Blood Moon

Did you know that the world was supposed to end on september 28th?

At least according to some crazy religious americans, that when the blood moon shows, we are all going down in the shit hole. Thats too bad, just after i got my pay check from work, i expected to spend it all, because i will be gone anyway according to these nut heads. You might think that this film called Blood Moon, is made from one of these crazy christians ( like Bryan Fischer or Kim Davis ). This is actually something else, this is in fact a western horror film, with werewolves. I love the combination already, just by reading what the genre is. Western films does not show up very often in these days, it is one of the film genres that stand still, mostly for a year or more, until we get a western released on dvd. So why is that ? I think that western film are not what they used to be in the good old days. There is no big audience for western anymore, simply because times have changed and people prefer other types of motion pictures. Eventually we do get some smaller western films released, simply because there are directors who want to keep this genre alive. The Salvation was actually a really well made western film, released in 2014. The cast was great, and the location was well used, with a traditional but nice story. If you have not seen it yet, i suggest you go down and rent it at your local video store. I grew up watching western films, everything from Sergio Leone to the more modern western films like Young Guns. I also enjoyed a very special western film called Red Sun, with legendary actor Charles Bronson. This film was very original, since we had samurai against cowboys. In the 90´s, legendary director Sam Raimi tried his own version of making a western with The Quick And The Dead. I think this film should have been respected, since it had an original style. Unfortunately the audience did not want to see it, but i suggest you buy this dvd if you can find it, i know its for sale online. Even if the western is a genre that stays pretty much still, it is great to see some films still being made. Blood Moon is a low budget western horror film that caught my attention, after i read some positive reviews. I loved the idea of cowboys against a werewolf, so i just had to see it. Is this the greatest western horror film in many years since The Burrowers, or is this a combination that does not work at all ?

A coach wagon is travelling through a forest. On the way they are stopped by Calohun ( Shaun Doley ), a stranger looking for a ride to Denver. They agree to let him go with them, as they head towards a deserted town. In this deserted town, they are suddenly taken as prisoners by criminals Jeb Norton ( Raffaello Degruttola ) and Hank Norton ( Corey Johnson ). They have no idea what they will do with their prisoners, but they might have bigger problems than this. Out there is a werewolf wandering around, looking for new victims. No one have ever seen anything like this before, so they must find a way to survive together, or no one will leave this deserted town alive.

It is nice to see that you can make a western film, on a very small budget. Blood Moon is a very small film, and you quickly understand that the film crew had to think through all the details. It is easy to think that this is a bad film, just because there are no Hollywood stars here. The fact is that Blood Moon delivers an enjoyable B movie, for what it is. I belive it is the first time i have seen a werewolf fighting against cowboys, and i have to say that it is a great idea. Since we have seen werewolves in so many different combinations, i think it was time to do something different and unique with this classic beast. The best part of Blood Moon is actually the acting, because it is actually not as awful as you might have expected. And when you have acting that is not as terrible as you might have expected, it is a good sign that the film might actually be good. I would say that the make up, on the werewolf, is also pretty good. This looks more of the old school make up, and i have to love them for staying traditional, and not use CGI ( as most horror films do nowdays ). The story may be very simple, but that´s ok, since we do have some things that make up for it, especially the acting. Director Jeremy Wooding have directed a lot of tv episodes for many different tv series, including 2 feature films. This is the first film i have seen of his work so far, and i have to say he have done well with this film. He uses a lot of simple details, including the costumes that look good. The shooting scenes may look pretty cheap, but thanks to many other great details i would still say that Jeremy Wooding shows his passion for the western genre. Corey Johnson ( from films like X-Men First Class and Captain Philips ), who plays the bad guy Hank Norton, is actually one of the best ones here. He sounds like a funny hillbilly, and do give his character a tough look. If you don´t like western films, or horror films, this will definetely not change your mind. But if you are a western fan, i suggest you give Blood Moon a try, because there are some classic western ingredients here, even if this is more of an horror film. I suggest we all support B movies like Blood Moon, so they can be continued to be made, buy yourself a dvd and show support. This is a treat for all ages, if you enjoy B movies of quality, just like myself.

Rating: DDD

Pay The Ghost

There used to be a time in history when Nicolas Cage delivered a lot of good films. And he actually proved himself to be a good actor, with the right script. But somewhere along the way, with his personal problems, he usually ended up in a lot of smaller films ( it does not mean that it´s bad, if you choose something good ). Now, he worked with a lot of legendary directors and actors, so going from this into the B movie world, changed his career a lot. He still made some bigger films, that actually made a profit, like Ghost Rider, and Knowing. But then we also have films like The Wicker Man, that actually was the reason why his acting choices were becoming less good. After a lot of straight to dvd releases, and some smaller cinema releases, something happened in 2013. A film called Joe changed everything. This was finally the proof that Nicolas Cage still knew what acting is all about. The story felt realistic, the characters felt realistic, taking place in a smaller community, where laws are not meant to be followed. Unfortunately not many people saw this film, it should have been screened worldwide, and given a chance to grow on people´s minds. But you can of course see it on blu ray or dvd, so my suggestion is you should buy it. Joe is the best Nicolas Cage film for many years, and deserves respect. Lately i have noticed that cage have released some smaller films, especially 2 of them called The Dying In The Light and The Runner. I have not seen any of them, but i suspect i will eventually. His latest film, simply called Pay The Ghost, was just released on VOD recently, and it seemed different from his latest releases, so i decided to take a look. This film is directed by Uli Edel, who directed the very well acted german drama film The Baader Meinhof Complex. I was surprised to see this combination of Nicolas Cage and Uli Edel, simply because i did not expect them to work together. But here we are, with a new film called Pay The Ghost, with both of them in this project. I honestly did not know much about this film at all, since no promotion was made online, except for the usual trailer. Is this a positive step for Nicolas Cage, or are we back into his usual straight to dvd dull releases ?

