Wolf Creek 2

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For you who requested........

I don´t mind doing request reviews, but there is a limit, even for me.

So without mentioning your name, and just tell you straight, i am not going to do a review of Justin Bieberes Believe. And this is why......

1. I never liked Justin Bieber and never will.

2. I don´t want to see him in any movie, or anything related to a movie, because he is Justin Bieber.

So there you go, i just wont do this review.

This does not mean you can´t ask me for other movie reviews, you can, but never mention this name again.

Cheers from Daniel

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

If you have read some of my earlier movie reviews from the past, you may have noticed i enjoy comic books made into feature films. Not all of them, i think most of us try to forget Catwoman. There are so many classic comic book characters, how many of you don´t love Christopher Nolan´s 3 Batman movies ? They could easily be some of the best comic book adaptions ever in motion pictures. One comic book character, that may not be the biggest classic of them all, but still remain an Icon, is Spider Man. The story of Peter Parker who is bitten by a spider and have special Powers, is a beloved comic book and loved on the big screen. When director Sam Raimi decided to do his version of Spider Man in 2002, movie critics praised him for his visual style and for the lead actor Tobey Maguire. There were something special about the visualn style that Sam Raimi brought to the character. He knew exactly what Spider Man should be, a warm hearted guy but not afraid to face dangerous situations. I have to say Spider Man 2 is even better than the first motion picture, much because the evil character Dr Octopus, played by brilliant Alfred Molina. Spider Man 3 still delivered entertainment, but i felt that the magic was fading away. Maybe Sam Raimi felt that he had enough, because he choosed not to continue with another Spider Man movie. But then 5 years later, a decision was made, it is time to reboot Spider Man again. I asked myself the question, why would you do that after 5 years ? I suppose it is all about money. But i decided to look at The Amazing Spider-Man with the new actor Andrew Garfield. He was actually good as Spider Man, but the movie did not reach the same level as Sam Raimi managed to deliver. The director Marc Webb, who did the very original motion picture 500 Days Of Summer, tried to bring his version of Spider Man, with very different results. Now he is back as director again in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and of course Andrew Garfield is back as Peter Parker. Since i felt a little dissapointed last time, is this sequel better than last time, or is this another sequel that did not succeed to please me ?

Peter Parker ( Andrew Garfield ) continue to help citizens from criminals as Spider Man. Lately he stopped the evil Aleksei Systevich ( Paul Giamatti ), as he tried to steal a truck filled with plutonium vials. Once again, Spider Man manage to stop another maniac. Meanwhile Peter´s big love Gwen Stacy ( Emma Stone ) is holding a speech at their high school graduation ceremony. Peter shows up late, but manage to get his diploma. Peter´s Aunt May ( Sally Field ) is so proud of Peter, but she keep her eyes on him, because he can get himself into trouble. Spider Man have many fans, but one man is obsessed with him. His name is Max Dillon ( Jamie Foxx ), and ever since Spider Man saved him, he thinks about him 24 hours a day. Max works at Oscorp Industries as an electric engineer. But people think that Max is becoming more odd, and his obsession for Spider Man is becoming too big. Peter´s old friend Harry Osborn returns to Manhattan, to see his ill father Norman Osborn ( Chris Cooper ), CEO of Oscorp. Harry is informed that he also carry the same virus, as his father, and it will eventually make him worse also. Norman dies, and Harry becomes the new CEO of Oscorp. One day, while Max is trying to fix a problem, when he falls down a tank filled with electric eels. He survive but is no longer human, he is now known as Electro. With his powers, he can control anything. Spider Man tries to talk to him, but with no luck. He want to revenge everyone, and especially kill Spider Man. Peter is so sad when Gwen tell him she is going to England to study. She is all he ever wanted to have by his side. Harry meet up with Peter, to see if he can help him with his illness. Peter refuse, since it could be too dangerous, so Harry have an idea. He will use Electro to have his demands become reality, he will find a cure.

