India!
A country with a lot of interesting history to tell us, with very unique folk music and a lot of amazing food traditions. I have never been to India so far, but i am hoping to visit the country at some point. In culture i have always been fascinated by India, especially when different bands have borrowed indian music influences into their music, and i am especially thinking about British rock band Kula Shaker´s debut album K. This amazing rock album, released in 1996, became one of my absolute favourite albums of the 90´s. I listened to this album constantly, and every time i heard Tattva, Govinda, Grateful When You´re Dead or Hey Dude, i just wanted to rock out all over India. If you ask me, i would say that this is one of the best British rock albums ever made. Kula Shaker could never make such a great album again unfortunately, even though i did enjoy some songs on their second album Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts in 1999. If you have not heard Kula Shaker´s fantastic debut album K, you have made one of the biggest mistakes of all time. This is an album you need to own on Vinyl or CD, instead of playing it on Spotify. Another thing that reminds me of Indian culture is when i first watched the 1988 film Salaam Bombay! from director Mira Nair. This was the first Indian movie i have ever seen, and i was really affected by this film for many reasons. Salaam Bombay is a very tragic film about homeless children, drug abuse and poverty in general in the city of Bombay. Director Mira Nair really gave us an honest portrait of how rough life can be for children living in poverty. A must see if you have not seen this film. Recently i was going through a list of films i have not seen, and came across a film called Uri: The Surgical Strike. Not knowing anything about the film, i noticed that it is based on a true story of what happened during the 2016 Uri attack. Since i have not seen any Indian films for many years, this seemed to be an interesting plot. Is the film Uri a powerful film experience, or should you be watching something else instead ?
On 18 September, 2016, four heavily armed militants attack the brigade headquarters at Uri, Jammu and Kashmir at dawn, killing 19 Soldiers in their sleep. The terrorists who attacked are all killed, but Major Karan Kashyap ( Mohit Raina ) dies in a grenade explosion. At the funeral of Major Karan, his family is devastated, where his young daughter want justice to be done.The ministry decides to strike back against the terrorists for what they did at Uri. National Security Advisor Govind Bhardwaj ( Paresh Rawal ) suggests the idea of a surgical strike. The Prime Minister approve Govind´s suggestion and the military operation begins. The Indian Army is now prepared to strike with Major Vihan Singh Shergill ( Vicky Kaushal ), but the question is can they really finish this mission ?
As i was watching Uri: The Surgical Strike, i realized that i did not know much at all about this enormous tragedy. I have heard on the news about the tragedy back in 2016, but news only tend to tell you certain details. In this film you find out more about the background story, and why Uri was attacked. Of course the Indian army strikes back, and closer to the end of the film we get to see some epic war battle scenes. Since i have never seen a war movie from India before, i have to say that i am impressed by the production design of this film. Now, let´s get into the acting, Lead actor Vicky Kaushal as Major Vihan is a really good choice for this character. He really goes into his role, who want to make sure that the terrorists who attacked Uri will regret that they did. I also enjoy the performance of actor Paresh Rawal, playing the character Govind Bhardwaj. The scene where he makes the decision to attack the terrorists, you can feel that he wants to revenge for the lives who were lost. Actress Yami Gautam makes a great performance as well, playing 2 different characters in this film ( not often you see someone do that these days, not since Double Impact with Jean-Claude Van Damme ). There are other great performances as well here, but let´s get into what is best about this film. The action scenes are surprisingly really well made, and especially in the end when the Indian army strikes back after the terrorists attacked Uri. There are some intensive moments here, and i have to say it has been a long time since i have seen such well made war scenes. For the most part this film works, except in the dramatic scenes. I feel that some of the drama scenes go on a bit too long. Apart from this i feel that Uri: The Surgical Strike is a film you should see, knowing it is based on a true story. Director Aditya Dhar have proved himself to be a great director when it comes to action scenes, and he shows that clearly in this film. This is his directorial debut, and i must say i am impressed. I hope he keeps making action films, and less drama scenes, because he knows how to make an action film clearly. Too bad Uri: The Surgical Strike is not available on DVD or Blu Ray so far in Scandinavia, i think this film should be released here for a wider audience, who wants to see a quality film at home.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 24 april 2019
tisdag 23 april 2019
Discarnate ( Shapeshifter )
