Movie Trailer Sunday (32)

This weeks trailers are about Rome, turning dreams into real memories, Mexican criminals, fear and a single woman going on 30.

To Rome with Love
Description: It's a story about a number of people in Italy - some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors - and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into.
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz, Roberto Benigni, Greta Gerwig, Woody Allen
Trailer: Trailer "To Rome with Love"
Comment: If it's as good as "Midnight in Paris", I'm totally in.

Total Recall
Description: Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the policem controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world, Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.
Director: Len Wiseman
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, Bill Nighy
Trailer: Trailer "Total Recall"
Comment: Another remake, I'm not sure but it does looks pretty awesome.

Savages
Description: Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry, raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town...until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them. When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon, with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta), wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Emile Hirsch, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Aaron Johnson
Trailer: Trailer "Savages"
Comment: Great cast and director. I have big expectations.

A Fantastic Fear of Everything
Description: A children's author turned crime novelist whose does research by moving into the lives of Victorian serial killers turns him into a paranoid wreck, especially when a Hollywood executive decides he wants to make a film out of his findings.
Director: Crispian Mills, Chris Hopewell
Starring: Simon Pegg
Trailer: Trailer "A Fantastic Fear of Everything"
Comment: Simon Pegg is hilarious and this looks just as funny.

Ted
Description: John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) is a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since.
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Giovanni Ribisis, Patrick Warburton
Trailer: Trailer "Ted"
Comment: Come on, sounds ridiculous but looks hilarious!

In My Mailbox (41)

Another productive week, five cards this week. The first one came from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Really beautiful card, especially the blossom trees look very pretty.

Sent on: march 26th 2012
Received on: april 2nd 2012
Distance: 9,625 km (5,981 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

The second one came from the US. Lincoln, Nebraska to be exact. A map.

Sent on: march 28th 2012
Received on: april 4th 2012
Distance: 7,366 km (4,577 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

I also got a card from Poland's capitol. Nice singel viewed card. The city by night. The sender joined postcrossing.com to collect cards for a friend who is turning 33 soon. I think that's a very nice gesture.

Sent on: april 1st 2012
Received on: april 6th 2012
Distance: 1,042 km (647 miles)
Travel time: 5 days

The best cards I got today. This one is again from Taiwan. I love the cat, with the pretty green eyes.

Sent on: march 29th 2012
Received on: april 7th 2012
Distance: 9,470 km (5,884 miles)
Travel time: 9 days

And I also got this very nice card from Germany. I love hares and rabbits. It's the Easter Bunny!!

Sent on: april 5th 2012
Received on: april 7th 2012
Distance: 234 km (145 miles)
Travel time: 2 days

Thanks Fish, Charlene, Monika, Yi-Fang and Anna

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 14: Playing the Enemy by John Carlin

