Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 14

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.
 

46/ 100: Se7en (1995)
This David Fincher directed film is a blood-curdling and original thriller about two detectives who team up to track down a serial killer. They discover that the killer is working off the classic seven deadly sins. I have seen this movie so many times and it still gives me the chills and intrigues me. Such a good thriller, with amazing performances from Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. Check out the full review HERE
 

47/ 100: The Lion King (1994)
The young lion prince Simba grows up in father Mufasa’s paradise kingdom, dreaming of the day when he will rule the savannah himself. But that’s not counting on Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar, who along with a gang of hyenas plots to get him out of the way. Classic, hand-drawn Disney musical that actually has everything you could want: from adventure to humor, romance, upbeat songs and heartbreaking drama. I remember when I saw this movie for the first time, in theaters and what an impact it had on me. And still has. HERE is the full review.
 

48/ 100: Clue (1985)
The movie is loosely based on the boardgame clue, where you have to find out who killed the victim, in what room and with which weapon. In “Clue” a group of people, who don’t know each other, is invited to a mansion, for unknown reasons. When a murder takes place, the strangers, together with the butler, have to find out who committed the murder. A classic whodunnit, which is the main reason why I love this movie so much. It has good comedy, which gives it a lighter tone, and the way it’s all played out is really fun and original. You can read my full review HERE.
 

49/ 100: In Bruges (2008)
With its mix of witty humor, brutal violence and unexpected drama, “In Bruges” shows the talent of director Martin McDonagh. The story of two Irish contract killers who go into hiding in Bruges after a job gone wrong is cleverly written and stylishly filmed. The movie succeeds because of the three formidable leading actors: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. HERE is my full review.
 

50/ 100: Spotlight (2015)
Outstanding drama about the Spotlight team of quality newspaper The Boston Globe, which in 2002 publicized in a series of high-profile articles the Catholic Church’s systematic concealment of sexual abuse in Boston parishes. In “Spotlight”, director Tom McCarthy keeps the emotions at bay as much as possible. In this film, no gruesome details of the abuses or images of conciliatory church fathers; McCarthy zooms in on the journalists and their diligent work. And this down-to-earth approach only makes the film more poignant. “Spotlight” won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Screenplay, which is totally deserved. Check out the review HERE.

Still to watch: 50

90s Movie Review - The Lion King

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Genre: Drama/ Animation/ Musical/ Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 1994
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings

Description: Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble.

Review: “The Lion King” starts with the birth of Simba, the son of lion king Mufasa. Uncle Scar isn’t happy with his new nephew, because this makes Simba the next in line for the throne.
In the first place, “The Lion King” has a good story. This Disney film is one of the most successful animations for a reason. The movie is playful and fun, but also deals with some more serious themes. The execution of it all is sublime. Which makes “The Lion King” funny, exciting and touching and is filled with life lessons for all ages. Parenthood, friendship, loss, mourning, looking for yourself, responsibility, life and death.
The soundtrack is amazing. The songs are catchy, memorable and atmospheric. The characters too, not only the main characters, also the villain and the supporting characters.
“The Lion King” is one of the best animations ever made.

Rating: 5/ 5

What's in a Movie Year - 1994

Taking a look at the year 1994, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.

The Shawshank Redemption

Andy Dufresne was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1947 for the murder of his wife and her lover. Prison life is horrible and violent, but Andy befriends the influential fellow prisoner Red and cleverly gets into the flattery of the cruel custodians. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, who each give an incredible performance also give each other excellent opposites. This and the clever script and tight direction ensured that the film has been on top of the IMDb best movies list. Fun fact is that the movie wasn’t that successful at the start and didn’t win any Academy Awards. For me, it has been my all-time favorite movie for a while.

Forrest Gump

This film directed by Robert Zemeckis is a beautiful and uplifting allegory about a charming nobody who served in Vietnam, met presidents and has more influence on the course of history than he himself could ever have imagined. Tom Hanks is fantastic as Forrest Gump. It was nominated for thirteen Oscars and one six of them, for instance for best movie. The movie that beat “The Shawshank Redemption”, but also happens to be my second favorite movie of all-time.

Pulp Fiction

Director Quentin Tarantino’s second film turned him into a superhero of independent cinema and marked a comeback for former teen idol John Travolta. Tarantino tells three different stories in criminal circles, which are connected to each other. They all seem like separate stories at first, since the film is also told in a non-chronologic way. But eventually everything comes together. This is one of Tarantino’s first lessons in great filmmaking.  

