vandenberg-82288 Reviews

The Great Race (1965)

underrated classic

[10/10 · 1 January 2024]

I don't think I ever laughed out loud so much during any movie. On the one hand you have the white hero 'the great Leslie. He is absolutely boring though compared to the evil professor Fate ( always dressed in black) Professor Fate is played with gusto by a totally brilliant and very funny Jack Lemmon. Lemmon also plays a dim-whitted European prince. It all looks gorgeous with great old automobiles. Natalie Wood plays a very modern and determined journalist. Keenan Wynn is the sidekick of the Great Leslie whilst Peter Falk is great as the assistent of professor Fate. It is bold, lucious, big budgeted slapstick. They don't make them like this anymore and that is a real shame.

The Vanishing (1988)

simple but scary

[9/10 · 28 September 2023]

We meet Rex and Saskia. A young dutch couple travelling in France. They are tired and they get a bit on each other's nerves. So they stop at a gasstation to get some drinks and snacks. Saskia heads for the shop. That's the last Rex sees of her. She disappears. Well we do see her talking to an innocent Frenchman with his arm in a cast. He claims to have a nice present that Saskia can buy. She follows him. He invites her to get in so it's easier to show her. She hesitates but a picture of the man and his family convinces her that it is probably save. Well. It isn't. He quickly drops the cast from his arm and sedates her with chloroform. Rex, ofcourse doesn't know any of this. He searches for hours untill he reports her missing. Couple of years gone by. Rex hasn't really moved on. He is still trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend. The frenchman who abducted Saskia sees an interview with Rex and decides to contact him. He is willing to tell Rex what happened to Saskia....under the condition that he must undergo the same treatment. I won't tell more. It is a very tight low budget thriller with an excellent story, and good actors. The ending is....well I have seen the moie a couple of times and it is still scary as hell. George Sluizer the director did a big budget big name remake with amongst others Kiefer Sutherland, Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock as the girl who goes missing. The ending of the remake is completely different from the dutch one Do yourself a favor and watch the dutch version. You won't regret it.

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

solid old school war movie

[8/10 · 22 September 2023]

Gregory Peck plays the lead in this classic. He plays cpt Mallory who thinks he is in for a break. But instead his boss sets him up with a very important mission to rescue trapped soldiers on Crethe. He is teamed up with a group of misfits including his arch-enemy Stavros, played by Anthony Quinn. Others on the team are played by Stanley Baker, James Darren, Anthony Quayle and the ever dependable David Niven. Needless to say the resque attempt does not go according to plan, they have to leave behind their wounded leader (Quayle) and in the end there is a traitor amongst them. This is a big budget movie with a great cast. The action is still strong, the actors work well together. Still highly recommended.

Chef (2014)

just a lovely little feel good movie

[9/10 · 22 September 2023]

Jon Favreau is the lead in this pleasant surprise. He plays an arrogant chef who falls out with his boss and gets fired. He buys a foodtruck and he starts a journey through the south east of the US with a former colleague and his son. First of all the food they make on screen really makes you want to eat. The actors are good together. The story does not add up to much, but it is never boring nor too sentimental. The musical score is exactly what you would expect. I would thoroughly recommend this little gem of a movie. It is obviously a passion project of Favreau and it is just very very enjoyable.

MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (2023)

not great

[4/10 · 3 September 2023]

Look it shouldn't be too hard to make a gripping more-parts documentary about this tragic and mysterious flight. But this one is not it. It starts of well enough but by the last episode it descends in conspiracy crap. One American journalist is convinced that RUssia was behind the disappearance and that the guy who claimed to have found wreckage of the plane is a Russian assett. Not a word about the victims.....just two theorists clashing. This is doing an enormous disservice to those who lost loved ones in the disappearance. And to the victims themselves as well. So while well made it did leave a bad taste in my mout.

Defending Your Life (1991)

fantasy at it's sweetest

[9/10 · 1 September 2023]

We meet Daniel, a salesman who's just bought a new car. Unfortunately his first drive is also his last. He dies in a carcrash. He wakes up in judgementcity. He has to defend his life to prove he has faced his fears. If he can't, he has to go back to earth. He is defended by a hot-shot lawyer (played by Rip Torn with gusto) On his first night in town he meets Maria. They fall in love, but will they be able to move on together? This movie is both sweet and funny. Albert Brooks is an excellent everyman . Watching this movie always gives me joy. It is very underrated. But for me this is one for the ages. Feelgood at it's best.

