TV Show Review - Westworld (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2020
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, Vincent Cassel, Luke Hemsworth, Rodrigo Santoro, Jimmi Simpson, Clifton Collins Jr., Tommy Flanagan

Description: Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, explore a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.

Review: What would happen if the artificial humans from Westworld would enter the real world? We get an answer tot hat question. The series started with the theme park Westworld, where people could live their ultimate fantasies. In the second season, the so-called hosts started rebelling. In this season, they finally enter the human world.
Here is where we meet some familiar faces: the vengeful Dolores and the peaceful Bernard. We are also introduced to a new character, Caleb Nichols. Because of a larger playing field and more characters, you have to keep up and pay attention. As for the characters, who know probably just as much as the viewers.
Besides some mysteries that we already were familiar with, we are introduced to some new ones. For instance Caleb, who at first sight looks like a regular construction worker, but he has a mysterious app on his phone. And don’t forget the end of season 3, where Dolores left with curious little orbs.
“Westworld” has always been a very complex series and season 3 is no different. It’s even more complicated than the previous seasons. It’s nice to see our trusted characters in different environments for a change, to give the concept ne life.
The characters stay interesting enough, as does the story. “Westworld” season 3 might be even more complex, but it’s another strong season.

Movie Reviews - Papillon

Director: Michael Noer
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Rami Malek, Tommy Flanagan, Eve Hewson, Roland Møller, Nina Senicar, Michael Socha, Christopher Fairbank, Joel Basman, Fernanda Diniz, Ian Beattie, Brian Vernel, Nikola Kent, Yorick van Wageningen

Description: Wrongfully convicted for murder, Henri Charriere (Charlie Hunnam) forms an unlikely relationship with fellow inmate and quirky convicted counterfeiter Louis Dega (Rami Malek), in an attempt to escape from the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island.

Review: Without hope he would have never survived the fourteen years in prison. He had a purpose, a goal: he had to escape. Everyone must have heard about Frenchman Henri Charrière, nicknamed Papillon, because of a tattooed butterfly on his chest. Three years after his autobiography was released, director Franklin J. Schaffner translated it to film, with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman as his leading men. Now, the Danish director Michael Noer, tries it again. The story is still interesting enough and it’s a very strong film.
Paris, 1931. The French night life blossoms with Moulin Rouge and so does the criminal activity behind the scenes. The life of jewel thief Henri Charrière changes into hell, when he is accused of murder and sentenced for life. In large groups, men are transferred to a prison island. And according to the warden, only a fool will try to escape. Because there is hardly any chance of surviving it. But Papillon is still determined to escape.
To escape, he needs money. He meets millionaire Louis Dega. He is obvious bait for the other prisoners, so they can help each other. The contrast between the two is very big, but they share the same fate.
Charlie Hunnam plays his role very convincing, but it’s Rami Malek who is sublime. He impresses the most. The images are beautiful and the soundtrack as well.
It’s hard to translate fourteen years of someone’s life to movie, even with a long runtime. Noer had to make choices in what to show and what not. He managed to select the right moments and show the important aspects of Papillon’s life in prison. His years in solitary, his time on Devil’s island, his friendship with Dega.
I didn’t expect much, like most of the times with a remake. But I was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving this film. Very strong performances and a story that, to date, is still interesting enough to keep my attention for over two hours.

Rating: 4 / 5

00s Movie Review - When a Stranger Calls

Director: Simon West
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Camilla Belle, Tommy Flanagan, Katie Cassidy, Tessa Thompson, Brian Geraghty, Clark Gregg, Derek de Lint, David Denman

Description: During a babysitting gig, a high-school student (Camilla Belle) is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