We will all die at some point. And we all loose someone we love, no matter if they have died of a disease or of natural causes, it is always hard to see family members die. Death is a part of life, no matter how we feel about it. Thanks to science we can make people live longer through new medications, and new medical treatments. But we can never have eternal life through science, and i believe there is a reason to why we should not have that. There are a lot of horror films that takes on the subject of medical treatments, where some of the films bring up the subject of bringing back someone from the other side. I have a couple of titles in mind, but i would like to talk about one film specifically. The 2015 horror film The Lazarus Effect turned out to be a big surprise for me, when the film came out on DVD and Blu Ray. This is a medical horror film, that tells the story of medical researchers Frank ( played by actor Mark Duplass ) and his fiancée Zoe ( played by actress Olivia Wilde ). They have developed a serum, code-named "Lazarus ", that was supposed to help coma patients, but it turns out that this serum can bring back people to life instead. They use the serum on a dead dog, and the experiment is successful. However, they notice that the dog´s behavior is different. When the University ( who helps to fund their science project ) finds out what they are doing with the serum, the project is shut down. Frank and his team has to find a way, to make the University understand why this serum is such a incredible medical discovery. While working in the lab, an accident happens and Zoe dies. Frank decides to try the serum on Zoe, just to bring her back. But is it really the same Zoe he knew while she was still alive ? The Lazarus Effect is an interesting and well made medical horror film, that shows you how far humans are willing to go, to make sure we can rise from the dead.The characters are great, the acting is good as well, and i have to say that this film also manage to bring up questions from a medical perspective. Especially if we are supposed to do experiments on humans ? Worth a watch on DVD or Blu Ray, if you enjoy medical horror films. I recently heard a movie review on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom, on a film called Discarnate. A film that seems to bring up the subject of a medical serum. Is this a surprisingly good horror film, or should you avoid it at all cost ?
Neuroscientist Dr. Andre Mason ( Thomas Kretschman ) have experienced what it is like to visit the outer world of the other side. He believe with a new serum, they will be able to learn more about if there is life after death. With a team of scientists including Dr. Travis Sherman ( Chris Coy ), Violette Paich ( Bex Taylor-Klaus ) and some other team members, they will continue to see if this serum is actually working. But what is this serum actually doing, and is it really working as they thought it would ?
When ever i see a film that try to blend different ideas, and manage to do so in a positive way, i am of course pleased. Not that Discarnate is a very original film, but i like the concept of this film for trying to be both a medical horror film, and include some kind of monster ( sounds like a nice mix right ? ) One of the details about this serum that i think is interesting, is that if you take it you are able to visit the outer world of the other side. Let´s talk about the cast for a while. Actor Thomas Kretschman plays Dr. Andre Mason, a man i guarantee you will recognize from Peter Jackson´s film King Kong, and from the Nicolas Cage film Next, where he played the character Mr. Smith. Thomas gives us a performance that fits with his character. Actress Bex Taylor-Klaus ( who you might remember from TV series Arrow as the character Sin ) is in my opinion the best female character in this film. She says what she thinks, and she makes a lot of good points while she is working with the team of Dr. Andre. Actor John Stewart is here as well, who you have seen in films such as The Collector and The Dark Knight Rises. Even if his character is not as strong as i would have liked him to be, he still give a performance that works for the moment. Beautiful actress Nadine Velazquez ( from the really funny Tv series My Name Is Earl ) gives a solid performance here. And i have to mention actor Chris Coy ( who is especially good in the horror film Deliver Us From Evil ), who plays Dr. Travis. He gives us one of the most interesting male characters in this film. The plot of this film is pretty simple, but what really makes Discarnate work is the shapeshifting beast. The design of this creature is pretty cool, and when he shows up looking like different people, he does look really creepy. I can´t describe the design of the shapeshifter, i think you need to see the creature to see why it is effective in this film. Director Mario Sorrenti have made a film that will please fans of monster films, and especially for those who are interested in horror films that brings up the subject of medical experiments. This is a well designed film, that feels constructed like an 80´s horror with some classic elements thrown in there in a positive way. If you love creepy creatures, or monster films in general, give Discarnate a chance. Do you have some annoying neighbors ? Give them a DVD copy of this film, and i guarantee that they will never bother you again.
