Tag Archives: 2009

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Land of the Lost (2009)

Land of the Lost was a series for children that ran on NBC from 1974 until 1976 and we have seen the last couple of years, Hollywood likes looking at old shows to use as a basis for a movie. Recent examples are Starsky and Hutch, Miami Vice, Dukes of Hazard or the A-Team. So Land of the Lost is one that can be added to the list. The thing with this movie is that to me it was very unclear which kind of audience the movie caters to, because there were a lot of things in the movie that are not aimed at children, but at the same time there isn’t much to enjoy for grown-ups either. Don’t be fooled by the picture I’ve added above, it may look spectacular, but in reality it will dissapoint you. Continue reading →

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The Invention of Lying (2009)

Could you imagine a world in which everyone told the truth? Not only in situations where you asked someone a question, but all the time. So at the beginning of the date the other person immediately tells you what his/her plans are and what they think you. So no compliments to make you feel good, just what is going through the mind of that person.
This is the world of The Invention of Lying. It’s a funny starting point which does results in some good jokes in the first half of the movie. When Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) loses his writing job for a television network and gets into financial trouble he decides to make something up. This results in the world’s first lie. Because no one actually knows the concept of lying he sees a world full of opportunity. Continue reading →

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Paper Man (2009)

Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels) is a writer who is about to start with his second book. Expectations are high, but he’s suffering from severe writers block. His wife Clair (Lisa Kudrow, who always seem to play the exact same character) has hired a cabin for him so he will be able to work there alone, away from everyday life. You’ll find out quickly that Richard is not alone at all as his imaginary friend, Captain Excellent (played by Ryan Reynolds), who has been with him since he was a boy is also there. It’s not the only thing that’s strange about Richard Dunn. Continue reading →

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The Proposal (2009)

Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a very succesful Canadian businesswoman working in Amerika. She rules her department as a dictator. Everyone is afraid of her and she has almost no personal contact with other people. Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) is her assistant and is forced to deliver perfection because if he doesn’t he will lose his job.
When her boss tells Margaret that she is losing her work permit for the US, which would force her to go back to Canada, she already sees the career she worked so hard for disappear. That is until she tells her boss that she can stay in the US as she’s marrying Andrew (who is just as surprised as everyone else about this news). Andrew doesn’t see any other solution than to play along with this. When an INS agent shows up to check on their relationship they are forced to act as if they are a couple. Continue reading →

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State of Play (2009)

Cal McAffrey (Russel Crowe) is working as a journalist for The Washington Globe. He’s been in the business for years. The rise of blogs written by staff of the Globe are a threat to him as they are mostly gossip with no proper investigation done.
When he was still in college he was close with Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), who has managed to become a succesful senator and is leading a public hearing about the privatisation of the army. When Collins’s assistant suddenly dies it becomes very clear that she meant a lot to him. The media swarm him and as he needs to escape all the attention he turns to his old friend McAffrey.
When he convinces McAffrey that the death of his assistant was no accident the journalist decides to investigate the true reason of her death. It’s the start of uncovering a big story in which he has to go to the limits of his friendship in order to discover the truth. Continue reading →

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The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)

Until recently I didn’t know anything about the Pentagon papers. They were published before I was born and I didn’t know much about the Vietnam war (except for some excellent movies and series about it). This documentary tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg, who decided to inform the public about the decisions that were made by government about the war. He manually copied hundreds of classified documents and distributed them to the papers. It’s an excellent documentary with a powerful message. Continue reading →

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West Coast Theory (2009)

The West Coast has managed to produce a lot of big rap artists and classical albums. N.W.A., Ice Cube, Dr.Dre, Snoop Dogg and Cypress Hill are just a few examples. The sounds are unique and can also be heard on records by artists who didn’t grow up there like Eminem or 50 Cent. There’s a certain vibe that is difficult to describe in words, when you hear it you just know that it is that sound, often a laid back vibe to it, but other times it can also be raw as hell. West Coast Theory is a documentary about the producers behind many well known hits and tries to show the different aspects of music production. Continue reading →

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A Town Called Panic (2009)

A town called panic really is a very weird animated movie. Cowboy, Indian and Horse already had their own TV-series, but now star in a feature-length movie, which is created by making use of stop motion. The characters are simple miniature toys and have been animated very roughly (quite different if you compare it with something like Wallace and Grommit). To be honest, it really does not matter how it’s been animated as the focus are the story and the humor. Both are so well done that it will keep you captivated for its 75 minute running time. Continue reading →

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Notorious (2009)

Before Jay-Z crowned himself King of New York, The Notorious B.I.G. was the one who held the title for some years. His unique flow and his skill in creating songs for both the radio and hardcore fans earned him his popularity. Kick in the Door is still one of my favorite songs ever, Biggie and DJ Premier on one track equals magic.
Notorious tells Christopher Wallace life story, how he grew up in Brooklyn and how he died in California Continue reading →