90s Movie Review - Fallen

Director: Gregory Hoblit
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Embeth Davidtz, Elias Koteas, Aida Turturro

Description: Homocide detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Soon after the execution, the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese’s style.

Review: Thanks to detective John Hobbes, serial killer Edgar Reese is caught and sentenced to death. The man doesn’t seem to care. Remarkably cheerful, he sings “Time is on my side” from The Rolling Stones. Soon after the execution, similar murders start to happen.

“Fallen” is a strong, macabre thriller, that is very overlooked and underrated. I remember watching it for the first time when video stores were still a thing. And it has always been e favorite Denzel Washington. I hadn’t watched it for a long time, but it still holds up and I love it just as much.

It’s a very original film, with some great twist and a fantastic ending. And Washington is, as always, outstanding.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - The Emperor's New Groove

Director: Mark Dindal
Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Fantasy/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 75 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick, Tom Jones

Description: Emperor Kuzco (David Spade) is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma (Eartha Kitt), and must now regain his throne with the help of Pacha (John Goodman), the gentle llama herder.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 8: A MOVIE WITH A NONHUMAN MAIN CHARACTER
 
Review: The young emperor Kuzco is an arrogant and self-absorbed emperor. He always feels elevated above everyone, is unkind to everyone and always pushes his way through. Kuzco is aided by his counselor Yzma, an ugly power-hungry, cunning woman. One day Kuzco fires Yzma, upon which she seeks revenge. Together with her not-so-bright henchman Krink, she plans to poison Kuzco. Through a mistake, Kusco does not die, but turns into a llama. The one one who can help his is the farmer Pacha. During their adventure to stay out of the hands of Yzma and Kronk and turn Kuzco back into a huma, Kuzco slowly realizes he can get more done if he’s kinder to Pacha and if he cooperates with him.
“The Emperor’s New Groove” was Disney’s 39^th film in its ‘classic’ series. And once again they managed to create something completely different and ow. “The Emperor’s New Groove” is primarily a comic animation. The story itself is quite simple and the theme of courage, humor and friendship is not new. But the complete idiotic way the humor and the many puns are woven into the film are new.
“The Emperor’s New Groove” is very enjoyable because of the humor and absurd story. A very short film too and I believe a very popular film among true Disney fans.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

90s Movie Review - The Big Lebowski

Director: Joel Coen
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 1998
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hofman, Tara Reid, John Turtorro, Sam Elliot, John Polito

Description: "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Review: After “Fargo” in 1996, the Coen Brothers had to try and equal or top their masterpiece. The story of “The Big Lebwoski” sounds like it’s going all over the place. But that doesn’t mean they can’t make another masterpiece.
The sultry voiceover of a nameless cowboy leads us from a deserted prairie to a big American city: Los Angeles. Main character Jeff “The Dude” Lebwoski (Jeff Bridges) is a jobless loser who goes through life smoking weed and bowling with his two friends Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). But his eventless life is soon to be over, when two criminals mistake The Dude for some millionaire with the same name. They shove his head down the toilet and pee on his rug, but The Dude manages to convince the criminals that they’ve got the wrong person. The Dude tries to find the other Jeff Lebowski and demands a new rug. But now he is part of a complicated kidnapping case. 
The film is filled with strange yet unforgettable characters: feministic artist Maude, bowling king Jesus, porn boss Jackie Treehorn and off course the trio The Dude, Donnie and Walter themselves.
“The Big Lebowski” is a great crime comedy, equally as good as “Fargo”. The Dude abides!

Rating: 5/ 5
 

00s Movie Review - Monsters Inc.

Director: Pete Doctor, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich
Genre: Animation/ Comedy/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Bonnie Hunt

Description: In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, two monsters realize things may not be what they think.

