80s Movie Review - Die Hard

Director: John McTiernan
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 1988
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, William Atherton

Description: A New York City police officer (Bruce Willis) tries to save his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

Review: I have watched this movie so many times, I can’t believed I never wrote a review for it. Bruce Willis plays his iconic character John McClane. He is visiting his estranged wife in Los Angeles, only realizing that during her company’s Christmas party, some uninvited guest arrive to keep them hostage. Good luck for them, because McClane is a bad ass New York City cop.

The story is pretty simple, but the execution of it is phenomenal. A real action movie with lots of humor interspersed with rock-hard action. “Die Hard” set a trend for a new generation of films in the late 80s and early 90s.

“Die Hard” is a kick-ass movie that ever fan of the action flick lives. Willis’ most iconic role.

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Love Actually

Director: Richard Curtis
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Rowan Atkinson, Martine McCutheon, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel, Ejiofor, Thomas Sangster, Rodrigo Santoro

Description: Follows the lives of several different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Review: With “Love Actually”, the directorial debut by Richard Curtis shows that life is full of small moments of love and affection. Me not being a romance girlie, this is one of the few exceptions in the genre that I’m absolutely in love with.

Richard Curtis is mostly know for his screenwriting, having been apart of “Blackadder”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill”, among others. “Love Actually” is as smoothly put together as the romcoms for which he alone wrote the screenplay.

The fact that Curtis managed to have the best of the best actors at his disposal also work in his favor. It’s not hard to take them to heart. We follow several storylines in this film, some of them intertwine at some. We meet David, as he arrives on his first day as the Prime Minister, falling in love with Nathalie who is in his staff. Karen is painfully confronted with her husband’s potential adultery. Daniel has just lost his wife and has to deal with his young stepson’s first time being in love. Jamie leaves for France after he finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him with his brother. Here he meets Aurelia, but there is a language barrier. Sarah has been in love Karl for over two years, but because of her sick brother she never lets herself act on it. Jack and Judy meet each other while being movie stand-ins for nude scenes. Old rocker Billy Mack is trying to reach the number one spot with his Christmas song. Mark’s best friend Peter marries Juliet. Juliet feels like Mark doesn’t really like her, finding out that that’s not the reason he never talks to her. And finally Colin, who is sick of British girls and travels to America to find a woman.

Even though not all storylines are equally successful or enjoyable, the complete package is so lovely. This film has high rewatchability and I simply can’t get enough of it. I want to watch it every Christmas. And the ending is very satisfactory as well. Sugar sweet and overly romantic, but for some reason I am totally fine with it here.  

Rating: 5/ 5

90s Movie Review - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Director: Kevin Reynolds
Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Action/ Romance
Runtime: 143 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantinio, Christian Slater, Geraldine McEwan, Michael McShane, Brian Blessed, Michael Wincott, Walter Sparrow, Jack Wild, Sean Connery

Description: When Robin (Kevin Costner) and his Moorish companion (Morgan Freeman) come to England and the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman), he decides to fight back as an outlaw.

Review: In 1991 director Kevin Reynolds brought us one of the best movies based on the classic Robin Hood story. The cast is good and so is the soundtrack. The single “Everything I Do (I Do it for You)” by Bryan Adams was a huge hit (note: it’s my favorite song).
Kevin Costner portrays the historical hero Robin Hood, also known as Robin of Locksley. Costner doesn’t always convince, because of that accents, but proofs he is a great actor. His sidekick is Azeem, played by Morgan Freeman. As always Freeman manages to do this very well. But Alan Rickman is the scene stealer, as the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. Very over the top, but a joy to watch. He is brilliant in his role.
Not only the actors are good, the décor is also amazing. It’s almost fairytale like. The locations are beautiful and spectacular. This also goes for the fight scenes.
“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” is a movie that is still fun after watching it a couple of times (and believe me, I’ve seen it many times). Most people would rate it lower, but this movie always holds a special place in my heart.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy/ Drama
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Helene Bonham-Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Warwick Davis, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Chris Rankin, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch

