I have always been a film nerd. Since the early days of my childhood, i fell in love with splatter films of the 70´s and 80´s. Everything from body parts flying, to flesh wounds being ripped apart, bullet holes, all those wonderful moments that made films enjoyable. I think that grindhouse cinema, and B horror movies like the cult film Evil Dead, is the reason why we all belive in world peace. Some might say we belive in world peace because of organisations that help people like Unicef. And we do, but we also have to have hope, for a better world. This is why we need films like Evil Dead to live on the legacy, that a chainsaw can solve many wonderful problems. This might sound like i am distubred, i probably am, but i am also correct about this issue, just ask Fredrik Strage, music and film critic in Sweden. I recently got my hands on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in a 3 disc blu ray edition, with lots of wonderful extras, a nice book about the filming of this insane sequel. In these days, we do get some really fun horror releases like the really good Deathgasm, that proves that we can still get quality cinema films, just like the good old days. Since it is Halloween this weekend, i decided to end this month with a third horror review, for this popular weekend. Some of you might even know what horror films you are going to watch, since many tv channels take on both horror classics and some new ones. So let´s talk about The Hive. I read a lot of news on the web site Bloodydisgusting, both for their horror reviews, but also to read news about upcoming horror films. This is where i found out about a new upcoming horror film called The Hive, with a unique mix of classic motion picture. Since i am always interested in new films, especially the ones that sound interesting, i just had to take a look to see if this would fit my taste. The cast is not really filled with known actors, but to me that is a good sign, usually they do it better than the big Hollywood names. With a limited theatre release, and on VOD, i got a chance to see it. Is this a new classic among horror films, or is this as predictable as John Hagee´s end of the world predictions ?
Adam ( Ganriel Basso ) wakes up, covered in blood, inside a house where the windows have been nailed in with boards. Adam suffers with amnesia, and can´t remember exactly what happened, why he is here, and what happened to his friends. He begin to have flashbacks, where he suddenly remember small details. But it seems that he can remember other people´s memories also, not only his own. He finds the body of Megan ( Aurelia Prescott ), and continue to have flashbacks, of what happened with him, and why he ended up here. For each memory, Adam is getting closer to finding out the truth, but is it all what it seems, or could there be other explanations ?
The Hive have a very cool design, mixing in influences from australian film Memento and Evil Dead, with some other elements. You might think this is just another horror release, where people are killed and that´s it. Not really, this is a much more intelligent horror film, bringing us something different in this genre. One of the things i like most of all about this film, is how you get to follow what happened in the past, and suddenly switches over to present day, where you need to make sure you follow the story. Director David Yarovesky, is one of the most talented horror films directors today, and he proves himself with this small and interesting film. This is his first feature film as an director, after directing several short films in the past. I both like his visual style, and his way to tell a story, in a none traditional way. The acting is also good, especially from Kathryn Prescott and Gabriel Basso. Their scenes together, at the camp for kids, feels natural and unpreditacble ( for the most part ). I also would like to say that actor Aurelia Prescott does a really good performance as possessed. When the film finally begins to become more brutal, and have clearly borrowed influences from Evil Dead, you can´t help yourself from having a good time. Ok, so if you don´t like when scenes jump backwards and forwards, you might be annoyed by the concept of The Hive. But i actually like the style, and the cinematography, it makes this film unique compared to a lot of horror releases lately. I tried to think about something negative about the film, and the only thing i could come up with was that it should have been even more brutal. The cast is great, and you can tell that director David Yarovesky shows his vision, how to tell a complicated story. There are some cliché moments in a few scenes, but it does not effect the quality of the film itself. The Hive is a pleasent surprise, with some really nice surprises along the way. The reason why i don´t give a higher rating, is because we could have had more gore, since that would have increased the nostalgia feeling of Evil Dead. Still, this is a film you should see, especially because the really cool combination of classics thrown in together, in an intelligent way. One thing is for sure, i am never going to summer camp again. Why ? See the film and you might understand my point.
Rating: DDD
lördag 31 oktober 2015
måndag 26 oktober 2015
Vacation
Saturday Night Live is one of the most legendary tv shows of american history. So many great comedians have been guests at this show, while some comedians stayed as the original line up for the show. Crazy characters, crazy sketches, and of course satire of both media, and politics. We could count in many great names that have been a big part of Saturday Night Live, but let´s talk about one legendary comedian, who changed the 80´s completely. Chevy Chase is one of the biggest comedy icons of my childhood. I loved National Lampoon´s Vacation, including most of the sequels, but his best film is without a doubt the 1985 film called Fletch. This is a really funny comedy, about a journalist, who will be payed lots of money by a millionaire, if he helps to kill him. This may not sound very funny on paper, but trust me, Chevy Chase deliver a really good performance, with some classic characters included. The sequel Fletch Lives, was alright, but not as good as the first film. One of the problems of making great comedy sequels, is to make it as good as the first film, or even better. Chevy Chase continued releasing comedies in the rest of the 80´s, with different results, but he finally choosed to go back to National Lampoon´s Vacation, in the 4th film of the series, called Vegas Vacation. I liked the idea of the Griswalds going to Las Vegas, but the film did not manage to capture the magic as the previous films. I would not blame Chevy Chase for this, or Beverly D´Angelo, simply because they at least tried to portrait the Griswolds, while the film felt uninspired. After many years, when speculations started coming in about a National Lampoon´s Vacation sequel, finally turned out to become reality, i actually got excited. Perhaps because i was hoping that they would keep some of the Griswald feeling, from the classics, into this new adaptation of the crazy family we all grew up with. The difference this time, is that we don´t follow the parents of the first films, this time we follow Russ Griswald, the son of the legendary family, all grown up, with his own family on a road trip to Walley World. The cast looks pretty good, with Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann, Chevy Chase and Beverly D´Angelo. With a new generation of the Griswald family on the road, is this a worthy sequel to the classics we all grew up with, or is this a desperate try to get fans to pay tickets for a waste of your time ?
Russ Griswald ( Ed Helms ) is a proud father and a husband. He remember the glorious days of vacation with his parents, back when he was a young boy. Russ have 2 kids, James Griswald ( Skyler Grisondo ), a very shy but intelligent young man, and his youngest son Kevin Griswald ( Steele Stebbins. Steele is a very noisy and ignorant kid, who loves to make fun of his brother James. Russ is happily married to Debbie Griswald ( Christina Applegate ), and they all live in a peaceful neighbourhood. At a dinner with friends, listening to what their friends are doing on holidays, Debbie feels that their family need to do something together. Russ comes up with the idea, that they all should go to Walley World, where it all started for the Griswald family vacation, many years ago. At first, no one other than Russ thinks this is a good idea. Eventually they all agree to go along on this journey. What seemed to be an ordinary road trip, is about to change their lives completely.
When i heard about the idea, to see Russ Griswald, son of legendary character Clark Griswald, all grown up, travelling to his childhood favourite place Walley World, i found myself pleased. It would have been difficult to make another film based on the characters of Chevy Chase and Beverly D´Angelo all over again, since it was a long time ago, back in 1997. If you remember the fourth film Vegas Vacation, things were not the same anymore. Sure, we had Chevy Chase back and Beverly D´Angelo, but the film itself was not as funny as the previous ones. So when we get to see one of the Griswald kids, all grown up, ready to take his own family to Wally World, you actually have a good time. Really ? Yes, if you like vulgar humour with 2 great comedian actors like Ed Helms and Christina Appelgate, who fit into their characters. One of the best scenes is already in the beginning in the film, when Rusty Griswold explain to everyone, that it would be ok if his son James had a vagina, that it is nothing strange. I really like the youngest son, the annoying little brother Kevin, played by Steele Stebbins. He is rude, don´t respect anyone, and gives this film some really funny scenes along the way. The road trip to Walley World is filled with many different incidents, some are funny, while some feels less interesting. But the National Lampoon feeling from the earlier films is here, perhaps more vulgar than before. Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have tried to make an updated comedy about the Griswalds, with some of the classic elements, with some new twists. I would not say that they have managed to capture the magic of the 3 first films, simply because Chevy Chase and Beverly D´Angelo had a special connection on screen, that can´t be done all over again. I still feel that Ed Helms and Christina Appelgate is a good choice, to continue the legacy of the Griswalds, in today´s society. To bring back a classic franchise this National Lampoon´s Vacation into today´s time period, could have been a disaster. Thankfully it works, for the most part. And i have to say it is because of the cast, and their comedy timing. So what does not work ? There are some scenes where the comedy influences feel a bit stiff, and just thrown in to hopefully make you laugh. But it is the unexpected funny scenes with the little brother Kevin that saves a lot. One scene that i just could not stop laughing at, was when Ed Helms sings the old Seal song Kiss From A Rose. Where he tries to understand why no one in the family remembers the film Batman Forever or Val Kilmer ? Vacation is a funny, and surprisingly functional sequel to the Griswald legacy. Not as good as the classics of course, but if you just want to laugh, and follow this crazy family on a road trip, you are in for a good time. I am actually hoping for a sequel, with the same cast, i have a feeling this family could deliver once more, with the right script and director. I actually feel like going to Walley World, anyone want to tag along ?
