Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 22

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.
 

73/ 100: Little Miss Sunshine (2008)
A dysfunctional American family (desperately positive father, sensible wife, adolescent son, unhinged grandfather and suicidal husband) sets off for California in an old, yellow VW van. After all, the adorable, seven-year-old daughter Olive has made it to the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Sweetness often lurks, but each time the story manages to surprise. The finale, as funny as it is bold, still offers no redemption to the troubled family, but does wonders for the mood. A movie I always turn to to feel happy. Read my full review HERE.
 

74/ 100: Jaws (1975)
A seaside town is terrorized by a great white shark, which has already claimed several victims. The mayor refuses to close the beach. Police Sheriff Brody then, aided by biologist Matt Hooper and rough sea dog Quint, battles the monster himself. At sea, even though he actually has a fear of water. We pretty much don’t see the shark for the first 45 minutes and that is exactly the strength of the film and the best part of this classic by Steven Spielberg. Because with horror movies it’s the thing you don’t see that scares you the most. The movie didn’t really stand the test of time because of the huge mechanical shark, that isn’t that realistic when you full see it partially out of the water towards the end, but this film is still brilliantly filmed and superbly acted. HERE is my full review.
 

75/ 100: Inglorious Basterds (2009)
A group of tough Jewish-American soldiers try to kill as many nazis as possible during WWII occupied France. A cinema owner tries to make the best of things under occupation. And a German officer hunts down Jews. Director and writer Quentin Tarantino intertwined their stories into a clever screenplay, which served as the basis for this rock-solid war film. The agonizing tension in “Inglorious Basterds” is interspersed with dark humor. Sharp dialogue and interesting characters. Check our my full review HERE.
 
Still to watch: 25

Best Jump Scares in Movies

I love horror movies. Not that it makes me sleep any better, because I don’t. And I’m a person that scares easily. It’s often the silent moments that you don’t really see what’s scaring you, that make a film scary. And then there is those jump scares. Some movies overuse them and that I don’t like. But there are many movies, horror and non-horror films, that used them so well. Often at moments you’d least expect them to happen. And that’s when a jump scare is most effective. I created this list of great jump scares in movies.

Shark attack – Deep Blue Sea (1999)
In a movie about killer sharks, there will most obviously be some shark attacks. But I think we all know which shark attack I mean here. While giving a somewhat epic speech to his fellow survivors, and being warned about standing to close to the water hole, Samuel L. Jackson is being attacked and eaten alive. The most surprising kill, since he was the biggest name in the cast, but also a pretty hilarious and over-the-top kill.

The tongue click – Hereditary (2018)
When you watch a film with the sound of, you know exactly how a jump scare works. It’s a key component. Most often very loud noises. And if you watch “Hereditary” ’s big scare with the sound off, it’ll seem like nothing is happening. The scenes shows Annie in her car, when she suddenly here’s tongue clucking coming from the backseat. And still it seems like nothing, just wait when you see the actual scene. One of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen.

Face of fire - Insidious (2011)
A fine example of misdirection. The scene begins with Barbara Hershey’s character describing a nightmare. Snapping back to the real world, Patrick Wilson’s Josh sits unaware as the red-faced demon appears behind him. Did not see that coming.

Night vision – The Descent (2006)
Who thought spelunking was a good idea? It seems exciting, but not if you’re claustrophobic. If you’re not that, this trip still wasn’t a good idea, since there are strange, creepy, night creatures living there. And we see one earlier in the movie, from afar. But that’s not as scary as the scene where one of the girls turns on night vison mode on her camera. As a viewer you are emotionally invested in the arguments going on and trying to follow the camera, with already obscures by night vision. It swings from person to person. When it swings back to find a creature standing behind Rebecca and we were completely unprepared.

Hand claps – The Conjuring (2013)
Like “Hereditary”, this is a movie that doesn’t overuse jump scares or loud noises when it comes to them. And it’s also one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. And this scene in particular scared the bejesus out of me. In this scene, the scariest moment in the film plays us brilliantly. There is the slow lure down the staircase, the bouncing basketball, the exploding lightbulb, and then a moment of silence before the out-of-nowhere hands reach in for a quick clap-clap. Ugh, even writing about gives me the chills.

