Posts tonen met het label The Shawshank Redemption. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label The Shawshank Redemption. Alle posts tonen

zondag 23 april 2023

Rwatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 21

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.
 
70/ 100: Warrior (2010)
A story about two brothers, both MMA-fighters, who are estranged and both have a difficult relationship with their father. A sports film with emotional depth and amazing performances by Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. Click HERE to read my full review.
 
71/ 100: The Godfather (1972)
Don Vito Corleone is at the head of his family business, when he wants his youngest son Michael to take over from him. “The Godfather” is an epic, timeless classic, the best mafia movie ever made and an influential film for Hollywood. Please make sure to check out my full review HERE.
 
72/ 100: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Andy Dufresne is sentenced to life in prison in 1947 for the murder of his wife and her lover. Prison life is horrific and violent, but Andy befriends fellow inmate Red and cleverly manages to fall in line with the cruel guards. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman provide excellent counterpoints to each other, the clever script and tight direction ensured that the film is a favorite on many lists. It’s at the top of mine, still, after so many years. HERE is my full review.
 
Still to watch: 28

vrijdag 22 april 2022

Netflix Friday - Volume 103

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 
Action: The Hurt Locker (2008)
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant (Jeremy Renner) recently assigned to an army bomb is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
 
Drama: Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
The true story of Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt), an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China’s takeover of Tibet.
 
Comedy
: 28 Days (2000)
A big-city newspaper columnist (Sandra Bullock) is forced to enter a drug and alcohol rehab center after ruining her sister’s wedding and crashing a stolen limousine.
 
Animation: NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Warrior and pacifist Princes NausicaƤ desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
 
Romance: The Best of Me (2014)
A pair of former high school sweethearts (James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan) reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.
 
Horror: The Ritual (2017)
A group of old college friends reunite for a trip to a forest in Sweden, but encounter a menacing presence there stalking them.
 
Science Fiction: Anon (2018)
In a world without anonymity of crime, a detective (Clive Owen) meets a woman (Amanda Seyfried) who threatens their security.
 
Crime: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Two imprisoned men (Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman) bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
 
Thriller: Calibre (2018)
A shocking deed turned their weekend trip into a nightmare. Now their only hope is to swallow their paranoia and act normal.
 
Documentary: Modern Slavery (2009)
There’s 27 million slaves in the world today. We find them in the sex industry, as child soldiers, as unpaid housekeepers and in production and as shop workers. We have all a responsibility for this.
 
Family: Ponyo (2008)
A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become human after falling in love with him.

vrijdag 12 november 2021

Netflix Friday - Volume 80

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 
Action: Desperado (1995)
Former musician and gunslinger El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) arrives at a small Mexican border town after being away for a long time. His past quickly catches up with him and he soon gets entangled with the local drug kingpin Bucko (Joachim de Almeida) and his gang.  
 
Drama: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Two imprisoned men (Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman) bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
 
Comedy: Daddy’s Home (2015)
Brad Whitaker (Will Ferrell) is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him dad. But his plans turn upside down when their biological father, Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg), returns.
 
Animation: Sausage Party (2016)
A sausage (Seth Rogen) strives to discover the truth about his existence.
 
Romance: Clueless (1995)
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the tp of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other.
 
Horror:
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
In the dying days of the old west, an elderly sheriff (Kurt Russell) and his posse set out to rescue their town’s doctor from cannibalistic dwellers.
 
Science Fiction: Star Trek (2009)
The brash James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) tries to live up to his father’s legacy with Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
 
Crime: Man on Fire (2004)
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

Thriller: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent. 
 
Documentary: Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of “Man on the Moon” (1999).
 
Family: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before harry Potter reads his book in school.

zondag 20 september 2020

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.

LƩon

LƩon 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 LƩon 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.

zondag 8 juli 2018

90s Movie Review - The Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 1994
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, James Whitmore, William Sadler, Gil Bellows

Description: Two imprisoned men, Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Review: In Shawshank prison, the inmates are doing serious time. Through the eyes of prisoner Red, we follow the story of Andy Dufresne who comes to Shawshank in 1947 for murdering his wife and her lover. Red and Andy become friends. Based on a story by Stephen King, the life in prison is a metaphor to real society. The prisoners settle for a life at Shawshank, they stop dreaming so nothing can get worse than it already is. The big guys get their way no matter what. Off course there is always one guy that doesn’t care, in this case Andy Dufresne. He teaches his fellow inmates to read and makes them feel normal again.
Director Frank Darabont made the short Stephen King story into a fully length movie, with some differences and more detail. He captured it so well, it easily reaches the audience and it’s a film with real people instead of characters.
The acting is sublime. Never over-the-top, very timide yet convincing. The chemistry between Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is amazing, you can feel it in every bone in your body. Their friendship is honest and heartfelt. Also Clancy Brown, as the relentless prison guard Hadley, and Bob Gunton, as warden Norton, are very strong in their roles.
This movie really took my breath away when I first saw it, and still after watching it so many times it does that exact same thing. Only a perfect movie can do that. A great story, fantastic acting, beautiful music and off course that great scene (we all know it). For me still the best movie in the books.

