Movie Reviews - Arctic

Director: Joe Penna
Genre: Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir

Description: A man stranded in the Arctic (Mads Mikkelsen) after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.

Review: This Icelandic drama isn’t rich when it comes to plot, but leans completely on the emotions and experiences of the lead character.
As the title says, the films is set in the Arctic, in the North Pole area, where we meet a man who is busy digging into snow. When the camera pans out, you see he is trying to carve S.O.S into the snow. The situation is clear immediately: the man is stranded and has been there for quite a while. He already made a map of the area and has developed a daily routine to make life bearable. The movie needs just a few simple shots to tells us about his situation. No voice-overs, no flashbacks, no history. The wreckage of the plane says it all.
The movie never shows the actual crash, which makes it unique. The film starts when the end of all the misery has already begun. The man is found by a helicopter, but all hope is lost when it crashes. The pilot dies, but one of the passengers is heavily injured. He starts to take care of her. Now it’s not just him who is surviving, he tries to make sure the young woman also survives. From that moment, the man decides to no longer stay in his ‘safe haven’ but to start walking and find help.
Like I stated before, it’s a simple premise: a man struggling to survive in the cold Arctic. A thin base for a survival film. But luckily for us there is Mads Mikkelsen. He is one of the best actors today. He is a reliable actor that doesn’t necessarily have to play a sympathetic character. Although his performance in “Arctic” is mostly physical, he gives away a perfect one-man-show. There is also a lot of focus on psychological moments and he shows a wide spectrum of emotions. He is just a resourceful and resolute as he is scared and selfish. Mikkelsen himself claims that filming “Arctic” as the hardest thing to do in his career.
“Arctic” has enough to keep your attention for an hour and a half, but it never goes too deep. It could have easily become a boring movie if it weren’t for Mikkelsen.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Crawl

Director: Alexandre Aja
Genre: Horror/ Action/ Adventure/ Drama
Runtime: 87 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper

Description: While attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

Review: The era of summer blockbuster once started with “Jaws”. And if you loved “Jaws”, you’re really going to like “Crawl” as well. It’s a small survival horror film, where two people are trying to escape hungry alligators. This simple given isn’t a masterpiece like “Jaws”, but results in a surprisingly solid and fun monster movie.
During a hurricane in Florida, Haley is trying to find her father. She finds him knocked out in his basement. And that’s the least of their problems, because the are prey for alligators, who managed to enter the house. And since the water is rising, they have to find a way to get out of the house and away from the alligators.
It’s a pretty simple story, set in one location and it only has two characters. With only 87 minutes of runtime, it’s the perfect recipe for this film. The scare moments are good. No unnecessary jump scares (lots of loud noises and nothing happens), but jump scares when you don’t expect them and something does happen. Very well timed. The characters have a little depth, there is a backstory and you see that father and daughter grew apart. This gives you a little bit of relatability.
The premise could have easily become ridiculous, like “Sharknado” also used a hurricane. But “Crawl” could easily be a true story, for the most part. And it was surprisingly bloody I might say. Just the right amount of horror. And most of the injuries that Haley and her dad get, are believable. Up until the end, it becomes a little less credible, but overall it’s very well done.
What most monster movies miss or horror movies lack, are good performances. Well, not “Crawl”. Both Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper are very strong in their roles. Apart and together. And both portray characters that you can easily relate too or root for.
“Crawl” is definitely a movie that I will rewatch someday and as a lover of monster movies, it’s a film I can recommend.

Rating: 4/ 5

Best Moments of "Stranger Things" (Season 3)

We've waited for a year, only to enjoy it for three days. Season 3 of "Stranger Things" was again great. It brought us a lot of amazing, heartfelt, funny, heroic and epic moments. I will count down my eleven favorites (eleven, since it is "Stranger Things").

11. Operation Child Endangerment
Remember when “Stranger Things” season 2 premiered and it took us 0,02 seconds to fall in love with Erica? I was so happy to see that she had a big part in season 3. In this season, Erica is all about hanging out at Starcourt mall with her friends. Having a good time with her friends and ignoring her nerdy brother and his friends. Because Robin, Dustin and Steve need someone small enough to crawl to the vents, Erica is the perfect person for this. Erica call is “operation child endangerment”. The task is difficult and the danger great, but Erica manages to pull it off.

