In the Picture: The Characters from "The Avengers"

I went to see “The Avengers” a couple of weeks ago and it’s all about the spectacle and the action. It’s awesome especially when you watch it in the cinema in 3D. But the characters are the ones that make the movie, because we all know them and it’s so cool that they team up. So here they are.

Tony Stark/ Iron Man
Played by: Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark is a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with a mechanical suit of armor of his own invention. Because of the good sense of humor you forgive him for his arrogance.

Steve Rogers/ Captain America
Played by: Chris Evans
Steve is a World War II veteran who now has to survive in the present day. He got his strength through a physical experiment, but he already had the brain and heart of a true soldier. Steve is selfless, pretty quiet and doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Maybe that’s why he and Tony don’t really get along.

Dr. Bruce Banner/ The Hulk
Played by: Mark Ruffalo
Bruce is a genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or excited. He’s struggling with two sides of himself and everything he does in his life is filtered through issues of control.

Thor
Played by: Chris Hemsworth
Thor is the God of thunder. He constantly has to battle his brother Loki, who chose the darker side. Thor is very strong, calm and the only one who can handle the hammer.

Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow
Played by: Scarlett Johansson
Natasha is a highly trained spy who works for S.H.I.E.L.D. She has no special powers, but Natasha is a very skilled fighter and she’s clever. She has a long history with Clint Barton, but no one knows exactly what their connection is.

Clint Barton/ Hawkeye
Played by: Jeremy Renner
Like Natasha, Clint is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He is a master archer, but bit of an outcast with the other members of The Avengers. The only connection he has is with Natasha.

Loki
Played by: Tom Hiddleston
Loki is Thor’s adopted brother and nemesis. The reason he came to earth was to rule it and all of mankind. Loki has a big army.

Nick Fury
Played by: Samuel L. Jackson
Nick is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the coordinator of The Avengers Initiative. In order to get to all the heroes for the initiative, he’s not completely honest to them. He isn’t a bad guy though, you just don’t want to cross him.

Favorite Character: Steve Rogers/ Captain America

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 29: Solo by Jill Mansell

Title: Solo
Author: Jill Mansell
Story: When Tessa Duvall meets Ross Monahan at a party, she knows that he's only after one thing, and just for that night, she's happy to go with the flow. But weeks later, she realizes that she may have got a little bit more from the one-night stand than she bargained for. Tessa is determined to go it alone, but Ross, unaccustomed to being rejected, has other plans.
Start: july 17th 2012
End: july 23rd 2012
Comment: Jill Mansell is my go-to author when I want something fun, light and solid. It's never a five-star book, but I always enjoy them, they have fun characters and they make me laugh. It's almost a guarantee. This Mansell book doesn't have any of those elements. It's my least favorite so far. I really had to wrestle my way through the book. First of all I didn't sympathize with the leading character Tessa, couldn't relate to her on any level. She was very one-dimensional and normally they will become more likeable throughout the book. Tessa just didn't. The plot didn't interest me either. It was kind of a drag and my mind wandered of sometimes while reading the book. That never happened before. I didn't like "Solo", though I'm not giving up on Jill Mansell. One bad book doesn't make her a bad author.
Rating: 1/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (45)

I missed quite a lot of good trailers the last two weeks. So here I'm sharing them with you again. This weeks trailers are about the wizard of Oz, goats, a couple traveling through the mountains of Georgia, a piano prodigy and a guy named Reacher.

Oz the Great and Powerful
Description: When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff, Bruce Campbell
Trailer: Trailer "Oz the Great and Powerful"
Comment: You know I love James so I have to see this. And Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz are all great too. And the visuals look fantastic. I'm in!!

