To all my readers worldwide, this is the most important information you will read.... this year ?

Cheers everyone!

Daniel here with very important information. The review of Sharknado 5: Global Swarming will be posted on September 2nd. I will watch the film on Saturday the 1st of September, and write the review over night. So dont miss this. This could be the most beautiful movie review ever written, in modern history. In September i have more fresh movie reviews coming, so you are guaranteed a great time. Until next time, take good care of yourself and always remember, being naked solves all your problems. 

Cheers from Daniel

Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets

I will never forget the year of 1994. This was the year when the British acid jazz band Jamiroquai released their classic second album The Return Of The Space Cowboy, that became a big part of my teenage years. This was also the year when American band Rollins Band released their greatest album ever, simply called Weight. I also remember this year when Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. Of course we could probably mention some other very important things that happened this year. But i would like to take this moment, to talk about a film that changed my life, that first came out in the year 1994. It was the film Léon: The Professional, from french director Luc Besson. A story about a lonesome hitman called Léon Montana, who saves a young innocent girl Mathilda ( Natalie Portman ) from being murdered by Norman Stansfield ( Gary Oldman ) and his corrupt DEA Agents. The film is a wonderful story, that really show how important it is to have hope in life. The acting is just completely brilliant, and Gary Oldman may do his best performance of his acting career in this film. Director Luc Besson really showed the world with this film, that he have created a masterpiece. And i still see this film, as the best film he have ever done so far. Director Luc Besson have of course directed some other classics, such as Subway and Nikita, and i still think he have managed to deliver some solid film within more recent years. Let´s look back on one of the classic films that director Luc Besson have made over the years. Remember the 90´s science fiction classic The Fifht Element with Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman and Bruce Willis ? I actually enjoyed this film, for being different, and offering a lot of fun action scenes. I remember that critics were very divided about the film, but the fans clearly enjoyed themselves. The Fifth Element had both great characters, and a very futuristic look that helped the film look so cool. In some ways, i think that The Fifth Element was a much better science fiction film, than the cheesy epic action film Armageddon, released a year after Besson´s film. If you have not seen The Fifth Element yet, pick up the blu ray and experience a magical moment in cinema history. Director Luc Besson did not really do any science fiction films after this one, unless you count in some science fiction influences in his film Lucy with Scarlett Johansson. Late last year i started hearing about that Besson would make a film based on the french science fiction comic series Valérian and Laureline. This did make me curious, just to see what he would do with this material. The official trailer looked fun, so of course i was excited to experience Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets in cinema. Is legendary director Luc Besson back on top, or is this film one of his failures in his long career ?

In the 28th century, the former International Space Station has become " Alpha ", a city of millions of creatures live together in harmony, where they exchange their knowledge and cultures. The humans have a special police division, to preserve peace through the universe, including Major Valerian ( Dane DeHaan ) and Sergeant Laureline ( Cara Delevigne ). In a dream of Valerian, he dream of a low-tech humanoid race lives peacefully. These humanoids collect pearls, that contains enormous amounts of energy, and use small animals to replicate them. Suddenly, wreckage comes diving from the sky, as one enormous ship crashes into the planet, triggering an apocalypse. Only a number of humanoids manage to survive, while their princess is one of the victims. Valerian wakes up. He learns that this dream, is telling him to get a " Mul Converter ", the animal that can replicate pearls. But there is only one left in the universe, and it is located at a black market dealer. Valerian travel to the virtual market called " Big Market ", to get the Mul Converter. Valerian and Laureline recover the converter, and also steals one of the pearls. They return back to Alpha, where their superior frosty Commander Filitt ( Clive Owen ) inform them that the center of the station have been infected by an unknown force. Valerian and Laureline is ordered to protect their Commander, as he ask them for the converter, but Valerian tells Laureline to hold onto the converter. Suddenly, humanoids attack Space Station Alpha, and kidnap Commander Filitt. At first Valerian and Laureline go after to save their Commander, but is there a reason to why Commander Fillit was kidnapped ? Is there something he have kept secret ?