10. Steve and Dustin reunite
Season 2 brought us an unlikely friendship: Steve and Dustin. And it’s a great bromance. What started in season 2 is no a full-on friendship. There are two moments between the two that I really loved. The first is when Steve and Dustin reunite after spending the summer apart and it’s the most adorable thing. And the second moment is when Dustin tells Steve he won’t leave him behind, when they are cornered by the Russians. In fact, he says: Ïf you die, I die”. If that isn’t friendship!

9. The mayor’s unexpected meeting
If you live in a small town and your mayor is a moron who will ruin your summer, you better hope that your Chief of Police has the guts to stand up to him, like Hopper did with Larry Kline. Mayor Kline was helping the Russians with their secret plans. The beating Hopper gave him, while Joyce prevented the secretary from stopping it, was one of the most satisfying moments of the season

8. Robin cracks the code
Robin is a great new character in season 3. She is funny, smart and a welcome addition to the stellar cast. Not only does she stand out on her own, her friendship with Steve made the season even better. Robin doesn’t only bring more humor to the series, but her intelligence plays a big role in figuring out the season’s big mystery. After Dustin intercepts Russian transmission on Cerebro and Steve realized the transmission is actually coming from Hawkins, it’s Robin who figures out what everything means. She translates the Russian transmission and has an epiphany about it as she darts around Starcourt mall.

7. Nancy cracks the case of the Mindflayer
Nancy has a jo at The Hawkins Post and her coworkers aren’t treating her well. But that stop her from doing her thing. Against the wishes of her supervisors, Nancy looks into the case of the rabid rats all over Hawkins. She knows something is up and gets Jonathan to help her. And I’m glad she did. Because apart from Robin, she’s the only reason why anyone managed to survive through season 3. The women really dominated this season. Thanks to Nancy’s detective work, everyone found out that the creepy collection of rats at the start of the season were combining together to form the Mindflayer. But that’s not all. This revelation also taught everyone that it wasn’t just rats being used in this manner; humans were also a part of it.

6. Murray calls out Hopper and Joyce
Paranoid underground investigator Murray Bauman helped Jonathan and Nancy get over the relationship hump in season 2, and he tried to work his Cupid magic again this year. Only, he didn’t mince (his very loud) words when it came to calling out Hopper and Joyce obvious sexual tension, during one of the most hilarious scenes of the season. It only got better when Alexi asked what all the yelling was about.

5. Billy’s sacrifice
Billy was introduced in season 2. Not one of the most liked characters and that sure isn’t going to change at the start of season 3. His character arc took off in a big way in this season. After being taken over by the Mindflayer, Billy goes through a drastic transformation that takes him from agressice asshole to murderous killer. And although he was crossing all kinds of lines, we also got to see a tender side of him. When trying to find him, Eleven sees a young Billy at the beach with his mother. A very sweet moment we never expected. Billy was the Mindflayer’s tool, but he also got a connection with Eleven. And in the final moment, Billy sacrificed himself to save her life. And finally he did something nice.

4. Robin comes out to Steve
Robin and Steve were probably one of the best duos of the season. Their best moment was also their most tender moment, even if it did happen on a public bathroom floor. When Robin came out to Steve is was powerful and moving. This moment showed the strength and vulnerabilities of the characters as the two solidified their friendship in the middle of chaos.

3. Neverending Story
Dustin went away to camp for the summer and he has a girlfriend: Suzie. But no one believes him. We get to see her at the end of the series, when Joyce and Hooper need Planck’s constant to open the Russian safe. Dustin thinks Suzie might know and tries to connect with her through Cerebro. And there she is. She does, but she won’t tell him before coaxing Dustin into singing the theme of “The Neverending Story”. I’m not much for a random musical number usually, but this is the cutest thing ever!!!

2. Joyce and Hopper’s final moment
It’s been three seasons, but Jim and Joyce finally get their moment in season 3. Sort of. Joyce asks Hopper out to sinner, tells him he can pick her up and it’s adorable. Not knowing yet what will happen next. The attraction between the two has build up over the course of the season rather than being forced. And while we didn’t get any declarations of love or even a kiss, their final moments together are enough to satisfy our ‘Jopper’ – loving hearts.

