TV Review: 11.22.63

Genre: Drama/ Mystery
Year: 2016
Number of Episodes: 8
Starring: James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Chris Cooper, Cherry Jones, Daniel Webber, Lucy Fry. T.R. Knight, Josh Duhamel, Gil Bellows

Description: High school teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy - but his mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel Webber), falling in love, and the past itself, which doesn't want to be changed and shouldn't be changed.

Review: In “11.22.63” James Franco plays Jake Epping. He travels back in time to prevent the murder of John F. Kennedy.
When it comes to book adaptations, most actors decide not the read the book before starring in the movie or TV show based on it. Or they say it’s ‘a dream come true’. James Franco, a big Stephen King fan, asked author King himself for the film rights of “11.22.63”.
Franco eventually got the lead role. He plays teacher Jake Epping, recently divorced and no clear future plans. His friend Al Templeton, who owns a diner, shows Jake a mysterious closet. When you walk into it, you end up in Lisbon, Maine. In the year 1960. Always the same place, always the same time. When you return, only two minutes have past. And when you step into the closet again, everything that happened before is undone. Al tried to prevent the murder on John F. Kennedy (11.22.63), but hasn’t succeeded. Because he is very sick, Al asks Jake to try and do it for him.
“11.22.63” dives into the murder. Most conspiracies are left behind and there is a more close study of Lee Harvey Oswald. But the show is mostly about the sixtees. According to Franco it was Stephen King’s chance to enhance everything he loved about that time, but also everything he hated.
Stephen King’s books have been made into movies and series so often. Some were flops and some were a success. I’m glad to say that “11.22.63” is a good one. A great metaphore for reality. And James Franco, who is a favorite of mine, did a wonderful job. Even Stephen King was enthusiastic about his performance.
“11.22.63” is a good mini-series, that stays exciting. You really get lost in the sixtees, just like King’s books always get you lost in his worlds.

MCU Movies Ranked

I saw the Schmoes do it on YouTube, rank all 13 MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movies that have been released from 2008 untill 2016. With “Iron Man” being the first, and “Captain America: Civil War” being the (so far) last and starter of Phase Three of the MCU. And there are still so may movies to look forward to. Before I start, there isn’t any MCU film that I hate or even dislike. It was really hard to make this list, but here it is:

13. Iron Man 2 (2010)
It was mostly a set up for “The Avengers” and the villain wasn’t really interesting either. To be honest, I don’t really remember much of “Iron Man 2”. That’s what it is, it’s forgettable.

12. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
“Thor: The Dark World” had a lot of the same things as “Thor”, but I always felt it could have been a lot better. And then there was Malekith. We don’t really learn much about him. I don’t even remember how he looked. Overall I still think it’s very entertaining and I enjoy watching Chris Hemsworth as Thor, who really made it his own. But Loki still steals the show.

11. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Another one in the Iron Man series. I have to say, for a third film in a franchise it did really good. Different director, but still the same formula. I didn’t like the Manderine twist though.

10. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Although Edward Norton didn’t continue playing Bruce Banner/ The Hulk, I think he did a great job. It’s an underrated film, I really enjoyed this one. It sure as hell is a lot better than the Ang Lee movie, which sucked.

9. Iron Man (2008)
I think the “Iron Man” movies are so low on my list, because I have never been a fan of this superhero. Although Tony Stark is a hilarious and charismatic character, I just never could give him the love. With that being said, “Iron Man” is an excellent MCU film and it’s the only one in the Iron Man franchise that I tend to rewatch.

8. Thor (2011)
Chris Hemsworth did a fantastic job as Thor. It was a pretty though role to pull off, but he did it. And Loki, off course, is the scene stealer.

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
A lot of people didn’t like it, they were disappointed. Well, I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as “The Avengers”, but it was entertaining as hell. And I loved the fact that all the Avengers teamed up again.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Pretty high upon my list is the first Captain America film. I loved it more than most people did. Captain America is my favorite Avenger, even my favorite superhero! “Captain America: The First Avenger” was an old school action film, fast paced and I think I appreciate this movie more than most people do.

5. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The newest MCU film and with this film, the Russo brothers (who also directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) really understand this franchise. They did such a great job. And with a movie where there a two teams, you would think the directors want us to root for Captain America. But you find good and bad points in both teams. I am off course team Cap!

4. Ant-Man (2015)
Everyone thought “Ant-Man” was going to flop, because of the struggles they had with the director. Edgar Wright was actually going to direct, but eventually Peyton Reed did. “Ant-Man” became a heist superhero film with a lot of humor. “Ant-Man” is an underappreciated Marvel film.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Captain America stand-alone movies are the most, even though he is considered as the most ‘boring’ Avenger. I love this character and I’m so glad his franchise is doing so well. I wasn’t excited about this film at first, but it totally took me by surprise. It was that good.

2. The Avengers (2012)
The first time we saw all of the heroes together, in one movie, on one screen, as a team. I LOVED “The Avengers”. And with so many important characters, played by big names, it could have easily gone wrong. But it didn’t . It did the exact opposite and it amazed us all.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Off all of these films and characters, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the one I knew the least about before watching it. And it blew me away! It has action, humor, sci-fi, great special effects, cool characters and a perfect cast. I LOVE “Guardians of the Galaxy” to death!

