Prequels to great movies can be interesting, or a really bad idea. It all depends on how the director works with the source material, and if the director knows how to make a worthy prequel. Unfortunately, most prequels never become as good as the original film. But there are exceptions of course, and i would like to mention 2 prequels that actually turned out to be good. Let´s start with X-Men: First Class released in 2011. A prequel to the very popular X:Men film series, and this film is directed by Matthew Vaughn. What made First Class such a great X-Men film was thanks to the cast of Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon and many others. Just to see actress Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique is a delight all the way, because she does her performance so well as this classic comic book character. Another thing i really enjoy about this film, is how we get to find out more about the mutants from a younger age. Of course we have to mention that this film is directed by Matthew Vaughn, who have directed both Kingsman films ( the first film is the best of course ). The next film that i enjoyed as a prequel is the horror movie Ouija: Origin Of Evil, released in 2016. This film is a prequel to the horrible Ouija released in 2014, and the biggest reason why the prequel is better than the 2014 film is because of the cast. Actress Elizabeth Reaser as the spiritual medium Alice Sander is a character that you feel compassion for, a woman who wants to help people but at the same time scam people for money. Young actress Annalise Basso as the older daughter Paulina Sander, gives a strong performance. And we have to mention child actress Lulu Wilson as the youngest daughter Doris Zander. Her performance is really powerful as the possessed little girl, and she really give her character a lot of depth and darkness. If you have not seen Ouija or Ouija: Origin Of Evil, i suggest you skip the 2014 film, and go right into the prequel instead. A much more solid horror film from director Mike Flanagan ( who directed a number of other horror films such as Oculus ). When it comes to making prequels to classic films, we have seen this been done many times, such as in the Star Wars franchise, and of course in The Lord Of The Rings franchise. There was even a prequel made to the cult film Cube from 1997. Since i reviewed the previous film, now it is time for my final review of the Cube franchise, with the film known as Cube Zero. A prequel that may not be mentioned very often, but is this a surprisingly good film or a prequel to a cult classic we did not need at all ?
Two men known as Eric Wynn ( Zachary Bennett ) and Dodd ( David Huband ) are controlling the cube, a secret military project where a group of selected people are placed inside different rooms inside a cube. Eric and Dodd can control the cube, but they also have to follow orders from their superiors. A group of selected people wakes up inside the cube, including Cassandra Rains ( Stephanie Rains ). She finds more people inside another room, and they have to find a way out. Eric who sits up in the control room, feels a personal connection to Cassandra, and want to get her out of the cube. He leaves the control room, breaking the rules to help Cassandra. He knows how the cube works, but can he really figure out the right exit ?
Making a prequel to the 1997 classic film Cube could of course have been a disaster. But i am happy to say that this is actually a better film than the sequel Cube 2: Hypercube. Now, this prequel is of course not as good as the original film, but let´s talk about the positive first. We get to find out how the cube is controlled, and how the chosen ones are controlled. The two characters you see controlling every room in the cube, is Eric Wynn ( Zachary Bennett ) and Dodd ( David Huband ). To see them controlling human lives with the help of technology, gives you a feeling of fear. Just imagine if you could kill anyone you want, if you feel that they don´t deserve to live ? We also get to see a few scenes how one of the women in the film was trapped, and put inside the cube. The classic concept of the original Cube film is recognized here of course, and i think it looks better than in the sequel this time. The traps feels more original, and the cube rooms looks more effective. The cast is also better in this prequel, such as Stephanie Moore ( who you might recognize from TV series Queer As Folk ). She is both tough, and determined to survive. Actress Terri Hawkes as Jellico is another great female character in this film, that makes sure her voice is heard. Now to the negative. Martin Roach as the character Robert P. Haskell does not give a performance that you will remember. He could have done this right if he delivered some more power into his character, but instead he don´t leave any impressions. Another thing i would have liked to know since this is a prequel, how was the cube made and how did they construct it ? I´m not saying they should reveal everything, since i understand it is supposed to be some sort of secret, but a few details would have been nice. Apart from this i would have to say that Cube Zero manage to tell a story that both stands on its own, and give you a bigger picture of how the cube is operated. I especially like the scene where Eric and Dodd, who controls the cube get their meal, served as a pill. It kind of reminded me of Matrix in some ways, but here the pill you choose is instead a choice of what meal you want to have. Director Ernie Barbarash ( who actually have directed 3 films with Jean-Claude Van Damme known as Assassination Games, 6 Bullets and Pound Of Flesh ) manage to do a prequel that actually works. Instead of doing the mistakes as the sequel Cube 2: Hypercube, he tries to dig deeper into how the cube works and who is controlling it. I have to say that he also manage to do more interesting characters here than in the sequel, something that is important in a film like this. The original Cube film is of course still the best film, but Cube Zero is a prequel you should see if you enjoy the previous films. One thing is for sure, it will be interesting to see how a new remake of Cube will be ( that is supposed to come out at some point ).
Rating: DDD
fredag 30 november 2018
onsdag 28 november 2018
Elizabeth Harvest
Marriage!
The one time in our lives when we make the most important commitment of our lives, to live together with the one you love. But marriage is not easy, you have to work hard to make it work. I know how it can be, being a married man. I am also grateful for being in a relationship. But for those men who are thinking about getting married, i would like to give some good advices.
* Never talk bad about Iceman in Top Gun, played by Val Kilmer. This is one of the most loved characters for all women worldwide. If you do, your future wife will not accept your ring, i guarantee that.
* Women do not want to watch Bridget Jones anymore, this is 2018, so they prefer to watch Gator Boys on Animal Planet. Why ? Because nothing is sexier than watching Alabama men wrestling alligators. Ask any woman and you will see that this is true.
There you go, 2 fantastic advices for a perfect marriage. Should i help married couples in therapy with such fantastic advices ? Yes i probably should, i might actually become a marriage therapist. When it comes to movies that deals with marriage, we have a lot of titles to choose between. We have the usual marriage drama, and we have the marriage thrillers as well. Let´s focus on marriage thrillers for now. And one of the best classics in this genre is of course the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction. This is one of the thrillers of the 80´s that really shocked a lot of people, especially how brutal the character Alex Forrest ( brilliant played by legendary actress Glenn Close ) is on screen. The boiling rabbit scene is a nightmare for the perfect family image, and shows that cheating is not the best idea. What made Fatal Attraction such a great thriller, was the psychological level of how bad things can turn if you cheat on your wife. Of course you can tell that Alex is a very disturbed woman, who clearly have a lot of personal problems. Legendary actor Michael Douglas also does a really good performance as the cheating husband Dan Gallagher. Another great thriller that takes on marriage as well is the 1992 movie known as The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. The story of a very disturbing nanny named Claire Bartel, played really well by actress Rebecca De Mornay ( one of her most iconic performances on the big screen ). But we have plenty of good actors here as well, such as Julianne Moore, Annabella Sciorra and Ernest Hudson. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is actually one of the better thriller films where a nanny is included, and a classic from the early 90´s. Recently while looking around what to watch on VOD, i came across a film called Elizabeth Harvest. The first thing i noticed was that actress Abby Lee is in this film. If you don´t know who she is, i suggest you watch her in one of her films, especially The Neon Demon from director Nicolas Winding Refn. The combination of a sci-fi thriller sounded interesting, and that is why i decided to watch Elizabeth Harvest. Is this a film that should be seen by a larger audience, or is this film one of those titles that you won´t remember ?
Newlywed Elizabeth ( Abby Lee ) arrives with her brilliant scientist husband Henry ( Ciáran Hinds ) to his magnificent estate. Elizabeth don´t need to think about anything, her husband Henry have staff named Oliver ( Matthew Beard ) and Claire ( Carla Gugino ), who will serve her. The only thing that Henry demands, is that Elizabeth does not go inside a secret room. Elizabeth have no idea why this room is so secret, but she decides to go inside anyway. What she is about to find, will change her life completely, and give some answers to what her husband is really doing.
One of the things that makes Elizabeth Harvest more interesting than most ordinary thriller dramas, is that the film completely changes the plot after the first 30 minutes. At first it seems to be a story about a young woman, married to a wealthy man. But this is not really the main plot. Instead the film focuses on science instead, and become more complicated. And this is where the strength of this film grows, when we find out what is really going on inside this house. In some ways, i could feel this film might have some similar ideas as from director Nick Hamm´s sci fi thriller Godsend . Not that these films have much in common, but the style of Elizabeth Harvest and the clinical issues do remind me of Godsend, with some differences. The idea of playing God is something that both films have in common, when we break the laws of science to control human lives. Lead actor Abbey Lee ( known from films such as The Neon Demon, Gods Of Egypt and The Dark Tower ) does a great performance as the young woman Elizabeth. It feels like she is a great choice for this character, and she knows how to make Elizabeth look vulnerable. But when we see a completely different personality in Elizabeth later in the film, this also shows that this character is not who you might think she is. Another character i also enjoy in this film is Oliver, played by Matthew Beard ( known from films such as An Education and The Imitation Game, both really good films ). What makes Oliver interesting, is the fact that he is blind and takes care of the house of Elizabeth´s husband Henry ( played by legendary actor Ciarán Hinds from films such as Road To Perdition and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ). His character as the millionaire scientist Henry is also interesting, who is clearly carrying a big secret. I don´t want to reveal what the film really is trying to bring up, from a scientific perspective. So i suggest not to read about the real plot and see the film not knowing too much. The thriller influences becomes more clear, when the real story reveals itself. Director Sebastian Guiterrez ( who you perhaps recognize for his film Rise: Blood Hunter with Lucy Liu as a vampire ). His film Elizabeth Harvest is pretty different from most releases, and he clearly wanted to tell a story that has a deeper meaning than most ordinary releases. I will say one negative thing, some scenes are very slow. Even if Abbey Lee deliver with her performance, she can´t save the slow scenes. Other than that, this is still an interesting movie that dares to go in a different direction. So if you want to see something different now when Christmas is getting closer, give Elizabeth Harvest a chance. Not a film for everyone, but definitely a film worth checking out if you enjoy science.
Rating: DDD
The one time in our lives when we make the most important commitment of our lives, to live together with the one you love. But marriage is not easy, you have to work hard to make it work. I know how it can be, being a married man. I am also grateful for being in a relationship. But for those men who are thinking about getting married, i would like to give some good advices.
* Never talk bad about Iceman in Top Gun, played by Val Kilmer. This is one of the most loved characters for all women worldwide. If you do, your future wife will not accept your ring, i guarantee that.
