Strange, unpredictable and bizarre. Just a few random words that come to mind when I hear the name of director Yorgos Lanthimos. And even though I have not seen Dogtooth, his previous film, The Lobster certainly had all those properties. But in addition, he also manages to attract you as a viewer into that bizarre world and to hypnotize you, as it were. You want to know more, find out what is going on, even if you have no idea where that will eventually lead. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is his latest film and the question is whether it is just as hypnotic again. Continue reading
My thoughts on the 2018 Oscar nominations
For most movie fans an exciting period in the year has started, as the Oscar nominations have been published. It usually is time in which fans question some of the choices, try to guess who is going to win in which category and of course watch the ceremony to see if they are right. After the Moonlight/La La Land controversy during last year’s event enough measures will probably have been made to prevent something like that happening again. There are still some weeks to go until it is March 4, so let’s take a short look at some of the categories and see if there are surprises or big mistakes. Continue reading
Ryan Reynolds – Rise to stardom
Ryan Reynolds may not be the best thing to have come out of Canada, but he is quite close to it. One of the best and most popular actors in the world at the moment, Reynolds has been entertaining and enthralling people around the world for over 20 years. The Canadian first gained fame in the American sitcom Two Guys and a Girl, which ran from 1998 until 2001. Reynolds played the role of Michael Eugene Leslie “Berg” Berge, a handsome young man studying medicine at college and with boyish charm and a mischievous character who creates chaos and mayhem in his friends’ lives. It was Two Guys and a Girl that saw Reynolds make his mark as a comic actor who appeals to teenagers and young adults. Continue reading
Voyeur (2017) – Review
Ask a group of people what kind of super power they would like to have and some of the respondents would say they would want to be invisible. The fact that others can’t see them and they can therefore witness moments that were not meant for their eyes/ears is appealing. As people, we are voyeuristic. How else do you explain the immense popularity of reality shows and the infinite supply of “put people in a weird situation and see what happens” programs started by Big Brother. You could even say that we as film lovers are voyeurs, because we experience something that is not our own experience. A little voyeurism may be human, but there are limits. These were exceeded by Gerald Foos, a former motel owner, as this Netflix documentary makes clear. Continue reading
10 Best Movies about Gambling
Gambling is not an uncommon theme used in movies. You have probably seen countless movies that featured gambling in them. It could be a movie about a casino tournament, sports with wagering involved, or an action flick with gambling as an essential component of the plot. If you are looking for a gambling-themed movie you want to enjoy over the weekend, consider the following options. Continue reading
The Hire (2001/2002/2016) – Review
How many movie franchises can you name on which the best directors like Ang Lee, Wong Kar-wai, Guy Ritchie, Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Woo, Joe Carnahan, Tony Scott and Neill Blomkamp have worked on, which have also been produced by David Fincher and Ridley Scott? You will probably respond that such a film series does not exist. That is until you hear of The Hire. BMW Films has managed to bring all these names, plus many more famous actors, together to create a series of short films in which a BMW is shown prominently and is driven by “The Driver” (Clive Owen). Continue reading
Patti Cake$ (2017) – Review
The story of the underdog, who continues reaching for the top despite all kinds of obstacles, is one that I have seen a lot over the years. A lot of sports films take it as a starting point (Eddie the Eagle or Creed), but also in the field of music, specifically rap, you can think of films like 8 Mile or Hustle & Flow. Patti Cake$ can be added to this category and is about Patti (Danielle Macdonald), who wants to make it as a rapper Continue reading
Little White Lies (2010) – Review
The main reason I added this movie to my Blindspot movies last year was the fact that fellow bloggers told me I MUST see it. After I was absolutely blown away by another film they strongly recommended (The Broken Circle Breakdown), I was curious if this title would have the same effect on me. Continue reading
The Foreigner (2017) – Review
Although the big action heroes from the eighties and nineties are slowly starting to get old, some continue to make films in the genre as if they were still young. That sometimes produces even more entertaining films, but sometimes an actor has to face reality and adjust the type of roles they play. This may be especially true for Jackie Chan. He is of course well-known for his extreme stunts and fights, but when you get older, things like that aren’t as easy to pull off anymore. You can also see that in the type of roles he has been playing. He has done more voice work and also in his physical roles he does less (think of The Karate Kid or Chinese Zodiac). You can also see this in The Foreigner. A serious role, without his typical humor Continue reading
2018 Blindspot movies
Just like in the past years, I’ve decided to create a blindspot list of movies which I still have not seen, but which I feel I should have. So time to change that with some titles I want to watch this coming year. Want to know which twelve I’ve picked? Continue reading