Description: With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Review: The fifth movie in the series is a bit more grim then the previous films. The innocent face of the then 12 year old Daniel Radcliffe is now a full grown teenager.
In the opening scene we see Harry sitting on a swing. After his cousin Dudley is teasing him again, Harry breaks. He gets his wand out and threatens Dudley. It shows that Harry isn’t someone to mess with anymore. Voldemort is after Harry and sends dementors his way. When a dementor wants to attack Dudley, Harry uses a Patronus spell on him. This gets him in trouble.
Harry is traumatized since he saw Cedric die in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. For the first time we feel Harry’s burden. Although Hermione and Ron support him, Harry feels alone. But he has no choice, he has to get ready to face Voldemort.
There are some new characters introduced. Evanna Lynch plays Luna Lovegood. A quirky witch who makes sure there are also some lighter moments in the film. She teaches Harry to cope with the trauma. Then there is Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, who is probably the most annoying character in the entire franchise. She steals the show.
What I liked most about “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is how the students are forming their own alliance and try to get ready for the big battle, without any help of the teachers. Characters like Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasly get a more important role in the story.
It wasn’t one of my favorite books, because it was so long. But director David Yates has done a fantastic job in turning it into a movie. It is one of my favorite Harry Potter movies.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Director: Mike Newell
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 157 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Timothy Spall, Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Robert Pattinson, Stanislav Ianevski, Clémence Poésy, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Warwick Davis, David Tennant

Description: Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself mysteriously selected as an under-aged competitor in a dangerous tournament between three schools of magic.

Review: Harry Potter has been challenged before, but the challenges he has to face in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” are from an entire different caliber.
The fourth installment in the series is a big spectacle. We start at the Quidditch World Cup, but quickly go back to Hogwarts. There Dumbledore tells the student about the Triwizard Tournament. Three different schools, including Hogwarts, will have to face three challenges. Three champions are chosen, but the goblet of fire spits out one more name: Harry Potter. No one knows how his name got in the cup, because he isn’t allowed to participate. Harry has to compete.
Although the movie is a visual spectacle and there is a lot of action, the emotional development is minimal. This was an important film in the series, because of a certain character reveal. But “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” isn’t the most memorable of the bunch. And the movie is very long with its two and a half hours.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 142 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Chris Rankin, Bonnie Wright, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Matthew Lewis, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Warwick Davis, Mark Williams, Pam Ferris, Julie Christie

Description: It's Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry.

Review: “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third movie in the series and a darker film then the previous two. The film is a lot more intense and can be scary for younger viewers. The film is very different from the book, director Alfonso Cuarón focused more on the action then the exact story in the book.
After an unfortunate accident with aunt Marge, 13 year old Harry Potter flees the Dursley house. The way to Hogwarts is already very eventful, but the real problems start when he arrives. A dangerous wizard, Sirius Black, has escaped the prison of Azkaban and he is looking for Harry. The Dementors, the scary guards of Azkaban, also guard Hogwarts but they also seem to be focused on Harry. The new professor, Remus Lupin, teaches him to defend himself against them.
Lots of introductions in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. The monster book, the magical Hippogriff and the Grim. Two new teachers: Sibyll Trelawney and Professor Lupin. And again exciting adventures where Harry is joined by his friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Hagrid.
Harry Potter is growing up. And I don’t mean just the character, the film too. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are four years older than the first film. And the film doesn’t feel like a kids movie anymore.
Director Chris Columbus has been replaced by Alfonso Cuarón. The books by J.K. Rowling get more intense and heavy and you can see that in the film. The movie lost his light touch and there aren’t as many funny moments like there were in the first two films. Rowling asked Cuarón not to copy the book to film literally, but capture the essence and spirit of the Potter universe. And that’s exactly what he did. Some essential elements where left out and the ‘die hard’ Harry Potter fans might not like it.
The movie is a visual spectacle with great décor and beautiful special effects. The acting is also good. Special mentions are newcomers Gary Oldman and David Thewlis, as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, after he passed away. Good choice, but I still miss Harris a little bit.
The film is meant for the family, but it can be a bit scary for the younger ones. Although the books is my favorite of the series, the movie isn’t. Yet it’s another great film in the Harry Potter franchise.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Director: Chris Columbus
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 154 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Toby Jones, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Lewis, Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, John Cleese, Warwick Davis, Mark Williams, Chris Rankin

Description: Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) ignores warnings not to return to Hogwarts, only to find the school plagued by a series of mysterious attacks and a strange voice haunting him.