* Women do not want to watch Bridget Jones anymore, this is 2018, so they prefer to watch Gator Boys on Animal Planet. Why ? Because nothing is sexier than watching Alabama men wrestling alligators. Ask any woman and you will see that this is true.
There you go, 2 fantastic advices for a perfect marriage. Should i help married couples in therapy with such fantastic advices ? Yes i probably should, i might actually become a marriage therapist. When it comes to movies that deals with marriage, we have a lot of titles to choose between. We have the usual marriage drama, and we have the marriage thrillers as well. Let´s focus on marriage thrillers for now. And one of the best classics in this genre is of course the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction. This is one of the thrillers of the 80´s that really shocked a lot of people, especially how brutal the character Alex Forrest ( brilliant played by legendary actress Glenn Close ) is on screen. The boiling rabbit scene is a nightmare for the perfect family image, and shows that cheating is not the best idea. What made Fatal Attraction such a great thriller, was the psychological level of how bad things can turn if you cheat on your wife. Of course you can tell that Alex is a very disturbed woman, who clearly have a lot of personal problems. Legendary actor Michael Douglas also does a really good performance as the cheating husband Dan Gallagher. Another great thriller that takes on marriage as well is the 1992 movie known as The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. The story of a very disturbing nanny named Claire Bartel, played really well by actress Rebecca De Mornay ( one of her most iconic performances on the big screen ). But we have plenty of good actors here as well, such as Julianne Moore, Annabella Sciorra and Ernest Hudson. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is actually one of the better thriller films where a nanny is included, and a classic from the early 90´s. Recently while looking around what to watch on VOD, i came across a film called Elizabeth Harvest. The first thing i noticed was that actress Abby Lee is in this film. If you don´t know who she is, i suggest you watch her in one of her films, especially The Neon Demon from director Nicolas Winding Refn. The combination of a sci-fi thriller sounded interesting, and that is why i decided to watch Elizabeth Harvest. Is this a film that should be seen by a larger audience, or is this film one of those titles that you won´t remember ?
Newlywed Elizabeth ( Abby Lee ) arrives with her brilliant scientist husband Henry ( Ciáran Hinds ) to his magnificent estate. Elizabeth don´t need to think about anything, her husband Henry have staff named Oliver ( Matthew Beard ) and Claire ( Carla Gugino ), who will serve her. The only thing that Henry demands, is that Elizabeth does not go inside a secret room. Elizabeth have no idea why this room is so secret, but she decides to go inside anyway. What she is about to find, will change her life completely, and give some answers to what her husband is really doing.
One of the things that makes Elizabeth Harvest more interesting than most ordinary thriller dramas, is that the film completely changes the plot after the first 30 minutes. At first it seems to be a story about a young woman, married to a wealthy man. But this is not really the main plot. Instead the film focuses on science instead, and become more complicated. And this is where the strength of this film grows, when we find out what is really going on inside this house. In some ways, i could feel this film might have some similar ideas as from director Nick Hamm´s sci fi thriller Godsend . Not that these films have much in common, but the style of Elizabeth Harvest and the clinical issues do remind me of Godsend, with some differences. The idea of playing God is something that both films have in common, when we break the laws of science to control human lives. Lead actor Abbey Lee ( known from films such as The Neon Demon, Gods Of Egypt and The Dark Tower ) does a great performance as the young woman Elizabeth. It feels like she is a great choice for this character, and she knows how to make Elizabeth look vulnerable. But when we see a completely different personality in Elizabeth later in the film, this also shows that this character is not who you might think she is. Another character i also enjoy in this film is Oliver, played by Matthew Beard ( known from films such as An Education and The Imitation Game, both really good films ). What makes Oliver interesting, is the fact that he is blind and takes care of the house of Elizabeth´s husband Henry ( played by legendary actor Ciarán Hinds from films such as Road To Perdition and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ). His character as the millionaire scientist Henry is also interesting, who is clearly carrying a big secret. I don´t want to reveal what the film really is trying to bring up, from a scientific perspective. So i suggest not to read about the real plot and see the film not knowing too much. The thriller influences becomes more clear, when the real story reveals itself. Director Sebastian Guiterrez ( who you perhaps recognize for his film Rise: Blood Hunter with Lucy Liu as a vampire ). His film Elizabeth Harvest is pretty different from most releases, and he clearly wanted to tell a story that has a deeper meaning than most ordinary releases. I will say one negative thing, some scenes are very slow. Even if Abbey Lee deliver with her performance, she can´t save the slow scenes. Other than that, this is still an interesting movie that dares to go in a different direction. So if you want to see something different now when Christmas is getting closer, give Elizabeth Harvest a chance. Not a film for everyone, but definitely a film worth checking out if you enjoy science.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 20 november 2018
Thunder Road
It is honestly amazing what funding pages like Kickstarter and Indiegogo can do, to help short films or full feature films be made with the help of fans. I have helped different flim projects myself, such as Kung Fury, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance or the fantastic documentary You´re So Cool Brewster - The Story Of Fright Night. The reality is that every film studio may not have the money to support film makers, so even how good an idea is it can be hard to make reality. This is why fund pages like Kickstarter and Indiegogo can make dreams come true. Of course not all projects are good, i have seen some films on trailers that have not felt interesting. But there are always a few films that stands out, that turn out to be interesting. One of the films i remember really enjoying, is a film called Blue Ruin. This film was launched as a Kickstarter campaign, and thanks to fans the film was able to be made. Blue Ruin is the story of Dwight Evans ( powerful portrayed by actor Macon Blair ) who is determined to revenge the murder of his parents, as he tracks down their killer Wade Cleland. But this is not what the whole film is about, and Blue Ruin becomes even more interesting as we get to follow the life of Dwight, as he tries to handle his personal problems. The budget of Blur Ruin was made on a 420.000 dollar budget, but the film looks really good. I think director Jeremy Saulnier proved that you can make a really emotional and strong drama, no matter how small the budget is. Every year both short films and full feature films find funding from movie fans, and this seems to continue to work very effective. One example of a Kickstarter campaign that managed to do well, is for a short film called Thunder Road. The short film told the story of an American police officer who dances at his mother funeral. The critics loved the short film, and the short film won several awards such as Short Film Grand Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and Jury Prize For Acting at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. Actor Jim Cunnings, who both directed the short film and played the lead role, decided to make a full feature film of the character known as Officer Jim. Since i read so many positive reviews, i was curious to see if Thunder Road would fit my taste. Is this a really well made independent film, or is this a film that you don´t need to waste your precious time on ?
Police Officer Jim Arnaud have just lost his dear mother, as he decides to do a Bruce Springsteen dance tribute to her at her funeral. He fails completely, and embarrass himself. But Jim tries to focus on helping his young daughter Crystal Arnaud ( Kendall Farr ). That does not go so well either, even if Jim believe he is a great father. When Jim work with his Police partner Officer Nate Lewis ( Nican Robinson ), Jim feels happy. He feels that Nate and him have a friendship. Jim´s ex-wife Rosaling Arnaud ( Jocelyn DeBoer ) is a drug addict, and demand full custody of Crystal. Jim does not agree with this, and go to court. Nothing is going as Jim have planned, and everything seems to be going against him. Will Jim finally find a way out of all the misery ?
I did not expect to see a comedy, that is both tragic and really funny this year. But this is exactly what Thunder Road manage to combine. The main character Officer Jim ( brilliant played by Jim Cunnings ) must be the most embarrassing cop i have ever seen. Just the opening scene, when he does a dance to a Bruce Springsteen song ( and he cant get the Hello Kitty CD player to work ) at a funeral is hilarious. Just the idea of him doing the most odd dance ever with a dead person in a coffin behind him, is of course the worst idea ever. Or...maybe exactly what we should do at a funeral, just let out all of our emotions ? There are more really funny scenes that will make you feel embarrassed about Officer Jim, how he manage to keep his job is amazing. Of course, things do not go well later on in the film. Even if Jim Cunnings gives the strongest acting performance in this film, i think there are some other performances worth mentioning. Child actor Kendal Farr does a wonderful performance as Jim´s daughter Crystal. You feel sorry for her, especially when her father does some embarrassing things at the school development meeting with her teacher. Jocelyn DeBoer as Crystal´s drug addicted mother Rosalind also does a good performance, and you can tell she have personal problems. While this film have some really funny moments, there are also some really sad scenes as well. It becomes very clear that Jim have no idea how to behave as an adult sometimes, and make some bad decisions. Of course, many adults can make bad choices in life, but Jim just does not seem to know how to behave at certain moments. It is like he just says what he thinks, but don´t understand this can make things even worse. I would like to mention that this film would probably categorize this film as a dark comedy, and i love that combination. Director Jim Cunnings ( who also have the lead role ), manage to balance comedy and drama on a very high quality level. He knows how to tell a story about a man who have a very complicated life, and does not seem to know how to be in control. I think he also manage to show us how hard it is being a parent, especially with a father who wants to do everything for his daughter. If you have been looking for something different to see, and still want to laugh and feel sadness, Thunder Road should be what you need to experience. Finally a film that dares to go into a different direction than most drama comedies. Make sure you see Thunder Road, and learn how parenting should be handled.
Rating: DDDD
Police Officer Jim Arnaud have just lost his dear mother, as he decides to do a Bruce Springsteen dance tribute to her at her funeral. He fails completely, and embarrass himself. But Jim tries to focus on helping his young daughter Crystal Arnaud ( Kendall Farr ). That does not go so well either, even if Jim believe he is a great father. When Jim work with his Police partner Officer Nate Lewis ( Nican Robinson ), Jim feels happy. He feels that Nate and him have a friendship. Jim´s ex-wife Rosaling Arnaud ( Jocelyn DeBoer ) is a drug addict, and demand full custody of Crystal. Jim does not agree with this, and go to court. Nothing is going as Jim have planned, and everything seems to be going against him. Will Jim finally find a way out of all the misery ?