Mike Lawford ( Nicolas Cage ) is a respected teacher. Mike is happily married to his wife Kristen Lawford ( Sarah Wayne Callies ), and they have one son, Charlie Lawford ( Jack Fulton ). Since it is Halloween, Charlie is really excited about going trick or treating on the streets, just like all the other kids. On this night, Charlie asks if he and his dad Mike can go to the Halloween carnival that is taking place in town. As they look around, and Mike is about to buy Charlie something tasty, he suddenly disappear. Mike looks everywhere, and contact police. Charlie is not found anywhere. Months pass by, even years, and Charlie is still not found. Until Mike begin to see Charlie on different locations, for some strange reason. He begins to look into this, since he have a feeling something must have happened. Then he remembers what Chalie said what before he disappeared, if they should pay the ghost. At the time, Mike did not think this meant anything, but more strange things begin to happen, as Mike sees more strange visions. Mike is determined to find out if Charlie is still alive, but what really happened on Halloween that night ?

Since it have been a long journey for Cage ( considering he made some odd film choices along the way ), choosing some very odd scripts, it would be easy to say that he made another bad choice with Pay The Ghost. But let´s not go that way yet, because this is not the complete truth. If you compare Pay The Ghost with some of the films he made between 2011 up until now, there are not many titles that are worth to mention. Joe of course, but i have to say Frozen Ground was alright with John Cusack included. He could have easily made another action film, or another thriller, as he usually does, with different stories only. The good news is that this new film is at least a different approach, from his previous films. It is not the first time he have done a film with horror influences, but maybe not as traditional horror as this film is. The formula is something we have all seen before, so if you want something original, Pay The Ghost does not give us anything fresh. Now to the problems. What could have been an interesting story, about a missing child, becomes way to simple. When a person is missing, you want the story to be more complicated, so you have to think about what might have happened. Here, you know pretty much everything from start, except for some details. Instead of making a horror film with an intelligent plot, director Uli Edel use all the typical cliché tools, that have been made so many times before. And this is where Pay The Ghost falls, there is not much left to be happy about. Another detail i would have liked to see improved, are the special effects. I realise that the budget is limited, but we have seen what you can do with a small budget, and make it look really good, anyone remember District 9 ? Nicolas Cage is not doing his best here, and he is not doing his worst performance either. Somewhere in between, he makes this character feel not so interesting, and we all know how important it is to have interesting characters. Sarah Wayne Callies, who played Rick´s wife in The Walking Dead, is here also. Unfortunately she does not give this film much either. Pay The Ghost could have been so much better, if only director Uli Edel would have changed the concept to something more original. I still belive in Cage, he did surprise us all with the film Joe. Just try to avoid doing too many mistakes again.

Rating: DD

September almost gone? Oh man, good thing i still got reviews coming up in October.

Hello everyone! 

Its Mr Loverman here from Sweden.  I have noticed that my reviews are being appreciated so i am very happy of all readers worldwide.  Before september ends i will post 2 more reviews.  In october i have some real treats for you,  that not even Annie Lööf wants to miss out. One of the films i have to review is of course The Green Inferno by director Eli Roth. Lets not forget Turbo Kid also, the new film that tributes action films of the 80 ' s. So there are plenty of reviews coming up the last part of the year. 

Take care, be safe and have a good laugh at Kim Davis speech.

Cheers from Daniel 

Insidious: Chapter 3

I usually tell horror directors 2 basic, and very important rules, when it comes to make a good horror film.

1. Do not make a sequel, or a prequel, unless it is as good as the first film or even better.

2. Make the characters feel interesting, otherwise it will be a waste of time watching the film.

Too many horror films are released in these days, that are made just to be scary, but without any heart. If you really love horror films, you need to dig deep and find something interesting, and hopefully unique to be included in the story, instead of just gore and blood. One of the few directors out there who understood that we needed old school horror back, is of course director James Wan. His film Insidious and The Conjuring have proved, why he is one of the most intelligent horror film directors out there. He knows what he is doing, and he have a heart for this genre. The Conjuring is still one of the best horror films in recent years, and is still scary to watch, and it is not because of special effects, it is because of intelligent film making. You can use many great ideas, and put the pieces together like a puzzle, and give the audience what they deserve. The film Insidious, that came out in 2011, proved to be an intelligent and frightening small horror film, where James Wan builded up a simple story, but he knew exactly how to put it all together. The sequel was alright, not on the same level as the first film though. What saved the sequel was the fact that the same cast was on board, and of course that James Wan directed the next chapter. I was not surprised to hear that there was third film on the way, so i did not know what to expect, since James Wan was not the director anymore. We know what happened other times with new directors on board, they either fail to make a good sequel, or prequel, but sometimes we do get a good one, unexpected. With this third film around the corner, does the Insidious legacy live on with the latest film, or is this a desperate try to just make money ?

