In My Mailbox (149)

I received eight postcards this week, and some awesome ones. This beautiful tiger came from Bremen, Germany. I just love this card, what a beauty! This is a favorite of mine.

 

Sent: may 8th 2014

Received: may 18th 2014

Distance: 284 km (176 miles)

Travel Time: 10 days

From Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic I got this fun donkey. It's like he's laughing out loud!

 

Sent: may 9th 2014

Received: may 18th 2014

Distance: 679 km (422 miles)

Travel Time: 9 days

Another favorite of mine, this is the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. The card came from Willich, Germany.

 

Sent: may 16th 2014

Received: may 23rd 2014

Distance: 39 km (24 miles)

Travel Time: 7 days

From Belo Horizonte, Brazil I received this card. It's part of a project, at least that's what I think after visiting the website. I like it.

 

Sent: may 6th 2014

Received: may 23rd 2014

Distance: 9,281 km (5,767 miles)

Travel Time: 17 days

This is a boxer puppy, how sweet! I just love boxers. I used to have one. It's from Nürnberg, Germany.

 

Sent: may 18th 2014

Received: may 23rd 2014

Distance: 408 km (254 miles)

Travel Time: 5 days

Wow, this gorgeous lion was send to me from Mülheim, Germany. I think this animal looks so majestic in this photo.

 

Sent: may 20th 2014

Received: may 24th 2014

Distance: 65 km (40 miles)

Travel Time: 4 days

A lovely sheep card from Radauti, Romania.

 

Sent: may 20th 2014

Received: may 24th 2014

Distance: 1,480 km (920 miles)

Travel Time: 4 days

And finally a very cute mailbox. Makes me feel homey.

 

Sent: may 19th 2014

Received: may 24th 2014

Distance: 607 km (377 miles)

Travel Time:5 days

Thanks Petra, Hana, Tina, Vinicius, Michaela, Suse, Anca and Margot for your wonderful postcards this week!

Top 5 Thursday: Movies from 2004

Ten years ago now, I feels like just two. Some great films came out that year, here are my favorites. 

 

5. Hotel Rwanda

A real beautiful film, which touches you and grabs you entirely. 

 

 

4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Completely different from the number five, because this is one of the most ridiculously funny films I’ve ever seen. But when you let Will Ferrell play your lead character, you can expect that.

 

3. Million Dollar Baby

I looked like just another boxing movie, but there was a very dramatic twist. One of my favourite Clint Eastwood films. 

 

 

2. Kill Bill Vol. 2

I like this part even better than the first, not a lot of people would agree. But I love this movie, it’s my favourite Tarantino directed film. 

 

 

1. Shaun of the Dead

British humour is brilliant and this is a great horror comedy. If you don’t think it’s funny, you’re nuts! Ever since I saw this movie, I laugh every single time I hear “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Notebook, The Bourne Supremacy, The Incredibles

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 63: Godzilla

Director: Gareth Edwards

Genre: Action/ Science Fiction/ Adventure

Runtime: 123 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Elisabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, David Straitharn, Richard T. Jones

Description: The world's most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

Review: The Japanese movie monster is already sixty-years old. His debut in 1954 is one of the highlights in cinema history. In 1998 the Americans made a movie about this beast, but it wasn’t very memorable. A reboot was very welcome.

Director Gareth Edwards made such an impression with his low-budget “Monsters”, that they trusted him with this task as well. By adding names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche to the castlist, the expectations were high. But in a movie called “Godzilla” there is only one star.

While a gigantic fossil is found in the Philippines, a nuclear reactor in Japan is damaged by unknown causes. This leads to a disaster for scientist Joe Brody and his family. Fifteen years later Joe is still trying to explain the happening and asks his son Ford for help. What they discover next is unexpected.

After an engrossing opening, where Bryan Cranston steals the show, director Gareth Edwards intentionally stalls the big entrance of the main star. It’s a risky strategy, but totally worth the wait. When we finally get to see Godzilla, it’s just jawdropping. This is definitely a movie that you experience better and to the fullest while watching it on the big screen. The climax and final fight scene is the absolute highlight of the film. I almost started clapping, that’s how amazed I was. I also liked the role they gave Godzilla in the film, as the protector of mankind. That’s how you can see Edwards is a fan of the original. He stays very close to that story.

“Godzilla” is a treat and finally gets the movie it deserves. Everything shows that Edwards made this movie with a lot of love for the original. I absolutely loved this movie!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 62: Battleship

Director: Peter Berg
Genre: Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna

Description: A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.