Rating: DDD
Russ Griswald ( Ed Helms ) is a proud father and a husband. He remember the glorious days of vacation with his parents, back when he was a young boy. Russ have 2 kids, James Griswald ( Skyler Grisondo ), a very shy but intelligent young man, and his youngest son Kevin Griswald ( Steele Stebbins. Steele is a very noisy and ignorant kid, who loves to make fun of his brother James. Russ is happily married to Debbie Griswald ( Christina Applegate ), and they all live in a peaceful neighbourhood. At a dinner with friends, listening to what their friends are doing on holidays, Debbie feels that their family need to do something together. Russ comes up with the idea, that they all should go to Walley World, where it all started for the Griswald family vacation, many years ago. At first, no one other than Russ thinks this is a good idea. Eventually they all agree to go along on this journey. What seemed to be an ordinary road trip, is about to change their lives completely.
When i heard about the idea, to see Russ Griswald, son of legendary character Clark Griswald, all grown up, travelling to his childhood favourite place Walley World, i found myself pleased. It would have been difficult to make another film based on the characters of Chevy Chase and Beverly D´Angelo all over again, since it was a long time ago, back in 1997. If you remember the fourth film Vegas Vacation, things were not the same anymore. Sure, we had Chevy Chase back and Beverly D´Angelo, but the film itself was not as funny as the previous ones. So when we get to see one of the Griswald kids, all grown up, ready to take his own family to Wally World, you actually have a good time. Really ? Yes, if you like vulgar humour with 2 great comedian actors like Ed Helms and Christina Appelgate, who fit into their characters. One of the best scenes is already in the beginning in the film, when Rusty Griswold explain to everyone, that it would be ok if his son James had a vagina, that it is nothing strange. I really like the youngest son, the annoying little brother Kevin, played by Steele Stebbins. He is rude, don´t respect anyone, and gives this film some really funny scenes along the way. The road trip to Walley World is filled with many different incidents, some are funny, while some feels less interesting. But the National Lampoon feeling from the earlier films is here, perhaps more vulgar than before. Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley have tried to make an updated comedy about the Griswalds, with some of the classic elements, with some new twists. I would not say that they have managed to capture the magic of the 3 first films, simply because Chevy Chase and Beverly D´Angelo had a special connection on screen, that can´t be done all over again. I still feel that Ed Helms and Christina Appelgate is a good choice, to continue the legacy of the Griswalds, in today´s society. To bring back a classic franchise this National Lampoon´s Vacation into today´s time period, could have been a disaster. Thankfully it works, for the most part. And i have to say it is because of the cast, and their comedy timing. So what does not work ? There are some scenes where the comedy influences feel a bit stiff, and just thrown in to hopefully make you laugh. But it is the unexpected funny scenes with the little brother Kevin that saves a lot. One scene that i just could not stop laughing at, was when Ed Helms sings the old Seal song Kiss From A Rose. Where he tries to understand why no one in the family remembers the film Batman Forever or Val Kilmer ? Vacation is a funny, and surprisingly functional sequel to the Griswald legacy. Not as good as the classics of course, but if you just want to laugh, and follow this crazy family on a road trip, you are in for a good time. I am actually hoping for a sequel, with the same cast, i have a feeling this family could deliver once more, with the right script and director. I actually feel like going to Walley World, anyone want to tag along ?
Rating: DDD
torsdag 22 oktober 2015
Hellions
Looks like we are going to continue doing more horror reviews this week, mainly because Halloween is coming up soon. So if anyone know how to make it really cozy, with a big kitchen knife, or an axe, just to get into the right family holiday mood, i am the one to lead the way. Have you bought yourself a pumpkin yet ? Good, now for my advice. If you really want to scare your neighbours, i suggest you put a light hair piece on top of the carved pumpkin, so it looks like Donald Trump. I can guarantee you that no one will dare to enter your property with this infront of your door step. Halloween is of course the weekend where you get to watch all your favourite horror films, or try to watch new releases. I have seen so many horror films over the years, i can honestly say that i enjoy to see some lovely gore, and gallons of blood flying through the air. You kind of feel like being home, while watching this. Yes indeed, all those wonderful grindhouse films made me the heart warming man i am today, and i know that we will have some wonderful releases ahead of us, with all the ingredients we could hope for. One film that i think should be shown every Halloween, is of course Rob Zombies brilliant horror film The Devil´s Rejects. I have seen this film at least 7 times since the release, and it is still as good as it was when it came out. I suggest you also see The House Of 1000 Corpses also, i just love the character Captain Spaulding, really well acted by legendary actor Sid Haig. I hope that we will see Captain Spaulding back again on screen, at some point. His wonderful psychopathic style makes this world a better place indeed. One of the biggest traditions during Halloween is of course when the kids go out to trick or treat. Dressed up in their costumes, hoping to get candy, you never know what people have prepared for gifts. Maybe some fresh fingers ? Or perhaps some teeth after making your own dentist surgery with home tools ? Either way, this is a wonderful time of the year. Speaking of Halloween, there are plenty of horror films coming out these weeks, just in time for the season. Hellions is one of those new films, a film i only happened to stumble upon, while i noticed that actor Robert Patrick is in the cast. Remember him from Terminator 2, Identity Thief, or from the new tv series of From Dusk Till Dawn ? Canadian actor Chloe Rose have been in a few films so far, and i have not seen one of them so far. So this will be interesting. Is Hellions an traditional creepy fun horror film, or is this a waste of your time ?
Dora ( Chloe Rose ) is just an ordinary teenager, who wants to have fun, and get high with her boyfriend Jayce ( Luke Bilyk ). As Dora goes to her doctor, for a check up on her health, she finds out she is four weeks pregnant. She can´t believe that this is true, but she understand that she will have to deal with this situation. At her home, Dora´s mother Kate Vogel ( Rachel Wilson ) and her little brother Remi ( Peter DaCunha ) are preparing to go out and trick or treat. Kate suggest that her daughter should go out and have fun tonight, while they are away. So, she decides to prepare herself for a Halloween party, and ask her boyfriend Jayce to pick her up. Time goes by, Jayce is not showing up. Then suddenly, a strange looking child rings the door bell. Dora give the child some candy, and close the door. Just a moment later, the same strange looking child is back, with another strange friend. Dora think that this is a prank, and ask them to leave. One of the kids touch her belly, as she begins to have a lot of pain. More strange things begin to happen, and more strange looking kids shows up outside. Who are they and what do they want ? Dora decide to arm herself, and try to survive any way she can. Things are about to become worse, and the question is, could there be a reason to why all these strange kids want Dora ?