Need a bigger boat – Jaws (1975)
The movie’s biggest strength is hardly ever showing the shark we all know there is. I think we’re about 45 minutes into the movie when we catch a glimpse of the shark. But it’s the moment when the three men are on the Orca and Chief Brody is throwing chum into the ocean. His face is away from the water and all of a sudden the shark pops out from it. We feel what’s Brody’s feeling: fear!

Bilbo’s scary face – Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Where did this come from? It’s Frodo and his uncle Bilbo having a nice heart to heart. But when Bilbo sees the One Ring around Frodo’s neck, he loses it for a second and tries to grab it. Super scary and a non-expecting scare.

The man behind the wall – Mulholland Drive (2001)
Two men are sitting in a diner, when one of them, Dan, shares this terrifying dream he’s been having. About a man behind a wall, just outside the diner. He decides to go and see it for himself and we all think, it’s just a dream. But suddenly, that man appears from behind that wall. Our hearts stopped!

Home video – Signs (2002)
When Joaquin Phoenix’ Merril is watching a news feed on the TV, I didn’t expect to have one of the biggest jumps scares ever. Merril is sitting inside a small closet while watching a news report, about a home video that was send to them. We see a group of kids at what seems to be a birthday party, they’re screaming, but we don’t know what for. Then the camera, a bit blurry, goes to a little alley and we see an alien walk by. Merril’s reaction is exactly ours: shocked!

The coughing man - Se7en (1995)
After already being exposed to gross crime scenes, we haven’t seen the worst yet. Detectives David Mills and William Somerset approach the set for the sin ‘sloth’. A scene covered with air fresheners you would normally hang in your car, presents us to a corpse that was seemingly chained to the bed and starved to death. When one of the agents approaches the body, it all of a sudden starts coughing. He isn’t dead after all.

The ‘mother’ - Psycho (1960)
It’s old school but it has stuck with me for so many years. It is so creepy when it’s found out that the actual mother died and is sitting as a skeleton in her chair and Norman Bates’ ‘mother’ appears and starts screaming. I still think about it sometimes when I’m in my basement.

Jason in the lake - Friday the 13th (1980)
People are mistaken when they think Jason Voorhees was the killer in “Friday the 13th”. It was his mother Pamela Voorhees. But at the end of “Friday the 13th” we catch a glimpse of Jason, when final girl Alice is sitting in a boat on the lake, when suddenly Jason jumps out of the water and grabs her.

Kitchen cabinets – Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
The first film already scared the sh** out of me, this sequel had one scene that I just can’t get over. When Kristi is sitting in her kitchen, just out of nowhere all the kitchen cabinet’s open. I think, if I ever watch it again, I will fast forward this scene.

The clown – Poltergeist (1982)
Clowns freak me out anyway, so whenever it’s in a horror movie it adds up to the anxiety I’m already feeling. And just when you think the clown is under the bed, the son’s gets back up only to find out it’s right behind him. Gets me every single time.

The demon – The Exorcist (1973)
While “The Exorcist” is overall a super scary and unsettling movie, it doesn’t contain many jump scares. But there is one brief moment, that made me jump up from my seat. In a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment, Regan briefly sees the true face of the demon and it scared the hell out of me.

The white figure – The Exorcist III (1990)
When the original film didn’t have many jump scares, the third installment in the franchise had the biggest of them all. One of those unexpected moments, where the situation seems not so special. Out of nowhere, with no lead or build-up in tension or sound, a white figures chases a nurse with an ice pick. We don’t see the nurse actually being killed, but this moment really gave me the chills.

What's in a Movie Year - 1975

Taking a look at the year 1975, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.
 

