100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 43: Deliverance

Director: John Boorman
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Adventure
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1972
Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Ed Ramey, Seamon Glass, Randall Deal, Bill McKinney, Lewis Crone, Ken Keener, Johnny Popwell, John Fowler, Kathy Rickman, Louise Coldren

Description: Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock (Burt Reynolds) takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

Review: Four friends are on a canoe trip on the Cahulawassee River, before it’s gone by the making of a dam. The people that live in the region are all rednecks. When two of the men take a break and go on land for a while, two of the locals are waiting for them. One of them is being raped, while the other one is almost being killed. Luckily for them, their two other friends are their to help them. What had to be a fun time with friends, turns into a dramatic adventure.
One of the first scenes in “Deliverance” is classic. The dueling banjos. Everyone knows this tune, even if you haven’t seen this film before. The song returns now and then and enhances the atmosphere. The back to nature atmosphere is also strong present, beautiful visuals.
What “Jaws” did for swimming in the oceans, “Deliverance” did for canoe trips. The famous lines ‘squeal like a pig’ hit every nerve. This shocking experience has a different effect on all four men. Bobby wants to forget everything as soon as possible. Lewis takes charge, he wants to deal with it and never talk about it again. Drew can’t deal with it at all, but has to. And Ed shows that he has what it takes to survive, eventhough he seems shy and insecure.
Because the film has such a heavy load, the film is above the average adventure film. The rednecks are very stereotypical, but all in all “Deliverance” is a film filled with tension, it’s beautifully filmed and well performed by the actors and director.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

TV Review: "The Walking Dead"Season 6

Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Year: 2015/ 2016
Number of Episodes: 16
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Michael Cudlitz, Daniah Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lenny James, Christian Serratos, Sonequa Martin-Green, Josh McDermitt, Ross Marquand, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Description: Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by the walking dead. Fighting the dead, fearing the living.

Review: The season starts with Rick and his crew trying to assimilate into the Alexandria group. A lot of new faces, non as interesting as any of the old gang. Denise and Aaron are the only ones that were likeable and I could see them in Rick’s group.
There are a lot more introductions in season 6. Besides the Alexandria people, we also meet the Wolves, people from Hilltop and Negan’s associates. Especially the last had us on the edge of our seats, because who was this Negan character? More about him later. Some drama: Maggie being pregnant, Rick and Michonne hooking up, Abraham and Rosita breaking up, Carl losing an eye. You gotta love the drama.
The biggest shock was Glenn’s death (Episode 3: Thank You) , or what turned out not to be his death. They left us believing Glenn died a horrible death, for a couple of episodes. Everyone cried! Then to later find out it was someone else who died and Glenn was still alive (Episode 7: Heads Up). Don’t get me wrong, I like Glenn and I’m happy he’s still around. But what a twist it would have been if he had really died at such an unpredictable point in the season.
The Morgan episode (Episode 4: Here’s Not Here) I didn’t really like. I think most people did, but it was my least favorite episode of the season. I think Morgan is an interesting character and I wanted to know more about him, what he did after parting ways with Rick. But the episode was very slow.
The episode where Daryl, Sasha and Abraham first meet the Saviors (Episode 9: No Way Out) and where the people left in Alexandria are trying to find a way through all the walkers, was probably the best, bloodiest and most exciting episode of the season.
Later we meet the Hilltop Colony (Episode 11: Knots Untie) and they tell Rick and his people they have been working for Negan in order to stay alive. This made me even more intrigued, I wanted to find out who Negan was. But I knew I wasn’t going to see him anytime soon.
When Rick plans on a surprise attack on the Savior’s compound (Episode 12: Not Tomorrow Yet) we think we will see Negan, but off course we don’t. Carol and Maggie get captured and in the next episode (Episode 13: The Same Boat) we meet some of Negan’s people. Another pretty bloody episode, Maggie and Carol kick some ass in this one.
All these events lead us to the 90 minute season finale (Episode 16: Last Day on Earth) and our long awaited introduction to Negan. In this final episode Rick, Abraham, Eugene, Sasha and Carl are driving their RV to Hilltop, to get Maggie to a doctor. She is having pains and isn’t doing well. Everywhere they go, roads are blocked by Negan’s people. In the meantime Daryl, Rosita, Glenn and Michonne are captured and Morgan is looking for Carol. Did it need 90 minutes, I don’t think so, but it was a great episode. Especially the last 10 minutes. We finally meet Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Morgan kills it, he is fantastic as Negan, who might possibly be the best villain the show has had. Rick and his people are all lined up, sitting on their knees. One of them is going to meet Lucille, Negan’s barb wired baseball bat. When Negan starts hitting, we see it from the point of view of the victim. We don’t know who it is and that’s exactly where they leave us.
Many people are angry and didn’t like the finale. I loved it. I always like cliffhangers, because they leave me wanting more. This makes me even more excited for season 7. They want us to talk about “The Walking Dead” and that is exactly what we are going to do. Speculate about who Negan killed and why he choose this person. I think it’s either Eugene, Daryl or Abraham. In might be Glenn, because in the comics it’s Glenn. But we all know “The Walking Dead” loves twists and surprises.

