Greetings everyone!
Daniel here, the movie critic from Sweden, where we only have one last surviving viking named E-Type. He have released the same album for 20 years, only with different album covers, so that makes him a viking for sure.
Anyway, this was not why i have returned in here. I am here to talk about why you should buy Accident Man on DVD or Blu Ray. You may know that legendary action actor Scott Adkins have a close spot in his heart for this film, and he wants to make a sequel. But to do that, we fans must support him. And we can, by making sure you buy a physical copy of the film, on DVD or Blu Ray. You see, if we want these films to be made, we have to make sure that the film makers and the actors gets respect for what they do. I know it costs money, but so does everything else, and you get a great film to enjoy if you do. We all want a sequel to be made, and i know Scott Adkins does as well. You can read my review here on my movie review blog, i did buy the film on Blu Ray, actually 2 copies and gave one to a friend,
So yes people, Accident Man is out on DVD and Blu Ray, buy a copy and support quality films, so we can have a sequel in the future. I guarantee you will have a good time with Accident Man.
Cheers from Daniel
onsdag 25 april 2018
tisdag 24 april 2018
Tomb Raider
I have been playing video games since i was a small kid. Back in the 80´s, my dad bought our first Nintendo and i was hooked up. I continued playing games on Amiga 500, and collected a lot of games on that computer. As the 90´s was coming to an end, i had to get into Playstation, and of course play one of my personal favourite games called Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. Even if this game is 20 years old now, it is still a really good game ( i will admit the graphics does not look as impressive today ). I kept on buying the other Tenchu games as well, on different game machines. Another game i also enjoyed to play on Playstation, was Tomb Raider. The adventures of Lara Croft was both fun, and had plenty of action along the way. So of course Hollywood wanted to make sure that Tomb Raider fans got what they asked for, a movie adaptation of the game released in 2001. With a lead role of actor Angelina Jolie, we get plenty of tight outfits, lots of shooting and a lot of different locations worldwide. The first film may have had cheesy action moments, but was fun to watch. The sequel released in 2003 was good enough to enjoy, just for watching Angelina Jolie kick ass. Were these films good video game adaptations ? If you compare to other films, made from video games such as Street Fighter or Super Mario Bros, you have to admit that the Tomb Raider films at least tried to make a bad ass female action hero on screen. After the second film, it seemed that the studio made the decision not to let Angelina Jolie return a third time. And from what i understand, Angelina herself moved on working on other projects instead, not focusing on trying to bring Lara Croft back. After many years of speculations, with different ideas brought to the table, we finally got the news that a completely new Tomb Raider film was going to be made. This time they studio choosed Swedish actor Alicia Vikander ( who won an Oscar for her performance in The Danish Girl ), to be the new Lara Croft. I was surprised to see that Alicia took on this project, in a positive way. I wanted to see what she would do with the character of Lara Croft, if she would bring something completely different to the table. With a brand new remake, and a completely different cast, is Tomb Raider a well made action film, or another proof of why video games adaptations are almost impossible to do as films ?
Lara Croft ( Alicia Vikander ) is a young woman, struggling in London at a low paid job as a bike courier. She often think about what happened to her father Lord Richard Croft ( Dominic West ), as he vanished mysteriously many years ago. Lara is in a bicycle accident involving a police car, and is arrested by police. Richard business partner Ana Miller ( Kristin Scott Thomas ) bails her out. Ana warn Lara, that if she does not sign the papers of her father´s death and claim her inheritance, her father´s estate will be sold off. While reading through the papers, Lara finds a message inside a Japanese puzzle box, with a key. She refuse to sign the papers, and head off to Craft Mansion. With this key, she discover a hidden passage, where she finds out that her father have been searching information about the Japanese shaman queen Himiko. A video tape is left, recorded for Lara where Richard ask Lara to burn all the evidence, so nothing comes into the wrong hands. Lara decide to keep all the evidence of Himiko´s grave, and decide to go look for her father. In Hong Kong, she finds Lu Ren ( Daniel Wu ), captain of the ship Endurance, asking him to help her get to the island of Yamati. On their journey, the ship is destroyed in a violent storm, as Lara is flushed into land. Here she is arrested by the men of Mathias Vogel ( Walton Goggins ), a rival archaeologist of Richard Croft, who takes possession of her evidence of Himiko´s grave location. If Mathias open this grave, a curse of death could spread all over this world.
When you do a new film based on a video game, you have to make sure that it works, and that video game fans will recognize themselves in the characters and the story. Since i am no expert in all the games released so far, i can only judge the film for what this is. And Tomb Raider is actually a film that works, thanks to the lead actor Alicia Vikander. She is a really good choice as Lara Croft, more rough, and don´t need the tight outfits to look cool. Her take on the Lara Croft role is more serious this time, and it shows in the film. You get a different view from her childhood, and you learn more about how she became such a strong woman. You also see how Lara tries to struggle with her personal life, working at a bicycle delivery company. Of course we get plenty of action scenes as well, and Alicia Vikander in action scenes is something we are not used to see. I like the fact that Alicia focus more on her mission, than using a sex appeal like Angelina Jolie did in her performance. Lara Croft is meant to be rough, but still with a good heart. So how is the rest of the cast ? I like the main villain Mathias Vogul, played by actor Walton Goggins ( perhaps mostly rememberd from Predators or Django Unchained ). The scenes where he get to show his cold personality, is his strength to the character. Let´s not forget legendary British actor Dominic West ( seen in many films, i especially you watch him in the British feel good comedy Pride ), who plays Lara´s father Lord Richard. You learn more about his background as well in this film, compared to the previous Tomb Raider films, and this is also a positive detail. He fits with the character, and give Richard a humane personality who have struggled all his life to seek for the truth. Nice to see legendary actor Kristin Scott Thomas here as well. Although she have very little screen time, she still deliver as she always does. Norwegian director Roar Uthaug ( director of the very well made Norwegian film The Wave / Vågen ), have managed to make a movie based on a video game, that actually works. Sure, there are problems here, but i still think he have tried to give new life to the Tomb Raider franchise, making a more solid effort to bring Lara Croft to the big screen. The story searching for the tomb of Himiko, works well as an adventure, reminding us of Indiana Jones, and i get a sense that director Roar Uthaug might have had Indiana Jones influences while making this film. Tomb Raider is not for everyone, but if you enjoyed playing the games, i think you might enjoy this latest film adaptation. Go see the film Tomb Raider in a cinema near you, we need strong female action heroes in this world. And this film shows, if Alicia Vikander can do it, nothing is impossible.
Rating: DDD
Lara Croft ( Alicia Vikander ) is a young woman, struggling in London at a low paid job as a bike courier. She often think about what happened to her father Lord Richard Croft ( Dominic West ), as he vanished mysteriously many years ago. Lara is in a bicycle accident involving a police car, and is arrested by police. Richard business partner Ana Miller ( Kristin Scott Thomas ) bails her out. Ana warn Lara, that if she does not sign the papers of her father´s death and claim her inheritance, her father´s estate will be sold off. While reading through the papers, Lara finds a message inside a Japanese puzzle box, with a key. She refuse to sign the papers, and head off to Craft Mansion. With this key, she discover a hidden passage, where she finds out that her father have been searching information about the Japanese shaman queen Himiko. A video tape is left, recorded for Lara where Richard ask Lara to burn all the evidence, so nothing comes into the wrong hands. Lara decide to keep all the evidence of Himiko´s grave, and decide to go look for her father. In Hong Kong, she finds Lu Ren ( Daniel Wu ), captain of the ship Endurance, asking him to help her get to the island of Yamati. On their journey, the ship is destroyed in a violent storm, as Lara is flushed into land. Here she is arrested by the men of Mathias Vogel ( Walton Goggins ), a rival archaeologist of Richard Croft, who takes possession of her evidence of Himiko´s grave location. If Mathias open this grave, a curse of death could spread all over this world.
