Really ? 2014 is coming to an end ?
Oh man, time runs by so fast. And what a crazy movie year 2014 was, with both some really good highlights and some forgettable releases......that were not supposed to be released, especially Medecinen.......:O
January of 2014 started off good, with the war action film Lone Survivor, director Peter Berg. This was actually one of the better films with Mark Wahlberg. Director Spike Jonze returned with his great drama film Her, with Joaquin Phoenix doing a really good perfomance. January is known for releases with less quality, so it is no surprise that I,Frankenstein was not what I expected.
February felt a bit more interesting. Some titles did manage to give some entertainment like 3 Days Of Kills, with Kevin Costner kicking ass in Paris. Then we also had the remake of Robocop, with swedish actor Joel Kinnaman. He did actually manage to do a good perfomance. One film that have to be mentioned is Holy Ghost People, the best film so far from director Mitchell Altieri. There were actually not that many bad releases this month, so that was a surprise.
March started really good with The Grand Budapest Hotel. I never wrote a review on this film, even if i planet to do so, but this is a really funny film. Elijah Wood showed what a great actor he is in Grand Piano. One of the best thrillers of 2014. Jason Bateman both directed and was the lead actor in the dark comedy Bad Words. A funny film that should have been seen by a larger audience. Jake Gyllenhaal delivered another amazing perfomance in Enemy, one of the best films of the spring of 2014. I loved the film The Rain when it camera out in 2011. The sequel camera out and proved to be really good, The Raid 2 was something for action lovers. March had more good titles, these were just some of the chosen ones.
April turned out to be less interesting. Just a few good releases landed, especially Captain America : The Winter Soldier. One of my personal favourite releases this month was Blue Ruin, a film that was made thanks to supporters of Kickstarter. A very powerful drama film with very strong perfomances.
May got me really excited with X-Men: Days Of Future Past. The best of the X-Men films so far, improved in many ways. Fans of Godzilla were happy to see a new version of Godzilla. Compared to the 1998 film, this was a much more worthy version of this iconic monster. Scotish film Filth exploded in to our minds and have us a hell of a good time. One film that did not deliver was Adam Sandlers romantic comedy Blended. Simply boring and predictable.
June, july and august was filled with summer block busters . Some were easy to forget , like Transformers : Age Of Extinction and the awful Cameron Diaz comedy Sex Tape. Thankfully we got some nice treats with The Sacrament, one of the best documentary horror films in a long time. The Signal turned out to be a really good science fiction film. Eric Bana surprised me as he played a NY cop fighting posessed humans in Deliver Us From Evil. Nothing unique, but still a fun summer film. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes turned out to be better than i expected. Fantastic CGI effects and Gary Oldman delivered a strong perfomance once again. I was really happy about The Expendables 3, and it turned out to be a blast. Great to see Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson in the same film. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the remake from Michael Bay that did not turn out in a good way. The Purge : Anarchy was actually better than anyone could have expected.
September did not feel like a good movie month of releases. Except for a few releases like The Make Runner, a teenage science fiction adventure film that is surprisingly good. Kevin Smith returned with his latest film Tusk, a fun mix of horror, drama and thriller. Apart from this not many titles fit my taste.
October started off good with Gone Girl, by director David Fincher. Not as good as some critics were saying but still good. A really awful film with John Cusack called Hard Drive, was really bad. Thankfully october gave us Nightcrawler, one of the best films of 2014. Jake Gyllenhaal did an amazing perfomance as the sociopath Lou Bloom, run and watch it as fast as you can.
November and december had a lot of releases that I have not seen yet, so I will finish here and save some titles for upcoming reviews in this new year of 2015.
Thank you all my readers worldwide for making 2014 to my most visited and most read reviews ever. This means a lot to me and i will continue to write reviews as long as the readers want me to go on.
Have a happy new year and drink lots of champagne, if you have some left i dont mind a few drinks.
Cheers from Daniel - Swedens Oldest Virgin Since Christer Björkman.
onsdag 31 december 2014
tisdag 30 december 2014
And The Two Worst Films Of 2014 Is. ......
Bad movies are released constantly, every year. We cant escape them, we cant burn every copy with a fuel tank, even if we want to. I can name a lot of films that are so bad, my testicles explodes if i watch them again. So another year have passed us by, and it is time to name the worst movie of the year 2014.
The problem is, there are 2 this time that are both so awful, i barely survived just by watching their trailers.
So here we go, the worst 2 films of 2014 are.........
Medecinen
Every time Colin Nutley release a new film, i want to take him to court. This guy is fucking insane making another shit film, and still 500.000 swedish people go and see his films. Sweden, stop supporting this guy, send him back to England, and Helena Bergström, stop crying every 5 minutes, im so fucking tired of your awful acting.
Left Behind
I respect Nicolas Cage, especially for his brilliant perfomance in Joe. But with Left Behind he really hit the bottom of the floor. Left Behind is a bible drama with nothing to say, with acting so bad i want to punch them all in their faces. I have no idea why anyone would want to make a film as bad as Left Behind, they did do it anyway. I hope christians will start riots in the streets, protesting that Left Behind was released. We dont need bible films like these ones being made.
There you go, 2 worst films of 2014. So why did i not make a list of the top 5 worst films? Simply because just talking about these 2 titles made me sick. On new years eve I am writing about the movie year of 2014, what were the highlights and what dissapointed me.
Cheers from Daniel - Swedens Oldest Virgin
The problem is, there are 2 this time that are both so awful, i barely survived just by watching their trailers.