Review: “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is again a guarantee for a fun family night. And I love nothing more than to step into a magical place like Hogwarts.
This time we learn about a secret chamber in Hogwarts, build by one of the founders of the school: the rather unsympathetic Zalazar Slytherin. Slytherin didn’t like that the kids of ‘normal’ people could join the school. The secret chamber has a monster in it, that is out to kill children, or at least petrify them. The secret chamber can only be opened by a direct heir of Slytherin. When the first student of Hogwarts is found petrified, it’s clear that the evil heir has returned.
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” goes into a variety of situations but never loses the main storyline. The character get enough time and space. The young cast is again strong, led by Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.
Richard Harris convinces again as Dumbledore. This was the last Harry Potter film for him after his death in 2002. Alan Rickman is perfect in his role as Snape and Maggie Smith is fantastic too as McGonagall. Kenneth Branagh is one to mention. He plays the self-loving douche Gilderoy Lockheart, who isn’t as heroic as you might think.
The setting are again beautiful. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” is again a great Harry Potter film, fun for fans of the books as well as non-book lovers.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Director: Chris Columbus
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Saunders Triplet, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling, Richard Griffiths, Derek Deadman, John Cleese, Sean Biggerstaff, Warwick Davis, Zoë Wanamaker, John Hurt, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Bonnie Wright, Chris Rankin, Matthew Lewis, Mark Williams, Julie Walter

Description: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Review: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is the first movie in the Harry Potter series. Based on the books by J.K. Rowling. She wanted to be involved with the making of the movies, so that they stayed true to the source material.
Harry is introduced to us, we learn about his past. Director Chris Columbus takes his time for that, because people who haven’t read the books should understand.
The actual magic starts when Harry visits Diagon Alley and platform 9 ¾. Daniel Radcliffe is a good Harry Potter. Off course he doesn’t have a lot of acting experience, but that doesn’t matter. His friend Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, is a pleasant surprise, but Emma Watson as Hermione Granger is probably the biggest discovery. Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, probably has the most experience. He is perfect for the mean role of Draco.
Then the adults. Robbie Coltrane is exactly the Rubeus Hagrid J.K. Rowling described. His raw appearance and voice fit the character perfectly. Richard Harris has the friendly, warm and sophisticated charm for Dumbledore. Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, both also excellent cast. Especially Rickman is very convincing.
It’s obviously a well-cast film and Rowling can be proud of the first film. I really love this first Harry Potter adventure.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 9: Eye in the Sky

Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdo, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen

Description: Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

Review: One moment you’re buying a doll for your grandchild, an hour later you’re making critical decisions in Nairobi. In modern times, this can be an ordinary workday for army leaders in their battle against Muslim terrorism. Nowadays people aren’t always in the frontline, but difficult decisions are made from a controle room, while watching video images. “Eye in the Sky” is about one of those missions: a drone attack from the British and American army. Orders are given from England, the pilot is in the US and in Kenia they have the terrorist in their sight. They are on the most wanted list and are about to execute a suicide bombing.
There is one moral question: can you make one innocent person a victim when you can save a potential hundred? “Eye in the Sky” is a very clever film. There is that moral theme, but the film has a very fast pace. Helen Mirren is great in this film, I loved her performance and her determined character. Alan Rickman is more diplomatic in his performance. He physically doesn’t do much, but the power he transfers to the screen is so strong. This was Rickman’s last film role by the way. The film has a high tension level, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It’s a war film, but not the spectacular and action packed kind. This is based on decision making and the consequences those decisions will have. “Eye in the Sky” is a movie that I enjoyed more than I expected, a really good and overlooked 2016 film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 19: Galaxy Quest

Director: Dean Parisot

Genre: Adventure/ Science Fiction/ Comedy

Runtime: 102 minutes

Year: 1999

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Daryl Mitchell, Missi Pyle, Justin Long, Rainn Wilson

Description: The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help.

Review: Sigourney Weaver is no stranger to the science fiction genre. In “Galaxy Quest” this genre is mocked. Together with Tim Allen and Alan Rickman, they play actors from an old science fiction TV show called “Galaxy Quest”.

The movie starts with a segment from that show, that stopped running after 1982. Eighteen years later the actors are still going to conventions in the costumes of their characters. The relationship between all the actors isn’t as good as it used to be. Jason Nesmith, who played Commander Taggert on the show, is the only one who’s still happy with his fame. The others are annoyed by his arrogance.

The next day, Jason wakes up with a hangover and a group of strange people is waiting for him at the door. They ask Jason to join them on their spaceship, not knowing that they are actual aliens, to fight the evil General Sarris. Jason manages to get the rest of the cast to go with him. The aliens think that the TV show is a documentary and see the actors as their role models. Their spaceship is an exact copy of the one in the TV show.