Jaws
A seaside resort is terrorized by a great white shark, which has already caused several victims. The mayor refuses to close the beach. Sheriff Brody then fights the shark himself. For almost an hour we don’t get to see the shark, which is the strength of the movie. Because what horror movies taught us over the years is that it’s what you don’t see that scares us the most. “Jaws” is a brilliantly filmed and powerfully acted horror film, with an excellent score by John Williams.
 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Randle is transferred from a work prison to a psychiatric facility for evaluation. Randle sees the fun in it. His ward is full of eccentrics and the rebellious Randle gets the best out of them. Cold-hearted nurse Ratched is less fortunate with all the commotion and goes against Randle, to the bitter end. It’s a strong film, based on the book of the same name by Ken Kesey.
 

Dog Day Afternoon
A year before “Network”, director Sidney Lumet came up with a like-minded film in which thirty-something Al Pacino plays Sonny, a fantastic bank robber in the midst of an infernal media circus. It is a true story that beings on a hot summer day in 1972 New York. Sonny Wortzik robs a local bank in Brookyn together with the not too bright Sal. It culminates in a hostage-taking with the arrival of the police and the case gets national attention when it turns out that the loot was intended for the sex operation of Sonny’s lover Leon. It’s a genius film, with great dialogue and a memorable performance by Al Pacino.
 

The Stepford Wives
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family. She soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior od the female residents. It’s an effective film, which makes you blood curdle. Based on the best-selling novel by author Ira Levin.
 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
In their first feature film, the Monty Python gang adapted the Arthur legend with very little respect to the source material. It has a sequence of legendary scenes, dialogues and characters. One of the funniest movies ever made.
 

Three Days of the Condor
CIA employee Joseph Turner stumbles upon a conspiracy within the CIA. He forces photographer Kathy Hale to hide him in her house. It’s a great action film by Sydney Pollack.
 

The Return of the Pink Panther
The man with the ‘rare gift of knowing everything without having to think’. This is how clumsy Inspector Clouseau describes himself, unaware of any evil or failure. Actor Peter Sellers himself chose Clouseau’s controlled slant. In this fourth film, the Pink Panther diamond is stolen again, with Clouseau as the detective. Christopher Plummer and Catherine Schell play the suspicious couple. With great locations in Nice and Morocco. It’s a great film, with masterful opening animation, music and direction. Not my favorite in the series, but definitely one you have to see.
 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
When this cult classic is shown in the cinema, fans sing all the songs. It’s a silly musical parody on the horror genre, in which the most idiotic characters are staged. It tells the story of a young couple who end up in a haunted house, inhabited by transvestites. Tim Curry plays a provocative role and Susan Sarandon is memorable as shaky Janet, who turns out to be a self-assured vamp.
 

The Man Who Would Be King
A splendid adventuristic drama, based on a story by Rudyard Kipling. British officers Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan in colonial India travel to Afghanistan to gather wealth. Dravot pretends to be the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, making it easier for him to rob treasures. However, pride comes before the fall, also in Afghanistan. It’s a classic, that many people might not have seen yet. Worth a watch.
 

Barry Lyndon
I’ve only recently seen this movie for the first time. It’s a costume drama by Stanley Kubrick, which is over 3 hours long. Set in Eighteenth century Ireland, Irish adventurer and fortune hunter Redmond Barry pretends to be a nobleman. After a conflict with the family, stubborn Barry has little choice but to take off. The war awaits. A movie that I wouldn’t rewatch, but I can definitely appreciate due to how the film was made.
 

Oldies Movie Review - Jaws

Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 1975
Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb, Jeffrey Kramer, Susan Backlinie, Jonathan Filley, Ted Grossman, Chris Rebello, Jay Mello, Lee Fierro, Jeffrey Voorhees, Craig Kingsbury, Robert Nevin, Peter Benchley

Description: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief (Roy Scheider), a marine scientist (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled fisherman (Robert Shaw) set out to stop it.

Review: “Jaws” is a perfect adventure film, that is now a classic and one of the most successful films in movie history. “Jaws” had an enormous impact and it still holds up.