I did not expect to see a comedy, that is both tragic and really funny this year. But this is exactly what Thunder Road manage to combine. The main character Officer Jim ( brilliant played by Jim Cunnings ) must be the most embarrassing cop i have ever seen. Just the opening scene, when he does a dance to a Bruce Springsteen song ( and he cant get the Hello Kitty CD player to work ) at a funeral is hilarious. Just the idea of him doing the most odd dance ever with a dead person in a coffin behind him, is of course the worst idea ever. Or...maybe exactly what we should do at a funeral, just let out all of our emotions ? There are more really funny scenes that will make you feel embarrassed about Officer Jim, how he manage to keep his job is amazing. Of course, things do not go well later on in the film. Even if Jim Cunnings gives the strongest acting performance in this film, i think there are some other performances worth mentioning. Child actor Kendal Farr does a wonderful performance as Jim´s daughter Crystal. You feel sorry for her, especially when her father does some embarrassing things at the school development meeting with her teacher. Jocelyn DeBoer as Crystal´s drug addicted mother Rosalind also does a good performance, and you can tell she have personal problems. While this film have some really funny moments, there are also some really sad scenes as well. It becomes very clear that Jim have no idea how to behave as an adult sometimes, and make some bad decisions. Of course, many adults can make bad choices in life, but Jim just does not seem to know how to behave at certain moments. It is like he just says what he thinks, but don´t understand this can make things even worse. I would like to mention that this film would probably categorize this film as a dark comedy, and i love that combination. Director Jim Cunnings ( who also have the lead role ), manage to balance comedy and drama on a very high quality level. He knows how to tell a story about a man who have a very complicated life, and does not seem to know how to be in control. I think he also manage to show us how hard it is being a parent, especially with a father who wants to do everything for his daughter. If you have been looking for something different to see, and still want to laugh and feel sadness, Thunder Road should be what you need to experience. Finally a film that dares to go into a different direction than most drama comedies. Make sure you see Thunder Road, and learn how parenting should be handled.
Rating: DDDD
fredag 16 november 2018
Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead
Tropical places always make me happy. When i feel the heat, and the tropical forest is right in front of me, i feel at home. No more snow tsunamis, no more snow avalanches, just palm trees, drinks and great food. The people who live in these places, be happy. Because when you live in Sweden with 10 days of sun, the rest of the year is covered in ice and Gudrun Schyman´s cult followers pray for more snow. When it comes to films that takes place in tropical environment you have plenty of titles to choose between, but let´s focus on one specific category. Horror movies that takes place in tropical locations. Let´s start off with the horror comedy Club Dread, released in 2004. A film that actually works, mixing horror and comedy together, and we also get to see legendary actor Bill Paxton ( watch him especially in the movie Frailty as a religious maniac ) as a different kind of character than his usual films. While some horror comedies failed to make fun of classic horror, Club Dread managed to mix it up without making too many mistakes. I would not call this a comedy classic in any way, just a fun throwback to B movies we grew up with. Another film that is a pure horror film instead, is the 2008 movie known as The Ruins. A film that takes place in the jungle, where a group of young people are victims of a flesh eating plants, that can grow inside their skin. The Ruins may not be a very original film, but the film have some really brutal butchery scenes that makes this film stand out from the ordinary release. I remember one scene especially, where one of the young women cut her own flesh inside the leg, and even the face, to get out what is crawling in there. The Ruins is worth checking out, if you enjoy brutal horror that does have some tasteful treats. Not that long ago, i was listening to a movie review of the YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom ( one of the best B movie review channels you should check out ), and came across one of their reviews of the new B movie Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead. Since i never heard about this film before, it looked like a classic concept of tropical B movie horror, mixed together with other influences. I have never heard about the cast either, so being the B movie lover that i am i just had to check this out. Do we have a quality B movie here for the whole family to enjoy, or is Dead Squad so bad that you want to bury yourself on the bottom of the sea ?
A group of young people, including Aanesha ( Alina Carson ), Daniel ( Jonathan Looper ), Ethan ( Guy Talon ) and many more, go on a journey into the Amazons. As they stay to enjoy themselves at a waterfall, their boat floats away. They have no idea where they are, so the decide to follow a path they found. It seems that this path lead them to an Inca temple. They go inside to see what they can find, but no one is prepared of what´s waiting inside the temple.
Have you ever watched a movie that is so bad, that you actually enjoy it ? This is exactly the kind of movie Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead is. How bad is this film ? Well, it is so bad that i actually laughed quite a lot, and that means it does work as a comedy. And if you have a good time with a film that is supposed to be a horror film, you can´t be disappointed right ? I think to enjoy a film as this one, you have to be in the right mood. Remember the cheesy 80´s and 90´s B movies you rented on VHS, that had awful acting and bad special effects but were still entertaining ? This is exactly that kind of film, made for an audience that loves cheesy B movies from the VHS stores. Just the title gives you an hint that you are in for a treat, almost at the same level as Swedish TV show Hela Sverige Bakar. The plot is very simple, and very predictable. But that´s ok, in a film like this you don´t really need a plot as long as it is entertaining. Of course the bikini girls are included, what else would you expect ? Something tells me that the extreme feminists will hate this film, and call it Satan´s work. The characters are nothing you will remember for their performances, instead you will probably enjoy their stupidity for making so many bad decisions. When it comes to the make up effects i have to say that the main evil Zombie Queen ( played by actress Erika Ervin ) makes a pleasant entrance. What does the Zombie Queen looks like ? Imagine a mixture of a vampire and Boy George on a bad hair day, and i think you can imagine what we have here. We also have another bad ass monster, that used to be a man named George, who was mutated by Nazi experiments. And he is actually pretty cool, looking like a mixture of The Hulk and a demonic Smurf. By the way, my favourite character in this film is without a doubt Peer Metze as the Nazi Dr. Baumgartner. How can you say no to a Nazi doctor who makes mutant monsters ? I know, it is the perfect combination. Even if this film is really bad, this is still a really funny film. To be honest, it has been a long time since i laughed so much as i did watching Dead Squad. You have everything you need here, vampires, zombies, nazis, bikini girl, body parts flying, so yes you should see this film. Director Dominik Hauser ( who worked as an music orchestrator on films such as Aeon Flux and Pineapple Express ) have made a film clearly with passion for bad B movies, and he knows what the audience wants. Will Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead be seen as the worst film ever made by extreme feminists ? Yes, of course this film will be that title in their minds. But who cares, this is a film made for the B movie lovers of the 80´s and 90´s. Unplug your brain cells, and have a good time with Dead Squad.
Rating: DDD
A group of young people, including Aanesha ( Alina Carson ), Daniel ( Jonathan Looper ), Ethan ( Guy Talon ) and many more, go on a journey into the Amazons. As they stay to enjoy themselves at a waterfall, their boat floats away. They have no idea where they are, so the decide to follow a path they found. It seems that this path lead them to an Inca temple. They go inside to see what they can find, but no one is prepared of what´s waiting inside the temple.
Have you ever watched a movie that is so bad, that you actually enjoy it ? This is exactly the kind of movie Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead is. How bad is this film ? Well, it is so bad that i actually laughed quite a lot, and that means it does work as a comedy. And if you have a good time with a film that is supposed to be a horror film, you can´t be disappointed right ? I think to enjoy a film as this one, you have to be in the right mood. Remember the cheesy 80´s and 90´s B movies you rented on VHS, that had awful acting and bad special effects but were still entertaining ? This is exactly that kind of film, made for an audience that loves cheesy B movies from the VHS stores. Just the title gives you an hint that you are in for a treat, almost at the same level as Swedish TV show Hela Sverige Bakar. The plot is very simple, and very predictable. But that´s ok, in a film like this you don´t really need a plot as long as it is entertaining. Of course the bikini girls are included, what else would you expect ? Something tells me that the extreme feminists will hate this film, and call it Satan´s work. The characters are nothing you will remember for their performances, instead you will probably enjoy their stupidity for making so many bad decisions. When it comes to the make up effects i have to say that the main evil Zombie Queen ( played by actress Erika Ervin ) makes a pleasant entrance. What does the Zombie Queen looks like ? Imagine a mixture of a vampire and Boy George on a bad hair day, and i think you can imagine what we have here. We also have another bad ass monster, that used to be a man named George, who was mutated by Nazi experiments. And he is actually pretty cool, looking like a mixture of The Hulk and a demonic Smurf. By the way, my favourite character in this film is without a doubt Peer Metze as the Nazi Dr. Baumgartner. How can you say no to a Nazi doctor who makes mutant monsters ? I know, it is the perfect combination. Even if this film is really bad, this is still a really funny film. To be honest, it has been a long time since i laughed so much as i did watching Dead Squad. You have everything you need here, vampires, zombies, nazis, bikini girl, body parts flying, so yes you should see this film. Director Dominik Hauser ( who worked as an music orchestrator on films such as Aeon Flux and Pineapple Express ) have made a film clearly with passion for bad B movies, and he knows what the audience wants. Will Dead Squad: Temple Of The Undead be seen as the worst film ever made by extreme feminists ? Yes, of course this film will be that title in their minds. But who cares, this is a film made for the B movie lovers of the 80´s and 90´s. Unplug your brain cells, and have a good time with Dead Squad.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 13 november 2018
Calling Out To All You 80´s Movie Fans
Cheers everyone!
Daniel here, the fantastic movie review guy from Sweden, with a very good movie taste of course. I am calling out this time to see if you people, all over the world can help a movie. Especially because if you love the movies made in the 80´s, then you want to see The Barn Part 2. If you have not seen the first film, don´t worry. You can find it and buy a copy right under this link, it is a film worth your time, especially if you love Halloween horror movies.
https://screamteamreleasing.com/collections/the-barn-merch-store/products/the-barn-blu-ray
Now, a new campaign has been going on for a couple of weeks, and a sequel is on the way, especially if the funding is growing. They have a lot of ideas how to make this sequel really tasteful, so i guarantee that you will have fun with this film. I have supported this campaign, and i really hope you all do worldwide. We need more 80´s styled films in our lives, and The Barn Part 2 would be exactly what we have been looking for. I will leave you a link adress down below, so check out the campaign site on Indiegogo. I tell you what, if this campaign goes well, i will write movie reviews on both films on my movie review blog, how can anyone say no to that ? I know, that would be beyond amazing.
Good luck on the campaign, and let´s bring back the 80´s with The Barn Part 2! Because let´s be honest, nothing fits better than a quality B movie in our lives.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-barn-part-ii-80s-horror-feature-film-sequel#/
Daniel here, the fantastic movie review guy from Sweden, with a very good movie taste of course. I am calling out this time to see if you people, all over the world can help a movie. Especially because if you love the movies made in the 80´s, then you want to see The Barn Part 2. If you have not seen the first film, don´t worry. You can find it and buy a copy right under this link, it is a film worth your time, especially if you love Halloween horror movies.
https://screamteamreleasing.com/collections/the-barn-merch-store/products/the-barn-blu-ray
Now, a new campaign has been going on for a couple of weeks, and a sequel is on the way, especially if the funding is growing. They have a lot of ideas how to make this sequel really tasteful, so i guarantee that you will have fun with this film. I have supported this campaign, and i really hope you all do worldwide. We need more 80´s styled films in our lives, and The Barn Part 2 would be exactly what we have been looking for. I will leave you a link adress down below, so check out the campaign site on Indiegogo. I tell you what, if this campaign goes well, i will write movie reviews on both films on my movie review blog, how can anyone say no to that ? I know, that would be beyond amazing.
