10s Movie Review - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Tim Blake Nelson, Clancy Brown, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Harry Melling

Description: Six tales of life and violence in the Old West.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 25: A MOVIE WITH MULTIPLE STORYLINES
 
Review: A film by Joel and Ethan Coen is always something to look forward to. That Netflix allowed the famous brothers to make a film and gave them a free hand in it makes it even more interesting. The results is an anthology of six stories, all set in the Old West and highlighting an aspect of life in the Wild West.

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” has a book as a window for the narratives. An unknown person opens the book and we dive into the first story. It bears the title of the film and is delightfully ridiculous. Tim Blake Nelson plays the smiley cowboy from the title and comes across as somewhat simple. But he manages to win every fight he gets into. That;s how simple the premise of the first story is.

The other five are more or less the same, but there is enough cleverness in them and references to modern times to keep engaging. Gradually, the tone of the film also changes and the lightheartedness disappears. In ‘Meal Ticket’ Liam Neeson plays the callous impresario of a man without arms and legs. The wretch recites poems, but sees his audience shrinking. This was my favorite story. In ‘The Mortal Remains’ we follow a group of people in a carriage. This is my least favorite of the stories and a bit boring actually. Other stories stand out, like ‘Near Algodones’ where James Franco plays a bank robber, or ‘All the Gold Canyon’ with a starring role for musician Tom Waits as a prospector. The stories are not connected, so it’s sometimes difficult to get into them properly.

It’s not one of the best movies by the Coen Brothers and certainly not one of my favorites, but definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - I Am Michael

Director: Justin Kelly
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts, Charlie Carver, Daryl Hannah, Ahna O’Reilly

Description: Based on the fascination true-life story of Michael Glatze (James Franco), a gay activist who becomes a Christian pastor after identifying as a heterosexual.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 11: A LGBTQ MOVIE

Review: In the late 2000s Michael Glatze, gay activist and co-founder of the magazine Young Gay America, announced that he embraced Christianity and no longer identified as homosexual. He even claimed that it was a bad thing. “I Am Michael” focuses on Michael’s change of paths and this somewhat incredible true story.
When we meet Michael, he is the editor of XY, a magazine for gay men stationed in San Francisco. He and his boyfriend Bennett seem to enjoy their life and seemingly perfect relationship. It’s so perfect that they even invite a third man, Tyler.
But deep inside Michael is in pain. He suffers from his mother’s death and becomes obsessed with questions about life after death. He drifts further apart from Bennett. Michael discovers that there is more love and truth in the bible then he initially thought and eventually devotes himself to God. Michael decides he no longer identifies as homosexual. He goes to bible school and meets a young woman there, whom he falls in love with.
Director Justin Kelly and all the actors seem not to be judging Glatze, but they can't downplay the sharp nature of his betrayal.
“I Am Michael” is a beautiful film without any technical fuss, which managed to keep my attention for the entire runtime. Maybe a bit fragmented, but because I didn’t know the original story it didn’t bother me. I found James Franco, who portrayed Glatze, very strong in his role and his character development was very interesting. Zachary Quinto, as Bennet, also did a good job. I liked the calm nature of his character and it felt like he somewhat served as Michael’s conscience.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - This is the End

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart, Rihanna, David Krumholtz, Emma Watson

Description: While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.

Review: Relaxing with his friend Seth Rogen, smoke some weed, play video games and eat junk food. That’s the weekend Jay Baruchel had in mind in “This is the End”. Sadly for him, that chill weekend ends up in the apocalypse.
Against his will Jay joins Seth for a house warming party at James Franco’s house. The new mansion is filled with Hollywood’s finest. When Jay and Seth quickly go to a store, they witness a weird happening where people are sucked into the sky. It’s followed by a giant sink hole in front of Franco’s house.
“This is the End” is a comedy that can go two ways: you either love it or you hate it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have proved themselves before, with the comedy “Superbad”. And again they manage to make us laugh. It’s the end of days, packed with simple, tasteless jokes and pretty enjoyable (sorry to say) death scenes of famous movie stars. By mocking themselves and Hollywood, “This is the End” never has a dull moment.
“This is the End” is a film that is self-aware and not to be taken too seriously. The actors exaggerate their own character, and that’s why it’s a fun movie that I love. A guarantee for laughs.

Rating: 4/ 5

Five to Watch - Movies with Great James Franco Performances

Since James Franco won a Golden Globe yesterday, for his performance in “The Disaster Artist”, it was time to put him in the spotlight here. I went through a list of his movies and choose, what I think, are his best performances.

