90s Movie Review - Kiss the Girls

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Mystery/ Drama
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 1997
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ashely Judd, Cary Elwes, Brian Cox, Bill Nunn, Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Piven, Tony Goldwyn

Description: Police hunting for a serial kidnapper are helped when a victim (Ashley Judd) manages to escape for the first time.

Review: Eight kidnapped women. All eight beautiful. All eight talented. All eight have fallen into the hands of the “collector” who calls himself Casanova. The hunt is on for him. With difficulties trying to trace him, they get the help from Alex Cross. When one of the girls, Kate McTiernan, manages to escape, she is determined to help Detective Cross in order to find Casanova and free the other girls.

I have always loved this movie and I have rewatched it many times. The story is strong, the character of Alex Cross is interesting and Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd work very well together. There is enough tension and the mystery is one to keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a vibe like “Se7en”, though not as good of course, but it has the same atmosphere at times.

Maybe the climax is a bit cliché and predictive, but overall “Kiss the Girls” is a really good mystery thriller.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Runaway Jury

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: John Cusack, Rachel Weisz, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Bruce Davison, Bruce McGill, Jeremy Piven, Cliff Curtis, Leland Orser, Jennifer beals, Bill Nunn, Luis Guzman, Nora Dunn, Dylan McDermott

Description: A juror on the inside (John Cusack) and a woman on the outside (Rachel Weisz) manipulate a court trial involving a major gun manufacturer.

Review: Rankin Fitch is a ruthless jury consultant who must select a jury for a revolutionary trial to ensure its verdict. He fears nothing or no one. One the trial begins, it turns out that the selection of one juror can cause problems. He finds himself in a situation that shows he doesn’t know his opponent as well as he initially thought after all.

The films starts with a gruesome shooting in an office that kills many people. We are then place two years later when it is revealed that the shooting caused a trial to now take place that should set a precedent. The wife of one of the men killed is suing the gun manufacturer because it caused guns to be easy to get.

On one side us the conscientious lawyer Wendell Rohr. On the other, the man who is one the side of the gun manufacturer and who actually ges paid for it if the trial is won: Rankin Fitch. His job is to make sure who gets on the jury, because justice in the USA is still left to juries, so it is important to know the people on the jury well. Fitch’s team takes this very seriously and also very far.

Both parties are given a list of names and files of all the people who were called for jury duty, for them to decide which of them will actually be on that jury. Fitch thinks that they got this one, but someone within the jury is there with a purpose.

It is based on a John Grisham novel, an author known for his court dramas. But “Runaway Jury” is one of my favorites and it’s not your standard court drama either. We get to experience how incredibly flawed the jury system is. This movie is about manipulation, corruption, extortion and so on. And even though this movie came out in the early 2000s, this film is still so topical.

“Runaway Jury” is a very strong crime thriller with some surprising twists throughout and a fantastic cast. A movie that is underrated if you ask me.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Old School

Director: Todd Phillips
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ellen Pompeo, Elisha Cuthbert, Perry Reeves, Jeremy Piven, Seann William Scott, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini

Description: Three friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity.

Review: Mitch just found his girlfriend cheating on him, when he returns early from his business trip. Not interested in forgiving her, he leaves the house and buys a new one near the campus of the local university. Mitch’s best friend Beanie sees it as the perfect opportunity to have parties. Their other friend, newly-wed Frank and well-known former party animal, really gets back to his old ways during these parties. Because the house seems to be on campus ground, the guys decide to start a fraternity, for all those guys who didn’t get into any.
Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn show that they work well together, when it comes to good comedy. The film hasn’t got the most original plot, but the film has some great jokes and especially Will Ferrell is on a roll as Frank the Tank.
“Old School” is one of those comedies that never gets old and stays funny, even after viewing it over a dozen times.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 102: Entourage

Director: Doug Elin

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 104 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connelly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Perrey Reeves, Rex Lee, Debi Mazar, Ronda Rousey, Haley Joel Osment, Billy Bob Thornton, Constance Zimmer

Description: Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), together with his boys Eric (Kevin Connelly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Johnny (Kevin Dillon), are back - and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) on a risky project that will serve as Vince's directorial debut.