When you have no expectations at all, thinking that this will probably be another awful straight to dvd release, it is nice to be suprised. Hellions may not be any original, or unique, but as an Halloween horror film, it does manage to give some classic elements, in it´s own way. Some of you might remember the excellent horror film Trick ´R Treat from 2007, with the creepy masked child, that gave the film a disturbing feeling. Hellions use some of those elements also, but of course in a much smaller budget scale. I will say though that the stylish look on the film looks great, especially the cinematography. Director Bruce MacDonald, have directed films in the past before, like the appreciated horror film Pontypool from 2008. His visual style of Hellions is what makes this film a worthy experience, even though you can tell that they had to do the best from their budget. Once the creepy kids ( who looks like a mixture of monsters and kids ), begin attacking, this is where the fun begins. I don´t know why i love to watch evil demonic kids freaking out, i suppose it must be that i feel comfortable to see this, and feel relaxed. Lead actor Chloe Dora manage to do a pretty good performance on her own mostly, and she needs to, considering most of the film scenes are focused on her trying to survive. I also like the scenery with all the pumpkins spread out on the fields, makes the film feel like it´s Halloween. Robert Patrick may not have a lot of screen time, but i do enjoy to see him in a smaller film like this. His presence is always welcome, hopefully we will see him in more films in the future. Hellions is a mixture of traditional Halloween horror, and manage to get a few different details in there, that makes this film worth your time. If you want big budget films, this will definitely not please you. On the other hand, if you do enjoy horror, made to keep traditional horror films alive, without a lot of CGI effects, i suggest you give this film a chance. I might even buy a dvd of Hellions to my sister as a christmas present.....ooops, now she will find out. Oh well, good thing she knows her brother have good taste in films.
Rating: DDD
Dora ( Chloe Rose ) is just an ordinary teenager, who wants to have fun, and get high with her boyfriend Jayce ( Luke Bilyk ). As Dora goes to her doctor, for a check up on her health, she finds out she is four weeks pregnant. She can´t believe that this is true, but she understand that she will have to deal with this situation. At her home, Dora´s mother Kate Vogel ( Rachel Wilson ) and her little brother Remi ( Peter DaCunha ) are preparing to go out and trick or treat. Kate suggest that her daughter should go out and have fun tonight, while they are away. So, she decides to prepare herself for a Halloween party, and ask her boyfriend Jayce to pick her up. Time goes by, Jayce is not showing up. Then suddenly, a strange looking child rings the door bell. Dora give the child some candy, and close the door. Just a moment later, the same strange looking child is back, with another strange friend. Dora think that this is a prank, and ask them to leave. One of the kids touch her belly, as she begins to have a lot of pain. More strange things begin to happen, and more strange looking kids shows up outside. Who are they and what do they want ? Dora decide to arm herself, and try to survive any way she can. Things are about to become worse, and the question is, could there be a reason to why all these strange kids want Dora ?
When you have no expectations at all, thinking that this will probably be another awful straight to dvd release, it is nice to be suprised. Hellions may not be any original, or unique, but as an Halloween horror film, it does manage to give some classic elements, in it´s own way. Some of you might remember the excellent horror film Trick ´R Treat from 2007, with the creepy masked child, that gave the film a disturbing feeling. Hellions use some of those elements also, but of course in a much smaller budget scale. I will say though that the stylish look on the film looks great, especially the cinematography. Director Bruce MacDonald, have directed films in the past before, like the appreciated horror film Pontypool from 2008. His visual style of Hellions is what makes this film a worthy experience, even though you can tell that they had to do the best from their budget. Once the creepy kids ( who looks like a mixture of monsters and kids ), begin attacking, this is where the fun begins. I don´t know why i love to watch evil demonic kids freaking out, i suppose it must be that i feel comfortable to see this, and feel relaxed. Lead actor Chloe Dora manage to do a pretty good performance on her own mostly, and she needs to, considering most of the film scenes are focused on her trying to survive. I also like the scenery with all the pumpkins spread out on the fields, makes the film feel like it´s Halloween. Robert Patrick may not have a lot of screen time, but i do enjoy to see him in a smaller film like this. His presence is always welcome, hopefully we will see him in more films in the future. Hellions is a mixture of traditional Halloween horror, and manage to get a few different details in there, that makes this film worth your time. If you want big budget films, this will definitely not please you. On the other hand, if you do enjoy horror, made to keep traditional horror films alive, without a lot of CGI effects, i suggest you give this film a chance. I might even buy a dvd of Hellions to my sister as a christmas present.....ooops, now she will find out. Oh well, good thing she knows her brother have good taste in films.
Rating: DDD
The Green Inferno
Halloween is getting closer, and you know that means. We get to dress up like our favourite characters, who filled us all with love and happiness for many generations. Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, all those wonderful personalities who made the good old days shine so bright. As time flies by, you understand why you suddenly appreciate the old school slashers, butcher films from the 70´s , 80´s and 90´s. They had so many wonderful ideas, to bring to the big screen. Let´s loose up some limbs, how about some more flesh wounds ? Let´s not forget the classic chainsaw, if something would embrace world peace, it would be to see Leatherface running out in the fields of Texas, fixing the next family meal. Horror films is a very important deal, especially during Halloween weekend. Especially in America, where this is massive. Here in Sweden we do celebrate Halloween also, but we don´t celebrate like we should have done. No demon exorcism rituals, no chopping off heads of withces, you know, those good old traditions that people seem to forget. But thankfully we do have directors who try and bring some of that feeling back. How many of you have seen The Last Exorcism ? A really good horror film, that finally gave the exorcism genre a push up, to a better quality level, than the usual release. I suggest you skip the sequel, simply because the first film showed what an exorcism film should look and sound like. A great film to play on dvd or blu ray this Halloween, or you could go with the classic cult film Halloween, by director John Carpenter from 1976. One of the greatest horror classics at this time of year. I do have another recommendation, if you like B horror films. Have anyone of you seen the low budget horror film Cabin Fever ? A slasher directed by Eli Roth, the man most people know as the director of Hostel, that became successful worldwide. Eli Roth have been involved in many different film projects, mostly as an producer. His passion for B horror movies is very wide, and i listened to him talking about his passion for Cannon Films from the 80´s in an interview. This proves that he does have a good taste of quality. His latest film called The Green Inferno, was supposed to be released a long time ago, but because of problems with finding a distributor, it took longer than expected. Now it is finally out, and i had the chance to see it quite early. Is Eli Roth back in a positive way, bringing back the cannibal genre to the screen, or should he have stayed making another slasher instead ?
Justine ( Lorenzo Izzo ) is a university student, struggling to get through her studies. Her friend and roommate Kaycee ( Sky Ferreira ) makes sure that they both have a good time together. When Justine becomes curious about an social activist group, led by an older student named Alejandro ( Ariel Levy ) and his girlfriend Kara ( Ignacia Allamand ). One of the members of this social activist group, Jonah ( Aaron Burns ), suggest that Justine should join in the group. At first she is not sure, since she does not feel welcome. But Jonah keep trying to convince her, as she finally agree to join. The activist group is planning a trip down to Amazon forest in Peru, to protest against corporations, cutting down trees. As they arrive to their selected location, they begin their protest. It does not go as they planned, and they are taken away from the location by the corporation security. They are forced to travel back home. As their trip back begins, the plane suffer from technical problems, and they eventually crash into the Amazon forest. With only a few survivors, that managed to survive the crash, they begin to find their way into the jungle. Suddenly they are attacked by a tribe, who poison them all with darts. As Justine wakes up, she find herself being taken away in a cannot, as they are heading towards a village. This tribe is hungry for human flesh, and they plan to eat every single one the visitors, unless someone can manage to escape ?
