Netflix Friday - Volume 102

 
Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
 

Drama: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a hot.
 

Comedy: Julie & Julia (2009)
Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) 2022 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book.
 

Animation: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
 

Romance: The In Between (2022)
After surviving a car accident that took the life of her boyfriend (Kyle Allen), a teenage girl Joey King) believes he’s attempting to reconnect with her from the after world.
 

Horror: Choose or Die (2022)
After firing up a lost 80s survival horror game, a young decoder unleashes a hidden curse that tears reality apart, forcing her to make terrifying decisions and face deadly consequences.
 

Science Fiction: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
A soldier (Tom Cruise) fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.
 

Crime: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.
 

Thriller: Forgotten (2017)
When his abducted brother returns seemingly a different man with no memory of the past 19 days, Jin-seok chases after the truth behind the kidnapping.
 

Documentary: Our Great National Parks (2022)
A five-part documentary series about the world’s most breathtaking national parks and the wildlife that live there.
 

Family: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer (James Marsden) must help him defeat an evil genius (Jim Carrey) who want to do experiments on him.

What's in a Movie Year - 2009

Taking a look at the year 2009, picking my 10 favorite movies from that year in random order.
 

Zombieland
After zombies take over the world, a young man stays alive by meticulously following a number of self-described rules. For example, he always puts on his seatbelts, watches oyt for toilets and never plays the hero. When he meets a couple of other survivors, they decide to hang out together. Witty, ironic zombie film, worthwhile mainly because of well-written characters. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, for example, are fun as incisive sisters, Woody Harrelson is fantastic as a macho zombie defender.
 

(500) Days of Summer
Tom, trained as an architect, has a dull job writing texts for greeting cards, but his existence is brightened considerably by Summer, a girl from the office. The story of their relationship is not told chronologically, but in flashbacks and forwards. In this way, details in the film are given different meanings each time. A remarkable and original way to tell a story of ‘boy meets girl’. Good screenplay, excellent direction and particularly fine lead actors.
 

Fantastic Mr. Fox
When titular hero Mr. Fox learns Mrs. Fox is pregnant he must promise her to stop stealing. He keeps this promise for a while, but after a few years the wild beast in him resurfaces. Mr. Fox crawls out of his hole, goes to live above the ground in a hollow tree and pays nightly visits to the storehouse of the mean farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Fine stop-motion animated film from director Wes Anderson, who transformed Roald Dahl’s children’s book into a dryly comic ode to whimsy. Also perfect for adults of course. Favorite Anderson film.
 

Up
The young Carl Fredericksen wants to be  an adventurer, just like his idol Charles Muntz. He meets the like-minded Ellie, they courtship, marry, and solemnly promise each other to go to Latin American Paradise Falls someday. It is not until the age of 78 that Carl, now a widower, ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away. he is joined by a tenacious little boy scout. Wonderful, wityy, poetic animated film for young and old. The first few minutes in particular are brilliant (and if you don’t cry, you are not human).
 

Where the Wild Things Are
After an argument with his mother, nine-year-old Max runs away, climbs unto a sailboat and, after traveling across the ocean, ends up in a land populated by meter-high monsters. Film adaptation by director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Dave Eggers, of the famous children’s book by the same name, written by Maurice Sendak. The film is not made for a young audience, it is too subtle and melancholic for that, the emotions of adults and children are too strong. Well-played, sublimely designed, moving and compelling.
 
 

Inglourious Basterds
A group of touch Jewish-American soldier tries to kill as many Nazis as possible during WWII in occupied France. A cinema owner tries to make the best of it under the occupation. And a German officer hunts down Jews. Director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino intertwined their stories into a clever scenario, which served as the basis for this powerful war film. The agonizing tension in “Inglourious Basterds” is interspersed with dark humor. Razor-sharp dialogues. Christoph Waltz is the star of the film as SS man Hans Landa.
 

Avatar
Private Jake is in a wheelchair. But then he gets an offer: he can serve as the driver of an avatar on the planet Pandora, his brain in his sleeping body then in control of a body grown from genetically engineered cells that looks, walks, runs and jumps just like the Na’vi that inhabit the planet. James Cameron’s groundbreaking use of 3D turned this otherwise average adventure film into and eye-opening and exhilarating spectacle. And the film shows again how mankind ruins everything that is beautiful.
 