The movie is based on the book by Peter Benchley, that was a bestseller in 1973. In the book the small town Amity is ravaged by a series of shark attacks. Producers David Brown and Richard Zanuck thought it would make a great movie and the then 27-year-old Steven Spielberg was hired to direct.
“Jaws” follows three men, very different from each other, that try to hunt down the giant shark that causes all the trouble in Amity. First we have police chief Martin Brody, a New Yorker who was tired of all the violence in the big city. Now he is stationed in the small town of Amity, in New England. When a shark starts taking victims, Brody wants the beaches to be closed, but it’s summer season and the mayor doesn’t want all the tourists to leave. Brody gets help from oceanographer and shark expert Matt Hooper, who also doesn’t manage to convince the mayor. When more victims are claimed, the rough and harsh fisherman Quint is hired as well. The three of them try to catch and kill the shark.
Filled with suspense, humor, good acting and unforgettable music, “Jaws” should be on everyone’s “must-see” list. And in everyone’s collection. The film has an amazing buildup, where you see the actual shark when you’re about 45 minutes in. The element of not showing the shark, makes it even scarier and it will make you think twice about swimming in the ocean for a while. Even though the movie is from the 70s, and the effects are dated, “Jaws” still manages to give you the chills and scare you every single time. It holds up, even with those effects.
“Jaws” won three Academy Awards: montage, sound and music. That music, by John Williams, is one of the most recognizable themes in movie history. Even people who haven’t seen “Jaws” recognize it.
Let’s forget there were tree sequels (the second was acceptable, the rest is just terrible). “Jaws” is an ultimate classic, an enjoyable view every time.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies That Make You Stay Out of the Water

I used to be a swimmer. A good one. But in the pool. I was never that keen on the ocean, although I did snorkel when I was in Galapagos. It’s stepping out of my comfort zone. The not knowing what goes on below and the unpredictability of the water just scares me a little bit. And there are many movies that make you stay out of the water, for various reasons. Here are my five favorites.

5. Deep Blue Sea
I wouldn’t take a job in a laboratory that is in the middle of the freakin’ ocean and surrounded by extremely smart sharks.

4. Piranha
Being killed by a shark is terrible, but I think piranha’s are even worse. Those little sharp teeth all over your body. It’s a slow death, or even no death and just pain and missing body parts.

3. Open Water
You’re in for the trip of your life, you go scuba diving, see the most beautiful underwater world. But then the boat leaves without you and leaves you in the middle of the ocean. Isn’t that a nightmare? That’s why “Open Water” makes you think twice about diving in the deep sea.

2. Lake Placid
Lakes aren’t safe either. Because many of them have crocodiles or alligators in them. Okay, not as big as the crocodile in “Lake Placid”, but they are super dangerous. Because once a croc gets you, he won’t let go. The death role you know.

1. Jaws
Off course this is number one. Because of this movie, almost everyone is afraid of sharks. Even though “Jaws” is everything but realistic, the movie gives me the chills even after seeing it so many times. The moments where you don’t see the shark are probably more scary then the moments where you do see him.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, It Follows, Deep Rising, Anaconda, The Perfect Storm, All is Lost, Rogue

Top 5 Thursday: Dumbest Decisions in Horror Movies

Are you sure you going with that? We all know that in horror movies, people can make dumb decisions. They’re simply dumb people. I listed the five dumbest decisions in horror movies.

5. Almost safe Helen (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
When Helen is chased by the hook man in “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, there is a moment where she could have gotten away. Helen is in an alley and sees the street filled with people. She is almost there, but instead of running for her life, she stops and turns around. To nothing. When Helen turn back, guess who’s there? End of Helen.

4. Don’t believe the scientists (28 Days Later)
In the opening scene of “28 Days Later” we meet a group of activists that wants to free apes. The scientists warns them about the danger and how highly aggressive the apes are. You can actually see their behavior. But why would a scientist be right? They release the apes and with that release an aggressive virus. And that will have serious consequences to the human race.

3. Watch the video (The Ring)
There is this creepy, disturbing video that, if you watch it, will kill you within seven day. If you know about this, what do you do? Exactly NOT watch it! Well, in “The Ring” they off course do.

2. Not calling the cops (Scream)
Casey is home alone and gets a creepy phone call. While I would have called the cop immediately, she keeps answering his calls and stays on the phone, instead of hanging up and calling the authorities. She clearly has access to a working phone line, which lots of horror characters don’t have.