It is not often you see a real cannibal film released in these days. Back in the 70´s and 80´s we had some really classics released, anyone remember Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox ? These were very small budget films, but managed to keep the shock level, by using small important details. We have the cannibal flesh eating tribes, that of course feast on the prisoners, found in the jungle. And we also had the grindhouse feeling wrapped into these films, mixed with classic horror ingredients. The Green Inferno is actually one of the few cannibal films that i have seen released in many years. So for that i will give director Eli Roth some respect, trying to bring back this genre back on the screen. But i would like to bring something up, before we go into the great parts of this film. The acting in the first 40 minutes are really bad. Honestly, the so called peace activist are not good at trying to look like a peace group. They feel more like a gang of friends, who just took these roles, just to get a pay check. When we finally get to the jungle, an the cannibals begin to feed on their flesh, we finally get some acting, especially from the tribe, they actually deliver more than any of the bigger cast. The gore is nice indeed, once the body parts begin to be removed, you can feel that director Eli Roth wanted to try and bring back the feeling of classic cannibal films. As most of you know, Eli Roth is mostly known for Hostel. This film became a classic in many ways, because it included a lot of gore, and brutality. The Green Inferno does deliver some nice gore scenes, but since the first 40 minutes feel uninspired, this film could have been a lot better, if those 40 minutes would have been constructed different. Main actress Lorenza Izzos performance begins pretty lame, but she improve herself, and show that she can act, especially when she and her peace activists are captured as prisoners. Does anyone remember the child actor Daryl Sabara ? If you have seen the Spy Kids films, remember the young boy who was fighting against evil ? Here he is now an adult, trying to do a more serious film role. He is ok, but not much more. The strength of The Green Inferno is definitely the tribe. There are some disturbing scenes here for the weak hearted, but if you like this kind of thing, you might enjoy the brutality. I am disappointed, that this film did not deliver more. The first 40 minutes should have been a lot better. In the end, i still appreciate The Green Inferno for bringing back classic cannibal horror. The gore scenes makes it all worth the wait, but we should have had much more. Still, if you look at the whole picture, this is a disturbing look at a cannibal tribe. And that is the reason why you find yourself enjoying the rest of the film. If you appreciate the earlier films from Eli Roth, don´t expect to see as much gore as Hostel. But give this film a try, even if you might be disappointed.
Rating: DDD
Justine ( Lorenzo Izzo ) is a university student, struggling to get through her studies. Her friend and roommate Kaycee ( Sky Ferreira ) makes sure that they both have a good time together. When Justine becomes curious about an social activist group, led by an older student named Alejandro ( Ariel Levy ) and his girlfriend Kara ( Ignacia Allamand ). One of the members of this social activist group, Jonah ( Aaron Burns ), suggest that Justine should join in the group. At first she is not sure, since she does not feel welcome. But Jonah keep trying to convince her, as she finally agree to join. The activist group is planning a trip down to Amazon forest in Peru, to protest against corporations, cutting down trees. As they arrive to their selected location, they begin their protest. It does not go as they planned, and they are taken away from the location by the corporation security. They are forced to travel back home. As their trip back begins, the plane suffer from technical problems, and they eventually crash into the Amazon forest. With only a few survivors, that managed to survive the crash, they begin to find their way into the jungle. Suddenly they are attacked by a tribe, who poison them all with darts. As Justine wakes up, she find herself being taken away in a cannot, as they are heading towards a village. This tribe is hungry for human flesh, and they plan to eat every single one the visitors, unless someone can manage to escape ?
It is not often you see a real cannibal film released in these days. Back in the 70´s and 80´s we had some really classics released, anyone remember Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox ? These were very small budget films, but managed to keep the shock level, by using small important details. We have the cannibal flesh eating tribes, that of course feast on the prisoners, found in the jungle. And we also had the grindhouse feeling wrapped into these films, mixed with classic horror ingredients. The Green Inferno is actually one of the few cannibal films that i have seen released in many years. So for that i will give director Eli Roth some respect, trying to bring back this genre back on the screen. But i would like to bring something up, before we go into the great parts of this film. The acting in the first 40 minutes are really bad. Honestly, the so called peace activist are not good at trying to look like a peace group. They feel more like a gang of friends, who just took these roles, just to get a pay check. When we finally get to the jungle, an the cannibals begin to feed on their flesh, we finally get some acting, especially from the tribe, they actually deliver more than any of the bigger cast. The gore is nice indeed, once the body parts begin to be removed, you can feel that director Eli Roth wanted to try and bring back the feeling of classic cannibal films. As most of you know, Eli Roth is mostly known for Hostel. This film became a classic in many ways, because it included a lot of gore, and brutality. The Green Inferno does deliver some nice gore scenes, but since the first 40 minutes feel uninspired, this film could have been a lot better, if those 40 minutes would have been constructed different. Main actress Lorenza Izzos performance begins pretty lame, but she improve herself, and show that she can act, especially when she and her peace activists are captured as prisoners. Does anyone remember the child actor Daryl Sabara ? If you have seen the Spy Kids films, remember the young boy who was fighting against evil ? Here he is now an adult, trying to do a more serious film role. He is ok, but not much more. The strength of The Green Inferno is definitely the tribe. There are some disturbing scenes here for the weak hearted, but if you like this kind of thing, you might enjoy the brutality. I am disappointed, that this film did not deliver more. The first 40 minutes should have been a lot better. In the end, i still appreciate The Green Inferno for bringing back classic cannibal horror. The gore scenes makes it all worth the wait, but we should have had much more. Still, if you look at the whole picture, this is a disturbing look at a cannibal tribe. And that is the reason why you find yourself enjoying the rest of the film. If you appreciate the earlier films from Eli Roth, don´t expect to see as much gore as Hostel. But give this film a try, even if you might be disappointed.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 20 oktober 2015
Guess what folks, Victor Lindskog in Sweden is a lucky boy indeed
Howdy folks!
Its your favourite movie review critic of Sweden, here, Daniel - The Swede That Makes No Sense At All. I am just playing some banjo here, hoping for a banjo duel against the norwegians, for some reson they are getting naked....must be something good happening then. I have more reviews coming my way, and one of the reviews i will write towards this weekend is a request review by a young man called Victor Lindskog. For those who does not know who this man is, he is a legend up here in Norrland, fantastic guy indeed. Single also, so ladies worldwide, look him up on Facebook, he will make your wildest dreams come true.
He requested a movie review on the indonesian action film Merantau, so i will write that for him. I have some new film reviews on the way, so be on the look out, grab on to your nuts, this is going to be a great time before October ends, unless the norwegians wins and chain me into a bed. Well, that does not sound too bad after all.
Cheers from Daniel
Its your favourite movie review critic of Sweden, here, Daniel - The Swede That Makes No Sense At All. I am just playing some banjo here, hoping for a banjo duel against the norwegians, for some reson they are getting naked....must be something good happening then. I have more reviews coming my way, and one of the reviews i will write towards this weekend is a request review by a young man called Victor Lindskog. For those who does not know who this man is, he is a legend up here in Norrland, fantastic guy indeed. Single also, so ladies worldwide, look him up on Facebook, he will make your wildest dreams come true.
He requested a movie review on the indonesian action film Merantau, so i will write that for him. I have some new film reviews on the way, so be on the look out, grab on to your nuts, this is going to be a great time before October ends, unless the norwegians wins and chain me into a bed. Well, that does not sound too bad after all.
Cheers from Daniel
söndag 18 oktober 2015
Everest
If someone asks you to go on a snow trip, up in the mountains, on a ski trip, there are only 2 reasons someone would ask you to do this.
1. Satan is behind anything that includes snow tsunamis, snow tornados and snow sharks attacking.
2. Ski vacations was made by Satan, there is nothing good about lots of snow, freezing cold mountains.
This is why i always travel where you have palm trees, beaches, where the sun shines, and hopefully you have some Ron De Jeremy Rum included. If you think about it, why would you want to be on mountains with only snow ? I understand that some adventures people love to climb mountains, seek new experiences, and find new goals. I am not one of them though, i have my own way to find new experiences, especially with a lap dance included. Mountain Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, and there are only a few expeditions that have managed to climb all the way up to the top. Many expeditions have tried to climb all the way, but for different reasons some of them could not continue, especially because of oxygen problems. There is one event that happened in 1996, that many people worldwide will never forget, known as the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The expedition, led by Rob Hall, tried to reach the top on the 10th to 11th of may, where 8 people lost their lives. This horrific tragedy shocked the world, that so many people lost their lives on this journey. I personally only remember some of the headlines in newspaper, i was probably about 18 years old at this time. Could this have been cancelled, could they have predicted that maybe they should not have continued their journey ? We will never know for sure, only the people who knew the expedition members have their own view on this, so i would not want to judge anyone. When it comes to films, there are films that have shown us different stories on Mount Everest, both documentary films and motion pictures. When it comes to the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, i have only seen documentaries about this tragedy. So here we have a new film, based on the disaster, with a great cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Josh Brolin, Kiera Knightley, and many others. Directed by Baltasar Kormakúr, the man who directed action films like Contraband and 2 Guns, decided to make his own version of the story, of what happened up in Mount Everest. With a great cast, and with a director known for making action films, is this a good combination in such a historical event ?
