What I Saw Was What You Got

All good things come to an end. And the end for my blog here has reached that point. Lack of time and lack of feedback are my main reasons to quit. Sometimes I feel like I'm writing reviews here for myself, when any reactions stay out. Sure, visitors enough, but I don't do this for myself. I want to give others my opinion on a movie and with that help you to make the choice to go see the movie or not. I would've loved to see more feedback on the things I wrote.
In the past week I've seen Zombieland, Tropic Thunder and Iron Man 2 (IMAX) and the first and third ones are recommendable. But with that I want to leave it here.

I want to thank all of you who read my posts frequently. I know who some of you are and I got your reaction in personal life. We will continue doing so in that way, to keep it a part of our personal contact. So long everybody!

THE END

Due to the time of hour, I started up a 30-minute running movie based on a short story. It's about a futuristic world (U.S.A.) where everyone is "finally equal....". The strong wear weights, the beautiful wear masks and the intelligent wear earpieces that fire off loud noises to keep them from taking unfair advantage of their brains. Until one of them does the unthinkable and changes everything... Does it?
Short, strong and artful and pulls you into the story. Good stuff.

My rating: 7 out 10

We had some great laughs last night with this comedy. It doesn't reach the level of "The hang-over", but nonetheless it's an excellent comedy. Alive Eve is beautiful and adorable in her role and you truly believe that she falls for the charms of a "not so high level" man, because that's what this comedy is about. A guy, who lacks any drop of self-confidence and considers himself a lowlife, suddenly is drawn into the love-game when he meets Molly through his work. To his surprise, she falls for him too. But, as his self-confidence is low and his family is a bunch of crazies, his relationship with Molly gets pulled at and comes under heavy stress.
If you liked "Superbad" and "Knocked up" you'll love this one too.

My rating: 7 out 10

If you're into some dark humor, "Up in the air" could be the movie for you. I really liked it, even more than I thought. George Clooney plays another fun character, as for his job he travels the country firing other people from theirs. He has no personal life, lives in airports and planes and lives by some freaky rules. During one of his stays in a hotel, he meets with a woman who seems to be his counterpart.
I had some good laughs and besides that there is some romance, drama and a slap in your face which surprised me.

My rating: 8 out 10

Can't skip a review of a movie, so I have to mention that my son and I went to see "Planet 51" last weekend. The trailer suggested me an "E.T." on reverse in animated form, as a human lands on an alien planet and is taken care of by a local kid. There are a lot of references to other science fiction movies, which only will appeal to the adults. The story is familiar and funny in a way. But to me it didn't appeal too much (I fell asleep actually). Even my son got bored, as he started stretching himself further into the movie. It takes too long, isn't innovating and entertaining enough. Nonetheless, the animation looked good and the morality for the children o.k.
So, good, but not excellent.

My son's rating: 4 out of 5 cookies

My rating: 6 out of 10

I wanted to see some horror flick last night, so before going to bed I turned on "The crazies". I was left with mixed feelings. It's a nice picture, but it reminded me too much of "28 days later" and its sequel (which were better movies with the same subject). But still, it was nice. It has some nice freaky moments and the usage of blood isn't overdone. Not a classic, but also not something you can't miss.

My rating: 7 out 10

Last night I had an excellent night with my good old friend Martijn as we went to see “Kick-ass”. It was such an entertaining movie, filled with humor, explicit action and a lovely cast. Nicolas Cage didn’t bother me at all. Hell, I even loved his part, where I’m normally very annoyed by his acting.
If you saw the trailer a while back and loved it, you’ll love the movie. It’s exactly what you saw in the trailer, but the movie goes further and is better. It’s not the average superhero-movie with muscles, fights and responsibility, but one that takes a different road.
As we entered the cinema we realized that we hadn’t been there for a while; must be because of the huge amount of garbage that is being projected on the screens in Amsterdam. “Kick-ass”, for once, is one movie to recommend and definitely will be in my top 10 of 2010! And Chloe Moretz (Hit-girl) is an actress to keep an eye on for the future; she rules!!! KICK-ASS!

My rating: 9 out 10

Just finished watching the final episode of “Spartacus: Blood and sand” and to me it’s one of the best season endings I’ve ever experienced! This show has been one big journey and unfortunately it has come to an end. Season 2 has been confirmed, but postponed indefinitely, due to Andy Whitfield's (the main actor) ongoing treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma (a group of blood cancer).