When you do a new film based on a video game, you have to make sure that it works, and that video game fans will recognize themselves in the characters and the story. Since i am no expert in all the games released so far, i can only judge the film for what this is. And Tomb Raider is actually a film that works, thanks to the lead actor Alicia Vikander. She is a really good choice as Lara Croft, more rough, and don´t need the tight outfits to look cool. Her take on the Lara Croft role is more serious this time, and it shows in the film. You get a different view from her childhood, and you learn more about how she became such a strong woman. You also see how Lara tries to struggle with her personal life, working at a bicycle delivery company. Of course we get plenty of action scenes as well, and Alicia Vikander in action scenes is something we are not used to see. I like the fact that Alicia focus more on her mission, than using a sex appeal like Angelina Jolie did in her performance. Lara Croft is meant to be rough, but still with a good heart. So how is the rest of the cast ? I like the main villain Mathias Vogul, played by actor Walton Goggins ( perhaps mostly rememberd from Predators or Django Unchained ). The scenes where he get to show his cold personality, is his strength to the character. Let´s not forget legendary British actor Dominic West ( seen in many films, i especially you watch him in the British feel good comedy Pride ), who plays Lara´s father Lord Richard. You learn more about his background as well in this film, compared to the previous Tomb Raider films, and this is also a positive detail. He fits with the character, and give Richard a humane personality who have struggled all his life to seek for the truth. Nice to see legendary actor Kristin Scott Thomas here as well. Although she have very little screen time, she still deliver as she always does. Norwegian director Roar Uthaug ( director of the very well made Norwegian film The Wave / Vågen ), have managed to make a movie based on a video game, that actually works. Sure, there are problems here, but i still think he have tried to give new life to the Tomb Raider franchise, making a more solid effort to bring Lara Croft to the big screen. The story searching for the tomb of Himiko, works well as an adventure, reminding us of Indiana Jones, and i get a sense that director Roar Uthaug might have had Indiana Jones influences while making this film. Tomb Raider is not for everyone, but if you enjoyed playing the games, i think you might enjoy this latest film adaptation. Go see the film Tomb Raider in a cinema near you, we need strong female action heroes in this world. And this film shows, if Alicia Vikander can do it, nothing is impossible.
Rating: DDD
Den Of Thieves
Money can make you do anything. And the perfect example of this is just taking a look at some of the biggest robbery criminals of history. One example is of course John Goodard who was mugged at a knifepoint, on a quiet street, carrying 292 million British pounds in bearer bonds. This happened in 1990, London. This is actually seen as the 2nd largest robbery in history, and criminal Keith Cheeseman was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison, being one of the men behind this robbery. And as long as we have ciminals out there, who crave a luxury life style, you will always have problems with big robberies. In Hollywood, we have had plenty of films that take on the classic concept of robbery. We could go back a long way in time, but let us mention one of my personal favourites. Sidney Lumet´s classic 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon with legendary actor Al Pacino, is one of those robbery films you can watch over and over again. This is a very well made film, with fantastic acting and really powerful scenes included. This is in my opinion the best film that director Sidney Lumet made during his career. If we move forward and look at some other options, we have a film that not many people talk about these days, a film called Dead Presidents. Released in 1995 by directors Hughes Brothers, this is a great crime thriller with a great cast included. One of the best parts of this film, is actually that the characters are really effective in this film. I would not call Dead Presidents a classic, but in the category of robbery films, this is one of those titles you should see. Since the robbery theme have been used in so many different films, it is not easy making a good one, unless you have the right cast, and a great story included. Something that director ( and actor ) Ben Affleck proved with his film The Town, one of my personal favourite Affleck films. Earlier this spring, i was supposed to see the new film Den Of Thieves in cinema. Unfortunately, that did not happen, so i waited until the film landed on Digitial HD instead. A robbery film with a great cast, that gave me a positive feeling from the trailer, was all i needed to check this film out. Do we finally have an action film that deliver more than we hoped for, or is Den Of Thieves meant to be forgotten forever ?
In Los Angeles, a team of robbers led by Ray Merrimen ( Pablo Schreiber ) make a violent armed attack and hijack an armored truck. Police arrive at the scene, as the whole situation becomes a shootout. Ray and his team manage to escape, even if killing one guard was not supposed to happen. Detective Nick " Big Nick " O´Brien ( Gerard Butler ) arrives at the crime scene. He have been monitoring Merrimen and his crew for a while. Merrimen and his crew are planning to rob 30 Million Dollars from the Federal Reserve, and they are fully planning every step on the way. Detective Nick is not only having problems with this case, he is also trying to handle his personal issues, as his wife Debbie O´Brien ( Dawn Olivieri ) files for divorce and take their children with her. The only thing that keep Nick going at this point, is solving the case with Merrimen. But time is running out, and unless Nick find a way to stop Merrimen´s plans, they could cause a complete disaster.
Watching Den Of Thieves is like watching a lot of other robbery films from the past. You pretty much know what will happen, and you recognize the style of the film. But the positive side of this film, is that i actually think it works. As a standard action film, you get what you want from Den Of Thieves. You get characters who fits with this genre, and you also get some action scenes that delivers. If you expect to have any big surprises, you will probably not see this film. However, if you do like to watch a simple, but effective action film, i think you might want to check this film out. The biggest surprise to me personally, is to see actor Gerard Butler do one of his better performances in recent years. Really ? Yes, if you think about the films he have released over the recent years, he have not really made an impact like he did with his 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen. His character Big Nick, is a miserable LA Sheriff who clearly have a lot of things to deal with, especially in his personal life. I also enjoy actor Maurice Compte´s character Benny, a rough man who knows how to get the job done. I usually don´t like Curtis " 50 Cent " Jackson as an actor, but in this film as the criminal Levi Enson, he works pretty good. The plot of the film is so simple, you won´t have a problem following what´s going on. This is a very simple film, but in a good way. The length of this film is one of the details i feel could have been fixed. 2 hours and 20 minutes is a very long time, and this film could have easily been 2 hours. A part from this, i see no bigger reason to complain. Director Christian Gudegast was one of the writers on the film London Has Fallen. Den Of Thieves is his directorial debut as a film maker, and even if this film does not make a big impact, it works as an action film. I can sense that he might be a fan of the 1995 classic film Heat with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and i can see some resemblances. If you want to have a beer and pizza night with friends, why not rent Den Of Thieves on Blu Ray, and just enjoy a classic action concept. There is a sequel coming i heard, and that is actually something i look forward too ( if they make it good of course ).
Rating: DDD
In Los Angeles, a team of robbers led by Ray Merrimen ( Pablo Schreiber ) make a violent armed attack and hijack an armored truck. Police arrive at the scene, as the whole situation becomes a shootout. Ray and his team manage to escape, even if killing one guard was not supposed to happen. Detective Nick " Big Nick " O´Brien ( Gerard Butler ) arrives at the crime scene. He have been monitoring Merrimen and his crew for a while. Merrimen and his crew are planning to rob 30 Million Dollars from the Federal Reserve, and they are fully planning every step on the way. Detective Nick is not only having problems with this case, he is also trying to handle his personal issues, as his wife Debbie O´Brien ( Dawn Olivieri ) files for divorce and take their children with her. The only thing that keep Nick going at this point, is solving the case with Merrimen. But time is running out, and unless Nick find a way to stop Merrimen´s plans, they could cause a complete disaster.
Watching Den Of Thieves is like watching a lot of other robbery films from the past. You pretty much know what will happen, and you recognize the style of the film. But the positive side of this film, is that i actually think it works. As a standard action film, you get what you want from Den Of Thieves. You get characters who fits with this genre, and you also get some action scenes that delivers. If you expect to have any big surprises, you will probably not see this film. However, if you do like to watch a simple, but effective action film, i think you might want to check this film out. The biggest surprise to me personally, is to see actor Gerard Butler do one of his better performances in recent years. Really ? Yes, if you think about the films he have released over the recent years, he have not really made an impact like he did with his 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen. His character Big Nick, is a miserable LA Sheriff who clearly have a lot of things to deal with, especially in his personal life. I also enjoy actor Maurice Compte´s character Benny, a rough man who knows how to get the job done. I usually don´t like Curtis " 50 Cent " Jackson as an actor, but in this film as the criminal Levi Enson, he works pretty good. The plot of the film is so simple, you won´t have a problem following what´s going on. This is a very simple film, but in a good way. The length of this film is one of the details i feel could have been fixed. 2 hours and 20 minutes is a very long time, and this film could have easily been 2 hours. A part from this, i see no bigger reason to complain. Director Christian Gudegast was one of the writers on the film London Has Fallen. Den Of Thieves is his directorial debut as a film maker, and even if this film does not make a big impact, it works as an action film. I can sense that he might be a fan of the 1995 classic film Heat with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and i can see some resemblances. If you want to have a beer and pizza night with friends, why not rent Den Of Thieves on Blu Ray, and just enjoy a classic action concept. There is a sequel coming i heard, and that is actually something i look forward too ( if they make it good of course ).
