Netflix Friday - Volume 36

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

Action: Spider-Man Far From Home (2019)
Following the evens of “Avengers: Endgame”, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
 

Drama: The Age of Innocence (1993)
A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer (Daniel Day-Lewis) falls in love with a woman (Michelle Pfeifer) separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman’s cousin (Winona Ryder).
 

Comedy: Role Models (2008)
Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drinking reps (Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd) to enroll in a Big Brother program.
 

Animation: The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
A group of indomitable Gauls are challenged by Roman Emperor Julius Caesar to accomplish twelve impossible tasks.
 

Romance: Wimbledon (2004)
A pro tennis player (Paul Bettany) has lost his ambition and has fallen in rank 119. Fortunately for him, he meets a young player (Kirsten Dunst) on the women’s circuit who helps him recapture his focus for Wimbledon.
 

Horror: Get Out (2017)
A young African-American (Daniel Kaluuya) visits his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) parents (Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener) for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.
 

Science Fiction: Twelve Monkeys (1995)
In a future world devastated by disease, a convict (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to gather information about the mand-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
 

Crime: The Highwaymen (2019)
The untold true story of the legendary detectives (Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson) who brought down Bonnie and Clyde.
 

Thriller: Inside Man (2006)
A police detective (Denzel Washington), a bank robber (Clive Owen) and a high-power broker (Jodie Foster) enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal’s brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.
 

Documentary: Night On Earth (2020)
This nature series’ new technology lifts night’s veil to reveal the hidden lives of the world’s creatures, from lions on the hunt to bats on wings.
 

Family: The BFG (2016)
An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant (Mark Rylance) who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.

Netflix Friday - Volume 6

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

Action: Deepwater Horizon (2016)
A dramatization of the disaster in April 2010, when the offshore drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded, resulting in the worst oil spill in American history.

Drama: Moonlight (2016)
A young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood.

Comedy: Easy A (2010)
Clean-cut high school student Olive (Emma Stone) relies on the school’s rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Animation: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
A hapless young Viking (Jay Baruchel) who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

Romance: Clueless (1995)
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other.

Horror: Krampus (2015)
A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.

Science Fiction: Pacific Rim (2013)
As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

Crime: Wind River (2017)
A veteran hunter (Jeremy Renner) helps an FBI-agent (Elizabeth Olsen) investigate the murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation.

Thriller: Captain Phillips
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Documentary: Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020)
Survivors worldwide reveal the manipulation and emotional scars suffered at the hands of wealthy convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Their stories expose a sex trafficking ring of powerful enablers leading up to his 2019 arrest.

Family: The BFG
An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant (Mark Rylance) who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (July 2016)

I didn’t watch a lot of (for me) new movies this month, but I did manage to make a top 5. Here are my favorite films for my Challenge and the month of July.

5. Jason Bourne
Not as good as the other three films in the series, but “Jason Bourne” did have a lot of action and of course a great performance by Matt Damon. But it was in fact Alicia Vikander with the best performance.

4. 300
A movie I never completed and this month I finally watched the entire film. “300” is a great looking movie, action packed, entertaining and spectacular.

3. Strangers On a Train
Alfred Hitchcock hardly ever disappointed us with his films. This thriller is again amazing, about two strangers that meet each other during a train ride and make a pact.

2. 10 Cloverfield Lane
A movie that was very secretive before its trailer was released. Most of the film takes place in an underground bunker with only three characters. A really good film.

1. The BFG
As a girl who grew up with Roald Dahl’s children’s books, I was super excited about “The BFG”. And it didn’t disappoint. It looks magical and fantastic and I loved mark Rylance as the BFG. And Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, so good!

They Almost Made the Top 5: Sexy Beast, Frankenweenie, Ghostbusters

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 103: The BFG

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader

Description: A girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.