Quinn Brenner ( Stefanie Scott ), misses her dead mother. She misses her so much, that she is ready to try and communicate with her on the other side. Quinn travels to see Elise Rainer ( Lin Shaye ). Elise knows how to communicate with dead people, but she is not doing this anymore. She is suprised to see that Quinn travelled all the way to see her, Quinn tell Elise why she needs to speak to her mother, and Elise decides to help her. When the session begins, Elise realise that someone else is here, and not Quinn´s mother. To make sure that Quinn is safe, Elise tell her that she can not try and contact her mother, because if she does, she might cause some serious problems. Since this session took place, Quinn notice that she is being followed, by someone, or something. Not knowing what it wants or what it is, she is faced with some really strange experiences. Her father Sean Brenner ( Dermot Mulroney ) is trying to understand what is happening to his daughter. After she is hit by a car, things begin to go downhill. Something evil is after Quinn and her family. Elise is contacted to come to their home, because she might be the only one who can stop this from going on. What is going on, and is Quinn´s mother involved in this in some way ?

Since James Wan is not directing this sequel, you feel a red warning light turned on instantly. But hang on a second, the director to this third film is Leigh Whannell, a screenwriter and an actor, who worked with James Wan in the past. He is one of the writers on James Wan´s films Saw, Dead Silence, Death Sentence and even on Insidious. Maybe this will be alright after all, since he knows the style and legacy of James Wan ? You will recognize the atmosphere, and we do have Lin Shaye here, who have been in all the films so far. She is actually the strongest performance in this thrid film, and she is the reason why you are watching this film. Now, it would not be any idea to compare director Leigh Whannell to James Wan, because they both have different styles when it comes to directing. The problem with this third film, is that there are not a lot of surprises here. James Wan knew how to build up tensions, and emotional scenes, when it comes to being afraid. Leigh uses more traditional horror chliché scenes, while mixing them with usual jump scare scenes. If he really wanted to scare us, he should have tried to do something more original, and maybe stick more to James Wan´s delicate style. The story is made as an prequel, so this is supposed to be what happened before we met the Lambert family. I don´t mind prequels, if they are made with an intelligent plot. Insidious: Chapter 3 is not awful all the way, but no where near the first films qualities. This leaves us with a horror film that may look like Insidious, but does not feel like Insidious, as it should feel. James Wan is actually in the film, as the acting school audition judge, when Quinn goes in to do an audition. There are a few moments where it does feel a little bit creepy, but overall i have seen this too many times before. Insidious: Chapter 3 does not give us something fresh or deliver enough to please the fans of James Wan. I am sure that director Leigh Whannell will make a film someday, that will be a positive surprise. Until then, i suggest you see the first film of Insidious instead. Oh shit, those damn demons are back again, i told my uncle Björn to stop talking to them, last time they never stopped to party. Good thing i can call Pat Robertson and make them go away.

Rating: DD

Hitman: Agent 47

For many years, and in many different results, Hollywood have made many movie adaptions of video games. Some of you have probably seen the Resident Evil films, or perhaps you have seen Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie ? We also have 2 films taken from the Silent Hill games. The first film was actually pretty good, while the sequel should have been a lot better. There are also other video games made into film adaptations. Maybe you have seen Uwe Boll´s films House Of The Dead, Bloodrayne or perhaps my personal favourite Far Cry ? Since i love video games, and play both on Xbox 360 and PS3, i try and mix it up with all genre games. My wife even have Just Dance 3, but don´t tell anyone i tried dancing to that.....

I think that some games should be left alone, and not made into movie adaptions. Why ? Simply because it is not easy to make a movie, based on the same characters from the video game. You have to find the right style, and you have to transform the same feeling that the game offers, and these are some of the problems most films have. There is one video game i would like to see become a movie adaptation. How about a film based on the games Just Cause ? Just imagine how good that could be, but it will have to be directed by Michael Bay of course, no one else could make a better version of the game. The only video game based films made so far that have managed to deliver entertainment, is without a doubt Resident Evil. All the films have influneces from the video games, and my personal favourite is still Resident Evil: Extinction. I know that there have been talking about making a new version of Tomb Raider, but without Angelina Jolie this time. Is this a good idea ? I don´t think the film makers care, they just want to make these films hoping that the video game fans will enjoy them. Have you ever played any of the Hitman video games ? There is a chance you have, and if you did at some point, you might remember that you play a secret Hitman, hired to take out different targets. Hitman became a popular video game, and the sequels did pretty well in sales, so it was not a surprise that a movie adaptation was on the way. In 2007, french director Xavier Gens was chosen to direct a film, based on the video game. Considering that he directed the really good french horror movie Frontier(s), it could have been a good choice. Hitman proved that it is not easy to make a film, based on a video game. There were just too many details thrown in here, trying to mix together. Not the worst film based on a video game, but some major problems should have been fixed. So here we are in 2015, and we have a sequel, named Hitman: Agent 47. This time with a different director, Aleksander Bach, and a new leading role as Hitman, known as Rupert Friend. I did not have high expectations about this sequel, but decided to go and see it in the cinema. Do we finally have a good film based on the popular video games, or is it another proof that you should never do a film based on game characters ?