Knowing that it is 20 years ago, since Luc Besson released his classic science fiction film The Fifth Element, you instantly hope that Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets would be a future classic. Unfortunately, we do have some issues to talk about this film. I could understand why Luc Besson wanted to take on this project, since this have been in his mind for a long time. I have not read the french comics Valérian And Laureline, but i understand that the source material is very appreciated by fans. Since i can´t compare the ground material, to this film adaptation, i don´t know if director Luc Besson have managed to capture the world really well, or if he have failed. I choose to look at this film for what this is, a big budget science fiction action opera. There are parts of the film, where i can tell that Luc Besson have tried to make this film an epic adventure. I think one of the problems for me, is that the film have so many characters, that you really don´t care about many of them. Look at one of the main characters, Major Valerian, played by actor Dane DeHaan. You can´t really feel connected to him, as much as you would want to. I don´t think he is a bad actor, i am just not sure if he was the right choice for this character. Actor Cara Delevigne as the tough Sergeant Laureline is one of the few characters that actually work. Oh, let´s not forget to mention Ethan Hawke, in a small role as the crazy Jolly The Pimp. He is actually a great choice as this character. Really nice to see legendary actor Rutger Hauer in a small role as the President of the World State Federation ( he should have been included more into this film ). A part from these ones, we don´t have many more to mention. The CGI does look great, especially in 3D, and there are a couple of action scenes where you can sense that Luc Besson wanted to make this an epic film. But no matter how much action we get in some scenes, the characters can´t save this film. If only Besson could have developed the characters, giving them much more depth, than this could have been a good film. I am not sure if the film follow the comic books correctly, but somehow it feels like this film is rushed, to get as much details as possible from the ground material. I could be wrong, but that´s the way i feel. On the positive side we do have some beautiful scenes, where we meet very odd creatures and majestic landscapes. I do like some of the scenes with the low-tech humanoids, when they fish for pearls. If the film could have focused more on the story behind these humanoids, i do think we could have had something more solid to enjoy. Director Luc Besson is not a bad director, we know he can make really good films ( and bad ones as well of course ). Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets is not a disaster, but with such a large world that he tries to offer with this film, we only get to experience a part of it. You get a sense that there is a story worth telling here, only if it could have been made correctly. If you are a big Luc Besson fan, you might want to see the film after all, just to get your own opinion. I had pretty high expectations for this film, and i am disappointed. If we ever get to see a sequel, i hope that Luc Besson can adjust some problems, and i can actually look forward to see a future development.

Rating: DD

Empire Of The Sharks

There are moments in my life, when i feel the need to watch a couple of cheesy B movies. Why ? Because some of them are actually fun to watch, while some of them are just really awful. Once you experience lovely B movies, you know that they will always be close to your heart. I always try to check the latest releases from the SyFy Channel, that make a lot of B movies and tv series. Some of their films are actually perfect for the tea party, with biscuits and i get dressed in my finest suit. The shark genre have been filled with so many insane dvd releases over the years, you don´t need to worry about missing them out. Easiest way is to watch them on VOD. There are new films coming out every year, so clearly people love to see sharks. With the massive success of the Sharknado films, of course a lot of B movie directors have tried to make their own odd ideas on shark combinations. Just take the film Shark Exorcist as an example. That has to be the greatest film tile for.....almost a decade. I have not seen the film yet though, so i don´t know it is the masterpiece we all hope for. Another shark film i am curious to see is called Mega Shark vs. Kolossus. To see a giant robot fight a shark, proves that our future of film making is clearly positive. I have seen some pretty fresh titles coming out recently, so i might review another B movie soon. While i am really excited to see Sharknado 5: Global Swarming next weekend ( a review will be posted as well ), i read about some other films that have been aired on SyFy Channel this summer. You could tell by the titles, that the film makers have clearly hoped to get at least 4 Emmy Awards. Out of the new SyFy films that came out this summer, is called Empire Of The Sharks. I got a chance to watch this film, to make sure Just to make it more fun, i decided not to see any trailer. Usually, that makes the experience more fun. Could this film Empire Of The Sharks be one of the biggest highlights of this year, or should someone have burned the script and watched another season of The Bachelor instead ?

In the future, Earth is now 98% covered in water. What most of us know as land no longer exist. The only land left is controlled by Warlord Mason Scrim ( Jonathan Pienaar ), as he also control hyper-intelligent sharks through his robotic hands. The humans are forced to pay tribute to Warlord Mason. If they don´t follow orders, they will be caged up as shark food. 2 friends who have managed to survive against the tyranny of Warlord Mason, decide to gather a group of people, with different skills. Someone need to stand up against the Warlord and his army, as well as stop the hyper-intelligent sharks.

Imagine a mix of Waterworld with Kevin Costner, and Cyborg with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and you have Empire Of The Sharks. This is a very odd action film, set out on an ocean with muscle guards and electronically controlled sharks. Throw in a legendary actor like John Savage, with other known actors like Joe Vaz and stunt cordinator / actor Philip Tan, and you have something unique. Is this a original film in any way ? No, but the mixture of everything actually makes this a fun film to watch. The acting is bad, the special effects are not very good, but i think the film manage to do something different in the shark film genre. Just to see actor Jonathan Pienaar as the evil Mason Scrim, using robotic hands to control sharks, is just simply a feast. There is no plot really to care about, but that´s ok. This is supposed to be a dumb film, made for fans of cheesy action films such as 3-Headed Shark Attack. Speaking of actor Jonathan Pienaar, check out his clothing style. Reminded me of Rutger Hauer´s long coat in cult film Split Second, and Jonathan´s long hair kind of looks like singer Bret Michaels after a whiskey round, waking up on the bar table. In some ways you could say that Empire Of The Sharks fits perfect for a Saturday Morning tv film, while having breakfast. All those episodes of The Bachelor running 16 hours every day, why would you watch that, when you can have electronic controlled sharks attacking stupid people ? Director Mark Atkins have directed a hell of a lot of B movies over the years, and i remember one of his first films called Evil Eyes with legendary actor Udo Kier. A silly but funny horror film. Since then he have made plenty of B movies in all genres, and some of you might have seen his film Dragonquest, with legendary actor Marc Singer ? His latest film Empire Of The Sharks is in no way his best film, but i do think he have made one of his most odd films. That he actually combined some of those classic VHS titles, shows that he is not afraid to go on a different path. I actually had a pretty good time with this title, just for being a fun cheesy B action movie. If you can bare with bad acting, and some of the CGI effects, then this could actually be something worth checking out. Have you ever wondered if there is a film that explain the mysteries of biology? Empire Of The Sharks will give you the answers, plus you might even learn how to dress for sunday dinner.

