Netflix Friday - Volume 74

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

Action: 1917 (2019)
April 6^th, 2917. As a regiment assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, tow soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.
 

Drama: Darkest Hour (2017)
In May 1040, the fate of  World War II hangs on Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman), who must decided whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.
 

Comedy: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) is an advertising executive and ladies’ man who, to win a big campaign, bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. That woman, Andie (Kate Hudson) is about to write a story on how to lose a guy in 10 days.  
 

Animation: Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas (2015)
Shaun the sheep gets the Farmer to bring home three llamas from the County Fair.
 

Romance: The Girl Next Door (2004)
A teenager’s (Emile Hirsch) dreams come true when a former porn star (Elisha Cuthbert) moves in next door and they fall in love.
 

Horror: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
On Halloween 1968, Stella and her two friends meet a mysterious drifter, Ramón, and uncover a sinister notebook of stories.
 

Science Fiction: Men in Black (1997)
A police officer (Will Smith) joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.
 

Crime: Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009)
A team of investigators attempt to stop a serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper from claiming his next victim, but uncover something far more terrifying.
 

Thriller: Endless Night (1975)
A working-class Englishman marries an affable American heiress, but their marital bliss is soon interrupted when they begin constructing a home on a land alleged to be cursed.
 
Documentary: Western Stars (2019)
Love concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from his album “Western Stars”.
 
Family: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
When a massive fire kills their parents, three children are delivered to the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who is secretly plotting to steal their parent’s vast fortune.

10s Movie Review - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Director: André Øvredal
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Lorraine Toussaint, Kathleen Pollard, Deborah Pollitt, Victoria Fodor, Marie Ward, Mark Steger, Javier Botet, Troy James, Kyle Labine, David Tompa, Karen Glave, Stephanie Belding

Description: On Halloween 1968, reclusive Stella and het two friends meet a mysterious drifter, Ramón, and uncover a sinister notebook of stories.

Review: Some names in Hollywood create high expectations. Like Guillermo del Toro for instance. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” has a screenplay written by Del Toro, who also produced the film. His name is on the poster. The film is loosely based on the short stories by Alvin Schwartz and directed by the Norwegian André Øvredal. But the film is a bit disappointing.
It's not a direct adaptation of Schwartz’ stories. Instead, some of his stories were bundled into a somewhat coherent narrative about the fears of the teenagers who play the main roles. It’s 1968, in a sleepy American town, where Both Halloween and the Vietnam war are awaiting. Teenager and aspiring writer Stella, her friends Auggie and Chuck and newcomer Ramón are running from a group of bullies and end up in a mysterious, abandoned house.
One day, a girl lived her and she wrote ghost stories in an old book. When Stella finds this book and takes it home, she finds out it is a very special book. There is some sort of a curse on it and the book starts to write stories about Stella and her friends. And whenever they appear in a story, their life isn’t safe.
Many of the almost isolated horror moments are confrontations between the teenager in question and a monster. People are chased, there is some growling and flickering lights, but the variation is hard to find. The only exception is a somewhat older teenager who is confronted with a huge pimple on her cheek before a school performance.
The film had such a promising starting point, but is overall not that special. The film does have some really creepy monsters, but overall it’s a film with a few cheap jump scares. But even for a scaredy-cat like me, this wasn’t the ‘scary story’ that the title promised me. It could have been so much more.

Rating: 2,5 / 5

Movies to Look Forward to - August 2019

Summertime is definitely here and going to the movies is for me the perfect way to cool down. Here are some of the movies in August to look forward to.

August 1st – Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Director: David Leitch
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Helen Mirren, Eddie Marsan, Cliff Curtis
Description: Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

August 8th – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Director: André Øvredal
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rish, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Larraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard
Description: A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives.

August 15th – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tmothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Kurt Russel, Emile Hirsch
Description: A faded television actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

August 22nd – Blinded by the Light
Director: Gurinda Chadha
Starring: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Chir, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikita Mehta, Nell Williams, Tara Divina, Rob Brydon, Hayley Atwell, Frankie Fox, Sally Phillips
Description: In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and finds his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

August 22nd – Good Boys
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, Retta, Will Forte, Midori Francis, Lil Rel Howry, Millie Davis, Vanessa Przada, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams, Enid-Raye Adams, Josh Caras, Chance Hurstfield, Lina Renna, Benita ha
Description: Three sixth grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.