So here we go, the worst 2 films of 2014 are.........
Medecinen
Every time Colin Nutley release a new film, i want to take him to court. This guy is fucking insane making another shit film, and still 500.000 swedish people go and see his films. Sweden, stop supporting this guy, send him back to England, and Helena Bergström, stop crying every 5 minutes, im so fucking tired of your awful acting.
Left Behind
I respect Nicolas Cage, especially for his brilliant perfomance in Joe. But with Left Behind he really hit the bottom of the floor. Left Behind is a bible drama with nothing to say, with acting so bad i want to punch them all in their faces. I have no idea why anyone would want to make a film as bad as Left Behind, they did do it anyway. I hope christians will start riots in the streets, protesting that Left Behind was released. We dont need bible films like these ones being made.
There you go, 2 worst films of 2014. So why did i not make a list of the top 5 worst films? Simply because just talking about these 2 titles made me sick. On new years eve I am writing about the movie year of 2014, what were the highlights and what dissapointed me.
Cheers from Daniel - Swedens Oldest Virgin
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
In my younger days i always looked up to female actors like Sigourney Weaver. Powerful women on the cinema screen was important for many reasons. Mostly because so many male actors got more attention than female actors. Sigourney changed that in my world, showing that women can be just as tough as men, and have big balls, just like Efva Attling .If there is one female actor i really like, considering how great she is at making characters in her own way, it is Jennifer Lawrence. Ever since i saw her in Winter's Bone, i could tell that she is a damn good actor. She proved herself once again in Silver Linings Playbook, where she really proved that she can do a very complicated character. If you ask young people, most of them will most likely say they know Jennifer Lawrence from The Hunger Games. The movie adoption, based on the novel of Suzanne Collins. The novel were sold in millions of copies, so there was no surprise that Hollywood decided to make movie adoptions, based on the novels. I remember being skeptical about these movie adoptions, considering how much i hated Twilight. Luckily the 2 first films turned out to be a nice surprise. Nothing unique, but from an entertainment perspective the formula worked out just fine. The story of a young woman trying to survive, and learn to face her biggest fears, turned out to be a great role model for young women. So here we are with the final film of The Hunger Games, split into 2 parts. Since the first 2 films were good, is this first part of the final film a worthy ending or is this just a sequel made to make fans buy tickets?
Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ), Beetee ( Jeffrey Wright ) and Finnick Odair ( Sam Claflin ) were all rescued from the destroyed arena of the 75th Hunger Games. They are all taken to District 13, where Katniss is reunited with her mother Mrs. Everdeen ( Paula Malcomson , and her sister Primrose Everdeen ( Willow Shields ). As Katniss is recovering, she is introduced to President Alma Coin ( Julianne Moore ), the rebell leader. Alma explain to Katniss that her actions in the arena, caused riots against the Capital. Katniss is offered to become the " Mockingjay ", the symbol of the rebellion. Katniss decline, because she reminds the people that they left her lover Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ) alone at District 12. Plutarch Heavensbee ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ) suggest that Katniss should travel to District 12 and see what is left since the destruction. Katniss finds out that the Capital use Peeta to try and quell the rebellions. Katniss change her mind and agree to become the Mockingjay. When she also finds out Peeta is kidnapped, she prepare herself to battle against the Capital.
I enjoyed the two first Hunger Games films, especially for the perfomance of lead actor Jennifer Lawrence. Unfortunately, Mockingjay Part 1 is the worst of the films so far. And there is a reason why i found myself feeling dissapointed. The story is so drawn out that i could not stay awake at certain moments. I dont see any problem with the actors, but this is simply a very boring sequel, split up into 2 parts ( just like the last Harry Potter film ). I dont mind that Mockingjay was split into 2 films, but this first part does not deliver on the same level as the previous films. This is not Jennifer Lawrence fault, she is still really good as Katniss Everdeen, but she cant save the flaws that director Francis Lawrence have layed out on the table. He directed Catching Fire, so you would expect him to give us something special. Philip Seymour Hoffman did one of his last perfomances in this film, and as always he knows how to make a great perfomance. There are no surprises here, that never happens, instead it feels like this first part is just a sequel without the same passion as the earlier films. Maybe Mockingjay Part 2 will deliver much more, we will have to see. I am dissapointed, Mockingjay Part 1 should not have been made like this. With so few action scenes and too much talking, this is not what i expected. I still have hope for Mockingjay Part 2, lets just hope the final chapter give us a worthy ending.
Rating: DD
Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ), Beetee ( Jeffrey Wright ) and Finnick Odair ( Sam Claflin ) were all rescued from the destroyed arena of the 75th Hunger Games. They are all taken to District 13, where Katniss is reunited with her mother Mrs. Everdeen ( Paula Malcomson , and her sister Primrose Everdeen ( Willow Shields ). As Katniss is recovering, she is introduced to President Alma Coin ( Julianne Moore ), the rebell leader. Alma explain to Katniss that her actions in the arena, caused riots against the Capital. Katniss is offered to become the " Mockingjay ", the symbol of the rebellion. Katniss decline, because she reminds the people that they left her lover Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ) alone at District 12. Plutarch Heavensbee ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ) suggest that Katniss should travel to District 12 and see what is left since the destruction. Katniss finds out that the Capital use Peeta to try and quell the rebellions. Katniss change her mind and agree to become the Mockingjay. When she also finds out Peeta is kidnapped, she prepare herself to battle against the Capital.