Rating

The Wizard Of Lies

Legendary actors from Hollywood, is something i really appreciate, no matter what kinds of films they show up in. The old school actors, are those kinds of actors you know can make characters become magical. They know how to make their performances very special. I could easily make a long list of legendary actors in here, but i choose to make it more simple. Let us talk about one of the biggest Hollywood actors since the early 70´s, of course i am talking about Robert De Niro. What a fantastic actor he is. Just remember his classics The Godfather Part 2, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, The King Of Comedy, Godfellas, i could go on forever. De Niro have made a huge impact in the world of cinema. When i was a kid in the 80´s, i remember seeing Taxi Driver for the first time on VHS. I was instantly hooked up. This is one of the masterpieces in cinema history, by legendary director Martin Scorsese. If you have not seen Taxi Driver, you have to see this film. Why ? Because it is one of the best films ever made, and Robert De Niro as the insane Taxi Driver is simply outstanding. Over so many years, De Niro have kept working with films in all genres. He have never been afraid to tried different genres, and that is a good sign Some films have been alright, while some films in recent years have not been very interesting. There is one film i think we should mention, a smaller film called Everybody´s Fine by director Kirk Jones. A drama comedy, where Robert De Niro did one of his better performances in many years, as the lonesome retired Frank Goode, who travels across America to see his children, now all adults. A film with a great cast of Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. I have tried to see most of the films that De Niro have released in recent years, but very few have been interesting. It is like he have not found the right project. How many of you saw him and Zac Efron in Bad Grandpa ? One example where De Niro made a bad choice, obviously he did that film for the money. Around late spring time this year, i started reading some positive feedback on an HBO film called The Wizard Of Lies. This turns out to be a new film, where Robert De Niro plays the American fraudster Bernie Madoff. This sounded very interesting, especially when it seemed that De Niro actually doing a good performance again. I got a chance to watch the film on HBO Play, just to see if this would be a positive surprise. Is De Niro finally making his way back to the acting level we all love to see him do, or is this another downfall for a legendary actor, where we have lost all hope ?

Bernie Madoff ( Robert De Niro ) is the chairman of the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LCC. He lives a very luxury life style with his beloved wife Ruth Madoff ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), and constantly making sure that he makes a lot of money from different investments. But then tragedy strikes, when the 2008 bank collapse hits hard all over the world. To save his company, Bernie makes any attempt to get clients to give him money, before his whole career collapse. No matter what happens, he refuse to give up the fight. But when the truth comes out, what Bernie have been doing, his whole life is destroyed. The life he once had, have all faded away. Will he ever be forgiven, especially from his own family ?

Since i have heard all the positive reviews on The Wizard Of Lies, i knew that this could be something good. I could easily say, this is the best film i have seen Robert De Niro do since.....Cop Land in 1997 ? That is 20 years, so you understand that he is back on top again. He have made a few good films between 1997 and until 2017, but it is very clear that The Wizard Of Lies is his most powerful performance in a very long time. The way he capture the look, the facial expressions, and emotions of former stockbroker, investment advisor Bernie Madoff. This is a very disturbing story, and to know that he actually stole 68,4 billion U.S. Dollars is just completely insane. The film basically tell the story before he gets busted, and you learn how he tricked so many investors to pay him, when you know everything is going straight to hell. Another thing we need to mention, is how amazing good actor Michelle Pfeiffer is in this film, as Bernie´s wife Ruth. I can´t remember when i saw her acting this good, and this is why she is one of the highlights of this film, especially in the scenes with De Niro. These 2 actors together on screen is a perfect match. Knowing that this film is directed by legendary director Barry Levinson, makes me feel very happy. He have made some really good films in the past ( especially the HBO film You Don´t Know Jack with a brilliant performance by Al Pacino ). It feels like director Barry Levinson have found the right tone, for a film to be based on a real event. He digs into the world of Wall Street, where you see how manipulated people can become when serious problems become obvious. The film also manage to show what happens, when your comfortable world of luxury, just falls apart and you are left with nothing. I also think it is very interesting, that the film shows interviews with De Niro, where he tries to speak from the mind of Bernie, to explain how he see things, from his perspective. It would be impossible to understand, how it is to handle a situation like Bernie Madoff did. How could he take so much money, and don´t care about the consequences ? Obviously, he thinks more about saving himself, even if it means he makes more problems on the surface. The Wizard Of Lies is a very well written drama film from HBO Films, and one of the best drama films i have seen this year. The acting is on a top quality level, and the dialogue is really good. If Robert De Niro does not win any award for best actor in this film, on upcoming film festivals, something is seriously wrong. I say you have to see The Wizard Of Lies, and i can guarantee that you will not leave your seat. Welcome back De Niro, finally you proved to the world that you are back on track.