Rating: 5/ 5

zaterdag 20 december 2014

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 7

Round 7: James Hunt (“Rush”), Bob Rueland (“Return to Me”) and Andy Dufresne (“The Shawshank Redemption”)

Marry: Bob Rueland is a very kind and loving man. He has to deal with losing his wife, which could be troubling, but still.

Kiss: I’m kind of looking past the arrogance here, because James Hunt is great eye candy. That’s why I’m choosing to just kiss him and not marry him.

Cliff: I know Andy Dufresne is innocent and I LOVE Andy, but I don’t think it would be great to date a guy who’s in prison. I am patient, but I don’t know if I can wait 19 years for him to finally break out of Shawshank.

donderdag 17 juli 2014

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Voice-Overs/ Narrations

Nothing tells the story of a movie like a good voice-over. Some of the best movies made use a voice-over, and I decided to pick my favourites. Here they are.

5. Richard Dreyfuss in “Stand By Me”
It’s like reading a book. You see the story of a young Gordie and the adult Gordie tells you the story.
 

4. Edward Norton in “Fight Club”
If there wasn’t any voice-over, the majority of the first act would be in complete silence. His sarcastic, droning voice has different functions. It fills in gaps, it lets us get to know him, is adds a lot of humour.
 

3. Ray Liotta in “Goodfellas”
Henry Hill is the main character and we follow his life as a gangster. His voice-over is very powerful.
 

2. John Cusack in “High Fidelity”
Like me, he loves making lists. That’s what I love the most about his narration. Rob Gordon actually break the fourth wall a couple of times, when speaking directly to us, knowing there’s an audience watching him.
 

1. Morgan Freeman in “The Shawshank Redemption”
How can I not go with this? Morgan Freeman’s voice always suits me, it sounds so calm. It’s a great way to tell a story, true the eyes of the best friend.
 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Matthew Broderick in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”, Malcolm McDowell in “A Clockwork Orange”

donderdag 17 oktober 2013

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. LƩon
LƩon 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

woensdag 12 juni 2013

Quotables: "The Shawshank Redemption"

Off course my favorite movie needs to be spotlighted in this item, so here it is. I can actually quote this movie without any help. That's how many times I've already seen it. But I don't get tired of it.






Red: [narrating] I wish I could tell you that Andy fought the good fight, and the Sisters let him be. I wish I could tell you that - but prison is no fairy-tale world. He never said who did it, but we all knew. Things went on like that for awhile - prison life consists of routine, and then more routine. Every so often, Andy would show up with fresh bruises. The Sisters kept at him - sometimes he was able to fight 'em off, sometimes not. And that's how it went for Andy - that was his routine. I do believe those first two years were the worst for him, and I also believe that if things had gone on that way, this place would have got the best of him.

Andy Dufresne: You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific?
Red: No.
Andy Dufresne: They say it has no memory. That's where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory.

Brooks: [to Andy] Son, six wardens have been through here in my tenure, and I've learned one immutable, universal truth: Not one of them born whose asshole wouldn't pucker up tighter than a snare drum when you ask them for funds.


Warden Samuel Norton: I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.

Brooks: Easy peasy japanesey.

Red: [narrating] I must admit I didn't think much of Andy first time I laid eyes on him; looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over. That was my first impression of the man.

Red: Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Red: These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized.
Heywood: Shit. I could never get like that.
Prisoner: Oh yeah? Say that when you been here as long as Brooks has.
Red: Goddamn right. They send you here for life, and that's exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyway.

Red: [narrating] I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.
Red: [narrating] In 1966, Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank prison. All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of soap, and an old rock hammer, damn near worn down to the nub. I remember thinking it would take a man six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with it. Old Andy did it in less than twenty. Oh, Andy loved geology. I imagine it appealed to his meticulous nature. An ice age here, million years of mountain building there. Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all it takes really, pressure, and time. That, and a big goddamn poster. Like I said, in prison a man will do most anything to keep his mind occupied. Turns out Andy's favorite hobby was totin' his wall out into the exercise yard, a handful at a time. I guess after Tommy was killed, Andy decided he'd been here just about long enough. Andy did like he was told, buffed those shoes to a high mirror shine. The guards simply didn't notice. Neither did I... I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a mans shoes? Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit smelling foulness I can't even imagine, or maybe I just don't want to. Five hundred yards... that's the length of five football fields, just shy of half a mile.


Andy Dufresne: You know the funny thing is, on the outside I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook.
Red: [narrating] We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. Hell, we could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the lords of all creation. As for Andy - he spent that break hunkered in the shade, a strange little smile on his face, watching us drink his beer.

Red: [narrating] I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
Floyd: Red, I do believe you're talking out of your ass.

Red: [narrating] Sometimes it makes me sad, though... Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend.
Heywood: The Count of Monte Crisco...
Floyd: That's "Cristo" you dumb shit.
Heywood: ...by Alexandree Dumb-ass. Dumb-ass.
Andy Dufresne: Dumb-ass? "Dumas". You know what it's about? You'll like it, it's about a prison break.
Red: We oughta file that under "Educational" too, oughten we?


Red: There must be a con like me in every prison in America. I'm the guy who can get if for you; cigarettes, a bag of reefer, if that's your thing, a bottle of brandy to celebrate your kid's high school graduation, damn near anything within reason. Yes sir, I'm a regular Sears and Roebuck.