dinsdag 6 december 2011
Pic Spam: Chris Pine
Chris Pine is going to star in "This Mean War", which also stars Tom Hardy. They both play spies fighting over the same woman, played by Reese Witherspoon. A woman could be in worse situations... Here are Chris' best pictures. And look at the fifth picture, doesn't Chris look like a young Paul Newman?
maandag 5 december 2011
In the Picture: The Characters from "Forrest Gump"
My second favorite movie off all-time is "Forrest Gump". I already shared my favorite scenes from the movie and now I'm going to take a closer look at the characters from the film.
Forrest Gump
Played by: Tom Hanks
At a young age the school principal determines that Forrest has an IQ of 75. Although he's not very intelligent, he has endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties. This brings him into many life-changing situations.
Jenny Curran
Played by: Robin Wright
Jenny is Forrest's childhood friend and the only one that really understands him. Although her life hasn't been perfect, because she was abused as a kid, to Forrest she's the love of his life. Their ways seperate and come together many times and they eventually have a kid and get married.
Lt. Dan Taylor
Played by: Gary Sinise
Forrest meets Lt. Dan Taylor during the Vietnam war, where he is Forrest's commanding officer. After losing his legs in an ambush and being rescued against his will by Forrest, he falls into a deep depression. He does promise Forrest that, if he would ever own a shrimp boat like he said, he will help him.
Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue
Played by: Mykelti Williamson
Bubba is Forrest's friend whom he meets while serving in the army. It's Bubba's dream to have a shrimp boat someday, because he knows everything there is to know about shrimp. When Bubba dies, Forrest buys a boat and starts the Bubba-Gump shrimp company in his honor.
Mrs. Gump
Played by: Sally Field
Forrest was abandoned by his father, so Mrs. Gump raised Forrest all by herself. She loves her son unconditionally and she has a special way of explaining things to Forrest.
Favorite Character: Forrest Gump
Played by: Tom Hanks
At a young age the school principal determines that Forrest has an IQ of 75. Although he's not very intelligent, he has endearing character and shows devotion to his loved ones and duties. This brings him into many life-changing situations.
Played by: Robin Wright
Jenny is Forrest's childhood friend and the only one that really understands him. Although her life hasn't been perfect, because she was abused as a kid, to Forrest she's the love of his life. Their ways seperate and come together many times and they eventually have a kid and get married.
Played by: Gary Sinise
Forrest meets Lt. Dan Taylor during the Vietnam war, where he is Forrest's commanding officer. After losing his legs in an ambush and being rescued against his will by Forrest, he falls into a deep depression. He does promise Forrest that, if he would ever own a shrimp boat like he said, he will help him.
Played by: Mykelti Williamson
Bubba is Forrest's friend whom he meets while serving in the army. It's Bubba's dream to have a shrimp boat someday, because he knows everything there is to know about shrimp. When Bubba dies, Forrest buys a boat and starts the Bubba-Gump shrimp company in his honor.
Played by: Sally Field
Forrest was abandoned by his father, so Mrs. Gump raised Forrest all by herself. She loves her son unconditionally and she has a special way of explaining things to Forrest.
Favorite Character: Forrest Gump
zondag 4 december 2011
50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 59: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 1) by Lemony Snicket
Author: Lemony Snicket
Story: Dear Reader, I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket
Start: december 3rd 2011
End: december 4th 2011
Comment: Off course I love to read, but as a teacher I also like to read children's books. After seeing the movie version for the second time, I thought I could finally start reading this series. The fun thing about it is that the writer, Lemony Snicket, actually 'speaks' to his readers. It's like he's really talking to you. And his way of telling a story is so unique. Like he already warns his readers, it's not a very pleasant book and it doesn't have a happy ending. Snicket is also a writer who doesn't patronize his readers. There are pretty heavy topics, or at least not very common children's books topics. Like when Count Olaf is trying to trick the 15 year-old Violet into marrying him. Violet, Klaus and Sunny are all loveable characters and I like the fact that they all have a special talent. Violet is my favorite, how inventive she is. Olaf is a fantastic villain and the way he's described it's really easy to picture him. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely read more books in this series.
Rating: 5/ 5
Movie Trailer Sunday (14)
Not a lot of mind-blowing trailers this week, so I also posted some trailers I saw before. This weeks trailers are about a pickpocket, a horse, Alaska, a 17-year old writer and new year's eve.
Loosies
Description: A young New York pickpocket Bobby (Peter Facinelli) is confronted by a woman (Jamie Alexander) with whom he has a passionate one-night affair. She tells him she's pregnant, and Bobby is forced to reevaluate a lifetime of missteps, take responsibility for his new child and win over the girl who might just be perfect for him.