127 Hours
It’s still beyond me how he didn’t win an Academy Award for this performance. Franco portray real life rock climber Aron Ralston, who got stuck with his arm between a rock and had to cut off his own arm to survive. It’s an adrenaline rush and a perfect one man show by Franco.

Pineapple Express
Bromance, pod and James Franco: the perfect combination for a Golden Globe nominated performance. James Franco’s hilarious performance as stoner Saul Silver is proof of his versatility as an actor.

The Disaster Artist
Tommy Wiseau is quite the character and when James Franco had to portray him, it could easily go wrong. It could have been a cartoonish impersonation of Wiseau, but Franco became Wiseau. I wasn’t looking at and actor pretending to be Wiseau, I saw Tommy Wiseau. And that’s the proof of a great performance.

Spring Breakers
Probably his weirdest role so far. As Alien he is both badass and ridiculous. James Franco is what made this movie as good as it was.

Milk
No more typecasting for James Franco. As Harvey Milk’s lover and campaign manager Scott Smith, Franco took home an Independent Spirit Award. It was the beginning of a new era in Franco’s career.

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 137: The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 104 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Seth Rogen, Megan Millally, Ari Graynor, Jacki Weaver, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron

Description: When Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.

Review: “The Room”, from mysterious film maker and actor Tommy Wiseau, is knows is probably the worst movie ever made. It appears that it cost him about six million dollars, but the movie only made 1800 dollars in the first weekend.
“The Room” was known for its bad dialogues, even worse acting and strange story. But it has grown to be an absolute cult classic. But who was Wiseau? How did he get the money to finance this film? And where was he really from, claiming he was from New Orleans but he has a strange Easter European accent.
We don’t know the answer to those questions, but James Franco isn’t trying to answer them. He did speak to Wiseau on a daily basis, because Franco doesn’t only direct. He also portrays Wiseau. And with that he gives away one of the best performances of his career. Wiseau is quite the character and it’s really easy to fall into a cartoonish character that you are impersonating. When you look at Franco as Wiseau, you don’t see the actor Franco. You see Wiseau.
Greg, played by James Franco’s real life brother Dave Franco, is ambitious and wants to be an actor. During an acting class, he meets Wiseau. He looks up to him, because Wiseau gives his all without caring about what others think. Wiseau isn’t talented, but the two decide to move to Los Angeles and pursue an acting career. When they get no after no, they decided to make their own movie. Wiseau writes the script for “The Room”.
Most part of the film is spend on the filming of “The Room”. It’s clear that Wiseau is an unpredictable man. And people around him don’t really know what to think of him. Greg is the only one that still believes in him.
Franco didn’t turn Wiseau into a caricature, but actually gave his character a lot of heart. As for the whole movie, it has so much heart.
James Franco is so talented and he made an absolute fantastic film with “The Disaster Artist”. His directing is so good, but he excels as the actor here. For me the best movie of 2017.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 126: Why Him?

Director: John Hamburg
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Keegan-Michael Key, Cedric the Entertainer

Description: A holiday gathering threatens to go off the rails when Ned Fleming (Bryan Cranston) realizes that his daughter's (Zoey Deutch) Silicon Valley millionaire boyfriend (Jame Franco) is about to pop the question.

Review: Ned and Barb are being invited to spend the holidays with their daughter Stephanie. Once they arrive, they meet her new boyfriend Laird, who isn’t exactly the ideal son in law.
“Why Him?” is a pretty funny comedy, directed by John Hamburg. A father meeting his daughter’s new boyfriend isn’t a new concept, but the cast makes it better then you would expect. I think James Franco is very funny, but his personal assistant (played by Keegan-Michael Key) steals the show in his scenes.
“Why Him?” doesn’t work all the time. Bryan Cranston doesn’t really shine and some of the jokes are a bit distasteful. It’s a comedy that will entertain you while having a lazy day on the couch. Funny yet missing the mark sometimes.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 90: Sausage Party

Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon
Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, Edward Norton, Craig Robnson, Nick Kroll, Paul Rudd, David Krumholtz, Salma Hayek

