I belive that demons exist. I have actually seen them myself.
Underneath my bed ?
In the dark night outside ?
At the V86 Studio on TV4 ?
Actually, they are everywhere, especially with the dansband tours of Lasse Stefanz, Drifters, Per-Håkans. So what are they called ? I have a name for them myself. I call them The Dansband Demons. So what do they want ? They want to convert you to love dansband, so they are extremely dangerous. I once got caught by one of them, while Streaplers were playing live. I had to fight my way out, thanks to the magic sword of Laila Bagge . So if you are reading this Laila Bagge, thank you for saving my life. This has become a major problem in Sweden, and there are many converted swedes who seems to enjoy Dansband. So i go out and preach, all over the world, to let people know that they need to be careful. You never know when The Dansband Demons shows up, once they catch you, it is possible you will never be the same again. Speaking of demons, there are plenty of great motion pictures where we have experienced demons in action. One of the greatest classics is of course The Exorcist from 1973. If you have not seen this classic horror film yet, you seriously need to see it. Who does not want to see Max Von Sydow fight the demon inside Linda Blair ? I have probably seen this film over 10 times, since my childhood, and it still feels as good as the first time i saw it. Classic horror films are still today much better than most fresh horror films, that comes out every year. Why is that ? I think a lot of horror directors back in the old days of horror, had so many ideas that were filled with passion. In todays horror films, you really don´t feel much passion in all the remakes, prequels, unless you have a director who want to deliver quality. And something did happen in the horror genre, when director James Wan released his film Saw, back in 2004. Saw was a horror film that both looked great, had a great concept and proved that horror films could still deliver. We don´t need to go into the sequels, so let´s just move forward instead. James Wan kept working in the horror genre, and delivered more films. Especially one film called Insidious. A film that managed to stand on its own, because director James Wan knew how to build his image of fear. 2 more sequels were made, where James Wan only directed the second film. Not as good as the first Insidious film, but had some good moments. I would say that it was in the 2013 film called The Conjuring, where director James Wan, really proved why he is one of the most talented horror film directors in many years. This film is damn good, and one of the few films that get thecombination right of classic horror ingredients. If you have not seen it, you have to get out there and buy the blu ray. A film perfect to enjoy in crystal clear picture and great sound system. So here we are with a sequel to the really good first film. My expecations have of course been high, ever since i heard a sequel was coming. Is this as good as the first film, or should they have skipped making a sequel completely ?
In 1976, Lorraine Warren ( Vera Farmiga ) and Ed Warren ( Patrick Wilson ) are documenting the Amityville murders at the Amityville house. They are trying to determine if a demonic presence was responsible for Ronald DeFeo Jr mass murdering his family. During a seance, Lorraine is drawn into a vision, where she sees the murders, and also discover a demonic nun figure. Ed manage to wake her up, as this seance proved to affect Lorraine emotionally. A year later, in London, England, Peggy Hodson ( Frances O´Connor ) and her children experience horrific experiences in their home, as if their house is haunted by something evil. Lorraine and Ed are contacted, to travel to England to help the family. Can they do anything to stop this evil, or is this too much to handle for the Warrens ?
For those who might have seen the previous film of director James Wan, you know he can handle the horror genre. The Conjuring was one of his most strongest horror film releases, and he proved himself to be much better at delivering quality horror films. The first film had both really good acting, really creepy atmosphere, and you also knew that it was based on a real case. The cases of Lorraine Warren and Ed Warren are known worldwide, ever since they became famous for trying to help people as paranormal investigators. So to choose James Wan as the director to The Conjuring was simply perfect, no one knows horror films better than this man. The acting from Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, proved also to be a perfect combination. Since these legendary paranormal investigators have helped a lot of people, i was not suprised to hear that a sequel is coming. I was pleased though that James Wan was returning to direct this sequel, and that Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson was also coming back in their lead roles. This time we get to see a different case, that took place in London. Knowing that this is supposed to have happened, makes the case more interesting. Instead of comparing the first film, to this sequel, i would like to tell you that i am very pleased. The Conjuring 2 manage to give you that feeling, not knowing whats going to happen, and even i jumped in the cinema seat a couple of times. Especially because of The Nun. I won´t go into her that much, but be prepared to be frightened. Instead of using ordinary jump scares, director James Wan use his classic elements this time around, and try to make some unexpected turns along the way. The cinematography by Don Burgess looks really good, and fits really well with the style of director James Wan. Actor Frances O´Connor as the single mother Peggy, also shows her acting abilities. I am not sure how much of this case is actually true of what happened in London, but i can tell you, it feels fascinating to find out every possible detail. Another detail i enjoyed about The Conjuring 2 , is how well James Wan manage to capture the look of the 70´s. Both in clothing styles, but also hair cuts and the british middle class life. For us who grew up in the late 70´s, remember that England had hard times with political issues and job problems. We might not get to see much of this here, but i still feel that you can sense how the british people tried to deal with ordinary day life. The biggest strength of The Conjuring 2 is that you will be scared, and i really mean that. You might even pee in your pants, or jump across the cinema floor. This is the way you want a horror film to be, and director James Wan is the man who knows how to make it work. One thing is for sure, next time i meet a nun, i am running straight to Frälsningsarmén. At least you know you will be safe there, or is that true ?
Rating: DDDD
torsdag 30 juni 2016
Warcraft
I have always been a video game fan, as long as i can remember. I still remember when my father bought the first Nintendo, with Super Mario Bros and Ice Climber, in the early 80´s. I did manage to make a collection of games, with different genres. My childhood friends got Sega Megadrive and Super Nintendo, so we would play for hours, especially the brutal games. My friend Anders used to buy so many games to Super Nintendo, that i did not have to buy any myself, i could just play in his room, until i barely could hold my eyes open. As time went bye we saw the first Playstation coming out, and video games got a completely different meaning. The graphics were cool, the games were even more brutal. Of course you would tell the difference, playing video games on PC, compared to Playstation. I never bought myself a Playstation 2, but decided to get PS3 instead, and perhaps that was not a bad choice after all. I still play some really cool video games on there. One of my personal favourite games on PS3 is Heavy Rain, a very unique game, that should be bought to your home. Do some of you remember some of the video games, made into film adaptations ? Let´s forget about Super Mario Bros with Bob Hoskins, from 1993. That film was a total disaster. I would like to say that Mortal Kombat, the film adaptation released in 1995 was at least a good try to capture the feeling of the video game. The sequels.....well. let´s just say they were bad as Left Behind with Nicolas Cage. I do think some of the Resident Evil films are fun, for being made from the video games. Perhaps because Milla Jovovich was a great choice to play Alice. Let´s take a look back at one release, perhaps some of you remember a game called World Of Warcraft ? The game, first released in 2004, became one of the most successfull video games worldwide. People all across the world would turn out to be playing, through different characters, and the fanbase grew faster than the career of Chrstian Slater´s latest films. In recent years, i have not played every single release of the game, not the expansion packs either. As i first got a chance to see the trailer, on the new upcoming Warcraft film, i got a bit curious. Not that i know much at all about these games, i would probably be the wrong guy to write a review on the movie adaptation. But honestly, it might be good to go into a film, with an open mind. Before the film got a release on theatres worldwide, i could hear people being skeptical. I still wanted to see if i might be suprised, and bought myself a ticket. Is this film adaptation much better than expected, or is it just as boring as many other films based on video games ?
