50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 36: Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Title: Danny the Champion of the World
Author: Roald Dahl
Story: Danny feels very lucky. He adores his life with his father, living in a gypsy caravan, listening to his stories, tending their gas station, puttering around the workshop, and occasionally taking off to fly home-built gas balloons and kites. His father has raised him on his own, ever since Danny's mother died when he was four months old. Life is peaceful and wonderful... until he turns 9 and discovers his father's one vice. Soon Danny finds himself the mastermind behind the most incredible plot ever attempted against nasty Victor Hazell, a wealthy landowner with a bad attitude. Can they pull it off? If so, Danny will truly be the champion of the world.
Start: august 17th 2012
End: august 20th 2012
Comment: This book was a gift and this isn't very well known. At least I never heard of it before receiving it. We start out with Danny, who is happy with his life with his dad. He looks up to his father and loves his stories. I liked the start of the book. We meet Danny and his dad and he tells us about his life in a gypsy trailer and their gasstation. Then Danny's dad reveals that he used to be a poacher and wants to pick it up again. That I didn't like. I don't like poachers and definitely not when dads teach their kids to do it too. In "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" they also poached, but they were foxes. That's nature. What I did like and was probably my favorite aspect of the book was that the entire story was told by Danny himself. That way you can really experience the story through Danny's eyes. What I also liked was that Dahl made a few references to some of his other books, like "The BFG" and "The Witches". So far, "Danny the Champion of the World" is my least favorite Roald Dahl book. I think it's because of the theme, not the story itself.
Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (48)

This weeks trailers are about two siblings on the run, seven psychopaths, an aspiring rockstar, a hitman who wants to retire and a sherrif of a sleepy border town.

Deadfall
Description: Siblings Addison (Eric Bana) and Liza (Olivia Wilde) are on the run from a casino heist gone wrong. When a car accident leaves their wheel man and a state trooper dead, they split up and make a run for the Canadian border in the worst of circumstances: a near whiteout blizzard. While Addison heads cross-country, creating mayhem in his wake, Liza is picked up by ex-boxer Jay (Charlie Hunnam), en-route for a Thanksgiving homecoming with his parents, June (Sissy Spacek) and retired sheriff Chet (Kris Kristofferson). It's there the siblings are reunited in a terse and thrilling showdown that pushes the bonds of family to the limit.
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Starring: Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, Kate Mara
Trailer: Trailer "Deadfall"

Seven Psychopaths
Description:We follow a struggling screenwriter (Colin Farrell) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko
Trailer: Trailer "Seven Psychopaths"

For Ellen
Description: Aspiring rock star Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) has wanted nothing more than to �make it," having flirted with fame but never crossed over into true success. In the midst of a low period in his life, he agrees to sign divorce papers with his estranged wife (Margarita Levieva) in order to see money from the sale of their home, only to discover that by signing the papers, he will forfeit all custody of his six-year-old daughter, Ellen (newcomer Shaylena Mandigo). With a good-natured lawyer (Jon Heder- "Napoleon Dynamite") unable to make headway in reversing the decision, and a girlfriend (Jena Malone) that represents an era of his life that he might be ready to graduate from, Joby negotiates a visit with his daughter to explore whether he is able to walk away from his child, and whether it might be too late for reconciliation.
Director: So Yong Kim
Starring: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone
Trailer: Trailer "For Ellen"
Comment: This looks really good. And Paul Dano is one of those actors nobody appreciates. He's talented!

Bullet to the Head
Description: We follow New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a DC cop (Kang) who form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, Holt McCallany
Trailer: Trailer "Bullet to the Head"
Comment: Same old ingredients, but come on. Stallone!! Oh yeah, and Christian Slater. Didn't know he still acted.

The Last Stand
Description: Sheriff Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a man who has resigned himself to a life of fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction after leaving his LAPD post following a bungled operation that left him wracked with failure and defeat after his partner was crippled. After a spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy, the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the hemisphere is hurtling toward the border at 200 mph in a specially outfitted car with a hostage and a fierce army of gang members. He is headed, it turns out, straight for Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement will have their last opportunity to make a stand and intercept him before he slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately accepts responsibility for one of the most daring face offs in cinema history.
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Zach Gilford, Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzman, Rodrigo Santoro, Johnny Knoxville, Jaimie Alexander
Trailer:
Comment: A new Stallone and a new Schwarzenegger? Hell yeah!

In My Mailbox (58)

NINE CARDS THIS WEEK! That's a record. And all from different countries. Super happy with that. The first one came from Tainan City, Taiwan. Lovely card. I like that it looks so peaceful.

Sent on: july 26th 2012
Received on: august 14th 2012
Distance: 9,587 km (5,957 miles)
Travel time: 19 days

From St. Petersburg, Russia I got this card. It's not a favorite, but I do like it.

Sent on: july 31st 2012
Received on: july 14th 2012
Distance: 1,800 km (1,118 miles)
Travel time: 14 days

I got this amazing card from a fellow Dutch woman in Assen. I love the contrast, the blacka and white combined with the bright yellow flower. Fantastic!

Sent on: july 10th 2012
Received on: july 14th 2012
Distance: 205 km (127 miles)
Travel time: 4 days

From Zürich, Switzerland I got this card. I like the simplicity, but it's not really a spectacular card. It looks like one of those sample card you get when you buy paint.