Good luck on the campaign, and let´s bring back the 80´s with The Barn Part 2! Because let´s be honest, nothing fits better than a quality B movie in our lives.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-barn-part-ii-80s-horror-feature-film-sequel#/
söndag 11 november 2018
In 2019, We Need To Celebrate The Boondock Saints 20 Years Anniversary
Cheers everyone!
Daniel here, the amazing movie review guy from Sweden. Can you believe that we have a new year coming our way soon ? I know it is crazy, 2019 is on the way. With a new year comes a lot of new movie reviews of course, and some special surprises as well. But i think we need to talk about one thing that makes 2019 special. This is the year when the cult movie The Boondock Saints turns 20 years old. A film that became very popular on DVD, and got a lot of new followers ever since the film came out in 1999. What made The Boondock Saints different from other films during this time, was the look of the film. The film have cool characters, and a very fast paste. I have not seen the film for many years, so to celebrate the 20 Years Anniversary of this film in 2019 would be perfect. Who knows, maybe some cinemas worldwide plan to show the film again on the big screen ? We will have to see. But i will do a 20 Years Anniversary review of The Boondock Saints, and i hope you look forward to read this.
I can´t say exactly when this review will be posted in 2019, but don´t worry, i will let you know when it is time. Right now i am starting to pick out the last reviews for this year, and i am sure they will be interesting to read before New Year´s Eve arrives. More fresh movie reviews are on the way, so have a great week, and i will see you soon with new reviews.
Cheers from Daniel
Daniel here, the amazing movie review guy from Sweden. Can you believe that we have a new year coming our way soon ? I know it is crazy, 2019 is on the way. With a new year comes a lot of new movie reviews of course, and some special surprises as well. But i think we need to talk about one thing that makes 2019 special. This is the year when the cult movie The Boondock Saints turns 20 years old. A film that became very popular on DVD, and got a lot of new followers ever since the film came out in 1999. What made The Boondock Saints different from other films during this time, was the look of the film. The film have cool characters, and a very fast paste. I have not seen the film for many years, so to celebrate the 20 Years Anniversary of this film in 2019 would be perfect. Who knows, maybe some cinemas worldwide plan to show the film again on the big screen ? We will have to see. But i will do a 20 Years Anniversary review of The Boondock Saints, and i hope you look forward to read this.
I can´t say exactly when this review will be posted in 2019, but don´t worry, i will let you know when it is time. Right now i am starting to pick out the last reviews for this year, and i am sure they will be interesting to read before New Year´s Eve arrives. More fresh movie reviews are on the way, so have a great week, and i will see you soon with new reviews.
Cheers from Daniel
lördag 10 november 2018
Bohemian Rhapsody
I remember when my father bought the Queen album A Kind Of Magic on cassette in 1986. He was driving his Nissan Sunny car, and the song A Kind Of Magic on max volume. That song made my summer of 1986 magical, and this album was the start of my Queen collection. From the age of 9 i was hooked up on Queens music, and i listened to their music constantly. I even got some of my friends from school to become Queen fans. Then suddenly in 1991, i heard on the news that Queen singer Freddie Mercury died of the disease AIDS on November 24. I don´t usually cry, but that day i cried. Freddie was a very big part of my youth, and it felt like a piece of my soul left this planet. Right after he passed away, i started collecting Queen items even more. I bought all their albums, posters, VHS concerts and magazines. I used to mix Queen tapes to neighbors, family members, and friends. The final songs that were recorded with Freddie Mercury before his death, was released on the 1995 album Made In Heaven. A collection of songs that goes deep into your heart, because there was something magical about Mercury´s voice. It may be many years since we lost him, but the music lives on. And i have no problem saying that Freddie Mercury will always be one of the greatest rock singers of all time, no one can ever replace him. When i look at shows like The X Factor, i can see that there are singers with talents. But i feel more aware of the fact, that no matter how hard they try, they can never find another Mercury out there. His stage personality and his voice will forever live on, for many generations to come. Of course Queen would not have been complete without the band members Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon, they all made the band Queen unique in the British rock industry. For many years it seemed that we would not see a film based on the band of Queen, or the life of Freddie Mercury. Until rumors started coming out in 2010 that a movie was going to be made, with actor Sacha Baron Cohen on board to play Freddie Mercury. I was surprised by the fact that Sacha was chosen, knowing his background as a comedian. But in 2013, i found out that he left the project. It seemed that it would be difficult to find the right actor, but in November of 2016, actor Rami Malek ( known from the critically acclaimed TV series Mr. Robot ) signed on to play Freddie Mercury with director Bryan Singer on board the project. This combination seemed to be very interesting, since i enjoy Rami Malek as an actor, and director Bryan Singer have made several great films in the past. As i was in Stockholm, just one week after the release of this film, i had to go and see it. is this the epic movie about the band Queen we were hoping for, or is this an epic failure that should be avoided ?
The year is 1970, and a young man named Farrokh Bulsara ( Rami Malek ) works at Heathrow Airport as a bagage handler. He is a a college student, filled with passion for life. One night Farrokh goes out to check out a live band called Smile. After the show he goes up and talk to band members Roger Taylor ( Ben Hardy ) and Brian May ( Gwilym Lee ). The band needs a new singer, and Farrokh knows he is the right one. After some positive live reactions with a brand new singer, Roger, Brian and John Deacon ( Joseph Mazzello ) realize that they might be up for something big. The form the band Queen, as Farrokh changes his name to Freddie Mercury. Queen becomes very popular, and their music is finding it´s way across the world. When they are about to record their third album named A Night At The Opera, their whole world is about to change with the song Bohemian Rhapsody. From this day on, Queen is now one of the biggest rock bands worldwide. But Freddie is struggling with his personal life, when he realize that he is homosexual. Can he keep this secret hidden, and still keep his career going without any scandals ?
To all those critics out there that have been negative to this film, i have something to say.
If you think this film is bad, you clearly don´t know what a quality film looks like. Bohemian Rhapsody is a film made for Freddie Mercury fans, and for Queen fans as well. But even if you have not heard the band before that much, i guarantee you will fall for this film. This is a film that will touch your heart, and make you realize why Freddie Mercury is such a legend. Rami Malek in the lead role as Freddie Mercury is phenomenal and deliver a really powerful performance. It feels like you are watching Freddie on stage, and when you can make an acting performance that good, you know you made it. He manage to use the right body language, the right stage presence that we all remember made Freddie special. But that´s not all, the rest of the band actors do their performances really well. Roger Taylor played by Ben Hardy ( known from X-Men: Apocalypse ) is a great choice as Queen´s legendary drummer, Brian May played by Gwilym Lee ( known for the TV series Midsomer Murders ), does his best acting performance so far in his career as the guitar master. John Deacon played by Joseph Mazzello ( known for his perfomrnace in The Social Network ) also does a great job portraying the legendary bass player. All of these four actors on stage shows you that you can make a really good music biographical film about a band, with the right chemistry. The story takes us all the way back to before the band recorded their first album, and how they managed to make a powerful impact on the British rock scene. We also get to see some of the more personal issues that Freddie Mercury faced in his life, such as the relationship between him and Mary Austin ( played wonderful by actress Lucy Boynton ). I also enjoy seeing the scenes where we get to see Freddie trying to deal with the fact that he knows he is homosexual. You also get a sense that this must have been difficult for Freddie, to try and tell his family about who he really is. The film does jump forward to different periods of the bands career, so you do get to see different parts of Queen´s musical catalogue. I know that some people have reacted that everything may not be correct, like the cameo from Mike Myers as the EMI Executive Ray Foster. But for me that´s ok, that part is done well anyway, and a funny part of the film as well. There are a few other details i know some other people have complained about, but i look at his film as a very strong portrait of Freddie Mercury and the legacy he left us. Director Bryan Singer have made a very powerful and interesting view inside the life of the band Queen, and their magical years. If you love their music, you are going to love this film. An Oscar Academy Award for Rami Malek should be announced, for delivering such a powerful movie for the whole world to enjoy.
Rant: DDDD
The year is 1970, and a young man named Farrokh Bulsara ( Rami Malek ) works at Heathrow Airport as a bagage handler. He is a a college student, filled with passion for life. One night Farrokh goes out to check out a live band called Smile. After the show he goes up and talk to band members Roger Taylor ( Ben Hardy ) and Brian May ( Gwilym Lee ). The band needs a new singer, and Farrokh knows he is the right one. After some positive live reactions with a brand new singer, Roger, Brian and John Deacon ( Joseph Mazzello ) realize that they might be up for something big. The form the band Queen, as Farrokh changes his name to Freddie Mercury. Queen becomes very popular, and their music is finding it´s way across the world. When they are about to record their third album named A Night At The Opera, their whole world is about to change with the song Bohemian Rhapsody. From this day on, Queen is now one of the biggest rock bands worldwide. But Freddie is struggling with his personal life, when he realize that he is homosexual. Can he keep this secret hidden, and still keep his career going without any scandals ?
To all those critics out there that have been negative to this film, i have something to say.
If you think this film is bad, you clearly don´t know what a quality film looks like. Bohemian Rhapsody is a film made for Freddie Mercury fans, and for Queen fans as well. But even if you have not heard the band before that much, i guarantee you will fall for this film. This is a film that will touch your heart, and make you realize why Freddie Mercury is such a legend. Rami Malek in the lead role as Freddie Mercury is phenomenal and deliver a really powerful performance. It feels like you are watching Freddie on stage, and when you can make an acting performance that good, you know you made it. He manage to use the right body language, the right stage presence that we all remember made Freddie special. But that´s not all, the rest of the band actors do their performances really well. Roger Taylor played by Ben Hardy ( known from X-Men: Apocalypse ) is a great choice as Queen´s legendary drummer, Brian May played by Gwilym Lee ( known for the TV series Midsomer Murders ), does his best acting performance so far in his career as the guitar master. John Deacon played by Joseph Mazzello ( known for his perfomrnace in The Social Network ) also does a great job portraying the legendary bass player. All of these four actors on stage shows you that you can make a really good music biographical film about a band, with the right chemistry. The story takes us all the way back to before the band recorded their first album, and how they managed to make a powerful impact on the British rock scene. We also get to see some of the more personal issues that Freddie Mercury faced in his life, such as the relationship between him and Mary Austin ( played wonderful by actress Lucy Boynton ). I also enjoy seeing the scenes where we get to see Freddie trying to deal with the fact that he knows he is homosexual. You also get a sense that this must have been difficult for Freddie, to try and tell his family about who he really is. The film does jump forward to different periods of the bands career, so you do get to see different parts of Queen´s musical catalogue. I know that some people have reacted that everything may not be correct, like the cameo from Mike Myers as the EMI Executive Ray Foster. But for me that´s ok, that part is done well anyway, and a funny part of the film as well. There are a few other details i know some other people have complained about, but i look at his film as a very strong portrait of Freddie Mercury and the legacy he left us. Director Bryan Singer have made a very powerful and interesting view inside the life of the band Queen, and their magical years. If you love their music, you are going to love this film. An Oscar Academy Award for Rami Malek should be announced, for delivering such a powerful movie for the whole world to enjoy.