 

Review: The TV show “Entourage” was very popular, it ran from 2004 till 2011 on HBO. The adventures of Vince Chase and his close entourage get another shot in a full length film. Like the show there are lots of beautiful women, famous locations and many cameos.

Vincent Chase wants to direct his next movie, where he will also star in and his brother Johnny “Drama” will also have a role. Ari Gold, once his agent, is now a big moviemaker and he trusts Vince with a million dollar project.

Financially, it’s getting a little bit out of hand. A big shot in Texas and his son want to invest, but that’s when the real problems start.

As you can see, the synopsis sounds like any other “Entourage” season, only this time an entire season is put into one movie. Or, it’s an extended episode. The movie brings you nothing new, it’s just enjoyable for the fans of the show.

“Entourage” is fun for one time, but if you skip it you wouldn’t really miss a thing.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 26: Grosse Pointe Blank

Director: George Armitage

Genre: Comedy/ Crime/ Romance

Runtime: 113 minutes

Year: 1997

Starring: John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack, Hank Azaria, Jeremy Piven, Michael Cudlitz

Description: Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time.

 

Review: How do you survive a high school reunion, when everyone wants to know how you turned out, if you’re a cold blooded assassin who’s struggling with himself. “Grosse Pointe Blank” is carried by John Cusack, who is perfect for these sort of films. It’s a mix of slapstick and tragic comedy.

The base of the story is Martin Blank’s hesitance for going back to his home town Grosse Pointe. Martin has to face the life he once ran away from. He has to face his mother, his former girlfriend Debi and the feds who are tailing him. The romantic storyline between Cusack’s character and Minnie Driver’s is anything but cliché and sweet. Driver manages to easily keep up with Cusack.

“Grosse Pointe Blank” is a unleashed comedy with good writing and great comedic performances. That’s why I love John Cusack!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 158: Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman

Genre: Action/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 114 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Noah Taylor, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Piven, Laura Pulver, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Madeleine Mantock, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Tony Way

Description: Military officer William Cage (Tom Cruise) is brought into an alien war against an extraterrestrial enemy who can reset the day and know the future. When Cage is enabled with the same power, he teams up with Special Forces warrior Rita (Emily Blunt) to try and end the war.

Review: Tom Cruise hasn’t done anything noteworthy for a while. His last success was “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” in 2011. But Cruise didn’t give up and he decided to work together with director Doug Liman. “Edge of Tomorrow” may sound like just another action/ science fiction blockbuster, but it isn’t. It’s an amazing movie experience.

In the not so far away future, an invasion of aliens cause a lot of trouble in the world. The untrained officer William Cage ends up right in the middle of it. He’s frightened and dies within five minutes in the field. But then he wakes up and relives that exact same day. Not just once, he stays within that day and keeps dying every single time. He meets soldier Rita, who starts to train him. Cage doesn’t only get stronger, but he gets closer to the solution. Together with Rita he is trying to beat the aliens.

Movie fans will see similarities with movies like “Groundhog Day” and “Source Code”, because there the lead character relives the same day over and over again. And the look of the soldiers and aliens might remind you of “Pacific Rim”. But Doug Liman creates a complete new end product with those ingredients. Whenever Cage lands on the beach, he has to die hundreds of times to make progress. Liman avoids dullness by keeping up the pace and showing us slightly different versions of that same day. And the movie is really easy to follow despite the unconventional way of storytelling.

Tom Cruise can finally be the actor again that we want him to be. He isn’t your standard action hero, because his character starts out as a real coward. He is afraid and rather flees than fights. Along the way he finds out he can’t run anymore and he has to face his fears. Emily Blunt really proofs that she can be a kick-ass action star, Blunt was wonderful in it.