The Lion King

The young lion prince Simba grows up in the paradise kingdom of father Mufasa, dreaming of the day when he will rule the savannah himself. But Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar together with a gang of hyenas, forges a plan to get rid of him. It’s a classic, hand-drawn Disney musical that actually has everything you could wish for: from adventure to humor, romance, cheerful songs and heartbreaking drama. I still remember seeing this for the first time when it came out, on the big screen, during a birthday party of a classmate. I was in awe!

Speed

Passenger Annie has to get behind the wheel of her commuter bus, as she;s not allowed to drop the speed below 50 miles per hour, otherwise a bomb will explode, placed by bad guy Howard Payne. Luckily she get help from policeman Jack. It’s a very strong directorial debut of cameraman Jan de Bont. An action movie in which the pace doesn’t drop a second.

Interview with the Vampire

The two hundred year old vampire Louis has had enough of eternal life and drinking blood of innocent people. He pours his heart out to journalist Mallow and tells him about the unscrupulous Lestat, the man who once turned him into a vampire. Intelligent horror film, which focuses on the psychology of undead existence. Nice acting performances by Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and a very young Kirsten Dunst.

True Lies

Everything is exaggerated in “True Lies”: the action scenes, the one-liners, the characters. But that’s why this film is so much fun. Because you shouldn’t take it too seriously. Arnold Schwarzegger plays a secret agent, who tells his wife that he is a programmer. She thinks her life is boring, until she finds out what Harry really does.

Wolf

One evening publisher Will Randall is bitten by a wolf, on his way home. It seems like just an incident, but soon Will starts to change: his senses have developed to the insane and hair grows in unexpected places. Will has become a werewolf. Jack Nicholson visibly enjoys playing the role of Randall, in which he transforms from a worn out older man into an energetic, lusty wolf man. And Michelle Pfeiffer is at her most beautiful in this film.

The Crow

Dark fairy tale about a rock star who returns to earth as a ghost to take revenge a year after he was murdered. He is assisted by a mysterious crow. Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, dies under mysterious circumstances on the set, when he was shot with a gun that was loaded with real bullets instead of blanks. I think this is an underrated movie.

Léon

Léon lives next door to young Mathilda. He reluctantly takes her in after her family has been murdered by policeman Stansfield, a corrupt, mad psychopath. Mathilda discovers that Léon is an assassin and wants to join forces with him to avenge her family. She cannot pay him, but has a proposition: when he teaches her how to kill Stansfield, she teaches him how to read. A great action crime drama, directed by Luc Besson and starring Jean Reno and a young Natalie Portman.

Movie Reviews - The Lion King

Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Adventure/ Musical
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, John  Oliver, James Earl Jones, Donal Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric André, Billy Eichner

Description: After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

Review: Oh how excited I was for the live-action version of one of my favorite Disney animations. I remember vividly when I saw “The Lion King” (1994) in theaters. I was so impressed and completely in aw that I couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. And when I received it on VHS for my birthday, I watched it every day. I wasn’t afraid that director Jon Favreau was going to butcher the story, because he did a wonderful job for “The Jungle Book”. But was the film going to do the same to me as the animation did in 1994?
The film looks so realistic, like real-life animals. Yes, they talk and sing, but it’s like watching a BBC documentary.
When it comes to the story, nothing has changed. For most of the film, it’s a shot for shot remake of the animation. The film has been criticized for this, because they wanted Favreau to take more risk. I bet if he did and changed more, that would be the problem. We all love the original the way it is, so why not bring it to life like this. Because it’s a classic story, with wonderful songs we all love.
The one thing I didn’t really like, was them cutting the song “Be Prepared” short. It is my favorite song of the film and it was really rushed and it didn’t have the same impact that it had in the animation. It’s the main villain song and it’s so powerful. Here you don’t feel that.
The movie also lacks emotion according to many critics. Because they can’t see emotions or expressions on the animal’s faces. To make it look realistic as it is, you have to create the animals as they are. Giving them to much facial expression, would probably make them cartoonish and less realistic. And I’m not missing emotion at all, because I think I cried like 7 times in the first 5 minutes alone, haha.
As a huge fan of the animation, I am very happy with the live-action version of “The Lion King”. It didn’t leave me in aw like in 1994, but it’s such a beautifully made film with a lot of heart. People who think it lacked emotion, are probably dead inside.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie to Look Forward to - July 2019

It's offically summer, so time for some great summer movies. Here are movie to look forward to in July!