Review: Jill just broke up with her boyfriend Bobby, because he made out with her best friend. They talked it out over the phone, which caused Jill’s phone bill to go over the limit. Her father want her to earn the money back and take on a babysitting gig. On the night of a huge school party, Jill is stuck babysitting for the Mandrakis family. They live in a remote mansion. When Jill arrives, the kids are already in bed, so it seems to be a peaceful night. Because she doesn’t know the house, it starts scaring her a bit. Especially when Jill starts receiving creepy phone calls from a stranger.
“When a Stranger Calls” is a remake from the original film from 1979. But like most horror movie remakes, it’s not a memorable film. It’s filled with clichés. It takes at least an hour before the mystery caller becomes really threatening, before that it’s just false jump scares. Not even jump scares, just simple scares. And the characters are all very flat. The motives for the stranger are also lost.
“When a Stranger Calls” is a perfect film to watch when nothing else is on TV. And is easy to forget. Not a great horror film.

Rating: 2 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 60: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Director: James Gunn
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 136 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Tommy Flanagan, Sean Gunn

Description: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.

Review: In 2014 everyone was surprised by “Guardians of the Galaxy”. It was such a success, that for me it’s the best Marvel film to date. I was extremely excited for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, it was at the top of my most anticipated films of 2017 list. And I wasn’t disappointed.
I love how “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is stubborn. Fun cameos, but no forced cross-overs with other Marvel films. Eventually the Guardians will meet up with the Avengers, but for now it’s still its own franchise. And I’m glad.
The characters are more important here. Who are they, where do they come from, what drives them? Family is the key here. Peter Quill meets his father for the first time. Drax and Rocket who lost their family or never had one. Gamora and her struggling relationship with sister Nebula. And Groot, who is always protected by his fellow Guardians, after his big sacrifice in the first movie. They don’t belong anywhere else, but together as a team.
The film has tempo, just like the first. Enough action, humor, drama and sensation. Baby Groot was adorable, Rocket again on fire with sharp comments and Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista did a great job as well. I especially loved Michael Rooker, as Yondu, in this film.
If I have to choose which of the two I think is better, I just can’t. It’s an amazing spectacle, that I immediately want to rewatch.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Male TV Characters of the Moment

I recently listed my favourite female characters of the moment. Now it’s time for the boys. That was a lot harder, because there is more to choose from. Here they are.

5. Daryl Dixon in “The Walking Dead”
Didn’t like him in the beginning, but he kind of grew on me. Daryl has a big mouth, but he has a heart of gold.

4. Philip “Chibs” Telford in “Sons of Anarchy”
If you need someone to rely on, and then I mean really always rely on, Chibs is your guy. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you. But don’t make him your enemy, because then you’re a dead man.

3. Phil Dunphy in “Modern Family”
He’s quirky and he’s always trying a bit to hard, but isn’t that why everyone loves Phil? Well, I do. I think Phil is awesome.

2. Dean Winchester in “Supernatural”
What’s not to love? Dean is a great guy, he’s tough, cool, sexy, great taste in music and a loyal brother to Sam. And somehow Dean never dies, ok he does but he always returns.

1. Nick Stokes in “CSI”
Still standing strong in my top 5. This can only change if the show isn’t on television anymore. Nick is a great CSI, kind, smart, loyal and helpful. Seriously, how can you dislike Nick?

They Almost Made the Top 5: Greg Sanders in “CSI”, Dexter Morgan in “Dexter”, Cameron Pritchett in “Modern Family”, Jackson Avery in “Grey’s Anatomy”, Alan Harper in “Two and a Half Men”, Sheldon Cooper in “The Big Bang Theory”, Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortic in “Sons of Anarchy”

Emma Stone, Sons of Anarchy and Michelle Williams

I made four new wallpapers and I'm actually quite happy with all of them. The first features Emma Stone, lovely Emma.

Than I also made two wallpapers of one of my favorite TV-shows "Sons of Anarchy". First one with Theo Rossi and the second one features my two favorite characters Juice and Chibs.

Last, but definitely not least, Michelle Williams. The pictures are from a photshoot as Marilyn Monroe for her movie "My Week with Marilyn".

