Netflix Friday - Volume 95

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Against the Ice (2022)
In 1909, two explorers (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole) fight to survive after they’re left behind while on a Denmark expedition in ice-covered Greenland.
 

Drama: Hors Normes (2019)
The story of two men (Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb), educators of children and adolescents with autism.
 

Comedy: Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Carter (Chris Tucker) and Lee (Jackie Chan) head to Hong Kong for a vacation, but become embroiled in a counterfeit money scam.
 

Animation: From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
 

Romance: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
 

Horror: Van Helsing (2004)
The famer monster hunter (Hugh Jackman) is sent to Transylvania) to stop Count Dracula ( Richard Roxburgh), who is using Dr. Frankenstein’s research and a werewolf for nefarious purpose.
 

Science Fiction: Warcraft (2016)
As an Orc horde invades the planet Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war.
 

Crime: Journal 64 (2018)
A series of mysterious disappearances in 2006 are eerily connected to the same institution.
 

Thriller: The Coldest Game (2019)
During 1962’s Cuban missile Crisis, a troubled math genius (Bill Pullman) finds himself drafted to play in a U.S.-Soviet chess match – a deadly game of espionage.
 

Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children’s television host Fred Rogers.
 

Family: Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
Thomas (Domhanall Gleeson) and Bea (Rose Byrne) are now married and living with Peter (James Corden) and his rabbit family. Bored of life in the garden, Peter goes to the big city where he meets shady characters and ends up creating chaos for the whole family.
 

Netflix Friday - Volume 48

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.

Action: Shooter (2007)
A marksman (Mark Wahlberg) living in exile is coaxed bac into action after learning of a plot to kill the President. After being double crossed for the attempt and on the run, he sets out for the real killer and the truth.
 

Drama: Unbroken (2014)
After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he’s caught by the Japanese navy and set to a prisoner-of-war camp.
 

Comedy: This is 40 (2012)
Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are both to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their business are failing, they’re on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
 

Animation: From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)
A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
 

Romance: The Hero (2017)
An ailing movie star (Sam Elliott) comes to terms with his past and mortality.
 

Horror: Ouija (2014)
A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
 

Science Fiction: Aquaman (2018)
Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land.
 

Crime: The Town (2010)
A longtime thief (Ben Affleck), planning his next job, tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) connected to an earlier heist, and a hell-bent F.B.I. Agent (Jon Hamm) looking to bring him and his crew down.
 

Thriller: Secret Window (2004)
A successful writer (Johnny Depp) in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe (John Turturro) who accuses him of plagiarism.
 

Documentary: Seaspiracy (2021)
Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species, and uncovers alarming global corruption.

Family: Instant Family (2018)
A couple (Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne) find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children.

Netflix Friday - Volume 33

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Hanna (2011)
A sixteen-year-old girl (Saoirse Ronan) who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.
 

Drama: My Sister’s Keeper (2009)
Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) remain alive.
 

Comedy: The Other Guys (2010)
Two mismatched New York City detectives (Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg) seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops, whom they idolize, only things don’t quite go as planned.
 

Animation: From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)
A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
 

Romance: Four Christmases (2008)
A couple (Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon) struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas.
 

Horror: Hostel (2005)
Three backpackers head to a Slovak city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them.
 

Science Fiction: Total Recall (1990)
When a man (Arnold Schwarzenegger) goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real – or is he?
 

Crime: The Infiltrator (2018)
A U.S. Customs official (Bryan Cranston) uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
 

Thriller: Gerald’s Game (2017)
A couple (Carla Cugino, Bruce Greenwood) tries to spice up their marriage in a remote lake house. After the husband dies unexpectedly, the wife is left handcuffed to their bed frame and must fight to survive and break free.
 

Documentary: Strong Island (2017)
When filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young black man, it becomes an achingly personal journey since the victim, 24-year-old William Ford Jr., was the filmmakers brother.
 

Family: Hugo (2011)
In 1931 Paris, an orphan (Asa Butterfield) living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

10s Movie Review - From Up On Poppy Hill

Director: Gorô Miyazaki
Genre: Animation/ Drama/ Family
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Gillian Anderson, Chris Noth,
Alex Wolff, Beau Bridges, Bruce Dern, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Aubrey Plaza

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 49: AN ANIME

Description: A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school’s clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
 
Review: “From Up On Poppy Hill” is yet another great animated film by Studio Ghibli. This time not by Hayao Miyazaki, but by his son Gorô Miyazaki.
This animated film is striking because it doesn’t contain any magical or fantasy elements like we are used from the Studio Ghibli movies. So it is a more realistic animation, similar to “Whisper of the Heart”. 

The story takes place in the harbor of Yokohama in the year 1964. 16-year-old Umi lives and works in her grandmother’s boarding house, together with her younger sister and brother. Her mother is a doctor and studies in America and het father died as a sailor during the Korean War. 
Every day Umi still raises a flag for her father, the guesthouse is located on the highest point of the harbor town. 
During a school day Umi is confronted with the boy Shun who, together with his clubmates, take action against demolition of the old and dilapidated school clubhouse. The two bond and start working together. However, pas events put their friendship to the test. 
As usual, this Studio Ghibli film contains beautiful animations and landscapes. Visually there is nothing wrong with this film. And I loved the soundtrack, which is similar to that of “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. The characters are captivating and the story is beautiful. 
“From Up On Poppy Hill” is probably one of the most overlooked films by Studio Ghibli, because it’s so simple in its premise, but it will certainly not disappoint. I even think this is one of my favorites. I loved the images, characters and the story. 

Rating: 4,5/ 5