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 79: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Director: Steve Box, Nick Park
Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Adventure
Runtime: 85 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Liz Smith, Nicholas Smith, John Thomson

Description: Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Review: In this film the duo Wallace and Gromit go through a new adventure. Wallace is an inventor, who acts before he thinks. His dog Gromit is intelligent and always saves his friend in dangerous situations. Wallace still thinks he is the smart one of the two.
Wallace and Gromit have a new company: Anti-Pesto. Their neighbors, friends and acquaintences have all been terrorized by hungry rabbits. And that right before the big vegetable contest. The villagers are hopeless, so that’s where Wallace and Gromit come in. But when Wallace tests one of his new machines on the rabbits, a very dangerous creature is born. Which makes everything even worse.
The Aardman movie always amaze me. All the work that is put in to this stop-motion film, all the love and care. It looks beautiful and perfect. I can appreciate the dedication. I love the fact that there are so many movie references. It’s a clever film.
“Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” is funny, original and fantastic.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challene 2016 - 78: Triple 9

Director: John Hillcoat
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Anthony Mackie, Norman Reedus, Gal Gadot, Teresa Palmet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.

Review: Just like in other big American cities, the police in Atlanta works with codes. The 999 code means that a cop has been shot. A group of bankrobbers is about to cause a triple 9.
Michael Atwood has to return a favour to some Russian mobsters. In his group there are the two Welch brothers and two corrupt cops. Irina Vlaslov, leader of that Russian mob, calls the shot. On the other side of town detective Jeffrey Allen is dealing with this gang and tries to get his cousin Chris to get ready for it.
“Triple 9” doesn’t have many surprises. Not in the plot, motives or backgrounds. And there are too many characters to actually make them interesting or deep enough. The atmosphere is perfect, but the screenplay is the problem. The movie doesn’t interest you from beginning till end.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (241)

Here are this week's trailers.

Monster Trucks
Director: CHris Wedge
Description: Looking for any way to get away from the life and town he was born into, Tripp (Lucas Till), a high school senior, builds a Monster Truck from bits and pieces of scrapped cars. After an accident at a nearby oil-drilling site displaces a strange and subterranean creature with a taste and a talent for speed, Tripp may have just found the key to getting out of town and a most unlikely friend.
Starring: Lucas Til, Jane Levy, Amy Ryan, Rob Lowe, Barry Pepper, Danny Glover
Trailer: Trailer "Monster Trucks"
Comment: I only see one monster truck, so why is the movie called "Monster Trucks".

Sing
Director: Garth Jennings
Description: A koala named Buster (Matthew McConaughey) recruits his best friend to help him drum up business for his theater by hosting a singing competition.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Edgerton, John C. Reilly, Nick Offerman, Leslie Jones, Seth MacFarlane, Jay Pharoah
Trailer: Trailer "Sing"
Comment: A second trailer. I just can't get enough of that singing snail!

Star Trek Beyond
Director: Justin Lin
Description: The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho, Idris Elba, SOfia Boutella, Anton Yelchin, Deep Roy
Trailer: Trailer "Star Trek Beyond"
Comment: This second trailer excites a little bit more.

Marauders
Director: Steven C. Miller
Description: An untraceable group of elite bank robbers is chased by a suicidal FBI Agent who uncovers a deeper purpose behind the robbery-homicides.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Christopher Meloni, Adrian Grenier, Dave Bautista
Trailer: Trailer "Marauders"
Comment: I Always enjoy a good heist movie.

Before I Wake
Director: Mike Flanagan
Description: A young couple adopt an orphaned child whose dreams - and nightmares - manifest physically as he sleeps.
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Annabeth Gish
Trailer: Trailer "Before I Wake"
Comment:

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 77: Ant-Man

Director: Peyton Reed
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Mackie, Judy Greer, Michael Peña, John Slattery, Hayley Atwell

Description: Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Review: In “Ant-Man” we follow Scott Lang. Scott is a burglar who was just released from prison and is trying to straighten his life. He wants to do good for his daughter. Scott realizes that this isn’t easy: he is fired and his ex only lets him see his daughter when he has a steady income. Scott decides to do one last burglar job: break into a safe of a rich man. In that safe isn’t any money though, but a suit. This suit belongs to Hank Pym, a genius inventor. Pym set up the burglary and wanted Scott to steal the suit. The suit gives you the ability to shrink to ant size. Scott has been chosen to wear it and becomes Ant-Man, to stop Prym’s protégé Darren Cross.
Originally Edgar Wright was going to direct “Ant-Man”. Peyton Reed took over that job and he did it well. This time the hero isn’t a millionaire, God or scientist. He is an average man, even with a criminial past. And it’s not the end of the world that’s at stake, or the universe. It’s a lot smaller, but still important. This makes it all fresh and new.
It takes some time for something to really happen, but once we are there “Ant-Man” is great. There is a lot to enjoy: great action sequences, interesting characters, humor. The scenes where Ant-Man shrinks and enhances himself again are fantastic.
A lot of questions were raised when Paul Rudd was cast as Scott Lang, but I think he showed everyone he is capable of carrying a big movie like this. He did a great job, he is charismatic, funny and really perfect for the role.
“Ant-Man” is a highly enjoyable Marvel film. I loved it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (May 2016)

This month I saw some really amazing film and it was kinda hard to put together a top 5, because there were so many good choices. Well, here they are, the five best movies I watched for the month of May.

5. The Kid with a Bike
A smaller film probably no one has seen. But such a good film. Movies like this should get more attention, because it’s a shame that they go by unnoticed.

4. The Signal
I didn’t know anything before watching “The Signal” and it totally took me by surprise. It was a really good film, unexpectedly good.

3. Lars and the Real Girl
Such a sweet, touching story and what a great performance by Ryan Gosling. I just love quirky stories like this.

2. The Jungle Book
This movie really blew my mind. I was excited about it, but never expected “The Jungle Book” to be so good. I loved everything about it.

1. The Princess Bride
This movie had everything: adventure, comedy, action, romance, drama. It was such a fun film and just can’t believe I never watched it before. “The Princess Bride” is one of those movies I will rewatch multiple times.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Bone Tomahawk, Captain America: Civil War, American Graffiti, Bridge of Spies, The Magnificent Seven