Goats
Description: Ellis (Graham Phillips) is the most adult member of his eccentric family at 15 years old. His mom (Vera Farmiga) is a New Age hippie that spends all of her time working on self-help rituals with her hustler boyfriend (Justin Kirk). His dad (Ty Burrell) left home years ago and is more focused on his new wife (Keri Russell) and family. And then there's Goat Man (David Duchovny), the goat-herding sage who has lived in their pool house since Ellis was a child, teaching him the meaning of stability, commitment, and expanding one's mind. When Ellis decides to leave Tucson to go to the same East Coast prep school that his father went to, he easily assimilates to his new environment - even gaining the attention of a local girl (Dakota Johnson). But as he re‐connects with his estranged father, he finds Goat Man's influence and his life out West thrown into stark contrast.
Director: Christopher Neil
Starring: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Philips, Ty Burrell, Keri Russell
Trailer: Trailer "Goats"

The Loneliest Planet
Description: Alex (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg) are young, in love and engaged to be married. The summer before their wedding, they set off on a backpacking trip in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia. As the two marvel over the jaw-dropping beauty of the mountains, things seem magical. And then, in one single terrifying moment, a momentary misstep threatens to undo everything the couple believed about each other and about themselves. Unable to rely on one another, the wide-open wilderness suddenly seems to them completely remote and darkly forbidding
Director: Julia Loktev
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Hani Furstenberg
Trailer: Trailer "The Loneliest Planet"
Comment: This looks amazing. I can't believe I never heard of ot before.

Why Stop Now
Description: Eli (Eisenberg) is a piano prodigy. Today is the audition that will determine his future-- will he launch a career and take off into the world? Or will he stay stuck, caring for his sister and mother (Leo) who, despite her cheerful, loving disposition, is a drug addict. The only obstacle to a seamless transition into his future is dropping off Mom off at the center where she will enter rehab, but a glitch in the system forces sends them off to enlist the help of an unlikely ally, her drug dealer Sprinkles (Morgan). The day spirals downhill quickly, and the hapless team must collaborate every step of the way to battle their own demons and get Eli out of the rabbit hole.
Director: Phil Dorling, Ron Nyswaner
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, Tracy Morgan
Trailer: Trailer "Why Stop Now"

Jack Reacher
Description: Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter, a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right, and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning and then beat him shot for shot.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall
Trailer: Trailer Jack Reacher

In My Mailbox (54)

I have a lot of postcards to share with you. Because I was away for a couple of weeks, I got a lot of cards and I'mgoing to show them all to you. It's eight cards, so not as much as I hoped for. There were times I got them in one week. The first one came from Odessa, Ukraine. A very beautiful landscape postcard.

Sent on: june 26th 2012
Received on: july 3rd 2012
Distance: 1,880 km (1,168 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

I got this one from Narva, Russia. I like that it's the same building once drawn and once photographed. Nice card.

Sent on: june 25th 2012
Received on: juky 3rd 2012
Distance: 1,687 km (1,048 miles)
Travel time: 8 days

From Yunlin City, Taiwan I got these nice streetlanterns.

Sent on: july 1st 2012
Received on: july 8th 2012
Distance: 9,525 km (5,919 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

I got this lovely rainy card from Fuzhou, China. I love cards with rain and umbrella's on it so I'm super happy with this card.

Sent on: june 27th 2012
Received on: july 10th 2012
Distance: 9,257 km (5,752 miles)
Travel time: 13 days

I can add another state map to my collection, because this Louisiana map was sent to me. Very happy with it.

Sent on: july 5th 2012
Received on: july 13th 2012
Distance: 7,848 km (4,877 miles)
Travel time: 8 days

This really cute card with the cartoon animals came from Hongkong.

Sent on: july 2nd 2012
Received on: july 16th 2012
Distance: 9,292 km (5,774 miles)
Travel time: 14 days

My favorite from this batch came from Singapore. How lovely and sweet is this little panda!!

Sent on: july 10th 2012
Received on: july 17th 2012
Distance: 10,441 km (6,488 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

The last card came from Dresden, Germany. I nice skyline by night. Like it a lot.