I enjoyed the two first Hunger Games films, especially for the perfomance of lead actor Jennifer Lawrence. Unfortunately, Mockingjay Part 1 is the worst of the films so far. And there is a reason why i found myself feeling dissapointed. The story is so drawn out that i could not stay awake at certain moments. I dont see any problem with the actors, but this is simply a very boring sequel, split up into 2 parts ( just like the last Harry Potter film ). I dont mind that Mockingjay was split into 2 films, but this first part does not deliver on the same level as the previous films. This is not Jennifer Lawrence fault, she is still really good as Katniss Everdeen, but she cant save the flaws that director Francis Lawrence have layed out on the table. He directed Catching Fire, so you would expect him to give us something special. Philip Seymour Hoffman did one of his last perfomances in this film, and as always he knows how to make a great perfomance. There are no surprises here, that never happens, instead it feels like this first part is just a sequel without the same passion as the earlier films. Maybe Mockingjay Part 2 will deliver much more, we will have to see. I am dissapointed, Mockingjay Part 1 should not have been made like this. With so few action scenes and too much talking, this is not what i expected. I still have hope for Mockingjay Part 2, lets just hope the final chapter give us a worthy ending.
Rating: DD
måndag 29 december 2014
Nightcrawler
I have a rule while watching a film in a swedish cinema screening. Try and avoid swedish films that looks like another Stockholm Skärgården smör blaska. Like the new christmas comedy Micke och Veronica. I realise that 3 million swedes will run and see films like these, just because you are supposed to like them, because we are swedish. Thankfully i am one of those swedes who avoid shit films like this. Am i rude and say bad words? Yes, and i dont care, someone needs to stand up and say the truth. Instead i look outside this predictable genre and look for more quality. If there is one actor who proves himself to choose great characters, Jake Gyllenhaal have really proved himself to be professional actor. At a very young age, he got me hooked up by his perfomance in Donnie Darko, a cult film that everyone should see. He continued to delivered in Zodiac , lately in both Prisoners and Enemy. Speaking about Enemy, such a shame more people have not seen this one. A very intelligent and well made motion picture that take a completely different turn than most cinema releases. So now Jake Gyllenhaal is back with a new film, simply titled Nightcrawler. This is the directorial debut for director Dan Gilroy, who worked as a screen writer on several films in the past. When i heard of Nightcrawler, what kind of film this is and read all the positive reviews, i was really excited to check it out. The trailer got me even more crazy, i simply jumped all over the living room like a japanese girl, overdosed on coffeine pills. Is Nightcrawler as good as everyone is saying or is this hype way to big to be true?
Lou Bloom ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is a thief and criminal, selling stolen material and merchandise. With no luck and trying to find a way to make money, he suddenly stop at a Highways watching a traffic accident, while a tv news team led by Joe Loder ( Bill Paxton ) who is a professional news camera filmer. He film all accidents, murders, anything that tv news stations are willing to pay for. Lou Bloom loves the idea of making money on other peoples misery, so he begin to start his own fake company. Not licensed or having permission to film crime scenes or accidents, Lou continue to learn to become a camera man. He visit the news office of Channel 6, where he shows his material to morning news director Nina Romina ( Rene Russo ). She can tell that Lou might bring good material so decides to pay him for every video, if he delivers more brutal material. Lou decides to hire an assistant, Rick to help him for navigation, with the help of police radio and Gps. But for every crime scene that Lou visit, he is willing to go over any line or rule, to get the best video material, even if it may end his future.
There is a saying here in Sweden that fits right in to the feeling of Nightcrawler, and that saying is :- Hårda bud i Mellerud. So what does this have to anything about Nightcrawler? This is a film that simply hit you straight in your face, just like the people of Mellerud does if you visit their town. The difference is that Nightcrawler is even more powerful, with a very dusturbing image of the tv news broadcasting world. Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely fantastic as the sociopath Lou Bloom, who does not care about human life, as long as he get the best footage from crime scenes, including terrible accidents. When you actually see how far Lou Bloom is ready to go for the best news footage, its not hard to belive that there might actually be some truth in this portrait. When he begin to loose his sense of reality, Jake Gyllenhaal explodes and delivers one of his best perfomances ever. This man is a very talented actor, maybe one of the best with Ryan Gosling included. Director Dan Gilroy have a very dark vision of how cruel this world can be. The beautiful night scenes in the big city looks gorgeous, while Lou Bloom drive around looking for new victims to to capture on camera. Nightcrawler looks really good and feels very dusturbing, and this combination makes Nightcrawler feel so intensive. Rene Russo is back on screen, and i can honestly say this might be her best perfomance ever in a motion picture. I was hoping that this would be the masterpiece i hoped for, still this is so damn good i still want to applaude and hug everyone in the cinema. I cant wait to see what director Dan Gilroy delivers next time, as his first directorial debut, Nightcrawler will crawl under your skin, and make you feel a sour taste of how evil people can be. Jake Gyllenhaal best male actor at the Annual Oscar Academy Awards ? Hell yeah, this guy is a fantastic actor, and Nightcrawler delivers all the way.