Review: In Monstropolis monster live in all sizes, types and colors. They are like people, they are funny, friendly, hard-working and driven. The world of monsters also needs power and electricity. They get that energy from children’s screams from those who are frightened at night. The children are visited through a very special  system of closet doors at Monsters In., the largest scare factory of Monstropolis. The motto: We scare because we care. Top scarer is James P. Sullivan, Sully for short. A big, blue, fluffy horned monster with a heart of gold. His assistant, roommate and best friend is Mike Wazowski. He is enthusiastic, headstrong, short-tempered and has only one eye. Mike and Sully provide a record yield of energy. None of the fellow monsters can match them. This is to great frustration of the cynical chameleon Randall Boggs. Because he is jealous of their success, he does everything to come out on top.
When the little, curious human girl Boo accidentally sneaks into the monster world, it is the monsters who are shocked. They think humans are toxic and dangerous. one touch can be fatal. Sully and Mike are spooked too at first, but take Boo into protection. They are determined to return the girl to her bedroom, which isn’t as easy as it seems.
Still, to this day, “Monsters Inc. is my favorite film from Pixar. It’s a creative film, in terms of story and animation. Many monsters pass by, big, small, round, rectangular, many eyes, one eye, teeth, scales, fur, all the colors of the rainbow, you name it. The story is sweet, funny, exciting, action-packed. Perfect for the whole family.
Sully and Mike are voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal and they couldn’t have found anyone more perfect for those roles. Especially Crystal is hilarious as Mike, who also happens to be my favorite Pixar sidekick.
“Monsters Inc.” is, as I stated before, my favorite Pixar film. And the film entertains me every single time I watch it.

Rating: 5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Death Sentence

Director: James Wan
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Preston, Jordan Garrett, Stuart Lafferty, Aisha Tyler, John Goodman, Matt O’Leary, Leigh Wannell

Description: Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great when protecting his family.

Review: Nick Hume is a hard-working man who lives with his wife Hellen and two sons Lucas and Brendan. One evening, Nick and Brendan are on their way home after attending an ice hockey game. The two stop at a gas station, but a robbery takes place and Brendan is attacked. He is taken to the hospital, where Brendan dies. Nick, Helen and Lucas are overcome with grief, but it all gets worse when it turns out that the culprit will only spend a short time behind bars. Nick changes his statement, making sure that the killer is back on the street. Nick takes matter in his own hands. But before he knows it, he is involved in a war between him and the gang members that cost Brendan his life.
“Death Sentence” is based on a book by author Briand Garfield. Revenge is the theme here. James Wan directed the film. Wan knows how to keep the tension strong and to present us with some violent scenes. The transformation of Nick goes a bit fast and the gang members are portrayed very standard.
Kevin Bacon plays Nick. Because of him, “Death Sentence” is a movie that rises above average and his role is intense and realistic.
The story might be a bit predictable here and there, but because of the great performance by Bacon, “Death Sentence” and the constant tension, it’s a movie worth watching.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

10s Movie Review - Atomic Blonde

Director: David Leitch
Genre: Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella, Bill Skarsgård, Til Schweiger

Description: An undercover MI6 agent (Charlize Theron) is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

Review: The adaptation of the graphic novel seems pretentious and forced, but is a great rollercoaster ride with a great cast. And an awesome soundtrack! It’s a straight to the point story without any array.
Director David Leitch has to proof that movies like “Atomic Blonde”, with exaggerating plots and unbelievable characters, can actually be good.
Broughton is a relentless agent for the MI6. She is very driven and a skilled fighter. We see Broughton being interrogated by the CIA en she is telling her story.
Star of the show is off course Charlize Theron, who often proved that she is a very versatile actress. Her character is strong and self-assured and she easily manages in a man’s world.
“Atomic Blonde” is not too complicated, the entire thing is fairly simple. Yet it’s a great explosion of action and fun, with a killer soundtrack filled with amazing 80s songs.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 44 - Kong: Skull Island

Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann, Richard Jenkins

Description: A team of scientists explore an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong, and must fight to escape a primal Eden.

Review: The iconic King Kong has had a full life. In 1933 he started building the Empire State Building. In 1976 there was the first official remake, although the story was different. And Peter Jackson did another try in 2005, with an amazing looking remake that was closer to the original story, but had a lot of extra elements. “Kong: Skull Island” has nothing to do with the original story. it’s a complete new story and has a stunning cast.
“Kong: Skull Island” has a lot of elements for a big blockbuster. It’s action packed, entertaining and it has big monsters. And Kong is who we want to see. But for monster movies, it’s always more exciting and scary if you don’t know what’s lurking in the woods. Kong is shown way to soon, completely. The element of surprise is gone. And in the first half of the film, the makers try to put way too much into the film. All sorts of creatures turn up and they eventually don’t have any purpose, beside just showing us a big ass creature.
The second half of the film is much better. The focus is more on Kong, his battle against the so called Skull Crawlers and how he wants to protect his land.
The characters are disposable. Besides John C. Reilly, who is the only one with any substance and a backstory, is the showstealer. Tom Hiddleston (who looks incredibly hot in this film BTW), Brie Larson and John Goodman are amazing actors, but they really don’t have anything to do. That’s due to the writing, not to their performances. Samuel L. Jackson’s character is also interesting, even though he is one of the most unlikeable characters ever. But he does have substance.
“Kong: Skull Island” is a bit disappointing. It was one of my most anticipating films of 2017, but I wasn’t satisfied at the end. The first half was messy, the second half made up for that a bit. It leaves you with mixed feelings at the end. Is “Kong: Skull Island” a bad movie? No. Could it have been better? A lot!