In the homeworld of the orcs, known as Draenor, is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. Gul´dan ( Daniel Wu ), an orc warlock, unites the orc clans and forms the Horde. A portal to the world of Azeroth is created. To make the portal function, Gul´dan sacrifice prisoners from Azeroth, in order to make sure that the portal remains open. Gul´dan gather a warband, to prepare them to go through the portal, and attack humans. Durotan ( Toby Kebbell ) , the chieftain of the Frostwold Clan, agree to go with the warband into the portal to Azeroth, with his pregnant mate Draka ( Anna Galvin ). As they cross the portal, Draka goes into labor. Gul´dan assists Draka with giving birth, but the baby is stillborn. Gul´dran drains the life out of a deer, to make the baby come back to life. Duraton names his baby Goél. In the world of Azeroth, orcs raids several settlements, as they intent to crush their enemies. Anduin Lothar ( Travis Fimmel ), military commander of the human forces of Stormwind Kingdom, looks over some of the dead bodies and find tresspassing mage Khadgar ( Ben Schnetzer ). Khadgar eplains that he was investigating the dead bodies, where he have found traces of fel magic. To explore these traces of fel magic, Anduin, Khadgar and Medivh joins a scouting team. Durotan begins to understand that Gul´dan might have other plans than he expected, and begin to view the situation differently. Are the humans really the biggest threat ?
As most of us know, making a film based on a video game is not an easy task. You have to try and find a balance, where you capture some of the feeling, and looks of the video game. Most films have not managed to capture that feeling, except for a few films. One of the films i feel did manage to capture some of the feeling of the video game, is the film Silent Hill. Even if the film did not have enough of material, to make feel like the Silent Hill games, i felt that director Christopher Gans managed to find a way to make the film work. When i first heard that there was going to be a film, based on the video game Warcraft, i was not sure what to think. Since i have not played this game a lot, i only knew some details about the world of Warcraft. I would guess that most fans of the games, who know much more than me about the characters, and the different locations, might be more excited to see if this would be a well made film adaptation. There are some good news, and some bad news. Let´s start with the good first. This is actually not an awful film, based on the video game. In fact, i see some nice suprises here. The CGI made warriors look pretty cool, especially when they fight on the battlefield. We also see some battle scenes that feels pretty cool to watch. The acting may not be very good, at certain points, but i have seen a lot worse in other movie adaptations of video games. I also enjoy the conflicts between humans and orcs. So let´s get to the problems. The dramatic scenes feels less interesting, and i can´t feel emotional for any reason. I am not going to go into certain details, but you will probably understand my point if you see this film. Another problem is the acting from some of the human actors. I don´t feel that some of them tried hard enough, to make their characters interesting. It is almost like some of them just wanted to look good , as they protect their loved ones. So does this film manage to deliver enough entertainmnent after all ? I would say yes, but mostly because i enjoy big battle scenes. In a film like this, you need to make sure you have action scenes, that looks good enough for both video games fans, and fans of sci fi fantasy action films. Director Duncan Jones may be mostly known for his films Moon, and Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal. That he choosed to make a film like this, really suprised me. But i feel that he actually managed to capture some of the feeling of the Warcraft games. Since i am no expert on the games, i realise that some fans may not agree on this, and that´s ok. I think you should see this film for what it is, an action fantasy film made for video game nerds. Does this film have problems ? Yes, but honestly, how many films based on video games are perfect ? If they decide to make a sequel, they could make details much better, but for a first film, i still feel that this is a pretty good start. I got to go now, orcs are messing up my garden again with their mighty swords, i better call Gordon Klingenschmitt and make him scare them away.
Rating: DDD
In the homeworld of the orcs, known as Draenor, is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. Gul´dan ( Daniel Wu ), an orc warlock, unites the orc clans and forms the Horde. A portal to the world of Azeroth is created. To make the portal function, Gul´dan sacrifice prisoners from Azeroth, in order to make sure that the portal remains open. Gul´dan gather a warband, to prepare them to go through the portal, and attack humans. Durotan ( Toby Kebbell ) , the chieftain of the Frostwold Clan, agree to go with the warband into the portal to Azeroth, with his pregnant mate Draka ( Anna Galvin ). As they cross the portal, Draka goes into labor. Gul´dan assists Draka with giving birth, but the baby is stillborn. Gul´dran drains the life out of a deer, to make the baby come back to life. Duraton names his baby Goél. In the world of Azeroth, orcs raids several settlements, as they intent to crush their enemies. Anduin Lothar ( Travis Fimmel ), military commander of the human forces of Stormwind Kingdom, looks over some of the dead bodies and find tresspassing mage Khadgar ( Ben Schnetzer ). Khadgar eplains that he was investigating the dead bodies, where he have found traces of fel magic. To explore these traces of fel magic, Anduin, Khadgar and Medivh joins a scouting team. Durotan begins to understand that Gul´dan might have other plans than he expected, and begin to view the situation differently. Are the humans really the biggest threat ?
As most of us know, making a film based on a video game is not an easy task. You have to try and find a balance, where you capture some of the feeling, and looks of the video game. Most films have not managed to capture that feeling, except for a few films. One of the films i feel did manage to capture some of the feeling of the video game, is the film Silent Hill. Even if the film did not have enough of material, to make feel like the Silent Hill games, i felt that director Christopher Gans managed to find a way to make the film work. When i first heard that there was going to be a film, based on the video game Warcraft, i was not sure what to think. Since i have not played this game a lot, i only knew some details about the world of Warcraft. I would guess that most fans of the games, who know much more than me about the characters, and the different locations, might be more excited to see if this would be a well made film adaptation. There are some good news, and some bad news. Let´s start with the good first. This is actually not an awful film, based on the video game. In fact, i see some nice suprises here. The CGI made warriors look pretty cool, especially when they fight on the battlefield. We also see some battle scenes that feels pretty cool to watch. The acting may not be very good, at certain points, but i have seen a lot worse in other movie adaptations of video games. I also enjoy the conflicts between humans and orcs. So let´s get to the problems. The dramatic scenes feels less interesting, and i can´t feel emotional for any reason. I am not going to go into certain details, but you will probably understand my point if you see this film. Another problem is the acting from some of the human actors. I don´t feel that some of them tried hard enough, to make their characters interesting. It is almost like some of them just wanted to look good , as they protect their loved ones. So does this film manage to deliver enough entertainmnent after all ? I would say yes, but mostly because i enjoy big battle scenes. In a film like this, you need to make sure you have action scenes, that looks good enough for both video games fans, and fans of sci fi fantasy action films. Director Duncan Jones may be mostly known for his films Moon, and Source Code with Jake Gyllenhaal. That he choosed to make a film like this, really suprised me. But i feel that he actually managed to capture some of the feeling of the Warcraft games. Since i am no expert on the games, i realise that some fans may not agree on this, and that´s ok. I think you should see this film for what it is, an action fantasy film made for video game nerds. Does this film have problems ? Yes, but honestly, how many films based on video games are perfect ? If they decide to make a sequel, they could make details much better, but for a first film, i still feel that this is a pretty good start. I got to go now, orcs are messing up my garden again with their mighty swords, i better call Gordon Klingenschmitt and make him scare them away.
Rating: DDD
fredag 17 juni 2016
Southbound
Most horror films have a straight storyline, where you follow a certain story from start to finish. Since this is the most usual way to make a horror film, you are used to see these films in a certain way. But that´s why i enjoy horror films, that use a different concept. Take the V/H/S films as an example. Different stories put together, by different directors, trying to tell something different, no matter if it includes zombies, aliens, flesh eating creatures, it is nice to see that horror films can be varied. I especially loved V/H/S/2, the sequel that was even better than the first film. The story called Safe Haven is a perfect example of really good horror, with lots of gore and a very interesting premise. This story was directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Huw Evans, why i mention this is because you might recognize the last name. Gareth Huw is the director of both The Raid films, and if you have not seen them, you need to buy them right now. Two of the best action films i have seen for many years, especially the first The Raid film. Speaking of films having different stories put into the same film, i just remembered a classic, and that would be the film Creepshow. This film had some really interesting stories included, and every story was told about certain issues, where we all are eventually doomed to fail. This is one of George A. Romero´s cult films, that you don´t really hear much about these days. Perhaps most horror fans prefer to talk about his cult zombie films, and leave some of his other work left behind. I recommend you buy Creepshow, on dvd or blu ray, because it is a classic, with a lot of great actors included. Tales From The Crypt, both the tv series, and the films made, are all based on different stories from the comic books, also something you should check out. Since i felt that V/H/S Viral, ( the third film in the V/H/S trilogy ), failed completely to deliver anything ineresting, as the previous films, i finally found some hope in a new film called Southbound. Some of the directors, and producers, who worked on the V/H/S films, gathered around once more, to tell 5 different stories, each episode directed by one director. Since i am a big fan of V/H/S and V/H/S/2, this got me really excited, to see what they could do this time around. To be honest, i did not read much at all about the film before it came out, and i did wait to see it. Could this be the next horror anthology to look forward to, or is Southbound doomed to fail from the beginning ?