Movie Battle: (500) Days of Summer Vs. Ruby Sparks

I’m not a very big fan of romantic comedies, unless they are a bit unconventional. The two I can think of are going to battle it out in today’s movie battle: “(500) Days of Summer” Vs. “Ruby Sparks”

ACTORS

(500) Days of Summer: This was one of the films that brought us back Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is now one of the more successful actors in Hollywood. Together with Zooey Deschanel he forms an amazing couple. Their performances are amazing.

Ruby Sparks: Paul Dano is an extraordinary actor, I really like him. He does a great job in “Ruby Sparks”. And Zoe Kazan, as Ruby Sparks, is amazing! Fun supporting roles by Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Chris Messina and Steve Coogan.

STORY

(500) Days of Summer: When Tom meets Summer, he falls far her immediately. Summer doesn’t believe true love exists, Tom does. We see the 500 days Summer is in Tom’s life. It sounds like your average rom com, but it’s anything but that.

Ruby Sparks: The story doesn’t sound straight forward and isn’t. It’s about a struggling writer, who writes about a woman who can love him and actually coming to life. It’s an original story (written by Zoe Kazan) and executed very well.

EFFECTS

(500) Days of Summer: The cinematography of “(500) Days of Summer” is magnificent. First off, the story isn’t told chronologically, but there are also some great effects used. Like the split screen, where we see Tom’s expectations and reality of a moment.

Ruby Sparks: The film looks beautiful, but more straight forward then “(500) Days of Summer”.

WINNER

Although I really loved “Ruby Sparks”, “(500) Days of Summer” has been one of my all-time favorites ever since I first saw it

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 42: Zootopia

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Action
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Bonnie Hunt, Shakira, Octavia Spencer

Description: In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny (Ginnifer Goodwin) cop and a cynical con artist fox (Jason Bateman) must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Review: In the animation “Zootopia” all animals act like humans. Hamsters wear suits, giraffes play volleyball, elephants run ice salons. It’s a sure thing that many fun things are going to happen in “Zootopia”. The city is divided in different climate areas and it looks like an utopia for animals.
The central character is Judy Hopps, a sweet and naïve small town rabbit that is excited to explore the world. Her dream is to become the first bunny cop of Zootopia. But everyone around her isn’t that happy with that dream. They rather want her to help on the carrot farm of her parents. But Judy is determined. In the intro, we see how she finishes police academy and becomes a cop.
While all her cop colleagues get exciting cases, Judy is stuck with parking duty. But Judy doesn’t let that hold her back. When Judy meets the sly fox Nick, who is a con artist, she accidentaly gets involved in a major conspiracy. Judy is forced to work with Nick to unravel this mystery.
“Zootopia” is an easy to watch animation, it’s a modern fable where typical animal charactaristics are enhanced (the brave lion, the sly fox, the scared rabbit, the gentle sheep). But these clichés are broken when nothing is at it seems. You think you know what to expect, but then you don’t. This is where “Zootopia” seperates itself from other Disney animations. There are pretty complex themes in this film, like racism and the interaction between the media and politics. It’s actually a huge enhancement of human society.
This doesn’t mean the film gets heavy, because it’s still a Disney animation. And it is mostly a happy film that is well balanced. The animations are gorgeous, detailed, creative and there is so much to discover and explore.
Off course there is a moral. You should chase your dreams and anyone can do whatever they want. But this film is made for younger viewers, so it’s forgivable. The film is filled with amazing characters. I just love Judy Hopps and I’m so happy to finally see a rabbit character shine again in an animation. Nick is also a great character and the interaction between Judy and Nick is fantastic. The funniest scene is the one with the sloths, because sloths are awesome!
“Zootopia” is definintely a film that can be enjoyed by everyone. And everyone will love it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 41: Martha Marcy May Marlene