Review: For director Peter Berg making “Battleship” is a dream come true, because of the long love he has for the American navy. The movie, named after the well-known board game, is the perfect movie for him.
In “Battleship” the earth is under the attack of aliens. The only ones who can stop them are the marines. The main character is Alex Hopper, who joined the marines because of the lack of discipline. When they are under attack, Alex needs to take over the leader role after the captain dies.
Not really much is expected from the cast. There are no interesting dialogues or intriguing characters. They are standard marines, tough guys and very uninspiring. It’s still a mystery why Liam Neeson is in this movie, because he’s a brilliant actor. Taylor Kitsch fits his role perfectly, because it doesn’t involve a lot of depth. And Brooklyn Decker should stick to modelling, acting is not for her.
Like the characters, the movie is missing depth. It’s pure action, filled with explosions, fight scenes and more explosions. There is nothing wrong with that, it is an action movie, but it gets a bit old. Especially when you look at the runtime of the movie. Over two hours is just way too long. The macho act, bad dialogues, it’s just not entertaining. It’s sad that the movie isn’t surprising on any level.
“Battleship” is nothing more than a tough action flick that, besides the impressive explosions and special effects, doesn’t have a lot to offer. An action movie can succeed with just that, but “Battleship” fails. I prefer the board game.

Rating: 1/ 5

Video of the Week (4)

This week another clip from Jimmy Fallons talkshow. He played charades against Charlize Theron and with Josh Hartnett. Especially Jimmy take on the song "Private Dancer" is hilarious!

 

 

In the Picture: The Characters from "Neighbors"

I saw it on the first night in theatres, that doesn’t happen to me very often. It was a really funny film and the characters made that happen. Here are the characters from “Neighbors”. 

 

Mac Radner

Played by: Seth Rogen

Mac is happy that he’s a new dad and the fact that they bought their first house. He is still trying to adjust and to open that door to the next chapter of his life. Mac wants to party with the younger guys, but he also tries to be a more responsible man as well. Deep in his heart he is accepting the fact that he’s getting older and that his home life is very fulfilling. 

 

Kelly Radner

Played by: Rose Byrne

Kelly is from Australia and met Mac in high school. She is trying to adapt to her newest role as a mother. Although she feels like partying with her friends, Kelly also realizes that this part of her life is about taking care of her family. She is willing to accept that, as long as her husband Mac joins her.

 

 

Teddy Sanders

Played by: Zac Efron

Teddy moves in next door to the Radners as the president of a fraternity. He is very popular, has the looks and is liked by everyone. When he meets Mac and Kelly, they get along. Teddy even invites them over to a party. But as the couple starts complaining about the noise, Teddy goes to battle with them. Teddy is also on a point in his life where he has to realize he is growing up. Soon a life of partying, drinking and fun is over.

 

Pete Regazolli

Played by: Dave Franco

Pete is Teddy’s best friend and the vice president of the fraternity. He tags along with Teddy as they go head to head with the Radners. When he bangs Teddy’s girl, their friendship is out the door. Pete also sees that rebelling against their neighbors isn’t the right thing to do.

 

Favorite Character: Mac Radner

 

Movie Trailer Sunday (139)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Deliver Us From Evil

Description: New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) who is struggling with his own personal issues. As he begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes, he joins forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramirez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city. Based upon the book, which details Sarchie's bone-chilling real-life cases.

Director: Scott Derrickson

Starring: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris and Joel McHale

Trailer: Trailer "Deliver Us From Evil"

Comment: The trailer already gave me some scares.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Description: Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal), a culinary ingenue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant, the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own escalate to all out war between the two establishments, until Hassan's passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory's enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory's culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan's gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.

Director: Lasse Hallström

Starring: Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Om Puri and Charlotte Le Bon

Trailer: Trailer "The Hundred-Foot Journey"

Comment: Yeah movie, I want to see this.

Interstellar

Description: A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, Bill Irwin, Mackenzie Foy, Topher Grace and David Gyasi

Trailer: Trailer "Interstellar"

Comment: I'm really looking forward to seeing this one.

Mr. Turner

Description: British painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall) is Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty.

Director: Mike Leigh

Starring: Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Sandy Foster, Karl Johnson, Ruth Sheen, Amy Dawson, Lesley Manville, Martin Savage and Richard Bremmer

Trailer: Trailer "Mr. Turner"

Comment: I Always love those periodic stories.

Calvary

Description:

Director: John Michael McDonagh

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, M. Emmet Walsh, Domhnall Gleeson, David Wilmot, Pat Shortt, Gary Lydon, Killian Scott, Orla O'Rourke, Owen Sharpe, David McSavage

Trailer: Trailer "Calvary"

Comment: Brendan Gleeson is a great actor.