The Way Out
Mitch ( Chad Villella ) and Jack ( Matt Bettinelli-Olpin ) are driving on a highway through the desert. Mitch see strange enigmatic floating creatures following them. They make a stop at a gas station, where Mitch see the floating creatures watching them. Jack does not know about this, but it becomes obvious that something is not right. Why are they being followed ?
Siren
At a motel room, we see Sadie ( Fabianne Therese ), Ava ( Hannah Marks ) and Kim ( Nathalie Love ) are all band members of the band The White Tights. As they head off to the desert highway with their van, it suddenly breaks down. Stuck in the desert, they hope to find help somewhere. Suddenly a couple named Dale ( Davey Johnson ) and Betty ( Susan Burke ) offer the girls a ride, and they are welcome to stay in their home until the van is fixed. Everything seems ok at first, but this couple have some surprises to share.
The Accident
Lucas ( Mather Zickel ) is driving along the highway, talking to his wife Claire ( Roxanne Benjamin ) on the phone. Suddenly, Lucas accidently hits Sadie ( Fabianne Therese ) with his car, as she is in critical condition. Lucas panic and dont know what to do. He calls 911 and tell them that he accidently hit this woman with his car, The woman talking on the phone suggest that Lucas driver Sadie to the nearest hospital. Lucas find one, but it is completely deserted. This phone call is soon becoming much more sensitive, where Lucas is forced to make some heavy decisions.
Jailbreak
At a local bar, Lucas ( Maria Olsen ) is trying to order some beer. Suddenly, a man named Danny ( David Yow ) breaks in to the bar, armed with a shotgun. He pulls out a picture of his sister Jessie, and threaten to shoot someone if no one tells him where she is. He is suddenly attacked by one of the bar customers, but it turns out that this man is not human, in fact turns out to be a demon. Danny kidnap the bartender Al ( Matt Peters ) who seems to have information on his sister. Al warns Danny that he should leave, or this situation will become even worse.
The Way In
At the Freez´n Over, Jem ( Hassie Harrison ) is having dinner with her parents, Cait ( Kate Beahan ) and Daryl ( Gerald Downey ). Jen is about to start college, so they meet up tonight to enjoy a meal together. As they leave Freez´n Over, they notice that someone is watching them. They go back to their vacation house, when suddenly 3 masked men break into their vacation house. Daryl and Cait are caught, while Jem manage to hide. Who are these men and what do they want ?
You can tell that Southbound is using a concept, telling stories that have a connection somehow. Even if the characters are different, and the stories look different from each other, you can tell that there is a meaning to why the film is located out in the american desert. Instead of going into every story, and explain the differences, i think i would look at this film from a whole perspective. And this is where it gets interesting. Southbound use elements from all kinds of horror films, and that is not a bad thing. In fact, i can understand why there are 5 directors on board this film. They got the chance to tell a story, in their own way, and try and make every story feel interesting. I would not say that every story works really well, but i do see highlights. Especially in the story called Siren, directed by Roxanne Benjamin. Mostly known as one of the producers of V/H/S and V/H/S/2. Siren is almost like a combination of Rosemary´s Baby and satanic influences from old horror films, a combination i feel works really well. I also felt some influences from Ti West´s film The House Of The Devil, a film that brought back classic satanic ingredients that we have seen in classics from the 60´s and 70´s. As the rest of the film goes on, Southbound proves to function, and manage to tell stories that each have a message. To make it more fun for you, who have not seen this film yet, i will not say anything about what each story is trying to say. Directors Radio Silence, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and Patrick Horvath all seems to love old school horror. And this is where they get a chance to use different elements, combining with a very smooth synthesizer sound. Southbound may not be as good as V/H/S/2 turned out to be, but this is a hell of a lot better than turd V/H/S Viral, so you know you are in good hands. The acting is alright for the most part, and i especially enjoy the performance of Davey Johnson as the strange ordnary american Dale, who looks like a car salesman, but have much more dark secrets within him. I have to mention Susan Burke also, as the wife of Dale, named Betty. She have this creepy look, at the same time as she tries to look like the friendliest wife in the world. A concept you have to love, when they manage to capture that feeling of not knowing whats wrong with this couple. There are other great performances in some of the other stories, so i will say that Southbound is a good time, if you are a horror fan of old school influenced independent films. Nice to see that independent horror films are still alive, and manage to deliver quality.
Rating: DDD
The Way Out
Mitch ( Chad Villella ) and Jack ( Matt Bettinelli-Olpin ) are driving on a highway through the desert. Mitch see strange enigmatic floating creatures following them. They make a stop at a gas station, where Mitch see the floating creatures watching them. Jack does not know about this, but it becomes obvious that something is not right. Why are they being followed ?
Siren
At a motel room, we see Sadie ( Fabianne Therese ), Ava ( Hannah Marks ) and Kim ( Nathalie Love ) are all band members of the band The White Tights. As they head off to the desert highway with their van, it suddenly breaks down. Stuck in the desert, they hope to find help somewhere. Suddenly a couple named Dale ( Davey Johnson ) and Betty ( Susan Burke ) offer the girls a ride, and they are welcome to stay in their home until the van is fixed. Everything seems ok at first, but this couple have some surprises to share.
The Accident
Lucas ( Mather Zickel ) is driving along the highway, talking to his wife Claire ( Roxanne Benjamin ) on the phone. Suddenly, Lucas accidently hits Sadie ( Fabianne Therese ) with his car, as she is in critical condition. Lucas panic and dont know what to do. He calls 911 and tell them that he accidently hit this woman with his car, The woman talking on the phone suggest that Lucas driver Sadie to the nearest hospital. Lucas find one, but it is completely deserted. This phone call is soon becoming much more sensitive, where Lucas is forced to make some heavy decisions.
Jailbreak
At a local bar, Lucas ( Maria Olsen ) is trying to order some beer. Suddenly, a man named Danny ( David Yow ) breaks in to the bar, armed with a shotgun. He pulls out a picture of his sister Jessie, and threaten to shoot someone if no one tells him where she is. He is suddenly attacked by one of the bar customers, but it turns out that this man is not human, in fact turns out to be a demon. Danny kidnap the bartender Al ( Matt Peters ) who seems to have information on his sister. Al warns Danny that he should leave, or this situation will become even worse.
The Way In
At the Freez´n Over, Jem ( Hassie Harrison ) is having dinner with her parents, Cait ( Kate Beahan ) and Daryl ( Gerald Downey ). Jen is about to start college, so they meet up tonight to enjoy a meal together. As they leave Freez´n Over, they notice that someone is watching them. They go back to their vacation house, when suddenly 3 masked men break into their vacation house. Daryl and Cait are caught, while Jem manage to hide. Who are these men and what do they want ?