While i walked in to the cinema, i did not have any high expectations towards this sequel. I am happy to say that director Marc Webb have managed to improve many details since last time. I would still say Sam Raimi´s vision of Spider Man is more impressive, but Marc Webb have tried to make The Amazing Spider-Man 2 both bigger and more powerful in the storyline. Andrew Garfield still fit the character of Peter Parker, and he tries to bring in more comedy to some scenes. This is a very good idea, since Spider Man is supposed to joke at some points, just like he does in the comic books. Another good surprise is Jamie Foxx as the villain Electro, if he could have had more fights with Spider-Man, it would have been even more fun. Dane Dehaan does a really good performance as Harry Osborn, i would even go as far and say he is the most powerful character here. Now, to a problem. Remember i mentioned i enjoyed Sam Raimi´s visual look of Spider Man ? This is something that director Marc Webb have a problem with, he simply can´t make this better than Sam Raimi and try to bring his own touch. It does work for the most part, but not for 2 hours and 20 minutes. With that said i still feel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is better than the previous movie. Better storyline, better special effects, and stronger characters. Andrew Garfield still have that special connection to the audience, while he swings through the buildings. If you love comic book action, i know you will enjoy this sequel. I have to go now, i heard there are terrorists invading City Gross in Bosvedjan, don´t tell anyone i am Spider Man.......promise.

Rating: DDD

3 Days To Kill

In the 80´s and in the 90´s, actor Kevin Costner was one of the biggest names in Hollywood. He actually did some good movies, especially The Untouchables in 1987. Some of his biggest box office hits were of course Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Dances With Wolfes and The Bodyguard. When the 90´s ended, he started doing a turnover, especially with a movie called 3000 Miles To Graceland. I know most critics hate this one, but i had a good time watching Kurt Russel, Christian Slater and Kevin Costner dressed up as Elvis, trying to rob a Casino. It was a huge box office failure. And it did not start here, his next motion picture Dragonfly also failed at the box office. Kevin Costner was not at the top again, so he needed to make a change. In 2003, he returned to a western movie named Open Range. Not only was he the lead actor, he was also the director of Open Range. Critics praised his performance and it also did pretty well at the box office. Since then, Kevin have continued releasing movies in all genres, and continue to try new characters. 3 Days To Kill is one of his latest movie releases this year, that brings Kevin Costner back into action again, a category he did well in the 80´s. With a a screenplay written by legendary Luc Besson, you get a feeling what 3 Days To Kill could be delivering. From the director Joseph McGinty Nichol, who directed Charlie´s Angels, Terminator 3 and This Is War, is this duo a step into an action movie for old school fans of Kevin, or is this a desperate attempt just to make cash with no substance ?

CIA agent Ethan Renner ( Kevin Costner ) is on a mission with CIA, to capture the terrorist known as The Wolf ( Richard Sammel ) and his lieutenant The Albino ( Tómas Lemarquis ). As the CIA is undercover, one of their workers are revealed, The Wolf and The Albino manage to escape. Ethan manage to hunt The Albino down, but something is wrong, his health is becoming weak, and he falls down and faints. Ethan Wakes up in a hospital, where he is told that he is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Ethan is forced to retire from the CIA, because of his situation. He realise this is his chance to spend time with his daughter Zoey Renner ( Hailee Steinfeld ). She is living in Paris, with her mom Christine Renner ( Connie Nielsen ), ex wife to Ethan. He arrange a meeting with Christine to tell her the bad news. She allow him to see Zoey, just so he can get a chance to spend time with her before he will eventually die. Zoey meet Ethan, but is not happy about seeing her father after so many years. Ethan promise he will do anything she wants, if they start by having dinner all 3 together. At a local food market, he suddenly meet a woman that says she knows his daughter Zoey. Ethan realise something is not right. Her name is Vivi Delay ( Amber Heard ), and she is one of CIA elite assassins. She needs Ethan to help her kill selected targets, if he does he will be given a medicine that will make him live longer. Vivi knows a way for Ethan to find The Wolf, and his lieutenant The Albino also. At the same time, Ethan want to spend time Zoey, and this becomes complicated when he needs to finish this final mission.

I did not have any expectations at all while watching 3 Days To Kill. The good news is, this is actually a pretty good action movie. Original ? Not at all, but the reason the story works is because of the chemistry between Kevin Costner and Amber Heard. When they get screen time together, you can feel they had fun together on set, and that makes a big difference. Another detail that matters is that Kevin is in pretty good shape for his age, he is on location kicking ass, and use all kinds of weapons. The acting may not be top quality all the way, but thanks to Kevin Costner´s rough charm, he manage to make the best out of the situation. 3 Days To Kill is actually written by Luc Besson, and filmed most of the time in Paris, so you feel the inspiration from earlier movies of Luc Besson. If you were hoping for some romance, this is the wrong Costner movie to look for. There are plenty of other titles you can choose between in his earlier motion pictures. Here it is all about action, and for that i feel that 3 Days To Kill deliver enough to give you a pleasent time. There are flaws, but nothing that will effect the final results. 3 Days To Kill ? Could we have one more day, so i can see more bodies be filled with bullets ? I just love to see people get wiped out, i know.....i must be insane.