Rating: DDD
Neuroscientist Dr. Andre Mason ( Thomas Kretschman ) have experienced what it is like to visit the outer world of the other side. He believe with a new serum, they will be able to learn more about if there is life after death. With a team of scientists including Dr. Travis Sherman ( Chris Coy ), Violette Paich ( Bex Taylor-Klaus ) and some other team members, they will continue to see if this serum is actually working. But what is this serum actually doing, and is it really working as they thought it would ?
When ever i see a film that try to blend different ideas, and manage to do so in a positive way, i am of course pleased. Not that Discarnate is a very original film, but i like the concept of this film for trying to be both a medical horror film, and include some kind of monster ( sounds like a nice mix right ? ) One of the details about this serum that i think is interesting, is that if you take it you are able to visit the outer world of the other side. Let´s talk about the cast for a while. Actor Thomas Kretschman plays Dr. Andre Mason, a man i guarantee you will recognize from Peter Jackson´s film King Kong, and from the Nicolas Cage film Next, where he played the character Mr. Smith. Thomas gives us a performance that fits with his character. Actress Bex Taylor-Klaus ( who you might remember from TV series Arrow as the character Sin ) is in my opinion the best female character in this film. She says what she thinks, and she makes a lot of good points while she is working with the team of Dr. Andre. Actor John Stewart is here as well, who you have seen in films such as The Collector and The Dark Knight Rises. Even if his character is not as strong as i would have liked him to be, he still give a performance that works for the moment. Beautiful actress Nadine Velazquez ( from the really funny Tv series My Name Is Earl ) gives a solid performance here. And i have to mention actor Chris Coy ( who is especially good in the horror film Deliver Us From Evil ), who plays Dr. Travis. He gives us one of the most interesting male characters in this film. The plot of this film is pretty simple, but what really makes Discarnate work is the shapeshifting beast. The design of this creature is pretty cool, and when he shows up looking like different people, he does look really creepy. I can´t describe the design of the shapeshifter, i think you need to see the creature to see why it is effective in this film. Director Mario Sorrenti have made a film that will please fans of monster films, and especially for those who are interested in horror films that brings up the subject of medical experiments. This is a well designed film, that feels constructed like an 80´s horror with some classic elements thrown in there in a positive way. If you love creepy creatures, or monster films in general, give Discarnate a chance. Do you have some annoying neighbors ? Give them a DVD copy of this film, and i guarantee that they will never bother you again.
Rating: DDD
måndag 22 april 2019
Is It Really That Bad ? Dracula 3000
Vampires!
What would the world be without them ? Probably a pretty boring place, unless Jason Donovan released a new album every year. Then we would be living in a perfect world, since nothing is better than fresh material from pop artist Jason Donovan. Really ? Yes, i know this is true, so believe me. I have seen so many vampire films since my youth, i can´t remember them all. But i do remember some of them of course, especially Francis Ford Coppolas film version of Bram Stoker´s Dracula, maybe one of the best vampire films ever made? Released in 1992 with a really good cast including Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Keanue Reeves, Winona Ryder, Monica Belluci, Tom Waits and many more. If you have read the book ( i have and bought it many years ago ), then i believe you will love this film adaptation. Director Francis Ford Coppola managed to capture the story of Dracula in a very beautiful way, making sure we get a very majestic film with wonderful costume design, and really powerful acting. Of course there are vampire films that are really bad as well, and i have thought about one title that may want you to throw up. Let´s dig into a film known as The Dead Matter, released in 2010 in America, but i did not see it until 2 years later on DVD from Germany. I actually bought this film ? Yes, i did, but only because of the cast of legendary actor Andrew Divoff and Tom Savini ( the legendary make up effects artist, and actor as well ). The Dead Matter is a strange film, that tells the story of a vampire relic, that falls into the hands of a young woman who wants to bring back her dead brother. Sounds fantastic right ? Honestly, i have no idea why legends such as Andrew Divoff and Tom Savini is in this film, because it is really bad. The vampires looks really silly, and the special effects ? Let´s just say that all films by director Uwe Boll look like masterpieces compared to The Dead Matter. So if you want to see a film so bad, that will make you laugh all the time, get this film on DVD and make Swedish Midsummer extra special. I started a segment this year called Is It Really That Bad ?, where i pick out a movie that critics did not enjoy. So for this time i picked out a horror film called Dracula 3000, since this film have some really bad reviews. Coolio in space as a vampire, is this the masterpiece we all wanted, or is Dracula 3000 a film that should never have been made ?