You can tell that Southbound is using a concept, telling stories that have a connection somehow. Even if the characters are different, and the stories look different from each other, you can tell that there is a meaning to why the film is located out in the american desert. Instead of going into every story, and explain the differences, i think i would look at this film from a whole perspective. And this is where it gets interesting. Southbound use elements from all kinds of horror films, and that is not a bad thing. In fact, i can understand why there are 5 directors on board this film. They got the chance to tell a story, in their own way, and try and make every story feel interesting. I would not say that every story works really well, but i do see highlights. Especially in the story called Siren, directed by Roxanne Benjamin. Mostly known as one of the producers of V/H/S and V/H/S/2. Siren is almost like a combination of Rosemary´s Baby and satanic influences from old horror films, a combination i feel works really well. I also felt some influences from Ti West´s film The House Of The Devil, a film that brought back classic satanic ingredients that we have seen in classics from the 60´s and 70´s. As the rest of the film goes on, Southbound proves to function, and manage to tell stories that each have a message. To make it more fun for you, who have not seen this film yet, i will not say anything about what each story is trying to say. Directors Radio Silence, Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner and Patrick Horvath all seems to love old school horror. And this is where they get a chance to use different elements, combining with a very smooth synthesizer sound. Southbound may not be as good as V/H/S/2 turned out to be, but this is a hell of a lot better than turd V/H/S Viral, so you know you are in good hands. The acting is alright for the most part, and i especially enjoy the performance of Davey Johnson as the strange ordnary american Dale, who looks like a car salesman, but have much more dark secrets within him. I have to mention Susan Burke also, as the wife of Dale, named Betty. She have this creepy look, at the same time as she tries to look like the friendliest wife in the world. A concept you have to love, when they manage to capture that feeling of not knowing whats wrong with this couple. There are other great performances in some of the other stories, so i will say that Southbound is a good time, if you are a horror fan of old school influenced independent films. Nice to see that independent horror films are still alive, and manage to deliver quality.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 15 juni 2016
Colonia
I am very fascinated about religious cults. I would never join one myself, because i know there are many dangerous people out there, who control people in these cults. I actually encountered one religious cult, on the west coast of Sweden. This was in the early 90´s, but i remember 2 very strange sisters, who was a member of this church. They were not allowed to be around ordinary people, they could not go out for a dinner, or even have a coffee at a café. Sounds like paradise right ? In my view, if you are going to lead a church, you have to do it for a good reason. It should not include sexual favors, force members to pay for personal items, or use them in any way.
I usually try and read facts, about what different cult religions stand for. I am not a very religious person myself, unless it is about Dolph Lundgren of course. Because as you all know by now, Dolph is the way to heaven. Now, to understand why people join cult churches, you have to understand what makes them drawn into these congregations. Some are them are looking for a way out of addictions, some have mental problems, or some have simply a fascination for something different, outside society. Ordinary churches i have no problem with, because people who have faith should do whatever they feel like doing. But if you have a church to control people, and use them for your own needs, it is not about faith. When you use people for your own advantage, and make up rules, you should not be allowed to be a leader. People who are looking for faith need a comfort zone, where they can feel safe, without being used. I think we all heard about some crazy sect peoples, especially in America. If you want to see a good film, based on a religious sect, i recommend the film Holy Ghost People. This is the best film that director Mitchell Altieri have directed so far, and have a very interesting premise. Perhaps some of you have seen the really good film The Sacrament also, by director Ti West. The film reminds us of the Jonestown Massacre, back in the 70´s, but it have a very powerful message. Also a film you should see. There are more examples of films, based on religious cults, or have cult influences. One of the most horrific events i have ever heard about, is the Jonestown Massacre, back in the 70´s, when pastor Jim Jones killed over 900 people, forcing them to drink poison. I was not born at this time, but i have read about the story, and seen the fantastic documentary film Jonestown: The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple. This is actually one of my personal favourite documentary films, and i have seen it many times. Jim Jones is just an example of how easy one man can get people to do anything he wants them to do. Another cult leader, who was revealed to the world, is the man called Paul Schäfer. I have not read much about this events in Chile, but i understand that he did some really disturbing things towards his members, especially around kids. Colonia is a film, based on what happened inside this cult compound. Since i am fascinated to learn more about cult leaders, and what makes them do what they do, i had to see Colonia. Is this a very emotional film, considering the subject, or is this a film that does not manage to take on this historical tragedy ?
The year is 1973. Lena ( Emma Watson ) and her boyfriend Daniel ( Daniel Bruhl ) are both activists, joining a protest against General Augusto Pinochet ( Marcelo Vilaro ) in Chile. It all ends when Daniel is abducted by Pinochet´s secret police DINA. Lena tries to locate where Daniel have been taken. She finds out information about sealed-off organization called " Colonia Dignidad ". Daniel is supposed to be taken here, so Lena decides to join this religious organization. The leader of this organization is Paul Schäfer ( Mikael Nyqvist ), a man who control every single member with his mind. He have a plan for Lena, and he wans to make sure that she follow his rules. While Lena is trying to adjust her new life inside this organization, she finally get to see what really is going on behind closed doors. Paul Schäfer is not the man he claims to be, and the further she finds the truth, the more disturbing the whole picture becomes.
Colonia is said to be based on true events, that took place in Chile, a colony run by Paul Schäfer. The swedish actor Michael Nyqvist plays Paul Schäfer in this film, and if you ask me, i think he is the biggest reason why you should see Colonia. He manage to capture the feeling of a disturbed cult leader, who brainwash people to do what he feels, not what anyone else feels. To see actor Emma Watson ( mostly known for all the Harry Potter films ), do a character, completely different from her earlier work, is a good sign. And she does pretty good, considering she have a hard time finding a film that fits her perfect. Director Florian Gallenberger have managed to make a film, based on true events, that affects you. Just knowing that this cult leader Paul Schäfer sexually abused children, and forced his followers to do some horrible acts towards members, shows you how cruel this world can be. I would probably say that The Sacrament is a more emotional film, but Colonia does have enough to say to make you affected. The niht scenes where the men gather, to abuse women, is one of those scenes where you feel sick, knowing that this actually happened many times. The cult feeling is shown here in different details, and the clothes is one of the most typical sign of a cult curch. Women are only allowed to wear certain matching outfits, or they are not allowed to be in the company of God. One of the scenes i can´t forget, is when Paul Shäfer, stands infront of almost naked young children, and let them sing. Knowing that he molested children, you really want to break his neck, if you had the chance. Overall, Colonia manage to give you a look into what happened in Chile, and how this cult congregation functioned. There are a few scenes where i would have wanted a more raw tone, when you feel that perhaps you don´t get to see what really happened. Maybe director Florian Gallenberger did not want to dig too deep into this historical tragedy, there might be family members who would be offended. I still feel that this is an important film, so you understand how easy it is for someone to control people. I wonder why swedish cinemas did not show this film, considering Michael Nyqvist does such a great performance. You can see it on dvd now anyway, so i suggest that you do. The atmosphere and the summon of all these lost souls, gathered to listen to a pedophile, is horrific. I really hope that people will learn to stay away from abusive church leaders, my best advice is to belive in Dolph Lundgren instead. It is more safe, more rational, and you also feel better in your heart. Run down to your local dvd store and rent Colonia.
Rating: DDD
I usually try and read facts, about what different cult religions stand for. I am not a very religious person myself, unless it is about Dolph Lundgren of course. Because as you all know by now, Dolph is the way to heaven. Now, to understand why people join cult churches, you have to understand what makes them drawn into these congregations. Some are them are looking for a way out of addictions, some have mental problems, or some have simply a fascination for something different, outside society. Ordinary churches i have no problem with, because people who have faith should do whatever they feel like doing. But if you have a church to control people, and use them for your own needs, it is not about faith. When you use people for your own advantage, and make up rules, you should not be allowed to be a leader. People who are looking for faith need a comfort zone, where they can feel safe, without being used. I think we all heard about some crazy sect peoples, especially in America. If you want to see a good film, based on a religious sect, i recommend the film Holy Ghost People. This is the best film that director Mitchell Altieri have directed so far, and have a very interesting premise. Perhaps some of you have seen the really good film The Sacrament also, by director Ti West. The film reminds us of the Jonestown Massacre, back in the 70´s, but it have a very powerful message. Also a film you should see. There are more examples of films, based on religious cults, or have cult influences. One of the most horrific events i have ever heard about, is the Jonestown Massacre, back in the 70´s, when pastor Jim Jones killed over 900 people, forcing them to drink poison. I was not born at this time, but i have read about the story, and seen the fantastic documentary film Jonestown: The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple. This is actually one of my personal favourite documentary films, and i have seen it many times. Jim Jones is just an example of how easy one man can get people to do anything he wants them to do. Another cult leader, who was revealed to the world, is the man called Paul Schäfer. I have not read much about this events in Chile, but i understand that he did some really disturbing things towards his members, especially around kids. Colonia is a film, based on what happened inside this cult compound. Since i am fascinated to learn more about cult leaders, and what makes them do what they do, i had to see Colonia. Is this a very emotional film, considering the subject, or is this a film that does not manage to take on this historical tragedy ?