Director: Michael Corrente
Starring: Peter Facinelli, Jaimie Alexander, Michael Madsen, Vincent Gallo, William Forsythe and Joe Pantoliano
Trailer: Trailer "Loosies"
War Horse
Description: It tells the story of the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch
Trailer: Trailer "War Horse"
The Grey
Description: An unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks go into the remote Alaskan wilderness when their plane crashes. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt before their time runs out.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson and Dermot Mulroney
Trailer: Trailer "The Grey"
Albatross
Description: Emelia Conan-Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay) is a cheeky force of nature and the 17-year-old heir to the legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle. Harboring an ambition to follow in the literary footsteps of her grandfather, Emelia writes while working at a stuffy seaside hotel populated by another blocked novelist Jonathan (Sebastian Koch), his put-upon wife (Julia Ormond) and their daughter Beth (Felicity Jones). Befriending Beth, Emelia begins to inch her way into their family life before casually seducing the sexually-frustrated Jonathan, forcing all involved to confront some uncomfortable truths about their situation.
Director: Niall MacCormick
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Jessica Brown Findlay and Felicity Jones
Trailer: Trailer "Albatross"
New Year's Eve
Description: "New Year's Eve" celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank and, Sofia Vergara
Trailer: Trailer "New Year's Eve"
Comment: I love movies with multiple storylines.
Description: A young New York pickpocket Bobby (Peter Facinelli) is confronted by a woman (Jamie Alexander) with whom he has a passionate one-night affair. She tells him she's pregnant, and Bobby is forced to reevaluate a lifetime of missteps, take responsibility for his new child and win over the girl who might just be perfect for him.
Director: Michael Corrente
Starring: Peter Facinelli, Jaimie Alexander, Michael Madsen, Vincent Gallo, William Forsythe and Joe Pantoliano
Trailer: Trailer "Loosies"
Description: It tells the story of the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch
Trailer: Trailer "War Horse"
Description: An unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks go into the remote Alaskan wilderness when their plane crashes. Battling mortal injuries and merciless weather, the survivors have only a few days to escape the icy elements and a vicious pack of rogue wolves on the hunt before their time runs out.
Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Liam Neeson and Dermot Mulroney
Trailer: Trailer "The Grey"
Description: Emelia Conan-Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay) is a cheeky force of nature and the 17-year-old heir to the legacy of Arthur Conan Doyle. Harboring an ambition to follow in the literary footsteps of her grandfather, Emelia writes while working at a stuffy seaside hotel populated by another blocked novelist Jonathan (Sebastian Koch), his put-upon wife (Julia Ormond) and their daughter Beth (Felicity Jones). Befriending Beth, Emelia begins to inch her way into their family life before casually seducing the sexually-frustrated Jonathan, forcing all involved to confront some uncomfortable truths about their situation.
Director: Niall MacCormick
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Jessica Brown Findlay and Felicity Jones
Trailer: Trailer "Albatross"
Description: "New Year's Eve" celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank and, Sofia Vergara
Trailer: Trailer "New Year's Eve"
Comment: I love movies with multiple storylines.
zaterdag 3 december 2011
50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 58: Op Klaarlichte Dag by Simone van der Vlugt
Author: Simone van der Vlugt
Story: A young woman, Nathalie, is on the run for her violent ex-boyfriend. But she isn't only running from him. The police wants to talk to her about the death of her best friend. An accidental meeting between Nathalie and detective Julia Vriens brings the case into a whole new light. Nathalie took another identity and Julia has no idea who she's dealing with. When Nathalie's ex turns up again, everything changes and nothing is what it seems...
Start: november 28th 2011
End: december 2nd 2011
Comment: The book hasn't been translated in English yet. Van der Vlugt is one of Netherlands' best thriller writers and she writes pageturners every single time. Right from the start you are totally captivated by the story and already you can't put the book down. After every chapter you just want to keep reading and find out what happens next, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I couldn't really sympathize Nathalie for some reason. I know she's going through a rough patch, but somehow she has herself to thank for all that. Julia I did like from the start. My favorite part of the book was the location. It's set in Roermond, The Netherlands, which is my city. I could totally picture it, because everything sounded so familair. The end was disappointing. I expected more than this, it was a bit too casual.
Rating: 3,5/ 5
vrijdag 2 december 2011
Movie Moments: "Stand By Me"
"Stand By Me" is one of my favorite movies of all-time. People who follow my blog know this. Although the movie is only around 90 minutes long, it has plenty of great scenes. Here they are.