Sherlock Holmes
Did Sit Arthur Conan Doyle base his penmanship in the late nineteenth century on himself, on Jesus, or simply on a fellow physician? Whatever the case, in the hands of director Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes became a cynical, anti-social, alcohol loving man with an unexpectedly refines sense of fighting and shooting techniques. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law play the duo Holmes and Watson with frivolous ease, touring filthy London in search of a criminal magician resurrected from the grave.
 

The Blind Side
True story: wealthy Leigh Anne Tuohy takes in a homeless, underprivileged young black man. This Michael Oher makes sure that Leigh Anne’s perfect but somewhat sterile family becomes a lot cozier. Moreover he actually grows into a promising American football player. It’s kind of a sweet feel-good film, but I love it.
 

Moon
Astronaut Sam Bell, after three years of soloing in the lunar helium extraction, finally sees homeward travel and family reunification approaching. Despite mild delusions, he seems to be crossing the finish line in health. Until he has an accident and wakes up in sickbay. Talking flight computer GERTY appeases the incident, but Sam knows: something is not right here. Ingenious screenplay by Nathan Parker and debutant director Duncan Jones makes for a disturbing, disorienting viewing experience in more ways than one. Sam Rockwell is terrific, and Kevin Spacey souffles GERTY 

Best Portrayals of Sherlock Holmes

"Enola Holmes” can’t be seen on Netflix now and with that we have yet again an interpretations of the most famous detective we all love: Sherlock Holmes. He made his first appearance in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel “A Study in Scarlett” which was released in 1887. Since then, there have been a lot of movies, TV movies and TV series where this character appeared in. I decided to make a list of the best portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. I didn’t ranked them, I listed them in order of when they appeared first. 

Arthur Wontner (The Sleeping Cardinal, 1931, The Missing Rembrandt, 1932, The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes’ Greatest Case, 1932, The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes, 1935 and Silver Blaze, 1937)
Arthur Wontner played Sherlock Holmes in five movies between 1931 and 1937. At the time, reviewers found him a perfect Sherlock Holmes and fans claimed that no better Holmes than Arthur Wontner could be found.
 

Basil Rathbone (The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1939, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1939, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, 1942, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, 1942, Sherlock Holmes in Washington, 1943, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, 1943, Crazy House, 1943, The Spider Woman, 1943, The Scarlett Claw, 1944, The Pearl of Death, 1944, The House of Fear, 1945, The Woman in Green, 1945, Pursuit to Algiers, 1945, Terror By Night, 1946 and Dressed to Kill, 1946)
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” was a gamechanger in many ways: it was the first film set up in Victorian London and it was the first time the famous detective uniform was created. Basil had the charm of Sherlock like no other. No wonder he appeared in 15 films and over 200 radio shows as this character.
 

Peter Cushing (The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1959, Sherlock Holmes TV-series, 1968 and The Mask of Death, 1984)
Peter Cushing made his debut as Sherlock Holmes in “The Hound of the Baskervilles”. In 1968 he returned to the role for the BBC “Sherlock Holmes” television series, that aired for 16 episodes, taking over the role from Douglas Wilmer. Cushing later reprised his rol in the 1984 TV movie “The Mask of Death. The 60s series firmly established Peter Cushing as one of the best loved and memorable embodiments of Sherlock Holmes in the eyes of both an appreciative viewing public and the majority of critics alike.
 

Christopher Lee (Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, 1962, Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady, 1991, and Incident at Victoria Falls, 1992)
Having previously played Sir Henry Baskerville alongside Peter Cushing in “The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Lee played the title character in the 1962 movie “Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace”. Then again in tow TV Movies in the early 90s; “Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady” and “Incident at Victoria Falls”. Christopher Lee also played Holmes’ brother Mycroft in the 1970s “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes”. He might not be the best Sherlock Holmes to ever exist,  but  his cold delivery made him ideal for the role.
 

Christopher Plummer (Silver Blaze, 1977, Murder By Decree, 1977)
Christopher Plummer played Holmes in two films in the 1970s. His performance is viewed as the most emotional portrayal of Sherlock Holmes ever seen on screen. If you’ve ever wondered what the detective may have looked like of he cared about his victims, that’s what Plummer offered the audience.
 

Tom Baker (The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1982)
A year after stepping down as the star of “Doctor Who”, Tom Baker took on another iconic British character in a BBC adaptation of “The Hound of the Baskervilles”. The four part serial saw Baker reunite with his former producer on “Doctor Who”, Barry Letts. Baker was named a predictably larger-than-life Holmes.
 