In may, 1996, Rob Hall ( Jason Clarke ), is the leader of Adventure Consultants. He is a well known climber, who decided to lead an expedition, to climb Mount Everest. A team of clients, includes Beck Weathers ( Josh Brolin ), Doug Hansen ( John Hawkes ), Yasuko Namba ( Naoko Mori ) with other mountain climbers, head towards New Zeeland to prepare themselves. Rob Hall inform everyone about the situation, on how they will make this operation work. Rob´s pregnant wife Jan Arnold ( Kiera Knightley ) is waiting at their home, hoping to see her husband return safe, looking forward to become parents. Even though she is worried, considering that he is climbing the largest mountain on Earth, she trust his expedition team, and know that they will look out for each other. As the expedition team arrives, they begin climbing up. A camp with equipment, food and merchandise is set up at a chosen location, so the expedition team can rest, eat and get some sleep, even though the weather condition is not very good. The expedition team continue their journey, but the mission does not goes as planned.
One of the greatest film with this film, if we are talking about the look of the cinematography, is how great the scenery looks. Majestic outtakes, where it really feels like you are on Mount Everest, and follow the expedition on their journey to reach the top of the mountain. We all know what happens, and the tragedy that took 8 lives. But this is an important story to be told, simply because we should remember the people, who lost their lives to reach their goal. The actors tries to give us an image of how these personalities were, while they were still alive. To understand why they wanted to do this, and the passion they had for this expedition, is remarkable. Remember that i mentioned that director Baltasar Kormakúr directed Contraband and 2 Guns ? He does know how to direct action films. But to make a drama film look good, in these conditions where a lot of mountain climbing is included, is definetely different. He does manage to make the scenery look great, and scary in some scenes, when you see the heights. To move from action films, to a more serious film project, proves that he is not afraid to take on a challenge. Several actors do a good job here, especially Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer. The lead role by Jason Clarke, as the expedition leader Rob Hall, also proves that he is good at doing characters in different enviroments. One of the actors i was really surprised to see this good, is Josh Brolin. I have a lot of respect for this man, he is a legend, and have done many great films. This might be one of his best performances in quite some time. So we have great cinematography, and great acting. Is there anything missing ? Everest is both interesting, and well acted, i suppose that some scenes are a bit drawn out, at the same time you understand why. So i don´t really have a lot to complain about. Maybe i would have liked to see more on the character Scott Fischer, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, since you don´t really get to know his personality enough. I would also have liked to learn more on expedition leader Rob Hall, his vision on this expedition and how he felt about the project. Apart from this i would say that Everest is an interesting view, on a horrible tragedy that never should have happened. More expeditions continue to go on, even today, and i know that more people will continue to climb Mount Everest. The 1996 disaster will always be remembered, and proves that no matter how prepared you are, you are never guaranteed to be safe. One thing is for sure after watching Everest, i would never climb any mountain, no matter how much they paid me. The only time i would pass by a mountain is on an airplaine, where you also can get a nice meal and a whiskey, i think i will stick to this instead.
Rating: DDD
1. Satan is behind anything that includes snow tsunamis, snow tornados and snow sharks attacking.
2. Ski vacations was made by Satan, there is nothing good about lots of snow, freezing cold mountains.
This is why i always travel where you have palm trees, beaches, where the sun shines, and hopefully you have some Ron De Jeremy Rum included. If you think about it, why would you want to be on mountains with only snow ? I understand that some adventures people love to climb mountains, seek new experiences, and find new goals. I am not one of them though, i have my own way to find new experiences, especially with a lap dance included. Mountain Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, and there are only a few expeditions that have managed to climb all the way up to the top. Many expeditions have tried to climb all the way, but for different reasons some of them could not continue, especially because of oxygen problems. There is one event that happened in 1996, that many people worldwide will never forget, known as the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The expedition, led by Rob Hall, tried to reach the top on the 10th to 11th of may, where 8 people lost their lives. This horrific tragedy shocked the world, that so many people lost their lives on this journey. I personally only remember some of the headlines in newspaper, i was probably about 18 years old at this time. Could this have been cancelled, could they have predicted that maybe they should not have continued their journey ? We will never know for sure, only the people who knew the expedition members have their own view on this, so i would not want to judge anyone. When it comes to films, there are films that have shown us different stories on Mount Everest, both documentary films and motion pictures. When it comes to the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, i have only seen documentaries about this tragedy. So here we have a new film, based on the disaster, with a great cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, Josh Brolin, Kiera Knightley, and many others. Directed by Baltasar Kormakúr, the man who directed action films like Contraband and 2 Guns, decided to make his own version of the story, of what happened up in Mount Everest. With a great cast, and with a director known for making action films, is this a good combination in such a historical event ?
In may, 1996, Rob Hall ( Jason Clarke ), is the leader of Adventure Consultants. He is a well known climber, who decided to lead an expedition, to climb Mount Everest. A team of clients, includes Beck Weathers ( Josh Brolin ), Doug Hansen ( John Hawkes ), Yasuko Namba ( Naoko Mori ) with other mountain climbers, head towards New Zeeland to prepare themselves. Rob Hall inform everyone about the situation, on how they will make this operation work. Rob´s pregnant wife Jan Arnold ( Kiera Knightley ) is waiting at their home, hoping to see her husband return safe, looking forward to become parents. Even though she is worried, considering that he is climbing the largest mountain on Earth, she trust his expedition team, and know that they will look out for each other. As the expedition team arrives, they begin climbing up. A camp with equipment, food and merchandise is set up at a chosen location, so the expedition team can rest, eat and get some sleep, even though the weather condition is not very good. The expedition team continue their journey, but the mission does not goes as planned.
One of the greatest film with this film, if we are talking about the look of the cinematography, is how great the scenery looks. Majestic outtakes, where it really feels like you are on Mount Everest, and follow the expedition on their journey to reach the top of the mountain. We all know what happens, and the tragedy that took 8 lives. But this is an important story to be told, simply because we should remember the people, who lost their lives to reach their goal. The actors tries to give us an image of how these personalities were, while they were still alive. To understand why they wanted to do this, and the passion they had for this expedition, is remarkable. Remember that i mentioned that director Baltasar Kormakúr directed Contraband and 2 Guns ? He does know how to direct action films. But to make a drama film look good, in these conditions where a lot of mountain climbing is included, is definetely different. He does manage to make the scenery look great, and scary in some scenes, when you see the heights. To move from action films, to a more serious film project, proves that he is not afraid to take on a challenge. Several actors do a good job here, especially Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer. The lead role by Jason Clarke, as the expedition leader Rob Hall, also proves that he is good at doing characters in different enviroments. One of the actors i was really surprised to see this good, is Josh Brolin. I have a lot of respect for this man, he is a legend, and have done many great films. This might be one of his best performances in quite some time. So we have great cinematography, and great acting. Is there anything missing ? Everest is both interesting, and well acted, i suppose that some scenes are a bit drawn out, at the same time you understand why. So i don´t really have a lot to complain about. Maybe i would have liked to see more on the character Scott Fischer, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, since you don´t really get to know his personality enough. I would also have liked to learn more on expedition leader Rob Hall, his vision on this expedition and how he felt about the project. Apart from this i would say that Everest is an interesting view, on a horrible tragedy that never should have happened. More expeditions continue to go on, even today, and i know that more people will continue to climb Mount Everest. The 1996 disaster will always be remembered, and proves that no matter how prepared you are, you are never guaranteed to be safe. One thing is for sure after watching Everest, i would never climb any mountain, no matter how much they paid me. The only time i would pass by a mountain is on an airplaine, where you also can get a nice meal and a whiskey, i think i will stick to this instead.