Rating: DDD
torsdag 19 april 2018
Bomb City
Throughout history, people have used violence. No matter what reason people choose to use violence, it usually never does anything better. If you are a football hooligan, a skinhead, a punk rocker or just love to be in fights, there are better ways to deal with life. In all honesty, violence is not the key to solve conflicts. Of course, i can´t say that Police needs to be strict sometimes, but they have to act sometimes in different situations. But ordinary civilians, communicating is a much better way. When i grew up, i remember seeing some violent young people in school. And these ones were really causing problems, and they always got beaten up. Especially one guy, that seemed to be looking for trouble. Once he started hitting, he did not stop. I found out later that he had a terrible childhood, so there might be an explanation to his destructive behavior. Too many times, i have read in the paper about violence crimes, and young people being killed. For what ? These young ones are the next generation of people that will continue to develop our society, and they are needed to make the world a more humane place to live. Unfortunately, to make this change, we need to end racism, bullying in any form, and learn to respect each other. Hollywood have tried to tell different realistic stories on destructive lifestyles, such as skinheads. Remember the classic 1998 film American History X from director Tony Kaye ? This film turns 20 years old this year, and is still one of the most powerful, and emotional portrays of racism. I might do a 20 Years Anniversary review on this film this summer, we will see. But this is one of those films you have to see, because the film gives such a clear message on how racism destroy lives, especially for Nazi members in all shapes and organisations. The performances from Edward Furlong, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and many other actors are fantastic. Recently while going through a selection of VOD releases, i stumbled upon a film called Bomb City. Since i never heard of this film, i read some online about it. Turns out this film is based on the murder of young punk rocker Brian Deneke in 1997. Since i find true stories to be interesting, i decided to give this film a chance. Is this a surprisingly good drama film, or is this a film that could have been a lot better ?
Deep inside the conservative Texas community, there is a battle going on between young punk rockers and students. Brian Deneke ( Dave Davis ) is a young punk rocker, who loves his lifestyle and will do anything to protect his friends. One night, after Brian is assaulted by enemies outside the punk rock society, Brian and his friends seek revenge. It ends with Brian being brutally killed by student Cody Kates ( Luke Shelton ). You would think that this case would be solved easily, but justice for Brian is clearly not going the way his parents and friends are fighting for. A case that have caused a lot of questions about the justice system of America.
Knowing that this film is based on a true story, makes the film feel more personal. We know what happened, but the film tries to give a wider perspective on the life of Brian Deneke. We get to see his lifestyle, his thoughts, his dreams. But most of all, we get to see the tragedy behind the end of his life. It becomes very clear when you watch Bomb City that this should never have happened. Brian was a young man who may have lived a rough lifestyle, but could have had a bright future. The film does a really good job showing the image of a youth, trying to figure out who they are and what visions they have. Lead actor Dave Davis, who plays Brian Deneke give us a very strong and emotional performance. You also get strong performances from Dominic Ryan Gabriel, Luke Shelton, legendary TV actor Glenn Morshower, Logan Huffman and many more. The casting of this film is clearly made very effective, and you can tell that the actors have done a good job portraying these characters. One thing that strikes me with Bomb City, is the dark tone of the film. It feels like you are in the punk rock world in the 90´s, and this is exactly what this film needed to feel realistic. There are some really brutal violence scenes, especially towards the end, but i feel that this was necessary, knowing what happened to Brian. The justice system failed Brian and his family no doubt about that. Director Jameson Brooks ( who also wrote the screenplay for this film with Sheldon Chick ) have made a very honest portrait on the life of Brian Deneke. You can feel he really wanted to tell this story in a very effective way, as close to the truth as possible. I was really moved by this film, since it is a very well made drama, with a very tragic ending. Bomb City is the directorial debut film for director Jameson Brooks, and i have to say for his first film i am really impressed. This is a film that should be shown in schools, or in other educational forms, to show that we must learn to respect each other no matter how we dress, or what lifestyle we choose. This is without a doubt the best film i have seen from film distribution company Gravitas Ventures so far. I really hope that Bomb City gets released on DVD and Blu Ray soon, because i would love to hear a commentary track including interviews with the cast and director James Brooks. Until we know more, please do see Bomb City on VOD, and i promise you will be emotional attached. One of the best drama films of this year so far, no doubt about that.
Rating: DDDD
Deep inside the conservative Texas community, there is a battle going on between young punk rockers and students. Brian Deneke ( Dave Davis ) is a young punk rocker, who loves his lifestyle and will do anything to protect his friends. One night, after Brian is assaulted by enemies outside the punk rock society, Brian and his friends seek revenge. It ends with Brian being brutally killed by student Cody Kates ( Luke Shelton ). You would think that this case would be solved easily, but justice for Brian is clearly not going the way his parents and friends are fighting for. A case that have caused a lot of questions about the justice system of America.
Knowing that this film is based on a true story, makes the film feel more personal. We know what happened, but the film tries to give a wider perspective on the life of Brian Deneke. We get to see his lifestyle, his thoughts, his dreams. But most of all, we get to see the tragedy behind the end of his life. It becomes very clear when you watch Bomb City that this should never have happened. Brian was a young man who may have lived a rough lifestyle, but could have had a bright future. The film does a really good job showing the image of a youth, trying to figure out who they are and what visions they have. Lead actor Dave Davis, who plays Brian Deneke give us a very strong and emotional performance. You also get strong performances from Dominic Ryan Gabriel, Luke Shelton, legendary TV actor Glenn Morshower, Logan Huffman and many more. The casting of this film is clearly made very effective, and you can tell that the actors have done a good job portraying these characters. One thing that strikes me with Bomb City, is the dark tone of the film. It feels like you are in the punk rock world in the 90´s, and this is exactly what this film needed to feel realistic. There are some really brutal violence scenes, especially towards the end, but i feel that this was necessary, knowing what happened to Brian. The justice system failed Brian and his family no doubt about that. Director Jameson Brooks ( who also wrote the screenplay for this film with Sheldon Chick ) have made a very honest portrait on the life of Brian Deneke. You can feel he really wanted to tell this story in a very effective way, as close to the truth as possible. I was really moved by this film, since it is a very well made drama, with a very tragic ending. Bomb City is the directorial debut film for director Jameson Brooks, and i have to say for his first film i am really impressed. This is a film that should be shown in schools, or in other educational forms, to show that we must learn to respect each other no matter how we dress, or what lifestyle we choose. This is without a doubt the best film i have seen from film distribution company Gravitas Ventures so far. I really hope that Bomb City gets released on DVD and Blu Ray soon, because i would love to hear a commentary track including interviews with the cast and director James Brooks. Until we know more, please do see Bomb City on VOD, and i promise you will be emotional attached. One of the best drama films of this year so far, no doubt about that.
Rating: DDDD
tisdag 17 april 2018
Robot Ninja Ultimate Edition
1989
A year when Mötley Crue released their album Dr. Feelgood. This was also the year Jean-Claude Van Damme released his classic films Kickboxer and Cyborg. This was also the year when David Hasselhoff was singing for the fall of the Berlin wall, including his hit album Looking For Freedom.
But the year of 1989 had more to offer. This was the year when the cult film Robot Ninja was released. A film that proved why we who grew up in the video violence VHS world became very intelligent. For a long time it seemed that it would be difficult to find Robot Ninja on a good release.
Until now!
This is your chance to get your own copy of this cult classic, that made marriages last longer and give a new generation of young people education about the 80's. So go in on this Indiegogo campaign and support Robot Ninja.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robot-ninja-ultimate-edition-blu-ray-horror#/
Cheers from Daniel
A year when Mötley Crue released their album Dr. Feelgood. This was also the year Jean-Claude Van Damme released his classic films Kickboxer and Cyborg. This was also the year when David Hasselhoff was singing for the fall of the Berlin wall, including his hit album Looking For Freedom.