Title: Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Author: John Carlin
Story: In 1985, Nelson Mandela, then in prison for twenty-three years, set about winning over the fiercest proponents of apartheid, from his jailers to the head of South Africa's military. First he earned his freedom and then he won the presidency in the nation's first free election in 1994. But he knew that South Africa was still dangerously divided by almost fifty years of apartheid. If he couldn't unite his country in a visceral, emotional way--and fast--it would collapse into chaos. He would need all the charisma and strategic acumen he had honed during half a century of activism, and he'd need a cause all South Africans could share. Mandela picked one of the more farfetched causes imaginable--the national rugby team, the Springboks, who would host the sport's World Cup in 1995. Against the giants of the sport, the Springboks' chances of victory were remote. But their chances of capturing the hearts of most South Africans seemed remoter still, as they had long been the embodiment of white supremacist rule. During apartheid, the all-white Springboks and their fans had belted out racist fight songs, and blacks would come to Springbok matches to cheer for whatever team was playing against them. Yet Mandela believed that the Springboks could embody--and engage--the new South Africa. And the Springboks themselves embraced the scheme. Soon South African TV would carry images of the team singing "Nkosi Sikelele Afrika," the longtime anthem of black resistance to apartheid. As their surprising string of victories lengthened, their home-field advantage grew exponentially. South Africans of every color and political stripe found themselves falling for the team. When the Springboks took to the field for the championship match against New Zealand's heavily favored squad, Mandela sat in his presidential box wearing a Springbok jersey while sixty-two-thousand fans, mostly white, chanted "Nelson! Nelson!" Millions more gathered around their TV sets, whether in dusty black townships or leafy white suburbs, to urge their team toward victory. The Springboks won a nail-biter that day, defying the oddsmakers and capping Mandela's miraculous ten-year-long effort to bring forty-three million South Africans together in an enduring bond.
Start: april 1st 2012
End: april 6th 2012
Comment: I'm like the average reader, I know like everyone else that Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison - 18 of them in a tiny cell on Robben Island - and emerged without hatred to spearhead a peaceful transfer of power in South Africa. But you probably know nothing about the 1995 Rugby World Cup match. John Carlin's book corrects that, and, along the way, presents a concise biography of a remarkable man. In this book, Nelson Mandela is a brilliant politician with a genius for disarming his enemies. To Mandela, everyone is human, everyone can be reached. You only need to know how. There has been plenty written about the master statesman Nelson Mandela, but John Carlin's story about how Mandela transformed his nation by leveraging the sport of rugby is truly inspiring. Mandela has always been a personal hero of mine, and this book reinforces that. If you think this is just a book about rugby or just another one about Nelson Mandela, you're wrong. It's so much more. It's a story about an inspiring man who reunited a nation.
Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Rachel McAdams’ Leading Men

Rachel McAdams has been one of my favorites since I saw her in “The Notebook”. Besides this one she has been in a lot of good, fun and awesome movies. But her leading men are sometimes also very interesting and practically all of them have great chemistry with her. Here are my favorites.

5. Channing Tatum in “The Vow”
Two good looking actors and both very wanted by moviemakers. How could that go wrong? I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I did see how well they work together. Nice couple.

4. Eric Bana in “The Time Traveler’s Wife”
It didn’t top the novel, but both Rachel and Eric did such a great job and made it very believable. Their portrayal of Clare and Henry was very solid and they have great chemistry.

3. Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”
I was so excited to hear about their collaboration and they formed a surprisingly good and sexy duo. They both have a clever sense of humor and are very intelligent.

2. Owen Wilson in “Wedding Crashers” and “Midnight in Paris”
They did two movies together. In the first movie their characters met and fell in love and in the second they were in love and grew apart. In both movies Owen and Rachel did a great job and I love them together and apart.

1. Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook”
The two had such great chemistry, that it also worked off screen for a while. I love this movie, one of the best romances I’ve seen in a long time. And we can thank Rachel and Ryan for the great performance.

They almost made the top 5: Cillian Murphy in “Red Eye” and Russel Crowe in “State of Play”

The Many Faces of... Colin Farrell

BNot a big fan of his acting, although his performances in "Phone booth", "In Bruges" and "Firght Night" where pretty awesome. But Colin Farrel is just very easy on the eyes and that's why I watch his movies.... Here are some of his looks.

Face # 1: Tigerland
Role: Pvt. Roland Bozz
Comment: Yes sir!!!
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 2: Hart's War
Role: Lt. Thomas W. Hart
Comment: Hmmm... the previous look of him as a soldier was more appealing.
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Face # 3: Minority Report
Role: Danny Witwer
Comment: Just OK, good look.
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Face # 4: Phone Booth
Role: Stu Shephard
Comment: His role is better than his look.
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Face # 5: The Recruit
Role: James Douglas Clayton
Comment: I think this movie sucked, but no woman can ever resist this...
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 6: Daredevil
Role: Bullseye
Comment: While watching this movie I wanted to shoot this bullseye and Colin's look doesn't change my opinion.
Rating: 1/ 5