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 101: 10 Cloverfield Lane

Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Bradley Cooper, Suzanne Cryer

Description: After getting in a car accident, a woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is held in a shelter with two men (John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr.), who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.

Review: If there is one filmmaker that knows how to keep a secret, it’s J.J. Abrams. Look at “Cloverfield” which came out in 2008. Eight years later there is “10 Cloverfield Lane”, a movie no one saw coming. Only two months before the movie was released, the mysterious trailer appeared on the internet. Three people are seeking shelter in an underground room. More you don’t want to know before seeing the film.
Dan Trachtenberg is the director and this is his directorial debut. He mixes claustrophobic suspense with a little bit of humor and a story that gets you curious. The shelter is filled with canned food, outdated boardgames, old videotapes, a jukebox and magazines.
Of the three actors, who are all very good, its John Goodman that steals the show. And the scenes in the shelter are all great. It’s afterwords, when one of the characters leaves the shelter, when it gets a little less surprising. Because the title already suggests that the film is set in the same universe as “Cloverfield”, you already kinda know what’s going on outside the shelter. This sort of spoils it all a little bit. That doesn’t make this movie bad, because it’s ana excellent film. Very different from “Cloverfield”, because it’s more of a psychological thriller mostly set in one room.
“10 Cloverfield Lane” is not as surprising as the trailer let us think. It is a first class suspense film, with humor and great performances by the three leads.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 66: Barton Fink

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Fantasy

Runtime: 116 minutes

Year: 1991

Starring: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub, John Mahoney, Jon Polito, David Warrilow, Rochard Portnow, Christopher Murney

Description: A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.

Review: The Coen Brothers have made a name for themselves already, without even making any blockbusters. There are well known filmmakers, because of their directorial and writing quality. Trademarks are subtlety, eye for details, great dialogue or monologue, symbolism and a big dose of dark humor. But before they gave us “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowski” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, it was “Barton Fink”.

John Turturro plays Barton Fink, a shy maybe even unworldly playwright. From his safe life behind the curtains in the theatre, he goes to 1940s California, to write a script for a movie. Off course this can’t go smoothly. The people of Capitol Pictures want Barton to write a standard script, commercially interesting. And this will also probably go wrong.

While writing in a hotel, Barton meets his neighbor Charlie Meadows, played by John Goodman. An insurance man, very kind, compassionate and present. And Barton meets writer W.P. Mayhew, who he admires, and his secretary Audrey. Both people don’t appear to be who they claim to be. Very slowly you see what all these strangers have in common: Incomprehension.

What makes “Barton Fink” a good movie is the atmosphere that makes you feel everything the leading characters feels. You sympathize this unfortunate man, but you also enjoy all the strange things happening around him. And that weird twist also makes this into a very good film.

“Barton Fink” is probably an underappreciated Coen brothers movie, but not a movie for just everyone.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 14: Argo

Director: Ben Affleck

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Runtime: 120 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Keith Szarabajka, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, Richard Dillane, Omid Abtaho, Page Leong, Farshad, Cea DuVall, Sheila Vand, Ryan Ahern, Bill Tangradi, Jamie McShane, Tate Donovan, Matthew Glave, Roberto Garcia Christopher Stanley

Description: Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent (Ben Affleck) launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.

Review: November 1979, Iranian students occupy the American embassy in Teheran, to enforce extradition of the Shah. Over fifty Americans were taking hostage and were released after fourteen days, after the Shah died. Six embassy staff members did manage to flee on that same day to the Canadian embassy. With a science fiction movie as a cover, they managed to escape after three months. In 1997, Bill Clinton released information about this mission, with a big role for CIA man Tony Mendez. This is a perfect story for a movie.