The year is 1973. Lena ( Emma Watson ) and her boyfriend Daniel ( Daniel Bruhl ) are both activists, joining a protest against General Augusto Pinochet ( Marcelo Vilaro ) in Chile. It all ends when Daniel is abducted by Pinochet´s secret police DINA. Lena tries to locate where Daniel have been taken. She finds out information about sealed-off organization called " Colonia Dignidad ". Daniel is supposed to be taken here, so Lena decides to join this religious organization. The leader of this organization is Paul Schäfer ( Mikael Nyqvist ), a man who control every single member with his mind. He have a plan for Lena, and he wans to make sure that she follow his rules. While Lena is trying to adjust her new life inside this organization, she finally get to see what really is going on behind closed doors. Paul Schäfer is not the man he claims to be, and the further she finds the truth, the more disturbing the whole picture becomes.
Colonia is said to be based on true events, that took place in Chile, a colony run by Paul Schäfer. The swedish actor Michael Nyqvist plays Paul Schäfer in this film, and if you ask me, i think he is the biggest reason why you should see Colonia. He manage to capture the feeling of a disturbed cult leader, who brainwash people to do what he feels, not what anyone else feels. To see actor Emma Watson ( mostly known for all the Harry Potter films ), do a character, completely different from her earlier work, is a good sign. And she does pretty good, considering she have a hard time finding a film that fits her perfect. Director Florian Gallenberger have managed to make a film, based on true events, that affects you. Just knowing that this cult leader Paul Schäfer sexually abused children, and forced his followers to do some horrible acts towards members, shows you how cruel this world can be. I would probably say that The Sacrament is a more emotional film, but Colonia does have enough to say to make you affected. The niht scenes where the men gather, to abuse women, is one of those scenes where you feel sick, knowing that this actually happened many times. The cult feeling is shown here in different details, and the clothes is one of the most typical sign of a cult curch. Women are only allowed to wear certain matching outfits, or they are not allowed to be in the company of God. One of the scenes i can´t forget, is when Paul Shäfer, stands infront of almost naked young children, and let them sing. Knowing that he molested children, you really want to break his neck, if you had the chance. Overall, Colonia manage to give you a look into what happened in Chile, and how this cult congregation functioned. There are a few scenes where i would have wanted a more raw tone, when you feel that perhaps you don´t get to see what really happened. Maybe director Florian Gallenberger did not want to dig too deep into this historical tragedy, there might be family members who would be offended. I still feel that this is an important film, so you understand how easy it is for someone to control people. I wonder why swedish cinemas did not show this film, considering Michael Nyqvist does such a great performance. You can see it on dvd now anyway, so i suggest that you do. The atmosphere and the summon of all these lost souls, gathered to listen to a pedophile, is horrific. I really hope that people will learn to stay away from abusive church leaders, my best advice is to belive in Dolph Lundgren instead. It is more safe, more rational, and you also feel better in your heart. Run down to your local dvd store and rent Colonia.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 8 juni 2016
X-Men: Apocalypse
Next summer is my 40th birthday. Really ? Yep, 40 years old and i have bigger tits than Sharon Stone, so i feel pretty good about myself. I actually was thinking about a theme, for the birthday party. Why not let everyone dress up as X-Men characters ? That sounds awsome. If we could throw in my friend Tony dressed up as Christer Åberg ( the swedish guy who have his own sex school on Youtube ), that would be even more wonderful. Because everyone knows you can´t mix it better, than getting X-Men and Christer Åberg together. Speaking of X-Men, it is incredible how many films we had so far, based on X-Men characters, including the spin off films with Wolverine. I think one reason why people enjoyed seeing X-Men on screen, is that these comic book characters have some really interesting personalities, with superpowers included. I suppose that i see them all as unique in different ways, but i have to say that Hugh Jackman as Wolverine have always been my favourite X-Men character. Ever since he showed up in the first X-Men film, back in the year 2000, you could tell that he was the right choice for this character. His acting abilities, and his screen presence was always crystal clear. The first 2 films were both directed by Bryan Singer, and the critics praised him for taking the X-Men seriously, making comic films look good on the big screen. Since the franchise proved to be very popular, more films were coming out. When director Bret Ratner picked up after Bryan Singer, to make X-Men: The Last Stand, you could tell that he had a different vision of X-Men. Some fans were still pleased with the results, while others did not like his vision, as much as they enjoyed Bryan Singer´s films. It is always hard to pick up something as big as the X-Men, after a legendary director have managed to make 2 great films in the past. I would say it is ok, but perhaps the weakest film of the series. But everything changed, when Bryan Singer decided to return to the X-Men world, with a prequel, to the other films. The title is X-Men: First Class, and we got to see how the mutants developed themselves, through the mansion at Westchester County. Professor Charles Xavier continued his work to help students feel secure about their special gifts. This was actually a really good prequel, but the sequel called X-Men: Days Of Future Past turned out to be even better. If you have not seen Days Of Future Past yet, means you have broken the 10 Commandments, where it says :- You shall see X-Men: Days Of Future Past, or youre going to hell. Serious words, but true. Now director Bryan Singer is back, with the 5th film of the X-Men films, that he have directed. Since he already have given us great films in the past, does he deliver once again, or is this one not as good as the previous ones ?
In Egypt, a long long time ago, the very first mutant known as En Sabah Nur ( Oscar Isaac ), have ruled the people of Egypt. One day he is betrayed by his worshippers, who entomb him alive. Until the year of 1983, En Sabah Nur awakens to revenge on everyone, and plan to destroy the world. Known as Apocalypse, he recruit pickpocket thief Ororo Munroe / Storm ( Alexandra Shipp ), upgrading her power. Apocalypse travel to find more recruits, so he locate Angel ( Ben Hardy ) in Berlin, nowdays doing cage fights. Apocalypse upgrade Angel´s powers also, if he joins to help him complete his mission. Alex Summers / Havok ( Lucas Till ) discovers that his younger brother Scott Summers ( Tye Sharidan ), is manifesting his mutation of shooting optic beams. Alex brings Scott to the Westchester Mansion, so he will try and control his optic beam, with the help of Professor Charles Xavier ( James McAvoy ). Meanwhile, with the help of CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert ( Rose Byrne ), Professor Charles and Alex find out how bad the situation is around mutant Apocalypse. If they don´t stop him and his mutant army, the world we know will no longer exist.