Rating: DDD

Witching And Bitching

Viva Espana. Remember that song by Sylvia Vrethammar ? She was right, Spain have something for everyone. good food, beautiful nature, good music ( for the most part ) and they have made many great horror films. Especially my favourite The Orphanage, i can still watch it today and feel how creepy it can be. I have travelled to Spain, and i have to say the spanish people i have met are very friendly. Let´s talk about spanish horror. We already know that spanish directors are very talented in this genre, so what if we get a horror comedy, with influences from Sam Raimi ? This sounds like fun, don´t you agree ? Director Álex de la Iglesia did a very odd movie called The Last Circus in 2010. I don´t know what category i should put The Last Circus in, but i suppose this is both a grotesque drama comedy, with some horror influences with a crazy clown. I think The Last Circus is a very original motion picture, and if you have not seen it, i suggest you rent it. Witching And Bitching is the latest motion picture from director Álex de la Iglesia. Ever since the premiere, Movie critics have praised Witching And Bitching for the fun mix of crazy horror and dark comedy. But that´s not all, this movie won a total of 8 awards at the 28th Goya Awards, talk about a successfull night. With so much positive feedback, is Withcing And Bitching a return for horror comedy on a high quality level, or is this a poor try to repeat the success of Sam Raimi ?

José ( Hugo Silva ) and Tony ( Mario Casas ), two unemployed men, commit a robbery and are forced to escape from police with José´s son Sergio ( Gabriel Angel Delgado ). They abduct a taxi, with a taxi driver and his customer, as they escape the city of Madrid. Out in the countryside, they manage to get away from police, and end up at a small bar named Maritxu. They order some soup, but notice that these local seem strange. The journey continue as the group see a sign that says Zugarramurdo. This village is known for having real witches, but Tony and José agree to continue going there, with their hostages. Unfortunately the driver hit a woman on the road with the car. This turns out to be the same woman who served them soup at Maritxu. José tries to see if she is alive, and notice a neckless, with a textile bag. José is curious what is inside, and accidently open it. A powder substance is let out, as they inhale the substance. The woman is missing, and no one knows what they just swallowed. So they continue their journey, passing the village of Zugarramurdo, and suddenly stop the car. Out on the highway, stands a woman, saying she is looking for her mother. Her name is Graci ( Carmen Maura ), and the boys offer a lift to her home. Suddenly Sergio is missing, so José begin to look around the home of Graci. The lady of the house, Graci, give them a tour around the mansion. But something is not right about this place, and José and his new friends are about to find out the truth about the village of Zugarramurdo.

I am pretty sure you will not find one single movie this spring/summer, that look anything like Witching And Bitching. This is a really crazy horror comedy, that made me laugh several times. I do not know what to compare this with, since there are so many influences thrown together, you simply have to admire how director Álex de la Iglesia make it all work. This is not for everyone, you have to enjoy the style and the influences to appreciate Witching And Bitching. We have seen movies with witches before, but here we get a completely different approach with some really weird crazy witches. Imagine a combination of The Wicker Man, Drag Me To Hell and other insane ingredients, and you have something to look forward to. The opening scene with Hugo Silva dressed up as a silver painted Jesus with a shotgun is absolutely brilliant. Why can´t we see more of that in church ? The acting delivers in almost every character, they are all crazy, and they all seem to have a nervous breakdown. Witching And Bitching is one of the craziest movies i have seen this year, you need to see this to understand why. Just released on dvd and blu ray in Sweden this week, make sure you grab yourself a copy, i promise this is a ride you will never forget. Director Álex de la Iglesia have done it again, another classic delivered from this extremely talented man, is there anything he can´t do ? As long as he stays away from romantic comedies, i will guaranteed check out his next project. Witching And Bitching is a winner, i guarantee no other horror comedy will be as good as this one in a long time.