Rating: DDDD

War For The Planet Of The Apes

It is very interesting, all the discussions about if monkeys are the closest related species to humans. Is this true ? Do we really have the facts to prove this ? I think scientists, and professors worldwide have a lot of answers these days, within this subject. I do believe that we have some things in common. At least if you look at the chimpanzee, and see how they learn things, as well as communicate. Apes do seem to have a lot of different ways to learn, and adjust in their environment. But what if Apes would become more intelligent, and learn more about society, when humans are not prepared ? What if they would turn against us, and take over the world ? Most of you have probably seen the cult classic film Planet Of The Apes, from 1968. At the time when the film came out, the film did make a big impact. Not only because it was a very well made film, but the subject about Apes fighting against humans. I did not see this film until the late 80´s, so my first memory of the film was the actors Charles Heston and Roddy McDowall being in the cast list. I also remember that the make up looked good, considering this film was made in the late 60´s. Planet Of The Apes is still today one of those films i can see again, and enjoy. Perhaps because director Franklin J. Shaffner knew exactly how he would portrait the war against humans and monkeys, and he made it work so well. There were a bunch of sequels released, where Roddy McDowall returned. They are ok, but it was always clear that it would be hard to do a film as good, as the original film. For a long time, it seemed that we would not see a new film being made, from the Planet Of The Apes series. Until director Tim Burton decided to remake the original film in the year 2001. Now, me personally did not enjoy this film very much. Sure, the casting was fun, but i think this film had too many flaws to make it work. Critics and fans to the original film were not all pleased with this remake, and the film did not do as well as the film studio hoped it would do. At this point, no one really knew if we would see the return of this franchise. Until, in 2011, when director Rupert Wyatt decided to go into the franchise with the film Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. A film said to be an origin story of a new series of films in this genre. This film is actually good, and very well made. The story of the monkey Cesar and scientist Will Rodman ( done by actor James Franco ), gave us a different perspective in the genre. The sequel Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, that came out 3 years later, proved to be even better, and one of the best action films of that year. So here we are, with the final film of this chapter, simply called War Of The Planet Of The Apes. Since i have seen all of the films from the past, i had to experience this final chapter in 3D, to see if this is a worthy ending. Is this one of the highlights of this year in cinemas, or is this final film of the franchise an ending we did not ask for ?

Two years after the U.S. military was called to fight off an increasingly and dangerous tribe of apes, The Apes Clan, led by chimpanzee Caesar ( Andy Serkis ). The Ape Clan is attacked in the forest by a rouge paramilitary known as Alpha-Omega, led by The Colonel ( Woody Harrelson ). The Ape Clan is not ready to give up, so attack against the military operation. Several soldiers are taken hostage to The Ape Clan. Ceasar command that the human soldiers will be released, but with a message to The Colonel, that he did not start this war. Caesar also want peace between humans and apes. The Colonel have no plan to make peace with the apes, he will make sure that humans will win, no matter what happens.

Knowing that this is supposed to be the final film of the Planet Of The Apes series ( from the 2011 sequel ), you want this film to be epic, with some majestic action scenes. The good news is that we do get a worthy ending. War Of The Planet Of The Apes proves that you can end a film series correctly, without making everything really cheesy. Those of you who read my review of the film Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, might remember how positive i was about this film. And i still feel that that film is one of the best film ever in this genre. In some ways i was kind of curious to see if they really could make a film even better than Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. I can´t say that this final film is as good as the 2014 film, but i still feel that this ending have some really positive details to talk about. The CGI is amazing, and the way the monkeys react, communicate and make decisions looks gorgeous. The action scenes is once again one of the highlights, where you do get to see some epic battle scenes between monkeys and humans. There is also other interesting subjects in this film, where you begin to think, if humans and monkeys really are very different from each other, or do we have certain things in common? Caesar ( played brilliantly by Andy Serkis ), the monkey we have followed through the 3 latest films, have developed even more, and talk almost like a human now. He also reacts differently than before, and you can tell that this film tries to tell his side of the story, in a much deeper way than previous film. I like the fact that this film try to connect with the past, so you get a glimpse of how Caesar have managed to become more independent, and learned about human civilization. Woody Harrelson as the rough, selfish character The Colonel, is in my opinion one of the highlights of this film. His mean and hateful looks, against monkeys, shows you a man with a lot of psychological issues, where he solve this with alcohol and violence. Woody Harrelson proves that he is once again an actor, who knows how to make a character affect you. Actor Amiah Miller is also really good, as the mute Nova. Director Matt Reeves ( who have directed several really good films such as Cloverfield and Let Me In ), have returned to direct this final chapter. I will say this, his previous film Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is a bit emotionally stronger than the final chapter, but he still manage to deliver, both on an technical level, and telling the story in a very effective way. He clearly have a big passion for these films, and you can tell that from the way he made this final film so powerful. War For The Planet Of The Apes is a must see ending, to a franchise that have kept generations of movie lovers bedazzled in the cinema seats for many years. An epic ending, that hopefully will make you think about human behavior. 