Rant: DDDD
Bad Times At The El Royale
There are certain films that don´t care about what is supposed to be modern, and go back to the old school cinema style instead. Films that dare to step outside of the typical Hollywood pattern, is always welcome to me. And i am especially thinking about certain directors that rather bring back the old school cinema, than making it look modern. Director Quentin Tarantino is of course one of the best evidence for this, who have made several really good films. His directorial debut film Reservoir Dogs, is still today one of the most iconic cult classics of the early 90´s. The story in Reservoir Dogs, surrounds a group of selected criminals who is chosen to do a diamond heist. What makes this film so good, is especially the characters and the cast. Steve Buscemi as Mr Pink is outstanding, Michael Madsen as Mr Blonde is pure brilliant and Harvey Keitel as Mr White is pure gold. Of course there are other characters here that make this film special as well, but i have to mention another very important detail. The 70´s homage in this film looks really good, it feels like a pure throwback to the golden age of 70´s cinema, and Tarantino knows exactly how to capture this time period. Tarantino continued making quality films for many years with Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2. His remake of Inglorious Basterds is of course a tasteful delight. Let´s move on and talk about The Coen Brothers, known as Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. These legendary directors have brought us some of the best American movies in many years, that includes the classics Raising Arizona, Miller´s Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo and The Big Lebowski. But it was in 2007 when The Coen Brothers really took the world by storm, with their masterpiece No Country For Old Men. The film released in 2007 won 4 Academy Awards, and the movie won the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The story is set during 1980 in Texas, where hitman Anton Chigurh ( brilliant portrayed by actor Javier Bardem ) is on a killing spree. The film surrounds different characters, but i have to say that Javier Bardem is one of the biggest reasons why No Country For Old Men is such a powerful film. Earlier this year i was reading about upcoming films, and came across a titles known as Bad Times At The El Royale. This seemed to be a different movie from the ordinary releases, and i could tell that this could be interesting with a cast that includes Jeff Bridges, John Hamm, Chris Hemsworth and many others. When the trailer finally landed, i became even more curious to see if this film would be interesting. Is the film Bad Times At The El Royale a film that should be experienced in Cinema, or is this film nothing you should waste your precious time on ?
in 1959, a bank robber buries a bag of money under the floor of a room at the El Royale hotel. He is killed inside this room, and the money is left buried. 10 years later, a number of people including Priest Daniel Flynn ( Jeff Bridges ), Soul singer Darlene Sweet ( Cynthia Erivo ), vacuum salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan ( Jon Hamm ) and Rose Summerspring ( Cailee Spaeny ) check into the hotel with the hotel´s only worker Miles Miller ( Lewis Pullman ). At first it seems that all of them are just ordinary guests. But when everything unfolds, these guests are carrying secrets on their own.
I was hoping to see a movie this year that would bring back the influences of Tarantino and The Coen Brothers. And i am happy to say that Bad Times At The El Royale manage to do this is a very solid way. This film does not only look good, it also have a lot of great characters included. Let´s talk about the characters for a while. Legendary actor Jeff Bridges as criminal Daniel Flynn ( disguised as a priest ) makes a powerful impression in this film. At first he seems to be a good hearted man, but of course you see the real him later on. John Hamm as the undercover FBI Agent Seymor Sullivan, pretending to be a home supplies salesman, is another highlight in this film. John Hamm knows how to make this character fit in with the story. I also like the mystery surrounding his undercover mission, that you can sense while you get to know his real personality. Soul singer Darlene Sweet, played wonderful by Cynthia Erivo, is a female character that clearly have a lot to offer in a film like this. I especially enjoy the scenes between her and Jeff Bridges, where you get a sense of cinema magic. Without a doubt, one of the stongest highlight characters of this film is Rose Summerspring, played by Cailee Spaeny. Her performance is really good, and she give some of her scenes a whole different level of quality. Chris Hemsworth as the cult leader Billy Lee is surprisingly good, as he goes completely nuts later on in the film. I love the way that this film tells the story from different angles of each character, so you get a bigger perspective of what is going on at the El Royale. This film feels like a mixture of The Coen Brothers and Tarantino, but without feeling too predictable. The cinematography by Seamus McGarvey ( who also did the brilliant cinematography on the powerful film We Need To Talk About Kevin ) looks gorgeous. He clearly have worked hard to capture the right essence for this film. Most of all we have to thank director Drew Goddard ( who directed the horror highlight The Cabin In The Woods ). This is his second film as a director, and in my opinion is best film as well. Drew really bring out Cinema magic with Bad Times At The El Royale, and make this his own homage to the good old days of classic films. He clearly have a passion for another time period, where films did make a strong impact. I have noticed that many people never heard about this film when i have mentioned it, and this is such a shame. Bad Times At The El Royale is a tasteful delight that needs to be seen in Cinema, and you should buy tickets and experience a real quality film. There is no doubt, Bad Times At The El Royale is one of the most unexpected movie highlights of this year.
Rating: DDDD
in 1959, a bank robber buries a bag of money under the floor of a room at the El Royale hotel. He is killed inside this room, and the money is left buried. 10 years later, a number of people including Priest Daniel Flynn ( Jeff Bridges ), Soul singer Darlene Sweet ( Cynthia Erivo ), vacuum salesman Laramie Seymour Sullivan ( Jon Hamm ) and Rose Summerspring ( Cailee Spaeny ) check into the hotel with the hotel´s only worker Miles Miller ( Lewis Pullman ). At first it seems that all of them are just ordinary guests. But when everything unfolds, these guests are carrying secrets on their own.
I was hoping to see a movie this year that would bring back the influences of Tarantino and The Coen Brothers. And i am happy to say that Bad Times At The El Royale manage to do this is a very solid way. This film does not only look good, it also have a lot of great characters included. Let´s talk about the characters for a while. Legendary actor Jeff Bridges as criminal Daniel Flynn ( disguised as a priest ) makes a powerful impression in this film. At first he seems to be a good hearted man, but of course you see the real him later on. John Hamm as the undercover FBI Agent Seymor Sullivan, pretending to be a home supplies salesman, is another highlight in this film. John Hamm knows how to make this character fit in with the story. I also like the mystery surrounding his undercover mission, that you can sense while you get to know his real personality. Soul singer Darlene Sweet, played wonderful by Cynthia Erivo, is a female character that clearly have a lot to offer in a film like this. I especially enjoy the scenes between her and Jeff Bridges, where you get a sense of cinema magic. Without a doubt, one of the stongest highlight characters of this film is Rose Summerspring, played by Cailee Spaeny. Her performance is really good, and she give some of her scenes a whole different level of quality. Chris Hemsworth as the cult leader Billy Lee is surprisingly good, as he goes completely nuts later on in the film. I love the way that this film tells the story from different angles of each character, so you get a bigger perspective of what is going on at the El Royale. This film feels like a mixture of The Coen Brothers and Tarantino, but without feeling too predictable. The cinematography by Seamus McGarvey ( who also did the brilliant cinematography on the powerful film We Need To Talk About Kevin ) looks gorgeous. He clearly have worked hard to capture the right essence for this film. Most of all we have to thank director Drew Goddard ( who directed the horror highlight The Cabin In The Woods ). This is his second film as a director, and in my opinion is best film as well. Drew really bring out Cinema magic with Bad Times At The El Royale, and make this his own homage to the good old days of classic films. He clearly have a passion for another time period, where films did make a strong impact. I have noticed that many people never heard about this film when i have mentioned it, and this is such a shame. Bad Times At The El Royale is a tasteful delight that needs to be seen in Cinema, and you should buy tickets and experience a real quality film. There is no doubt, Bad Times At The El Royale is one of the most unexpected movie highlights of this year.
Rating: DDDD
söndag 4 november 2018
The Predator
There is a saying in Sweden that goes something like this :- Har du inte upplevt första Rovdjuret, vet du inte vad äkta kärlek är. In translation this means :- If you have not experienced the first Predator, you don´t know what true love is. And this is actually true. There are probably 300.000 Swedish couples out there, who fell in love the first time they watched Predator from 1987. I would not be surprised if this is the film that makes Swedish couples more horny than anything on TV. And it is not hard to understand why. Predator will always be one of the greatest action movies of the 80´s, and is still so damn good even today. How many action films can manage to be that good for over 30 years ? There are some of course, but Predator clearly is one of the few that keeps going strong. What makes Predator such a great action film is that director John McTiernan knew how to combine action and Science fiction in an effective way. Most of all i have to say that the military team also made this film unique, with some of the most iconic military characters in cinema history. The design of the alien Predator looks really good as well in this film, and is still one of the most classic alien characters in cinema history. Predator is a must own on Blu Ray, and should be the movie everyone watch on Christmas Eve with family, because this is one of the few movies that captures the true meaning of Christmas. The sequel Predator 2 may not have done well at the box office, or with movie critics back in 1990, but i enjoy this film for several reasons. As an action film i have to say Predator 2 manage to deliver a lot of great action scenes with great characters. Danny Glover as the lead character Lieutenant Mike Harrigan may not be on the same level as Schwarzenegger, but does a great job anyway. Since Predator 2 was considered a flop, we did not see any Predator films for a very long time. Not until the year of 2004, when director Paul W.S. Anderson made Alien vs. Predator, a film that combined the franchises of both Predator and Alien. I would not say this is a really good film in any way, but for fans of both genres, this was entertaining for different reasons. And we got to see legendary actor Lance Henriksen as Charles Bishop Weyland. A sequel was released in 2007 known as Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, a sequel that may be the most hated by fans of both genres. But in 2010, director Nimród Antal released the next chapter of the Predator franchise, known as Predators. I actually really enjoy this film, and i still think this is a worthy sequel to the classic films. When i heard that director Shane Black ( who was in the original Predator movie ) was going to direct the latest Predator movie i was excited. And the trailer seemed to have some classic elements to offer. Is this the best sequel in the franchise for a long time, or is this a sequel we did not need to experience at all ?