Face # 7: Veronica Guerin
Role: Tattooed Boy
Comment: If he ditched the earrings, this look would be perfect.
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 8: S.W.A.T.
Role: Jim Street
Comment: For some reason I like him more with facial hair.
Rating: 3/ 5

Face # 9: Alexander
Role: Alexander
Comment: Not a great movie, not a great look. Too boyish for Colin
Rating: 2/ 5

Face # 10: The New World
Role: John Smith
Comment: More manly... that's how I like it.
Rating: 5/ 5

Face # 11: Miami Vice
Role: Sonny Crockett
Comment: Blonde Colin? No, don't. And the original Sonny Crockett didn't look like this at all.
Rating: 2/ 5

Face # 12: The Imaginatium of Doctor Parnassus
Role: Imaginarium Tony 3
Comment: Why does he look like Robert Downey Jr.? Not that I'm complaining...
Rating: 4/ 5

Face # 13: Crazy Heart
Role: Tommy Sweet
Comment: Again with the earrings...
Rating: 2,5/ 5

Face # 14: Horrible Bosses
Role: Bobby Pellitt
Comment: Horrible indeed
Rating: 1/ 5

Fright Night
Role: Jerry Danridge
Comment: Hello Mr. Farrell, my name is Joyce and I'm single.... ;)
Rating: 5/ 5

"The Hunger Games", "Drive" and Rachel McAdams

I made four new wallpapers. The first two are inspired by the movie and cast of "The Hunger Games". I saw it recently and I absolutely loves it.

This wallpapers features pictures of the movie "Drive". Fantastic film, a great performance by Ryab Gosling.

The last one I dedicaded to Rachel McAdams. From the press conference she did for the movie "The Vow".

Movie Trailer Sunday (31)

This weeks trailers are about a woman stuck between two men, a creepy house, a man discovering he has a sister, a woman falling for a street artist and our holiday heroes fighting for their right.

Take This Waltz
Description: Twenty-eight-year-old Margot (Michelle Williams) is happily married to Lou (Seth Rogen), a good-natured cookbook author. But when Margot meets Daniel (Luke Kirby), a handsome artist that lives across the street, their mutual attraction is undeniable.
Director: Sarah Polley
Starring: Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman and Luke Kirby
Trailer: Trailer "Take This Waltz"
Comment: Michelle Williams chooses good movies and Seth Rogen also always wins me over.

House at the End of the Street
Description: Seeking a fresh start, newly divorced Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) and her daughter Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) find the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared - leaving only a brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot), as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan - and the closer they get, the deeper they're all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.
Director: Mark Tonderai
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue and Gil Bellows
Trailer: Trailer "The House at the End of the Street"
Comment: Jennifer Lawrence is awesome!!!

People Like Us
Description: Sam (Chris Pine) is a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, whose latest deal collapses on the day he learns that his father has suddenly died. Against his wishes, Sam is called home, where he must put his father's estate in order and reconnect with his estranged family. In the course of fulfilling his father's last wishes, Sam uncovers a startling secret that turns his entire world upside down: He has a 30-year-old sister Frankie whom he never knew about (Elizabeth Banks). As their relationship develops, Sam is forced to rethink everything he thought he knew about this family--and re-examine his own life choices in the process.
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pine, Michelle Pfeiffer and Olivia Wilde
Trailer: Trailer "People Like Us"
Comment: Chris Pine is charming and I always like Elizabeth Banks. This movie really looks good.

The Giant Mechanical Man
Description: A story about a misunderstood street performer (Chris Messina) and a soft spoken zoo worker (Jenna Fisher) who falls for him.
Director: Lee Kirk
Starring: Jenna Fisher, Chris Messina, Malin Akerman and Topher Grace
Trailer: Trailer "The Giant Mechanical Man"

Rise of the Guardians
Description: It's the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost - legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.
Director: Peter Ramsey
Starring: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law
Trailer: Trailer "Rise of the Guardians"