But the year of 1989 had more to offer. This was the year when the cult film Robot Ninja was released. A film that proved why we who grew up in the video violence VHS world became very intelligent. For a long time it seemed that it would be difficult to find Robot Ninja on a good release.
Until now!
This is your chance to get your own copy of this cult classic, that made marriages last longer and give a new generation of young people education about the 80's. So go in on this Indiegogo campaign and support Robot Ninja.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robot-ninja-ultimate-edition-blu-ray-horror#/
Cheers from Daniel
söndag 15 april 2018
20 Years Anniversary Of Alex Proyas Cult Film Dark City
1998 was a year filled with really good films. Just look at this list, and it is not hard to figure out why.
# The Big Lebowski
# The Thin Red Line
# The Truman Show
# Saving Private Ryan
# The Mask Of Zorro
# American History X
# Enemy Of The State
# A Simple Plan
# The Faculty
There are of course other good films that were released this year, but i would like to take a moment and talk about one specific film released in 1998. The neon-noir sci fi film Dark City, directed by Alex Proyas turned out to be a box office flop at the cinema run. But the film did find an audience on VHS and on DVD instead, with a very positive cult film following from fans worldwide. This was a very unique sci fi film, that did not look like anything else during that time of the 90´s, and i know i watched it many times. So, since it is 20 years since the film was released in theatres, i thought it was time to do a review, 20 years later to see if the film still manage to bring some magic. I have seen that there is a great Blu Ray release out, including the Director´s Cut, so i have to get one copy of course. I plan to post a review, probably in the end of May, since i have so many other reviews to post first. But i hope you are looking forward to this 20 Years Anniversary Review of Dark City, i know i am. Thank you all readers worldwide, for reading my reviews, and i will see you all soon again.
Cheers from Daniel
# The Big Lebowski
# The Thin Red Line
# The Truman Show
# Saving Private Ryan
# The Mask Of Zorro
# American History X
# Enemy Of The State
# A Simple Plan
# The Faculty
There are of course other good films that were released this year, but i would like to take a moment and talk about one specific film released in 1998. The neon-noir sci fi film Dark City, directed by Alex Proyas turned out to be a box office flop at the cinema run. But the film did find an audience on VHS and on DVD instead, with a very positive cult film following from fans worldwide. This was a very unique sci fi film, that did not look like anything else during that time of the 90´s, and i know i watched it many times. So, since it is 20 years since the film was released in theatres, i thought it was time to do a review, 20 years later to see if the film still manage to bring some magic. I have seen that there is a great Blu Ray release out, including the Director´s Cut, so i have to get one copy of course. I plan to post a review, probably in the end of May, since i have so many other reviews to post first. But i hope you are looking forward to this 20 Years Anniversary Review of Dark City, i know i am. Thank you all readers worldwide, for reading my reviews, and i will see you all soon again.
Cheers from Daniel
A Personal Thank You To The Lullaby Team
Today is a amazing day for me. Why you might ask ?
Well, several people that worked on the movie called The Lullaby have written to me and thanked me so much for my review of the film. And i am so happy that my review have made such an impact. So i would like to take this moment and thank everyone who wrote to me from The Lullaby team, you made my day wonderful. And thank you all for making this film, you did a great job.
Maybe i will have a chance to review one of your upcoming films in the future, i hope so. Have a wonderful day, and once again thank you so much for your support.
Cheers from Daniel
Well, several people that worked on the movie called The Lullaby have written to me and thanked me so much for my review of the film. And i am so happy that my review have made such an impact. So i would like to take this moment and thank everyone who wrote to me from The Lullaby team, you made my day wonderful. And thank you all for making this film, you did a great job.
Maybe i will have a chance to review one of your upcoming films in the future, i hope so. Have a wonderful day, and once again thank you so much for your support.
Cheers from Daniel
The Lullaby
Becoming a parent is the most wonderful part of your life. To see your own child develop, and learn new things gives so much joy. Having a child also means you have a lot of responsibility, where you have to make sure your child is taken care of, and live in a good home. Unfortunately, not every parent seems to understand how important it is to make the life of a child as good as possible. Every year you read about child abuse, or parents who are addicted to alcohol ( or drugs ) and leave no attention to their own children. It is a cruel world we live in, thankfully there are really good parents out there that work really hard to try and make their family as good as possible. Parenthood can be very difficult, and it is not supposed to be very easy. Hollywood have taken on this subject many times, in all kinds of genre from drama, comedy, thrillers or even horror films. One of the films that comes to my mind, is the 2009 film called Orphan. A very effective horror thriller from director Jaume Collet-Serra. The story surrounds a family who choose to adopt a 9 year old child from an orphanage, as it turns out that this is no ordinary child. Orphan managed to question different issues, especially on how an orphanage can be tricked, without having any solid information. The acting from the cast worked really good as well, especially from Isabelle Fuhrman as the orphan child Esther. If you have not seen Orphan yet, i suggest you rent it online, or if you can find it on Netflix or any other streaming service. We can´t forget to mention the very disturbing french horror movie Inside from 2007 ( not the American remake ). Now this is one of the best horror films that includes a pregnant mother, and how everything can change when you are faced with a really disturbed personality. The film is directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, and they did a really good job making a really effective home invasion horror film. Also a film you must see. Recently i got a chance to sit down and watch The Lullaby, a new B movie horror film on VOD. A film that seems to bring up the subject of being a young parent. Is this an unexpected highlight on VOD, or is The Lullaby a film not worth your precious time ?
Chloe van Heerden ( Reine Swart ) returns to her home town Eden Rock as a young mother to her first born child. Chloe moves in with her mother Ruby van Heerden ( Thandi Puren ), who helps her daughter in any way she can. But Chloe is struggling with this new part of her life, being a young mother, and with her own personal problems. Each day Chloe is digging deeper into a dark depression, and everything is just getting worse. Ruby can see that Chloe needs help, and she talks to family psychologist Dr. Timothy Reed ( Brandon Auret ) who diagnose her with intrusive thoughts and a mild case of baby blues. Chloe keeps seeing this evil entity, that she believe wants to hurt her child, Is this really true, or is Chloe becoming even more unstable ?
To be completely honest, i did not have any expectations about The Lullaby. Maybe that is why i am pleased to say, this is a surprisingly good B movie horror film. First of all, the acting is much better than most B horror movies usually includes. You have the lead character Chloe van Herdeen ( portrayed by actor Reine Swart ), and i have to say that Reine does a really good job, playing an unstable young mother. Especially the scenes when she is becoming even more unstable. and have no idea what she is doing. I also really enjoy actor Thandi Puren´s performance as Chloe´s mother Ruby van Heerden. You can tell she is having a very difficult time, handling her mentally unstable daughter, and who is forced to take care of Chloe´s baby. The tension between mother and daughter grows throughout the film. I have to mention actor Brandon Auret here as well ( known for his work in Neill Blomkamp´s films District 9, Elysium and Chappie ). He portrait the psychiatrist Dr. Timothy Reed. Even if this is not one of his better performances, he fits with the character. The story surrounding The Lullaby is pretty simple, but still effective. The film tries to give you the chance to decide, is the young mother mentally unstable, or is she really seeing someone hurting her child ? Without any big budget effects, the film tries to focus more on being creepy with sound effects and make up effects, and this is also a good decision. I also like the story between the mother Ruby and her daughter Chloe. It must be horrible seeing your own daughter losing control of herself, and her baby, how do you deal with that in the best possible way ? Director Darrel Roodt ( director of Winnie Mandela ) have made a B horror movie that actually works better than you would expect. This is not a unique, or original film in any way. But considering the subjects brought up here on mental issues, and being a parent, i have to say he have done a good job. The Lullaby shows that there is still potential for B horror movies, as long as you have a solid story and actors who know how to develop the characters correctly. If you enjoy B horror movies, i suggest you check out The Lullaby on VOD. A film that actually parents should watch together, that must be a good sign ?