If you know “Star Trek”, you can see many resemblances. This is what the creators wanted, because the film mocks the genre. “Galaxy Quest” is really funny, both when it comes to the characters and the situations they get themselves into. Tim Allen is perfect for a movie like this and Sigourney Weaver fits in as well. Alan Rickman not so much, so you would think, but this is one of his best roles. He is surprisingly hilarious and steals every scene he is in. I also loved Sam Rockwell, who plays a character who had a guest role on the show once and his character died. Now he is afraid he will die in real life.

“Galaxy Quest” is a movie that many people probably won’t like, because it’s sometimes a bit ridiculous. But I loved this movie!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Best Alan Rickman Performances

I honor of Alan Rickman, who passed away January 14th 2016 at the age of 69, I decided to make a list of his best performances. Here are Alan Rickman’s best roles, in no particular order.

Sense and Sensibility

In the adaptation of Jane Austen’s brilliant novel “Sense and Sensibility”, Rickman portrays Colonel Brandon. That makes him part of the love triangle for Marianne’s affection, putting him in competition with John Willoughby. Rickman’s performance is one of measured restraint. It’s a more warm role then we’re used to seeing him in.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The very best actors have range and don’t back away from a musical either. Okay, singing might not be Rickman’s strength, but his character Judge Turpin is one to remember. Just a supporting role, but Rickman’s the man you remember.

Love Actually

“Love Actually” is a collection of loosely linked stories, set a few weeks before Christmas. One of the stories involves Harry and Karen (Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson), a husband and wife with a fractured relationship. This segment works because of the actors.

Harry Potter

Across eight films, Alan Rickman had a chance to develop the character of Severus Snap into someone far greater that the outright villain that he initially appears as in the Harry Potter story. The trick to his performance as Snape is that, in both his heroic and darker moments, he never lets us really like him that much.

Galaxy Quest

Alan Rickman does have a real flare for comedy as well and his performance in “Galaxy Quest” is there to proof that. “Galaxy Quest” is the film where a bunch of actors from a once-popular television series are doing the convention circuit. Where they encounter real aliens. Rickmans’ character gets a catchphrase, which he spits out with weary reluctance. That Rickman’s character continues to get pissed off by this more and more as the film progresses only adds to the comedy. Proof?

 

Die Hard

No matter how many sequels this franchise will have, there will never be a villain like Hans Gruber. The antagonist was perfectly portrayed by Alan Rickman and is without a doubt one of the best villains in movie history. An intensely clever man.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I’ve seen this movie so many times I’ve lost count. And the reason I love it so much, is partly because of the awesome villain role played by Alan Rickman. I think in fact the main reason people are still talking about this movie is because of Rickman. “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” is brilliantly entertaining and Rickman steals the show with his overly dramatic acting as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Movie Moments: "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"

I’ve seen this movie so many times, I don’t even need to rewatch it to tell you what my favorite scenes are. “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” is still, in my opinion, the best movie about Robin Hood. Okay, maybe not the best, but the most fun and memorable. And it has my favorite song of all-time on its soundtrack.

Moment # 1: Robin fighting, Azeem praying
After Robin Hood and his new friend Azeem have escaped, they are headed to see Robin’s father. While danger is on the way, Azeem starts praying, instead of helping out Robin.

Moment # 2: Robin’s father
Robin arrives at his father’s home and sees it has been burned to the ground. He’s looking for him and finds him…. hanging. He want to avenge his father’s death.

Moment # 3: Fighting a masked knight
Robin visits Marian, who he thinks changed very much. Then he’s attacked by a masked knight. During the fight, Robin finds out he’s fighting a woman. When he takes off her mask, Robin sees it’s the real Marian.

Moment # 4: Binoculars
Robin and Azeem see the enemy approach. Azeem hands over binoculars to Robin, who has never seen it before. When he looks through, it scares him how close the enemy has come. He doesn’t understand it’s purpose.

Moment # 5: Crossing the river
Robin thinks it’s easy to cross a shallow river. Well, think again. The people who live there, led by John Little, don’t want him to cross and they won’t leave without a fight.

Moment # 6: “I’ll cut your heart out with a spoon”
Robin has entered the walls and is planning on stealing from the rich. Along the way he meets up with Marian, who advices him to take a bath. And also the Prince John, who has a rather unconventional method of trying to kill Robin.

Moment # 7: “Keep the stitched small”
After his unlucky meeting with Robin Hood, the Prince John has a big cut on his face. He orders the doctor to keep the stitches small. Later they also added the scar to his most beloved statue.

