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 79

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

Action: Gladiator (2000)
A former Roman General (Russel Crowe) sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
 

Drama: Phantom Thread (2017)
Set in 1950s London, Reynolds Woodcocks (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who becomes his muse and lover.
 

Comedy: Yes Man (2008)
A man (Jim Carrey) challenges himself to say “yes” to everything.
 

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

Romance: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
A middle-aged husband’s (Steve Carell) life dramatically changes when his wife (Julianne Moore) asks him for a divorce. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend Jacob (Ryan Gosling), learning to pick up girls at bars.
 

Horror: The Prodigy (2019)
A mother (Taylor Schilling) concerned about her young son’s disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.
 

Science Fiction: Ghostbusters (2016)
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
 

Crime: The Accountant (2016)
As a math savant (Ben Affleck) uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.
 

Thriller: The Departed (2006)
An undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a mole (Matt Damon) in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating and Irish gang in South Boston.
 

Documentary: My Octopus Teacher (2020)
A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.
 

Family: Beethoven (1992)
A slobbering St. Bernard becomes the center of attention for a loving family, but must contend with a dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen.

What's in a Movie Year - 1988

Taking a look at the year 1988, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.

My Neighbor Totoro
The now classic animation was the international break for director Hayao Miyazaki, who is probably the best and most well-known Japanese anime director. Unlike modern day anime, “My Neighbor Totoro” was drawn by hand, frame by frame, mostly by Miyazaki himself. It’s about two young girls who move to the countryside to be closer to their hospitalized mother. There they come in contact with spirits, called Totoros. Fun fact: there is no villain in this film.

Die Hard
New York cop John McClane travels to Los Angeles on Christmas, to visit his wife at work. A group of terrorists have taken all the employees hostage and McClane take matters in his own hands to deal with the gang. Bruce Willis, in his most memorable action role, is at his best as the cynical and lonely anti-hero. The start of many sequels.

Rain Man
After the death of his father, yuppie Charlie ‘kidnaps’ his older brother, the autistic Raymond. First he wants to get his part of the inheritance from Raymond, but during a cross-country trip with him Charlie realizes that money might not be as important as family. Dustin Hoffman plays one of his best roles in “Rain Man”, with great support from Tom Cruise. Hoffman portrays Raymond as a seemingly helpless man who also has the amazing ability to store loads of knowledge.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Animation meets live-action. “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is a highlight in animation and film. Bob Hoskins plays private detective Eddie Valiant, who has to investigate a murder and happens to meet innocent cartoon character Roger Rabbit. A film I’ve seen so many times as a kid and an adult. Ah, the wonderful world of film.

Beetlejuice
After Adam and Barbara die, they become ghosts. They still live in their old house, but it’s being sold to the Deetzes who happen to be the new unpleasant inhabitants. Adam and Barb are trying to scare them away, but they are simply to kind. So they call the help of Beetlejuice. It’s one of Tim Burton’s earlier films and has that great gothic style he is known for. Michael Keaton plays the titular character, but isn’t in it as much as you might think. His performance is great.

Big
Tom Hanks is on a roll here as Josh, a twelve-year-old boy who wishes he was big and later wakes up as a thirty-something man. He only looks like an adult, because emotionally he is still twelve. The film is great because of Tom Hanks, who shines. And it’s one of his most memorable performance to date.

Gorillas in the Mist
An adaptation of the life of controversial gorilla-expert Dian Fossey, who establishes some sort of communication between her and the gorillas in Rwanda. It’s an inspirational film, a well-told story and a beautiful subdued performance by Sigourney Weaver.

Mississippi Burning
In the summer of 1964, three members of the civil rights movement were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, who were helped by local police officers. This notorious case is the inspiration for “Mississippi Burning”. Two FBI-agents investigate the case, with obstruction from the locals. It’s an engaging and gripping thriller, with excellent performances by Gene Hackman, Frances McDormand and Willem Dafoe.

Dangerous Liaisons
France, right before the revolution. To take revenge on an old flame, Marquise the Merteuil asks Vicomte de Valmont to seduce her ex-lover’s new innocent fiancée. When he gets proof of the seduction, he will be rewarded. Valmont agrees, but is more interested in Madame de Tourvel. It’s a very well-adapted film of the 1782 novel. It has a good script, beautiful set pieces and costumes and intriguing performances by John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Spoorloos (The Vanishing)
A classic from my country The Netherlands, based on novel by Tim Krabbé. A young couple travels to France, when they get car trouble. At the gas station the wife disappears. Five years later director George Sluizer remade his own movie with American actors, but this is the one that you will remember. One of the finest pieces in Dutch cinema.

