Tag Archives: score: 8

by - 1 Comment

The Price of Sugar (2013)

Review Hoe Duur Was de Suiker

Books have always been a rich source for movie adaptations. Often those who have read the book aren’t happy with the movie because part of the movie are different or have disappeared. Of course that’s something inherent to adaptations as it will never be possible to show all the details a book has. It is simply a different art form with its own rules. The Price of Sugar is based on the book with the same name and was written by Cynthia Mc Leod and is set during the time that the Dutch had conquered Surinam and were using slaves. The expectations amongst the fans of the book were high, especially because there aren’t many movie set in Surinam. When it became known that the movie wouldn’t be shot there, but in South Africa, many were shocked. The reason though was a practical one: Surinam simply didn’t have enough locations that could be used to bring the story to life. So is The Price of Sugar a successful adaptation? Continue reading →

by - 0 comments

Snabba Cash II (Easy Money 2) (2012)

Recensie Snabba Cash 2

The second part of Snabba Cash continues the story of the criminals introduced in the first part. A couple of years after the events of the first movie one of them is released from prison. Hij has plans to better his life and stay away from criminality, but unfortunately that turns out to be harder than expected. What came to pass in the first part has had its impact on others resulting in bigger roles for minor characters from part 1. Revenge, quick money and double-crosses are the order of the day again. Continue reading →

by - 5 Comments

I Know That Voice (2013)

Review I Know That Voice

Voicework is something you might not think too much about and the only time you will probably see something about it will be a behind the scenes look at a big Pixar or Disney cartoon when famous actors are doing their recording. The world of voice acting is a lot bigger though and this documentary gives a good insight about the voice work industry, its history and its stars. It is much more than just being able to do a funny voice. Continue reading →

by - 17 Comments

Godzilla (2014)

Review Godzilla

In general the monstermovie is a subgenre of the disaster movies. They deal with something big which threatens the existence of humanity (or at least a big group of people). It is a popular genre which can easily be brought to the big screen thanks to the developments in CG. It means that every year you can expect at least a couple of disaster films. Instead of a storm, meteor, tsunami (or fill in any other natural disaster) Godzilla has been one of the steady forces in the genre. Ever since 1954 the titular monster returned to the big screen to wreak havoc.

The franchise was originally made in Japan, but the step to the US was also made. The last Godzilla movie came out in 1998 and was directed by Roland Emmerich. It was a movie which got a lot of hate from the critics and audiences alike. Now it is director Gareth Edwards, who is known for Monsters and his ability in making amazing special effects on a low budget, who is responsible for the next American remake. The expectations were high, but does he manage to deliver? Continue reading →

by - 2 Comments

Tim’s Vermeer (2013)

Review Tim's Vermeer

When people see abstract art many will say they wouldn’t have any trouble making something similar. There are a lot of cases where I will agree, but usually art is more than just a painting. It is a story around it, the history of the artist and the interest people have. When it comes to the Dutch masters like Rembrandt or Vermeer you wouldn’t expect someone to say that they would also be able to paint it, but that’s exactly what Tim Jenison did. What’s interesting though is that he had never painted in his life. Continue reading →

by - 6 Comments

The Art of the Steal (2009)

Review The Art of the Steal

Imagine, you are an art lover and through the years you have managed to acquire a beautiful art collection consisting of 9000 pieces. These pieces are not simple paintings you managed to buy on some market, but are actually made by famous painters. You bought them when the art world wasn’t very interested in their work yet. You have managed to get 181 paintings by Renoir, 69 Cézannes, 60 pieces by Matisse, 44 Picassos and 14 Modiglianis. It also happens that those works are amongst the best those artists made. Total worth: 25 billion dollars. Despite that you are not interested in selling any of it and also don’t want other museums to temporarily show them. You have decided to show all the paintings in a special building and make it an art school so only a few people can see them and learn about them. That is exactly what Albert C. Barnes had managed to realise during his life.

He owned the most impressive art collection in the world and only wanted those who could really appreciate the art to see it. He did not want art to be seen as something to sell tickets and make money. In his will he made a few things clear: After his death the art could not be taken from the wall and be sent to a museum. His “Barnes foundation” would remain an educational institution, which would only be open 2 days a week. But with such an impressive collection would his will be respected? Continue reading →

by - 2 Comments

Big Bad Wolves (2013)

Review Big Bad Wolves

Every movie gives its own spin to specific themes. Themes like love or revenge are the same in their basic concept, but the way it is brought to the big screen can take various forms. Sometimes there are movies who deal with a specific theme and have a lot of similarities, often not even purposefully. When watching Big Bad Wolves, which Quentin Tarantino chose as his favorite movie of the year, I couldn’t help thinking about Prisoners. Both movies are about the love a father has for his child and the actions he is prepared to take to find out the truth. In both movies they are willing to go very far to let people talk that they are expecting are responsible for the disappearance of their daughter. Continue reading →

by - 8 Comments

Louder Than a Bomb (2010)

Recensie Louder Than A Bomb

As far back I have always been writing. When I was very young I used to write short stories, sometimes starring famous cartoon characters, other times something I made up entirely. During my teenage years I and in my early twenties I wrote lyrics and rapped. Now at the end of my thirties this blog is the form my writing has taken. Writing has always been a way of expressing myself and it is something I will probably keep doing. This documentary follows several young writers who express themselves in their way: poetry. They all participate in the Louder Than a Bomb competition, where groups from several schools try to win the title. Continue reading →

by - 8 Comments

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)

Review I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)

If I were to make a “The Many Faces of…” post about actor John Cazale it would be a very limited one as he only appeared in five movies before he died of lung cancer. Those five movie are all seen as classics though: The Godfather 1 and 2 (in which he plays the role of Fredo), The Conversation, The Deer Hunter and Dog Day Afternoon. This short documentary (which is only 39 minutes) looks back at his career and his memorable performances. Continue reading →

by - 0 comments

Project Wild Thing (2013)

Review Project Wild Thing

Ask yourself this question: How much time do you spend in nature? If you live in the city chances are that your answer will be “not a lot”. Although I live close to a fairly large park I have to admit I don’t go there as much as I could. David Bond also asked himself this question, but not for him, but for his children. He saw that his children were spending more and more time indoors, looking at TV’s and the screens of phones and tablets. It is something I sometimes worry about as well with my children. When the youngest one asks to watch TV and gets a no, the next question will be if she can play on a tablet. I guess it is what she sees looking at the rest of the family and it is something I am very aware of. Luckily I know that if I suggest to do other things or even call her while she is watching TV she will want to do that, but it is something that a lot of parents will struggle with. Bond decided he wanted to do something about it and try to get his children and those around the UK interested in the outdoors more, naming himself the Marketing Director for Nature. The question is how you would be able to make nature appealing to children who get immediate pleasure from television and the internet? Continue reading →