July 4th – Spider-Man: Far From Home
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Martin Starr
Description: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

July 11th – 21 Bridges
Director: Brian Kirk
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, JK Simmons, Taylor Kitsch
Description: A disgraced detective (Chadwick Boseman) in the NYPD is given a shot at redemption.

July 11th – Crawl
Director: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
Description: A young woman (Kaya Scadelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a Category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

July 17th – The Lion King
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles, John Oliver, Chewitel Ejifor, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones, Keegan-Michael Key, Billy Eichner, Alfre Woodard
Description: After the murder of his father (James Earl Jones), a young lion prince (Donald Glover) flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

Top 5 Thursday: Songs from Disney Movies

Like almost everyone I love Disney and everything associated with Disney. I’m not ashamed of it either. But what I love most is probably the songs and I sing the out loud. Preferably by myself, really loud, when I know my neighbours aren’t home! And of all the great songs Disney has produced over the years, I wanted to make a selection of my favorites. Here are my five favorite Disney songs.

5. That’s How You Know (Enchanted)

This song is ridiculously catchy, a song you can’t get out of your head once you hear it. And it’s so fun. I just want to burst into song myself!

 

 

4. Look Through My Eyes (Brother Bear)

“Brother Bear” might not be one of the most popular and most well-known Disney films, but it has always been one of my favorites. And Phil Collins did the music. Collins is probably more known for the music he wrote for Disney’s “Tarzan”, but I prefer this one from “Brother Bear”.

 

3. Colors of the Wind (Pocahontas)

“Pocahontas” is not one of my favorites, but this song is so beautiful. This is what the films is known for. It shows Pocahontas’ love for nature.

 

2. Belle (Beauty & the Beast)

Most people will pick “Be Our Guest” or “Beauty and the Beast”, but “Belle has always been my favorite song from "Beauty and the Beast", it gets you in the mood for the rest of the film.

 

 

1. Circle of Life (The Lion King)

I remember seeing “The Lion King” for the first time, in the cinema. I was totally speechless when, when that sun came up and “Circle of Life” started. The best Disney song ever, I think we can all agree!

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins), Be Our Guest (Beauty & the Beast), Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid), I Wanna Be Like You (Jungle Book), Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (Cinderella), You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story), Beauty & the Beast (Beauty & the Beast), Let It Go (Frozen), Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty), Reflection (Mulan), Man or Muppet (The Muppets), Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians), Bare Necessities (Jungle Book), You’ll Be In My Heart (Tarzan), On My Way (Brother Bear)

Top 5 Thursday: Songs from Movie Musicals

They’re my guilty pleasure: musicals. I visit musicals, but I also love movie musicals. I picked my five favorite songs from movie musicals.

5. One Song Glory (“Rent”)

"Rent" is not one of my favorite musicals, but this song impressed me so much when I first heard it. It's such a powerful song!

 

 

 

4. Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”)

This is my favorite Disney movie and most people would go for songs like "Be Our Guest" or "Beauty and the Beast". I always loved the opening song from the film, it makes me sing and dance myself.

 

 

3. Circle of Life (“The Lion King”)

I still remember when I first saw this movie and I was mesmerized. This is one of the best openings of a movie ever and I just love this song. It still gives me the chills.

 

 

 

2. Singin’ in the Rain (“Singin’ in the Rain”)

The movie that Always makes me smile! "Make 'em Laugh" is off course a good second, but I had to go for the title song. This is why I love rain myself, I wish I could this too.

 

 

1. On My Own (“Les Miserables”)

This is the best musical I saw live, this movie version might not be one of the best movie musicals, but this song is just so beautiful. This always makes me wonder why Marius is in love with Cosette instead of Éponine.

 

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Music of the Night (“Phantom of the Opera”), Make ‘em Laugh (“Singin’ in the Rain”), Maria (“West Side Story”), Life’s a Happy Song (“The Muppets”)

Video of the Week (30)

Musicals are my guilty pleasure, so whenever a video like this pops up I get really excited. The Australian cast of the musical "The Lion King" decided to sing "The Circle of Life" on a plane. AWESOME!!!

