relaxation, and as this season nine episode proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, chanting ‘serenity now’ over and over again is not that therapy. The technique does not work for Lloyd Braun or Frank Costanza, and it certainly doesn’t work for Kramer, who ends up destroying a bunch of computers. Unfortunately those computers belong to George, who was hiding them from his father after claiming he sold them to non-existent customers.

19. The Rye (Season 7, Episode 11)
A recipe for disaster. George’s parents come over for dinner at Susan’s parents’ apartment bringing a loaf of rye bread as a gift. When they realize the bread was not served, the Costanzas take it back, causing George to look bad by association. Eager to make it appear as if the loaf never left the apartment, George and Jerry concoct a scheme involving a fishing rod and Kramer’s horse. What could go wrong?

18. The Parking Garage (Season 3, Episode 6)
No surprise, but the entire episode is set in a parking garage when the gang is looking for the car they came in. While trying to remember where the parked, Jerry gets caught publicly urinating, and Elaine’s goldfish dies. At the end of the episode, they finally find the car only to discover that the engine won’t start.

17. The Pen (Season 3, Episode 3)
Jerry and Elaine visit Jerry’s parents in Florida. His parents’ friends come over for dinner and Jerry compliments Jack Klompus on his pen. Jack gives the pen to Jerry, that can write upside down. He mentions that this is the pen that astronauts use in space. Jerry’s parents are furious that he accepted the pen. Oh, I love Jerry’s parents.

16. The Bizarro Jerry (Season 8, Episode 3)
“Seinfled” was never shy on ‘Superman’ references, but this one took it to another level. After Elaine breaks up with her boyfriend Kevin, they decide to still be friends. Only then does Elaine realize that Kevin and his friends are the Bizarro versions of Jerry, George and Kramer, essentially they’re exact opposites. Jerry dates a woman with ‘man hands’ and Kramer accidentally landing a corporate office gig, only to be fired shortly thereafter despite never having been actually hired.

15. The Abstinence (Season 8, Episode 9)
George realizes that, having no sex, makes him smarter. For Elaine it does the exact opposite. Like another episode that will come up later on the list, this was a pretty ‘out there’ episode for the 90s.

14. The Opposite (Season 5, Episode 21)
“The Opposite” is one of the best George-centric episode in the entire series. After and increasing bout of bad luck, Jerry suggest that whenever George makes a decision he simply do the opposite of what he normally would. This leads to him getting both a girldfriend and a job at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, Elaine’s luck plummets and she realizes she’s become the new George.

13. The Betrayal (Season 9, Episode 8)
The gang travels to India for the wedding of Elaine’s frenemy Sue Ellen Mishky. What’s so special about this episode is that it is played in reverse. If they didn’t do this, it would be a pretty standard episode, but doing it like this makes it unforgettable.

12. The Alternate Side (Season 3, Episode 11)
This episode is most remember for Kramer’s one line in a Woody Allen movie (“These pretzels are making me thirsty!”) and the moment where Jerry is trying to rent a car and has to lecture the cashier about the difference between taking and holding a reservation. And these two alone, make for this episode being as funny as it is.

11. The Chinese Restaurant (Season 2, Episode 11)
“The Chinese Restaurant” episode is the benchmark for ‘the show about nothing’, what the series eventually became known for. The entire episode takes place in the waiting room of a Chinese restaurant as Jerry, George and Elaine become more frustrated by the long wait time.

10. The Limo (Season 3, Episode 19)
Like “The Chinese Restaurant” and “The Parking Garage”, this is also a bottle episode, being only set in one location: a limo. This one sees Jerry and George make an ethically questionable decision and thereafter suffer every imaginable consequence. George lies about his identity at the airport to get a free limo ride to Madison Square Garden, but slowly learns the person George said he was is actually a prominent neo-nazi and the limo is taking them to a protest across the street from the Garden.

9. The Bubble Boy (Season 4, Episode 7)
A trip to a cabin proves disastrous as Elaine makes Jerry visits a fan of his, who lives in a bubble. Along the way, Jerry gets lost and George and Susan end up in a game of Trivial Pursuit with the bubble boy. And we all know that ‘moops’ don’t exist, but that bubble boy was a giant a-hole.

8. The Chicken Roaster (Season 8, Episode 8)
This episode saw Kramer switch apartments with Jerry after a Kenny Roger’s Roasters opens up next door and Kramer can’t sleep due to the massive red neon sign. The switch causes the two men to also switch personalities, with Jerry becoming as wigged out as Kramer ever was.

7. The Voice (Season 9, Episode 2)
Admit it, we’ve all done it after seeing this episode. Jerry makes fun of his girlfriend’s belly button, by saying hello in a funny voice. I know that my brother and I did, for a very long time. Maybe too long… And there is a moment in this episode where Jerry goes to a pier and contemplates whether he wants to stay with his girlfriend or keep talking in the voice that he’s created, while Lionel Richie’s “Hello” is playing. I can’t stop thinking about his scene whenever I hear the song. Surprisingly enough, this episode isn’t on many favorites lists.

6. The Hamptons (Season 5, Episode 20)
Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer go out to The Hamptons to see a friend’s new baby and enjoy a weekend at the beach. The baby turns out to be ugly and Kramer is the only one to actually say it out loud. And off course there is the ‘shrinkage’.

5. The Marine Biologist (Season 5, Episode 14)
George has told a lot of lies, a lot! Hut him pretending to be a marine biologist to impress a former classmate slash love interest is one of the greatest. And yet, he almost pulls it off.

4. The Boyfriend (Season 3, Episode 15 + 16)
Jerry befriends his idol Keith Hernandez and becomes jealous when he starts dating Elaine. Newman and Kramer state how much they hate Keith Hernandez and Jerry disproves their theory of why, in a JFK documentary style manner. And then there is George’s lie to the unemployment agency about his job at Vandalay’s Industries. That is my favorite scene ever!

3. The Puffy Shirt (Season 5, Episode 2)
This episode is one of creator Larry David’s personal favorites. The episode is centered around a ‘low talker’ who accidentally convinces Jerry to model the titular shirt on the ‘Today Show’. And the phrase “but I don’t want to be a pirate” can never be forgotten because of this.

2. The Soup Nazi (Season 7, Episode 6)
Plenty of “Seinfeld” side characters broke out over the years, but perhaps none is more memorable than the Soup Nazi, the owner of a very popular soup stand. His soup proves so good that Jerry is willing to end a relationship over it. George finds himself banned from the stand for having the audacity to ask for bread with his soup.

1. The Contest (Season 4, Episode 11)
“The Contest’ remains the pinnacle of “Seinfeld” episodes. The group sets a wager among themselves to see who can go the longest without pleasuring themselves. The four begin to unravel as time goes on. Especially when Elaine keeps running into John F. Kennedy Jr. and a woman in the apartment across from Jerry’s insists on walking around nude. Not only is this episode plain funny, but a TV episode dedicated entirely to masturbation was almost unheard of in the early 90s.