1. Hopper’s note to Eleven
To be honest, I’m still not over this. It’s a beautiful heartfelt moment and I balled my eyes out. At the end of season 2, Mike and Eleven became a couple and when season 3 starts, they can’t seem to get their hands off each other. Hopper isn’t too pleased with all this behind closed doors and insists they keep the door open at least three inches. Hopper isn’t that great with emotions, so he can’t tell Eleven how he really feels. Joyce advices him to write it down. Hopper never gives the speech, but Eleven gets to read it after Hopper dies. And there I go again, tears. Lots of tears! Oh, and I refuse to believe he’s actually dead.

Movies to Look Forward to - August 2019

Summertime is definitely here and going to the movies is for me the perfect way to cool down. Here are some of the movies in August to look forward to.

August 1st – Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Director: David Leitch
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Helen Mirren, Eddie Marsan, Cliff Curtis
Description: Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain threatens the future of humanity.

August 8th – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Director: André Øvredal
Starring: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rish, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Larraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard
Description: A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives.

August 15th – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tmothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Al Pacino, Damian Lewis, Kurt Russel, Emile Hirsch
Description: A faded television actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

August 22nd – Blinded by the Light
Director: Gurinda Chadha
Starring: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Chir, Meera Ganatra, Aaron Phagura, Dean-Charles Chapman, Nikita Mehta, Nell Williams, Tara Divina, Rob Brydon, Hayley Atwell, Frankie Fox, Sally Phillips
Description: In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and finds his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

August 22nd – Good Boys
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Molly Gordon, Retta, Will Forte, Midori Francis, Lil Rel Howry, Millie Davis, Vanessa Przada, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams, Enid-Raye Adams, Josh Caras, Chance Hurstfield, Lina Renna, Benita ha
Description: Three sixth grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.

TV Show Reviews - Stranger Things (Season 3)

Season: 3
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Fantasy/ Horror
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2019
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Sadie Dink, Dacre Montgomery, Priah Ferguson

Description: In the summer of 1985 in Hawkins, the new Starcourt Mall has become the focal point of the town, driving other stores out of business. Sherriff Jim Hopper is conflicted over Eleven and Mike’s budding relationship, while Joyce considers moving out of Hawkins for better prospects, leaving the state of the children’s friendships and her own relationship with Hopper in the air. However, strange power fluctuations trigger Will’s awareness of something otherworldly, and Eleven and Max sense something is off about the town’s residents. And despite having closed the portal to the Upside Down, fears that they are all in danger from it still.

Review: For a series with nostalgia as its biggest drive, we are looking back with nostalgia to the first season in 2016. When we didn’t know the Duffer brothers and all the young actors of “Stranger Things”. It was such a pleasant surprise. A strong horror show, with 80s galore and pop culture references, fun characters and a great story. A series that could have easily been created by Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter or Stephen King.
The second season, although still very good, never lived up to the first season. But there was enough hope for season 3.
Season 3 premiered on July 4th: Independence Day in America, the start of the summer season. And besides the fact that the young cast grew older and are caught up in teen love, the most stylistic change is the fact that its set in the summer.
The series is set for a large point in and around the new large Starcourt Mall. Which looks amazing. The 80s atmosphere is brought back to life so well. And again a ton of references to films, series and music from that period. Love it! Especially a scene between Max and Eleven, in that Starcourt Mall, with ‘Material Girl’ by Madonna playing, is the 80s summed up perfectly.
Like I stated before, the young kids are now teenagers with teen problems and it starts to have a certain effect on their friendship. Mike and Eleven are in love, Max and Lucas are in love, even Dustin has a girlfriend. Although nobody believes she is real. And Will is looking from the sideline, still wanting to play Dungeons and Dragons in the basement and read comic books. Hopper is really not that happy about Will and Eleven, but he himself is having certain feelings. For Joyce.
At the end of season 2, the gate to the Upside Down was closed. But the darkness isn’t over. In the beginning of season 3, it’s mostly drama, love, relationships and such things. It takes its time to start. And horror is very far away. But each episode it becomes clear that something is still brewing in Hawkins. The gate might have been closed, but something from that underworld has settled down in Hawkins. And it’s looking for back-up.
A monster in Hawkins, it sounds like the same thing. Something mysterious happens, various groups investigate and eventually they will all come together. But does this bother me? Not at all! Because we’ve come to love all the characters so much and we love the tension, it’s still a lot of fun to watch. Each episode a little more of the horror is revealed.
The creators showed more ‘guts’ by making bold choices. Like the role of Erica in this season. She has a very important role in this season and for a young actress like Priah Ferguson, it could’ve easily gone wrong. But it didn’t. And the introduction of Robin, and what her character is all about. Also very bold. Billy also got a more important role, one of the most important ones actually. And I don’t think any people really liked his character, until the end of this season.
With the third season of “Stranger Things”, Netflix hits another bullseye. Even though it takes a little while to really get interesting, each episode is still worth watching. And that last episode made me cry so hard! Let season 4 come!