Jeremy Brett (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1984-1994)
Jeremy Brett did his research for the role, one that Sherlock himself would appreciate. The actor, who himself had bipolar disorder and depression, used his own life to understand the path from boredom to increased detective interest. And that resulted in a beautiful series that lasted ten years.
 

Rupert Everett (Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silver Stocking, 2004)
Rupert Everett starred in the BBC’s “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silver Stocking” in 2004/ the TV movie was a follow-up to the same production company’s adaptation of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in 2002, which starred Richard Roxburgh as Holmes. Everett was praised for his elegant and decidedly decadent interpretation and a portrayal rich in tortured silences and seasoned with touches of campy authority.
 

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, 2010 – 2017)
The only Sherlock Holmes with a Blackberry: Benedict Cumberbatch. He brings the fictional character from 1900 to life in 2012. And how! He knows better than anyone how to make an old boring man timeless. The detective in this series is smart, very stubborn and he is a little bit pf a psychopath. Reviews were universally positive, describing the show as a triumph, witty and knowing, without ever undercutting the flair and dazzle of the original. It understands that Holmes isn’t really about plot but about charisma.
 

Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, 2009 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011)
Robert Downey Jr. plays the most extravagant version of Sherlock Holmes you can think of. Precisely because he brings so much of his own personality into the role, the film is entertaining. We’ve seen that old, boring version of Holmes often enough! At the same time he still remains charming and crazy, exactly how the detective should be.
 

Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary, 2012-2019)
Jonny Lee Miller played Sherlock Holmes in seven seasons of TV’s “Elementary”. Running for 154, this American procedural crime drama series aired from 2012 to 2019. It may not appeal to purists, but “Elementary” provides a fresh spin on Sherlock Holmes, and Jonny Lee Miller shines in the title role.
 

Ian McKellen (Mr. Holmes, 2015)
The endearing Ian McKellen, unlike all the other actors, portrays Sherlock Holmes during his older years. This twist makes the detective immediately interesting: the 93-year-old is retired and deals with amnesia. Director Bill Condon chooses to focus on Holmes as a person, not on the mystery. And no one can bear that better than Ian McKellen.
 

Henry Cavill (Enola Holmes, 2020)
Although Henry Cavill only has a supporting role in “Enola Holmes”, because the film focuses on the detectives younger sister Enola. But I had to include him, because Cavill plays Holmes in the charming and classic British way. Exactly how we know the actor. The strict brother, who secretly enjoys his sister’s rebelliousness, is well cast. And I can’t get over the fact how handsome Cavill looks in this film.  

50 Books Challenge 2013 - # 28: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Story: Holmes and Watson are faced with their most terrifying case yet. The legend of the devil-beast that haunts the moors around the Baskerville families home warns the descendants of that ancient clan never to venture out in those dark hours when the power of evil is exalted. Now, the most recent Baskerville, Sir Charles, is dead and the footprints of a giant hound have been found near his body. Will the new heir meet the same fate?
Start: july 24th 2013
End: july 29th 2013
Comment: I have a thing for detective stories, I like the idea of trying to solve a mystery with the characters. Sherlock Holmes is the best of them all and probably even the most well known fictional detective. So you can also say I have a thing for Sherlock. I love the films and off course the BBC show, but it all started with the books and I wanted to reread "The Hound of the Baskervilles" this summer. As soon as I opened the book, I was captivated. I normally read books in my native tongue, but I just had to read this one in English. What a beautiful way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has with words. Your English has to be pretty advanced. This story has always been my favorite and again it was a pleasure to read it. I love the whole atmosphere of this book, the case is interesting and compelling and it's full of suspense. It's a timeless mystery. My favorite thing about all Sherlock Holmes books, is how detailed it is. They are classic 'who done it' stories, but with much more depth in it. Fantastic read!
Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Friends

It’s always nice to see a movie with a great friendship in it. Here are my five favorites.

5. Harry, Ron and Hermione (“Harry Potter” series)
They were a good combination from the beginning, although the two boys didn’t really like Hermione at first. The calm and troubled Harry, funny and nervous Ron and smart and kind Hermione. A match made in heaven.

4. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson
You have to be very patient to have Sherlock Holmes as your best friend, but he’s a genius. And with that patience Watson makes a perfect friend.