The Lost Islands (1976)

great stuff for kids

[9/10 · 19 August 2023]

So I was around 10/11 when I watched this. In the 70's and early 80's there were some good children shows coming from Australia. This was my favorite. Now almost 45 years later I can still easily sing along with the tune. In short a ship full of youths ( children of all places with all kind of faces) lands in a storm and some of the teenagers land on a weird island where time has stood still. They get some help from children from the village. I can't for the life of me rememember how it ended. I just remember it got me glued to the black and white tv for every episode. Good stuff from my childhood days.

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

totally brilliant and thought-provoking

[10/10 · 17 August 2023]

So these days the budgets for movies have gone waaay overboard. Millions and Millions. Now I don't know what the budget for this gem was but it must have been just a fraction of what it takes to make a movie today. The movie is from 1961 but unbelievably relevant for our time. The US and Russia ignite H-bombs at the same time. This leads to a climate disaster. Extreme heat, thick mist, floodings...We follow a journalist who tries to find out what is happening. There's no big names in the cast it is a good ensemble. The ending is more or less open....there's two options and it is up to the viewer to decide what he/ she believes. I honestly and truly believe this is a totally underrated sci-fi gem. Highly and I mean highly recommended.

How the West Was Won (1962)

not very exciting

[6/10 · 8 August 2023]

So this western shows the trials and tribulation of members of one family, most notable Debby Reynolds as they are headed west to start a new life. Many big name actors from that era appear in small roles. Such as John Wayne, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda, Karl Malden and George Peppard. It all looks glorious and there are some pretty impressive scenes. But I guess the money ran out when it came to the script. It's dull to say the least. The actors have little to do and most seem on routine mode. Also..if I have to hear home in the meadow one more time I will probably cry. Too much is too much. Still, as said...it all looks rather glorious but it could and should, have been better.

Cliffhanger (1993)

fine action movie

[7/10 · 30 July 2023]

Mountain rangers Gabe ( Stallone) and Jessie ( a rather bland Janine Turner) take to the mountains to rescue their fellow ranger Hal ( Michael Rooker) and his friend. He get's to the heli fine, but she is nervous. Unfortunately it goes wrong and Gabe can't save her. He is so shocked that he leaves the station for a few months. Meanwhile a group of gangsters looses some suitcases filled with money during a flight in the mountains. They need the help of Gabe and Hal. Hal hasn't forgiven Gabe for the death of his friend, so there is some animosity between them. They immediately get taken hostage by the gangsters. Eventually Gabe manages to escape and tries to save his life and that of his friends. The leader of the gangsters is gleefully played by John Lithgow. The story is nicely paced with some exciting scenes. But also a couple of unnecesary deaths. The main players are adequate except for Janine Turner who is just not very convincing. It is a pretty good vehicle for Stallone and even though the movie is by now 30 years old. It is still quite watchable. It could have done with a little humor.

Let's Get Harry (1986)

not very convincing actioner with some fun performances

[4/10 · 29 July 2023]

A group of Illinois metal workers decide to take the law in their own hands when the brother of one of them is kidnapped in Columbia by drugs smugglers. The government refuses to help so the men decide to launch an operation to free their friend/brother. So the director had his name replaced by the occasionally used Alan Smithee pseudonym. It seems that the director Stuart Rosenberg and the producers got into a fight during post production.

Maybe the producers ( who won) should have listened to the director. Because this is not a very good movie. It would have been interesting to see a seasoned mercenary, played with gusto by Robert Duvall train the Illinois rookies. But those scenes where all cut. The dialogues are not very good but the aforementioned Duvall, Gary Busey and Glenn Frey deliver good performances. But it is all rather mediocre and not very exciting.

Welcome to Wrexham (2022– )

awesome

[9/10 · 5 May 2023]

So we follow the journey of a troubled club Wrexham from Wales. Somehow they get noticed by Rob McElhenney and the one and only Ryan Reynolds. Actually Rob and Ryan never met each other other than online. They decide to buy the club and help make the club get better. We meet the players, we see the surroundings of Wrexham. Slowly the plans of the buyers unfold. They are very involved from afar. It is such a joy to see all the passion, the fans, the players. And ofcourse those two hollywood figures who sure make their mark on the humble club from Wales. I loved every second and I am not even a football/soccer fan.

