Thanks to Netflix and its drug series, Narcos, stories about the South American drugtrade have become popular. The history of Pablo Escobar and related documentaries were a great success for the service. So it is a good moment to use this popularity is what the people behing American Made probably thought, in which Tom Cruise plays the leading role. Continue reading
Several films have already been made about the banking crisis in 2008 (eg The Big Short, Margin Call) and the conclusion is often that no one has been prosecuted for it. The main reason for this is that most of them were “Too big to fail”. If they would have to deal with a lawsuit, it would have a huge impact on the financial system. Abacus Federal Savings in New York, a very small bank focusing mainly on the Chinese community in Chinatown, was the only bank that faced a lawsuit on mortgage fraud. A case that could have a lot of impact on this small family business and its customers. Continue reading
Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, all superheroes who are well-known to big audiences thanks to the many superhero movies that have been released during the last decade. In 1981 the movie landscape was very different. Fans of superheroes might be able to see them in TV shows, but hardly on the big screen. Disney released Condorman though. And although it has a link with comics there is a reason that many people have never heard of this “superhero” film. Continue reading
Sometimes there are movies, that when you see something about them for the first time, alarm bells start ringing. They are sometimes titles that might look good on paper, but probably won’t work once executed. That is exactly the feeling I had when I first read about Table 19. The cast looks good: Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson, Stephen Merchant, Tony Revolori and June Squibb. A combination of actors who could provide an entertaining film. But the fact that I had never heard of the film before and it was immediately available on DVD made me cautious. Of course, not all new titles can be released in the cinema, but you will still hear something about them. But because of that cast, it was one that I decided to give a chance. Was that a wise decision? Continue reading
For many movielovers Christmas starts early this year as they can already start unwrapping their gift this week in the form of the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. You probably know a couple of people whose love for these science fiction movies is deeprooted, but also a couple who have never seen them. I watched these films for the first time when I was in my twenties. They are films I am able to enjoy but which I haven’t watched more than other movies I see (so probably once or twice). After the fantastic The Force Awakens I’m curious about the new movie in the same way I always look forward to a new Marvel movie. On Saturday the world premiere took place and the first couple of tweets about the movie really praise it. Enough reason for me to make sure I see it before the end of the year as I might need to include it on my year’s end list, but not one I will make sure to take time off for on Wednesday when it will be released over here to be one of the first to see it.
But what about you? Are you a fan of Star Wars and if not, what’s the reason? Continue reading
Can you imagine that somewhere an accident occurs or a murder is committed and you know that you weren’t present, but you were arrested for it, subsequently interrogated and finally, on camera/tape, you’d confess that you were the perpetrator? My feeling is that you will answer this with a convincing no. Why would you say to have committed a crime when this is not the case? After seeing The Confession Tapes you will start to doubt whether you would react differently. Continue reading
One of the most fascinating concepts for me has always been time travel. It is something that appeals to the imagination, often involving all kinds of paradoxes, but also endless possibilities. Fortunately, there are also a lot of films that play with time (see my personal top 10 here) and for some people they are so inspiring that it has greatly influenced their lives. This documentary shows how the story of H.G.Wells and the film The Time Machine from 1960 became an obsession for Ronald Mallet and Robert Niosi, who both got inspired in a different way. Continue reading
The influence of 1982’s Blade Runner on the look of science fiction films has been enormous. In addition, it is a film that is widely praised by film lovers who can have a lot of discussion about what is the best version to watch and whether the character played by Harrison Ford, Deckard, is a replica or not. It is a classic and the announcement of a sequel was received with mixed reactions. Understandable, since too many sequels have been made that did not meet expectations. Yet there was a lot of hope that this might be a movie that would be worthwhile. The reason? The film would be directed by Denis Villeneuve who really hasn’t made bad films (Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners, Enemy and Incendies). In addition he would work together with cinematographer Roger Deakins and maybe that cooperation could lead to something that reached the same level of the original. Is that the case? Continue reading
When Unlocked played in the cinemas earlier this year, I was curious about this action film with Noomi Rapace in the lead, but not enough to make the trip. Now that the title is available through VOD it was a nice moment to see it. Should I have watched it on the big screen? Continue reading
There are some directors who will always be named when discussing the best. Steven Spielberg is of course one of them. A director who has built up an impressive oeuvre. He was responsible for the first blockbuster in the form of Jaws, made classics such as E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones films, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and many more. The documentary Spielberg looks back at his career together with him and the people he worked with. Continue reading