Director Ben Affleck choose Rodrigo Prieto as his cinematographer, who is known as the cameraman for Alejandro Gonzálex Iñárritu. This makes all the images authentic. This sets the film of to a good start and the thriller plot can develop. “Argo” looks perfect as a time period piece, with the characters constantly smoking, big glasses and televisions with buttons. In the second half of the film, the pace gets faster. This is a good thing. The movie is build slow and then picks up the pace.

“Argo” does have its weak points. Director Affleck is great, leading actor Affleck, who looks like Al Pacino in “Serpico”, doesn’t manage to convince you completely. As a CIA man he does, but the demons he has (drinking, failed fatherhood) don’t really reach the audience the way it should have. A strong opponent could have covered it up a bit, but the powerful performances are given by John Goodman and Alan Arkin, who have supporting roles.

I understand the success of “Argo”, it’s a true story about a heroic escape plan, and I liked it. The change of pace works well and Ben Affleck did a good job as a director. “Argo” is a good film.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 11: The Monuments Men

Director: George Clooney

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 118 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban

Description: An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.

Review: The most horrible stories about World War II have been told, but the loss of artwork during this period is an underexposed theme. For George Clooney enough reason to make a movie about it. “The Monuments Men” will be his fifth directed movie. We know Clooney best as an actor and he also takes on one of the lead roles. With him, big names like Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman form a dream cast.

When President Roosevelt tells curator Frank Stokes that, besides many lives, lots of famous art work were lost in the war due to the Nazis. With strong arguments Stokes manages to get permission to assemble a team of art historians, museum directors and curators to find those lost treasures. The team of seven men don’t all have experience in the army.

‘True Story’ is a wide term in Hollywood. In real life hundreds of men and women were responsible for finding the cultural heritage. This isn’t the biggest problem of “The Monuments Men”. It’s a mediocre script and that gives is us a lot of dull moments and it doesn’t have a central storyline.

The soundtrack is good, but not for this movie. It’s sounds like a comedy. It does have some comedic moments here and there though. The big amount of talent is underused. George Clooney and Matt Damon are doing a routine job and Cate Blanchett can’t really shine. Hugh Bonneville can easily keep up with his colleagues and Bill Murray’s dry humor is as always a pleasure to watch.

The cynicism works, but the rest is just mediocre. I really wanted to love this movie, for its theme and the wonderful cast, despite of all the negative reviews. But a dream cast is no guarantee for success. We still have to wait for the master piece by director George Clooney.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 153: Inside Llewyn Davis

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 105 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Adam Driver, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, Alex Karpovsky, Max Casella, Ricardo Cordero, Ethan Phillips, Stark Sands, Jake Ryan

Description: A week in the life of the young singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.

Review: Llewyn Davis is a homeless singer songwriter fighting for his life as a musician. In a journey from one bar to another, he meets various people that all don’t know how to deal with the desolate songwriter. The film comes to life when John Goodman, as jazz musician Roland Turner, enters the story. With his sharp observations and arrogance he manages to illustrate the clash between folk and jazz in a hilarious way.

To make this movie not a standard film about music, the Coen Brothers added some typical Coen elements. Genius dialogues, intimate songs and perfects shots. Especially an absurd studio session where Llewyn joins a satirical evocation to president Kennedy, it has a definite Coen signature on it.

Oscar Isaac us very good as Llewyn Davis and he has a surprisingly good singing voice. The movie is not perfect, but The Coen Brothers made a great film. They can make a great story with the simplest material.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 136: Flight

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 138 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman

Description: Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner which eventually crashed, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling.

Review: Director Robert Zemeckis has already earned his Hollywood status. Movies like “Back to the Future”, “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away” are on his résumé, so we know what he’s capable of. With Denzel Washington in the lead role, “Flight” seems to be a guarantee for success.

The start of the film is amazing. Whip Whitaker is an experienced pilot with a big problem. He’s an alcoholic. Days in a row he has been flying to and from Atlanta and in between flights he spends his time in bed with his gorgeous stewardess, a bottle of gin and some coke. A couple of hours later he gets in the plane, still drunk. When his plane suffers a malfunction, his confidence and his qualities manage to avoid a major catastrophe. Whip is seen as a national hero, but some dark secrets are revealed.

