Easy Rider (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

Cinematic road movie (8*)

Two bikers set on a road trip in the USA. What starts as an adventure becomes a discovery of American culture at the end of the sixties.

Beautifully set in the southern states, the film invites viewers on to the main actors' road trip. It is definitely worth seeing the movie in HD: views on landscapes are carefully mixed with the story.

With many scenes shot close to the actors, it's easy to 'feel' within the story. Overall, the length of the scenes suited the movie well. Some camera cuts were inventive but maybe a little annoying.

The actors' performance was great, portraying open-minded Peter Fonda and hesitating Dennis Hopper. They give the film a peaceful progress. The different persons and communities they meet were very credibly put together, resulting in authentic 'clashes' and 'mixes' of cultures.

The music fit the film. 'Born to be wild' is an obligatory participant.

It's a great movie to get a cultural trip into the '60s USA.

Spectre (2015)

Spectre (2015)

Predictable, disappointing Bond movie (4*)

Not that one would expect a multi-layered dramatic masterpiece, but this Bond movie was quite a disappointment even to Bond standards.

After two above-average movies (Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace), it's hard to keep the same level. However, the number of pointless action plots, the predictable story line(s) and the poor acting make it a difficult one to watch.

Starts off well in a well-thought scene, followed by too many action scenes and too little creativity, too little character development and too many clichés. The Bond girls fail to bring an extra layer. On the day of your beloved's funeral and after an assassination attempt, would you sleep with someone? OK, it's a Bond movie, but...

Much more could have been done with the plot. Bond's 'message from the past' is a missed opportunity. Moneypenny's relationship is a missed opportunity. The soundtrack is a missed opportunity. And this is just in the start of the movie.

What was enjoyable, was the outside scenery of Rome and the opening scene as well as some good camera work. Unfortunately, there wasn't much more noteworthy in 2,5 hours.

Even hard to watch for 16+ die-hard Bond fans.

Gettysburg (1993)

Gettysburg (1993)

Epic historical film to watch again (9*)

If there's only one word to describe this movie, it's epic. In all of its meanings: length, dialogues, significance, music, scenery, massive battlefields and so on.

The length (over 4 hours) probably scares potential viewers, as well as the locations: most of the footage was shot in the surroundings of Gettysburg.

However, the film is nothing less than a tour de force. It brings a balanced mix of personal stories, military strategy and battle scenes. Both the Union and Confederal sides are portrayed in a neutral manner.

The film captures the viewers' attention from beginning to end. The incredible eye for detail, the relentless tension, the battle's background story and many other aspects make it a film to watch again. Martin Sheen's interpretation of Confederate General Lee is also one of those reasons.

Both the horror and the glory take their place in the movie. Even if the film was produced over 20 years ago, the political aspects are still relevant today in the United States of America.

For history lovers, this is nothing less than a must-see.

Grease (1978)

Grease (1978)

Busy and simple musical (5*)

Inspired by and inspiring film successes like Pulp Fiction and many persons to sing songs at karaoke bars early in the night, expectations were high. Too high.

First, the plot is razor-thin. Boy falls in love with girl, by chance they end up in the same school and try to get back together. Some other subplots develop, but they're not much more complicated than the main story.

Second, the film is almost two hours of noise. There are no silent moments, and it's irritating. Dialogues follow each other up, and in between there's music. Even when the music plays, you are left wondering why and which background noises, like footsteps, are mixed in the audio.

Third, the visual noise is giving headaches. The screen is always filled, often with colours that pain the eyes, and often with too many actors and extras.

Fourth, acting is as thin as the plot. Almost no character development. Too many caricatures with no meaning. Humor that resembles too much to slapstick.

So why give it five stars? Despite the excess of actors, choreography is very good. It must have taken a lot of time to put all those actors and extras in the right order. Also, a look at greaser culture was interesting, as well as the car scene in the sewers.

If you're into busy, superficial musicals: give it a try. If not, just leave it.

1000+ free movies online

Movie fan? Here's a list of over 1100 free movies that you can watch. Best part of it all - they're legally available. So no streaming problems, no annoying ads, no download time.

Many of these movies are from the 1950s and earlier. However, they include movies of Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, movies with John Wayne,...

Enjoy to watch these movies online!

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Enjoyable cold war drama (7*)

(Spoiler in the last paragraph) Inspired by true events, the film turns the events in a nice story. An insurance lawyer first defends a caught Soviet spy, and then helps to arrange an exchange with an US spy in the middle of the cold war.

The main achievement of the movie is that it turned the events into a credible, substantial and enjoyable story. It's easy to feel involved into the different players. The subplots all have a decent ending. Screenplay is good, light and sound convincing. Tension is always playing in the background, until the very end.

Another strong point is the depiction of the beginning of the cold war. For example, the scenes at the wall dividing Berlin show well a part of history that is easily forgotten. Also, how society was organised in the early 1960s. In certain scenes, you wonder: was it really like that? The research team made a really good effort there.

The actors act at different levels: Mark Rylance plays the soviet spy, with an outstanding performance rewarded with an Oscar. Tom Hanks has his strong moments, but the CIA agent was a little disappointing, just like some other supporting actors.

The good, easy-to-understand story sometimes reveals its weaknesses: a lack of depth, a focus on story instead of history, and occasional corniness.

However, it's still a good movie to watch and to be entertained with. 

Spoiler alert: One questions still remains. At the end, when they're waiting for the signal that the economics student is released, the CIA agent on the phone might have faked that the student was released. So the lawyer would agree to swap only the Soviet spy for the American, since the student wasn't important for the CIA.

Don't Breathe (2016)

Don't Breathe (2016)

Nail-biting thriller (8*)

Few horror movies can keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. This one does.

Thanks to the well-written story, the never-stopping pace and the very credible acting, the thriller will take you within the house of a blind man, defending himself against three ordinary burglars.

The characters have excellent depth. Stephen Lang (Avatar) does a terrific job as the blind ex-military, his lesser-known fellow actors are very authentic and have stories going of their own.

Clichés are avoided. Expect to be surprised many times. The typical silence before the surprise or action is very misleading, adding up to the tension as well as the creative story development.

If there's one remark to be made, it's the color in the movie. In some parts appropriate, in some parts a bit annoying.

Every few years, there's a really good thriller/horror movie made. Don't Breathe is one of them, even good for non-fans of the genre.