Netflix Friday - Volume 77

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

Action: Baby Driver (2017)
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
 

Drama: Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Barely 21 yet, Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl (Tom Hanks) becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
 

Comedy: Scary Movie (2000)
A year after disposing of the body of a man they accidentally killed, a group of dumb teenagers are stalked by a bumbling serial killer.
 

Animation: The Road to El Dorado (2000)
Two swindlers get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado.
 

Romance: Legally Blonde (2001)
Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), a fashionable sorority queen, is dumped by her boyfriend. She decides to follow him to law school. While she is there, she figures out that there is more to her than just looks.
 

Horror: Christine (1983)
A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.
 

Science Fiction: Deep Impact (1998)
A comet is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. As doomsday is near, the human race prepares for the worse.
 

Crime: Heat (1995)
A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a clue at their latest heist.
 

Thriller: Disturbia (2007)
Kale (Shia LaBeouf), a teen living under house arrest becomes convinced his neighbor (David Morse) is a serial killer.
 

Documentary: John Lennon: Love is All You Need (2021)
This incredible documentary features in-depth contributions from wives Yoko Ono and Cynthia Lennon, son Julian Lennon and many previously unseen interviews with John himself. Through rare footage, we learn of his rise to fame with The Beatles, his divorce from Cynthia, his first meeting with Yoko, split-up of the band, and his decision to become a solo artist and advocate for world peace. Lennon: Love is All You Need captures one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century with some truly unique interviews and unseen footage from those closest to him.
 

Family: Nanny PcPhee (2005)
A governess (Emma Thompson) ises magic to rein in the behavior of seven ne’er-do-well children in her charge.

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 6

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

16/ 100: Heat (1995)
Policeman Vincent Hanna hunts down bank robber Neil McCauley. Two professionals, with sad private lives. Extremely stylish portrayed crime drama, tightly edited and very well directed. Yet this is primarily the film of two acting masters: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. An absolute highlight of the genre. You can read my full review HERE.
 

17/ 100: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Rookie FBI-agent Clarice Starling is tasked with unblocking a stalled investigation into a serial killer. To do so, she must interrogate another brilliant serial killer in prison, Hannibal “the cannibal” Lecter. That character promptly became an iconic villain, in part because of Anthony Hopkins’ inspired (and Oscar-winning) performance). Jodie Foster is also really strong. Several sequels and prequels followed, but not one of them reached the level of this classic. Read my full review HERE. 
 

18/ 100: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
A movie I loved as a child and still love today. “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial” is a fairy tale as comical as it is compelling. A young boy takes in a lost alien, but must hide it from uncomprehending adults. Spielberg’s ode to childlike innocence and thirst for adventure puts a smile on everyone’s face and a made us all tear up as well. You can read my full review HERE. 
 

19/ 100: Monsters Inc. (2001)
The monster employees of Monsters Inc. emerge from closet doors at night to collect the screams of scared children, for the purpose of powering Monstropolis. At the top are Sully and his partner Mike. They accidentally bring in a human girl, Boo, who in Monstropolis is believed to be toxic and dangerous. Still my favorite Pixar movie. The sequel, or prequel actually, was also very funny and entertaining, but never lives up to the original. Read my full review HERE. 
 

20/ 100: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This macabre stop-motion animated film follows the adventures of Pumpin King Jack Skellington, who has had enough of his dark Halloweentown and its monstrous inhabitants. By chance, he discovers blissful Christmastown, and he and his creepy friends decide to kidnap Santa. Nearly three years of fiddling with the characters resulted in a fairy-tale like viewing film that is still a worthy alternative to “The Grinch”. HERE you can read my full review. 
 
Still to watch: 80

90s Movie Review - Heat

Director: Michael Mann
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 171 minutes
Year: 1995
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman

Description: A group of professional bank robbers start to feel the heat from police when they unknowingly leave a clue at their latest heist.

Review: “Heat” is directed by Michael Mann and stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The film has a good mix of action, crime, tension, romance and drama.
The title “Heat” refers to the heat you feel when the cops are just around the corner. Neil McCauley’s (Robert De Niro) life motto is that you should live a life that you can leave behind in 30 seconds. The heat comes from Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a detective who spends his days tracking down thugs.
When you see a professional at work in a movie, you easily sympathize that character. Even if it’s an unscrupulous serial killer, if he’s good at what he does and you see it through his eyes. In “Heat” they use this. McCauley and his gang and Hanna are all very good at what they do. Add the natural charisma both actors have and it’s really hard to pick a side in this cat and mouse game.
Besides the well-known elements in a gangster movie, director Mann shows us a different side of the leading characters. Workaholic Vincent Hanna is in a relationship that won’t work, because he’s never home and he has a stepdaughter with psychological problems. Neil McCauley falls in love with a woman, but can’t tell her the truth about how he makes a living. Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer)  is a gambling addict and the woman he loves (Ashley Judd) is cheating on him.  
The original story and the fabulous performances make “Heat” a breathtaking action thriller, one of the best in the genre.

Rating: 5/ 5