Rating: DDDD

The Sacrament

When i was a child, i thought churches were supposed to help people in need, not use them for money and brainwash them. Unfortunately my image have changed, since more churches have come out to show their real side. Sexual scandals, using money from the church members in their private life, corruption, the list goes on and on. I am not saying all churches are doing this, but there are so many that i wonder if the bible really does matter ? Hopefully this can be changed by serious churches, they need to clean up the mess, and make sure none of this happens. Speaking of religious groups, do anyone of you remember Jonestown ? What seemed to be a perfect society, where everyone gather to show their love for each other and for Jesus. But Jim Jones, the cult leader, had other plans. He forced everyone to drink poison, and this became the biggest massacre ever in history. Some people survived to tell the story, and when you listen to how sick Jim Jones was, you realise he should never had worked in a church at all, he should have been locked up in jail for a lifetime. I suggest you see the documentary Jonestown - The Life & Death of Peoples Temple, and you will learn so many things about the life of Jim Jones, and why he did this to the people of his temple. About a year ago, i read that there was a movie on the way, that would bring up the subject of a religious cult, located in the jungle, almost like Jonestown. This got me really excited, and i started doing some more research. Director Ti West is the director ? Just the name got me excited, this is a really talented director. With him on board, is The Sacrament as good as i was hoping, or is this a big let down ?

Patrick (Kentucker Audley), a fashion photographer living in New York, decide to visit his sister Caroline ( Amy Seimetz ) at Eden Parish, a communty builded by a religious group, led by The Father ( Gene Jones ). Patrick bring his friends and co-workers Sam ( AJ Bowen ) and Jake ( Joe Swanberg ) down to Eden Parish, to make a documentary about their society. At first everyone seem so happy and love life, as if this is the perfect society. But one night, they are about to find out what is really going on behind closed doors.

Ever since the trailer of The Sacrament came out, i have not been able to forget about this movie. And now when i have finally had the chance to seen it, i can say this is really good. The Sacrament show you how easy it is to force people with no self esteem, to do something that they think is good, when the fact is that this is all wrong. The idea of a society with all ages and skin colors is a great idea, but when the leader decide everything for them, and they can´t say no, then you realise that this is all made to look better than reality. Religious cult groups is for me a false image, of something that should not exist. Why should you force people to do something they belive is right, when you are doing it for your own pleasure ? Remember Warren Jeffs and FLDS ? Another example of how wrong religious cults are, this has nothing to do with any God, it is all about having control and using people. The Sacrament could be in the genre found footage horror, since this is made in the same way. Director Ti West did a really good horror movie in 2009 called The House Of The Devil, on a very low budget, but managed to deliver something powerful and unique. People say another horror film he did, The Innkeepers, is really good, so i need to check this one out at some point. Do not forget he directed a sequence in V/H/S, that showed his talent in film making. Ti West latest movie The Sacrament is not only important, the acting is really good, and the cult scenes are very creepy filmed. Gene Jones as The Father is absolutely fantastic, he really knows how to make a cult leader performance, and i hope he is nominated for this role. This is a movie that should be shown in schools, all over the world. We need to let young people understand that religious cults can be dangerous, because the churches will not let you know the truth, until you are stuck in there. As i mentioned earlier, i do not say every chuch is doing this, but the message needs to get out into society. The Sacrament is a horrifying horror movie, that will leave you thinking about what you have just seen. Tell your local cinemas to show The Sacrament, this is exactly what we want on a big screen. Ti West, you might have made one of the best horror movies this year, i applaud you for your achievement.

Rating: DDDD

Devil´s Knot

It is so sad when you hear about a child is murdered. In my mind there can be no reason to kill a child, if you do i think you should burn in hell. Unfortunately you can´t stop some people from doing this, even if i wish we could. There are so many cases every year, where children have ended up dead . Hopefully things will change in the future, and kids can be saved before it is too late. One case in Usa, that got a lot of media attention, is the case known as the West Memphis Three, in 1993. 3 young boys were found murdered and tied up in a river, as investigators arrested a couple of young teenages, belived to be satan worshipers. Did these teenagers really killed the boys, or was someone else guilty behind these brutal murders ? Devil´s Knot is a motion picture, based on the case West Memphis Three. With a cast of Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, Amy Ryan and Bruce Greenwood among others, is Devil´s Knot a fascinating look into the case that took America by storm in the 90´s, or is this a thriller drama that soon will be forgotten ?

3 boys, Jet Jurgensmeyer ( Stevie Branch ), Christopher Byers ( Brandon Spink ) and Michael Moore ( Paul Boardman Jr ), go riding away on their bike one day, but none of them come bak home. Mother of Stevie Branch, Pamela Hobbs ( Reese Witherspoon ), and Stevie´s stepfather Terry Hobbs ( Alessandro Nivola ) both go out to look for Stevie and the boys. The other boys families are also very worried, as police begin to search all over West Memphis, Arkansas. In a river the boys are found tied up and brutally murdered. Police Lieutenant Bryn Ridge ( Robert Baker ), who discovered clothes of the missing boys, try to put the pieces together of what happened. Ron Lax ( Colin Firth ), private investigator, is chosen to help police work on the case. 3 teenagers are arrested, Damien Echols ( James Hamrick ), Jason Baldwin ( Seth Meriwether ) and Jessie Misskelley Jr. ( Kristopher Higgins ). After 4 hours of interrogation, Jessie Misskelley Jr. confess, and the boys are going to trial. Private Investigator Ron Lax is not sure these boys really did it, so he tries to find answers anywhere he can. But the question is, will someone belive him ?