Rating: DDD
måndag 12 oktober 2015
Pound Of Flesh
The medical industry is big buisness. New medecines, new medical treatmens, alternative methods to help patients get the help they need. Since i work in health care, you hear every year about different treatments, depending on what the diagnose is. I can tell you this, after working almost 17 years in health care, no patient is the same. They may have diagnoses that remind us of something similar, but there are many different versions of one diagnose, so you learn something new. One of the keys that i always bring to the patients i work with, is to have a good sense of humour. I have learned after all these years, that comedy is very important. Also treat every person with respect, no matter if the patient is in a bad mood. You learn to find your own way in health care, and see what you can bring into this important job. Speaking of health care, there are some major problems in many areas. One of those areas are organ donations. A lot of patients need help, and the lists of new patients just keep growing, so what happens when someone takes advantage of this situation ? They make big money, getting kidneys ( as an example ) or any other part of the body, and sell them to anyone who is willing to pay. The big problem with this, is that since this is illegal, anyhything can go wrong. The doctors paid to do the job may make mistakes, or the patient might suffer from major injuries, because of unprofessional surgeons. Just look at Mexico, where this happens all the time. Money talks, and the people who are forced to agree on giving away their organs, only do it for the money. But what if you wake up and find out, someone stole your kidney, and you did not even know about it ? This is something we will experience in this film, with legendary actor Jean - Claude Van Damme. You all know this legend, Van Damme, with his classic films Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Universal Soldier, and many more. Nowdays he continue to release action films, and he still works very hard, to deliver different stories. He might be older, but he is in good shape, and knows that action films is what he is best at doing. Van Damme keep making action films, and it seems that he tries to release different stories, with his classic hard kicking concept that we are all familiar with. Pound Of Flesh is one of the films i got a chance to finally take a look at, a film that was supposed to be released a long time ago. After years of speculation, and when the film was finally going to be released, it finally got distribution to get a worldwide release. I grew up watching all of Van Damme´s classic action films, so of course i had to check if he still can deliver in his own unique way. Is Pound Of Flesh a step into a new direction for this legendary action star, or should he have stayed with his old school usual releases ?
In Manilla, Philippines, Deacon ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) wakes up in an ice cold bathtub, filled with ice. He is weak, and feel very dizzy. He have no idea what happened to him, but he notice that his hotel bed is filled with blood. Once he checks his body in the mirror, he can tell someone made surgery on him. His kidney is stolen, and he finds that someone have left him a note, and some money, for the kidney. Deacon have flashbacks, that he met with a woman in a street alley, and followed her to a bar. He can only remember that they had sex, but everything after that is blurry. Deacon gets a visit from his friend Kung ( Aki Aleong ), who finds out that Deacon´s kidney have been stolen. He promise to help him, to find out who is behind this cruel act. Deacon´s brother George ( John Ralston ) comes to visit Deacon also, and see that his brother is injured badly. George want to help Deacon, while Deacon feel that he can handle this on his own. Things become more complicated, when Deacon and Kung is told that George´s daughter Isabella ( Adele Baughan ) is in need of a new kidney, or she could die from her medical condition. Deacon is determined to find who is guilty, and save his niece as well.
If you were hoping that Van Damme would make the same action film, as he did in the 80´s and 90´s, with mostly just fighting, Pound Of Flesh tries to take on a more serious subject. We do get fighting scenes, and we do get action, but maybe not on the same level as his earlier films. But i personally think that is a good sign, that Jean-Claude want to make more dramatic films nowdays. He does not need to prove to the world that he is a legendary action star, he also want to show us a different side of him. Is he a good actor ? I would not say that he is, but since he knows how to combine martial arts with action, he does not need to be Oscar nominated, because he knows he can deliver in this genre. Not that long ago, i watched Skin Trade with Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa, taking on the serious subject of how women are sold as objects. Pound Of Flesh also take on a serious subject, but choose a different path. In this case, where organs are sold for money, it feels that the subject is important to bring up. This happens everyday, worldwide. Money talks, human lives does not matter as much as the dollar bill. Director Ernie Barbarash have directed several action films before, even directing two other Van Damme film called Six Bullets and Assassination Games. I have seen these films as i mentioned here, and i would have to say that Assassination Games was fun. A straight hard hitting action film with both Van Damme and Scott Adkins, both being assassins. Pound Of Flesh is definetely a more serious attempt to lift up a different story. Does the concept work ? For the most part yes. The only problem i have here with Pound Of Flesh is a few scenes, where you can tell they used green screens, and it looks too obvious. Once the action kicks in, we finally get the medecine dose we all deserved. One of the best performances in this film, is actually John Ralston. His character feels natural, and gives this film a deeper meaning. The illegal organ industry is only shown a glimpse of here, and i think that they should have showed a bit more, since the film is supposed to be about a man who lost his kidney. Apart from this, Pound Of Flesh does deliver, as an action film. The dialogue is not very important, so what really matters is the revenge story. Nothing unique, or surprising, but as an action film, Pound of Flesh get the message straight, never mess with a pissed off belgian muscle man.
Rating: DDD
In Manilla, Philippines, Deacon ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) wakes up in an ice cold bathtub, filled with ice. He is weak, and feel very dizzy. He have no idea what happened to him, but he notice that his hotel bed is filled with blood. Once he checks his body in the mirror, he can tell someone made surgery on him. His kidney is stolen, and he finds that someone have left him a note, and some money, for the kidney. Deacon have flashbacks, that he met with a woman in a street alley, and followed her to a bar. He can only remember that they had sex, but everything after that is blurry. Deacon gets a visit from his friend Kung ( Aki Aleong ), who finds out that Deacon´s kidney have been stolen. He promise to help him, to find out who is behind this cruel act. Deacon´s brother George ( John Ralston ) comes to visit Deacon also, and see that his brother is injured badly. George want to help Deacon, while Deacon feel that he can handle this on his own. Things become more complicated, when Deacon and Kung is told that George´s daughter Isabella ( Adele Baughan ) is in need of a new kidney, or she could die from her medical condition. Deacon is determined to find who is guilty, and save his niece as well.
If you were hoping that Van Damme would make the same action film, as he did in the 80´s and 90´s, with mostly just fighting, Pound Of Flesh tries to take on a more serious subject. We do get fighting scenes, and we do get action, but maybe not on the same level as his earlier films. But i personally think that is a good sign, that Jean-Claude want to make more dramatic films nowdays. He does not need to prove to the world that he is a legendary action star, he also want to show us a different side of him. Is he a good actor ? I would not say that he is, but since he knows how to combine martial arts with action, he does not need to be Oscar nominated, because he knows he can deliver in this genre. Not that long ago, i watched Skin Trade with Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa, taking on the serious subject of how women are sold as objects. Pound Of Flesh also take on a serious subject, but choose a different path. In this case, where organs are sold for money, it feels that the subject is important to bring up. This happens everyday, worldwide. Money talks, human lives does not matter as much as the dollar bill. Director Ernie Barbarash have directed several action films before, even directing two other Van Damme film called Six Bullets and Assassination Games. I have seen these films as i mentioned here, and i would have to say that Assassination Games was fun. A straight hard hitting action film with both Van Damme and Scott Adkins, both being assassins. Pound Of Flesh is definetely a more serious attempt to lift up a different story. Does the concept work ? For the most part yes. The only problem i have here with Pound Of Flesh is a few scenes, where you can tell they used green screens, and it looks too obvious. Once the action kicks in, we finally get the medecine dose we all deserved. One of the best performances in this film, is actually John Ralston. His character feels natural, and gives this film a deeper meaning. The illegal organ industry is only shown a glimpse of here, and i think that they should have showed a bit more, since the film is supposed to be about a man who lost his kidney. Apart from this, Pound Of Flesh does deliver, as an action film. The dialogue is not very important, so what really matters is the revenge story. Nothing unique, or surprising, but as an action film, Pound of Flesh get the message straight, never mess with a pissed off belgian muscle man.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 7 oktober 2015
Deathgasm
In the year of 1997, Sweden finally got a film that was worth to be proud of. It was a small budget film, but made with so much passion for B movies, that it was the greatest swedish film ever made. The film is called Evil Ed, about a man who works with censoring films, who becomes completely insane when he watches horror gore films. It should have been the biggest hit of that year, but critics hated the film, and not many cinemas did not show it. Since i bought on VHS, and later on dvd, i have watched it at least 20 times over the years. Plenty of great films have been released ever since then, from all over Europe, and America of course. But i have to say, Evil Ed is still close to my heart, even today. This film had everything you want when it comes to romance, you get loose limbs, body parts, lots of blood, ass kicking characters, all those wonderful details we used to see on TV4 on Kär Och Galen, with Lotta Engberg. Since i am a big fan of the B movie world, and appreciate directors who dare to try different genres and mix them together, i try and check out new releases that looks lovely. Not that long ago i watched Bloodsucking Bastards, a really funny tribute to the 80´s, or the 90´s, depending on how you see on the content. Since i am a big fan of metal music, i love to see films combined with metal and body parts flying, it is a combination that makes more sense, than Kim Davis lying about having a private meeting with the pope. I still don´t understand how anyone can belive this insane woman. Since i love new B movies, especially if they seem to have many nice ingredients included, i became interested in a new film called Deathgasm. The trailer looked insane, just the way you like it, almost like a tribute to the film First Daughter, with Katie Holmes. Once the reviews started coming in, i knew that the signs were looking good, so when Deathgasm finally had premiere on VOD, i was hooked up to experience what this could be. Is this the perfect reason to why Valentine´s Day exist, or is this an idea that could have been made much better ?