Moment # 1: Verne tells his friends about Ray
Chris, Gordie and Teddy are talking and playing cards in their treehouse. Verne wants to enter, but doesn’t remember the secret knock anymore. They let him in anyway. While still teasing Verne, he tells his friends about the dead body of Ray Brower. They decide to go on a fieldtrip and find the body.
Moment # 2: Danny gives Gordie the hat
When Gordie is at home, getting all his stuff together for the trip, he has to find his cantine. He goes into his brother Danny’s room, who recently past away. He starts to think about the moment when Danny gave him the New York Yankees cap.
Moment # 3: It’s loaded
When Gordie and Chris meet up for their trip, Chris shows him what he brought: a gun. Gordie starts playing with it and Chris tells him it isn’t loaded. When he points at a mark and wants to fire, they find out it is loaded and they run away.
Moment # 4: Dodging the train
When the boys are walking, they hear a train coming. Verne, Chris and Gordie get off the train rails, but Teddy doesn’t. He decides to dodge the train. He wants to wait untill the last moment to get off the rails.
Moment # 5: Gordie and Chris race each other
The boys climb over a fence and they want to take a break. Gordie and Chris decide to race each other. When they stop and Chris wins, they look at each other and smile, the look of true friendship.
Moment # 6: “Shut Up!”
The boys are hungry and one of them needs to gets something to eat. They flip coins and Gordie is the lucky one. Verne, Teddy and Chris start making fun of him and Gordie tells them to shut up. The other three respond: I don't shut up. I grow up. And when I look at you, I throw up. Aghhh!
Moment # 7: Chopper
When Gordie returns with the food and drinks, he sees his friends climbing over the fence. Than he sees the owner of the property and he releases his dog Chopper. All he hears is “Chopper, sic balls”. When he’s on the other side of the fence, the boys see Chopper’s true identity and he doesn’t look like an evil dog at all.
Moment # 8: “TRAIN!”
In order to get to the other side, the boys decide to take the bridge which has a railroad. While walking, Gordie looks behind and sees smoke. A train is coming and they have to start running to make it to the other side. Chris and Teddy are already there, but Verne and Gordie still have a long way to go. Verne is affraid that he is going to fall, but Gordie makes sure he starts running too.
Moment # 9: Campfire talk
The four friends make a campfire and start all sorts of discussions. Like what animal Goofy is, which food they could eat for the rest of their lives and Wagon Train. Especially the Goofy discussion is a hot topic.
Moment # 10: Gordie’s story
Still around the campfire, Gordie tells his friends a story he wrote. It’s about a fat boy, nicknamed Lard Ass, who enters a pie eating competition and takes revenge on all the people who always make fun of him.
Moment # 11: Gordie and Chris share a moment
While Verne and Teddy are sleeping, Chris and Gordie sit down and talk. Chris talks about his father and gets really emotional. Gordie comforts him. Than Chris tell Gordie that he will be a great writer someday and he might wright about them.
Moment # 12: Leeches
The boys have to cross a swamp to get on the other side. They start fooling around, but when they get out teddy sees something in Verne’s neck. They’re all covered in leeches. When they think they got rid of them all, Gordie checks his undies and than faints.
Moment # 13: They find the body
After a long trip, the guys finally find what they where looking for: the body of Ray Brower. They look at it and decide what to do next. Ace and his friends join them, because they knew about Gordie, Verne, Teddy and Chris trying to find Ray. He starts threatening the boys, but than Gordie pulls out the gun. Ace and his buddies leave.
Moment # 14: Goodbye
The boys return from their trip and say goodbye. They leave and they all go to their own lives again. The voice-over, who’s a grown up Gordie, tells us what happened to his friends. Like Chris, who became a lawyer and was stabbed and died instantly. His closing lines are: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone? “
Favorite Moment: Moment # 11: Gordie and Chris share a moment
Chris, Gordie and Teddy are talking and playing cards in their treehouse. Verne wants to enter, but doesn’t remember the secret knock anymore. They let him in anyway. While still teasing Verne, he tells his friends about the dead body of Ray Brower. They decide to go on a fieldtrip and find the body.
When Gordie is at home, getting all his stuff together for the trip, he has to find his cantine. He goes into his brother Danny’s room, who recently past away. He starts to think about the moment when Danny gave him the New York Yankees cap.
When Gordie and Chris meet up for their trip, Chris shows him what he brought: a gun. Gordie starts playing with it and Chris tells him it isn’t loaded. When he points at a mark and wants to fire, they find out it is loaded and they run away.
When the boys are walking, they hear a train coming. Verne, Chris and Gordie get off the train rails, but Teddy doesn’t. He decides to dodge the train. He wants to wait untill the last moment to get off the rails.