Rating: DDD
Chloe van Heerden ( Reine Swart ) returns to her home town Eden Rock as a young mother to her first born child. Chloe moves in with her mother Ruby van Heerden ( Thandi Puren ), who helps her daughter in any way she can. But Chloe is struggling with this new part of her life, being a young mother, and with her own personal problems. Each day Chloe is digging deeper into a dark depression, and everything is just getting worse. Ruby can see that Chloe needs help, and she talks to family psychologist Dr. Timothy Reed ( Brandon Auret ) who diagnose her with intrusive thoughts and a mild case of baby blues. Chloe keeps seeing this evil entity, that she believe wants to hurt her child, Is this really true, or is Chloe becoming even more unstable ?
To be completely honest, i did not have any expectations about The Lullaby. Maybe that is why i am pleased to say, this is a surprisingly good B movie horror film. First of all, the acting is much better than most B horror movies usually includes. You have the lead character Chloe van Herdeen ( portrayed by actor Reine Swart ), and i have to say that Reine does a really good job, playing an unstable young mother. Especially the scenes when she is becoming even more unstable. and have no idea what she is doing. I also really enjoy actor Thandi Puren´s performance as Chloe´s mother Ruby van Heerden. You can tell she is having a very difficult time, handling her mentally unstable daughter, and who is forced to take care of Chloe´s baby. The tension between mother and daughter grows throughout the film. I have to mention actor Brandon Auret here as well ( known for his work in Neill Blomkamp´s films District 9, Elysium and Chappie ). He portrait the psychiatrist Dr. Timothy Reed. Even if this is not one of his better performances, he fits with the character. The story surrounding The Lullaby is pretty simple, but still effective. The film tries to give you the chance to decide, is the young mother mentally unstable, or is she really seeing someone hurting her child ? Without any big budget effects, the film tries to focus more on being creepy with sound effects and make up effects, and this is also a good decision. I also like the story between the mother Ruby and her daughter Chloe. It must be horrible seeing your own daughter losing control of herself, and her baby, how do you deal with that in the best possible way ? Director Darrel Roodt ( director of Winnie Mandela ) have made a B horror movie that actually works better than you would expect. This is not a unique, or original film in any way. But considering the subjects brought up here on mental issues, and being a parent, i have to say he have done a good job. The Lullaby shows that there is still potential for B horror movies, as long as you have a solid story and actors who know how to develop the characters correctly. If you enjoy B horror movies, i suggest you check out The Lullaby on VOD. A film that actually parents should watch together, that must be a good sign ?
Rating: DDD
lördag 14 april 2018
R.I.P Milos Forman
I was struck by very sad news today. We have lost one of the greatest movie directors of all time, Milos Forman.
His films were really special, and adored by people worldwide. With classics such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Hair, Amadeus, The People VS Larry Flint and of course Man On The Moon. Milos had a very unique way to tell stories, and he knew how to make characters magical on screen. Of course director Milos Forman have made many films over his career, so there are plenty of films we could talk about. But i would like to take this time to show my respect to his family, and let us remember him for the wonderful man he was. And thank you for all the films you made, and how they still make a powerful impact in the cinema seat.
R.I.P Milos Forman
His films were really special, and adored by people worldwide. With classics such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Hair, Amadeus, The People VS Larry Flint and of course Man On The Moon. Milos had a very unique way to tell stories, and he knew how to make characters magical on screen. Of course director Milos Forman have made many films over his career, so there are plenty of films we could talk about. But i would like to take this time to show my respect to his family, and let us remember him for the wonderful man he was. And thank you for all the films you made, and how they still make a powerful impact in the cinema seat.
R.I.P Milos Forman
måndag 9 april 2018
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Ever since i was a child, i loved watching anime films. And there was so much to check out, since in the UK you could get a lot released on VHS. So my friend Anders used to order anime VHS videos, in all kinds of categories. Most of them had monsters, lots of violence, martial arts, basically everything you wanted. But i remember one favourite that i used to watch over and over again. The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor, is a Japanese anime series, loosely based on the Yoshiki Takaya´s Manga. What i loved about Guyver, was that he transformed from being a human, into this Alien designed soldier, fighting monsters. It was fast, brutal and well made. I am not sure if you remember, but Mark Hamill ( Star Wars ) actually had the lead role in the full feature film adaptation of Guyver, in a film released in 1991. A film i have seen, but barely remember. A sequel was also released that i did not even see. The concept of monsters fighting have been seen before in many films, in very different styles. But in the year of 2013, legendary director Guillermo Del Toro released his epic sci fi action film Pacific Rim. I remember the first time i saw this film in the cinema, i fell in love right away. Massive robots, controlled by humans, fight against sea monsters called Kaiju. The CGI looks fantastic, the acting is really good, and the cinematography by Guillermo Navarro looks gorgeous. Pacific Rim have everything you could wish for, if you grew up watching Guyver like me. Those epic battles, with really powerful acting performances, made this film unique. Unfortunately, the film did not do as well as expected at the box office. Why ? I think people should have given this film a chance in cinemas. At least you can enjoy the film on DVD or Blu Ray. I suggest you get the Blu Ray with some nice special features. There were rumors later on about a sequel, but it seemed that director Guillermo Del Toro was not going to direct, so instead a new director named Steve S. DeKnight was chosen to direct. With a lot of fans excited about a new sequel, is this a worthy film to the epic action movie, or is Pacific Rim: Uprising a film that never should have been made at all ?
Ten years have passed since the Battle of the Breach. Former Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost ( John Boyega, son of Kaiju War hero Stacker Pentecost ( Idris Elba ), is making a living stealing and selling Jaeger parts in the black market of Los Angeles area. He tracks parts of a disabled Jaeger´s power core to a secret workshop. Here he finds Jaeger enthusiast Amara Namani ( Cailee Spaeny ). Suddenly they are arrested by the PPDC ( Pan-Pacific Defence Corps ). PPDC General Secretary Mako Mori ( Rinko Kikuchi gives Jake a choice between going to prison, or return as a PPDC constructor with Amara as his recruit. As Jake arrives to China, Jake starts training Jaeger program cadets with his estranged former co-pilot Nate Lambert ( Scott Eastwood ). Jake finds out that the threatened by Shao Corporation´s drone program, wich offers to mass produce Kaiju-Jaeger hybrid drones developed by Liwen Shao ( Jing Tian ) and Dr. Newton Geiszler ( Charlie Day ). When Mako is killed by rouge Jaeger Obsidian Fury, PPDC decides to autherize the drone project and order their immediate deployment. But bigger problems are becoming very clear, when three powerful Kaijus are heading towards Mount Fuji. All the Jaeger pilots are needed, to win the war against the Kaijus.
In my personal opinion, the first Pacific Rim movie is one of the best science fiction action films in a very long time. You had massive robots fighting monsters, that looked fantastic. So my expectations for this sequel had mixed feelings, because i felt that it would not be easy making a sequel to such a wonderful film. Now after seeing this sequel in cinema, i have some positive things to say, but also some negative thoughts. Let´s start with the negative. Some of the characters in this film are not very good, for different reasons. In the first film, you felt that they had the right characters who had chemistry on screen. In this sequel, it becomes more clear that it does not work as well as the first film. It feels like some of the characters are just thrown in here to control robots, but they don´t get many good dialogues. The ending felt a little bit too easy. Remember the ending in the first film, that left such a powerful impact ? Don´t expect the same feeling with this sequel. Let´s get to the positive now. The design of the robots looks pretty good ( except for a few details ), and you can have fun with all of these robots fighting against monsters. The CGI also looks good for the most part, and this is important when you have big actions scenes. Actor Cailey Spaeny is actually good as the character Amara Namani, a tough girl that won´t let anyone get in her way. This is exactly what a film like this needs, a strong female character. Lead actor John Boyega is also good here, as the character Jake Pentecost. It is fun to see Scott Eastwood here in the role as Nate Lambert, even if i wish he would have been even more rough. It could not have been easy for director Steven S. DeKnight to direct this film, since this is his directorial debut full feature film. But i have to say, since this is his first full feature film, this is a pretty good start. He is especially good with the technical action scenes, this is where his biggest strength shows his potential. Pacific Rim: Uprising is a fun action film, if you just want to see robots fight against monsters. But i guarantee that you might be a little bit disappointed about this sequel, because it is not as majestic and fantastic looking as the first film. If you can accept this, i still think you might have fun in the cinema seat. After all, the remake of Kurt Russel´s classic Overboard is on the way to cinemas with Anna Faris. This is clearly a sign why you should pay for a ticket to Pacific Rim 2.