Geneticist Dr. Peter Litvenko ( Ciarán Hinds ) was the lead scientist of a secret bioengineering program to make the perfect " assassins ", with perfect speed, high intelligence and able to finish any job. They have no feelings, have no fear, and only knows that their mission needs to be finished. Litvenko see that this program, could cause problems if he continue to create genetically engineering killing machines. So he decides to run, and hides his daughter Katia Van Dees in safety. Many years have passed, and many agencies and organizations have tried to replicate the Agent Program, without any luck. A corporation known as Syndicate International, understand that the only way to find how the program really works, is to find Litvenko. Syndicate member Dr. Delriego ( Rolf Kanies ) is about to locate Litvenko, when Agent 47 ( Rupert Friend ) assassinate Delriego and his team. Agent 47 is contacted by his handler Diana Burnwood ( Angela Yeung ), that he needs to locate Letvenko´s daughter Katia ( Hannah Ware ) and assassinate her. She is located in Berlin, Germany, where she is living alone. Katia have no idea that she is wanted, so she is shocked when John Smith ( Zachary Quinto ) approach her, and tell her that she is in danger. Eventually Katia belive him, as she thinks that this agent who is following her wants to kill her. The truth is that John Smith is actually a mamber of Syndicate International, and need Katia to make Litvenko work for them. Agent 47 realise this mission may not be going the way he have planned it, and needs to change the rules.

While leaving the cinema after watching Hitman: Agent 47, two things got on my mind.

# Could i hire this Hitman to wipe out the entire Dansbandsveckan ?

# Could he make sure Nicki Minaj never release another album again ?

If these 2 questions are able to become reality, i will love Agent 47 forever. But let´s talk about the film Hitman: Agent 47 for a while. Since the first film was filled with over the top action sequences, of course this film have the same concept. And i suppose that director Aleksander Bach, wanted to try and make it look like a Hitman concept, that we would recognize from the games. This second film proves once again, its hard to make video games into films. I like the fact that this film takes place in Berlin, and they actually filmed on location, because i have been to Berlin and recognized many locations. I also like that there is a deeper story here, but the story is not used well enough to make it interesting. Once the action begins to kick in, we get served with pretty basic gun scenes, fighting sequences, and unfortunately some bad acting. Lead actor Rupert Friend is actually the best part of this film, as Agent 47. He is stiff, and does not use many acting skills, but in some ways he is not supposed to make Agent 47 into an Oscar winning performance, he is supposed to be serious and not care about anything. Now let´s get into some of the problems. The assassination of Katia Van Dees would probably not be cancelled by Agent 47, as he does here in this film. If you have played the games, you probably remember that he always get the job done. Here he feels guilt towards Katia, and decides not to kill her, and that does not feel like Agent 47. Ok, i understand that they might want to show another side of him, but i would rather see them portrait the hitman that we recognize. Another detail i thought were pretty silly, was the fact that Katia is actually Agent 90, and is already trained, not knowing it. This should have been explained at some point in the film, how she became a trained agent, but we don´t get any answers to that. Director Aleksander Bach, is mostly known for making music videos and commercials. Hitman: Agent 47 is his debut feature film as an director, and i can see that he have potential. But he does not stick to the roots of the games, and use important tools that should have been here. And some of the action scenes could have been made better, you can tell that the special effects take over, when we really want to see more real stunts made instead. This is not a worthy film to the Hitman games, and it is a shame, because i could see that there is more depth in this film than last time. Depending on how the box office numbers end, i am not sure if we will ever see Hitman back on the big screen. If he does come back, how about using more structure from the games, instead of just making an action film ? This might be something to think about.

Rating: DD

Southpaw

I always enjoyed watching boxing fights, especially with my grandfather Ingvar. We used to watch recorder matches on VHS, when Tv1000 showed the biggest fights, with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and many other great boxing champions. As most of my generation, growing up in the 80´s, i enjoyed watching Rocky Balboa, simply because this was a story, about an ordinary man who managed to become world champion in boxing. Sylvester Stallone have created an icon character, because many people could relate to growing up in a poor neighbourhood, and that anyone have a chance to make it, if you want to. I think we need to mention Raging Bull, the fantastic boxing drama film by director Martin Scorsese, and Robert De Niro is absolutely brilliant in the lead role. This is one of those film that never gets old, simply because it is so well made and so powerful. I know that some people are against heavyweight professional boxing, because the fighters get very serious damages. I belive they don´t get more damage than any MMA fighter, or just look at Muay Thai boxing ? These are very different sports of course, where MMA is probably the most brutal sport. So to those who say that boxing is so dangerous, just look at different fighting sports, and you might see that there is a big difference. Many actors have tried to do boxing films, with mostly bad results. Escept for The Fighter of course, with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. If you have not seen it, i recommend that you do go rent it. Cinderella Man with Russel Crowe is also a good boxing drama, based on the true story of James J. Braddock. Did anyone of you see Nightcrawler last year ? If you didn´t, you need to go out and buy it right now. This is a film where actor Jake Gyllenhaal really proved why he is one of the best actors of his generation. He have a way to make characters come to life, in his own unique way. Nightcrawler was not a huge box office success, but the film proved why Gyllenhaal should get more respect, this man is amazing as an actor when he gets the right script. When internet started rumours about his new film Southpaw, where he is a boxer, i became curious to see what this would be. Since good boxing films are hard to make, i was hoping that this would be a great character that Gyllenhaal would prove to the world, why he is an amazing actor. Is Southpaw a new boxing drama classic in the style of Raging Bull, or is this a film Gyllenhaal never should have made from the start ?