Movie Reviews - Fyre

Director: Chris Smith
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Billy MacFarland, Ja Rule, Gabriella Bluestone, Shiyuan Deng, Michael Ciccarelli, Mdavid Low, Samuel Krost, Andy King, Marc Weinstein

Description: An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unrveling of the Fyre music festival.

Review: We follow the true story of a gigantic music festival that turned out the be the biggest disaster.
In 2012 the movie “Project X” was released, where a college party turns into chaos. Imagine this: a similar situation, but then on a bigger scale with a budget of ten millions of dollars on a ‘deserted island’ near the Bahamas. This documentary shows us what went on with the Fyre Festival, that had to take place in 2017.
The documentary has three parts: the way to the festival, what went wrong and the consequences.
The promovideo of the Fyre festival is gorgeous. Famous models like Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin walking around in bikinis, artists such as major Lazer are advertise to attend and there would be villas for the guests. The reality: the models where simple a publicity stunt, the artists were never payed and guests had to sleep in tents.
They started too late with all the preparations and every sign showed organizer Billy MacFarland that the festival would never be ready in time. Attendees paid thousands of dollars to be there. Private jets turned out to be old little crowded planes, villas weren’t even present and became tents with wet matrasses and over 500 people didn’t even have a place to stay. There was no food or water and no charter planes booked for the guest to travel back. And no festival, because there were no artists.
“Fyre” shows us how an arrogant entrepreneur lies, betrays and commits fraude to make this ‘dream’ come true. It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the biggest projects that went horribly wrong.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Abducted in Plain Sight

Director: Skye Borgman
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jan Broberg, Bob Broberg, Mary Ann Broberg, Susan Broberg, Karen Campbell, Pete Welsh, Joe Berchtold

Description: The twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naïve, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.

Review: “Abducted in Plain Sight” is a crime documentary about a family that falls under the spell of a manipulative neighbor, who abducts their young daughter. This documentary has simply one of those “what the fuck” stories. And it will keep you thinking for a while.
The production of “Abducted in Plain Sight” took three years, where film makers wanted to get their hands on the original documents and rapports to create a complete story. Directed and produced by Skye Borgman, this documentary tells the story of Jan Broberg, from the American town of Pocatello. She was sexually abused and kidnapped by her neighbor and friend of the family, Robert Bechtold.
Berchtold was a common guest at the Broberg house and a close friend to the family. In 1974 he offered daughter Jan, twelve at the time, to pick her up from her piano lesson and take her horse back riding. Instead Broberg abducted her. Twice. The second time was to Mexico. There they got married and Jan was repeatedly raped by Berchtold. The adult Jan, believes that Berchtold abused her about 200 times in total.
In the documentary, we hear the story from different points of view: Jan, her parents, her sisters and Berchtold’s brother. It’s not the amount of gruesome details that is so controversial, it’s the parent’s attitude towards everything that happened. It’s hard to understand how both Bob and Mary Ann Broberg dealt with the abuse and the abduction of their daughter. When she first disappeared, they waited almost a week to call the police. And they still thought it was too soon. They had such faith in Berchtold as a friend, that they didn’t want to believe he abducted her. Even when Berchtold asked them to marry Jan, they never pressed charges. And Mary Ann always thought Berchtold fascination for Jan was disturbing, but she let them meet anyway.
There was even a time, where Berchtold was in therapy and he said he had to be around Jan to heal. And they let him sleep in her bed every night, where Berchtold abused Jan again. In their own house. And this was after the first abduction!
Jan’s mother Mary Ann even fell in love with Berchtold and had a brief affaire with him. And father Bob also had a sexual encounter with Berchtold.
Simple disbelief in everything I saw in this documentary. I had several WTF moments, I just don’t understand how these parents could’ve let all of this happen.

Rating: 3,5/ 5