They are all pretty much in the same style,but that's how I like it. Feel free to use them on your own computer.

Top 5 Thursday: "Sons of Anarchy" Characters

It's really a show for guys, but I love this show. I already showed my love for "Sons of Anarchy" once on my blog and now I will share with you my favorite characters of the show.

5. Jackson “Jax” Teller
He’s the main character, but he has never been my absolute favorite. I think Jax is much smarter than Clay and I also think that he would make a better president. I love him with Tara and his boys and his friendship with Opie.

4. Tara Knowles
My favorite female on the show. Tara didn’t really fit in in the beginning, but everyone could see she still had feelings for Jax. She is very brave, risking so much for the love of her life and actually adapting to the lifestyle. Tara is a great mother to Abel and Thomas and her relationship with Gemma got stronger. She now fits the group perfectly.

3. Harry “Opie” Winston
He was my second favorite, but got demoted. I still like Opie. He doesn’t really say much and when he does, he sticks with short and simple sentences. I like the fact that although he’s a tough guy, he cant’t deal with Lyla’s job.

2. Jean Carlos “Juice” Ortiz
He became more interesting for me and he has a bigger role in season 4. Juice’s character gets more depth. There is more to him than a lot of people think and I really like him. I also like him in combination with Chibs, somehow I see that they have a good bond. Juice is very good with technology, but an idiot when it comes to social skills. Definitely the hottest guy on the show.

1. Filip “Chibs” Telford
I liked him from the beginning. Chibs is a loyal man and someone the team can always rely on. Plus he has a great sense of humor and I love the accent (and the way he says Clay…) . My favorite moment, how cruel it may sound, is when he killed Jimmy O. He finally got his vengeance. Oh yeah, and the two-men-hugging-in-a-bathroom-scene with Juice. Loved it.

They almost made the top 5: Gemma Teller, Robert “Bobby Elvis” Munson and Piermon “Piney” Winston

Let Freedom Ride

I recently told you how much I love the TV show "Sons of Anarchy". My brother and I are totally hooked on it. I also got the DVD of the first season last thursday and now I thought it was time for a wallpaper. I had the Rachel McAdams wallie on for quite a while, and though she never bores me I thought it was time for something new. So here's my SOA wallpaper. And as always, feel free to use it on your own computer.

Reasons Why I Love Sons of Anarchy

OK, so "Sons of Anarchy" is not your typical girly-show. It's about a motorgang, lots of badasses and violence. But that doesn't mean I can't like it, because I do. It's my latest addiction and I'm always looking forward to the next episode like I did with "Lost" and I still do with "CSI". Here are some reasons why I love this show so much.

# 1. No one's perfect. I think we love the characters more for their flaws than their perfectness. For example Gemma. We love the fact that she takes care of her boys, but we love her even more when she kicks some ass. Or Jax, the loving father, who kills like it's a daily chore. All the character have imperfections, even sweet doctor Tara who didn't think twice when shooting that ATF creep. Even Tig, the craziest guy out there, gets some sort of sympathy.

# 2. The guys! It's nice to watch sweet, caring, clumbsy boys in "Glee", but I prefer a tough guy. Charlie Hunnam is enough eye candy for me to tune in. But we also have Theo Rossi, who playes Juice, far out the hottest guy on the show. But Ryan Hurst and Kenny Johnson aren't all that bad either. No sissy's here. All real menly men.

# 3. Katey Sagal. Isn't she just perfect in her role as Gemma. This is the role of a lifetime. A well deserved Golden Globe she won.

# 4. Even though they do a lot of bad stuff (fighting, killing, selling guns, cheating, you name it), you still root for the SONS. They have a backstory and you sympathize (almost) everyone single one of them.

# 5. The music. Starting with the fantastic theme song by "Curtis Stigers & the Forest Rangers". How cool is that? Together with "Supernatural" probably the show with the best music in it.

If you've never watched the show before, you better start now. You're missing out on a lot, because it's an awesome show. Really worth watching.