Billy Hope ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is the light heavyweight champion in boxing, and keep the title after another important title match. After the fight, they notice that Billy have an eye injury, and this could cause problems in the future. Billy´s wife Maureen Hope ( Rachel MacAdams ) tell her husband he should quit, now when he is still the champion. At a charity event at the orphanage where Billy and his wife Maureen grew up, Billy is invited to hold a speech. On the way out, Billy and his wife is confronted by an up-and-coming boxer, Miguel " Magic " Escobar. He wants a fight against Billy and call him a coward, while making Billy´s wife feel uncomfortable. Billy can´t take this shit talk and attack Miguel, as they begin to fight each other infront of all the guests at the charity event. It all ends when Maureen is accidently shot, and is badly injured. Rushed into hospital, she is pronounced dead. Billy´s life goes straight to hell after this, using alcohol and drugs, loosing all his fortune and even custody of his own daughter Leila Hope ( Ooana Laurence ). Child Protective Services officer Angela Rivera ( Naomie Harris ) is the one who makes sure Leila is taken care off, and arrange meetings between Billy and his daughter Leila. But the relationship is damaged and Leila does not want to see her father. Now, Billy must get his life together, and start from the beginning, to rebuild his boxing career, with the help of boxing trainer Titus " Tick " Willis ( Forest Whitaker ". Most of all he must get his own daughter back.

It would be easy to think that this is almost like another version of Rocky Balboa, but Southpaw is not in any way related to that character. This is a completely different story about a boxer, who tries to struggle his way to keep his title. There are similarities to Rocky, but you really don´t get to see where this boxer Billy Hope came from. I would have liked to see flashbacks from where he started, and how he became the boxer he is today. But one thing is for sure, Jake Gyllenhaal is the perfect choice for this leading role. His brutal verbal language, and his brutal body language, makes this character who he is. Once Jake begin his fights, you see a fire in his eyes, and that is something not every actor can bring to the big screen. Especially in a boxing film, you really need to look like a boxer, and act like a boxer, to make us feel like this character really exist. So bless you Gyllenhaal for making such a powerful performance. Let´s talk about the other actors, and i will start with Curtis " 50 Cent " Jackson. He might be a nice guy in real life, but he is not a very good actor. Rachel MacAdams as Billy´s wife Maureen is ok, but could have given us a stronger performance. Forest Withaker is here, so you know that he can handle most characters, and he does alright as an boxing trainer. One thing that i do like about the story in Southpaw, is that no matter how much fortune and fame you once had, happiness is more important than anything. If you don´t find a balance, what is more important than a fancy house and fancy cars, you will eventually go down, unless you keep everything steady. Southpaw becomes more interesting where we get to see Billy loose all the fame and money, and have to work himself back to real life. Director Antoine Fuqua have directed many action films in the past, especially the really good film Training Day. I did enjoy his film Brooklyn´s Finest also, with a great cast and a good action film as well. Southpaw might be his most dramatic film so far, and it works pretty good, especially thanks to Jake Gyllenhaals performance. If you love the Rocky films, or maybe love Raging Bull, you will probably enjoy this boxing drama also. Southpaw is not one of the best films in this genre, but still an interesting view in how hard life can be. Gyllenhaal keep on delivering great characters, if he continues like this, i will be in heaven forever.

Rating: DDD

Ted 2

In the early 90´s, those of you who grew up at this time might remember Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch ? It was basically Mark Wahlberg, a young muscle rapper, trying to look gangsta. He actually made it on the charts, especially with the single Good Vibrations. I still remember some parts of that music video, where they were dancing with water splashing around from the ground. Mark Wahlberg got himself into trouble with the law, but managed to get himself up and begin his acting career. The first time i watched him act was in Renaissance Man, with Danny DeVito as a teacher for U.S. Army soldiers. Since then he have managed to build his acting career in an amazing way, with all kind of genre films, with everything from science fiction, horror, action and drama. One of my personal favourite films with Mark Wahlberg is called The Fighter. This was a film released in 2010, with Christian Bale and Amy Adams both really good as their characters, in this boxing drama, directed by David O. Russell. I would say i enjoyed The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke even more than The Boxer, but this film is very powerful, and it also shows what a great actor Mark Wahlberg can be with the right character.Over his career, Wahlberg always tries to do all kind of genre films, and it seems that he is not afraid to do different characters. Have anyone of you seen the cartoon tv show Family Guy? Of course you have. The creator of that show, Seth MacFarlane, is without an icon for creating this wonderful show, with so many classic episodes. He did create the tv show American Dad also, a cartoon show that did manage to deliver entertainment, but maybe not on the same level as Family Guy. Seth decided to do something different, and went on to direct a comedy called Ted in 2012. A comedy about a teddybear who becomes alive, and become best friend with John. The relationship between a man and a teddybear becomes insane, and Ted managed to joke about relationships, friendship, ordinary day problems in an intelligent way. It was actually one of the funniest comedies of the year 2012, so i was not surprised to hear that a sequel is on the way. The same director is back, with the lead characters from the first film, to deliver a new story in Ted 2. I was excited to see if this sequel would be just as funny as the first film. Is this sequel even better than last time, or a step into a completely wrong direction ?