Sent on: june 21st 2012
Received on: july 19th 2012
Distance: 542 km (337 miles)
Travel time: 28 days

Thanks Tania, Kseniya, Yazih, Nowia, Tandi, Tungming, Mork and Jana for your great postcards.

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 28: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Remember Me?
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Story: Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life. But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??! She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage,' which should help. But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up...and lands a new bombshell. What happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?
Start: july 1st 2012
End: july 16th 2012
Comment: Chicklits are known to be easy and light reads. Kinsella is very good at that, because her "Shopaholic" series is very succesful. We meet Lexi and it's not hard to like her right away. When Lexi wakes up in the hospital realizing that she became this totally different person, you are just as shocked and you want to find out what drove her to become this stricked businesswoman. The new Lexi isn't as nice and although she has a perfect life with a handsome husband, something is missing in her life. We go on the journey with Lexi to find out what happened in those three years that were erased from her memory. It's written from Lexi's perspective and I really enjoyed her voice-over. I didn't like Eric and I really liked Jon's character. He is the only one that really knows Lexi, while Eric is the one married to her. This book is a perfect start for the chicklit month and if you're in for something funny and light, this is the book for you.
Rating: 4/ 5

Absence

Dear blog readers,

Tomorrow I will travel to Uganda, for 16 days. That means my blog won't be updated in that period. Off course I will give you all the insights of my trip when I come back. But there will be no "Top 5 Thursday", "In My Mailbox" or "Movie Trailer Sunday" for a while. When I return I will pick it up again. See you soon!!

Joyce

Movie Trailer Sunday (44)

This weeks trailers are about a guy befriending a robot, a biology teacher doing martial arts, a wealthy amn with a lot of trouble, a man planning on rebuilding his life and

Robot & Frank
Description: Set in the near future, Frank (Frank Langella), a retired cat burglar, has two grown kids who are concerned he can no longer live alone. They are tempted to place him in a nursing home until Frank's son (James Marsden) chooses a different option: against the old man's wishes, he buys Frank a walking, talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health. What follows is an often hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking story about finding friends and family in the most unexpected places.
Director: Jake Schreier
Starring: Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard, Jeremy Sisto, Jeremy Strong
Trailer: Trailer "Robot & Frank"

Here Comes the Boom
Description: Former collegiate wrester Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher (Henry Winkler,) Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy, most of all the school nurse Bella (Salma Hayek), but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.
Director: Frank Coraci
Starring: Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler
Trailer: Trailer "Here Comes the Boom"
Comment: Kevin James!! I love that dude.

Arbitrage
Description: When we first meet New York hedge-fund magnate Robert Miller (Richard Gere) on the eve of his 60th birthday, he appears the very portrait of success in American business and family life. But behind the gilded walls of his mansion, Miller is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire to a major bank before the depths of his fraud are revealed. Struggling to conceal his duplicity from loyal wife Ellen (Susan Sarandon) and brilliant daughter and heir-apparent Brooke (Brit Marling), Miller's also balancing an affair with French art-dealer Julie Cote (Laetetia Casta). Just as he's about to unload his troubled empire, an unexpected bloody error forces him to juggle family, business, and crime with the aid of Jimmy Grant (Nate Parker), a face from Miller's past. One wrong turn ignites the suspicions of NYPD Detective Michael Bryer (Tim Roth), who will stop at nothing in his pursuits. Running on borrowed time, Miller is forced to confront the limits of even his own moral duplicity. Will he make it out before the bubble bursts?
Director: Nicholas Jarecki
Starring: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth
Trailer: Trailer "Arbitrage"

Silver Linings Playbook
Description: Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything: his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert De Niro) after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet - and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.
Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker
Trailer: Trailer "Silver Linings Playbook"
Comment: This looks great.

The Sessions
Description: A man (John Hawkes) confined to an iron lung is determined at age 38 to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality.
Director: Ben Lewin
Starring: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, moon Bloodgood
Trailer: Trailer "The Sessions
Comment: This looks like one of those heartwarming stories that will make you both laugh and cry.