Director: Sean Durkin
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet

Description: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman (Elizabeth Olsen) struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

Review: Martha is her real name. The members of the commune she joined call her Marcy May. When women answer the phone they always introduce themselves as Marlene. Martha flees the commune at the start of the film. Completely confused she calls her older sister Lucy. Together with her new husband she has temporarely moved into a summerhouse by a lake. The two sisters haven’t had contact for a couple of years. Lucy doesn’t know what Martha went through.
The cult was led by the charismatic Patrick, who lures people into his commune by telling them stories about complete sacrifice and solidarity. Fear is the most purest emotion, because it makes you aware of yourself. Every new girl has a ‘special night’ with the leader, which really means they loose their virginity and are basically raped by Patrick. Why Martha joins them is still the question. Why she leaves, we see through flashbacks. Sister Lucy doesn’t find out why Martha’s behavior is so strange an why she gets panic attacks. Ted, Lucy’s husband, wants less and less to do with Martha because of her behavior.
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” is the debut of director Sean Durkin. It tells two parallel episodes of the life of the troubled title character. Her reunion with her family and the experiences in the cult. This way of storytelling is very effective in this film. The story unfolds and you eventually understand why Martha is the way she is.
Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic as Martha. Her silence, her introvercy. But then also her hysteria and emotional breakdowns. The focus is on her struggling personality and her reunion with her sister. This gives the scenes in the cult even more tension.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (232)

Here are this week's trailers.

Lights Out
Director: David F. Sandberg
Description: A woman is haunted by a creature that only appears when the lights go out. A feature adaptation of the 2013 short film, "Lights Out" by David Sandberg.
Starring: Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello
Trailer: Trailer "Lights Out"
Comment: Movies like this Always scare the sh** out of me!

War Dogs
Director: Todd Phillips
Description: The true story of two young men, David Packouz (Miles Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.
Starring: Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper,
Trailer: Trailer "War Dogs"
Comment: I'm never excited about Jonah Hill...

Deepwater Horizon
Director: Peter Berg
Description: A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Ethan Suplee, Dylan O'Brien
Trailer: Trailer "Deepwater Horizon"
Comment: Meh... The story sounds interesting, but the trailer doesn't excite me.

Genius
Director: Michael Grandage
Description: A chronicle of Max Perkins's (Colin Firth) time as the book editor at Scribner, where he oversaw works by Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law), Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce) and others.
Starring: Guy Pearce, Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Jude Law, Laura Linney, Dominic West
Trailer: Trailer "Genius"
Comment: Interesting....

Warcraft
Director: Duncan Jones
Description: The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people, and their home.
Starring: Travis Fimmel, Clancy Brown, Robert Kazinsky, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, TOby Kebbell, Callan Mulvey, Dominic Cooper
Trailer: Trailer "Warcraft"
Comment: This is based on the videogame right?

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 40: Rashomon

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 88 minutes
Year: 1950
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Yeda, Fumiko Honma, Daisuke Katô

Description: A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from differing points of view.

Review: In 12th century Japan a lumberjack hides out during a rainy day in Rashômon. A priest keeps him company and another man joins them. The lumberjack keeps mumbling that he doesn’t understand. He tells the other men that three days before he found a trail of objects, starting with the hat of a woman and ending with the dead body of samurai Takehiro. After the arrest of the infamous crook Tajômary, who admits to committing the crime, a court case follows. The people involved in the crime tell how they saw it happen.
“Rashomon” won the Academy Award for best Foreighn Film. Understandable. How the story really happened is kept in the dark for a long time, as a viewer you have to pay attention.
The overly dramatic acting is not for everyone, it bothered me a bit. But the film is done very well and nothing is as it seems. It’s even not clear for a long time, who is the actual victim. And this question can be answered in many ways.

Rating: 3,5/ 5