Rating: DDDD
Lou Bloom ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is a thief and criminal, selling stolen material and merchandise. With no luck and trying to find a way to make money, he suddenly stop at a Highways watching a traffic accident, while a tv news team led by Joe Loder ( Bill Paxton ) who is a professional news camera filmer. He film all accidents, murders, anything that tv news stations are willing to pay for. Lou Bloom loves the idea of making money on other peoples misery, so he begin to start his own fake company. Not licensed or having permission to film crime scenes or accidents, Lou continue to learn to become a camera man. He visit the news office of Channel 6, where he shows his material to morning news director Nina Romina ( Rene Russo ). She can tell that Lou might bring good material so decides to pay him for every video, if he delivers more brutal material. Lou decides to hire an assistant, Rick to help him for navigation, with the help of police radio and Gps. But for every crime scene that Lou visit, he is willing to go over any line or rule, to get the best video material, even if it may end his future.
There is a saying here in Sweden that fits right in to the feeling of Nightcrawler, and that saying is :- Hårda bud i Mellerud. So what does this have to anything about Nightcrawler? This is a film that simply hit you straight in your face, just like the people of Mellerud does if you visit their town. The difference is that Nightcrawler is even more powerful, with a very dusturbing image of the tv news broadcasting world. Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely fantastic as the sociopath Lou Bloom, who does not care about human life, as long as he get the best footage from crime scenes, including terrible accidents. When you actually see how far Lou Bloom is ready to go for the best news footage, its not hard to belive that there might actually be some truth in this portrait. When he begin to loose his sense of reality, Jake Gyllenhaal explodes and delivers one of his best perfomances ever. This man is a very talented actor, maybe one of the best with Ryan Gosling included. Director Dan Gilroy have a very dark vision of how cruel this world can be. The beautiful night scenes in the big city looks gorgeous, while Lou Bloom drive around looking for new victims to to capture on camera. Nightcrawler looks really good and feels very dusturbing, and this combination makes Nightcrawler feel so intensive. Rene Russo is back on screen, and i can honestly say this might be her best perfomance ever in a motion picture. I was hoping that this would be the masterpiece i hoped for, still this is so damn good i still want to applaude and hug everyone in the cinema. I cant wait to see what director Dan Gilroy delivers next time, as his first directorial debut, Nightcrawler will crawl under your skin, and make you feel a sour taste of how evil people can be. Jake Gyllenhaal best male actor at the Annual Oscar Academy Awards ? Hell yeah, this guy is a fantastic actor, and Nightcrawler delivers all the way.
Rating: DDDD
onsdag 17 december 2014
Greetings from Thailand
Hello all movie lovers!
Im having a great time here in the sun. Relaxing, exploring different locations and meeting friendly people. As i am about to go back to Sweden on monday next week i am preparing the 2 final reviews of this year. Of course on new years eve i will bring a personal view on the movie year of 2014. I hope to publish one of the reviews on monday and the last one during christmas, until then, buy a Ron De Jeremy Rum bottle for your loved ones in christmas, celebrate and enjoy the holidays. Remember, next year there is no Colin Nutley movie coming, so 2015 is going to be a good start.
Cheers from Daniel, the oldest virgin of Sweden.
Im having a great time here in the sun. Relaxing, exploring different locations and meeting friendly people. As i am about to go back to Sweden on monday next week i am preparing the 2 final reviews of this year. Of course on new years eve i will bring a personal view on the movie year of 2014. I hope to publish one of the reviews on monday and the last one during christmas, until then, buy a Ron De Jeremy Rum bottle for your loved ones in christmas, celebrate and enjoy the holidays. Remember, next year there is no Colin Nutley movie coming, so 2015 is going to be a good start.
Cheers from Daniel, the oldest virgin of Sweden.
söndag 7 december 2014
To all the movie lovers out there, Including Stefan Löfven
2014 is coming to an end.
This year have been packed with a lot of releases, some are really good, some are not worth spending time on. But I always enjoy sitting down in a cinema seat, or in my couch, watching a new release. I was supposed to have watched Nightcrawler in a cinema on saturday, but became ill from a bad cold. And now i am off to Thailand on 2 weeks vacation, even if im not feeling well. Hopefully it will be better soon. I am planning to see Nightcrawler as soon as i come back to Sweden and write a review. If possible i might have time to do one final review before the year ends.
Right, now im off to Arlanda ariport, remember to support B films, and buy the new 40th Anniversary Edition of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on blu ray for the whole family on christmas, record all episodes of Julmys Med Ernst and keep your virginity locked and safe, women can be dangerous.
Cheers from Daniel, oldest virgin of Sweden
This year have been packed with a lot of releases, some are really good, some are not worth spending time on. But I always enjoy sitting down in a cinema seat, or in my couch, watching a new release. I was supposed to have watched Nightcrawler in a cinema on saturday, but became ill from a bad cold. And now i am off to Thailand on 2 weeks vacation, even if im not feeling well. Hopefully it will be better soon. I am planning to see Nightcrawler as soon as i come back to Sweden and write a review. If possible i might have time to do one final review before the year ends.
Right, now im off to Arlanda ariport, remember to support B films, and buy the new 40th Anniversary Edition of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on blu ray for the whole family on christmas, record all episodes of Julmys Med Ernst and keep your virginity locked and safe, women can be dangerous.
Cheers from Daniel, oldest virgin of Sweden
The Taking Of Deborah Logan
Have you noticed something lately ?
I have been writing more horror reviews than drama, so is there a reason for this ? Not really, i basically just pick out a few movies, no matter what the category is. If i just focused on one category it would be dull, instead i try and review all genres. This autumn have had a lot of horror releases, and to be honest i have not checked a lot of them out, because some does not even look interesting. I know what they say:- Never judge a book by its cover. And that can be true, but sometimes you feel that titles like Wrong Turn 6, may not deliver anyway, since the 5th was really horrible ( i did review Wrong Turn 5 a long time ago ). So here we are with another exorcism movie, how many have been released in just a year ? I think its the same number as how many women Gene Simmons have had sex with, so quite a high number indeed. Possessed humans is a subject we see in films every year, in many different stories. You may have seen the summer horror movie Deliver Us From Evil with Eric Bana. Exorcism films are very popular, and it seems that there will always be a big passion for many people on possessions.. One reason might be that people seems to enjoy this genre, and i still say that The Exorcist from 1973, is the best film in this genre. The Taking Of Deborah Hill is a new horror film, from director Adam Robitel. Since we have seen so many releases in this genre, does this one bring something fresh, or is this another wasteless release you might as well forget ?
A film team, Mia ( Michelle Ang ), Gavin ( Brett Gentile ) and Luis ( Jeremy DeCarlos ), are making a documentary about a woman named Deborah ( Jill Larson ) is diagnosed with Alzheimer. Her daughter Sarah ( Anne Ramsay ) arranged this meeting, because Deborah does not have enough money, keeping the house from being repossessed. At first Deborah does not like the idea to be filmed, and interviewed, but she eventually agree to do this. The film team set up cameras all over her house, to get a glimpse of what is happening to Deborah in her disease. For each day that goes by, Deborah is doing very strange things, having aggressive issues. It comes to a point when Sarah take her mother to the hospital to find answers to her behavior. The doctors belive that there is a pattern to her behavior, that is included in Alzheimer. As the film team try and film as much material as possible, they begin to realise that there might be something more than her diagnose behind her odd personality. They try to dig deeper into what is going on with Deborah, but the answer may not be what they thought. Deborah is becoming worse, and with no answers to what is really going on. One of the documentary film makers find out, that Deborah have written down a name on a paper, with the letters of local physician Henry Desjardins ( Kevin A. Campbell ). He disappeared after a series of cannibalistic ritualized murders of four young girls. Is there a connection to Henry Desjardins and Deborah, or is the answer much more complicated than we would understand ?
If you were hoping to find something unique, or very original, don´t expect to do so. I would still say that The Taking Of Deborah Logan, have at least tried to go a different path in the exorcism genre. Since this is mostly about a woman with Alzheimers, it makes the story feel more interesting than the usual demon possession. Is she really possessed or is this the Alzheimers that have taken over her completely ? The possession scenes may not be very unique, but since there is a medical perspective on Alzheimer, you feel a different perspective on the human mind. Jill Larson who plays her character Deborah, does a great performance as the diagnosed woman. She seems to have found a great balance, how to play a patient in need of help, and the possessed human ( this is a hard mix to handle ). Director Adam Robitel have mostly worked on films as an editor, and an actor on different films in the past. The Taking Of Deborah Logan is a good start for his first feature film, he seems to know how to do exorcism horror in a positive way. I might feel that he could have given us a nice surprise along the way, something unexpected, and this would have been even better. Still, if you love demon possessions, with a different approach than the usual genre films, this might be something in your taste. One thing is for sure, i am sleeping with a crucifix tonight, and my holy water.....you never now when demons will show up. By the way, did you know legendary director Bryan Singer is one of the producers of thie film ? Maybe he can direct a film in this genre also ? I would like to see what script he would lay his hands on.
Rating: DDD
I have been writing more horror reviews than drama, so is there a reason for this ? Not really, i basically just pick out a few movies, no matter what the category is. If i just focused on one category it would be dull, instead i try and review all genres. This autumn have had a lot of horror releases, and to be honest i have not checked a lot of them out, because some does not even look interesting. I know what they say:- Never judge a book by its cover. And that can be true, but sometimes you feel that titles like Wrong Turn 6, may not deliver anyway, since the 5th was really horrible ( i did review Wrong Turn 5 a long time ago ). So here we are with another exorcism movie, how many have been released in just a year ? I think its the same number as how many women Gene Simmons have had sex with, so quite a high number indeed. Possessed humans is a subject we see in films every year, in many different stories. You may have seen the summer horror movie Deliver Us From Evil with Eric Bana. Exorcism films are very popular, and it seems that there will always be a big passion for many people on possessions.. One reason might be that people seems to enjoy this genre, and i still say that The Exorcist from 1973, is the best film in this genre. The Taking Of Deborah Hill is a new horror film, from director Adam Robitel. Since we have seen so many releases in this genre, does this one bring something fresh, or is this another wasteless release you might as well forget ?
A film team, Mia ( Michelle Ang ), Gavin ( Brett Gentile ) and Luis ( Jeremy DeCarlos ), are making a documentary about a woman named Deborah ( Jill Larson ) is diagnosed with Alzheimer. Her daughter Sarah ( Anne Ramsay ) arranged this meeting, because Deborah does not have enough money, keeping the house from being repossessed. At first Deborah does not like the idea to be filmed, and interviewed, but she eventually agree to do this. The film team set up cameras all over her house, to get a glimpse of what is happening to Deborah in her disease. For each day that goes by, Deborah is doing very strange things, having aggressive issues. It comes to a point when Sarah take her mother to the hospital to find answers to her behavior. The doctors belive that there is a pattern to her behavior, that is included in Alzheimer. As the film team try and film as much material as possible, they begin to realise that there might be something more than her diagnose behind her odd personality. They try to dig deeper into what is going on with Deborah, but the answer may not be what they thought. Deborah is becoming worse, and with no answers to what is really going on. One of the documentary film makers find out, that Deborah have written down a name on a paper, with the letters of local physician Henry Desjardins ( Kevin A. Campbell ). He disappeared after a series of cannibalistic ritualized murders of four young girls. Is there a connection to Henry Desjardins and Deborah, or is the answer much more complicated than we would understand ?
If you were hoping to find something unique, or very original, don´t expect to do so. I would still say that The Taking Of Deborah Logan, have at least tried to go a different path in the exorcism genre. Since this is mostly about a woman with Alzheimers, it makes the story feel more interesting than the usual demon possession. Is she really possessed or is this the Alzheimers that have taken over her completely ? The possession scenes may not be very unique, but since there is a medical perspective on Alzheimer, you feel a different perspective on the human mind. Jill Larson who plays her character Deborah, does a great performance as the diagnosed woman. She seems to have found a great balance, how to play a patient in need of help, and the possessed human ( this is a hard mix to handle ). Director Adam Robitel have mostly worked on films as an editor, and an actor on different films in the past. The Taking Of Deborah Logan is a good start for his first feature film, he seems to know how to do exorcism horror in a positive way. I might feel that he could have given us a nice surprise along the way, something unexpected, and this would have been even better. Still, if you love demon possessions, with a different approach than the usual genre films, this might be something in your taste. One thing is for sure, i am sleeping with a crucifix tonight, and my holy water.....you never now when demons will show up. By the way, did you know legendary director Bryan Singer is one of the producers of thie film ? Maybe he can direct a film in this genre also ? I would like to see what script he would lay his hands on.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 3 december 2014
Tusk
If you grew up in the 90´s like myself, you probably heard of Kevin Smiths films Clerk, and Mallrats. Small independent films that became cult films, especially for a younger audience. As the 90´s continued to influence director Kevin Smith, he realeased 2 more films, Chasing Amy, and the weird, still funny film called Dogma. It all changed when he decided to do a film on his characters Jay & Silent Bob, from his first feauture film Clerks. The film Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back was a tribute to vulgar humour, Star Wars, and a lot of classic ingredients from many motion pictures. This was a really funny film, stupid ? Yes, but that was the whole point. One of the best film Kevin directed after the cliché romantic comedy Jersey Girl, was the sequel to Clerks. Simply called Clerks 2. To be honest, i feel the sequel is even better than the original film. If you have not seen any of them, i suggest you check them out. After making some bigger movie studio productions, i was really surprised to see Kevin Smith going back to independent film again, with Red State. This was a step away from his usual genres, more into a horror and thriller mixed combination. Red State showed us a different side of religious cult groups, how far some of them can go in the name of Jesus. A really interesting project, and it turned out to be a nice surprise. A box office failure, but the critics were positive at least. That was 3 years ago, now director Kevin Smith is back with another small film, Tusk. The film is based on a story from his SModcast, so he decided to make a film on this particular story. Ever since i Heard Tusk was coming out, i was really excited. Not only because it was another smaller film by director Kevin Smith, but he is working together again with actor Michael Parks. He played the pastor in Red State, and did an excellent performance. Is Tusk Another quality film delivered by legend Kevin Smith, or have his glory days passed by for a new generation film makers ?
Wallace Bryton ( Justin Long ) and Teddy Craft ( Haley Joel Osment ) are friends, doing their own popular podcast online called The Not-See Party. This podcast show try and find the craziest, most odd people, and present them online for their listeners. Teddy finds a boy who call himself Kill Bill Kid, a nerd boy who try and do some sword movements, but accidently chop off his own leg. Wallace decide to travel to Canada to interview Kill Bill Kid, to find out if he can interview him to their podcast show. As he arrives to Canada, and find his home, he finds out that Kill Bill Kid is dead. He sits down in a local bar, dissapointed that he did not get an interview. As he goes into the bathroom, he notice a letter on the poster wall. An old man who call himself Howard Howe ( Michael Parks ), want someone to visit him to hear him tell his stories, from his life filled with travelling, strange happenings not many people have experienced. Wallace realise he need to come home with something, and decide to take the letter and find the home of Howard Howe. Wallace manage to do so, and is very fascinated by the stories Howard begin to tell. But after a while, Wallace feels dizzy and fell on the ground. As he wakes up, he finds out that his left leg have been surgically removed. Wallace realise that Howard have a plan, what he is goint to do with him further on in this process. Wallace manage to find his phone, calls for his girlfriend Ally ( Genesis Rodriguez ). She does not answer, but Wallace leave information on her voicemail. Time is running out for Wallace, since Howard have a special surprise for him.
The scenes with Justin Long and Michael Parks proves that Kevin Smith can write really good dialougue. Tusk is without a doubt another great release from Smith, and the odd mix of horror, comedy and drama is well served with interesting details. You get a sense that Kevin Smith is trying to find new interesting stories, instead of the same usual stuff Hollywood put out. The audience does not seem to find his films nowdays, that is such a shame. Because fascinating stories are hard to find, and most directors only do what they belive will be successfull at the box office. Film makers who take chances, and don´t care about the box office numbers are those who should have more respect. Tusk is a proof of that, this is not the typical wide release film that people will notice. One detail i really enjoy in Tusk, is the bizarre character of Howard Howe. He may not seem strange at first, but i love the fact that Kevin Smith builds up a certain tension in the air, as if something is very wrong with this old man. The main actors Justin Long and Michael Parks is the reason why i enjoy Tusk. These 2 actors on their screen time together, bring the quality of Tusk together. The acting feels solid, and the dialogue floats so smooth, you don´t want to stop listening. The story itself, considering it is based on a story from Kevin´s SModcast, feels very odd but fascinating. If you don´t like intelligent independent films, this is not for you. I am on the other hand, love original stories, especially if there is solid acting included. The first scenes of Tusk feels pretty typical Kevin Smith style, but once Michael Parks show his disturbed personality, Tusk lifts to a complete different level. This is the best film of Kevin Smith for many years, very different, very disturbing, and i find myself smiling, even how strange the story sounds. Johnny Depp looks funny as the ex cop who try and locate Howard, his french english mixed dialect sounds silly but fits the character somehow. Everything is not perfect, but considering for such a low budget, i would say that Kevin Smith proves why he such a great director when he finds the right material. Support Tusk, buy it on dvd or blu ray since it is released in december, quality independent films are needed.
Rating: DDDD
Wallace Bryton ( Justin Long ) and Teddy Craft ( Haley Joel Osment ) are friends, doing their own popular podcast online called The Not-See Party. This podcast show try and find the craziest, most odd people, and present them online for their listeners. Teddy finds a boy who call himself Kill Bill Kid, a nerd boy who try and do some sword movements, but accidently chop off his own leg. Wallace decide to travel to Canada to interview Kill Bill Kid, to find out if he can interview him to their podcast show. As he arrives to Canada, and find his home, he finds out that Kill Bill Kid is dead. He sits down in a local bar, dissapointed that he did not get an interview. As he goes into the bathroom, he notice a letter on the poster wall. An old man who call himself Howard Howe ( Michael Parks ), want someone to visit him to hear him tell his stories, from his life filled with travelling, strange happenings not many people have experienced. Wallace realise he need to come home with something, and decide to take the letter and find the home of Howard Howe. Wallace manage to do so, and is very fascinated by the stories Howard begin to tell. But after a while, Wallace feels dizzy and fell on the ground. As he wakes up, he finds out that his left leg have been surgically removed. Wallace realise that Howard have a plan, what he is goint to do with him further on in this process. Wallace manage to find his phone, calls for his girlfriend Ally ( Genesis Rodriguez ). She does not answer, but Wallace leave information on her voicemail. Time is running out for Wallace, since Howard have a special surprise for him.
The scenes with Justin Long and Michael Parks proves that Kevin Smith can write really good dialougue. Tusk is without a doubt another great release from Smith, and the odd mix of horror, comedy and drama is well served with interesting details. You get a sense that Kevin Smith is trying to find new interesting stories, instead of the same usual stuff Hollywood put out. The audience does not seem to find his films nowdays, that is such a shame. Because fascinating stories are hard to find, and most directors only do what they belive will be successfull at the box office. Film makers who take chances, and don´t care about the box office numbers are those who should have more respect. Tusk is a proof of that, this is not the typical wide release film that people will notice. One detail i really enjoy in Tusk, is the bizarre character of Howard Howe. He may not seem strange at first, but i love the fact that Kevin Smith builds up a certain tension in the air, as if something is very wrong with this old man. The main actors Justin Long and Michael Parks is the reason why i enjoy Tusk. These 2 actors on their screen time together, bring the quality of Tusk together. The acting feels solid, and the dialogue floats so smooth, you don´t want to stop listening. The story itself, considering it is based on a story from Kevin´s SModcast, feels very odd but fascinating. If you don´t like intelligent independent films, this is not for you. I am on the other hand, love original stories, especially if there is solid acting included. The first scenes of Tusk feels pretty typical Kevin Smith style, but once Michael Parks show his disturbed personality, Tusk lifts to a complete different level. This is the best film of Kevin Smith for many years, very different, very disturbing, and i find myself smiling, even how strange the story sounds. Johnny Depp looks funny as the ex cop who try and locate Howard, his french english mixed dialect sounds silly but fits the character somehow. Everything is not perfect, but considering for such a low budget, i would say that Kevin Smith proves why he such a great director when he finds the right material. Support Tusk, buy it on dvd or blu ray since it is released in december, quality independent films are needed.
Rating: DDDD
tisdag 2 december 2014
Annabelle
Ever since Chucky made his debut in the 1989 with Child´s Play, i fell in love with murder dolls coming to life. There was something special about seeing Chucky, running around, and making sure no victims would escape. The same year Puppet Master was released, about a toy doll maker, who brings his dolls back to life to become murderers. The excellent horror director James Wan even did a doll horror film in 2007, Dead Silence. This was not a box office success like his film Saw, still i enjoyed his vision of the doll horror genre. Last year there was not many horror films that could live up to the same quality as The Conjuring. This was without a doubt the best horror film director James Wan have done so far, telling the story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Considering that this film was based on true events in the 70´s, with really good acting from Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, you have to admit you were scared in some chilling scenes. The Conjuring had everything that we could wish for, really good scenography, perfect landscape location, and creepy atmosphere. So when the news came out that Annabelle, a spin off on The Conjuring was coming out, i honestly did not know what to think. Considering that James Wan is not the director, instead this time director John Robert Leonetti takes over, known for his films Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and.....The Butterfly Effect 2......Hmm, that´s not a good sign. But we all know some directors can prove that they can make good films, no matter what they failed with in the past. Now when he was chosen to direct the prequel to The Conjuring. Is he the perfect choice to do this story, or should the film studio have left this script alone until the right director came along ?
The year is 1967. John Form ( Ward Horton ) and Mia Form ( Annabelle Wallis ) just moved into their new home, as they are preparing themselves to be parents. Mia is pregnant and feel very happy about her baby. One day John have a special surprise, he have managed to purchase a doll that Mia have been looking for, to her doll collection. The couple continue to plan their future as parents, and everything seems alright. One night, Mia wakes up hearing screams in the neighbour house. John Wakes up and decide to check the neighbours house. John runs out and tell Mia to call an ambulance. The neighbours enter their home and attack both John and Mia, where Mia is stabbed by one of the neighbours. It turns out that their neighbours were members of a religious cult. The baby is fine, but shocked by this event, Mia tries to come back into ordinary life. The doll Annabelle is found on different locations in the baby room, and strange noises happening at certain hours, make Mia decide that they need to get rid of the doll. John throw it in their garbage can. As Mia is working on their sewing machine, a fire starts in the kitchen. Mia discovers the fire and try to get out, but is pulled back by something, not from this world. Some neighbours manage to get her out in time, as she is taken to a hospital. John travel straight toward the hospital to see his wife, as he finds out she is ok, and she have already given birth to their child, a daughter who they give the name Lea. Since their home burned down, they move to a new home. Mia is settling down, taking care of Lea while John works. Suddenly one day, the doll Annabelle shows up in the last box from their burned home. John think they should throw her away, Mia want to keep her for some reason. Their new home will not change their lives for the better, the nightmare is about to become even worse.
Not so long ago, i read a comment on Facebook that Annabelle is better than The Conjuring. This woman who felt this way, have absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Because The Conjuring is a really good horror film, just the way it should be made. Annabelle is not a worthy prequel, or a spin-off, this is just a cheap way to make the fans of Annabelle see the doll make creepy looks. The murders, the jump scares, it all feels way to simple to work on me. Director John Robert Leonetti have done a better job with this film, than his previous disaster movies. But it still does not make this a good film, there are plenty of problems to discuss. There is no actor here that feels strong enough to carry this simple story, to make it feel interesting. Instead it feels like Annabelle is supposed to deliver enough on the horror scenes to please the auidence. You can´t make a horror film just with simple killings and jump scares, without effective camera work, great dialougue and great acting. Annabelle does not have any of this really, so what do we have to be pleased about ? The only times i feel anything at all, is in scenes where Annabelle seems possessed, she does look creepy. I can understand why James Wan did not direct this prequel, i would not be surprised if he did not like the script. The feeling of The Conjuring is missing here completely, and that is the biggest mistake of all the problems. Annabelle is not the worst horror film of this year, but it is not a worthy prequel to such a great horror film as The Conjuring. If anyone does not agree on this, slap them in their face. This simply shows why they don´t understand what quality is, signed by a craftsman as James Wan.
Rating: DD
The year is 1967. John Form ( Ward Horton ) and Mia Form ( Annabelle Wallis ) just moved into their new home, as they are preparing themselves to be parents. Mia is pregnant and feel very happy about her baby. One day John have a special surprise, he have managed to purchase a doll that Mia have been looking for, to her doll collection. The couple continue to plan their future as parents, and everything seems alright. One night, Mia wakes up hearing screams in the neighbour house. John Wakes up and decide to check the neighbours house. John runs out and tell Mia to call an ambulance. The neighbours enter their home and attack both John and Mia, where Mia is stabbed by one of the neighbours. It turns out that their neighbours were members of a religious cult. The baby is fine, but shocked by this event, Mia tries to come back into ordinary life. The doll Annabelle is found on different locations in the baby room, and strange noises happening at certain hours, make Mia decide that they need to get rid of the doll. John throw it in their garbage can. As Mia is working on their sewing machine, a fire starts in the kitchen. Mia discovers the fire and try to get out, but is pulled back by something, not from this world. Some neighbours manage to get her out in time, as she is taken to a hospital. John travel straight toward the hospital to see his wife, as he finds out she is ok, and she have already given birth to their child, a daughter who they give the name Lea. Since their home burned down, they move to a new home. Mia is settling down, taking care of Lea while John works. Suddenly one day, the doll Annabelle shows up in the last box from their burned home. John think they should throw her away, Mia want to keep her for some reason. Their new home will not change their lives for the better, the nightmare is about to become even worse.
Not so long ago, i read a comment on Facebook that Annabelle is better than The Conjuring. This woman who felt this way, have absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Because The Conjuring is a really good horror film, just the way it should be made. Annabelle is not a worthy prequel, or a spin-off, this is just a cheap way to make the fans of Annabelle see the doll make creepy looks. The murders, the jump scares, it all feels way to simple to work on me. Director John Robert Leonetti have done a better job with this film, than his previous disaster movies. But it still does not make this a good film, there are plenty of problems to discuss. There is no actor here that feels strong enough to carry this simple story, to make it feel interesting. Instead it feels like Annabelle is supposed to deliver enough on the horror scenes to please the auidence. You can´t make a horror film just with simple killings and jump scares, without effective camera work, great dialougue and great acting. Annabelle does not have any of this really, so what do we have to be pleased about ? The only times i feel anything at all, is in scenes where Annabelle seems possessed, she does look creepy. I can understand why James Wan did not direct this prequel, i would not be surprised if he did not like the script. The feeling of The Conjuring is missing here completely, and that is the biggest mistake of all the problems. Annabelle is not the worst horror film of this year, but it is not a worthy prequel to such a great horror film as The Conjuring. If anyone does not agree on this, slap them in their face. This simply shows why they don´t understand what quality is, signed by a craftsman as James Wan.
Rating: DD
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