Ted ( Seth MacFarlane ) is now married to his girlfriend Tammy-Lee ( Jessica Barth ), and have a huge wedding party. John Bennet ( Mark Wahlberg ), Ted´s best friend, is happy over his marriage, but is living single nowdays and not really positive these days. Ted and his wife Tammy-Lee, decides that they should be parents, but since Ted can´t make her pregnant, they ask John to help them with his sperm. After Tammy-Lee have had an x-ray, they find out that her drug use from her past have destroyed her chances of becoming pregnant. But this is not the only bad news, Ted is told not to be an american citizen anymore, and not legally seen as a living person, more as an object. Ted is furious, and John is by his side. This will be taken to court, and they manage to find a new lawyer, Samantha Leslie Jackson ( Amanda Seyfried ). Will Ted win against the government, and reclaim his right to be treated as a human being ?

Since i really enjoyed the first film, i was hoping that this sequel would hold the same tone as the first film, but still manage to do something unexpected. I am sorry to say that Ted 2 is not as good as the first film, the fact is that this sequel does not have the same comedy level as the first film does. One of the biggest problems is that the story this time is not as good, or feel that positive. I laughed a lot in the first film, while here i only laugh in some scenes, while some details feel drawn out, just to fill in the empty spaces. Mark Wahlberg is of course good, so i don´t have much to complain to his acting abilities, and Ted of course delivers in most of his scenes. Somehow, you sit there feeling dissapointed. The energy and feeling of the first film is not here, while you can see that they tried to capture the same tone. With that i said, i would still say that Ted 2 is a funny comedy, especially because of the vulgar style. There are many rude jokes, embarrassing moments, and Ted always manage to either say the wrong things, or his over sexual needs. Director Seth MacFarlane is back as the director, and you can tell he wants to try and follow the legacy of Ted, this time in a different way. I wish he would have been more flexible, and tried to stretch the jokes even further than what he does here. Some of the funny scenes are funny, but could have been even more sharp. But i do like the fact that Ted is just the same, and don´t care what anyone thinks. I would say that Ted is the reason why you want to see this sequel, you just simply love to see him piss people off. One of the best scenes is where Mark Wahlberg and Ted discuss Rocky 3 with Mr. T, together with Amanda Seyfried, because she never heard of Clubber Lang, the legendary character of Mr.T. If you did not enjoy the first film, you will guaranteed not enjoy this sequel either. If you loved the first film, don´t expect to be as happy over this sequel, it is a bit too serious, and not as funny as i was hoping it would be. Still, you will have a good time if you are in a good mood. If there is a third film coming, i hope it will be more vulgar and less serious, Ted is not supposed to be taken seriously.

Rating: DDD

Bloodsucking Bastards

I tried many different jobs in my youth. Everything from construction work, to factory jobs, and even office jobs. Now, let´s talk about office work. I remember how bored i was, working with writing on computers, making sure that orders were filled in correct. Sometimes you had to check the orders manual, on ordinary papers, so a lot of numbers to check, and you could fall asleep faster than the speed of lightning. The only times i enjoyed my days at the office, were some very friendly sexy ladies, who worked there. Now, that was the real reason why i at least could stand this job, without them i would have left a long time ago. Nowdays i barely do any papers at work, only if something is needed to be done. In health care jobs, you either get lots of paper work, or you manage to find a job where you don´t need to fill in everything. When it comes to films that takes place in an office, i remember one film especially that was actually funny. Have anyone of you seen Office Space ? It is a comedy about office workers who are fed up with their work, and there are plenty of really funny scenes where you can recognize yourself. This film was directed by Mike Judge, creator of legendary duo Beavis & Butt-Head, so it is no suprise he did use some vulgar humour in this film also. I really love the character Milton Waddams, brillianty acted by Stephen Root. This guy sure loves his stapler. Not that long ago, i begin top read articles about a new film, that combined Office Space with vampires. The title was Bloodsucking Bastards, and i fell in love with the concept. The title is also one of this years greatest film titles, so beautiful that i could hug you all. This film is directed by Brian James O´Connell, who have directed 2 films in the past. He is also an actor, mostly seen in tv series. Bloodsucking Bastards is the first film where director James O´Connell combines horror and comedy together, and seems to have tried to do something different with this genre. Since the film title is amazing, and the combination sound really fun, i got a chance to see the film. Is this a new film classic that should be seen by everyone, or is Bloodsucking Bastards a big disappointment ?