Rating: DDDD

Collide

Let´s travel back in time, to the year of 2002. Why this year ? Well, it was the year when one film changed my mind a bit, about one actor i could not stand. Remember Hugh Grant ? For many years i did not like him as an actor. Simply because every film he did was just damn boring, way to cheesy and i just could not care. But in 2002, he did a film that i actually enjoyed. A British film called About A Boy, with a very young Nicholas Hoult as the charming Marcus Brewer. I also enjoyed the performance of actor Toni Collette, as the very hippie influenced mother Fiona Brewer. About A Boy became a hit in theatres, and got good ratings from critics. It was one of those films that managed to show, that no matter where you are in life, there are always ways to turn everything around for the better. I must admit that i have not seen a lot of Hugh Grant films lately, but he did surprise me in Cloud Atlas. Anyway, let´s talk about actor Nicholas Hoult. Since he charmed the world in About A Boy, his acting career bloomed away. You would see him do a lot of different films. Everything from X-Men, to Mad Max: Fury Road, or how about the odd zombie film Warm Bodies ? I think it is clear that Nicholas Hoult can deliver many different characters, in many different genre films. How many of you saw him in the film Jack The Giant Slayer ? A fun film adaptation to the classic fairy tale Jack And The Beanstalk. I have not seen his film Kill Your Friends, but i did hear that it was worth a look ( i might take the time to check it out at some point ). Nicholas seems very busy these days, he have several films coming out this year, and next year, so we will surely see more of him soon. During last weekend i sat down looking through dvd films i have not had the time to see. I noticed that i do have some titles that i have forgotten about, and here i came across a film called Collide. I noticed that the cast includes Felicity Jones, Ben Kingsley and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Wow, talk about a really good cast. Maybe that is why i picked up Collide from the first place, to see if all of these actors in the same film would be delightful experience. I always enjoy checking out action films, so i took the time to see Collide. Is this an action film for the whole family, or is this a film no one needs to know exists ?

Casey Stein ( Nicholas Hoult ) is a young American, living in Cologne, Germany. He and his best friend Matthias ( Marwan Kezari ) works for the drug dealer Geran ( Ben Kingsley ). Casey meet the friendly bartender Juliette Marne ( Felicity Jones ) at the night club she works. He decides to take a chance, and quits his job, just to make sure Juliette will want to spend time with him. It turns out alright, as they decide to become a couple. But Juliette become very ill one night and have a seizure, it turns out she have been keeping a secret. She is in need of a transplant treatment, because her kidney is in very bad shape. Since Juliette is not a citizen of Germany, she is unqualified to have surgery in Germany. This means she will be forced to go back to America to get an operation. But with no money, Juliette have no chance to have a new kidney. So Casey decide to go back and work for Geran, to pull off a large drug theft from Germany´s biggest drug dealer, Hagen Kahl ( Sir Anthony Hopkins ). Have Casey made a decision that could destroy his life ?

You would expect that a film with a cast of so many talented actors, would deliver a film that will please the viewer. In the case of Collide, i get a sense that we have been ripped off. I don´t mind that this is not a 100 million dollar project, a film does not need to be good just because of the budget size. But it becomes very clear, that this action film could have looked much better, considering it cost over 20 million dollars to make. Remember how beautiful the action film Desperado looks with Antonio Banderas, and that film only cost 7 million dollars. I know, these films are very different, but still just making a good point. The plot is very simple, and i don´t really have a problem with the story. The problem is that the film is never really interesting as an action film. If a director can make an action film look good, and also feel entertaining, you have a good combination. Collide tries to look like a serious action film, but never manage to make you care much about the characters, or the action scenes. Nicholas Hoult is not all bad, but as the main actor in this film, he could have been much tougher, and rougher. Ben Kingsley as the very odd character Geran, is just simple awful. You don´t feel like Ben Kingsley gives a shit about being in the film, and this is just so sad. I have big respect for such a legendary actor, but this is not worthy him. Felicity Jones does at least give her character a personality, but not much more. The film is basically saved by actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, in the scenes where you see him. His screen presence always brings something special, even if he does not do one of his best performances here. Director Eran Creevy have directed 2 feature films in the past, and i have seen one of them called Welcome To The Punch. That film is actually a good action film, and did manage to deliver some pure popcorn moments. His latest film Collide turns out to be just another action release, that does not bring anything interesting to the genre. Considering that this could have been something good with this cast, Collide is more a waste of your precious time. There are plenty of action films you could choose instead of this one, and still have a good time. I suggest you watch the 1996 classic film The Rock instead on blu ray, and i guarantee that you will have a blast. Some action classics never get boring, while Collide is a film you will easily forget. 

