Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (November 2015)

I saw a lot of 2015 movies, some really good ones. Here is my list of movies I watched for my challenge in November.

5. Spectre

I was so excited about the movie, but I heard so many bad things about it I went in with hardly any expectations. I don’t understand why some people didn’t like it, because I really did! It’s a great Bond film, especially that opening scene!

4. Straight Outta Comptonv

What a fantastic film. Based on a true story. And even with so many unknown actors, it was great. I think nobody saw this coming.

 

 

3. The Martian

Matt Damon rocks! A very good film, with some unexpected humor in it as well. Well done Ridley Scott.

 

 

2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

The one I was looking forward to this month. The last film in the series, the final chapter. It was amazing! I think this might be my second favorite of the franchise.

 

1. Short Term 12

Such an honest and real story, this movie really grabbed me. A perfect film. I could really relate to the story and the characters, a definite must see!

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Three Days of the Condor, Junebug

Monthly 4: November 2015

November was the Bond month, the month in preperation for Christmas and also a very windy and stormy month here in the Netherlands. Here are my favorite moments of November 2015.

 

 

1. I had to start with my Christmas cards this month. Probably a little late, but now I have the supplies I want to make the cards I want.

2. Me and my friend Matty and Inge went to Valkenburg this month, where we participated in a detective game. We had to solve a ‘murder’. It was fun. So much fun, that we continued our detective mood at home playing Clue.

3. My mom is very good at crocheting. She made me this Rudolph for Christmas!

4. It was a month full of Bond movies. I rewatched almost every movie in the franchise (some I had already rewatched in October). But what I was really waiting for was “Spectre”. It got mixed reviews, but I really liked it!

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 152: Spectre

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Thriller

Runtime: 148 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott

Description: A cryptic message from Bond's (Daniel Craig) past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M (Ralph Fiennes) battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Review: James Bond goes on a mission to Mexico, without the permission of the MI6, to end the mysterious Sciarra. There he learns about a secret organization SPECTRE, who wants to rule the world. Together with the beautiful Madeline Swann he tries to stop SPECTRE. The many obstacles lead him to the sinister leader of SPECTRE who is somehow connected to Bond’s past.

The previous Bond film, “Skyfall”, broke records worldwide. There was never a Bond movie that brought in so much money and even got two Academy Awards. The expectations for “Spectre”, which is directed by the same guy Sam Mendes, were immense high. That’s why I think this movie got so many mixed reviews. Please, never go in with such high expectations. I didn’t and I really liked “Spectre”.

“Spectre” starts with an amazing opening scene in Mexico, on the national day of the dead. Many typical Bond elements are in this first scene: an exotic location, a beautiful woman and a very confident James Bond in his slick suit. After his mission, Bond is suspended by M. But James Bond wouldn’t be James Bond if he didn’t start his own mission. With the help of Q and Moneypenny he starts his search for SPECTRE. We get spectacular action scenes, funny one liners, car chases, great camera work. “Spectre” is fairly long, but I never felt that. That’s always a good sign

Daniel Craig has always been a good Bond and he doesn’t disappoint in “Spectre”. He is so darn charming! And even physically he manages to be convincing as an action hero. But he isn’t as rough as he was in “Casino Royale”.

There was a lot of controversy about Bond girl Monica Belluci, who is with her 50 years the oldest Bond girl ever. Who cares, there is a lot of chemistry between her and Craig and she is still sexy enough to pull it off. But main Bond girl is Léa Seydoux as the smart Madeline Swann. Seydoux is good in her role and also has chemistry with Craig, but she is more the ‘damsel in distress’. Madeline could have been more than that.

Christoph Waltz plays the villain, something everyone was excited for. Waltz does more of the same, but not as intense and more timid. The big twist that his character got, wasn’t that surprising for me. This thanks to all the speculation and rumors, which can obviously ruin a movie experience.

“Spectre” is a good Bond movie. Daniel Craig in, wat probably is, his last Bond film. His series of Bond movies is very successful and I really enjoyed “Spectre”. I really don’t see the problem a lot of people had with it.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (199)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Digging for Fire

Description: The discovery of a bone and a gun send a husband and wife (Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt) on separate adventures over the course of a weekend.

Director: Joe Swanberg

Starring: Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sam Rockwell, Orlando Bloom, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Ron Livingston, Melanie Lynskey, Sam Elliott

Trailer: Trailer "Digging for Fire"

Comment: Great cast, I love Sam Rockwell. And Jake Johnson is one of my new favorite people!

The Good Dinosaur

Description: An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

Director: Peter Sohn

Starring: Raymon Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, A.J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott, Frances McDormand,

Trailer: Trailer "The Good Dinosaur"

Comment: A new Disney-Pixar movie always makes me happy!!!!

Spectre

Description: A cryptic message from Bond's (Daniel Craig) past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Ben Wishaw

Trailer: Trailer "Spectre"

Comment: "Make me disappear...." I think Christoph Waltz is a great villain.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Description: After being symbolized as the "Mockingjay", Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and District 13 engage in an all-out revolution against the autocratic Capitol.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin, Natalie Dormer, Donald Sutherland, Stanely Tucci, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Robert Knepper, Toby Jones, Jeffrey Wright

Trailer: Trailer "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2"

Comment: "The game is coming to its end". Epic full trailer, can't wait!!!

Freeheld

Description: New Jersey police lieutenant, Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), and her registered domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page), both battle to secure Hester's pension benefits when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Director: Peter Sollett

Starring: Ellen Page, Julianne Moore, Michael Shannon, Steve Carell

Trailer: Trailer "Freeheld"

Comment: This looks beautiful.

Movie Trailer Sunday (183)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Spectre

Description: A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, Stephanie Sigman

Trailer: Trailer "Spectre"

Comment: Not a Bond fan, but I did like "Skyfall".

Southpaw

Description: Boxer Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) fights his way to the top, only to find his life falling apart around him.

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Naomie Harris, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Rita Ora, Victor Ortiz

Trailer: Trailer "Southpaw"

Comment: This looks amazing, Jake Gyllenhaal is on a role lately, so this will be a good movie too. I can tell!

Maggie

Description: Teenage girl Maggie (Abigail Breslin) in the Midwest becomes infected by an outbreak of a disease that slowly turns the infected into cannibalistic zombies. During her transformation, her loving father Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger) stays by her side.

Director: Henry Hobson

Starring: Abigail Breslin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joely Richardson

Trailer: Trailer "Maggie"

Comment: This Arnie reminds me of the "End of Days" Arnie. I really want to see this movie.

Slow West

Description: A 16-year-old boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is on a journey across 19th Century frontier America in search of the woman he loves, while accompanied by mysterious traveler Silas (Michael Fassbender).

Director: John Maclean

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Mendelsohn

Trailer: Trailer "Slow West"

Comment: I love me some Fassbender....

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Description: Ethan (Tom Cruise) and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon McBurney, Rebecca Ferguson

Trailer: Trailer "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation"

Comment: I hope this is just as good as "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol".