The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story (2019) – Review

The Boy Band Con the Lou Pearlman story recensie

“Industry rule # 4080, record company people are shady!”, those are the words of A-Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip in “Check the Rhime”. In this YouTube Original documentary, former members of various boy/girl bands, including The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, talk about their experiences with businessman Lou Pearlman. After years of working in the aircraft industry, he was inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block to also enter the music industry. He set up a record label and started a talent search to put together his first band, The Backstreet Boys. He provided shelter, dance lessons and everything the boys needed and spent a lot of time with them until their breakthrough. He was seen by the members of the band as a kind of father figure, a story that other groups tell as well. Yet Pearlman turned out to be a man with two faces. That became clear when bands were already a huge success, had sold millions of records, but the first check they received turned out to be even less than the minimum wage. In addition, it appeared that their mentor had also made themselves a member of the band and as a result managed to earn even more money. Continue reading

American Animals (2018) – Review

American Animals recensie

When a film opens with the text “Based on a true story”, the question is always how closely the real events have been followed and what has been dramatized. American Animals also opens with a similar text, but that text is soon adapted to “This is a true story”. As a viewer you immediately wonder what kind of film this will be, what can you expect when a filmmaker claims to tell the story as it is? Continue reading

F*** You All: The Uwe Boll Story (2018) – Review

Fuck-You-All-The-Uwe-Boll-Story-recensie
Uwe Boll is probably one of the most hated directors ever. This German is now no longer behind the camera (he runs a number of restaurants), but his films have caused a lot of controversy through the years. When directing he was someone who did not avoid controversy and at one point even stood in the boxing ring against film critics after he had challenged them to fight or simply shut up about his films. In this documentary, director Sean Patrick Shaul looks at this man, his films and the people he worked with. Continue reading

Men in Black International (2019) – Review

Recensie Men in Black International
When Sony was hacked a few years ago, one of the most interesting details was that the film company was had idea of ​​doing a crossover film. The idea was to mix Men in Black with the 21 Jump Street franchise. Very interesting, which at the time made me think of other crossovers. Unfortunately, it did not materialize in the end, but Sony still wanted to make money from this franchise. The result is Men in Black International, in which Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth (who were previously fun together in Thor Ragnarok) put on the black suits and sunglasses. Continue reading

Black Mirror Season 5 review: Striking Vipers

Black Mirror Striking Vipers recensie
*This review contains spoilers*
Recently the fifth season of Charlie Brooker’s series Black Mirror came out. A series that I always watch with great pleasure and after the interesting Bandersnatch a couple of months ago, I was waiting patiently for a whole new season. With only three episodes, that may not be much, but if you include the three mini episodes that will still appear on YouTube, there is something else you can sink your teeth in into as a Black Mirror fan. The first episode is Striking Vipers. And unfortunately it is a disappointing start. Continue reading

Always Be My Maybe (2019) – Review

Always Be My Maybe review
We live in times of abundance, even when it comes to entertainment. The choice of books, video games, films and series is overwhelming. With that “problem”, the feeling of a shared experience has largely disappeared. It occasionally happens with big releases like a Marvel movie or something like Game of Thrones, but the chance that when you’ve seen a movie others have already seen the same title is small. Especially when such a film has not appeared in the cinema. That is also the case with the Netflix romcom Always Be My Maybe. A title that may be promoted temporarily through the service, but one which you may add to the long list that you probably already have, but which you will never get back to. Yet this is one that you should actually watch immediately when you are looking for a light-hearted film with lots of humor. Continue reading

I Am Mother (2019) – Review

I Am Mother recensie
Although I have not yet written my reviews for the fifth season of Black Mirror, I did conclude that Charlie Brooker can no longer achieve the same high level of previous seasons. The dark twists I am expecting are no longer present and elements from earlier episodes were used again, such as placing a consciousness in another object. At the start of I Am Mother, I immediately realized that the concept of this Netflix movie as a basis could fit well with Black Mirror. Continue reading

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018) – Review

review Struggle- The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
From the moment we are born, we are slowly taught how to behave, what social norms are and how to think about certain things. All so that you can ultimately find your place in society. But what if that wasn’t the case? If you believe artist Stanisław Szukalski, that would result in much more creativity. He invented his own alphabet at school and his father supported him in it, even when the school complained about it to him. He continued to use it and turned out to be very talented as a sculptor. His works were compared with those of Michelangelo and at the beginning of the last century he was well known. He received orders from world leaders, but despite all that success, he was forgotten. He moved several times and eventually ended up in Burbank, America, where he grew old.

Art collector Glenn Bray happened to come across a book by him and was fascinated. Not long after he saw a drawing in a shop that clearly came from Szukalski’s hand, he got into conversation and found that he was alive and even lived near him. He decided to make contact and visit. It would be the beginning of years of friendship and everyone who met him realized how brilliant Szukalski was. One of those people was the father of Leonardo DiCaprio, George DiCaprio and he decided to produce this documentary about Szuskalski with his son. While making it, they discovered that he was more complicated than the man they knew. Continue reading

5 of Netflix’s Best Sci-Fi Films Available Right Now

Sci-fi is the ultimate form of escapism and there’s nothing better than sinking into the couch and enjoying a good movie after a hard day’s work. It’s one of those genres that can offer a little something to everyone, from viewers who like the visual mastery to those who are entranced by the detailed science behind it. No matter what type of sci-fi fan you are Netflix has a lot of variety to suit all tastes. Almost everyone has a subscription to this service (or access to one), so it’s a good place to focus on. With some assistance from the best sci-fi movie list from Film Oracle here are 5 great sci-fi movies on Netflix right now. Continue reading

VS. (2018) – Review

vs review
After how many films on the same subject can you say that a new subgenre has emerged? After 8 Mile, Patti Cake$, Bodied and now VS. I think it’s safe to say it’s that time. Within the “coming of age” genre a new subgenre has emerged in which white rappers have to prove themselves through rap battles, while they struggle with their relationships with others and become very personal during those battles. How VS. distinguishes itself from other films is the fact that it is not set in America, but in the UK. To what extent does this film stand out? Continue reading