In the year 3000, the space salvage ship Mother III with Captain Van Helsing ( Casper Van Dien ) and his crew, climb on board an abandoned transport ship known as Demeter. They explore the bridge and find the corpse of Captain Varna ( Udo Kier ) tied to a chair. Captain Van Helsing makes the decision to tow the ship back to Earth. As the crew prepare to return to Mother III, the ship suddenly uncoples from the Demeter, leaving them stranded with no means of communication. Cargo specialist 187 ( Coolio ) and deckhand Humvee ( Tiny Lister ) discover a cargo bay full of coffins. Inside of one of the coffins seems to be filled with sand. But this crew don´t know, they are about to meet their biggest fear.
Right from the beginning we get a sense how bad Dracula 3000 is. The space ship design looks like a factory, where they used to make corn flakes packages. There are pipes everywhere, and when they find coffins with sand inside of them, things are about to become even more fun. When you see a cast of Casper Van Dien ( who you might remember from Starship Troopers ), Erika Eliniak ( who only made one good film, Under Siege ), Coolio ( the 90´s hip hop artists who had a huge hit with Gangster´s Paradise ), Tommy " Tiny " Lister ( who played President Lindberg in The Fifth Element ) and legendary actor Udo Kier ( who were great in Shadow Of A Vampire ) you might think that this should at least be fun to watch ?Unfortunately, this is a horrible attempt to mix Dracula into a space film, as if this is exactly what we wanted to see. The only actor that does any type of acting is actually Udo Kier, and this is still one of his performances you rather forget about. What about the acting from Coolio ? Well, let´s just say i think he should stick to making number 1 albums instead. Of wait, he have not have any more number 1 album´s since the 90´s ? I wonder why. Casper Van Dien does what he usually does, look like the pretty boy. He is ready to party with the other guys in the shower, waiting for who will drop the soap first. Erika Eliniak may look great, but the acting is not good at all. The story makes no sense at all, why would Count Orlock be in space ? Should he not land on a planet instead if he needs blood ? Count Orlock by the way, played by actor Langley Kirkwood, is one of the worst vampire characters ever made. When you see him, you think he just picked up a Dracula costume from a grocery store. Dracula 3000 is without a doubt one of the worst vampire films i have seen in a long time. This is a film that is so bad, you will wonder why director Darrel Roodt agreed to jump on board this project. Luckily, director Darrel Roodt have made some good films since then, especially The Lullaby ( Siembamba ) with wonderful actress Reine Swart, who did a really powerful performance. I suggest you get The Lullaby instead on DVD, and make sure you never see Dracula 3000.
Rating: D
What would the world be without them ? Probably a pretty boring place, unless Jason Donovan released a new album every year. Then we would be living in a perfect world, since nothing is better than fresh material from pop artist Jason Donovan. Really ? Yes, i know this is true, so believe me. I have seen so many vampire films since my youth, i can´t remember them all. But i do remember some of them of course, especially Francis Ford Coppolas film version of Bram Stoker´s Dracula, maybe one of the best vampire films ever made? Released in 1992 with a really good cast including Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Keanue Reeves, Winona Ryder, Monica Belluci, Tom Waits and many more. If you have read the book ( i have and bought it many years ago ), then i believe you will love this film adaptation. Director Francis Ford Coppola managed to capture the story of Dracula in a very beautiful way, making sure we get a very majestic film with wonderful costume design, and really powerful acting. Of course there are vampire films that are really bad as well, and i have thought about one title that may want you to throw up. Let´s dig into a film known as The Dead Matter, released in 2010 in America, but i did not see it until 2 years later on DVD from Germany. I actually bought this film ? Yes, i did, but only because of the cast of legendary actor Andrew Divoff and Tom Savini ( the legendary make up effects artist, and actor as well ). The Dead Matter is a strange film, that tells the story of a vampire relic, that falls into the hands of a young woman who wants to bring back her dead brother. Sounds fantastic right ? Honestly, i have no idea why legends such as Andrew Divoff and Tom Savini is in this film, because it is really bad. The vampires looks really silly, and the special effects ? Let´s just say that all films by director Uwe Boll look like masterpieces compared to The Dead Matter. So if you want to see a film so bad, that will make you laugh all the time, get this film on DVD and make Swedish Midsummer extra special. I started a segment this year called Is It Really That Bad ?, where i pick out a movie that critics did not enjoy. So for this time i picked out a horror film called Dracula 3000, since this film have some really bad reviews. Coolio in space as a vampire, is this the masterpiece we all wanted, or is Dracula 3000 a film that should never have been made ?