 

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Opening Scenes

The opening scene of a movie is often a simple introduction to what you’re going to see. But sometimes it leaves an impression, it sets the tone for the rest of the film. Here is a list of opening scenes in movies that had that effect on me.

5. Up

This is probably also the saddest opening, at least for Disney. We meet Carl and Ellie, how their life started together and also how it ended. The first time a Disney movie made me cry before the actual story had even started.

 

4. Jurassic Park

You don’t get the see the dinosaurs yet, only an eye, but the mood is set. And it leaves you wanting more.

 

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Back in 1981, no one knew who Indiana Jones was. We knew in a couple of minutes. Indy left an impression on us, this opening scene is timeless. It suddenly made archaeology less dull (the clip doesn't contain the scene from the beginning. Because of the music it wasn't alowed on youtube).

 

2. Jaws

We meet Chrissy, and that’s all we get to know about her. Oh yeah, she likes skinny dipping, but she wished she didn’t. We don’t get to see the shark, but this scene tells you everything you need to know about the unique tone of the film.

 

1. The Lion King

This opening scene was a jaw dropping moment for me, when I first saw it. I remember it like it was yesterday. The beautiful animations and the epic music still give me goose bumps.

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, Scream

Movie Moments: "The Lion King"

I remember the time when I saw it in theatres, it was for a kids party. I was speechless, it was a breathtaking experience. And still, after so many years, it’s one of the most amazing Disney animations I’ve ever seen. Here are my favorite moments.

Moment # 1: The Circle of Life
The sun rises in Africa and all the animals living there wake up. Lion king Mufasa is presenting his son Simba.

Moment # 2: Simba learns how to hunt
Mufasa is trying to teach Simba how to hunt and they use Zazou as prey. The talkative bird is giving the last news to Mufasa, without knowing that Simba is lurking him. All of a sudden Simba strikes, which leaves Zazou shocked and angry.

Moment # 3: I Just Can’t Wait to Be King
Simba and Nala are trying to go to the elephant graveyard, but they are stuck with Zazou. On theire way, Simba tells Nala how he’s going to be king someday. And he is very excited about that.

Moment # 4: Elephant graveyard
Simba and Nala have arrived at the elephant graveyard. Simba says he isn’t scared of anything, but then three hyena’s join them. They are after the two lion cubs. When Simba and Nala are both cornered, Mufasa is there to save them.

Moment # 5: Be Prepared
Scar is planning to take out the king, his brother Mufasa. He’s not doing it alone, he needs the help of all the hyenas.

Moment # 6: The stampede
Scar has lured Simba to a place where he’s supposed to get a surprise. What he doesn’t know is that a huge stampede is coming towards him.

Moment # 7: Mufasa dies
Mufasa is trying to save Simba, but dies. Scar makes Simba think it was his fault, but Scar killed his own brother so he can be king.

Moment # 8: Hakuna Matata
Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog. They teach him the new life lesson “Hakuna Matata”, which means 'no worries'..

Moment # 9: Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Simba is attacked by a female lion. He realizes it’s Nala. She always thought Simba was dead.

Moment # 10: Simba meets Rafiki
Rafiki knows that Simba is still alive and tries to find him. When he does, Rafiki is trying to get Simba back to the Pride Lands, where Scar has ruined everything with his kingdom. Simba finds Rafiki very annoying.

Moment # 11: The final fight
Simba confronts Scar. He finds out that Scar killed his father and takes him down. Or actually his ‘friends’ the hyean’s do it for him.


Favorite Moment: Moment # 1 : The Circle of Life

Top 5 Thursday: Movies from 1994

Before checking any lists on the internet, I just knew 1994 was a great movie year, because some of my favorites of all time are from that year. Here is my list of favorites of 1994.

5. Pulp Fiction
When it came out it wasn’t as popular as now. It’s a true cult movie, you just gotta love it.

4. Léon
Léon is such a great film, directed by Luc Besson. Three very memorable characters came from this movie and gave Natalie Portman eternal fame.

3. The Lion King
I remember seeing this movie in theatres when I was young. What a jawdropping moment that was for me. And I still cry (almost 30 years old) when Mufasa dies.

2. Forrest Gump
My second favorite movie of all time. Seen it many times, love everything about it. Forrest is such a loveable character.