A Predator ship crash-lands on Earth. Army sniper Quinn McKenna ( Boyd Holbrook ) and his team are attacked by the Predator on a hostage retrieval mission. McKenna capture the Predator and have his armor mailed off. Government agent Will Traeger ( Sterling K. Brown ) take the Predator to a lab for experimentation and observation, recruiting evolutionary biologist Casey Brackett ( Olivia Munn ) to study the Predator. It all ends with the Predator manage to escape the laboratory, and killing many people. Quinn is on board a bus with government captives including ex-Marine Gaylord " Nebraska " Williams ( Trevante Rhodes ), military veterans Coyle ( Keegan-Michael Key ) Baxley ( Thomas Jane ), helicopter pilot Augusto Aguilera ) and Lynch ( Alfie Allen ). They all prepare to take down the Predator, but things may not be as easy as it seems.....
I had hope for this film, hoping it would continue the legacy of the Predator franchise. But to be honest, this film does not take the source material seriously. What especially makes this film fail is the comedy scenes. Listen director Shane Black, i know there were some jokes on the original Predator film, but those jokes landed. In this film it does not work. The jokes are just a fill in for missing parts, where it should have been filled with lots of action and gory scenes. Don´t get me wrong though, there are a few action scenes where it seems that this could have been going in the right direction. But for some reason, director Shane Black mix it all up with so many things that it becomes a mess. The autistic kid, that manage to send signals to space, is an odd choice for a film like this. My criticism has nothing to do with the autistic child, but why you would place him in a film like this? Kids can be cool in certain films, but i am not sure if this is a good idea for a Predator film. Now to the positive parts of the film. The female character Casey Bracket, played by actress Olivia Munn, is actually one of the few characters i enjoy in this film. I think she should have been given a much more bigger role, since she is more interesting than most of the male characters. Boyd Holbrook as the team leader Quinn McKenna is one of the few male characters that works in the hunting team. In the original Predator movie, the whole military team had great characters. But that is something we miss in this film, and it should have been here, considering that we follow a team of soldiers. So Boyd actually is the character that works best in this team. Some of the action scenes looks ok, especially when you see the Predator killing and fighting. But there are a few details that bugged me. Why would he pick up a machine gun and kill with, when the original Predator killed with other weapons in the first film ? Another scene when the Predator grabs a ripped off arm, and give the driver thumbs up, was that supposed to be funny ?`The comedy scenes don´t belong in a film like this, honestly. Director Shane Black was in the original Predator film as soldier Hawkins, and that is an iconic character for the classic film. He also directed 3 great films, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys. I can understand why he wanted to make The Predator, since he was a part of the original film, but i feel that he might have had too many ideas for this film. If he only could have focused on making this film closer to the original Predator film, with a more serious tone, this could have been a good sequel. I also feel that he may have lost the true heart with the Predator tone, mixing in too many other elements. The Predator is not a good film, and not a disaster either. Only watch this film if you are a fan of the franchise, otherwise watch Predator or Predator 2 instead.
Rating: DD
A Predator ship crash-lands on Earth. Army sniper Quinn McKenna ( Boyd Holbrook ) and his team are attacked by the Predator on a hostage retrieval mission. McKenna capture the Predator and have his armor mailed off. Government agent Will Traeger ( Sterling K. Brown ) take the Predator to a lab for experimentation and observation, recruiting evolutionary biologist Casey Brackett ( Olivia Munn ) to study the Predator. It all ends with the Predator manage to escape the laboratory, and killing many people. Quinn is on board a bus with government captives including ex-Marine Gaylord " Nebraska " Williams ( Trevante Rhodes ), military veterans Coyle ( Keegan-Michael Key ) Baxley ( Thomas Jane ), helicopter pilot Augusto Aguilera ) and Lynch ( Alfie Allen ). They all prepare to take down the Predator, but things may not be as easy as it seems.....
I had hope for this film, hoping it would continue the legacy of the Predator franchise. But to be honest, this film does not take the source material seriously. What especially makes this film fail is the comedy scenes. Listen director Shane Black, i know there were some jokes on the original Predator film, but those jokes landed. In this film it does not work. The jokes are just a fill in for missing parts, where it should have been filled with lots of action and gory scenes. Don´t get me wrong though, there are a few action scenes where it seems that this could have been going in the right direction. But for some reason, director Shane Black mix it all up with so many things that it becomes a mess. The autistic kid, that manage to send signals to space, is an odd choice for a film like this. My criticism has nothing to do with the autistic child, but why you would place him in a film like this? Kids can be cool in certain films, but i am not sure if this is a good idea for a Predator film. Now to the positive parts of the film. The female character Casey Bracket, played by actress Olivia Munn, is actually one of the few characters i enjoy in this film. I think she should have been given a much more bigger role, since she is more interesting than most of the male characters. Boyd Holbrook as the team leader Quinn McKenna is one of the few male characters that works in the hunting team. In the original Predator movie, the whole military team had great characters. But that is something we miss in this film, and it should have been here, considering that we follow a team of soldiers. So Boyd actually is the character that works best in this team. Some of the action scenes looks ok, especially when you see the Predator killing and fighting. But there are a few details that bugged me. Why would he pick up a machine gun and kill with, when the original Predator killed with other weapons in the first film ? Another scene when the Predator grabs a ripped off arm, and give the driver thumbs up, was that supposed to be funny ?`The comedy scenes don´t belong in a film like this, honestly. Director Shane Black was in the original Predator film as soldier Hawkins, and that is an iconic character for the classic film. He also directed 3 great films, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys. I can understand why he wanted to make The Predator, since he was a part of the original film, but i feel that he might have had too many ideas for this film. If he only could have focused on making this film closer to the original Predator film, with a more serious tone, this could have been a good sequel. I also feel that he may have lost the true heart with the Predator tone, mixing in too many other elements. The Predator is not a good film, and not a disaster either. Only watch this film if you are a fan of the franchise, otherwise watch Predator or Predator 2 instead.
Rating: DD
lördag 3 november 2018
Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich
Horror franchises that took place during the 80´s have survived incredible long in the movie industry. Just look at the Friday The 13:th franchise, that have released so many films for a very long time. Jason Voorhees will always be one of the most iconic horror characters of all time, and i am sure we will see him again in the future in a new film. Of course we can´t forget the Child´s Play franchise with Chucky, the possessed serial killer doll. Chucky is another iconic horror character that have managed to survive over the years, and keep coming back for more victims. I actually have not see the latest Chucky film known as Cult Of Chucky but plan to do that soon. Speaking of the 80´s horror franchises, how many of you remember the cult movie Puppet Master from 1989 ? The movie became a cult classic on VHS, and i remembered that i loved the style of the film using puppet dolls as killers. Now i have to say something, i actually enjoyed Puppet Master 2 even more than the first film. One of the reasons why i enjoyed this sequel more than the original film, was that were told a lot about the history of Andre Toulon ( here played by actor Steve Welles ). And since the puppets were made of puppet master Andre Toulon, it was nice that the second film opened up more about this man´s life. the franchise of Puppet Master continued in the 90´s and gave us a number of films. To be honest, i have not seen them all, except for Retro Puppet Master released in 1999 ( that i got from America, since the film was never released in Sweden ). After the millennium the Puppet Master franchise continued releasing new films, and it seemed that the story of Andre Toulon´s puppet dolls lived on. But to me it was becoming clear that some of these sequels could not match up to the earlier films, and that some of the magic was missing. So i decided not to see some of the films, since the trailers did not seem very interesting. Until i came across the latest film called Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. It was while i was watching a review of the film on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom i noticed that this new film could be what i have been waiting for. So i had to get myself a DVD copy ( also from America, since the film is not released in Sweden ), to see if this film finally put the Puppet Master back on track. Is this the best sequel in the Puppet Master series for many years, or is this just another sequel you should avoid at all cost ?
Edgar Easton ( Thomas Lennon ) owns a comic book store, where his best friend Markowitz ( Nelson Franklin ) spends most of his time. They decide to go together with Edgar´s girlfriend Ashley Summers ( Jenny Pellicer ) to an auction where the puppets of legendary puppet master Andre Toulon ( Udo Kier ) will be located. Before the auction takes place, they have a guided tour about Andre Toulon´s history, lead by Officer Carol Doreski ( Barbara Crampton ). At the hotel where all the guests who are getting ready for the auction, some of them are suddenly brutally murdered. Detective Brown (Michael Paré ) arrives to the hotel to investigate the murders. No real evidence is clear so far, but when more victims are found, it seems that Andre Toulon´s puppet dolls may be behind the murders.
Since some of the Puppet Master films have felt blended, without the passion of the earlier films of the Puppet Master franchise, i am happy to say that this latest film does exactly right. We get the feeling of the old school films, and to see the puppet dolls murder their victims in the classic way is a nice throwback to the 80´s. The puppets actually works better than i expected this time around, and i feel happy to see that the nostalgia returns so well in this sequel. The killings are very brutal, and the practical effects offer some really gory scenes. And this is a treat for Puppet Master fans, that i am sure most people will enjoy who have followed these films since the start. Another good thing about this film is the cast. You have actor Thomas Lennon ( known from very funny TV series Reno 911 ) here, as the comic book store owner Edgar Easton. We also have the always wonderful, and beautiful Barbara Crampton ( if i ever become single, i will ask her to marry me ) as Officer Carol Doreski. How about legendary actor Michael Paré ( known from a lot of classics such as Streets Of Fire and Into The Sun ) as Detective Brown. Let´s not forget legendary actor Udo Kier ( from films such as Johnny Mnemonic and Blade ) as Andre Toulon. Legendary B movie actor Matthias Hues also have a smaller part here as Strommelson, so nice to see him still do films. So you can imagine with such a wonderful cast, this helps Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich to become more entertaining to watch. I also feel that the idea of everyone gathering to an auction where puppet master Andre Toulon was killed, is a great location for this film. And when the murders begin, this film picks up the right tone for a Puppet Master sequel. Directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund both directed the Swedish horror zombie film Vittra back in 2012, a Swedish horror film that was one of the best horror films made in Swedish horror cinema for many years. And i am so happy they decided to direct the latest Puppet Master film, because they clearly understood that we needed to go back to the classic concept. They have managed to bring quality back with Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. I would not say this is the best film in the whole franchise, but definitely one of the better ones. Is there anything i would have liked to see in this film that´s missing ? Maybe a few scenes with Udo Kier as Andre Toulon just for nostalgic reasons. Other than that i can´t really complain. Support this latest film and buy it on DVD, so we can hopefully see directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund make another Puppet Master film. They clearly are the bright hope for this franchise right now. If you enjoy the old Puppet Master film, give this latest one a chance. I guarantee you will feel pleased about this film.
