Category Archives: Mystery

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Ghostbusters (2016) – Review

Review Ghostbusters

When a reboot or a remake of an old movie is announced, usually the first thing you hear is the cry of the internet. Not only the fanboys/girls, but everyone seems to have already formed their opinion about it (it’s going to suck) and with the new Ghostbusters things weren’t any different. That the initial reaction was negative is something which didn’t surprise me, but I haven’t made the effort to read what it was exactly. I’d rather spend my time on other things. And even though I more than enjoyed the original Ghostbusters the news of a remake didn’t really do much to me. Often remakes are unnecessary, but of course there are exceptions. Is the new Ghostbusters one of them? Continue reading →

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Goosebumps (2015) – Review

Review Goosebumps

“The book is better than the movie” is something I often read. And yes, of course it usually is, but that isn’t surprising. When you are reading a book it is you who makes the imagery to go along with it. Besides that a book can also provide a lot more information than a movie can. A writer can spend a whole paragraph describing the scent in the air or the temperature of a meal. A movie can only show the information through imagery and dialog. So comparing the two forms of media is really something you shouldn’t be doing. They are separate forms of entertainment with their own strengths and weaknesses. Goosebumps has been a long running series of horror books for a young audience written by R.L. Stine. What Goosebumps does however is not take one of them and turn it into a film, but simply decides to use them all. Does that idea work? Continue reading →

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Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) – Review

Independence Day Resurgence review

Before watching the new Independence Day I decided to revisit the original. I can’t remember whether or not I saw it in cinemas originally, but it must have been around twenty years ago when I last saw it. I could still remember how strange it was that someone was able to plug his laptop into an alien spacecraft and easily upload a virus. I remembered the main story, but had forgotten the details. But what a joy it was to revisit it again! It offers exactly what I have come to expect from disaster movies: a number of characters you know just enough about to care for them, impressive destruction and being able to solve impossible situations. It also used a lot of practical effects and miniatures making it all the more convincing. But what did I have to expect from a sequel? Continue reading →

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10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) – Review

10 cloverfield lane review

When growing up we are constantly being warned about the world around us. Through that we learn to watch out and also develop a sense of knowing whether or not a situation might be dangerous. Movies do the same in a way, even though that usually isn’t in realistic situations (because when was the last time you had to fight an alien that was present on your spaceship?). They will go to extremes in order to present the viewer something they have not experienced before and entertain them. As you watch more movies from a specific genre, you gain some knowledge which you’ll bring to the table when watching the next one. You use that “experience” in order to predict what will happen to the characters in the situation they find themselves in. Not only guessing what will happen, but also because a good movie will make you forget about yourself and gives you the feeling you are that character. Whether or not you want it your survival instinct kicks in and experience is important in that. And 10 Cloverfield Lane succeeds in playing with those instincts. Continue reading →

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The Neon Demon (2016) – Review

Review The Neon Demon

One of the few genres I don’t watch much of is horror. I simply don’t enjoy being frightened voluntarily. Jump scares aren’t my thing and the only horror movies I’m willing to watch are horror comedy (Zombieland, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, The Final Girls) or a classic like The Shining. When I received an invitation to watch The Neon Demon my first reaction was: “forget it”.

That changed though when I saw who directed the film: Nicholas Winding Refn, who put himself on the map with Drive, which he followed up with Only God Forgives. The latter one didn’t receive glowing reviews, but I thought it was fantastic. His work is always visually stunning and is a director whose work you’ll recognise. Still, this was a horror movie, so I decided to watch a bit of the trailer. Continue reading →

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Finding Dory (2016) – Review

Review Finding Dory

When I heard that Finding Nemo would be getting a sequel, I wasn’t immediately enthusiastic. The original movie is one of the best Pixar movies and the story of a father clownfish searching for his son, was very original.. The underwater world was interestingly realized, the movie had strong emotional impact on its viewers and lots of memorable characters. Reading that the sequel was called Finding Dory I was afraid that the storyline would be similar and this would result in a weak copy. With the Toy Story sequels Pixar did prove that they are able to keep quality at the same (high) level. Have they managed to do the same with Finding Dory?

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Paradox (2016) – Review

Review Paradox

There are moments when I look at the reviews I’m writing and the scores I’ve been giving films, when I wonder if I’m generally too positive about the movies I watch. Should I be more critical or do I simply pick out the ones which are, on average, actually good? Paradox quickly gave me an answer to those questions. Continue reading →

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Midnight Special (2016) – Review

Review Midnight Special

If you would do a search on IMDB for director Jeff Nichols you’d find out that he only has five movies to his name. You might also think it means he’s not een experienced person, but take a little bit more time to look at the titles and you’ll soon realize that he’s someone who has managed to impress in a very short time with films like Mud and Take Shelter. In those movie the always impressive Michael Shannon played a role, which is also the case for his latest, Midnight Special, where the two have hooked up again. The end result is a movie which shouldn’t be missed. Continue reading →

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Time Lapse (2014) – Review

Recensie Time Lapse

Just as light can’t escape a black hole, us people really can’t get away from the forwards movement of time. There isn’t any convincing evidence that time travelers exist, but that doesn’t mean we don’t dream about it. That has resulted in interesting books, TV shows and movies which I, no matter how bad they are, enjoy checking out. Time Lapse had been on my to watch list for a while and even though not everyone was positive about it, I was curious. Continue reading →

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The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Review The Time Travelers Wife
Even though time travel movies is considered a separate genre, it is quite easy to make further distinctions within it. They can be adventurefilms, comedies or mysteries, but there are several of them which focus on romance. My favorites about the subject are About Time and the Christopher Reeve film Somewhere in Time. The Time Traveler’s Wife was a title which I hadn´t seen yet, but had been wanting to for a very long time. Does this movie starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams manage to get a spot as one of my favorites? Continue reading →