Rating: DD

Snatched

There are so many great comedians out there to choose between. I have seen so many over the years, where many comedians were a part of Saturday Night Live. You have the classic ones, such as Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. But one of my personal favourite comedians from the past, have always been Chris Farley. His comedian style, and his way to do different characters were just incredible funny. The comedy film Tommy Boy with Chris Farley and David Spade is one of the greatest comedy classics of the 90´s, if you have not seen this film, make sure to buy it on dvd, or on blu ray. Unfortunately, we lost him way too early back in 1997. But his work, both as a stand up comedian, and in his classic films, will always be remembered. I highly recommend that you see the documentary film I Am Chris Farley, to get a different perspective on his career, and on his life. Speaking about comedy, there are so many great actors who have been in many classic comedies, and one actor that comes to my mind is of course Goldie Hawn. She have made so many films, and she have survived the Hollywood industry, delivering some unforgettable moments in cinema history. Who can forget the classic film Foul Play, with Chevy Chase and Dudley Moore ? Or how about Private Benjamin ? One of my personal childhood favourite classics has to be the 1987 film Overboard, with Kurt Russel and Roddy McDowall. Brings back good memories. Goldie have always been an actor that was not afraid to try different things in comedies, and i know that she will always be respected by audiences. How many of you saw the comedy Trainwreck ? You might remember comedian Amy Schumer making the best performance of her career in this film ( so far ). Trainwreck really made fun of relationships, sex, career, family, just about everything in ordinary day life. And that is why this film worked so well. So what would you say about seeing Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn together in a new comedy ? Here it is, a film called Snatched. I got a chance to see the blu ray ( since the film never went to cinemas in Sweden ), to see if this comedy duo would give us a good time. Is this one of the best comedies of this year, or is this a major step into a wrong direction for these great comedian actors ?

Emily Middleton ( Amy Schumer ) is not having much luck in her life. She is fired from her job, and her boyfriend Michael ( Randall Park ) dumps her. Emily have planned going to South America with Michael, but he is not going with her. So, she has to find someone else to go with her. Emily go home to visit her mother Linda Middleton ( Goldie Hawn ), who lives a very calm and harmonic life style. Emily´s agoraphobic brother Jeffrey Middleton ( Ike Barinholtz ) still lives at home, being spoiled all the time. Since Emily can´t find one friend to go with her to South America, she asks her mother Linda to go with her. At first, she does not like the idea. But eventually she agrees, just so Emily does not loose the money that she paid for the tickets. At first, this seems to be a really lovely vacation, with beautiful locations and new experiences. But everything is about to change, when Emily and Linda are thrown in to a very unexpected turn in their lives.

Let´s be honest. Trainwreck was really funny, and worked because of a great cast and included very vulgar comedy scenes. You might think that Snatched would try to do the same, since we have Amy Schumer in the lead role. You can sense that the writers of this film tried to make this a vulgar comedy, but different from Trainwreck. We do get some fun scenes, but compared to Trainwreck, it is pretty clear that it is hard to find many positive things to say about Snatched. I will say that it is a good idea, bringing Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn together. They do have ( a few ) funny scenes, where the comedy level works, for a moment. The biggest problem with Snatched, is that this is supposed to be a funny film, through out the whole play time. And this is where Snatched fails. A lot of comedy moments feels very unfocused. As if the actors are put in many different situations, that are supposed to be funny, and that does not work. The one thing that saves this film from falling apart is Goldie Hawn. She knows how to make comedies work, and for a few moments in this film, she does deliver. Amy Schumer can be funny, she have proved that in the past, but for some reason, it is almost like she just ( tries ) to make herself funny, but don´t really know what to do with her character. This film is directed by Jonathan Levine, ( who have directed really good films in the past such as The Wackness and Warm Bodies ), and knowing his earlier work, you would expect something good. Unfortunately, he can´t really do anything interesting with Snatced. It is almost like another version of the 80´s classic Romancing The Stone with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, but with a lot more comedy influences. This could have been a good idea, if it was put together correctly. There is nothing wrong about the location of the film, being set in South America. If only these talented actors were given a better script, and a better comedy structure to work on, we could have had a good time. I was actually hoping that Snatched would surprise me, that i would enjoy myself. One of the producers of this film is Paul Feig, who directed the classic comedy Bridesmaids. With such talented people on board this film, i wonder what went wrong. Not a disaster, just not as funny as it should have been. Want to laugh ? Put on Bridesmaids or Trainwreck instead, or go for a classic such as Foul Play. I doubt you will have the same good time with Snatched.