The first fourty minutes of the film are engrossing and exciting, also thanks to Denzel Washington’s great acting. Even with his irresponsible behavior, he manages to win over your sympathy. However “Flight” isn’t a disaster movie, but a character study with a big moral. That moral is sort of forced on you more and more towards the end of the movie. That’s what this movie misses: cogency. When Whip meets former junkie Nicole and a dying cancer patient, the movie gets a depressed feel. Only John Goodman, who plays Whip’s drugdealer, manages to keep it a bit lighter.

“Flight” stays on its feet though, because the acting is very good and Zemeckis manages to keep the audience’s attention. Denzel Washington’s performance is better and more memorable then the movie itself.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 18: ParaNorman

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Casey Affleck, Tucker Albrizzi, Jeff Garlin

Description: In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a boy who can speak to the dead, but no one besides his eccentric new friend, Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's estranged eccentric uncle (John Goodman) tells him of an important annual ritual he must take up to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch it condemned centuries ago.

Review: After “Coraline” in 2009, the same studio brings us “ParaNorman”. The style is the same, the so called stop-motion technique is used here.
The story of “ParaNorman” revolves around the young Norman who has the gift of seeing dead people and communicating with them. It’s actually more of a burden for Norman, because everyone thinks he’s a freak, even his family worries about him. His estranged uncle verifies Norman isn’t crazy, because he tells him about a witches curse. Norman is the one to stop that curse.
“ParaNorman” looks stunning. It’s a dark and raw animation, not suited for all viewers by the way. With the stop-motion technique it is definitely very unique, although the creepy setting reminds you a bit of “Coraline”.
The story lacks a bit of depth, because it’s all just a rescue mission where Norman goes from loser to hero. I love the inside jokes and references to classic horror movies, but I’m doubting if kids understand them. Overall “ParaNorman” is an entertaining and visually stunning animation.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 16: Trouble with the Curve

Director: Robert Lorenz
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard, Bob Gunton

Description: Gus (Clint Eastwood) is a baseball scout. The team he works for thinks he should retire. He asks them to let him do one more scouting job to prove himself. His friend, Pete (John Goodman), asks Gus’ estranged daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), if she could go with him to make sure he's okay as his eyes are failing.

Review: A good curveball is one of the best weapons a pitcher can have and it’s a real challenge for the batter. “Trouble With the Curve” centers this learning process. We follow Gus, whose life is all about baseball. As the Atlanta Braves scout he travels through the country to find new talent. Because he’s aging, Gus gets one last chance to prove himself as an old-fashioned scout. His daughter Mickey joins him, she wants to look after him because his sight isn’t that good anymore.
Clint Eastwood plays a role that he has done before: a grumpy, stubborn old man. That worked for him in “Gran Torino” and “Million Dollar Baby”, but it’s gotten a little old. I do like these Eastwood characters though and his sarcastic humor. Amy Adams’ character is just loveable, I always like it when a strong woman enters a man’s world. The chemistry between Eastwood and Adams is great, you believe them as a father and daughter. Justin Timberlake on the other hand doesn’t really add anything to the story but predictability. And John Goodman wasn’t given enough screen time, because the scenes he had with Eastwood were really good.
Although baseball isn’t really my sport, the movie did interest me. It’s not one of the best and it’s certainly not very special, but it was enjoyable to watch.

Rating: 3/ 5

Quotables: "The Big Lebowski"

One of the greatest movies of all time and the Coen brothers created one of the most unforgettable and coolest characters ever: The Dude. Here are some of the great quotes from “The Big Lebowski”.





Walter Sobchak: You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
The Dude: Yeah, but Walter...
Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These fucking amateurs...

Jesus Quintana: Nobody fucks with the Jesus!

Walter Sobchak: Fuck it, Dude, let's go bowling.

The Dude: What's in the fuckin' carrier?
Walter Sobchak: Huh? Oh, that's Cynthia's dog. I think it's a Pomeranian. I can't leave him home alone or he eats the furniture. I'm watching him while Cynthia and Marty Ackerman are in Hawaii.
The Dude: You brought the fuckin' Pomeranian bowling?
Walter Sobchak: What do you mean brought it bowling, Dude? I didn't rent it shoes. I'm not buying it a fucking beer. He's not taking your fucking turn, Dude.
The Dude: Man, if my fuckin' ex-wife asked me to take care of her fuckin' dog while she and her boyfriend went to Honolulu I'd tell her to go fuck herself.