Moment # 8: Fighting and making weapons
John Little and all his people decided to tag along with Robin’s plans. Together they make weapons, like swords and arrows, and they are thought to fight properly.

Moment # 9: The arrow
Robin Hood is known for his archery. We see it up close and personal, while from the point of view of the arrow.

Moment # 10: Friar Tuck
The jolly, singing and always drunk Friar Tuck passes by. Robin and his group try to get the beer that he’s transporting. Friar Tuck doesn’t corporate and almost gets away, but he’s not that smart.

Moment # 11: Marian visits Robin
Marian wants to see Robin, who has been taken her advice. She sees him ‘taking a bath’ and is rather hypnotized by what she sees. When Robin eventually approaches her, she doesn’t know what to say.

Moment # 12: The blow
Robin is trying to teach the villagers how to shoot a bow and arrow while being distracted. Marian wonders if Robin can. While everyone is trying to distract him, Robin stays focused. Until Marian blows gentle into his ear.

Moment # 13: The kiss
Marian says goodbye to Robin, but before she gets into the boat Marian kisses him.

Moment # 14: Brothers
Robin wants to know why Will hates him so much. He reveals that they are brothers and that their father loved Robin more than him.

Moment # 15: The hanging
Prince John has captured John Little’s son. Together Robin and his people come up with a plan to rescue him.

Moment # 16: The final fight
In order to rescue Marian, Robin has to fight Prince John. And they both aren’t willing to give up.

Moment # 17: The wedding
Off course they will live happily ever after and Robin and Marian get married. King Richard also arrives and celebrates with them.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 5 : Crossing the River

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 45: The Butler

Director: Lee Daniels
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, James Marsden, Vanessa Redgrave, Terrence Howard, Cuba Goodingg Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Jane Fonda

Description: As Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) serves eight presidents during his tenure as a butler at the White House, the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other major events affect this man's life, family, and American society.

Review: The story of “The Butler” is inspired by real-life butler Eugene Allen, who worked at the White House for 34 years. Here the main character is called Cecil Gaines. We see how he goes from working the cotton fields with his parents to being a butler in the White House.
Director Lee Daniels wanted to make a film about the position of Afro Americans in their battle for equality. It looks promising, but Daniels bit off more than he could chew. He is known for his heavy themes, like the film “Precious”. There it works a bit better, because he focused on the life of one girl. “The Butler” is set in a timespan of almost 90 years. He simply doesn’t have enough time for that, so his story is a bit lost.
Forest Whitaker does his task. His performance is solid and convincing and it’s better than the movie itself. Oprah Winfrey probably gave her all, but she doesn’t bring it. David Oyelowo, who played Cecil’s son, did a fantastic job. The rest of the cast is hard to judge, because they simply don’t get the room to exploit.
I understand where Lee Daniels was going with this film and the result is definitely not bad, because I enjoyed watching “The Butler”, but I think this project was too ambitious.

Rating: 3/ 5

Quotables: "Die Hard"

“Die Hard” is without a doubt one of the best action movies ever made. The main reason why I like this film so much is its leading man Bruce Willis as John McClane. And another reason is the bad guy, Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman. And with that there is just so much action, cursing, shooting, bleeding, you name it. Here are my favourite quotes from “Die Hard”.

Supervisor: [as McClane tries to call up police] “Attention, whoever you are, this channel is reserved for emergency calls only”.
John McClane: “No fucking shit, lady. Does it sound like I'm ordering a pizza?”

John McClane: [huddled in an air vent, recalls his wife's invitation] "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."

Hans Gruber: “Now, you can break the code? “
Theo: “You didn't bring me along for my charming personality.”

John McClane: [after McClane sets off massive explosion] “Is the building on fire?”
Sergeant Al Powell: “No, but it's gonna need a paint job and a shit load of screen doors.”

John McClane: “But, all things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.”

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Villains

This week I picked the best movie villains. Characters that are just nasty, evil, sick and twisted. Here they are.

5. Hannibal Lecter (“The Silence of the Lambs”)
Hannibal Lecter is a charming and smart man and I think some people respect him somehow. But let's face it, he eats people, that's not very nice.

4. John Doe (“Seven”)
He kills people according to the seven deadly sins. Original and brilliant, but also pretty disturbing.

3. Hans Gruber (“Die Hard”)
Hans is a sophisticated villain with a sense of style. He is very polite for a bad guy, but maybe that’s why some people might underestimate him. You don’t want to mess with Hans Gruber.