Rating: DDD
Ten years have passed since the Battle of the Breach. Former Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost ( John Boyega, son of Kaiju War hero Stacker Pentecost ( Idris Elba ), is making a living stealing and selling Jaeger parts in the black market of Los Angeles area. He tracks parts of a disabled Jaeger´s power core to a secret workshop. Here he finds Jaeger enthusiast Amara Namani ( Cailee Spaeny ). Suddenly they are arrested by the PPDC ( Pan-Pacific Defence Corps ). PPDC General Secretary Mako Mori ( Rinko Kikuchi gives Jake a choice between going to prison, or return as a PPDC constructor with Amara as his recruit. As Jake arrives to China, Jake starts training Jaeger program cadets with his estranged former co-pilot Nate Lambert ( Scott Eastwood ). Jake finds out that the threatened by Shao Corporation´s drone program, wich offers to mass produce Kaiju-Jaeger hybrid drones developed by Liwen Shao ( Jing Tian ) and Dr. Newton Geiszler ( Charlie Day ). When Mako is killed by rouge Jaeger Obsidian Fury, PPDC decides to autherize the drone project and order their immediate deployment. But bigger problems are becoming very clear, when three powerful Kaijus are heading towards Mount Fuji. All the Jaeger pilots are needed, to win the war against the Kaijus.
In my personal opinion, the first Pacific Rim movie is one of the best science fiction action films in a very long time. You had massive robots fighting monsters, that looked fantastic. So my expectations for this sequel had mixed feelings, because i felt that it would not be easy making a sequel to such a wonderful film. Now after seeing this sequel in cinema, i have some positive things to say, but also some negative thoughts. Let´s start with the negative. Some of the characters in this film are not very good, for different reasons. In the first film, you felt that they had the right characters who had chemistry on screen. In this sequel, it becomes more clear that it does not work as well as the first film. It feels like some of the characters are just thrown in here to control robots, but they don´t get many good dialogues. The ending felt a little bit too easy. Remember the ending in the first film, that left such a powerful impact ? Don´t expect the same feeling with this sequel. Let´s get to the positive now. The design of the robots looks pretty good ( except for a few details ), and you can have fun with all of these robots fighting against monsters. The CGI also looks good for the most part, and this is important when you have big actions scenes. Actor Cailey Spaeny is actually good as the character Amara Namani, a tough girl that won´t let anyone get in her way. This is exactly what a film like this needs, a strong female character. Lead actor John Boyega is also good here, as the character Jake Pentecost. It is fun to see Scott Eastwood here in the role as Nate Lambert, even if i wish he would have been even more rough. It could not have been easy for director Steven S. DeKnight to direct this film, since this is his directorial debut full feature film. But i have to say, since this is his first full feature film, this is a pretty good start. He is especially good with the technical action scenes, this is where his biggest strength shows his potential. Pacific Rim: Uprising is a fun action film, if you just want to see robots fight against monsters. But i guarantee that you might be a little bit disappointed about this sequel, because it is not as majestic and fantastic looking as the first film. If you can accept this, i still think you might have fun in the cinema seat. After all, the remake of Kurt Russel´s classic Overboard is on the way to cinemas with Anna Faris. This is clearly a sign why you should pay for a ticket to Pacific Rim 2.
Rating: DDD
fredag 6 april 2018
The Clapper
Back in the late 90´s, me and my sister Isabelle loved watching The Late Show with David Letterman. We probably watched episodes almost every week, because we loved the satire comedy, where David and his crew would joke about everything from politicians, to celebrities. Paul Shaffer also knew how to make golden comedy moments. Let´s no forget the crazy Alan Kalter, who made some hilarious awkward moments, as if he was the sexiest man ever. It was very clear that David Letterman did a lot to make late-night talk show entertaining, and i have a lot of great memories from this show. Of course, in the 90´s you also had completely different shows also. How about the classic The Jerry Springer Show, or Ricki Lake ? We even watched these ones, including The Jenny Jones Show. But to be honest, we always returned to David Letterman. Late-night shows continue to make audiences entertained even today, with shows like The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon or The Late Late Show with James Corden. There is something special about watching great TV hosts, making fun of different subjects, and having famous guests on the show. And i think this concept will go on, as long as there is an audience who will still be watching. Hollywood have made fun of TV hosts, both in TV series, and in movies. One film that especially comes to my mind, is actually a funny one called Get Well Soon. A comedy relesed in 2001, with actor Vincent Gallo as a cocky TV late-night show host Bobby Bishop, who will say anything he wants. This is actually one of the last films that i find Vincent Gallo did great, before he went downhill. The best thing about Get Well Soon, is that the film manage to make fun of the late-night show concept, and Vincent Gallo was a perfect choice for the character of Bobby Bishop. You should be able to find this film on DVD somewhere, for a reasonable price. Have you watched a lot of TV Shop networks, where products are sold for ( amazing ) prizes, and you get the best quality ever. Remember when you see the audience, looking like they are in paradise, laughing and cheering extremely fake ? What if you combined these 2 TV shows, and throw it all into a comedy ? Then you will probably have The Clapper, a comedy that tries to tell a story of a man who visits TV Shop shows as much as possible. I came across this film on VOD, not knowing much about it. But i did felt curious about the concept of the film, and to see actor Ed Helms in the lead role. Is this a really funny satire on TV shows, or is The Clapper a really big disaster ready to fall ?
Eddie Krumble ( Ed Helms ) is an ordinary man, who visits TV Shop shows very often. He gets paid if he says a certain line, and bring on his best fake laughter. This is something he knows how to do, and he brings with him his good friend Chris ( Tracy Morgan ) to sit with him in the audience. Eddie is in love with a girl named Judy ( Amanda Seyfried ) who works at a gas station. They communicate everyday, through speakers, since Judy is sitting in the customer service desk with a speaker. Suddenly one day, a TV talk show host named Stillerman ( Russel Peters ) have noticed a man that uses different disguises in TV Shop episodes, acting like he is different persons. Stillerman name him The Clapper, and want him on his TV talk show . Eddie is not happy about being called The Clapper, but find out he have bigger issues to deal with. Judy is fired from work, and Eddie have no idea where she lives. He comes up with a plan, with the help of the Stillerman Show, he could get help to find her, but is it too late ?
To make fun of TV shopping shows, and talk shows is a good idea. And if you know how to make fun of this business, you can make a lot of good points with the material. However, it is clear that The Clapper is a film that fails to make fun of TV shopping and talk shows. There are a different of reasons, why this film fails with the comedy material. First of all, this is not a funny film. This is supposed to be a comedy, and i barely smiled anything while watching this film. Perhaps it is because the comedy scenes falls very flat. Considering we have a good cast here, you would think that they would be able to make the film funny, even if the source material is weak. That does not really happen in The Clapper. The comedy scenes feels forced, in the sense that you are supposed to laugh, but it just does not click. Lead actor Ed Helms is perhaps one of the only characters that you at least can see potential in, but this is lost along the way. Actor Amanda Seyfried could have been good in this film, if she were given more to do with her character, than just talk behind a window. And i don´t really understand why actor / comedian Tracy Morgan is here. He have proved himself to be funny, both as a comedian, and in comedy movies. But his character feels just thrown in here, for no particular reason at all. Singer Adam Levine from the popular band Maroon 5 also shows up here, and you don´t really care. He is probably a nice guy, but his acting abilities needs to be worked on. Actor P.J. Byrne is also here, and thankfully at least his character have some substance. With so many well known actors in Hollywood, that gives basically almost nothing fun with The Clapper, is such a shame. Director Dito Montiel ( who have directed good films such as A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints and The Son Of No One ) must have had a vision that he would make a spoof film, out of the TV Shop network, and TV talk shows. However, his vision seems to have lost it´s way, while he made this film. It feels like a big mess, and this film is not constructed in a functional way. The Clapper is a comedy that could have been a good time. Instead, we are left with a film that is forgettable, and dull. I suggest you check out Get Well Soon with Vincent Gallo instead. I guarantee you will have more fun if you do.