Looking back at all the other X-Men films, we had some really big highlights, and i have to say that most films deliver. Considering that the film X-Men: Days Of Future Past was the strongest film of the series, X-Men Apocalypse have a lot to live up to. I don´t want to compare all the films too much, because they take place in different time periods, and have different plots, but i feel that the latest film still manage to give us entertainment value. Perhaps this film is not as strong, as the 2 films X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days Of Future Past, for different reasons, but from a X-Men universe perspective, i feel that there are positive vibes here. One of the biggest reasons, why i enjoy X-Men: Apocalypse, is the evil character Apocalypse. His egyptian look, and his major powers, feels both welcome and interesting. The scenes where we get to understand his background, as the mutant known as En Sabah Nur, is also interesting. We also get to see Apocalypse, putting a team together of mutants, that reminds me a little bit of Captain America: Civil War. If you have seen that film, you know there are 2 sides fighting against each other. This is also going on in X-Men: Apocalypse, but for a completely different reason. So is there anything bad to say ? Well, one detail i probably would have wanted to be stronger, is the chemistry between the mutants. In previous films, especially in X-Men : First Class, you felt a connection between the students. You do feel some connection in this latest film, but somehow it feels like they just make it a bit too easy. With that said, there are scenes where they get a chance to show their mutant abilities, and you suddenly feel pretty pleased. The acting is of course great, with actors included from the previous films. One man who can never do wrong, especially as Magneto, is of course Michael Fassbender. I have always loved him as an actor, and he always give each role a depth, filling it with passion. We all know that Jennifer Lawrence would deliver again, so there is no doubt about her performance as Raven. James McAvoy as younger professor Charles Xavier makes you smile, because he also know how to make a character in his own way. Director Bryan Singer is well known for his hard work behind the camera. And he have directed 4 of the X-Men films, and this latest one makes it the 5th one. He knows this world of mutants, and he knows how to make comic book films look great. I would not say that X-Men: Apocalypse is his best X-Men film, actually his other films have been stronger. This does not mean he have failed, because i feel that he still manage to give X-Men the strength that a film like this needs. The action scenes looks great, the CGI effects also looks great, so he knows what he is doing. Could it have been stronger ? Yes, but at the same time, i still enjoy what i see. If you love comic books, and massive action scenes, this is the film for you at the cinema. Got to start planning my X-Men Party, you never know if the real Christer Åberg shows up to get the party started.
Rating: DDD
In Egypt, a long long time ago, the very first mutant known as En Sabah Nur ( Oscar Isaac ), have ruled the people of Egypt. One day he is betrayed by his worshippers, who entomb him alive. Until the year of 1983, En Sabah Nur awakens to revenge on everyone, and plan to destroy the world. Known as Apocalypse, he recruit pickpocket thief Ororo Munroe / Storm ( Alexandra Shipp ), upgrading her power. Apocalypse travel to find more recruits, so he locate Angel ( Ben Hardy ) in Berlin, nowdays doing cage fights. Apocalypse upgrade Angel´s powers also, if he joins to help him complete his mission. Alex Summers / Havok ( Lucas Till ) discovers that his younger brother Scott Summers ( Tye Sharidan ), is manifesting his mutation of shooting optic beams. Alex brings Scott to the Westchester Mansion, so he will try and control his optic beam, with the help of Professor Charles Xavier ( James McAvoy ). Meanwhile, with the help of CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert ( Rose Byrne ), Professor Charles and Alex find out how bad the situation is around mutant Apocalypse. If they don´t stop him and his mutant army, the world we know will no longer exist.
Looking back at all the other X-Men films, we had some really big highlights, and i have to say that most films deliver. Considering that the film X-Men: Days Of Future Past was the strongest film of the series, X-Men Apocalypse have a lot to live up to. I don´t want to compare all the films too much, because they take place in different time periods, and have different plots, but i feel that the latest film still manage to give us entertainment value. Perhaps this film is not as strong, as the 2 films X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days Of Future Past, for different reasons, but from a X-Men universe perspective, i feel that there are positive vibes here. One of the biggest reasons, why i enjoy X-Men: Apocalypse, is the evil character Apocalypse. His egyptian look, and his major powers, feels both welcome and interesting. The scenes where we get to understand his background, as the mutant known as En Sabah Nur, is also interesting. We also get to see Apocalypse, putting a team together of mutants, that reminds me a little bit of Captain America: Civil War. If you have seen that film, you know there are 2 sides fighting against each other. This is also going on in X-Men: Apocalypse, but for a completely different reason. So is there anything bad to say ? Well, one detail i probably would have wanted to be stronger, is the chemistry between the mutants. In previous films, especially in X-Men : First Class, you felt a connection between the students. You do feel some connection in this latest film, but somehow it feels like they just make it a bit too easy. With that said, there are scenes where they get a chance to show their mutant abilities, and you suddenly feel pretty pleased. The acting is of course great, with actors included from the previous films. One man who can never do wrong, especially as Magneto, is of course Michael Fassbender. I have always loved him as an actor, and he always give each role a depth, filling it with passion. We all know that Jennifer Lawrence would deliver again, so there is no doubt about her performance as Raven. James McAvoy as younger professor Charles Xavier makes you smile, because he also know how to make a character in his own way. Director Bryan Singer is well known for his hard work behind the camera. And he have directed 4 of the X-Men films, and this latest one makes it the 5th one. He knows this world of mutants, and he knows how to make comic book films look great. I would not say that X-Men: Apocalypse is his best X-Men film, actually his other films have been stronger. This does not mean he have failed, because i feel that he still manage to give X-Men the strength that a film like this needs. The action scenes looks great, the CGI effects also looks great, so he knows what he is doing. Could it have been stronger ? Yes, but at the same time, i still enjoy what i see. If you love comic books, and massive action scenes, this is the film for you at the cinema. Got to start planning my X-Men Party, you never know if the real Christer Åberg shows up to get the party started.
Rating: DDD
måndag 6 juni 2016
Eddie The Eagle
We all have dreams, and we can follow our dreams, if we really want to make them true. Maybe we can´t have anything we want in life, but we can do the best we can, to reach our goals. One thing i learned from my childhood, is that no matter how anyone look at you, never let go of your dreams. I am thankfull that writing reviews was a good way for me to deal with hard situations, because my childhood was not easy. Writing movie reviews helped me to feel stronger, so i kept doping so, no matter what anyone said. No matter what you love to do, or want to do, always make sure you give it your best try. If you fail, don´t worry, just pick up where you left and just go on. There are many people who have inspired through their amazing lives. Just look at Muhammad Ali, and how he managed to make a name for himself worldwide, coming from poverty, and becoming one of the greatest boxers of all time. Unfortunately, we lost him a few days ago, so i will remember him for everything he did for the boxing world, and all the things he did to make a change. There are a lot of people out there, who change peoples lives. I think we need people to look up to, because in that way we can learn to take chances. Even if we may not reach every goal, it is worth fighting for something you believe in. For me as an example, my dream is to arrange a concert in Sweden with Corey Feldman, and his band Coreys Angels. Is it impossible ? I don´t know, but since i feel very passionate about this idea, i will not give up. Because i believe that Sweden is in need of Corey Feldman´s music, and hopefully swedish people will understand that my idea is brilliant. When we talk about great personalities, who make it into the cinema screen, we have a lot of titles to choose between. One of the biggest classics has to be Ghandi, where Ben Kingsley did a wonderful performance. Ghandi was one of those legends, who changed many peoples lives. Perhaps you all remember a more recent film called The Theory Of Everything, based on the story of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. It was very interesting, and lead actor Eddie Redmayne did a wonderful performance as Stephen Hawking. But sometimes we forget, that there are ordinary people, who no one have heard about, until a day they change everything. Perhaps one of those people is a man from United Kingdom, who was the only british ski jumper of the 1988 Winter Olympics. he did not make it to a great spot, but became world famous for his achieve to make such an impact. I don´t really remember much of this event, i was about 10 years old when this took place, but you have to say he made history. When i heard a film was coming out, based on ski jumper Eddie Edwards, i was actually surprised. I found myself thinking that this could be something we need, a film based on a true event. With a great cast included, and a story that touched the world, is this a british comedy that knocks you out, or is this a film you probably will forget eventually ?
Eddie Edwards ( Taron Egerton ) have always had a passion about the Olympic Games. He tries to learn himself to be a great athlete, but with lots of difficulties. His mother Janette ( Jo Hartley ) try to support her son, to reach his goal. His father Terry ( Keith Allen ) thinks that Eddie is wasting his time, that he will never get to be a part of the real Olympic Games. Eddie do some research, and find out that Great Britain have not had a ski jumper for six decades. So he decides that he should be competing in the 1988 Winter Olympics, as Great Britain´s only ski jumper. Everyone thinks that he is insane, but he goes off to try and qualify for the Winter Olympics. At first, nothing is going as he have planned. His jumps are failing, and he have no trainer to help him find a way to train correctly. While failing to jump more, he meets snow groomer Bronson Peary ( Hugh Jackman ) who tell him the truth, that he can´t make it with the jumps he is doing now. Eddie have an idea, he will make Bronson help him make it all the way, to the competition. Bronson is a well known ski jumper, who retired from sport many years ago. Even if Bronson don´t understand why Eddie is doing this, he decides to help him to reach his goal. But is it possible that Eddie might have taken on a challenge, too big for him to handle ?