Review: I grew up with Roald Dahl books and when I was a teacher I read his stories a lot too. For his 30th film, Steven Spielberg made this genre film filled with children’s fantasy. Finally “The BFG”, one of Dahl’s best stories, is brought to the big screen.
Little Sophie lives in an orphanage and sees a giant in the middle of the night. This giant, the BFG, takes her into the world of giants.
This type of film really has to rely on the chemistry between the fable like creatures and the little admires. Ruby Barnhill, who plays Sophie, does an excellent job. With both the charisma of an adult and the amazement of a little girl, she is believable. Mark Rylance is a charming BFG, heartwarming and just loveable.
The animation is amazing, it looks really impressive. The expressions on the face of the BFG are so realistic. This film is jawdropping, when it comes to its techniques. And the chemistry between Sophie and the BFG is so good, especially in the more quiet scenes.
“The BFG” is bit lighter then the book and a little less complex. It was a film I really looked forward to and it brought back the little girl in me that loved this book. It didn’t disappoint, Spielberg hardly ever does that.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: 2016 Summer Movies to Look Forward to

As a big movie nerd I’m also looking out for new movies. Today I’m going to share with you the five films I can’t wait to see, that will be released this summer (june/ july/ august, US release dates).

5. Ghosbusters
Okay, I’m a little skeptical. But somehow I’m still interested in seeing it, because of the great comedic actresses (and Chris Hemsworth). I hope it’s going to be funny.

4. Suicide Squad
We’ve seen a few trailers now and I get more excited after seeing a new trailer. I think this is going to a good film and I’m curious about Jaret Leto’s version of The Joker and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

3. Jason Bourne
We don’t know that much about the new Jason Bourne film, but knowing the franchise is returning is reason enough for me to go to the theaters. I love these films and Matt Damon is fantastic in them.

2. Finding Dory
Oh how I love “Finding Nemo”. And Dory is my favorite character, so off course I’m super stoked to see a spin-off film. Can’t wait!

1. The BFG
I’m a huge fan of Roald Dahl’s children’s books. Some of them have been made into movies quite successfully. I’m very confident that Steven Spielberg created a gem with “The BFG” (The Big Friendly Giant).

They Almost Made the Top 5: Independence Day: Resurgence

Movie Trailer Sunday (233)

Here are this week's trailers.

Tale of Tales
Director: Matteo Garrone
Description: The film serves as Garrone's English-language debut and will interweave three separate story strands bookended by brief bits in which Italians Alba Rohrwacher and Massimo Ceccherini will play a street circus family. In one tale Salma Hayek will play a jealous queen who forfeits her husband's life. In another, Vincent Cassel plays a king whose passion is stoked by two mysterious sisters.
Starring: Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, John C. Reilly
Trailer: Trailer "Tale of Tales"
Comment: I love fairytales like this.

Swiss Army Man
Director: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Description: A hopeless man (Paul Dano) stranded in the wilderness befriends a dead body (Daniel Radcliffe) and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.
Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe
Trailer: Trailer "Swiss Army Man"
Comment: Oh my goodness!!! I want to see this!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Director: Gareth Edwards
Description: Rebels set out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna
Trailer: Trailer "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Comment: Exciting...

Manhattan Night
Director: Brian DeCubellis
Description: Porter Wren (Adrien Brody), a New York City tabloid writer with an appetite for scandal. On the beat he sells murder, tragedy and anything that passes for the truth. At home he is a model family man, devoted to his loving wife (Jennifer Beals). But when a seductive stranger (Yvonne Strahovski) asks him to dig into the unsolved murder of her filmmaker husband.
Starring: Adrien Brody, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Beals
Trailer: Trailer "Manhattan Night"
Comment: Intriguing

The BFG
Director: Steven Spielberg
Description: A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers refuses to eat boys and girls.
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton
Trailer: Trailer "The BFG"
Comment: I really can't wait to see this film!!!

Movie Trailer Sunday (220)

This week I will share five trailers of movies I really need to see in 2016. My five most anticipated films of 2016. Okay, some are originally from 2015, but here in The Netherlands they are 2016 releases.

The Hateful Eight

Description: In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bruce Dern, Walter Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Zoë Bell

Trailer: Trailer "The Hateful Eight"

Comment: I'm always looking forward to a Quentin Tarantino, always!

The Revenant

Description: frontiersman named Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) on an fur trade expedition in the 1820s is on a quest for survival after being brutally mauled by a bear.

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter

Trailer: Trailer "The Revenant"

Comment: This looks stunning, can't wait to see this probable masterpiece.