Description: A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence

Review: If you put the creative minds of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jonah Hill together, before you know it you get another hilarious concept. And I think there had to be some weed involved when the idea for “Sausage Party” was born. An animation about talking food, that has to run before they get eaten. It sounds super weird and it somehow is, but it’s damn funny.
“Sausage Party” is not the kind of animation you want to watch with your children. It’s adult humor. And it’s a giant wink to Pixar and Disney. The food in the Shopwell supermarket starts their day with a song, every day. If people buy them, they are chosen. But none of them know what happens to them. Sausage Frank and bun Brenda happen to fall out of the cart, right before the registry. And soon they are about to find out what their actual fate is.
“Sausage Party” is child unfriendly. It’s politically incorrect, sexist, stereotypical, has unsubtle sex jokes and many food related word puns. There is a very macabre scene where the food finds out what really happens to them and there is off course that so-called food porn at the end of the film. And the fact that the villain in the film is a vaginal shower, says enough.
Rogen and Goldberg give the finger to anyone that claims animation is only for kids and that there is always supposed to be a message hidden somewhere. So you shouldn’t take “Sausage Party” too seriously. What “Sausage Party” is, is original, fun and crossing the line. And I like it!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 74: An American Crime

Director: Tommy O’Haver
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, Ari Graynor, James Franco, Evan Peters, Bradley Whitford

Description: The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), who kept a teenage girl (Ellen Page) locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.

Review: The call it the most horrible crime ever committed in Indiana. In 1965, Sylvia Likens’ dead body was found in the house of Getrude Baniszewski. Baniszewski was suffering from a depression and she molested and starved Sylvia. And with that, she also convinced her own kids and other neighborhood kids, to hurt Sylvia as well. During the trial, Baniszewski claimed that she wasn’t responsible for anything that happened to Sylvia. Luckily the jury didn’t buy that and she was sentenced for life.
Director Tommy O’Haver took the transcripts from the court case and used it as an inspiration for this film. Sylvia and her sister Jenny are the daughters of carnival travelers. When they have to take another trip, they decide to leave their kids with Getrude Baniszewski. She is a mother of seven and she could use the money. The oldest daughter, Paula, tells Sylvia a secret. Because Paula is afraid that her mother will find out, she tells a lie. Sylvia has to pay for this and she is beaten and starved and put in the basement.
The movie switches between the court room and the flashbacks of the happenings. Towards the end, we get a ‘surprise twist’, which wasn’t necessary. Because we all know the ending already.
The film is strong because of the performances by Catherine Keener and Ellen Page, but also Ari Graynor and Bradley Whitford. We don’t find out about the why and how of the terrible act. Especially why so many good children decide to also hurt Sylvia. As a viewer we don’t get an answer to that question.
Tommy O’Haver managed to tell Sylvia Likens story pretty well, although the film supports on the performances by two great actresses. The film is not explicit and horrific enough to be a horror film and it misses depth to be an intelligent thriller. But the fact that this is a true story, will give the viewer a slap in the face.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 67: Alien: Covenant

Director: Ridley Scott
Genre: Horror/ Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, James Franco

Description: The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.

Review: After a pause of 20 years and a prequel, it’s finally here: a new Alien film. It’s a sequel to “Prometheus” and a prequel to “Alien”. “Prometheus” got mixed reviews, but director Ridley Scott manages to make up for that with “Alien: Covenant”. The spaceship Covenant is on a colonial mission. They are traveling to another planet to start a new civilization there. They have some hiccups, where several people on board die. When they discover another planet, which is closer by, they decide to check it out. Off course, that’s a bad decision.
The film looks amazing, but that’s not a surprise. The film is scary and bloody, but because most of the film is set outside or in larger areas, it doesn’t give you that claustrophobic feel. Only when they are in the spacecraft. We get Xenomorphs and the so called Facehuggers, but also Neomorphs. This is a smaller albino alien, which are just as dangerous as the other two.
The cast is not always convincing. The one that shine are Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride and Michael Fassbender. The last one even has a double role. The rest of the cast is forgettable and their characters never get any depth.
The twist at the end wasn’t as surprising, but I liked the ending anyway. “Alien: Covenant” is a good film, much better then “Prometheus”.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 12: The Little Prince

Director: Mark Osborne
Genre: Animation/ Fantasy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Jeff Bridges, Paul Giamatti, Ricky Gervais, Albert Brooks, Benicio Del Toro, Mackenzie Foy

Description: A little girl (Mackenzie Foy) lives in a very grown-up world with her mother (Rachel McAdams), who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator (Jeff Bridges), introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.