Before i watched the film, i understood that this film is based on the true story, of british ski jumper Eddie " The Eagle " Edwards, who became the first to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, back in 1988. When you think about it, what he managed to do, you have to be impressed. Just imagine everything he had to do, to reach his goal, and not many people believed he would actually be in the Winter Olympics. Of course, i do not know how much of this film is actually true, or is some details are fictional. Either way, i found myself having a good time. First of all, the atmosphere of the 80´s match with this film. You have the hairstyles, you also have the colors of the 80´s in clothes, and in music. Since i was a kid in the 80´s , i do remember what it was like, and this film does manage to capture some of that feeling. The main character Eddie " The Eagle ", played by Taron Egerton, is both funny, and manage to make his performance solid throughout the film. Since i have not heard how the real Eddie " The Eagle " sounded like at this period of time, i can only assume that Taron Egerton tried to capture his personality. Hugh Jackman shows up, as Bronson Peary, the former champion American ski jumper. His performance is also good, and i have a feeling that Hugh Jackman must have enjoyed doing something completely different. There are other great performances here also. But what i enjoy most of all, is that this actually happened. That one nerd looking guy, made history, when no one expected him to succeed, proves that you should never give up. The story is both inspirational, and important, so the message becomes clear. Director Dexter Fletcher have directed 2 british films earlier, and also mostly known as an actor in films like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Layer Cake. I have not seen his other 2 films, but i feel that he have managed to make a charming film with Eddie The Eagle. You could say that this is a feelgood comedy, with a warm heart. It may not be as funny, or brilliant as the feelgood comedy Pride, but still manage to cheer you up. It is not very often we see sports comedies, and i think they could inspire young people to find their own way. Another detail i enjoy in this film, is to see Christopher Walken, who shows up later in the film, as a legendary ski jumper. He is one of those actors who can be in any genre, and always make an impact. Eddie The Eagle is a film that could inspire people with a passion, always follow your heart. No matter what anyone says to you, never let them take away your dreams. While watching this film, i also become inspired to follow my dream, to arrange a Corey Feldman concert in Sweden. I better get to going to find a way, besides, i know exactly what Sweden needs.
Rating: DDD
Eddie Edwards ( Taron Egerton ) have always had a passion about the Olympic Games. He tries to learn himself to be a great athlete, but with lots of difficulties. His mother Janette ( Jo Hartley ) try to support her son, to reach his goal. His father Terry ( Keith Allen ) thinks that Eddie is wasting his time, that he will never get to be a part of the real Olympic Games. Eddie do some research, and find out that Great Britain have not had a ski jumper for six decades. So he decides that he should be competing in the 1988 Winter Olympics, as Great Britain´s only ski jumper. Everyone thinks that he is insane, but he goes off to try and qualify for the Winter Olympics. At first, nothing is going as he have planned. His jumps are failing, and he have no trainer to help him find a way to train correctly. While failing to jump more, he meets snow groomer Bronson Peary ( Hugh Jackman ) who tell him the truth, that he can´t make it with the jumps he is doing now. Eddie have an idea, he will make Bronson help him make it all the way, to the competition. Bronson is a well known ski jumper, who retired from sport many years ago. Even if Bronson don´t understand why Eddie is doing this, he decides to help him to reach his goal. But is it possible that Eddie might have taken on a challenge, too big for him to handle ?
Before i watched the film, i understood that this film is based on the true story, of british ski jumper Eddie " The Eagle " Edwards, who became the first to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, back in 1988. When you think about it, what he managed to do, you have to be impressed. Just imagine everything he had to do, to reach his goal, and not many people believed he would actually be in the Winter Olympics. Of course, i do not know how much of this film is actually true, or is some details are fictional. Either way, i found myself having a good time. First of all, the atmosphere of the 80´s match with this film. You have the hairstyles, you also have the colors of the 80´s in clothes, and in music. Since i was a kid in the 80´s , i do remember what it was like, and this film does manage to capture some of that feeling. The main character Eddie " The Eagle ", played by Taron Egerton, is both funny, and manage to make his performance solid throughout the film. Since i have not heard how the real Eddie " The Eagle " sounded like at this period of time, i can only assume that Taron Egerton tried to capture his personality. Hugh Jackman shows up, as Bronson Peary, the former champion American ski jumper. His performance is also good, and i have a feeling that Hugh Jackman must have enjoyed doing something completely different. There are other great performances here also. But what i enjoy most of all, is that this actually happened. That one nerd looking guy, made history, when no one expected him to succeed, proves that you should never give up. The story is both inspirational, and important, so the message becomes clear. Director Dexter Fletcher have directed 2 british films earlier, and also mostly known as an actor in films like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Layer Cake. I have not seen his other 2 films, but i feel that he have managed to make a charming film with Eddie The Eagle. You could say that this is a feelgood comedy, with a warm heart. It may not be as funny, or brilliant as the feelgood comedy Pride, but still manage to cheer you up. It is not very often we see sports comedies, and i think they could inspire young people to find their own way. Another detail i enjoy in this film, is to see Christopher Walken, who shows up later in the film, as a legendary ski jumper. He is one of those actors who can be in any genre, and always make an impact. Eddie The Eagle is a film that could inspire people with a passion, always follow your heart. No matter what anyone says to you, never let them take away your dreams. While watching this film, i also become inspired to follow my dream, to arrange a Corey Feldman concert in Sweden. I better get to going to find a way, besides, i know exactly what Sweden needs.
Rating: DDD
Captain America: Civil War
It seems that Marvel Studios is keeping themselves busy every year. Comic book characters are always very popular, and there are always another story to tell. No matter what comic book character you enjoy most, you are guaranteed to see that character in a film. Just look at The Avengers, 2 films so far that brought us many great comic book characters, all fit into two films. Everything from Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and many more. I recently heard that Marvel Studios is planning to make more films, with new characters coming our way, so we have a lot to look forward to. Let us focus on one comic book character for a moment. Perhaps you may remember Captain America, an old fashioned hero, that have had a long run, both in comic books, but also made into 5 films. Wait, 5 films ? Yes, 2 very old ones, one released in 1979 called Captain America, and then we have a film released in 1990. Are these ones any good ? Let me put it this way, if you enjoy bad acting, bad special effects and cheesy action scenes, then you might find something to be entertained about. You could say that Captain America got a reboot in 2011, with the film Captain America: The First Avenger. This was the first film with actor Chris Evans becoming Captain America, and i have to say i enjoyed this film. As an introduction to this super hero, director Joe Johnston managed to make some interesting ideas puzzled together. The film did well at the box office, but was actually not a big profit like Thor, with Chris Hemsworth. Either way, i still think that it was a good introduction to how Captain America developed into the superhero, that millions of comic book readers love. The sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier, made some major changes. Now, you had Captain America in present day, and there are a lot more comic book characters included here. We have Nick Fury, Black Widow and Falcon joined in the film. You could tell that directors Anthony Russo and John Russo, wanted to make Captain America more majestic, and more powerful than in the first film. The special effects were more massive, and action scenes were also more detailed. It was no big surprise that a third film was coming our way, because the fans love their Marvel Studios releases. This third time around, we have the same directors on board from the previous film Winter Soldier, and we have an even bigger cast included. Some characters from last time is here, but we have some new faces in here, how about Spider-Man and Ant Man, in the same film as Captain America ? Sounds too good to be true. But the question is, does film lift the genre into a completely more stronger position, or should they have left Captain America alone after 2 films ?
