100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 110: Knock Knock

Director: Eli Roth
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana de Armas

Description: When a devoted husband and father (Keanu Reeves) is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Review: Eli Roth likes to provoke. In 2002 he debuted with the bloody “Cabin Fever”, but it was “Hostel” that put him on the map. Roth also writes and produces, but in his directed films there are always three elements present: sex, blood and sadism. The blood shedding in “Knock Knock” is only minimal, but the other two ingredients are very present. It’s a home invasion thriller, like “Funny Games” was, but adds a dose of sex to it.
Devoted husband and father Evan stays home alone for the weekend, to work, when his wife and kids are leaving for trip. When Evan is working late, two beautiful young girls knock on his door. Standing in the pouring rain and lost, Evan plays the good Samaritan and lets them in to use his computer. They eventually take advantage of his hospitality and Evan wished he never let those two girls inside his house.
The movie never really gets scary or exciting. The movie is basically a chain of bad dialogues and really bad acting. I’ve always defended Kenau Reeves, because I think he is not as bad as people say he is. In “Knock Knock” his acting is terrible, I’ve never seen him this bad. And there is even a Nicolas Cage moment, a serious over the top scene that is very laughable.
I normally like Eli Roth films, but “Knock Knock” is not one of them. What a bad film.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Epic Moments from "Game of Thrones" Season 5

Because we have to wait a year for new “Game of Thrones” episodes, I decided to rewatch all the old episodes. I’m going to create a series of top fives, where I will share with you the most epic moments in every season. This week, season 5.

5. Jon Snow Gets Stabbed
Jon Snow’s fellow me of the Night’s Watch lure him into a trap, by telling him his uncle Benjen has returned. Instead he finds a cross with the word traitor on it and he is stabbed to death.

4. Sansa and Theon Escape
Sansa’s existence for the past few years has been completely miserable. Her father was killed, she was betrothed to a monster, her mother and eldest brother were murdered, she believed that her two younger brothers had been killed as wel, she was forced to marry Tyrion and when she finally and when she finally escaped she was stuck with Littlefinger. Somehow the show managed to make things even worse for Sansa, as she married Ramsay Bolton, the one character more psychotic then Joffrey. Theon, who had been tortured by Ramsay, eventually helps Sansa escape.

3. Cersei’s Walk of Shame
Cersei Lannister is a woman used to getting what she wants, regardless of the cost to others. It was Cersei who granted the High Sparrow a position of power within King’s Landing, and Cersei who delivered Loras and Margaery Tyrell to him. This time, though, things didn’t got all her own way. After being broken down to the point of confessing her sins, the next step is to atone for them in front of her people. Her head shorn and clothes stripped away, she was forced to walk the streets of King’s Landing, being verbally abused, having things thrown at her, and being completely humiliated.

2. Riding Drogon
After Jorah’s victory during the Great Games, the Sons of the Harpy launch their biggest and most direct attack yet, emerging at random within the crowds and mercilessly slaughter those in their way. The target is of course Daenerys. She is herded in the middle of Daznak’s pit, along with Tyrion, Missandei, Jorah, Daario and a handful of Unsullied. She is accepting her fate, until Drogon saves his mother.

1. The Battle of Hardhome
This was a mind-blowing action sequence. It started with Jon and Tormund attempting to negotiate with the Wildlings living at Hardhome in order to get them to The Wall. Any plans were thrown into disarray when wights attacked them and all hell broke loose.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Daenerys Meets Tyrion

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 109: 28 Weeks Later

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 95 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Catherine McCormack, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Idris Elba, Harold Perrineau

Description: Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.

Review: When it comes to horror sequels, they seldom succeed. Most of the time it’s nothing new and just a a repetition of the previous film, but then worse. “28 Weeks Later” is the sequel to the fantastic film “28 Days Later” and it’s one of the few good horror sequels.
In “28 Days Later” the British population is completely extinct by a mysterious zombie virus and the American army has taken over control. 28 Weeks after these happenings they want Brittain to repopulate.
The original was very scary, those zombies are terrifying especially because they are so fast. “28 Weeks Later” also has that, but adds a bit more gore to it all. It’s visible that Danny Boyle didn’t direct this film, the camera work is a bit more chaotic and much quicker. But it’s a good way to add effects to the film.
“28 Days Later” is still the better movie, but I think “28 Weeks Later” is a strong horror sequel with a good cast.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 108: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris

Description: In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

Review: Since his Sherlock Holmes movies were a success, director Guy Ritchie looks like someone who can bring back old franchises. This time it’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E., based on a televions show from the 1960s. And although the film isn’t as memorablem “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is definitely a very entertaining comedic espionage.
During the cold war, the American CIA agent Napoleon Solo joins forces with the Russian KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin. Not very surprising is their rivalry at the beginning of the film. During an action packed opening, Solo manages to escape Kuryakin, together with the beautiful car mechanic Gaby. Gaby is the daughter of a nuclear scientist who is missing and she is probably the only clue to a potential conspiracy.That’s the reason why the two agents decide to work together.
Of course working together is not going to go smoothly, because of the differences between the two. And the interaction between actors Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer is fun to watch. Cavill works his charm as womanizer Solo and Hammer is more physically present. But it’s Alicia Vikander who steals the show as Gaby.
The atmosphere and the look of the film is great. It’s like we are really in the sixties. The location, sunny Rome, is perfect and the costumes are beautiful.
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” isn’t as surprising as espionage rival “Kingsman: The Secret Service” was, but certainly entertaining and enjoyable.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 107: We Bought a Zoo

Director: Cameron Crowe
Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2011
Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Colin Ford, Angus Macfadyen, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, John Michael Higgins

Description: Set in Southern California, a father (Matt Damon) moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.

Review: Director Cameron Crowe is mostly known for his film “Almost Famous”. “We Bought a Zoo” is his first family film, based on a true story where a widowed man and his two kids move and buy a struggling zoo.
Benjamin Mee doesn’t have a lot of experience as a parent, because for his job as a journalist he was on the road a lot. He quits his job writing and eventually finds a beautiful house that comes with a zoo. And he buys it.
Matt Damon plays the lead and I loved his character. It’s really easy to relate to him, a man just trying to deal with his wife’s death and his kids. Especially his son, who he just can’t seem to reach. Him buying a zoo is part of the process Benjamin is going through. Scarlett Johansson is also good in this film, I also sympathized her character a lot. And the little girl Rosie, so adorable!
“We Bought a Zoo” is such a great film, very underrated. Okay, it’s bittersweet, but who cares. I loved the film and I think everyone should see it sometime. It put a big smile on my face in the end.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (250)

Here are this week's trailers.

Rules Don't Apply
Director: Warren Beatty
Description: An unconventional love story of an aspiring actress (Lily Collins), her determined driver (Alden Ehrenreich), and the eccentric billionaire (Warren Beatty) who they work for.
Starring: Lily Collins, Haley Bennett, Alden Ehrenreich, Alec Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Chace Crawford, Paul Sorvino, Annette Benning, Ed Harris, Candice Bergen, Warren Beatty, Steve Coogan, Martin Sheen
Trailer: Trailer "Rules Don't Apply"
Comment: Another Howard Hughes story.

The Girl on the Train
Director: Tate Taylor
Description: Rachel (Emily Blunt) takes the train every day to her imaginary job every morning and night at a specific time because she got fired when she drank way to much on a lunch and yelled at a client and lost the company their business...
Starring: EMly Blunt, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Justine Theroux, Rebecca Hall, Alisson Janney, Laura Prepon, Lisa Kudrow
Trailer: Trailer "The Girl on the Train"
Comment: A new trailer, it got me even more excited for this film. Can't wait!

The Magnificent Seven
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Description: Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett, Vincent D'Onofrio, Peter Sarsgaard, Matt Bomer, Cam Gigandet
Trailer: Trailer "The Magnificent Seven"
Comment: A remake that I'm actually looking forward to seeing.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Director: D.J. Caruso
Description: Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is left for dead after an incident, though he secretly returns to action for a new, tough assignment with his handler Augustus Gibbons.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Ruby Rose, Samuel L. Jackson, Nina Dobrev, Toni Collette, Rory McCann
Trailer: Trailer "xXx: Return of Xander Cage"
Comment: Do we really need him to return???

Dunkirk
Director: Christopher Nolan
Description: Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles, James D'Arcy
Trailer: Trailer "Dunkirk"
Comment: Just a little glimpse, can't wait to see a full trailer.

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

I didn’t watch a lot of (for me) new movies this month, but I did manage to make a top 5. Here are my favorite films for my Challenge and the month of July.

5. Jason Bourne
Not as good as the other three films in the series, but “Jason Bourne” did have a lot of action and of course a great performance by Matt Damon. But it was in fact Alicia Vikander with the best performance.

4. 300
A movie I never completed and this month I finally watched the entire film. “300” is a great looking movie, action packed, entertaining and spectacular.

3. Strangers On a Train
Alfred Hitchcock hardly ever disappointed us with his films. This thriller is again amazing, about two strangers that meet each other during a train ride and make a pact.

2. 10 Cloverfield Lane
A movie that was very secretive before its trailer was released. Most of the film takes place in an underground bunker with only three characters. A really good film.

1. The BFG
As a girl who grew up with Roald Dahl’s children’s books, I was super excited about “The BFG”. And it didn’t disappoint. It looks magical and fantastic and I loved mark Rylance as the BFG. And Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, so good!

They Almost Made the Top 5: Sexy Beast, Frankenweenie, Ghostbusters