Review: “Le Petit Prince” is the most well-known book written by Antoine de Sainte-Exupéry. His books are still very loved. The story is filled with critical topics about society and is combined with childish naïve observance. And this is what is so great about “The Little Prince”: how it reaches youthful viewers, but also adults.
The girl that centrals the story lives in a grey, sober world. Order and rules and regularity rule and there is no room for possibilities and self-exploration. Her neighbor, The Aviator, lives in an old house and is seen as a rebel, that no one understands and isn’t accepted by the neighborhood. Both worlds come together, when The Aviator starts telling the girl the story of the Little Prince.
The film is brought to us with lots of fantasy and beautiful emotions. The film also combines computer animation with classic-romantic stop-motion techniques. The main message here is to let kids, stay kids for as long as possible. The tough, cold reality as an adult will eventually come. Let your creativity and playful nature finds its way.

Rating: 5/ 5

TV Review: 11.22.63

Genre: Drama/ Mystery
Year: 2016
Number of Episodes: 8
Starring: James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Chris Cooper, Cherry Jones, Daniel Webber, Lucy Fry. T.R. Knight, Josh Duhamel, Gil Bellows

Description: High school teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy - but his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel Webber), falling in love, and the past itself, which doesn't want to be changed and shouldn't be changed.

Review: In “11.22.63” James Franco plays Jake Epping. He travels back in time to prevent the murder of John F. Kennedy.
When it comes to book adaptations, most actors decide not the read the book before starring in the movie or TV show based on it. Or they say it’s ‘a dream come true’. James Franco, a big Stephen King fan, asked author King himself for the film rights of “11.22.63”.
Franco eventually got the lead role. He plays teacher Jake Epping, recently divorced and no clear future plans. His friend Al Templeton, who owns a diner, shows Jake a mysterious closet. When you walk into it, you end up in Lisbon, Maine. In the year 1960. Always the same place, always the same time. When you return, only two minutes have past. And when you step into the closet again, everything that happened before is undone. Al tried to prevent the murder on John F. Kennedy (11.22.63), but hasn’t succeeded. Because he is very sick, Al asks Jake to try and do it for him.
“11.22.63” dives into the murder. Most conspiracies are left behind and there is a more close study of Lee Harvey Oswald. But the show is mostly about the sixtees. According to Franco it was Stephen King’s chance to enhance everything he loved about that time, but also everything he hated.
Stephen King’s books have been made into movies and series so often. Some were flops and some were a success. I’m glad to say that “11.22.63” is a good one. A great metaphore for reality. And James Franco, who is a favorite of mine, did a wonderful job. Even Stephen King was enthusiastic about his performance.
“11.22.63” is a good mini-series, that stays exciting. You really get lost in the sixtees, just like King’s books always get you lost in his worlds.

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 39: The Ape

Director: James Franco
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: James Franco
Description: A young writer, nearing a mental breakdown caused by his family and boss, moves into an apartment occupied by a walking, talking, foul-mouthed ape in a Hawaiian shirt and Converse High Tops.

Review: As much as I love James Franco as an actor, but also for his artistic creativity, “The Ape” is not really my cup of tea. It’s his directorial debut and you can see Franco is still searching. I get where he is trying to go with this project, but I just didn’t really like it.
James Franco plays Harry, who is on the verge of a mental breakdown. He hates his job and all he wants is to be a writer. In order to write his first book, he flees his family and moves into a an apartment. What he didn’t know is that this apartment comes with a walking and talking ape.
If you think the plot sounds ridiculous, it is. You just feel sorry for Harry, that ape is super annoying. And normally when a character is annoying, that somehow changes along the way.
“The Ape” might be Franco’s directorial debut, but it’s better to forget or even avoid this film.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 12

Lance Brumbder (“Orange County”), Saul Silver (“Pineapple Express”) and Don Lockwood (“Singin’ in the Rain”)

Marry: Don Lockwood would be the most sensible choice. He is charming and he always knows how to lighten up your day. Don can get you in the right mood.

Kiss: Okay, he might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but let’s face it. You gotta love Saul Silver. I think he’s great!

Cliff: As much as I like Lance Brumbder, he’s also a pain in the ass. He can’t do anything right, he actually doesn’t really do anything but watch TV.

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 164: Homefront

Director: Gary Fleder

Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 100 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Frank Grillo, Clancy Brown

Description: A former DEA agent (Jason Statham) moves his family to a quiet town, where he soon tangles with a local meth druglord

Review: In the opening scene of “Homefront” we see how Phil Broker infiltrates a drugs lab. One of the gang members has to watch his son being killed. The bad guys is going to jail and Broker starts a new life with his daughter Maddy. He does this in a town nearby and it’s hard for Broker to stay low. He draws the attention of the wrong people after his daughter gets into a fight with a classmate.