Rating: D
Eddie Krumble ( Ed Helms ) is an ordinary man, who visits TV Shop shows very often. He gets paid if he says a certain line, and bring on his best fake laughter. This is something he knows how to do, and he brings with him his good friend Chris ( Tracy Morgan ) to sit with him in the audience. Eddie is in love with a girl named Judy ( Amanda Seyfried ) who works at a gas station. They communicate everyday, through speakers, since Judy is sitting in the customer service desk with a speaker. Suddenly one day, a TV talk show host named Stillerman ( Russel Peters ) have noticed a man that uses different disguises in TV Shop episodes, acting like he is different persons. Stillerman name him The Clapper, and want him on his TV talk show . Eddie is not happy about being called The Clapper, but find out he have bigger issues to deal with. Judy is fired from work, and Eddie have no idea where she lives. He comes up with a plan, with the help of the Stillerman Show, he could get help to find her, but is it too late ?
To make fun of TV shopping shows, and talk shows is a good idea. And if you know how to make fun of this business, you can make a lot of good points with the material. However, it is clear that The Clapper is a film that fails to make fun of TV shopping and talk shows. There are a different of reasons, why this film fails with the comedy material. First of all, this is not a funny film. This is supposed to be a comedy, and i barely smiled anything while watching this film. Perhaps it is because the comedy scenes falls very flat. Considering we have a good cast here, you would think that they would be able to make the film funny, even if the source material is weak. That does not really happen in The Clapper. The comedy scenes feels forced, in the sense that you are supposed to laugh, but it just does not click. Lead actor Ed Helms is perhaps one of the only characters that you at least can see potential in, but this is lost along the way. Actor Amanda Seyfried could have been good in this film, if she were given more to do with her character, than just talk behind a window. And i don´t really understand why actor / comedian Tracy Morgan is here. He have proved himself to be funny, both as a comedian, and in comedy movies. But his character feels just thrown in here, for no particular reason at all. Singer Adam Levine from the popular band Maroon 5 also shows up here, and you don´t really care. He is probably a nice guy, but his acting abilities needs to be worked on. Actor P.J. Byrne is also here, and thankfully at least his character have some substance. With so many well known actors in Hollywood, that gives basically almost nothing fun with The Clapper, is such a shame. Director Dito Montiel ( who have directed good films such as A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints and The Son Of No One ) must have had a vision that he would make a spoof film, out of the TV Shop network, and TV talk shows. However, his vision seems to have lost it´s way, while he made this film. It feels like a big mess, and this film is not constructed in a functional way. The Clapper is a comedy that could have been a good time. Instead, we are left with a film that is forgettable, and dull. I suggest you check out Get Well Soon with Vincent Gallo instead. I guarantee you will have more fun if you do.
Rating: D
onsdag 4 april 2018
Black Water
Let´s go back to a magical time in cinemas, when action films still made an impact. Let´s travel back to the year of 1992, when director Roland Emmerich released his action film Universal Soldier. This was a unique film in many ways, and the casting was perfect. Who would not want to see legendary action movie stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren fight against each other as deadly soldiers ? Universal Soldier stood out, from the ordinary action film for many reasons. This film is a mixture of science fiction influences, combined with war combat messages. What happens when you realise that the military have taken advantage of you, and you are actually brought back to life as a super soldier ? I have to say that both Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren made their characters fit with the story, and their action scenes also worked very well. Director Roland Emmerich managed to balance pure action scenes with sci fi elements really well. If you have not seen this film, you are in serious trouble. You see, this is one of those films you need to see, to learn about quality films. Let´s not even talk about the sequel from 1999 ( it is beyond awful ). Thankfully director John Hyams managed to do things right again with the next sequel Universal Soldier: Regeneration, released in 2009. A different approach on the franchise of Universal Soldier, but you could tell that they tried to bring the essence of the first film. Then in 2012, we got another sequel called Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning, the best sequel so far in the Universal Soldier franchise. Epic battle scenes, lots of gore and blood, and Scott Adkins was also added to the cast ( really good idea ). Van Damme and Dolph have continued releasing films on their own, and they seem to keep themselves busy these days. I always try and check out their latest DVD releases, whenever i can. For some time now, i heard about them both returning together in a new film called Black Water. When the trailer hit online, i was happy. It was so good to see these legends work together again. I got a chance to see Black Water this week, hoping it would make my week perfect. Do we have a Van Damme and Dolph classic in our hands, or is it time for them to step down and let a younger generation take over the B movie industry ?
Wheeler ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) wakes up locked up down in a submarine. He can hear the voice of another man locked up named Marco ( Dolph Lundgren ) Wheeler begins to remember what happened, before he woke up inside this submarine. Wheeler was a deep cover operative, until he was imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine. Wheeler needs to find a way out, but so deep down in the ocean inside a submarine, all he can do at this point is try and survive.
It is not hard to guess what Black Water is, once you have seen the poster. This is an action film, on board a submarine. Imagine another version of the Stallone film Escape Plan, and you have Black Water. Now, i will say that Escape Plan is a better action movie than Black Water. But if you are a fan of Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, i have a feeling you will enjoy this film ( for the most part ). It becomes very clear that Van Damme and Dolph is the biggest reason to why you want to see this film. We have seen them do movies together before, and it works this time around as well. Their characters may not be the strongest, but it is the action scenes where they work best. Not a lot of fighting really, it is more about shooting as much as possible. The plot is very thin, so you can´t expect any big surprises along the way. The most positive detail about this film is the charming acting from Dolph Lundgren. When he starts to joke, you have a good time. He knows how to switch from being serious, to be funny. Van Damme use the same facial expression he always does, and that´s fine. In a film like this, you just want to see Van Damme and Dolph clean up, and shoot down 60 people. Are there any details that could have been improved ? I would have liked to see Van Damme do some special kicks in here, since it feels nostalgic to see him deliver those wonderful moves. We do get a little bit of that, except here it is very small scaled. I realise that he might have tried to do something else with his character, but nostalgia is always welcome. The female character Cassie Taylor played by actor Jasmine Walz is not very effective in a film like this. I would have liked to see her more rough, and more furious. Her screen time does not leave that much impact. Director Pasha Patriki have directed a lot of short films, as well as full feature films. I have not seen any of his previous work, so i am judging this film on its own through his director technique. He clearly set out to do an action film, that is made for B movie lovers. That includes bad dialogue, bad acting and lots of bullets. If you like these things, then Black Water will probably go in your taste. Even if i have a couple of issues with this film, i always enjoy seeing Van Damme and Dolph doing movies together. An action film that works with some beers and snacks, how about that ?
Rating: DDD
Wheeler ( Jean-Claude Van Damme ) wakes up locked up down in a submarine. He can hear the voice of another man locked up named Marco ( Dolph Lundgren ) Wheeler begins to remember what happened, before he woke up inside this submarine. Wheeler was a deep cover operative, until he was imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine. Wheeler needs to find a way out, but so deep down in the ocean inside a submarine, all he can do at this point is try and survive.
It is not hard to guess what Black Water is, once you have seen the poster. This is an action film, on board a submarine. Imagine another version of the Stallone film Escape Plan, and you have Black Water. Now, i will say that Escape Plan is a better action movie than Black Water. But if you are a fan of Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, i have a feeling you will enjoy this film ( for the most part ). It becomes very clear that Van Damme and Dolph is the biggest reason to why you want to see this film. We have seen them do movies together before, and it works this time around as well. Their characters may not be the strongest, but it is the action scenes where they work best. Not a lot of fighting really, it is more about shooting as much as possible. The plot is very thin, so you can´t expect any big surprises along the way. The most positive detail about this film is the charming acting from Dolph Lundgren. When he starts to joke, you have a good time. He knows how to switch from being serious, to be funny. Van Damme use the same facial expression he always does, and that´s fine. In a film like this, you just want to see Van Damme and Dolph clean up, and shoot down 60 people. Are there any details that could have been improved ? I would have liked to see Van Damme do some special kicks in here, since it feels nostalgic to see him deliver those wonderful moves. We do get a little bit of that, except here it is very small scaled. I realise that he might have tried to do something else with his character, but nostalgia is always welcome. The female character Cassie Taylor played by actor Jasmine Walz is not very effective in a film like this. I would have liked to see her more rough, and more furious. Her screen time does not leave that much impact. Director Pasha Patriki have directed a lot of short films, as well as full feature films. I have not seen any of his previous work, so i am judging this film on its own through his director technique. He clearly set out to do an action film, that is made for B movie lovers. That includes bad dialogue, bad acting and lots of bullets. If you like these things, then Black Water will probably go in your taste. Even if i have a couple of issues with this film, i always enjoy seeing Van Damme and Dolph doing movies together. An action film that works with some beers and snacks, how about that ?