The boys climb over a fence and they want to take a break. Gordie and Chris decide to race each other. When they stop and Chris wins, they look at each other and smile, the look of true friendship.
The boys are hungry and one of them needs to gets something to eat. They flip coins and Gordie is the lucky one. Verne, Teddy and Chris start making fun of him and Gordie tells them to shut up. The other three respond: I don't shut up. I grow up. And when I look at you, I throw up. Aghhh!
When Gordie returns with the food and drinks, he sees his friends climbing over the fence. Than he sees the owner of the property and he releases his dog Chopper. All he hears is “Chopper, sic balls”. When he’s on the other side of the fence, the boys see Chopper’s true identity and he doesn’t look like an evil dog at all.
In order to get to the other side, the boys decide to take the bridge which has a railroad. While walking, Gordie looks behind and sees smoke. A train is coming and they have to start running to make it to the other side. Chris and Teddy are already there, but Verne and Gordie still have a long way to go. Verne is affraid that he is going to fall, but Gordie makes sure he starts running too.
The four friends make a campfire and start all sorts of discussions. Like what animal Goofy is, which food they could eat for the rest of their lives and Wagon Train. Especially the Goofy discussion is a hot topic.
Still around the campfire, Gordie tells his friends a story he wrote. It’s about a fat boy, nicknamed Lard Ass, who enters a pie eating competition and takes revenge on all the people who always make fun of him.
While Verne and Teddy are sleeping, Chris and Gordie sit down and talk. Chris talks about his father and gets really emotional. Gordie comforts him. Than Chris tell Gordie that he will be a great writer someday and he might wright about them.
The boys have to cross a swamp to get on the other side. They start fooling around, but when they get out teddy sees something in Verne’s neck. They’re all covered in leeches. When they think they got rid of them all, Gordie checks his undies and than faints.
After a long trip, the guys finally find what they where looking for: the body of Ray Brower. They look at it and decide what to do next. Ace and his friends join them, because they knew about Gordie, Verne, Teddy and Chris trying to find Ray. He starts threatening the boys, but than Gordie pulls out the gun. Ace and his buddies leave.
The boys return from their trip and say goodbye. They leave and they all go to their own lives again. The voice-over, who’s a grown up Gordie, tells us what happened to his friends. Like Chris, who became a lawyer and was stabbed and died instantly. His closing lines are: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone? “
Favorite Moment: Moment # 11: Gordie and Chris share a moment
donderdag 1 december 2011
Top 5 Thursday: "Harry Potter" Books
As you might know, I love the "Harry Potter" series. I just finished rereading the complete series and I started ranking them. This is the top 5 I got.
5. Book # 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
This book had one crucial moment: the death of Dumbledore. That was heartbreaking. I also liked learning about Voldemort’s past.
4. Book # 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
I just loved the idea of the tournament. First fighting the dragon, than the battle in the water and finally the creepy labyrinth. The first time Harry meets Voldemort face to face, which was pretty scary if you ask me. And Cedric dying had quite an impact on the fans.
3. Book # 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Where it all began. We are introduced to Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron. We meet Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Draco and lots more. Like Harry, we are sucked into the fantastic world of Hogwarts.
2. Book # 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The last book meant the end of a great series. This was definitely the most emotional book of them all. A lot of dramatic things happened, like some loveable characters died. But also happy moments, like Ron and Hermione’s kiss and Harry finally beating Voldemort.
1. Book # 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The book is much darker than the previous two, which appealed to me. The third book also introduced what was going to be one of my favorite characters: Sirius Black. And we also meet the creepy dementors for the first time. When I read it for the first time, I said it was my favorite so far. It never changed.
They almost made the top 5: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
5. Book # 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
This book had one crucial moment: the death of Dumbledore. That was heartbreaking. I also liked learning about Voldemort’s past.
4. Book # 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
I just loved the idea of the tournament. First fighting the dragon, than the battle in the water and finally the creepy labyrinth. The first time Harry meets Voldemort face to face, which was pretty scary if you ask me. And Cedric dying had quite an impact on the fans.
3. Book # 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Where it all began. We are introduced to Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron. We meet Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Draco and lots more. Like Harry, we are sucked into the fantastic world of Hogwarts.
2. Book # 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The last book meant the end of a great series. This was definitely the most emotional book of them all. A lot of dramatic things happened, like some loveable characters died. But also happy moments, like Ron and Hermione’s kiss and Harry finally beating Voldemort.
1. Book # 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The book is much darker than the previous two, which appealed to me. The third book also introduced what was going to be one of my favorite characters: Sirius Black. And we also meet the creepy dementors for the first time. When I read it for the first time, I said it was my favorite so far. It never changed.
They almost made the top 5: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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