In the year 3000, the space salvage ship Mother III with Captain Van Helsing ( Casper Van Dien ) and his crew, climb on board an abandoned transport ship known as Demeter. They explore the bridge and find the corpse of Captain Varna ( Udo Kier ) tied to a chair. Captain Van Helsing makes the decision to tow the ship back to Earth. As the crew prepare to return to Mother III, the ship suddenly uncoples from the Demeter, leaving them stranded with no means of communication. Cargo specialist 187 ( Coolio ) and deckhand Humvee ( Tiny Lister ) discover a cargo bay full of coffins. Inside of one of the coffins seems to be filled with sand. But this crew don´t know, they are about to meet their biggest fear.
Right from the beginning we get a sense how bad Dracula 3000 is. The space ship design looks like a factory, where they used to make corn flakes packages. There are pipes everywhere, and when they find coffins with sand inside of them, things are about to become even more fun. When you see a cast of Casper Van Dien ( who you might remember from Starship Troopers ), Erika Eliniak ( who only made one good film, Under Siege ), Coolio ( the 90´s hip hop artists who had a huge hit with Gangster´s Paradise ), Tommy " Tiny " Lister ( who played President Lindberg in The Fifth Element ) and legendary actor Udo Kier ( who were great in Shadow Of A Vampire ) you might think that this should at least be fun to watch ?Unfortunately, this is a horrible attempt to mix Dracula into a space film, as if this is exactly what we wanted to see. The only actor that does any type of acting is actually Udo Kier, and this is still one of his performances you rather forget about. What about the acting from Coolio ? Well, let´s just say i think he should stick to making number 1 albums instead. Of wait, he have not have any more number 1 album´s since the 90´s ? I wonder why. Casper Van Dien does what he usually does, look like the pretty boy. He is ready to party with the other guys in the shower, waiting for who will drop the soap first. Erika Eliniak may look great, but the acting is not good at all. The story makes no sense at all, why would Count Orlock be in space ? Should he not land on a planet instead if he needs blood ? Count Orlock by the way, played by actor Langley Kirkwood, is one of the worst vampire characters ever made. When you see him, you think he just picked up a Dracula costume from a grocery store. Dracula 3000 is without a doubt one of the worst vampire films i have seen in a long time. This is a film that is so bad, you will wonder why director Darrel Roodt agreed to jump on board this project. Luckily, director Darrel Roodt have made some good films since then, especially The Lullaby ( Siembamba ) with wonderful actress Reine Swart, who did a really powerful performance. I suggest you get The Lullaby instead on DVD, and make sure you never see Dracula 3000.
Rating: D
söndag 21 april 2019
A Private War
Every week, all over the world, you hear about innocent people being murdered. No matter if the news is from Syria, or any other country, wars will never end. Terrorist organisations, dictators, corrupted politicians, there are different reasons of why a country will always be stuck in a war, such as Syria. If we look back in history, i think we can all agree that there have been too many wars, killing too many people. No matter if we are talking about World War II, Vietnam War, Iraq War, every single one of these have cost the lives of too many innocent people. There are many really good films that have given us different views on wars, in different historical moments. I have a lot of titles to choose between, but let me mention 2 films that i personally really enjoy. The 1998 film Saving Private Ryan, is a very well made war film from legendary director Steven Spielberg. The story takes place during the invasion of Normandy in World War II, and the cast of this film is really good. You have names such as Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Adam Goldberg, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, Bryan Cranston, Ted Danson and many more. And the acting in this film is really good, and the characters bring us a very realistic portrait of how horrible it must have been being a soldier during this period of time. Director Steven Spielberg really worked hard to make this film look so good, and you can tell that he wanted to make this film feel realistic with a very dark tone. Saving Private Ryan is a must buy on DVD or Blu Ray, one of the best war movies you can see that takes Place during World War II. The next film that comes to my mind is the 1986 film Platoon, directed by legendary director Oliver Stone. This film takes place during the Vietnam war, with some really powerful scenes that will affect you emotionally. The cast in this film is really good as well, with actors such as Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon, Keith David and many more. Platoon gives you a very brutal view on how soliders struggled in the Vietnam war, and how this war destroyed so many people´s lives. Director Oliver Stone really managed to capture the realistic portrait of this time period, and he clearly wanted to tell us a story that would make us think about the consequences of war. This is also a must have in your DVD or Blu Ray collection. If you have followed news a lot over a lot of years back, you might recognize the name of journalist Marie Colvin. She was a journalist for the British newspaper The Sunday Times, who worked hard in many different countries, covered conflicts such as in Chechnya, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and East Timor during the 90´s. She was credited for saving 1500 people´s lives in 1999 in East Timor, from a compound besieged by Indonesian-back forces. For many years she continued her journalist reports from all over the world in different countries, until she died in Syria in 2012. I got a chance to see a new film with legendary actress Rosamund Pike, playing journalist Marie Colvin. Is this one of the best drama films in a long time, or is A Private War not a powerful portrait of such a legendary journalist ?