Rating: DDD
Edgar Easton ( Thomas Lennon ) owns a comic book store, where his best friend Markowitz ( Nelson Franklin ) spends most of his time. They decide to go together with Edgar´s girlfriend Ashley Summers ( Jenny Pellicer ) to an auction where the puppets of legendary puppet master Andre Toulon ( Udo Kier ) will be located. Before the auction takes place, they have a guided tour about Andre Toulon´s history, lead by Officer Carol Doreski ( Barbara Crampton ). At the hotel where all the guests who are getting ready for the auction, some of them are suddenly brutally murdered. Detective Brown (Michael Paré ) arrives to the hotel to investigate the murders. No real evidence is clear so far, but when more victims are found, it seems that Andre Toulon´s puppet dolls may be behind the murders.
Since some of the Puppet Master films have felt blended, without the passion of the earlier films of the Puppet Master franchise, i am happy to say that this latest film does exactly right. We get the feeling of the old school films, and to see the puppet dolls murder their victims in the classic way is a nice throwback to the 80´s. The puppets actually works better than i expected this time around, and i feel happy to see that the nostalgia returns so well in this sequel. The killings are very brutal, and the practical effects offer some really gory scenes. And this is a treat for Puppet Master fans, that i am sure most people will enjoy who have followed these films since the start. Another good thing about this film is the cast. You have actor Thomas Lennon ( known from very funny TV series Reno 911 ) here, as the comic book store owner Edgar Easton. We also have the always wonderful, and beautiful Barbara Crampton ( if i ever become single, i will ask her to marry me ) as Officer Carol Doreski. How about legendary actor Michael Paré ( known from a lot of classics such as Streets Of Fire and Into The Sun ) as Detective Brown. Let´s not forget legendary actor Udo Kier ( from films such as Johnny Mnemonic and Blade ) as Andre Toulon. Legendary B movie actor Matthias Hues also have a smaller part here as Strommelson, so nice to see him still do films. So you can imagine with such a wonderful cast, this helps Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich to become more entertaining to watch. I also feel that the idea of everyone gathering to an auction where puppet master Andre Toulon was killed, is a great location for this film. And when the murders begin, this film picks up the right tone for a Puppet Master sequel. Directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund both directed the Swedish horror zombie film Vittra back in 2012, a Swedish horror film that was one of the best horror films made in Swedish horror cinema for many years. And i am so happy they decided to direct the latest Puppet Master film, because they clearly understood that we needed to go back to the classic concept. They have managed to bring quality back with Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. I would not say this is the best film in the whole franchise, but definitely one of the better ones. Is there anything i would have liked to see in this film that´s missing ? Maybe a few scenes with Udo Kier as Andre Toulon just for nostalgic reasons. Other than that i can´t really complain. Support this latest film and buy it on DVD, so we can hopefully see directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund make another Puppet Master film. They clearly are the bright hope for this franchise right now. If you enjoy the old Puppet Master film, give this latest one a chance. I guarantee you will feel pleased about this film.
Rating: DDD
torsdag 1 november 2018
Housewife
I have been several times to Turkey on vacation. Of course only to relax, drink alcohol, shop and see Turkish history buildings. Usually when you think about Turkey you think about the typical vacation packages, made for tourists. But i understand now that there is so much more to experience in Turkey, outside the tourist attractions. I have been thinking about visiting Ankara and Istanbul, since i am interested in history. Of course the live music would be interesting to hear as well, especially Turkish folk songs. When you think about Turkish movies, i can tell you right away that i have barely seen any films at all from Turkey. Why ? Simply because cinemas in Sweden never show that many films made in Turkey. I may have missed some films, but you don´t really hear about new Turkish films here. But there is one film i do remember seeing that is made in Turkey. A horror film called Baskin, released here in Sweden by the company Njutafilms ( who release a lot of films on DVD and Blu Ray in different genres ). I bought the DVD of Baskin and i have to say, it turned out to be one of the better horror movies i watched in 2016. Baskin tell the story of a police patrol that go to an abandoned building, where a satanic ritual is taking place. And this is where everything goes completely wrong. The ritual scenes in Basking are really brutal, and very well made considering the budget. If you love horror movies with practical effects, than you will enjoy Baskin for sure. Director Can Evrenol proved with Baskin that a Turkish horror movie was better than a lot of American horror releases. I remember listening to an interview with director Can Evrenol on YouTube, and hearing what inspired him to make Baskin was interesting to hear. Since i watch a lot of horror movies every year, i can´t keep up with all the releases since so many films are coming out. But i acidently stumbled upon director Can Evrenol latest film called Housewife. Something that i really made this film look interesting, was the look of the poster. Almost like a throwback to the 60´s or 70´s, and i have to say i love that idea of the poster. Since i really enjoyed the Turkish horror film Baskin, is Housewife another great film from director Can Evrenol, or is the magic lost with his latest film ?
On a snowy winter, little girl Holly witness her own mother murder her sister and her father. Many years later, when Holly ( Clémentine Poidatz ) is an adult, she is living a good life. Suddenly one day while having dinner with friends, they suggest that she should go and listen to a man named Bruce ( David Sakurai ), leader of some sort of cult called ULM ( Umbrella Of Love And Mind ). The leader of ULM notice Holly in the audience and approach her. Holly suddenly gets flashbacks from her past, that seems to be connected to her dead family members. After this seance, Holly feels a connection to Bruce in an unexpected way. But what is ULM really all about, and why have Holly been chosen for an unknown reason ?
I am sorry to say that Housewife is a disappointment to me. And i was hoping i would enjoy this film, since i enjoyed Baskin. But this film is way too slow, and don´t really offer much into the horror genre. Until the last 15 minutes, then this film actually lifts up into a completely different level. In the last 15 minutes of Housewife, we get some really disturbing gory scenes. And this is where this film finally capture the right tone, that we should have had more of from the beginning. The brutality in the end shows that this film could have been something special. The biggest problem for me with Housewife, is that the religious cult message does not come across very clear in this film. If this was done more effective, i think this film could have been more interesting. Instead we get a pretty dull horror film, that does not take the subject serious enough. To mention something positive, we have the lead actor Clémentine Poidatz as the wife Holly. She is actually a highlight in this film, and i can´t blame her for the bad parts of this film. I especially enjoy her performance in the final scenes of the film, where she manage to deliver some solid acting. But when it comes to other characters, it becomes a little bit thin. Sure, the cult leader Bruce ( played by actor David Sakurai ) does a pretty good job at the end of the film, he does not come off really clear from the beginning as a strong cult leader. I suppose because the film does not really give him a clear portrait of a dangerous cult personality. If he only could have been as good as he is towards the end, i would have seen this film more interesting. Director Can Evrenol have tried to go in a different direction with this film, compared to Baskin. I like his idea about a religious cult, and he does pull off a great ending. But other than that i feel that Housewife loose a lot of power with the lack of more powerful scenes of cult activities. Evrenol should have let loose more insanity in a film like this, instead of holding it back. Housewife is not a terrible horror film, just quite boring for the most part. If you enjoyed Baskin, you might want to see Housewife just to see director Can Evrenol do a different kind of horror film. Otherwise, i suggest you watch Baskin again instead of Housewife.
Rating: DD
On a snowy winter, little girl Holly witness her own mother murder her sister and her father. Many years later, when Holly ( Clémentine Poidatz ) is an adult, she is living a good life. Suddenly one day while having dinner with friends, they suggest that she should go and listen to a man named Bruce ( David Sakurai ), leader of some sort of cult called ULM ( Umbrella Of Love And Mind ). The leader of ULM notice Holly in the audience and approach her. Holly suddenly gets flashbacks from her past, that seems to be connected to her dead family members. After this seance, Holly feels a connection to Bruce in an unexpected way. But what is ULM really all about, and why have Holly been chosen for an unknown reason ?
I am sorry to say that Housewife is a disappointment to me. And i was hoping i would enjoy this film, since i enjoyed Baskin. But this film is way too slow, and don´t really offer much into the horror genre. Until the last 15 minutes, then this film actually lifts up into a completely different level. In the last 15 minutes of Housewife, we get some really disturbing gory scenes. And this is where this film finally capture the right tone, that we should have had more of from the beginning. The brutality in the end shows that this film could have been something special. The biggest problem for me with Housewife, is that the religious cult message does not come across very clear in this film. If this was done more effective, i think this film could have been more interesting. Instead we get a pretty dull horror film, that does not take the subject serious enough. To mention something positive, we have the lead actor Clémentine Poidatz as the wife Holly. She is actually a highlight in this film, and i can´t blame her for the bad parts of this film. I especially enjoy her performance in the final scenes of the film, where she manage to deliver some solid acting. But when it comes to other characters, it becomes a little bit thin. Sure, the cult leader Bruce ( played by actor David Sakurai ) does a pretty good job at the end of the film, he does not come off really clear from the beginning as a strong cult leader. I suppose because the film does not really give him a clear portrait of a dangerous cult personality. If he only could have been as good as he is towards the end, i would have seen this film more interesting. Director Can Evrenol have tried to go in a different direction with this film, compared to Baskin. I like his idea about a religious cult, and he does pull off a great ending. But other than that i feel that Housewife loose a lot of power with the lack of more powerful scenes of cult activities. Evrenol should have let loose more insanity in a film like this, instead of holding it back. Housewife is not a terrible horror film, just quite boring for the most part. If you enjoyed Baskin, you might want to see Housewife just to see director Can Evrenol do a different kind of horror film. Otherwise, i suggest you watch Baskin again instead of Housewife.
Rating: DD
Cube 2: Hybercube
Sequels to great movies can be tricky to make. You either pay respect to the original film, or you move into a different direction with a solid story. In most sequels you either get some surprises, or you know exactly what to expect. I prefer to enjoy sequels that surprise me, and there are a couple of titles worth mentioning here. But let´s just mention two for now. Let´s start off with Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. This sequel was released in 1984. Even if this sequel was not as good as the original film Raiders Of The Lost Ark, i still think that director Steven Spielberg did a really good job, by telling a much more darker story than before. The cult rituals, the human sacrifices and the secret society inside the dark mines of India gave this film a very strong impact. Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom is one of those sequels that actually managed to continue the legacy of Indiana Jones in a powerful way. The next sequel i would like to mention, is perhaps a film most of you remember from legendary director Sam Raimi. His film Spider-Man 2, released in 2004, was even better than the first Spider-Man movie that director Sam Raimi also directed. What made this sequel better ? First of all the characters were more interesting in the sequel, and the bad guy Dr. Otto Octavius, played really well by actor Alfred Molina. Another thing that also worked really well with this sequel was the action scenes. More majestic and good looking CGI effects. Since we are talking about sequels, i remember thinking back in 1997 that it would be impossible to do a sequel to a cult film called Cube. This film turned out to be very intelligent, and had a much more original concept than many films during this time period. I remember when i first saw that Cube was getting a sequel released on DVD. I just was not sure that a sequel would be a good idea, since the original film managed to be a film that looked like nothing else at that time. Of course i had to see if they could manage to continue the story of Cube in a respectful way. Is this a sequel that actually manage to get things right, or is this another proof of why you should leave certain films alone ?