Evan ( Frank Kranz ) is a hard worker, working at an office, hoping to be promoted into sales manager. He used to be together with his collegue Amanda ( Emma Fitzpatrick ), but since he was not good with communication, or devoted to their relationship, she decided to leave him. This is something that Evan´s collegues Tim ( Joey Kern ), Ted ( Joel Murray ) and Max ( Pedro Pascal ) think is hilarious, and can´t help to joke about the situation. The big day arrives when Evan hope that he becomes sales manager, but the job is offered to Max instead. Evan is furious, because he knows he is the best worker in this office. A usual day at the office is about to become a nightmare, when Evan finds one of the office workers dead in the bathroom. He runs out to show everyone, but when they open the door there is no body. Everyone thinks Evan must have gone insane and gets back into work. But when more people dissapear, and return looking very different, something does not seem right.

You would think that a film that takes place, mostly inside an ordinary office would be boring. But this is actually a funny film, that manage to give us great characters and some fun surprises along the way. I especially enjoy the dialogue between the office workers. Some of them do not want to be here, but stay because it gives them a paycheck. Once you find out that everyone is turning into vampires, this becomes a fun tribute to the 80´s horror comedys we all loved. I think that Bloocsucking Bastards manage to deliver the message, thanks to the tone of the film. The characters are honestly the strength of this film, if you would have office workers like these people, even i would work here. I especially like the character Tim, played by actor Joey Kern. He is a mixture of a nerd, a failed ladies man and a guy who thinks he is super cool. Of course this is not the best combination, when he does not want to work, just have fun instead. Director James O´Connell have actually made one of this years biggest surprises, because i was not sure if i would enjoy this film at first. It seems that he really enjoyed classic 80´s films, and combined some of the classics with an office theme. If you are looking for a serious film, or acting on a Jake Gyllenhaal level, this is definetely the film you want to see. But if you do enjoy classics from the 80´s, and remember the good horror comedies that came out during that period, i have a feeling that this will be a winner. Bloodsucking Bastards is meant to be a silly film, but in a good way. You will laugh guaranteed, if you understand the humour, and recognize the style of the film. Could it have been even more funny ? Sure, but why complain when this actually turned out better than i expected ? Besides, it is about time we had a vampire invasion in an office building, the paper work would kill us all anyway, so better to die in style. Gather your friends, have a pizza night, and put Bloodsucking Bastards on VOD, and your night is guaranteed to be fun.

Rating: DDD

3-Headed Shark Attack

The B movie extravaganza continues on Daniels Super Sexy Movie Reviews. You might have read the review on 2-Headed Shark Attack, brought to us from The Asylum. Even if i did not find myself enjoying that film, for several reasons, i always find myself curious to see new B movie releases from The Asylum. The do give us some wonderful films sometimes, and when they do, you remember what love feels like at first sight. The first film 2-Headed Shark Attack, had a funny concept, but did not manage to put the pieces together, thanks to really awful special effects, and extremely bad acting. So i knew that i would not have high expectations for a sequel, this time with a 3 headed shark instead. But wait a minute, let´s look at the actors here. Danny Trejo is in this film, now this is a man i respect, both for his good heart, and for so many fun movies that he have been in. The first Machete film is one of those films i can watch over and over again, it is becoming a bit of a classic. Jaason Simmons might be remembered from Baywatch, and of course his role in the first Sharknado film. Wrestler Rob Van Dam is also here, who have been in a few films, like Black Mask 2: City Of Mask. We also have Jena Sims here, who have been in some big movies like Last Vegas and Kill The Messenger ( this is a really good film ). So the cast is definetely looking better in this sequel, and this sequel is also directed by Christopher Ray, who directed the first 2-Headed Shark Attack film. With no high expectations, i had to see if this sequel would at least be better than last time, with a much better cast. Is 3-Headed Shark Attack the sequel that we finally were hoping for, or is this as bad as the first film, or ever worse?

Dr. Ted Nelson ( Jason Simmons ) and Dr. Laura Thomas ( Jena Sims ), both work on an underwater research facility, where they investigate mutated sea species, that have been created by garbage thrown into the sea. A team of invited guests, are chosen to have a look around the facility, so they learn what Dr. Ted and Dr. Laura is here to do. Suddenly a large object is seen on screen, heading towards the underwater research facility. They are attacked by a 3 headed shark, that no one have ever seen before. The whole team manage to escape the facility, while some of the facility workers are killed by this sea beast. The team realise that they will not be able to escape completely, unless they find a way to stop the 3 headed shark, from taking more victims.