Marie Colvin ( Rosamund Pike ) is a young American journalist who becomes appointed for The Sunday Times. She have a passion to write important stories and travel all around the world, to some of the most dangerous places. In 2001, while trekking the Tamil Tigers, Marie and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lanka Army. Despite her attempt to surrender an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loose one of her eyes. Marie is forced to wear an eye patch. She is diagnosed with PTSD, and refuse to stop working. She argue with her boss Sean Ryan ( Tom Hollander ), who refuses to go on another dangerous journey. Marie will not stop, she wants the world to know the truth, no matter how far she has to go.
It becomes very clear that A Private War want to give you a realistic look into the life of Marie Colvin. She wanted the truth to come out there, no matter what war she was writing about. She was very clear, that the voices of the civilians and their victims will not be forgotten. We get to see her inside many war zones, but we also get to see some of her private life. She had constantly nightmares, consumed a lot of alcohol, but can we really understand what she experienced and all the horror she have seen ? Only the people living in the war zones knows how she felt, so it is not so strange that acohol and cigarettes helped her deal with the pain inside. Actress Rosamund Pike is absolutely brilliant as journaslist Marie Colvin. She capture her voice, her body language and her personality in such a powerful way, that you almost feel that it is her you are watching. To be able to do that is not easy, but we know from other films in the past that Rosamund Pike is a very professional actor ( just see her in the film Gone Girl, and you will know what i mean ). Another detail i think Rosamund manage to do, is give us a very personal portrait of Marie. She wanted to have children, and her job became her way to express herself, fighting for the people who suffer. This is a very emotional film in many ways, since we know what happened to her. But her story needs to be told, since as long as innocent people are killed worldwide, the truth needs to come out. There are some other great actors here as well, such as James Dornan ( who played the serial killer in the great TV series The Fall ) as photographer Paul Conroy. You can tell that Paul wanted to do Everything he can to help Marie get her truth out, but that he was also concerned about her safety. Legendary actor Stanley Tucci ( who i recently reviewed in the Netflix film The Silence ) does a great performance as the character Tony Shaw. Director Matthew Heineman ( who directed the very powerful documentary films Cartel Land and City Of Ghosts ), have made a very strong war drama film with A Private War. This is a film that needs to be seen, by all ages to understand how serious the situation is in many countries. Matthew manage to tell the story in an honest way, and makes sure we understand how much journalist Marie Colvin did for the civilians and victims, while she wrote her journalist stories. Make sure you see this film soon, and i promise that you won´t regret that you did.
Rating: DDDD
Marie Colvin ( Rosamund Pike ) is a young American journalist who becomes appointed for The Sunday Times. She have a passion to write important stories and travel all around the world, to some of the most dangerous places. In 2001, while trekking the Tamil Tigers, Marie and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lanka Army. Despite her attempt to surrender an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loose one of her eyes. Marie is forced to wear an eye patch. She is diagnosed with PTSD, and refuse to stop working. She argue with her boss Sean Ryan ( Tom Hollander ), who refuses to go on another dangerous journey. Marie will not stop, she wants the world to know the truth, no matter how far she has to go.