1. All for the tourists (Jaws)
Even though a dead body washed up on shore and a marine biologists warns him, Mayor Larry Vaughn doesn’t close the beach. Because of the tourists. He just made someone happy: the hungry shark.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Exploring an unexplored cave (The Descent), Hands in the Box (Saw 2)

Movie Favorites: Jaws

Synopsis: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

 

 

Unique Selling Point: Probably the only really good shark movie ever made. It’s an absolute classic and it’s still scary after watching it many times. The build-up is great, that creates the tension and gives you scares. Even though it’s not timeless because of technique, no other shark movie will top “Jaws”.

Most Valuable Player: Composer John Williams, by making his music even scarier than the actual shark.

Best Moment: The opening scene, with Chrissy who decides to go skinny dipping. Not a good idea!

Monthly 4: September 2015

The month of September was filled with creativity and I think October will be even more creative. And a movie filled month it was as well. Here are my favorite moments of september.

 

 

1. I’ve been watching a lot of youtube card making videos. Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire and Nichol Magouirk are my favorites.

2. My friends Matty and Inge never saw “Jaws”, so I has to change that.

3. I’m very proud of myself, because I finally watched “The Conjuring”. All by myself! I don’t do well with stories like this, but I just wanted to see this movie. And it was fantastic. Oh, and scary as hell and I didn’t sleep for days….

4. My new favorite stamp brand is Lawn Fawn. I ordered a couple of sets online and I just love making cards with these cute stamps. I found my creative mojo again!

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Opening Scenes

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

5. Up

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

 

4. Jurassic Park

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

 

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark

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

 

2. Jaws

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

 

1. The Lion King

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

 

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

DVD Collection Update (13)

I got some great films recently. Four new movies and one classic that everyone just has to have. I could've bought more DVD's, but I restrained myself, haha! But you can expect more newer films soon, because I have a big wishlist!

First I got "Jagten", which I saw earlier this year. I was so surprised and this film took my breath away. It left my speechless. I had to have it and I bumped in to it by accident. And it was really cheap. The people selling it didn't realize how amazing this film was I think.

I was so excited when this DVD finally came out. "The World's End" never played in our theatre, only in the big cities like Amsterdam. So me and my brother just had to be patient for it to come out in March. And it was worth the wait. Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost didn't disappoint! It was fantastic!

"The Butler" didn't turn out to be as good as I expected. I always buy movies that I know I will like (if I haven't seen them before), but this movie didn't quite make that brief. I didn't dislike "The Butler" but I expected more. Forest Whitaker is great though!

This is a classic every movie buff just needs in his collection. "Jaws" still scares the shit out of me after watching it over 20 times. Still one of the best movies Spielberg ever directed.

This movie I haven't watched yet, but I just know I'm going to love this. I read so many great thing about "Captain Phillips" and Tom Hanks hardly ever disappoints me. I love that guy!

Top 5 Thursday: Steven Spielberg Movies

With "Lincoln" coming out in theatres soon, here in the Netherlands, I thought to rank my favorite movies by director Steven Spielberg. He has made so many great, memorable movies. Here are my favorite five.

5. Catch Me If You Can
It's an extraordinary story, that's really hard to believe but actually happened. Love the acting by Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. I always watch it when it's on.

4.Jaws
The power of this horror movie is how the tension is build up. The first 45 minutes you don't even see the shark, but it's terrifying anyway. Nowadays it's more bloody. "Jaws" is a fantastic movie.

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones is my favorite movie character and the movies are all great. The first is still the best and I just love that scene with the swordsman Indy shoots. A movie full of adventure, humor and romance.

2. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
This film has a lot of aw-moments. "E.T." is such a sweet, heartwarming and touching movie. Great for all ages. Even the kids in my class, who are from a total different generation, know "E.T.". Timeless.

1. Jurassic Park
I remember when I first saw "Jurassic Park". It was jawdropping and right after the end credits I wanted to see it again. It's so amazing. And still I can watch it over and over again.

They Almost Made the Top 5: "Empire of the Sun", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"