Henk van de Goor's Bloggers@large

Ok, it's almost March and last year it started Looking forward to the new movies of 2007 on Jan. 2nd already. But hey: I gotta fill my blog right? So here is a round-up of movies that I look forward to watching downloading this year;

• The Spiderwick Chronicles (fantasy)
• Street Kings (action/adventure)
• Boarding Gate (action/drama, featuring Asia Argento)
• The Happening (the newest thriller by M. Night Shyamalan)
• The Bank Job (action, starring Saffron Burrows, who I like ever since I saw her in Gangster No. 1)
• Forbidden Kingdom (action/fantasy; finally a movie Jet-Li and Jackie Chan)
• Diary of the Dead (horror: finally George A. Romero returns with a cool zombie movie)
• Superhero Movie (humor; from the makers of Naked Gun and Scary Movie)
• Iron Man (action: finally Tony Stark comes to live in yet another cartoon-made-into-movie)
• Doomsday (action/science fiction, starring Rhona Mitra)
• Defiance (war: the incredible story of three Jewish brothers from Poland who escape from the Nazis and fight back to rescue fellow Jews)
• Son of Rambow (comedy: a Sundance festival winner)
• 88 Minutes (thriller, starring Al Pacino)
• Star Trek (science/fiction: the prequel to the best SF series ever!)
• You Don't Mess With The Zohan (humor: Adam Sandler is back with a huger than life character!)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (fantasy: 2nd part of the trilogy)
• Nim's Island (adventure/fantasy: starring Abigail Breslin from "Little Miss Sunshine")
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (adventure: yes, 65 year old Harrisson Ford is at it again!)
• Get Smart (humor, Steve Carell yet again in a role that seems to fit him like a glove)

12 days left before Cloverfield (Jan. 18) hits the theaters. Looks like a brilliant movie from the director of Lost (J.J. Abrams) filmed in the style of The Blair Witch Project. The marketing for the movie is really excellent using viral marketing and several websites. I didn't pick up on this until my girlfriend told me about seeing "a weird preview" (the teaser trailer). I am no fan of Lost (maybe I'll pick up with the re-runs) but I like the style and idea behind the movie ("real-life, documentary style drama"). So far the producers have been really able to keep a lid on what the monster is (Godzilla on steroids?). Look like it flattens Manhattan.

This is surely a movie I want to see! Below is the widget from the official Cloverfield website and a trailer from Youtube.

Cloverfield widget (click for official website)



Cloverfield Trailer

It gives me great pleasure to see Hollywood posthumously picked up on a great movie by the late Theo van Gogh; "Interview". Even though they made a remake out of the original, it is a testament to the genious Van Gogh was as a filmaker. It is also particulary flattering (I think) that a guy like Steve Buscemi (who I love as an actor) took it upon him to direct and star in this movie. Obviously it is not blockbuster material, but not all blockbusters are good movies per se. Anway, I think that Theo van Gogh probably would have been flattered too and it is a shame he is not here to see the result.
The storyline itself is simple and there are no big sets or special effects involved: it's psychology of the two characters and how they handle themselves in the situation they are in that makes this a true actors movie. Off course the previous comments are on the Dutch version. But I am sure that the version Buscemi made is equally good. I for sure will try to see it when it comes out here.

Berlinale 2007: Steve Buscemi about his film "Interview"


Click here to see the trailer.

Oh yes! Tarantino and Rodriguez have paired up again for a rollercoaster movie called "Grindhouse". As the title already reveals its based on those over-the-top 'exploitation' movies that usually featured in a 'grindhouse' theather. Essentially it's Tarantino and Rodriguez' tribute to that particular style of cinema and that's why it's even presented as a 'double feature' movie, complete with fake trailers and such.

It really looks like a blast!

Filmaker Robert Rodriguez shows you how to make "Puerco Pibil (aka Cochinita pibil)". A fine Mexican dish. As the man says, learn to cook because "Not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fuck".



(special thanks to Vincent van den Heuvel for transcoding this video) Continue reading "10 minute cooking school: ... »

Now here's an idea: why not find the next US president the "Idols" way? Yeah just let them sweat before a jury (you) and tell you why they should be elected the next president :-) The American Idols of Politics..



Check out: www.youprez.com and all the YouPrez entries so far.