The Dude: God damn you Walter! You fuckin' asshole! Everything's a fuckin' travesty with you, man! And what was all that shit about Vietnam? What the FUCK, has anything got to do with Vietnam? What the fuck are you talking about?

The Dude: It's like what Lenin said... you look for the person who will benefit, and, uh, uh...
Donny: I am the walrus.
The Dude: You know what I'm trying to say...
Donny: I am the walrus.
Walter Sobchak: That fucking bitch...
The Dude: Oh yeah!
Donny: I am the walrus.
Walter Sobchak: Shut the fuck up, Donny! V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!
Donny: What the fuck is he talking about, Dude?

The Dude: And, you know, he's got emotional problems, man.
Walter Sobchak: You mean... beyond pacifism?

Walter Sobchak: You have got to buck up, man. You cannot drag this negative energy in to the tournament!
The Dude: Fuck the tournament... Fuck YOU, Walter!
[pause]
Walter Sobchak: Fuck the tournament? All right, I can see you don't want to be cheered up here, Dude. Come on Donny, let's go get us a lane.

Jackie Treehorn: Interactive erotic software. The wave of the future, Dude. One hundred percent electronic!
The Dude:Yeah well, I still jerk off manually.

The Dude: Let me explain something to you. Um, I am not "Mr. Lebowski". You're Mr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

Walter Sobchak: That's right, Dude, they peed on your fucking rug.

Walter Sobchak: Donny was a good bowler, and a good man. He was one of us. He was a man who loved the outdoors... and bowling, and as a surfer he explored the beaches of Southern California, from La Jolla to Leo Carrillo and... up to... Pismo. He died, like so many young men of his generation, he died before his time. In your wisdom, Lord, you took him, as you took so many bright flowering young men at Khe Sanh, at Langdok, at Hill 364. These young men gave their lives. And so would Donny. Donny, who loved bowling. And so, Theodore Donald Karabotsos, in accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.

The Dude: Walter, I love you, but sooner or later, you're going to have to face the fact you're a goddamn moron.

In the Picture: The Characters from "Monsters Inc."

Oh how I love this Pixar movie. Basically because it's full of great jokes coming from the fantastic characters. If you read my blog frequently, you might already know who my favorite is, but here are the characters from "Monsters Inc."

Mike Wazowski
Voiced by: Billy Crystal
Mike is a proud and confident monster, mostly because of his friendship with top scarer Sully. He’s is an assistant and he leads a strict exercise. Mike also has a romantic side, because he’s madly in love with Celia.

James P. Sullivan aka. Sully
Voiced by: John Goodman
Sully is the best scarer for the company Monsters Inc. Everyone looks up to him. He is good-natured, hardworking and confident and he loves his job as a scarer.

Randall Boggs
Voiced by: Steve Buscemi
Randall is Sully and Mike’s direct rival. He’s a more vicious scarer and he’s very jealous of the fact that Sully is always the top scarer. To get that title himself, Randall cheats by scaring outside office hours.

Boo
Voiced by: Mary Gibbs
Boo is a toddler who steps into the monster world and becomes friends with Sully, although everyone in Monstropolis thinks humans are toxic. Boo is a sweet and naïve little girl.

Celia Mae
Voiced by: Jennifer Tilly
Celia is Mike’s girlfriend. She is very loving, but can be aggressive when she is mad.

Henry James Waternoose III
Voiced by: James Coburn
Mr. Waternoose is the big boss of Monsters Inc. He has a gentle and fatherly appearance, but that’s just a mask. He becomes more villainous as this drive and desperation strips away his morals and he is determined to not let anything stop what he thinks will be the best way for the company to keep going.

Roz
Voiced by: Bob Petersen
She is the manager of the scarefloor and always very synical, suspicious and crabby. Especially towards Mike, who is always trying to win over her sympathy.

Yeti aka The Abominable Snowman
Voice by: John Ratzenberger
Yeti also worked for Monsters Inc. but he got banished. Although he got banished, he seems like a cheery and kind monster, but we really don’t want to know why does snowcones are yellow.

George Sanderson
Voiced by: Samuel Lord Black
George is one of those monsters that can’t catch a break. He’s kind and friendly, but very clumsy.



Favorite Character: Mike Wazowksi