Devil´s Knot did not get a cinema release in Europe, why ? Well, to be honest this feels more like a straight to dvd release. That does not mean that this is a bad movie, but you can tell this is almost made as a TV movie, with a bigger budget than usual. The combination of Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth, in a law thriller drama, works for the most part. As long as the story focus on how teenagers could brutally murder small boys. The fact that this is based on a true story, makes you feel sad for the families that had to deal with life, after their children were found murdered. Director Atom Egoyan, directed a very good thriller drama called Felicia´s Journey, with Bob Hoskins ( may he rest in peace ) in the lead role. He is now back in the thriller drama genre, and this time he tries a different path with Devil´s Knot. I will say that i enjoy Felicia´s Journey more than Devil´s Knot, because it was a powerful motion picture. This is still a thriller drama that include some interesting details, with a cast of talented actors. But there is a problem, i feel that this could have been even deeper and more emotional. I would have wanted to see a deeper portrait in the case, how police found evidence, and how they managed to find who was guilty of these brutal murders. Everything goes pretty quick when teenagers are arrested, we don´t get to see much at all about any evidence. Devil´s Knot could have been more thrilling, and more heavier in the storyline. As a law thriller drama, this is not all bad, but there is something missing here. Considering the case this could have been made with more emotion, here we just feel a glimpse of that.

Rating: DD

Afflicted

Another found footage horror movie ? Holy christ, do they never stop coming ? I guess not, and as long as the audience love this genre, they will keep coming every year. By now most of you have probably seen at least seen one of the Paranormal Activity movies. A fifth one is coming, just in case you did not know. There are many titles out there coming out, so i try and check some of them out, but i don´t review every single one of them. But today i do, with a new found footage film called Afflicted. One reason i became interested in Afflicted is that the movie won Best Canadian First Feature Film, at the Toronto International Film Festival 2013. Not only that, Afflicted also won 2 Awards at the Austin Fantastic Fest 2013, both for best director and best picture. Pretty impressive for such a small film, so i just had to take a look what Afflicted would offer this genre, considering we had so many similar films lately. Is Afflicted a break through to the positive side, or does it fall down into the same dull ingredients ?

Childhood friends Cliff ( Clif Prowse ) and Derek ( Derek Lee ) do everything together. They have so many great moments together, it seems that their friendship could never end. They both decide to travel around the world to experience life in a whole new way. They document every Place they visit through their own travel web series " Ends Of The Earth ". One night while both guys are out to party, Derek meets a woman who he spend the night with. Cliff notice that Derek must have been bitten by this woman, and for some reason Derek is becoming very ill. For each day that goes by, Derek´s health is getting worse. With no answers or with nowhere to turn for help, Cliff try and find a way to help his friend. Derek is becoming another person, as he is transforming into something none human.

Afflicted starts off like an ordinary documentary, when we follow the guys on their worldwide trips. But once Derek finds a girl to spend the night with, he wakes up with a flesh wound. And this is where Afflicted kicks in, as Derek becomes very sick for each day. While most found footage horror movies use the same type of storytelling, Afflicted tries to do something different with the genre. When Derek is infected he changes, both his personality, but also his strength. This makes the story more interesting. Afflicted may have some ingredients we have seen before, but the good news is directors Derek Lee and Cliff Prowse ( who also are the main actors in Afflicted ), find a way to balance the styles into a nice package.  If you expect to see a lot of killing or body parts torn apart, this is not for you. But if you can give Afflicted a chance, if you enjoy found footage horror, then you might find yourself enjoying this. There is a mixture here of vampire influences and disease infections, a combination that appeal to me. The typical vampire movies can be dull, unless you have a nice concept to make something good about the content. Good thing we don´t get the same style here, in fact i can´t think of many titles that used this combination all at once. You can watch Afflicted on VOD, and it is coming out this summer in Europe, so i suggest you check this one out. Finally something good have been released in this genre, i have a feeling we won´t see that happen very often.

Rating: DDD