Sent on: august 1st 2012
Received on: august 15th 2012
Distance: 463 km (288 miles)
Travel time: 14 days

And again a great postcard that I love so much. From Greven, Germany. I love the fall, this looks so serene.

Sent on: august 9th 2012
Received on: august 16th 2012
Distance: 150 km (93 miles)
Travel time: 7 days

Some senders really take attention to your wishes, because this one knew I liked bears. Great card from Minsk, Belarus.

Sent on: august 3rd 2012
Received on: august 17th 2012
Distance: 1,486 km (923 miles)
Travel time: 14 days

Another fall card. It game from Cincinnatti, Ohio, US. Love the colors.

Sent on: august 9th 2012
Received on: august 18th 2012
Distance: 6,777 km (4,211 miles)
Travel time: 9 days

From Xiamen, China I got this great watercolor card. Very nice.

Sent on: 13 juli 2012
Received on: august 18th 2012
Distance: 9,332 km (5,799 miles)
Travel time: 36 days

The last card is also my favorite of the week. The book cover of Alice in Wonderland from 1949. How great is that? It's from London, Great Brittain.

Sent on: august 13th 2012
Received on: august 18th 2012
Distance: 425 km (264 miles)
Travel time: 5 days

Thanks Alicia, Ann, Christel, Julian, Lena, Aksana, Liz, Gloria and Karen for your wonderful cards. You made my week a little better!

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 35: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Author: Roald Dahl
Story: Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last, and only five lucky children will be allowed inside. But what they find is even wilder than any of the wild rumors, they've heard!
Start: august 11th 2012
End: august 16th 2012
Comment: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" has been named the best children's book of all time by many readers. In can understand why people would say that. This story goes beyond every kids dream an imagination. I think any child would love to visit a magical chocolate factory like the one described in this book. All their wildest dreams come true. Charlie Bucket is the leading character and he is probably the sweetest and most selfless kid I ever read about. Charlie has a heart of gold and although he doesn't have much, he is a happy child. It's impossible not to like Charlie. The other children are so extreme, but so much fun to read about. Sweettooth Augustus Gloop, spoiled Veruca Salt, gum chewer Violet Beauregard and television addict Mike Teavee. Willy Wonka is such a strange man, but I do like him. Maybe because of his weirdness. Grandpa Joe is, together with Charlie, my favorite character. Loved him. The way Roald Dahl describes the factory is just amazing. So fanciful. This is what Dahl knows best, he can write so vividly. You can picture everything he writes about. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is such a joy to read, for all ages.
Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Villains

This week I picked the best movie villains. Characters that are just nasty, evil, sick and twisted. Here they are.

5. Hannibal Lecter (“The Silence of the Lambs”)
Hannibal Lecter is a charming and smart man and I think some people respect him somehow. But let's face it, he eats people, that's not very nice.

4. John Doe (“Seven”)
He kills people according to the seven deadly sins. Original and brilliant, but also pretty disturbing.

3. Hans Gruber (“Die Hard”)
Hans is a sophisticated villain with a sense of style. He is very polite for a bad guy, but maybe that’s why some people might underestimate him. You don’t want to mess with Hans Gruber.

2. Michael Myers (“Halloween”)
Always very coolly, slow walk, dark eyes and silent. He never says a word and that silent act makes him very scary.

1. Mr. Blonde (“Reservoir Dogs”)
The scene where he cuts that guys ear of and that poors it with gasoline. That's sick! Mr. Blonde, aka Vic Vega, wants to see his victims suffer before they actually die.

They almost made the top 5: Darth Vader (“Star Wars”), Freddy Krueger (“A Nightmare on Elmstreet”), Anton Chigurg (“No Country for Old Men”), Alex Forrest (“Fatal Attraction”), Tommy De Vito (“Goodfellas”), Jack Torrance (“The Shining”) and Elle Driver (“Kill Bill”)

Pic Spam: George Eads

I can't wait for season 13 of CSI. And especially for George Eads, who portrays my favorite character Nick Stokes. I'm going to dedicade this pic spam to George.

In the Picture: The Characters from "Snow White and the Huntsman"

I'm a fan of this movie. I liked it when I first saw it and I really enjoyed it very much. So I decided to spotlight the characters from "Snow White and the Huntsman". Here they are.

Snow White
Played by: Kristen Stewart
Snow White has been captured by her evil stepmother after her father died. She hasn't been outside for a while, but Snow White is a strong young woman. When she escapes, she does everything to get as far away as possible from her stepmother and she just wants to survive. Eventually Snow White will even fight back.

Eric, the Huntsman
Played by: Chris Hemsworth
Eric is sent to kill Snow White and bring Ravenna her heart. He doesn't have a choice so he goes after her, but when they meet, Eric can't do it and decides to help Snow White. They form a team and eventually a very strong connection. Eric is a troubled man, with a lot of strenght and he's loyal to Snow White. After his wife died he hasn't felt anything. When he meets Snow White, that changes.

Ravenna
Played by: Charlize Theron
Ravenna seduced Snow White's father and married him. She killed him and now she rules alone. When Ravenna finds out that she will no longer be 'the farest of them all', she wants Snow White dead. Ravenna is a pure evil woman, with no mercy or sense of remorse.

William
Played by: Sam Claflin
William and Snow White grew up together. After the King's death, William is left to believe Snow White died too. Years later William finds out that Snow White isn't dead after all and he decides to find her. Not knowing that she might he given her heart to another man.

Favorite Character: Eric, the Huntsman