Netflix Friday - Volume 102

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

Action: Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
 

Drama: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a hot.
 

Comedy: Julie & Julia (2009)
Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) 2022 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book.
 

Animation: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
 

Romance: The In Between (2022)
After surviving a car accident that took the life of her boyfriend (Kyle Allen), a teenage girl Joey King) believes he’s attempting to reconnect with her from the after world.
 

Horror: Choose or Die (2022)
After firing up a lost 80s survival horror game, a young decoder unleashes a hidden curse that tears reality apart, forcing her to make terrifying decisions and face deadly consequences.
 

Science Fiction: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
A soldier (Tom Cruise) fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.
 

Crime: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.
 

Thriller: Forgotten (2017)
When his abducted brother returns seemingly a different man with no memory of the past 19 days, Jin-seok chases after the truth behind the kidnapping.
 

Documentary: Our Great National Parks (2022)
A five-part documentary series about the world’s most breathtaking national parks and the wildlife that live there.
 

Family: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer (James Marsden) must help him defeat an evil genius (Jim Carrey) who want to do experiments on him.

Netflix Friday - Volume 52

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

Action: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
In 1938, after his father Professor Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Professor Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr. (Harrison Ford) finds himself up against Adolf Hitler’s Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
 

Drama: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
 

Comedy: Just Go with It (2011)
On a weekend trip to Hawaii, a plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) convinces his loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his much-younger girlfriend (Brooklyn Decker).
 

Animation: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
When Hiccup (Jay Baruchel_ and his dragon Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
 

Romance: Blinded by the Light (2019)
In England in 1987, a teenager (Viveik Kalra) from an Asian family learns to live his life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of American rock star Bruce Springsteen.
 

Horror: The Witch (2015)
A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic, and possession.
 

Science Fiction: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
 

Crime: American History X (1998)
A former neo-nazi skinhead (Edward Norton) tries to prevent his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from going down the same wrong path that he did.
 

Thriller: Hush (2016)
A deaf and mute writer (Kate Siegel) who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.
 

Documentary: The Sons of Sam (2021)
The Son of Sam case grew into a lifelong obsession for journalist Maura Terry, who became convinced that the murders were linked to a satanic cult.
 

Family: Love and Monsters (2020)
Seven years after he survived the monster apocalypse, lovably hapless Joel (Dylan O’Brien) leaves his cozy underground bunker behind on a quest to reunite with his ex.

10s Movie Review - Hacksaw Ridge

Director: Mel Gibson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington, Rachel Griffiths, Luke Bracey

Description: World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Review: Mel Gibson didn’t really grew in popularity, due to his anti-Semitic outbursts and alcoholism. Ten years after his directorial debut, Gibson sits in the director’s chair again for this war film about a true American hero. His impressive comeback “Hacksaw Ridge” tells the story of Desmond Doss, who managed to save 75 fellow soldiers during the battle of Okinawa, by dragging them away from the fire line.
Desmond Doss didn’t want to carry a gun, due to his religion, let alone fire one. So at all times, he was unarmed. At first, the other soldiers and his superiors think he is crazy and want him gone. Because he will not protect his fellow soldiers. And Doss becomes the mark of jokes and they try to get him to leave. But Doss stays and eventually gets permission to join without a gun and become a medic.
Whenever the soldiers step foot on Hacksaw Ridge, the film becomes more brutal and unnuanced. But the images are filmed so well and it looks very realistic, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
Even though there is a lot of war violence going on, Gibson never forgets to focus on his main character. And that’s all because of Andrew Garfield, whose performance is so strong and believable. Vince Vaughn can easily make you forget about his silly comedies and is also very solid in his performance. But the best supporting role is for Hugo Weaving, who plays Desmond’s father.
The film does follow some standards, as we know them from other war movies. It has clichés and it knows when to make certain decisions at the right moment in the film. And sometimes it gets a little too sentimental.
A great comeback by director Mel Gibson and a fantastic performance by Andrew Garfield.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (249)

Here are this week's trailers.

Blair Witch
Director: Adam Wingard
Description: After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his sister's experiences in the demonic woods of the Blair Witch, Blane and a group of friends head to the forest in search of his lost sibling.
Starring: Corbin Reid, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry
Trailer: Trailer "Blair Witch"
Comment: Really....

Office Christmas Party
Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Description: When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand...
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Rob Corddry, Courtney B. Vance, Vanessa Bayer
Trailer: Trailer "Office Christmas Party"
Comment: A little too soon for an office Christmas party.

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

The Great Wall
Director: Yimou Zhang
Description: A mystery centered around the construction of the Great Wall of China.
Starring: Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal
Trailer: Trailer "The Great Wall"
Comment: I love Matt Damon in action movies!

Hacksaw Ridge
Director: Mel Gibson
Description: WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh
Trailer: Trailer "Hacksaw Ridge"
Comment: An uber patriotic story.