But let me break it down. This show started on the Dutch television with a double treatment with episodes 1 and 2. At the end of that night I was satisfied I had sat down to see it, only to see my wife linger away due to the amount of blood and weak story. At this point I knew that I had a gem in my hand, because I was able to see the show without having to wait for her presence. And thus I gathered all episodes available to me at that time and the man-night started in my living-room.
Sure she had a point, the first episodes were on the weak side and dwelled on the tales already existing. Get “Gladiator”, “300” and the other wonderful TV-show “Rome” together, put them in a mixer, shake them well and there you have it: Spartacus: Blood and sand! I remember telling a colleague of mine to start seeing this show too and once he did, he told me what I’d felt after seeing the first two episodes, that it was weak, bloody and not appealing enough to continue seeing it.

I was happy that I did continue, as it turned out that this is a show that you need to get yourself through. Because somewhere during episodes 3 and 4, it kicks off! Suddenly the macho behavior and shallow story is exchanged for political intrigues and snake-like twists. This show takes the explicit graphical gore from “300” and puts it in a higher gear. With that said, “Gladiator” is put in a shadow, as Spartacus truly outdoes the one-man journey for revenge. Only to be met with such turn in events and twists in plot, that “Rome” looks like a program for primary schools. I remember the first season of “Prison Break” to be appealing and the excellent way the characters on screen bonded with me. But Spartacus has given me a new meaning of emotion. Never did I strike with my fists on the couch out of anger and sadness after seeing one of the episodes. Never did I keep my mouth open for a long time in shock after another striking moment in this story. It is gripping, emotional and kept me longing for the next episode after each one ended. I’d not felt like this with any TV-show for a long time… You really feel with the character of Spartacus.
What they tell you is true: there has never been a show on TV that shows more nudity, sex and blood than Spartacus. Coupled with some supreme actors, beautiful choreography in the fighting scenes, über use of blood, gore and special effects and masterful storyline and conflicts, this is a show not to miss.

If there is any piece inside of you that makes you feel like a man, this show is for you! If in doubt, get yourself a copy of “American pie” and leave my sight. Believe me, give this show a chance!

My rating: 9 out of 10

Nice movie, complicated at times, but it keeps you on the edge, guessing, thinking. What is real and what not? Is there any reason to believe that I'm looking at something like a dream? Strong movie which you will need all your attention for! See it.

My rating: 7 out 10

I slept so well during this movie. It’s boring, ridiculous and utter crap. This isn’t a B-movie, but a C-movie. Incredible how Samuel L. Jackson ever decided to collaborate on this project…

My rating: 4 out 10

Ah, this is the way Leatherface gets his human-skin mask! He starts out as a bullied boy at school due to his hideous looks (don’t all serial-killers?!), only to be put on hard labor once he reaches the legal age to work. His adoptive “family” take care of him and show their love in a weird and special way, which only pushes him more over the edge.
Nothing new in this movie and Jordana Brewster is hot (and it’s very obvious why Michael Bay chose Megan Fox for his “Translosers”, ‘cause they’re look-a-likes!). Look further if you're in search for a thrill!

My rating: 6 out 10

On Easter morning my son and I learned how to tame a dragon through the IMAX-ways in 3D. It was a very exciting adventure, as the action was almost ever present and the dragons looked very good. My son was truly engaged by the picture, as he didn’t get his eyes from the screen and at times I saw a smile on his face (especially on the dragon-flight scenes). It was the first movie in a long time that at the end of it he told my by himself that he enjoyed the movie.
For the parents this movie is ok; humor is not so much present and the story is pretty pale. But what makes up for it is the animation, the main characters and the adventure. It looks nice and entertaining; throughout the movie I didn’t fall asleep once as I did with the previous movies I saw with him! That says something!

My son's rating: 5 out of 5 cookies

My rating: 8 out of 10

I almost forgot to mention that we actually saw a nice movie last weekend: The last kiss. It's a movie from 2006 that I had laying around and chose to see after we concluded that "Up in the air" had an issue with its Blu-ray origin. Therefore my wife got attracted by the title on the screen and we started it.
It's a very nice, sweet and strong comedy, which eventually turns into a romance/ drama. It deals with a group of friends around their thirtees, all in their own personal love-life. One is about to get married, the other changes women more often than his underwear, another is dumped by his girlfriend and is suffering and the last one is under a complaining wife. It’s all depicted well on the screen and you truly are drawn into the movie for the time it lasts. Recommended to see with your loved one.