Netflix Friday - Volume 1

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

Action: Extraction (2020)
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

Drama: Der Untergang (2004)
Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator’s final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.

Comedy: 50/ 50 (2011)
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centerd on the 27-year-old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who learns of his cancer diagnoses and his subsequent struggle to beat his disease.

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

Romance: Sixteen Candles (1984)
Samantha’s (Molly Ringwald) sweet sixteenth birthday becomes anything but special, as she suffers from every embarrassment possible.

Horror: Hereditary (2018)
A grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.

Science Fiction: The Road (2009)
In a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father (Viggo Mortensen) defends his son (Kodi Smith-McPhee) as they slowly travel to the sea.

Crime: Training Day (2001)
Rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with rogue detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) wo isn’t what he appears to be.

Thriller: Texas Killing Fields (2011)
In the Texas bayous, local homicide detectives Mike Souder (Sam Worthington) and Brian Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) team up with New York City cop Pam Stall (Jessica Chastain) to investigate a series of unsolved murders.

Documentary: Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
After losing his memory in an accident, Alex Lewis trusts his twin brother Marcus to tell him about his past only to discover that he’s hiding a dark secret about their childhood.

Family: The Little Prince (2015)
A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator (Jeff Bridges), introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible: the world of the Little Prince.

Top 10: Best Movies I Watched for My 2015 Challenge

I had a lot of fun with my movie challenge this year and I’m definitely going to start one in 2016. But first I’m going to share my ten favorite movies that I watched for my challenge. Please note them, because if you haven’t seen them yet, you must. Also check my honorable mentions, the movies that almost made my top 10 list.

10. Sicario

After “Enemy” and “Prisoners” I had high expectations for “Sicario”. And director Denis Villeneuve did it! “Sicario” is a terrific thriller, with Emily Blunt as the big star. She is amazing in this film.

 

9. My Neighbor Totoro

I love the movies by Hayao Miyazak. “Spirited Away” was already amazing, but “My Neighbor Totoro” I liked even more. Such a great animation, especially if you look at it with a creative and artistic perspective like me.

 

 

8. 12 Angry Men

A movie set in only one location and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire runtime. This a movie like no other, the don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

 

 

7. Short Term 12

A movie that felt so realistic and honest. I could feel it through my entire body. It’s not a movie for the people who want spectacle, but a small Indie film that touches you and makes you feel.

 

 

6. The Guard

“Hot Fuzz” meets “In Bruges”, what a great crime comedy “The Guard” is. And I loved Brendan Gleeson in this film. He could finally show what he’s made off. His unconventional character, who you should actually dislike, is really hard to hate.

 

 

5. Birdman

Unfolding across two hours of backstage theater drama that play as a single take, it’s an almost impossibly complex technical achievement. And then Michael Keaton’s big comeback as actor Riggan, who once played a superhero and is now aiming for something higher. A cinematographic masterpiece.

 

 

4. Enemy

“Enemy” was a complete mind fuck. What sounded like a standard thriller, is anything but that. The movies leaves you with a lot of questions and chills all over your body. And that final scene scared the bejesus out of me.

 

 

3. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

This movie was great for us movie lovers, because of all the pop culture references. But this is also a movie that comes straight from the heart and ends up in our hearts as well. Such an honest, real film that grabbed me and touched me.

 

 

2. Psycho

An instant classic that I was pretty ashamed of never seeing before 2015. And I can now understand why it’s such an amazing film. What a great horror film by mastermind Alfred Hitchcock. Movies like this are underappreciated nowadays. Not by movie nerds like me by the way.

 

 

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

When I saw “Mad Max: Fury Road” in theaters it totally took my breath away. More than 30 years after leaving Max in the wasteland, George Miller returns to his signature series. I didn’t expect much at first and I left the theater overwhelmed. “Mad Max: Fury Road” is an incredible cinematic experience. A ride everyone has to take at least once in their life.

 

 

Honorable Mentions: Frozen, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Big Hero 6, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Take Shelter, St. Vincent, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Deux Jours, Une Nuit, Mud, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Gosford Park, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Funny Games, The Drop, The Conjuring, The Evil Dead, The Martian, Moon, The Lobster, Ex Machina