8 strangers find themselves inside an enormous cube. Some rooms looks exactly the same, while some rooms could have traps or another purpose. No one really knows why they were chosen to be here, but they must find their way out.
I have not seen this film ever since the film was first released on DVD, and that is many years ago. I barely remembered anything, so i wanted to see if i might appreciate this film in present day. Watching this sequel now, i can honestly say that there was no need to make a sequel. Why not ? Simply because the original film should have been left alone. To make a sequel on a solid film, does not mean that you have to do one. And in the case of Cube 2: Hybercube you can tell that they can´t get this sequel to the same quality level as the original film. The story may be similar, but this film can´t move the franchise of Cube in a solid direction. There are a few positive things i could mention. Actor Barbara Gordon as the very confused Mrs. Paley is a character that saves this film from falling apart, since some the actors don´t act with any emotions. Kari Matchett as Kate Filmore is also one of the few characters that works for the most part. The ending is actually not bad, with a surprise twist that i was not expecting. Now let´s get into the negative. Since the first Cube film managed to be both intelligent and original, this sequel basically borrows the concept of the first film but don´t do anything original about it. The group of people try to figure out why they are there, and this is one of the things i think this film fails with also, not telling an interesting story. Without a stronger group of characters, and nothing original to tell, it becomes clear that Cube 2 falls pretty flat. I will say this though, i do like the constructed rooms, within the cube. They are designed pretty cool. Director Andrej Sekula ( who have worked as a Cinematographer in films such as Quentin Tarantinos films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction ) must have enjoyed the first film to direct a sequel to a cult movie. Unfortunately, he does not try very hard enough to make a worthy sequel, so this basically becomes a sequel you won´t remember. I would not call this an awful film, but to be honest this should have been so much better. Cube 2: Hybercube should only be seen if you loved the first film, but don´t expect to enjoy this film as much as the first one. Lesson learned directors, always make sure to make a sequel worthy to the first film, or even make it better. Sometimes it is better to leave some original films left alone.
Rating: DD
8 strangers find themselves inside an enormous cube. Some rooms looks exactly the same, while some rooms could have traps or another purpose. No one really knows why they were chosen to be here, but they must find their way out.
I have not seen this film ever since the film was first released on DVD, and that is many years ago. I barely remembered anything, so i wanted to see if i might appreciate this film in present day. Watching this sequel now, i can honestly say that there was no need to make a sequel. Why not ? Simply because the original film should have been left alone. To make a sequel on a solid film, does not mean that you have to do one. And in the case of Cube 2: Hybercube you can tell that they can´t get this sequel to the same quality level as the original film. The story may be similar, but this film can´t move the franchise of Cube in a solid direction. There are a few positive things i could mention. Actor Barbara Gordon as the very confused Mrs. Paley is a character that saves this film from falling apart, since some the actors don´t act with any emotions. Kari Matchett as Kate Filmore is also one of the few characters that works for the most part. The ending is actually not bad, with a surprise twist that i was not expecting. Now let´s get into the negative. Since the first Cube film managed to be both intelligent and original, this sequel basically borrows the concept of the first film but don´t do anything original about it. The group of people try to figure out why they are there, and this is one of the things i think this film fails with also, not telling an interesting story. Without a stronger group of characters, and nothing original to tell, it becomes clear that Cube 2 falls pretty flat. I will say this though, i do like the constructed rooms, within the cube. They are designed pretty cool. Director Andrej Sekula ( who have worked as a Cinematographer in films such as Quentin Tarantinos films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction ) must have enjoyed the first film to direct a sequel to a cult movie. Unfortunately, he does not try very hard enough to make a worthy sequel, so this basically becomes a sequel you won´t remember. I would not call this an awful film, but to be honest this should have been so much better. Cube 2: Hybercube should only be seen if you loved the first film, but don´t expect to enjoy this film as much as the first one. Lesson learned directors, always make sure to make a sequel worthy to the first film, or even make it better. Sometimes it is better to leave some original films left alone.
Rating: DD
Cube
1997 was an amazing movie year. There were so many really good films released this year that i could tell you a whole list of titles. But let´s just mention a few that should be mentioned. Let us start with The Devil´s Advocate from director Taylor Hackford. A horror thriller that managed to combine a great story with really good acting, especially from legendary actor Al Pacino. Another reason why i really enjoy this film, is because of the characters. This film has the right type of characters to match with the horror influences, that will be revealed later on in the film. I suggest you pick up The Devil´s Advocate on Blu Ray and see a quality film from the late 90´s. The next film released in 1997 is David Fincher´s really original thriller The Game with actors Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. I honestly feel that this is one of my personal favourite films with Michael Douglas, and he did a really good performance here as the investment banker Nicholas Van Orton. What made The Game one of the best thrillers of 1997, was that this film was much more original and intelligent than most thrillers in a long time. You have to figure out, is it all a game or is there some truth on what´s going on ? If you love intelligent thrillers that are not predictable, you have to see The Game. It is one of director David Fincher´s classic films that should be respected more. I suggest you pick this film up on Blu Ray, and actually buy it. This is in my personal opinion one of the best thrillers of the 90´s. Moving on to another really good film from legendary director David Lynch ( who made so many classics such as Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and of course the sci fi cult film Dune. His film Lost Highway from 1997, is a very interesting neo-noir film, with really good cinematography by Peter Deming ( who worked with director Sam Raimi on his both films Evil Dead 2 and Drag Me To Hell ). Why i really enjoyed Last Highway so much, was because of David Lynch unique style of this film, and the great choice of the cast including Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Robert Loggia, Robert Blake and Gary Busey. But there was one film released in 1997 that really stood out of the crowd, that was very different from most releases that year. I am of course talking about the movie known as Cube, directed by Vincenzo Natali. A film that tells the story of 6 people, trapped inside an enormous cube, where they have to try and find a way out. This may not sound very original to you right now, but the film have a very clever plot hidden within the story. One of my readers named Dennis Magnusson requested me to write reviews on all three Cube films, so i will start with the first one. Is the first Cube still a good cult film, or has the magic been lost so many years later ?
6 strangers find themselves stuck inside an enormous cube, where different rooms have traps. They must learn how to find the right way out, using different number combinations on every door. But that´s not all, every room is moving inside the cube. Is someone controlling the cube, or is there something else going on ?
Even if 21 years have passed since Cube came out, i have to say that this film still feels original. I was thinking about if i have seen anything like this film in recent years, and i can´t come up with one title. That has to be a good sign, right ? I think what made Cube such an original film, is that the film uses a very intelligent plot. To figure out how to find a way out of a cube that keeps moving every room around ? Not the easiest thing to solve. The characters are all good at different things, so the story cleverly uses them all for different purposes. Where some are not good with solving number combinations, they find other ways to help. My favourite characters in this film is actress Nicky Guadagni as Holloway. She is clearly the right female character to be stuck inside a cube, and she does a great performance. I also enjoy actor David Hewlett ( been in great films such as Splice and Rise Of The Planet of The Apes ) as the character Worth. Cube does not follow the typical Hollywood pattern and make everything predictable. I think this is one of the reasons why this film still works well, even if 21 years have passed. I will say this, i may have loved this film even more back then, but there is no doubt that i still feel that Cube still deliver on a film quality level. Director Vincenzo Natali ( who also directed Splice and worked together again with actor David Hewlett in that film also ) clearly set out to do something different with a film like Cube, and i think he managed to do this well. Something tells me that he must have been influenced by science fiction and perhaps math as well ( i could be wrong, but maybe i am right ? ) Cube may not be a film for the large audience, especially if you don´t like numbers¨. But if you happen to like intelligent films that actually have a good plot, i think you should see Cube. This is still a cult film that will live on among fans, and will probably find new fans as well. I heard that there is a remake coming, something i am not excited about. We don´t need a remake of Cube, simple as that. If you are tired of watching predictable Hollywood films that have nothing to offer, look for Cube on DVD. I promise, you won´t find many titles out there that looks like Cube, and that is why you should experience this film.
Rating: DDD
6 strangers find themselves stuck inside an enormous cube, where different rooms have traps. They must learn how to find the right way out, using different number combinations on every door. But that´s not all, every room is moving inside the cube. Is someone controlling the cube, or is there something else going on ?
Even if 21 years have passed since Cube came out, i have to say that this film still feels original. I was thinking about if i have seen anything like this film in recent years, and i can´t come up with one title. That has to be a good sign, right ? I think what made Cube such an original film, is that the film uses a very intelligent plot. To figure out how to find a way out of a cube that keeps moving every room around ? Not the easiest thing to solve. The characters are all good at different things, so the story cleverly uses them all for different purposes. Where some are not good with solving number combinations, they find other ways to help. My favourite characters in this film is actress Nicky Guadagni as Holloway. She is clearly the right female character to be stuck inside a cube, and she does a great performance. I also enjoy actor David Hewlett ( been in great films such as Splice and Rise Of The Planet of The Apes ) as the character Worth. Cube does not follow the typical Hollywood pattern and make everything predictable. I think this is one of the reasons why this film still works well, even if 21 years have passed. I will say this, i may have loved this film even more back then, but there is no doubt that i still feel that Cube still deliver on a film quality level. Director Vincenzo Natali ( who also directed Splice and worked together again with actor David Hewlett in that film also ) clearly set out to do something different with a film like Cube, and i think he managed to do this well. Something tells me that he must have been influenced by science fiction and perhaps math as well ( i could be wrong, but maybe i am right ? ) Cube may not be a film for the large audience, especially if you don´t like numbers¨. But if you happen to like intelligent films that actually have a good plot, i think you should see Cube. This is still a cult film that will live on among fans, and will probably find new fans as well. I heard that there is a remake coming, something i am not excited about. We don´t need a remake of Cube, simple as that. If you are tired of watching predictable Hollywood films that have nothing to offer, look for Cube on DVD. I promise, you won´t find many titles out there that looks like Cube, and that is why you should experience this film.
Rating: DDD
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