When Broker humiliates the aggressive father on the parking lot of his daughter’s school. Mother Cassie asks her brother Gator for help. When Gator breaks into Broker’s house, he finds evidence of him being an undercover agent.

Although this really sounds dumb, the movie isn’t half bad. Jason Statham is pretty good in this film and so are James Franco and Winona Ryder as the bad guys. “Homefront” isn’t anything special, but it’s better than you’d expect it to be.

It’s simple entertainment, a perfect no-brainer.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 65: The Iceman

Director: Ariel Vromen

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer, Stephen Dorff, James Franco, Robert Davi, Danny A. Abeckaser, John Ventimiglia, Ryan O’Nan, McKaly Miller, Megan Sherrill, Hecktor Hank, Zoran Radanovich, Shira Vilensky, Kelly Lind, John P. Fertitta, Erin Cummings

Description: The true story of Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon), the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife (Winona Ryder) nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

Review: Hundreds of people lost their lives to relentless hitman Richard Kuklinksi aka The Iceman. In the adaptation of this story director Ariel Vromen choose Michael Shannon to portray Kuklinski. And with also Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder and a small role from James Franco, this looks like a promising film. It’s the acting that makes this movie interesting, not the plot.

Working for various criminal originations Kuklinski kills almost 250 people (according to himself). This is combined with the confrontations about honor, trust and loyalty within the criminal world. Besides this dark life he is living, Kuklinski has a loving wife and two daughters, who know nothing about his job. This gets the audience in the situation where we see him as a cold blooded killer and as a loving husband and father.

Michael Shannon is a perfect choice for this role. His appearance makes it very believable and he is genuinely scary is a hitman. Like I said before, the acting in this movie is very strong. It’s better than the movie itself. Which doesn’t mean that it’s bad, because it’s a very enjoyable film. But not a movie that you will remember for a long time.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 17: The Interview

Director: Evan Goldberg

Genre: Comedy/ Action

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang, Timothy Simons, Reese Alexander, James Yi, Paul Bae, Geoff Gustafson, Dominique Lalonde, Anesha Bailey, Anders Holm, Charles Rahi Chun, Don Chow

Description: Dave Skylark (James Franco) and producer Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight." When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Review: There was much ado about “The Interview”. Even before it was released it was criticized by the people representing Kim Jong-Un. But things got worse when the so called Sony hack happened. Fingers pointed towards North-Korea. It wasn’t sure if the movie was going to play in theaters. Luckily for us it did hit the cinemas, with off course some exceptions.

Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen have been playing with the idea of a satire where a journalist plans a hit on a world leader. There focus went to North-Korea when former NBA star Dennis Rodman visited Kim Jong-Un in 2013. That’s when “The Interview” got an actual script.

Presenter Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapaport are both responsible for the TV show “Skylark Tonight”, where celebrities are interviewed and gossiped about. After episode 1000 airs, they find out Kim Jong-Un is a big fan of the show. Aaron is determined to be taken more seriously and wants Dave to interview Kim Jong-Un. When North-Korea agrees, the CIA contacts Dave and Aaron. They need them to plan a hit on the dictator.

Humor comes in many forms and the kind of humor Goldberg and Rogen have is not for everyone. If you saw “This is the End” you know what to expect. Seth Rogen and James Franco both lose themselves in their roles and make this comedy a satire. Don’t take it too seriously, that’s not how this movie was intended. The in between jokes are the most successful.

All the attention this movie got before even premiering probably only worked in their favor, because everyone wanted to see what the fuss was about. I enjoyed it, because I appreciate Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s humor. If “This is the End” wasn’t your cup of tea, you better skip this one.

Rating: 4/ 5

Video of the Week (20)

It's Jimmy Fallon's 40th birthday and there is a big surprise waiting for him behind the blue curtain. And nothing anyone would expect. But, stay tuned, it's a double feature!

 

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 84: As I Lay Dying

Director: James Franco

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 105 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack, Ahna O’Reilly, Lofan Marshall-Green, Brady Permenter, Danny McBride, Beth Grant

Description: Based on the 1930 classic by Faulkner, it is the story of the death of Addie Bundren (Beth Grant) and her family's quest to honor her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.