Brodie ( Milo Cawthorne ) is a metalhead, who is forced to move, when his mother is locked up in a mental institution. Brodie moves in to live with his fundamentalist christian Uncle Albert ( Colin Moy ) and Aunt Mary ( Jodie Rimmer ), and their son David ( Nick Hoskins-Smith ) who hates Brodie. At school, Brodie spend his time with his friends Giles ( Daniel Cresswell ) and Dion ( Sam Berkley ). Brodie have a crush on the school beauty Medina ( Kimberley Crossman ), but since she is with David, it seems impossible for Brodie to see her. At a record store, Brodie meets another metalhead Zakk ( James Blake ), and they become friends right away. In fact, they all start a band together, named Deathgasm. Zakk have an idea, that he and Brodie should visit an old house, where they found legendary musician Rikki Daggers ( Stephen Ure ) who lives there. Rikki give the boys old papers, that is supposed to have magical sheet music. Not sure what to think about this, they decide to try and learn the notes, playing in Uncle Albert´s garage. It turns out that these notes can bring a demon to life. At school a lot of strange things are happening, and more people are becoming possessed. Brodie must find a way to destroy the demon, and make everything to normal again.
You know, there are not many great family movies out there in these days. Remember when you used to gather your parents, grand parents and watch Evil Dead or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to make sure you had a cozy loving moment ? In these days a lot of films are just simply typical mainstream releases, except for a few exceptions. Now, Deathgasm have everything you could wish for, especially if you love a cup of tea, and a biscuit in the afternoon, at the local poetry club. This is the most intelligent film of the year so far, just look at what we have here. Satanism, gore, blood, metal music, demons, all the basics that a family films need to be a worthy Kim Davis experience. The editing looks fantastic, the special effects are simply wonderful, the acting is Oscar nominations guaranteed. The story itself may not be very important, but it is the message of Deathgasm that matters.
Metal is what life is all about, swedish dansband music must burn in hell for eternity.
Great, now that we all know that, let´s continue with this wonderful review.
Deathgasm might be the most insane film experience this year, when it comes to insanity. And i have to see that as a good healthy sign. There are plenty of scenes where you will laugh plenty, if you are in the right mood. Director Jason Lei Howden have directed 3 short films in the past, and worked on many big budget films with visual effects. Deathgasm is his debut feature film. and i am really impressed how well he have managed to make this film look so good. Since this film was made in New Zealand, you get the sense that he might be inspired by Peter Jackson´s earlier classic films ? Could be, either way i like what i see. Lead actors Milo Cawthorne and James Blake are really good as the insane metal heads, ready to fight against the evil of Satan.
Not that long ago, Australia delivered really well with Wyrmwood, now it is New Zealand´s turn with Deathgasm, the future might look better than i expected if they continue to make quality films on this level. Deathgasm is a mix of Napoleon Dynamite, Evil Ed, Braindead, and let´s not forget Evil Dead, icluding classic metal videos. There are other influences here also, but what really matters is the odd combinations, that work so well together. This is one of the funniest film i have seen this year, no doubt about that. Since i have been a metal fan since the early 90´s, i appreciate this formula even more now, and i am turning 40 years old in just 2 years. This proves that you are never too old for metal, it is the best medicine ever created for everyone. If you love insane films, with all the ingredients that Feministpartiet would usually mix together at the christmas dinner, you are going to love what you see in this film. Watch Deathgasm on VOD, get your metal t shirt on, and get ready to headbang all night long. This is what life is all about.
Rating: DDDD
Brodie ( Milo Cawthorne ) is a metalhead, who is forced to move, when his mother is locked up in a mental institution. Brodie moves in to live with his fundamentalist christian Uncle Albert ( Colin Moy ) and Aunt Mary ( Jodie Rimmer ), and their son David ( Nick Hoskins-Smith ) who hates Brodie. At school, Brodie spend his time with his friends Giles ( Daniel Cresswell ) and Dion ( Sam Berkley ). Brodie have a crush on the school beauty Medina ( Kimberley Crossman ), but since she is with David, it seems impossible for Brodie to see her. At a record store, Brodie meets another metalhead Zakk ( James Blake ), and they become friends right away. In fact, they all start a band together, named Deathgasm. Zakk have an idea, that he and Brodie should visit an old house, where they found legendary musician Rikki Daggers ( Stephen Ure ) who lives there. Rikki give the boys old papers, that is supposed to have magical sheet music. Not sure what to think about this, they decide to try and learn the notes, playing in Uncle Albert´s garage. It turns out that these notes can bring a demon to life. At school a lot of strange things are happening, and more people are becoming possessed. Brodie must find a way to destroy the demon, and make everything to normal again.
You know, there are not many great family movies out there in these days. Remember when you used to gather your parents, grand parents and watch Evil Dead or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to make sure you had a cozy loving moment ? In these days a lot of films are just simply typical mainstream releases, except for a few exceptions. Now, Deathgasm have everything you could wish for, especially if you love a cup of tea, and a biscuit in the afternoon, at the local poetry club. This is the most intelligent film of the year so far, just look at what we have here. Satanism, gore, blood, metal music, demons, all the basics that a family films need to be a worthy Kim Davis experience. The editing looks fantastic, the special effects are simply wonderful, the acting is Oscar nominations guaranteed. The story itself may not be very important, but it is the message of Deathgasm that matters.
Metal is what life is all about, swedish dansband music must burn in hell for eternity.
Great, now that we all know that, let´s continue with this wonderful review.
Deathgasm might be the most insane film experience this year, when it comes to insanity. And i have to see that as a good healthy sign. There are plenty of scenes where you will laugh plenty, if you are in the right mood. Director Jason Lei Howden have directed 3 short films in the past, and worked on many big budget films with visual effects. Deathgasm is his debut feature film. and i am really impressed how well he have managed to make this film look so good. Since this film was made in New Zealand, you get the sense that he might be inspired by Peter Jackson´s earlier classic films ? Could be, either way i like what i see. Lead actors Milo Cawthorne and James Blake are really good as the insane metal heads, ready to fight against the evil of Satan.
Not that long ago, Australia delivered really well with Wyrmwood, now it is New Zealand´s turn with Deathgasm, the future might look better than i expected if they continue to make quality films on this level. Deathgasm is a mix of Napoleon Dynamite, Evil Ed, Braindead, and let´s not forget Evil Dead, icluding classic metal videos. There are other influences here also, but what really matters is the odd combinations, that work so well together. This is one of the funniest film i have seen this year, no doubt about that. Since i have been a metal fan since the early 90´s, i appreciate this formula even more now, and i am turning 40 years old in just 2 years. This proves that you are never too old for metal, it is the best medicine ever created for everyone. If you love insane films, with all the ingredients that Feministpartiet would usually mix together at the christmas dinner, you are going to love what you see in this film. Watch Deathgasm on VOD, get your metal t shirt on, and get ready to headbang all night long. This is what life is all about.