My rating: 7 out 10

This is the movie I should have watched last night! The follow-up to Spain's masterpiece "[REC]" is just as good as the first one. It takes on exactly where the first part left us, when a SWAT-team is about to enter the building filled with the infected. What follows is another claustrophobic experience with a lot of blood and scary moments. The best thing about this sequel is that all questions which were left open from the first episode, are answered in this one. And, we have some excellent twists in the story which grip you to the screen and won't let your eyes wander off.
Wonderful horror if you're in search of a good scare!

My rating: 8 out 10

I just witnessed a trip back to the eighties! “The house of the devil” is a horror-movie I put on, thinking it was indeed a movie back from the days. But after seeing it and going to IMDB to rate it, I saw that it is from 2009!!! What an excellent job is making us believe this fact. Everything smells and tastes 1983 in this movie; the clothes, the walkman, the hair-styles, everything. It seems that there are some clues to the present, but I didn’t see them (and wasn’t looking for them either).
I found myself fast forwarding this movie often at 4x the speed, which is also a trip back to the past. Remember the old horrors, where the story unfolds at a painfully pace?! Where a hand reaches for a door grip at a millimeter per minute, only to scare you after a minute when the door suddenly opens? That’s this! I won’t spoil much about the story, but it is typically 80’s dealing with satanic rituals. And I’ll leave it at that :)

My rating: 7 out 10

“Un prophète" was one of this year's foreign movies able to win an Oscar. As a previous winner at Cannes, this title was enlisted by a lot of people to be the foreign movie to take a golden statue to Europe. Unfortunately it didn't, as the Oscar for best foreign movie went to the warm sun somewhere in Southern America.
Nevertheless, "Un prophète" is an entertaining movie. Looking back on it, I found it a bit disappointing, mostly to the pale story. I love prison-movies, but this one just didn’t do it for me as it wasn’t innovating or anything like that. The characters are compelling and interesting, but the story isn’t new. Actually, let’s just call it a good French movie.

My rating: 7 out 10

This week I finally managed to finish the first season of "Fringe". And in my opinion it's a great and entertaining show! The characters are good, the stories gripping and the episodes keep you guessing until the end what it all leads up to.
Fringe follows the exploits of FBI agent Olivia Dunham, mad scientist Walter Bishop, and his son, jack-of-all-trades Peter Bishop, as they investigate aspects of fringe science (rare diseases, chimeras, transhumans with psychic abilities, teleportation and so forth). It's not that kind of show that if you miss an episode will leave you guessing what happened during that part. No, every episode is a story on itself, thus I found this refreshing as there are no cliffhangers and so on.
There's a lot of humor, partly due to the excellent Walter Bishop, who with his senile way puts an big smile on your face during the most gruesome scenes. It may be compared by many with the X-files, but this show is a complete new thing in its genre. Excellent stuff!

My rating: 8 out 10

A while ago someone I know mentioned on Twitter that "Invictus" was to him already the best movie so far in 2010. He said that too about "District 9" and I agreed. But I'm happy to say that this time I don't agree :)
"Invictus" is a nice movie, entertaining, but not surprising or ground-breaking. Morgan Freeman delivers a stellar performance portraying Nelson Mandela. He does so perfectly that you often mistake him to be the true Nelson; no other actor would have done better and in the past I’ve mentioned often that if there ever was to be made a movie on mister Mandela, Morgan had to be him.
Back to the movie. It goes on too long and could have been 20 minutes shorter. The best thing about the movie is that you can indeed feel the tension that is present during South Africa’s biggest moment in its history. But that makes the movie all too predictable, which is a shame as we all know what happened. Nice, but not good, just nice.

My rating: 7 out 10

We thought that "Astro boy" was fun, but "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs" surpassed it! My son and I saw the falling meatballs past Saturday and we had a wonderful experience. This movie is so funny and full of adventure, that we sat glued to our seats. From my perspective I found the animation to be top notch, altogether with a good story, characters and pace. My son on the other side laughed at the jokes and didn’t move in his seat out of boredom. Excellent picture to go see with the kids!

My son's rating: 5 out of 5 cookies

My rating: 8 out of 10

Mel Gibson is one of my favourite actors. I don't care if he draws the catholics against him by making a movie on the life of Christ or if he offends jews during one his drunk parades. I don't care; the man is an actor and judge him by that!
His return in front of the camera isn't perfect (not due to him!), but enjoyable at least. It's an action-thriller, in which he tracks down the murderer(s) of his daughter who was killed in front of him. The story opens at a good pace and the mystery is unveiled.
Not a perfect picture but a good one to pass a rainy night.

My rating: 7 out 10