1. The Shawshank Redemption
My all time favorite movie, so pretty logical that it’s on the number one spot. I’m not even going to explain why anymore.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Beverly Hills Cop 3 (don’t judge me), Interview with the Vampire, Speed, True Lies

In the Picture: The Characters from "The Lion King"

One of my favorite Disney movies and an amazing experience everythime I watch it. When i first saw it, it blew my mind and I loved the characters. Here they all are.

Simba
Voiced by: Jonathan Taylor Thomas (young) and Matthew Broderick (adult)
Simba means lion in Swahili and he is supposed to follow up his father Mufasa as king of Pride Rock. Simba can’t wait to be king, he is a very happy cub and he idolizes his dad. When his dad dies and he grows older, he doesn’t see why he needs to become king anymore.

Mufasa
Voiced by: James Earl Jones
Mufasa is Simba’s dad and the king of Pride Rock. He is righteous and wise and a real leader. He is also powerful and courageous. Mufasa wants to be a rolemodel for his son. He dies after an accident caused by his brother Scar.

Scar
Voiced by: Jeremy Irons
Scar is Mufasa’s brother and he can’t stand the fact that the young Simba is going to be king after Mufasa. With a devious plan, he makes sure he becomes king and the Pride Lands will never be the same.

Timon
Voiced by: Nathan Lane
Timon is a meerkat and he befriends Simba. He teaches him the lesson of Hakuna Matata, no worries. Timon talks a lot and has a good sense of humor.

Pumbaa
Voiced by: Ernie Sabella
Pumbaa is Timon’s best friend and he is a warthog. He also befriends Simba. Pumbaa can eat and fart all day, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He does have a big heart.

Zazu
Voiced by: Rowan Atkinson
Zazu is a red-billed hornbill and he’s Mufasa’s right hand. He looks after Simba when Mufasa isn’t around. Zazu is very proud of his position and acts very dignified, though he is not always taking seriously.

Nala
Voiced by: Niketa Calame (young) and Moira Kelly (adult)
Nala is Simba’s friend and always in for an adventure. When she’s older, she sees Simba again who she thought was dead. Simba and Nala fall in love and she tries to get Simba back to Pride Rock.

Rafiki
Voiced by: Robert Guillaume
Rafiki is a mandrill who lives in a baobab tree somewhere in the Pride Lands. He’s a friend of Mufasa and later of Simba. He’s the one who shows Simba he’s a true king.

Shenzi
Voiced by: Whoopi Goldberg
The only female hyena in the trio, but confident, self-controlled and the smartest of the three.

Banzai
Voiced by: Cheech Marin
Banzai is the most aggressive and excitable of the trio and the one who gets into a fight easily. He also talks about food very often.

Ed
Voiced by: Jim Cummings
Ed does never really ralk, but he communicates mainly through crazed laughter. He has a permanent idiotic grin with his tongue usually lolling out, and his eyes never seem to focus on anything properly. Not the brightest hyena in the crowd.

Favorite Character: Zazu

Top 5 Thursday: Animated Disney Movies (No Pixar)

I love Disney, everything that has to do with Disney. I listed my five favorite Pixar movies and Pixar characters, but I never made a top 5 of my favorite animated movies by Disney (Pixar not included). So here they are.

5. Bambi

This movie starts very depressing and sad, but it's one the most beautiful Disney movies ever made. And Thumper, OMG how cute.

4. The Rescuers Down Under

I've seen this movie too many times, but I have to rewatch it again! It's been to long. Fun characters, like Frank and Wilbur. I enjoy this film every single time.

3. 101 Dalmatians 

Puppies, lots of puppies. This movie made some different artistic choices, which didn't make Disney happy at first. But those artistic choices difference "101 Dalmatians" from the rest. With that I just love the dogs as well as the leading humans Anita and Roger. And Cruelle De Vil is a flamboyant villain.

2. The Lion King

I remember seeing this in the theatre when I was invited to a birthday party. A jawdropping movie experience I can tell you! I actually saw this movie in theatres again last year, when it was rereleased in 3D. And everytime I cry when Mufasa dies.

1. Beauty and the Beast

I don't think it will ever leave the top spot. When I saw this movie for the first time, I was a fan. I wanted to have everything from that movie, I wanted to be Belle and I sang every song every day. It's an amazing movie!

They almost made the top 5: The Jungle Book, Oliver & Company, Lady and the Tramp, Brother Bear