Rating: DDD
Its Time We Get Clownado !
Hi everyone!
Daniel here, the movie critic that loves quality films. This is why i need to make people aware of a new film that could be made. The film is called Clownado, so you know its a film guaranteed to please fans of actor Hugh Grant.
So what is Clownado? This film is a mixture of treats, with wonderful killer clowns. This is exactly what we need people, so go in on Indiegogo on the link below, and support the film Clownado. I know i am going to help this team, and so should you.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/clownado-horror#/
New movie reviews are on the way, so take care and see you soon.
Cheers from Daniel
Daniel here, the movie critic that loves quality films. This is why i need to make people aware of a new film that could be made. The film is called Clownado, so you know its a film guaranteed to please fans of actor Hugh Grant.
So what is Clownado? This film is a mixture of treats, with wonderful killer clowns. This is exactly what we need people, so go in on Indiegogo on the link below, and support the film Clownado. I know i am going to help this team, and so should you.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/clownado-horror#/
New movie reviews are on the way, so take care and see you soon.
Cheers from Daniel
Darkest Hour
There are some performances that you will never forget. Some actors knows exactly when they have found the perfect character, and they give you a performance out of this world. There are of course plenty of actors who have done this over the years, but i would like to talk about one specific performance that made me completely in love. In the 1994 film Leon, directed by Luc Besson, actor Gary Oldman proved to the world that he was about to strike with such a powerful performance, that no one would defeat him. And he did, as the corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield. When he made the entrance into the apartment before killing a whole family, he gives some of the best dialogue scenes of the 90´s. I am telling you, just that scene is a masterpiece. Léon : The Professional is a masterpiece in cinema, and the best film director Luc Besson have made so far ( i seriously doubt he will make any film as good as this one again ) Gary Oldman have made a lot of movies before Léon, and have captured audiences worldwide with his splendid acting performances in classics such as Oliver Stone´s JFK, Bram Stoker´s Dracula and True Romance. Nil By Mouth ( a film he directed ) is one of those films you should see, a realistic British film about poor families, where drugs and violence destroy their lives. Gary have kept working in Hollywood for a very long time, and kept making some great films, especially Thomas Alfredson´s film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I would also like to recommend The Book Of Eli, a very dark post-apocalyptic film that both looks great, and works really well as a neo-Western action film, directed by Hughes Brothers. During the early spring of 2017, i was reading about upcoming cinema releases, and a lot of people were hyped about the new Winston Churchill film called Darkest Hour. Especially for one particular reason, the performance of legendary actor Gary Oldman. I remember seeing the first images, and i was pleased. He seemed to be the perfect choice for this role. As the trailer landed later, i felt that this would be special. And here we are, i finally got a chance to see Darkest Hour. Is this one of the best historical drama films in many years, or is this a film that will most likely make you fall asleep ?
May 1940, the opposition Labor Party in Parliament demands the resignation of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain ( Ronald Pickup ). He is considered to be too weak against the Nazi onslaught. Chamberlain tells Conservative Party advisers that he wants Lord Halifax ( Stephen Dillane ) as his successor, but Halifax does not want to become Prime Minister yet.Chamberlain have no other choice, he must choose the only other man whom other parties will support: Winston Churchill ( Gary Oldman ). Great Britain is in war, and the country needs a strong leader who can lead them in the right way. But does Winston have what it takes, to make sure that Great Britain will stand tall against the Nazis, and make a change in troubled times ?
Historical films can be difficult to portrait, unless you have the right cast and a director who knows how to take on a classic story. In the case of Darkest Hour, this is a really well made film. And the lead role by actor Gary Oldman, is of course brilliant as Winston Churchill. His acting level shines so bright in here, you will likely be struck by his amazing screen presence. And in Darkest Hour, it becomes clear that Gary Oldman runs the show, for the most part. He takes this historical legend, and make sure that he leaves a strong impact. But there is one more actor who also does a wonderful performance. And that is actor Kristin Scott Thomas, playing Churchill´s wife Clementine. The screen time Kristin have, is so wonderful. Her acting level is exactly what this film needs, and she does a really good job portraying Clementine. The story surrounding Churchill is told very well in this film, with many details surrounding his personality, how he worked, and the unexpected choices he made. Of course, if you have seen other Winston Churchill films, you may not be very surprised, since the film follows the historical facts. But that´s alright, because in the end this is a film that manage to make the story interesting through great acting, and wonderful cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. Director Jow Wright ( who directed the very powerful drama film Antonement and Anna Karenina ) have clearly digged deep into the facts surrounding Prime Minister Winston Churchill. I think this could be one of the most personal portraits i have seen so far, about Winston Churchill. Especially the scene where his wife Clementine bring up the issue that they are broke. Who would have thought a Prime Minister in his position could have very little money ? He also manage to capture the historical images from the war on screen well, making sure it looks professional. If you love historical drama films, Darkest Hour is a film you must see. It is very long since i have seen actor Gary Oldman do such a strong performance as he does in this film, and i am glad i got to experience it again. Now, i feel the need for a whiskey, anyone want to tag along ?
Rating: DDDD
May 1940, the opposition Labor Party in Parliament demands the resignation of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain ( Ronald Pickup ). He is considered to be too weak against the Nazi onslaught. Chamberlain tells Conservative Party advisers that he wants Lord Halifax ( Stephen Dillane ) as his successor, but Halifax does not want to become Prime Minister yet.Chamberlain have no other choice, he must choose the only other man whom other parties will support: Winston Churchill ( Gary Oldman ). Great Britain is in war, and the country needs a strong leader who can lead them in the right way. But does Winston have what it takes, to make sure that Great Britain will stand tall against the Nazis, and make a change in troubled times ?
Historical films can be difficult to portrait, unless you have the right cast and a director who knows how to take on a classic story. In the case of Darkest Hour, this is a really well made film. And the lead role by actor Gary Oldman, is of course brilliant as Winston Churchill. His acting level shines so bright in here, you will likely be struck by his amazing screen presence. And in Darkest Hour, it becomes clear that Gary Oldman runs the show, for the most part. He takes this historical legend, and make sure that he leaves a strong impact. But there is one more actor who also does a wonderful performance. And that is actor Kristin Scott Thomas, playing Churchill´s wife Clementine. The screen time Kristin have, is so wonderful. Her acting level is exactly what this film needs, and she does a really good job portraying Clementine. The story surrounding Churchill is told very well in this film, with many details surrounding his personality, how he worked, and the unexpected choices he made. Of course, if you have seen other Winston Churchill films, you may not be very surprised, since the film follows the historical facts. But that´s alright, because in the end this is a film that manage to make the story interesting through great acting, and wonderful cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. Director Jow Wright ( who directed the very powerful drama film Antonement and Anna Karenina ) have clearly digged deep into the facts surrounding Prime Minister Winston Churchill. I think this could be one of the most personal portraits i have seen so far, about Winston Churchill. Especially the scene where his wife Clementine bring up the issue that they are broke. Who would have thought a Prime Minister in his position could have very little money ? He also manage to capture the historical images from the war on screen well, making sure it looks professional. If you love historical drama films, Darkest Hour is a film you must see. It is very long since i have seen actor Gary Oldman do such a strong performance as he does in this film, and i am glad i got to experience it again. Now, i feel the need for a whiskey, anyone want to tag along ?
Rating: DDDD
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)