Rating: DD

47 Meters Down

Just about 2 weeks ago, i went to Spain on vacation. It was hot as hell, and i really loved the massive heat wave. Since we only have 10 days of sun in Sweden ( if we are lucky ), you want to go somewhere, where you find the sun frying your skin. And of course the lovely salty ocean, where you can swim everyday. Ever since i was a young boy, i loved being in the ocean. I grew up on the west coast of Sweden, so there were plenty of summers where we would be on the beach. As i was becoming closer to my teenage year, my grandparents gave me my first trip to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, back in 1990. I still remember how much i loved the orange trees, the palm trees, the swimming pools, and listening to Curiosity Killed The Cat on my Sony Walkman Cassette Player. I did not play any Richard Marx songs...why would i ever do that? I have to say, the ocean and beaches have always meant a lot to me, since my childhood. I try to visit beaches in different countries on holidays, or just visit beaches here in Sweden, depending on how many days i am off on vacation. Let´s change subject, but still talk about the ocean. We have a lot of films out there, that bring up the subject of ocean life. One of the most biggest classics of all time, has to be the 1975 film Jaws. Steven Spielbergs iconic horror film, still looks really good today. One of the reasons why i think this film still works, is because of the strong characters, and the special effects were really effective. Of course the Jaws theme song is still unforgettable. Horror movies that takes place in the ocean, there are quiet a few titles to choose between. It all depends on if you choose between realistic sea films, or if you choose the supernatural ones. There are a couple ones that i could probably mention, but let´s begin with a fun B action movie called Deep Blue Sea. A big action feast with shark attacks, by legendary director Renny Harlin. One of the things i think made this film fun, is because it is so over the top, and silly in some ways, it becomes a popcorn delight. To see Thomas Jane, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson and L.L. Cool J in the same film, is also a really good idea. I suggest you pick up the blu ray, if you want to see a fun horror action classic. Another film with sharks included, that i also enjoyed, is the horror film The Shallows. I was supposed to review this film last year, but it never happened. Still, i think you should see this one, if you love shark films. Speaking of sharks, i recently got a chance to see the new summer horror film 47 Meters Down, where sharks is once again included. The reviews were pretty good online, so i had to give this film a chance. Is this a shark horror classic, or a complete disaster that should sink to the bottom of the sea ?

Lisa ( Mandy Moore ) and Kate ( Claire Holt ) are in Mexico having a good time. Best friends in paradise, this is exactly what they needed. They hook up with 2 guys, who suggest that they should try and go cage diving with sharks. They are skeptical at first, but decides to go out and try it on the ocean. A boat takes them to Captain Taylor ( Matthew Modine ), who runs the cage diving on board. He makes sure that they are in safe hands, and explain all the rules. Lisa and Kate prepare themselves, and go down into the cage. As the cage goes deeper, something goes wrong from the boat. The cage falls down 47 meters, to the bottom of the sea. Lisa and Kate are forced to try and figure a way out, with only a certain amount of oxygen. But with sharks swimming all over the Ocean, they need to think how to survive, without any weapons inside the cage, and to get to the surface, before the air runs out.

Looking back at The Shallows, i remember how i felt seeing the woman, trying to survive from a big white shark. It was a very well made horror film, and managed to make you feel the horrific atmosphere. 47 Meters Down is in some ways also a horror shark film, but from a different perspective. The difference with this film is that it is more of a claustrophobic horror film, and i do like that concept. Just imagine being stuck down in a cage, 47 meters down in the ocean, how do you handle that ? Even if this film does have elements of other classic shark films, i still think the film manage to deliver horror value. There is not a lot of blood, but that is not necessary. This film rely more on trying to imagine how difficult it is, when we are stuck in situations, that seems impossible. Actor Mandy Moore, ( who most of you probably have heard from her pop albums ), have not really impressed me much with her films so far. I think she was ok in Southland Tales, but other than that, i can´t remember much else about her films. However, in 47 Meters Down, she does her best performance of her acting career so far. So in that sense, i actually have some hope for her acting future. Well done Mandy Moore. I also think that actor Claire Holt also does a good performance. These 2 characters are almost the only 2 humans, that you get to see throughout the film. So the film needs to rely on their choices, in this very complicated situation. As i watched 47 Meters Down, i could actually feel a bit of panic, because the underwater scenes looks very effective. Director Johannes Roberts have directed a number of horror films, and i think one of his better films ( some critics may not agree on this one ) is The Other Side Of The Door. But if i would compare 47 Meters Down to his earlier work, then his latest film is his best work so far. Without using CGI and jump scares, he manage to make this film scary with simple details. Just a cage and sharks can be a successful combination, if it is done correctly. The cinematography by Mark Silk also works very well. Is there anything to complain about ? Not really, as a shark horror film, 47 Meters Down manage to deliver a good time. Maybe it could have been a bit more suspenseful in some scenes, but other than that i can´t complain. If you love shark films, then give 47 Meters Down a chance. This is the kind of horror film that fits summer time, when you can´t wait to head towards the beach. You won´t go swimming for a while, at least not out on deep water.