3. Bob and Charlotte (“Lost in Translation”)
A middle aged man and a young, newlywed woman befriend each other. It sounds weird, but it’s one of the most honest and convincing friendships between a man and a woman ever portrayed in a movie.

2. Gordie, Chris, Vern and Teddy (“Stand By Me”)
They are not your typical group of friends, they aren’t popular and they don’t belong with all the other kids. Together they are a great group of friends and it’s really hard to dislike any of them.

1. Red and Andy (“The Shawshank Redemption”)
I love how this friendship started. Red liked Andy from the start, although he didn’t think much of him when he entered Shawshank prison. They are great friends and I think anyone would be thankful for a friend like Red or Andy.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Harry and Sally (“When Harry Met Sally”), Annie and Lilian (“Bridesmaids”), Rob and Barry (“High Fidelity”), Shaun and Ed (“Shaun of the Dead”), Adam and Kyle (“50/ 50”), Katniss and Gale (“The Hunger Games”), Timon and Pumbaa (“The Lion King”), John and Ted (“Ted”)

Top 5 Thursday: Rachel McAdams Movies

Rachel McAdams is one of my favorites and I saw her for the first time in “Wedding Crashers”. I decided to watch more movies of her and she totally stole my heart, every single time. So here are my five favorite movies of her (still have to see “To the Wonder”).

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife
I love the book more, but this movie really is amazing. And Rachel does a fantastic job as Clare.

4. Sherlock Holmes
I loved this movie the first time I saw it. I liked the second one too, but this a little better. I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes, the character and the books, so I’m critical. This turned out fine and I love it.

3. Red Eye
Such a scary movie, on the edge of you seat exciting! And every time I watch it it’s just as thrilling.

2. The Notebook
Definitely one of the most romantic stories ever told. What a wonderful film. Such perfect chemistry Rachel and Ryan have.

1. Midnight in Paris
This has become one of my favorite films over the years. I’m actually in love with this movie. Not so much Rachel’s character, because Inez is a horrible person, but this movie is just fantastic. People who’ve seen it know what I mean.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Wedding Crashers, Morning Glory, The Lucky Ones, State of Play

Movie Trailer Sunday (8)

This weeks trailers are about a struggling father, Sherlock Holmes, the war between China and Japan, Puss in Boots and Nicolas Sarkozy

The Descendants
Description: Matt King (George Clooney) is an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.
Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges and Matthew Lillard
Trailer: Trailer "The Descendants"

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Description: Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room... until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large - Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) - and not only is he Holmes' intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder�a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction, all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Fry and Rachel McAdams
Trailer: Trailer "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"
Comment: I loved the first one, so I'm definitely going to see this one.

The Flowers of War
Description: In 1937, Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan. As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China's capital city, desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (Christian Bale), an American trapped amidst the chaos of battle and the ensuing occupation takes shelter, joined by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans, equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church walls. Struggling to survive the violence and persecution wrought by the Japanese army, it is an act of heroism which eventually leads the seemingly disparate group to fight back, risking their lives for the sake of everyone. to run and nowhere to hide, fate always has a way of bringing the most unlikely heroes together.
Director: Yimou Zhang
Starring: Christian Bale
Trailer: Trailer "The Flowers of War"

Puss in Boots
Description: Long before he even met Shrek, the notorious fighter, lover and outlaw Puss In Boots becomes a hero when he sets off on an adventure with the tough and street smart Kitty Softpaws and the mastermind Humpty Dumpty to save his town. This is the true story of The Cat, The Myth, The Legend... The Boots.
Director: Chris Miller
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zack Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thortnton
Trailer: Trailer "Puss in Boots"

The Conquest
Description: As the French people are getting ready to go to the polls to elect their new president, presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy (Denis Podalydès) has shut himself away in his home. Though Sarkozy soon learns he has won the election, he is alone, gloomy and despondent. For hours he has been trying to reach his wife, Cécilia, to no avail. The last five years start to unfurl before our eyes, recounting Sarkozy's unstoppable ascent to power, riddled with in-party backstabbing, media manipulation, riots, sarcastic confrontations and extra-marital affairs.
Director: Xavier Durringer
Starring: Denis Podalydès, Florence Pernel, Bernard Le Coq, Hippolyte Girardot
Trailer: Trailer "The Conquest"