Spotlight

Description: The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

Director: Tom McCarthy

Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci

Trailer: Trailer "Spotlight"

Comment: Only heard good things about this film and it has a killer cast!

Hail, Caesar!

Description: A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Starring: George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill, David Krumholtz, Tilda Swinton, Dolph Lundgren

Trailer: Trailer "Hail, Caesar!"

Comment: I'm always in the mood for a good Coen Brothers film. This looks like loads of fun.

The BFG

Description: A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers refuses to eat boys and girls.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Wilton

Trailer: Trailer "The BFG"

Comment: Based on a book by my favorite children's book author Roald Dahl. I grew up reading those books and this trailer looks amazing. It's only a teaser, but I'm intrigued.

Movie Trailer Sunday (217)

Here are this weeks trailers.

The BFG

Description: A girl named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kindhearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because unlike his peers refuses to eat boys and girls.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Penelope Wilson, Ruby Barnhill

Trailer: Trailer "The BFG"

Comment: This was one of my favorite stories as a kid!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

Description: The Turtles return to save the city from a dangerous threat.

Director: Dave Green

Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Alan Ritchson, Stephen Amell, Wiliam Fichtner, Noel Fisher, Tyler Perry, Johnny Knoxville, Jeremy Howard

Trailer: Trailer "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2"

Comment: Yes, we really needed a second one (*sarcasm*). I'll stick to the '90s movies.

The Legend of Tarzan

Description: Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) , having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.

Director: David Yates

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou, John Hurt

Trailer: Trailer "The Legend of Tarzan"

Comment: Okay, the synopsis sounds a bit strange but the trailer looks kind of amazing.

X-Men Apocalypse

Description: The plot is unknown at this time.

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Olivia Munn, Rose Byrne, Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smith-McPhee

Trailer: Trailer "X-Men Apocalypse"

Comment: Epic trailer!

Bad Roomies

Description: Two guys living together who lose their roommate and put out an ad to find a new one. After a series of disastrous interviews with potential roommates they settle on an apparently harmless but beautiful girl. All seems to be going well despite the simmering rivalry until one drunken night causes all three roommates to make a horrible mistake that start them on a downward spiral. A hilarious yet disastrous game of roommate versus roommate takes a turn that will change all their lives forever.

Director: Justin Mooney

Starring: Patrick Renna, Tommy Savas, Annie Monroe, Jackie Tohn, Kyle Howard

Trailer: Trailer "Bad Roomies"

Comment: Meh...

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 34: The BFG by Roald Dahl

Title: The BFG
Author: Roald Dahl
Story: One night when Sophie cannot fall asleep during the "witching hour", she sees a giant blowing something into the bedroom windows down the street. The giant notices her, reaches through the window, and carries her to his home in Giant Country. Once there, he reveals that he is the world's only benevolent giant, the Big Friendly Giant or BFG, who operating in the strictest secrecy, collects good dreams that he later distributes to children. By means of immense ears he can hear dreams and their contents and blow them via a trumpet-like blowpipe into the bedrooms of children. When he catches a nightmare, he destroys it, or uses it to start fights among the other giants, who periodically enter the human world to steal and eat "human beans", especially children. The BFG, because he refuses to do likewise, subsists on a foul-tasting vegetable known as a snozzcumber, and on a drink called frobscottle, which is unusual in that the bubbles in the drink travel downwards and therefore cause the drinker to break wind instead of burp; this causes noisy flatulence known as Whizzpoppers.
Start: august 6th 2012
End: august 10th 2012
Comment: Imagine you were a young orphan tossing and turning because you can't sleep. Then all of the sudden a big, giant hand comes in through your window and lifts you out of your bed! The next thing you know you are bouncing around in a wool pocket. It happens the young Sophie, the character who was named after Dahl's granddaughter. She befriends a giant, the only giant that doesn't eat people and is very kind. The two of them form a team and try to save the world from the evil giants. It's really great to read about this friendship, which is really out of the ordinary. I like the way the BFG talks. His own language. That really speaks to kids with a big imagination. Sophie and the BFG are both loveable characters and basically the only characters in the book. The other ones don't get enough attention to really develope. This whole book is imaginative. So especially for kids this is a joy to read.
Rating: 4,5/ 5