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
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
The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared was a movie that really entertained me . With its light tone, humour and Forrest Gump-like stories that 100-year-old Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson) tells about his life, it was a film which was fun to watch. The follow-up has been available on Netflix for a while and has an even longer title. 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
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
Organized Noize will not be a name everyone will recognize immediately. But if you are familiar with the early work of Outkast, Goodie Mob or the songs “Waterfalls” by TLC or “Do not Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue, you will know their work. It is the production team behind the music that put Atlanta on the map as a music city. This documentary, which can be found on Netflix, shows their history and how they managed to reach the top, but also how they eventually lost that position. Continue reading
Although most celebrities die of natural causes, it remains shocking to see how many big artists and actors meet their and in part to drinking, drugs and medication. Michael Jackson, Prince, Amy Winehouse, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger all had problems with them and Whitney Houston unfortunately also belongs to that list. She drowned in the bathtub of her hotel room in 2012 and cocaine was found in her body. The documentary Can I Be Me, which has been availble through Netflix, looks at the career and private life of Houston and tries to form a picture of the problems that ultimately resulted in her death. Continue reading
The number of Korean films released annually in the cinema over here is minimal. Of course it is a matter of supply and demand, but it is unfortunate to see because so many good titles are made that can not be viewed here and are often not even released on DVD. Fortunately, Netflix is offering more and more Korean films, including this Netflix original. Continue reading
The thing about going on holiday and long flights, is that there usually is a big selection of movies available to watch. Of course you have the big blockbusters, but also titles you’ve never heard of before. Unconfessional was one of those titles I found underneath the Korean movies section. And as you can’t quickly check IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes while flying to see if it’s worth watching, it gave me the feeling of visiting a rental store and picking a movie purely based on it’s picture and a short description. Continue reading
The Wayans brothers made their career with comedy and although some films were too bland for words, there were occasional entertaining films (White Chicks, Scary Movie, Mo’Money). Whatever your opinion of them, at least you know what kind of humor you can expect from their films and occasionally that works. Naked is the latest film in which Marlon Wayans plays the leading role (he also co-wrote the script) and it can best be summarized as Groundhog Day where one hour is repeated and in which Rob Anderson (Wayans) always wake up naked in an elevator. Continue reading