After watching 3-Headed Shark Attack, i finally have some hope for director Christopher Ray. This film looks much better, have better special effects, and the acting is at least better than last time. Just the story is much more developed, where he drops almost all those stupid college kids, and tries to make characters instead. The 3 headed shark even looks better, it does more attacks and eating human flesh. Since we know this is a film from The Asylum, you can´t expect great acting and powerful emotional scenes. But thats not what their films are all about, they are supposed to make fun B movies for us who have great taste. If you did see the first film, you might remember how silly some of the action scenes looked like, with no effort at all to make it look funny. This sequel is definetely a step in the right direction, where you do get to see more effort to make the action scenes look better. Some of the best actors here are without a doubt Jaason Simmons, and his science collegue Jena Sims. They may not be Oscar nominated, but for a film like this they at least deliver a performance that fits in the frame. Danny Trejo may not do one of his best performances, but you can´t help to like seeing him once more, he is just simply awsome in eveything he does. So do we have any problems with this film ? Sure, i would have liked even more battles with the 3 headed shark, with even better special effects. I would also have liked to see more weapons, while they fight against the mutated shark, i could think of many cool weapons. Then of course we do have some bad acting, as most of the The Asylum films have. But overall, this is a much better sequel than the first film, i am actually surprised that the same director have done this film. If you hate B action horror films, this is definetely not going to give you any pleasure, but if you do enjoy cheesy fun acting with low budget action, 3-Headed Shark Attack might make your day become lovely. Sharknado is of course the best shark films so far from The Asylum, and i doubt no other films will beat these classics, but it is still fun to see other versions, combined with crazy ideas. Now i must leave, i have to kill the 2 headed seagull with demon horns outside my window. Maybe Pat Robertson was right all this time, the end of the world is finally here? Oh damn, i did not even have time to make my favourite cookies.

Rating: DDD

2-Headed Shark Attack

When i was a young boy, i was raised to dress properly, you were only allowed to speak in a certain way, because that was the way to be. So, as i got older and hopefully more wiser, i found out that i have missed out a lot on how people really are. One way that helped me become the wonderful man i am today, are my friends who are all movie nerds, and love B movies. You see, if i would have chosen to hang around people who have a lot of money, and live in a certain lifestyle, i would only be depressed. These type of people is something i would call " Östermalm Sliskiga Stereotyper ", the easiest way to describe these people are they are just a pain in the ass. I prefer to be with real people, who don´t have to prove themselves for their paycheck, or if their house is the most expensive one. So for this i have to thank a film company called The Asylum, that have proved that they know what love is all about. Most of you probably have seen a film called Sharknado, a film that is the reason why Staffan Dopping found his life inspiration. If you don´t know who this man is, i can tell you he is one of the biggest legends in Sweden. The Asylum is a company that put out quality films every year, and they know that they will never be respected by big film studios, but that´s ok. Because in the end, it is more important that you give the audience what they want. I am one of those people who will speak the truth, that thanks to B movies, we can all love life even more. Speaking about The Asylum, i have seen many of their films over the years, some are wonderful like Sharknado, while some are alright, and some are really bad. This company have so many films released, you really don´t know what to expect. They seem to love sharks in many different combinations, fighting against monsters, or other sea creatures. And i love the idea of these combinations, because it shows that we have hope for a better world. 2-Headed Shark Attack is one of the films i decided to take a look at, also released from The Asylum, hoping that this would be the next film nominated for best motion picture at the Golden Globe Awards. Is this another great film from The Asylum, or is this one of those films they should not have done at all ?

A group of teenagers are eaten by a 2-headed shark. Meanwhile, a sea ship called Sea King, is cruising out in the sea, filled with college students, who are on board to learn about the ocean. This journey is led by Professor Franklin Babish ( Charlie O´Connell ) and his wife Anne Babish ( Carmen Electra ). When their ship is hit by a dead shark, and ends up being destroyed in the ships propellers, the ship is injured. Luckily, they see an island not far from where they are located, so Professor Franklin decides to take the whole college group to the island, to see if they can find anything useful, until the ship is fixed. But the 2-headed shark is following them, and ready to find more victims.

As you may have noticed, i love B movies if they are so bad that they are entertaining. But then we also have B movies that are bad, but not in a good way. There are some films that are released, who may have great titles, and may sound fun. But once you watch the film, and notice it is not what you expect, you suddenly feel dissapointed. 2-Headed Shark Attack is one of those films that have a great title, but does not deliver as it should. And there are 2 reasons for that. The special effects are really awful, and i really mean that. Sharknado looks fantastic compare to this film, and i loved the idea of a 2 headed shark attacking people. Another problem is that the acting is so bad, that none of the actors are actually acting. They were just paid to show their bodies, say a couple of dialogue scenes, and look like they come right off the cover of Playboy. Carmen Electra is here, and of course she uses her acting talent, and she still sound like a college girl. At the same time, you do get to laugh alot, while watching 2-Headed Shark Attack, because it tries to be serious, and look like a teenage horror film. This combination fails big time, and instead you can only laugh at the results. I know that almost all of the films from The Asylum have bad special effects, so i should not be surprised. But when they don´t even try to make the action scenes look funny, you simply stop caring. The few times that i actually find something to be pleased about, is to hear how bad acting this film have. If one film would prove that young americans sound stupid, this film would be perfect to show that. 2-Headed Shark could have been a great time, with the right feeling for the material. Director Christopher Ray, have directed several films in the B movie category, and i have seen some of his films. This is unfortunately one of his worst films, and i have no choice but to give this film the lowest rating. I was hoping i would enjoy myself with 2-Headed Shark Attack, because i love cheesy shark B movies, if they are made in a funny cheesy way. This film does not give us much at all. I love sharks in great combinations, but this is not the right way to go. I wonder if there will ever be a film called 2-Headed Seagal Attack ? Now that would be a great idea, seeing Steven Seagal waving his hands with 2 heads, taking down russians. Maybe this is something you should look into The Asylum ?

Rating: D