2. Michael Myers (“Halloween”)
Always very coolly, slow walk, dark eyes and silent. He never says a word and that silent act makes him very scary.

1. Mr. Blonde (“Reservoir Dogs”)
The scene where he cuts that guys ear of and that poors it with gasoline. That's sick! Mr. Blonde, aka Vic Vega, wants to see his victims suffer before they actually die.

They almost made the top 5: Darth Vader (“Star Wars”), Freddy Krueger (“A Nightmare on Elmstreet”), Anton Chigurg (“No Country for Old Men”), Alex Forrest (“Fatal Attraction”), Tommy De Vito (“Goodfellas”), Jack Torrance (“The Shining”) and Elle Driver (“Kill Bill”)

Movie Moments: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I already shared my favorite moments with you from the first Harry Potter movie. This time it's "Harry Potter and the Chambr of Secrets". Also filled with memorable moments. Here they are.

Moment # 1: Harry meets Dobby
When his aunt and uncle have a guest, Harry has been sent up to his room. He meets Dobby, a house elf. He says he has to protect and warn Harry and he has to prevent him from going back to Hogwarts. Dobby is the reason why he never got letters from Ron and Hermione, because that could be a reason for Harry not to return to Hogwarts. Harry has to promise Dobby not to go back, or else he drops a cake on the head of his aunt and uncle’s guest. And that’s exactly what Dobby does.

Moment # 2: The flying car
Harry now has bars in front of his windows. Ron, George and Fred rescue Harry…. In a flying car. Later when Harry and Ron miss the train to Hogwarts, they take the car again and fly to school. They land in a tree.

Moment # 3: Ron receives a howler
Ron’s owl brings him a letter. It’s a howler, a letter that screams at you. It’s from his mother who found out about the flying car.

Moment # 4: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
Harry and his quidditch team are up against Slytherin. Draco now joined the team. Harry is pursued by a bludger, that’s obviously tampered with. Harry does catch the snitch and wins the game for his team.

Moment # 5: Snape and Lockhart duel
Gilderoy Lockhart starts a dueling club. He introduces his “assistent” Severus Snape, who he duels first. Snape off course overpowers him. They challenge Harry and Draco to duel each other, but only to disarm each other. When a snake appears, Harry terrifies his fellow students by speaking in Parseltongue. A language only a few speak and means that you can talk to snakes.

Moment # 6: Dumbledore’s office
Professor McGonagal brings Harry to Dumbledore’s room. He sees the sorting hat and asks him if Gryffindor was the right house for him. The hat tells Harry that he was very difficult to place. He also meets Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix. A bird that burns and is being reborn from its ashes.

Moment # 7: Polyjuice potion
Harry, Ron and Hermione made Polyjuice potion. With this potion they can change into someone else. So they can find out about Draco’s secrets and if he’s the heir of Slytherin. Ron and Harry turn into to Crabbe and Goyle, but Hermione turns into a cat by accident because she did something wrong with the potion.

Moment # 8: Tom Riddle
Harry finds a book with nothing in it. When Harry writes something in it, the book answers him. It’s someone called Tom Riddle. Harry asks him about the chamber of secrets and finds out that it was Hagrid who opened the chamber all those years ago.

Moment # 9: Aragog
Ron and Harry follow the little spiders like Hagrid told them to. They meet Aragog, the big leader of the spiders. Aragog tells them it wasn’t Hagrid that opened the chamber of secrets and that he is not the monster that has petrified all the muggles.

Moment # 10: The chamber of secrets
Harry and Ron discover the chamber and enter it. They get separated, so Harry is on his own and tries to find Ginny. When he does, he meets Tom Riddle. He tells him Ginny opened the chamber, because that’s what he told her to do. Tom calls the basilisk and sends him after Harry. Fawkes, the phoenix, blinds him and that’s how Harry manages to overpower him and save Ginny.

Moment # 11: Dobby is free
Harry finds out that Dobby is the Malfoy’s house elf, therefore a slave. When Harry gives him a sock, making it look like it came from Lucius Malfoy, Dobby is finally free. Dobby protects Harry from Lucius and tells him “You shall not harm Harry Potter”.

Moment # 12: Hagrid returns
Because Hagrid was the first suspect of opening the chamber, he has been send to Azkaban. Now he’s back and get’s a grand of applause.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 11: Dobby is free