Rating: DDD

The Quest ( In Memory Of Roger Moore )

We lost a true icon in May this year. When i got the news that actor Sir Roger Moore have passed away, i felt that he was a very unique person. He was a very warm hearted man, who did so much work for unicef, helping people in poverty. I think this must have been a good way, to do something different outside his acting career. Most of us will always remember Roger Moore from the tv show classics The Saint, The Persuaders ! and of course from all the James Bond films that he made. Speaking of James Bond, there are so many classic scenes i can think of right now, where Roger Moore delivered some unforgettable moments. One of my personal favourite Bond films with Roger Moore, have always been his first Bond film, known as Live And Let Die. I loved the voodoo theme, and the action packed story, with Jane Seymour looking absolutely gorgeous. When i look back at Roger Moore´s amazing acting career, he did do a lot of good films. Not only as James Bond, but he did do other films that are worth seeing. One example, how many of you remember the 1980 film North Sea Hijack ( also known as Ffolkes in the UK ) ? I would describe this film as an action thriller on the sea, where Roger Moore did a different character from his acting catalogue. This film have also a nice cast of James Mason, Michael Parks and Anthony Perkins ( the legendary actor from the Psycho films ). If you have not seen it, pick it up cheap on Amazon UK on dvd. Since i wanted to do a tribute to Sir Roger Moore, i did not really know at first what film to review. I did think about one thing though, not to choose one of the Bond films. Why ? Well, i think he have done a lot more than just James Bond, so it could be more interesting to look at something else, outside of the Bond category. So i looked around, trying to decide what film i should choose, and i came to a decision. That i should do a review of the 1996 film called The Quest. This was one of the films i remember dearly from the 90´s, because you got both Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Roger Moore in the same film. Back then, i remember that i enjoyed the film, and i think Jean-Claude Van Damme proved himself, that he could also direct an action film. I got a chance to watch The Quest on blu ray, to experience the film again after so many years. I also wanted to see if the film would still deliver, even today. With 2 legendary actors on board an action film, is The Quest a film that should be seen by a wider audience, or is this film a completely miserable disaster from start to finish ?

An old man named Christopher Dubois ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) hit down 2 punks in a bar, after they try to rob the bar owner. The bartender is in shock, to see such an old man take down young men like that. Christopher begins to tell his story. We go back to the year of 1925, where Christopher is a pocket thief in New York City. He looks after a large group of orphanage children, who helps him doing cons and stealing. After stealing a large sum of money from a group of gangsters. Dubois and the children are found by the gangsters. Dubois manage to take down the gangsters, but one of the children are shot, as the police are hunting after Dubois. Christopher promise the children to return. In the harbor, Dubois manage to jump on board a cargo boat. As he wakes up, he is being hold prisoner on board, on their way to Thailand. While they arrive to Thailand, the cargo ship is attacked by mercenary Lord Edgar Dobbs ( Sir Roger Moore ) and his crew. They take all the guns on board, and Lord Edgar have an idea. He saw the fighting skills from Dubois on board the cargo ship, so he decides to make sure that Dubois will be a part of the Ghang-gheng tournament. But Dubois needs to train Muay Thai, so Lord Edgar deceive Dubois, promising him to help him home to America. Instead, Lord Edgar sell Dubois as a slave. 6 months later Lord Edgar and his partner Harry Smithe ( Jack McGee ) see Dubois have become a really good Muay Thai fighter. He is now ready to be in the tournament, but is there a way back to America, or does Dubois has to fight his way to freedom ?

Watching this film after almost 20 years again ( i have not seen it since 1997 ), it is interesting to see a film where Jean-Claude Van Damme tried to do something completely different with the action genre. Imagine a mix of old school action adventure, with martial arts like a Mortal Kombat competition, and you have The Quest. I really can´t say that i have seen Van Damme do anything similar to this film before ( even if you have influences from Bloodsport here ), and in some ways it makes the film more fun to watch. Is it a classic in any way ? No, not if you compare with his real classics. But i think The Quest works because of the odd mix, and taking place in the year of 1925 give the film a different perspective as well. Sir Roger Moore is one of the film biggest highlights, as the character Lord Edward Dobbs. To see Roger Moore in a Van Damme film, is in some ways very bizarre, you would not think he could fit into a film with The Muscles From Brussels. But he actually does, and the scenes where you get to see him delivering his lines makes a big difference. The fighting scenes looks good, and some of the action scenes also work well. Director Jean-Claude Van Damme really tried to push the limits from an ordinary martial art film, and clearly wanted to experiment with The Quest. Almost as if he wanted to try and do a film more historical, then his previous films. I do think that this film does deliver from an entertainment perspective. When it comes to the acting, we already know that Jean-Claude have a limited level on acting, from this period of the 90´s. When he fights, and does action scenes, that´s where he works best. The dialogue scenes is not very interesting. As long as he does not try and make dialogue scenes, we are ok. The story surrounding different fighters, meeting up in Thailand to be a part of the big fighting tournament, is not very original. But that´s ok, this is a Van Damme film, so we want to see fighting. Also nice to see some other legendary actors in here. How about James Remar ( might remember him from classics such as The Warriors, or Drugstore Cowboy ) and let´s not forget Jack McGee ( who also were in classics such as Born On The Fourth Of July and in Basic Instinct ). The Quest may not be one of the biggest highlights of Van Damme´s film career, but i still enjoy this film for standing out from his usual concept. I suggest you pick up the blu ray, and just enjoy the film for what it is, a popcorn winner. 

Rating: DDD