In 1991, the brain washed super-soldier James " Buckey " Barnes ( Sebastian Stan ), is dispatched from a Hydra base in Siberia to intercept an automobile carrying a case of super-soldier serum. In present day, Captain America ( Chris Evans ), Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ), Falcon ( Sam Wilson ) and Scarlet Witch ( Elisabeth Olsen ) stop Brock Rumlow ( Frank Grillo ) from stealing a biological weapon in a lab located in Lagos. Rumlow blows himself up, hoping to kill Captain America. Scarlet Witch tries to protect the team with her telekinesis, it all goes terribly wrong. Buildings around are destroyed, and innocent Wakandan humanitarian workers are killed. This becomes a very serious issue, so at the team´s headquarters , U.S. Secretary Of State Thaddeus Ross, inform everyone that the United Nations ( UN ) is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords. This means that the UN Panel will be able to oversee and control The Avengers. Since the Wakandan humanity workers were killed, the tension between Avengers is being divided. Tony Stark ( Robert Downey, Jr ) supports the idea of The Avengers being watched, because he feels responsible for Ultron´s creation and Sokovia´s destruction. Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans ) does not agree, and have faith in his own judgment, and not in the government. Tensions between the Avengers keeps on growing, as more problems arrive. At a conference in Vienna, a bomb kills King T´Chaka of Wakanda ( John Kani ), video footage is found that the bomber is Buckey Barnes. King T´Chaka´s son T´Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) wovs till kill Barnes. The Avengers situation is no longer in control, and the war is just about to reach another level.
Since i enjoyed the 2 earlier films with Chris Evans in the lead role, i will make this very simple. Captain America: Civil War is the best of these films so far. And there are several reasons to why i feel this way. First of all the action scenes are more detailed, with more power than in the earlier films. You have some major battle scenes between different superhero characters, and these moments are very precious. Another detail i really enjoy is the dialogue between Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. We all know that Tony Stark is fast with his words, and very straight forward to say what he thinks. And this is where it gets funny, since Captain America have a different way of communicating. The tone of the film is also very different than the previous ones, because you could say that this is a major battle between two groups. Did you ever expect to see Captain America fight against Iron Man, on a big screen ? Of course we did not expect to see Zack Snyder direct Batman fighting Superman either, but these 2 films are very different. While Batman V Superman struggled with a bad script, and too many problems, Captain America: Civil War have a much stronger plot, and deliver so much more entertainment . The acting is much better, the special effects is really good, and from a Marvel perspective, we get a lot of nice details that comic book lovers will enjoy. If you enjoyed the massive action scenes in the second Captain America film, you will love this third film even more. You get more of everything here, including a bigger cast with more superheroes, and other comic book characters. As an example, we get Spider-Man in here, Ant-Man and Black Panther included, among others, and you can tell that directors Anthony Russo and John Russo, really tried to make this even bigger than last time. There are some really cool special effects along the way, where some unexpected turns make the film more interesting. To see these superheroes deal with personal issues, and handle the situations with conflicts, is both fascinating, and gives you joy. Since there are so many of them here, you should have seen other Marvel films, to understand some of their backgrounds, it makes it easier to understand their positions. Directors Anthony and John Russo really knows how to handle this genre, and make sure we get the right comic book feeling. Everything is not perfect, but that´s ok, this film proves that there is still hope for Marvel Films in the future. The acting from almost all the actors deliver on a high level, and i especially enjoy Robert Downey, Jr as Tony Stark, no one could be better than him as this character. Chris Evans is still really good as Captain America. He may not be my favourite Marvel character, but this film gives him the chance to shine. One character i am looking forward to see more of, is Black Panther, played by Cadwick Boseman. I heard rumours that Black Panther will have his own film, but until then, check him out here. If you are a Marvel Comic Book fan, or love superheroes from the Marvel universe, i have a feeling you will enjoy this ride. Excuse me for a moment, i need to put on my Hulk costume, i see Jehovas Witnessess outside our house, time to smash some holy books.
Rating: DDDD
In 1991, the brain washed super-soldier James " Buckey " Barnes ( Sebastian Stan ), is dispatched from a Hydra base in Siberia to intercept an automobile carrying a case of super-soldier serum. In present day, Captain America ( Chris Evans ), Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ), Falcon ( Sam Wilson ) and Scarlet Witch ( Elisabeth Olsen ) stop Brock Rumlow ( Frank Grillo ) from stealing a biological weapon in a lab located in Lagos. Rumlow blows himself up, hoping to kill Captain America. Scarlet Witch tries to protect the team with her telekinesis, it all goes terribly wrong. Buildings around are destroyed, and innocent Wakandan humanitarian workers are killed. This becomes a very serious issue, so at the team´s headquarters , U.S. Secretary Of State Thaddeus Ross, inform everyone that the United Nations ( UN ) is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords. This means that the UN Panel will be able to oversee and control The Avengers. Since the Wakandan humanity workers were killed, the tension between Avengers is being divided. Tony Stark ( Robert Downey, Jr ) supports the idea of The Avengers being watched, because he feels responsible for Ultron´s creation and Sokovia´s destruction. Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans ) does not agree, and have faith in his own judgment, and not in the government. Tensions between the Avengers keeps on growing, as more problems arrive. At a conference in Vienna, a bomb kills King T´Chaka of Wakanda ( John Kani ), video footage is found that the bomber is Buckey Barnes. King T´Chaka´s son T´Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) wovs till kill Barnes. The Avengers situation is no longer in control, and the war is just about to reach another level.
Since i enjoyed the 2 earlier films with Chris Evans in the lead role, i will make this very simple. Captain America: Civil War is the best of these films so far. And there are several reasons to why i feel this way. First of all the action scenes are more detailed, with more power than in the earlier films. You have some major battle scenes between different superhero characters, and these moments are very precious. Another detail i really enjoy is the dialogue between Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. We all know that Tony Stark is fast with his words, and very straight forward to say what he thinks. And this is where it gets funny, since Captain America have a different way of communicating. The tone of the film is also very different than the previous ones, because you could say that this is a major battle between two groups. Did you ever expect to see Captain America fight against Iron Man, on a big screen ? Of course we did not expect to see Zack Snyder direct Batman fighting Superman either, but these 2 films are very different. While Batman V Superman struggled with a bad script, and too many problems, Captain America: Civil War have a much stronger plot, and deliver so much more entertainment . The acting is much better, the special effects is really good, and from a Marvel perspective, we get a lot of nice details that comic book lovers will enjoy. If you enjoyed the massive action scenes in the second Captain America film, you will love this third film even more. You get more of everything here, including a bigger cast with more superheroes, and other comic book characters. As an example, we get Spider-Man in here, Ant-Man and Black Panther included, among others, and you can tell that directors Anthony Russo and John Russo, really tried to make this even bigger than last time. There are some really cool special effects along the way, where some unexpected turns make the film more interesting. To see these superheroes deal with personal issues, and handle the situations with conflicts, is both fascinating, and gives you joy. Since there are so many of them here, you should have seen other Marvel films, to understand some of their backgrounds, it makes it easier to understand their positions. Directors Anthony and John Russo really knows how to handle this genre, and make sure we get the right comic book feeling. Everything is not perfect, but that´s ok, this film proves that there is still hope for Marvel Films in the future. The acting from almost all the actors deliver on a high level, and i especially enjoy Robert Downey, Jr as Tony Stark, no one could be better than him as this character. Chris Evans is still really good as Captain America. He may not be my favourite Marvel character, but this film gives him the chance to shine. One character i am looking forward to see more of, is Black Panther, played by Cadwick Boseman. I heard rumours that Black Panther will have his own film, but until then, check him out here. If you are a Marvel Comic Book fan, or love superheroes from the Marvel universe, i have a feeling you will enjoy this ride. Excuse me for a moment, i need to put on my Hulk costume, i see Jehovas Witnessess outside our house, time to smash some holy books.
Rating: DDDD
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