Rating: DDDD
söndag 4 oktober 2015
Cop Car
I have always felt that i like actors who dare to make smaller films, instead of big budget films, simply because smaller films usually end up better than the mainstream films. We have seen plenty of proof of that. One of the films i like to go back and talk about is of course The Place Beyond The Pines. On a budget of only 15 million dollars, it had a great cast of Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Ray Liotta ( doing one of his best performances for many years in this film ). This is one of those films you have to own on blu ray, or dvd, as long as you have your own copy at home. It is not very often you see powerful films on the level as this one. So, speaking on smaller films, many films deliver much more quality, because the directors show that you can make something great, even if the budget is small. One film that not many people have seen, that was made thanks to fans of Kickstarter, is a small film called Blue Ruin. A film that really took me by surprise, being so emotional and honest. Director Jeremy Saulnier should have had his film shown in cinemas worldwide, because it was that good. I suggest you go out and buy this film also, support quality films on this level. One actor that have tried both big box office hits, and smaller films, is in many ways a legend. Kevin Bacon have been in motion pictures for so many years, he have proved himself to be an actor why dares to go into all genres. One of my personal favourite films with Kevin Bacon, is the 2004 film called The Woodsman. A story about a man, with an ordinary job, trying to live an ordinary life after coming out from prison. Until his secret comes out that he is a pedophile, and all hell breaks loose. This film is so good, that you won´t be able to stop watching it, and Kevin Bacon is absolutely brilliant. There are other really good films that would be worth to mention, but the list is long so i have chosen to cut it down a bit. Have you seen Frost/Nixon, based on the Richard Nixon interview that shocked the entire world ? This is one of those films i simply love, with some fantastic acting, especially from Michael Sheen ,Frank Langella and Kevin Bacon. You might have watched the great tv series The Following lately, where Kevin Bacon is out for a serial killer ? Worth a watch, but i was more interested in seeing a smaller new film, with Kevin Bacon, that was praised by critics earlier this year at festivals. Cop Car is a new thriller, directed by Jon Watts, who directed the really scary film Clown ( where Eli Roth is one of the producers ). I was surprised to see he changed genre completely, but became curious to see if this combination would be something special. Is Cop Car a future classic independent film, or does it look better than what it really is ?
Best friends Travis ( James Freedson-Jackson ) and Harrison ( Hays Wellford ) are out on the fields playing, trying to keep themselves busy. Suddenly, down over a hill, they spot a cop car. As they get closer, no one seems to be around, so they come up with an idea. They will pretend to be real cops. They find the keys, and find out how to drive. Sheriff Kretzer ( Kevin Bacon ) recently dumped a body on a secret location, and discover his car his gone. He calls in just to try and save himself, telling the office that the radio is busted. The boys manage to find the highway and begin their journey. What they don´t know is that there is a man, tied up in the car trunk. Sheriff Kretzer is determined to get his car back, hoping that no other police officers notice the stolen cop car. What seemed to be an ordinary day, is about to change these peoples lives.
Finally, we got ourselves a really good film here. Since this summer had some pretty lame releases, i am happy to say that Cop Car is a really nice surprise. This may be a very simple film, but the acting here makes it all worth it. Kevin Bacon as the Sheriff Kretzer, is absolutely brilliant. This might actually be his best performance since Frost/Nixon, where he was really good as Jack Brennan. The young boys played by James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford, makes a lot of child actors look amateur. These boys prove that children can be really good infront of the camera, and they make their characters feel realistic. One detail i really enjoy about Cop Car, is how simple details makes the film feel majestic. Just look at the locations, it is just like being in Fargo with the Cohen brothers, but except for all the snow, and perhaps not as crazy characters. I would not go and say that Cop Car reminds me of The Cohen Brothers style completely, that is not true. But the atmosphere reminds me of their tone, using the middle class american families in centre, instead of the typical chliché stereotypes. Director Jon Watts directed a surprisingly good horror film called Clown, with Eli Roth as one of the producers. That film was a throwback to classic horror films of the 80´s. Cop Car is definitely something else, being a much more serious film. I would say that this is without a doubt the best film so far from director Jon Watts. Cop Car proves that a limited budget can sometimes give more quality, than a 150 million dollar budget film, with only CGI effects. We need effective stories to be told, and independent films are very important to keep being made. Where most big budget films rely on just bringing entertainment, Cop Car rely on a good story, as well as acting much better than the usual cinema release. We have all been young, and know that we took risks, in many different ways. It is a part of life where you learn to grow up, and take responsibility. Following these young boys trying to solve the choices they make, is both very intriguing and fascinating. Where do you draw the line? How far can you go before it is too late ? If you love intelligent films, in a smaller format, Cop Car will definitely have you hooked up from the beginning, to the end. I am very surprised that this film is not screened worldwide since the release, but you can get it on blu ray and dvd this fall, so i suggest you buy yourself a copy, show support of smaller films. Cop Car is one of the better films this year, you just simply have to see it.
Rating: DDDD
Best friends Travis ( James Freedson-Jackson ) and Harrison ( Hays Wellford ) are out on the fields playing, trying to keep themselves busy. Suddenly, down over a hill, they spot a cop car. As they get closer, no one seems to be around, so they come up with an idea. They will pretend to be real cops. They find the keys, and find out how to drive. Sheriff Kretzer ( Kevin Bacon ) recently dumped a body on a secret location, and discover his car his gone. He calls in just to try and save himself, telling the office that the radio is busted. The boys manage to find the highway and begin their journey. What they don´t know is that there is a man, tied up in the car trunk. Sheriff Kretzer is determined to get his car back, hoping that no other police officers notice the stolen cop car. What seemed to be an ordinary day, is about to change these peoples lives.
Finally, we got ourselves a really good film here. Since this summer had some pretty lame releases, i am happy to say that Cop Car is a really nice surprise. This may be a very simple film, but the acting here makes it all worth it. Kevin Bacon as the Sheriff Kretzer, is absolutely brilliant. This might actually be his best performance since Frost/Nixon, where he was really good as Jack Brennan. The young boys played by James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford, makes a lot of child actors look amateur. These boys prove that children can be really good infront of the camera, and they make their characters feel realistic. One detail i really enjoy about Cop Car, is how simple details makes the film feel majestic. Just look at the locations, it is just like being in Fargo with the Cohen brothers, but except for all the snow, and perhaps not as crazy characters. I would not go and say that Cop Car reminds me of The Cohen Brothers style completely, that is not true. But the atmosphere reminds me of their tone, using the middle class american families in centre, instead of the typical chliché stereotypes. Director Jon Watts directed a surprisingly good horror film called Clown, with Eli Roth as one of the producers. That film was a throwback to classic horror films of the 80´s. Cop Car is definitely something else, being a much more serious film. I would say that this is without a doubt the best film so far from director Jon Watts. Cop Car proves that a limited budget can sometimes give more quality, than a 150 million dollar budget film, with only CGI effects. We need effective stories to be told, and independent films are very important to keep being made. Where most big budget films rely on just bringing entertainment, Cop Car rely on a good story, as well as acting much better than the usual cinema release. We have all been young, and know that we took risks, in many different ways. It is a part of life where you learn to grow up, and take responsibility. Following these young boys trying to solve the choices they make, is both very intriguing and fascinating. Where do you draw the line? How far can you go before it is too late ? If you love intelligent films, in a smaller format, Cop Car will definitely have you hooked up from the beginning, to the end. I am very surprised that this film is not screened worldwide since the release, but you can get it on blu ray and dvd this fall, so i suggest you buy yourself a copy, show support of smaller films. Cop Car is one of the better films this year, you just simply have to see it.
Rating: DDDD
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