Review: James Franco is a multi-talent. Sometimes he chooses blockbusters like “Spider-Man”, he starred in Oscar winning flicks “Milk” and “127 Hours” and he had a guest role on the soap opera “General Hospital”. Franco isn’t only an actor, but also a very talented director, writer and producer. For “As I Lay Dying” he directed, but also helped writing the scenario and he portrays one of the lead characters.

“As I Lay Dying” is an adaptation of the book by William Faulkner. It’s the story of Addie Bundren, who dies, and is transported by her family to give her the final resting place she was promised. During that journey the story is told from different perspectives of the family members.

Franco never chooses the easy way out, because “As I Lay Dying” isn’t an easy story to translate to film. This movie isn’t a crowd-pleaser. Fans of the book might like it, but I think the average viewer could be bothered by the split screen that Franco uses, to show us the different perspectives. It could be seen as a smart way to tell the story, but also confusing to follow the story. And the handheld camera could also throw you off, but it does give it a more realistic look.

The acting isn’t always very strong. Franco does a good and solid job and Beth Grant, with only a minor role, shows us some great acting as well. The other performances aren’t that memorable.

Like said before, “As I Lay Dying” isn’t an easy book. Sometimes it’s hard how to interpret some scenes. Sometimes you don’t know if it’s meant to be funny or if it’s just sad. Franco stayed true to the novel, but unfortunately this movie is (like the book) for a specific audience.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Moments: This is the End

This movie could go in two different directions: it was either going to really bad or brilliantly funny. Thank God it was the last, because some of my favorites are in here. James Franco and Seth Rogen are amazing, I really enjoyed this movie. So here are my favorite moments from “This is the End”.

 

Moment # 1: Cleanse

Seth just picked up Jay from the airport. Jay wants to get hamburgers, but Seth tells him he’s on a cleanse. He’s not supposed to be eating glutens. Jay thinks it’s a load of crap and the two start a discussion about it.

Moment # 2: The end begins

Jay and Seth go out to buy cigarettes, then all of a sudden blue beams come from the sky and start sucking people up in the sky.

Moment # 3: Michael Cera dies

L.A. is on fire and Michael Cera starts worrying about his phone. Someone took it. But that’s the least of his worries, because he gets skewered by a telephone pole.

Moment # 4: Milky Way

The guys list their food supplies and start fighting over a Milky Way.

Moment # 5: Emma Watson

Emma Watson shows up at the house and just wants to get some sleep. She overhears a conversation between the guys, but mishears it. She decides to get the hell out of there and take some provision with her.

Moment # 6: Magazine

James gets angry when he finds out someone masturbated onto his porno magazine. It appears it was Danny who did that, so the two start a heated discussion about masturbation.

Moment # 7: Closet

Jonah has been possessed and is now chasing James and Seth. They hide in a closet, but Seth’s a very heavy breather so they soon will be found.

Moment # 8: The exorcism of Jonah Hill

The guys decide to perform an exorcism on Jonah Hill. Jay knows how to, because he saw the movie “The Exorcist”.

Moment # 9: The Backstreet Boys

Jay and Seth made it to heaven and they can make any wish they want. Seth wishes for a Segway and Jay for the Backstreet Boys.

 

 

 

Favorite Moment: Moment # 7 : The Closet

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 50: Spring Breakers

Director: Harmony Korine
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine

Description: Four college girls hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. While partying/drinking/taking drugs they are arrested only to be bailed out by a drug and arms dealer (James Franco).

Review: American teenagers look forward to Spring Break the entire year. A week full of alcohol and partying. Friends Faith, Candy, Brit and Cotty want to go as well. They don’t have enough money, so they rob a restaurant to get money for their trip. When they meet a guy named Alien, the week of innocent partying changes to a week of sins.
A movie that is titled “Spring Breakers” sounds like a fun teen flick. If you wanted that, this is not your movie. It has a dark atmosphere, it’s a bit vague. The further the girls a pulled into Alien’s world, the weirder the ambiance gets.
The film has flashbacks and flashforwards and you find out that the characters aren’t your typical students, but girls with deep and crazy thoughts. Off all the characters, Faith is the only one you can sympathize with. She eventually sees that what they are doing is wrong. I don’t really care for any of the other characters, you just want to slap them in the face and wake them up. James Franco, with his weirdest look ever, is sublime in his role as Alien. He is genuinely a creepy and intriguing man.
“Spring Breakers” is artistic, with great cinematography. It’s an unexpected and original film, which will leave the audience amazed.

Rating: 3,5/ 5