I have to be honest, I was skeptical before I saw this. But I’m glad I was wrong, because “Edge of Tomorrow” is the Tom Cruise movie I have been waiting for. The script feels fresh, it has great action and is also surprisingly humoristic.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 119: The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Director: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure

Runtime: 88 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, David Tennant, Brendan Gleeson

Description: Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Review: If you are a pirate or a scientist, eventually it’s all about the fame, the booty or the girl. At least, if we believe “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”. We see how a failed pirate tries to win the ‘Pirate of the Year Award’ and how Charles Darwin discovers a rare parrot.

“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is a so-called Claymation, made by the companies Aardman and Sony. It gets an English touch because of the voice actors, the absurd humor and the atmospheric streets of 19th century London. The American touch is noticeable because of the movies moral and postmodern humor. Like a 19th century scientist playing around with a Rubik’s cube and funny remarks about the Academy Awards. With that the film is filled with physical jokes and word jokes.

The movie isn’t innovative, but it looks stunning. And “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is a successful animation with a high entertainment level. That it never lives up to movies like “Chicken Run” and “Wallace and Grommit”, doesn’t matter. We weren’t expecting that.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 105: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie King, Juno Temple, Stacy Keach, Marton Csokas, Jamie Chung

Description: Some of Sin City's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.

Review: “Sin City”(2005), the original adaptation of Frank Miller’s successful graphic novel, was a dark telling of the underworld of the society in the fictive town Basin City. Especially the style of the film caught everyone’s eye. The sequel adds the 3D effect and makes it an experience again.

Like the first movie “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” is a beautifully made movie. The film noir style is clearly present, the contrast of the black and white and sometimes the color of green eyes, golden blond hair and red lips looks amazing again. The violence is grotesque and the narration feels gloomy and raw, filled with memorable one-liners. Animation and live-action are combined. The 3D effect gives more depth and it really adds something extra to the movie experience. Everything together makes this movie a joy to watch.

Some might feel that the story is much of the same, but to me there was never a moment of boredom. I never expected it to top “Sin City” but it came damn close. Exactly what I expected from “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Video of the Week (5)

This week I picked a funny video from Jimmy Kimmel's late night show. Celebrities are used to people writing about them, sometimes negative and sometimes even very mean. Kimmel got some celebs to read mean tweets about themselves. It's really funny, especially the ever so serious Gary Oldman bursting into laughter after reading his mean tweet.

 

 

Entourage

Recently I've really been into "Entourage". It's about a big movie star, Vincent Chase, and his entourage. It has a lot of humour in it, it's pure entertainment. I love this show. My favourite character is Eric Murphy, the manager. He's loyal, smart, funny and also very cute!!! Ari Gold is magnificent. He's such an asshole, but you love him anyway! And Johnny "Drama" Chase is brilliant. Always living in the shadow of his brother Vince. Ari's assistant Lloyd is just hilarious, Shauna is kick ass and Turtle is very funny! To be honest, Vince is my least favourite character, but that's just me. Go check out this show if you've never seen it before. It's terrific!!!

Movie Tip #28 - Old School

Director: Todd Phillips

Starring: Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Ellen Pompeo, Jeremy Piven, Juliette Lewis, Leah Remini, Seann William Scott, Perry Reeves

Description: Mitch (Luke Wilson),Frank (Will Ferrell) and Beanie (Vince Vaughn) are disillusioned with their personal lives begining when Mitch's nymphomanic girlfriend cheats on him, then former party animal Frank gets married, but unwilling to get go of his wild life, and Beanie is a family man seeking to reclaim his wild and crazy youth. Beanie suggests that they form their own fraternity in Mitch's new house on a college campus to re-live their glory days by bringing together a variety of misfit college students, losers, middle-aged and elderly retirees as their new friends and later try to avoid being evicted by the new Dean of Students, whom still holds a personal grudge against all three of them.

Review: It's one of the funniest movies ever. The casting is great, they got a nomination for best on-screen team. Especially Will Ferrell is hilarious as Frank "The Tank" Ricard. Especially when he sings "Dust in the Wind" and the scene where he does gymnastics. But that guy makes me laugh when I just look at him. The story isn't all the complicated, but the way these actors work it is just extremely funny. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.