There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (2011 TV Movie)

there was something wrong

[7/10 · 13 April 2023]

This documentary tells the story about the 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash. Eight people were killed when a minivan, being driven by 36-year-old Diane Schuler, traveled 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in the wrong direction on the parkway and collided head-on with an oncoming SUV. Diane died. As did her daughter and her 3 nieces. Only her 5 year old son survived. Why did it happen? Well autopsy revealed traces of drugs and alcohol in her system. So no mystery really. The real mystery is the state of mind of her relatives. They refuse to believe she'd drive drunk and high. They doubt the tests...they keep saying mistakes must have been made because the Diane we knew would never do this. The families of the men in the other car who died are rightfully anger about their level of disbelieve. There are no real answers. We do not find out why Diane did it and nobody changes their mind about the situation. Which is a little unsatisfying. But really sometimes there are no answers.

Clarkson's Farm (2021– )

incredibly funny and moving

[9/10 · 16 February 2023]

So, I am not a fan of Jeremy Clarkson. Like, at all. So that is why I was a little late watching this. But I was immediately hooked. I come from an agriculture background, but that is not needed at all to enjoy this. Jeremy Clarkson decides to buy a farm. He dubs it later the Diddly Squat farm. We shee him get acquainted with all things farming starting with working the fields. The 2nd episode had me in stitches because he decides to buy 78 sheep. My father surprised us all by buying a group of sheep out of the blue. And Jeremy and my dad made the same mistake, thinking sheeps are easy. ( they are not.) But he gets the hang of it, though I could have done without his trip to the butcher with 3 sheep that can't be bred. Overall this is a highly enjoyable docuseries and you learn a lot of it. Mostly that farming is not easy...And that what seems like a good idea is not always a profitable one. I for one love it. And I take back most of the bad thoughts I had about Clarkson. He's obviously passionate about this.

12 Strong (2018)

good movie

[8/10 · 24 January 2023]

I liked this movie much better than I thought I would. Right after 9/11 a small group of warriors is send to Afghanistan to assist Afghan general Dostum. The movie is consistently suspenseful even though you basically know what is happening. Yes some of the dialogue is rather corny, but they often are in movies like this. Chris Hensworth is pretty believable as commander. MIchael Shannon is sadly mostly wasted. As far as these kind of movies go, this one is a good one. YOu get a feel for the ongoing danger. It is too bad that now, 20 years later, the Taliban is back in fulll force and Afganistan is pretty much back to square 1.

Mission to Mars (2000)

gorgeous looking movie

[7/10 · 25 December 2022]

So the ratings for this one are pretty low. But I have to admit that I really liked it. Sure, there is not a lot of character developement. Which is kind of sad because the cast is pretty solid. It all looks gorgeous. In short a mission is send to much. Something happens and another mission is send to find out what happened. There is not a lot of tension except for what happens to the first mission. All in all, I think you could do worse than watching this one. Still, with the story and all the obvious talent involved I do understand the disappointment of some. But as I said. It is still an intriguing movie.

National Treasure: Edge of History (2022–2023)

not very good.

[3/10 · 24 December 2022]

So the two national treasure movies were fun. Sure the stories were far fetched but you know...the cast did its best and it wasn't boring. So I tuned in for the first three episodes of this new series. Sorry to say it isn't very good. The writing is done poorly. The actors are adequate at best. Not a whole lot is happening. It is all just one big coincidence after another. Not enough laughs. Not enough excitement. Not a very good cast though they are horribly let down by the writing. With the right ideas this could have been a good series. As it is, I don't think I will watch it untill the end. What a shame.

Jungle Cruise (2021)

not bad...just completely without original ideas

[6/10 · 20 November 2021]

Obviously a lot of money was spent on this movie. It looks great. Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson have good chemistry. Jack Whitehall is mostly annoyingly bland and a very good actor like Paul Giamatti is completely wasted. The story is meh. Jesse Plemons is a not very impressing villain.... Here is my advise...spent a little less money on how it looks and a bit more on the story.