It becomes very clear that A Private War want to give you a realistic look into the life of Marie Colvin. She wanted the truth to come out there, no matter what war she was writing about. She was very clear, that the voices of the civilians and their victims will not be forgotten. We get to see her inside many war zones, but we also get to see some of her private life. She had constantly nightmares, consumed a lot of alcohol, but can we really understand what she experienced and all the horror she have seen ? Only the people living in the war zones knows how she felt, so it is not so strange that acohol and cigarettes helped her deal with the pain inside. Actress Rosamund Pike is absolutely brilliant as journaslist Marie Colvin. She capture her voice, her body language and her personality in such a powerful way, that you almost feel that it is her you are watching. To be able to do that is not easy, but we know from other films in the past that Rosamund Pike is a very professional actor ( just see her in the film Gone Girl, and you will know what i mean ). Another detail i think Rosamund manage to do, is give us a very personal portrait of Marie. She wanted to have children, and her job became her way to express herself, fighting for the people who suffer. This is a very emotional film in many ways, since we know what happened to her. But her story needs to be told, since as long as innocent people are killed worldwide, the truth needs to come out. There are some other great actors here as well, such as James Dornan ( who played the serial killer in the great TV series The Fall ) as photographer Paul Conroy. You can tell that Paul wanted to do Everything he can to help Marie get her truth out, but that he was also concerned about her safety. Legendary actor Stanley Tucci ( who i recently reviewed in the Netflix film The Silence ) does a great performance as the character Tony Shaw. Director Matthew Heineman ( who directed the very powerful documentary films Cartel Land and City Of Ghosts ), have made a very strong war drama film with A Private War. This is a film that needs to be seen, by all ages to understand how serious the situation is in many countries. Matthew manage to tell the story in an honest way, and makes sure we understand how much journalist Marie Colvin did for the civilians and victims, while she wrote her journalist stories. Make sure you see this film soon, and i promise that you won´t regret that you did.
Rating: DDDD
onsdag 17 april 2019
The Silence
This summer i have worked for 20 years in health care, and i love helping people who are in need of help. No matter what diagnose someone has, i respect every person. Now, there is especially one subject that comes to my mind, how shallow some people are about handicapped people. In my experience, i see handicapped people as normal as anyone else. Even if they may be handicapped ( where some might even need help to function in their ordinary day life ), they have the right to live as good as anyone else. So never judge anyone unless you know them. There are many different ways that a person can be handicapped. Some might have a disease, while some are born with a certain diagnose. But not everyone who is handicapped have a disease, let´s say if you are born deaf. There could be different reasons to why this happened, but these people who are born this way can find their way in society, have a job they love, have children and live a family life. When it comes to film that takes on deaf people, we have some titles to choose between. But i think this time i will only pick one really good title. Last year in spring, a film called A Quiet Place was released in Cinemas. This is a very well made horror film, that had a different approach than most horror films. The plot is basically that if you make any noices, big monsters will kill you. So you can´t speak loud, you can´t use any machines, and have to find a way to survive as quiet as possible. This film is directed by John Krasinski ( who have been an actor in a lot of films, such as 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi ), and i have to say this is one of the most effective horror films of 2018. John have clearly worked hard to make the plot feel effective, and he knows how to combine CGI effects with powerful acting scenes. One of the biggest surprises with A Quiet Place, is the character known as Regan Abbott, played by wonderful actress Millicent Simmonds. Her performance in this film is really good, and she gives a very realistic view on how it is to live as a deaf person. In late 2018, i started reading online about a new Netflix film that was going to be released in April, called The Silence. When i read what the plot is about, i could see that this film could be interesting. I was actually supposed to review the Netflix film Bird Box a while ago, but choosed to do The Silence instead. Is this an unexpected good horror film, or is The Silence a film you should skip on your Netflix account ?
A cave research team unearths an unkown species of pterosaur-like creatures, referred to as " vesps " from a mine. These creatures attack if they hear any kind of sound, and anyone can be a victim unless they find a way to stay away from these creatures. Ally Andrews ( Kiernan Shipka ) is a young girl who lost her hearing in a car accident, who lives with her parents Hugh Andrews ( Stanley Tucci ), Kelly Andrews ( Miranda Otto ), her little brother Jude Andrews ( Kyle Harrison Breitkopf ) and her maternal grandmother Lynn ( Kate Trotter ). When the family see on TV that an emergency broadcast is live, they realize that they need to move to a different location. They head to the countryside to a house where they believe they will be safe. But even if they think they should be safe, how will they survive without using any sound at all ?
Since i really enjoyed A Quiet Place, i feel like The Silence have a similar idea within this film. There are a few differences of course, but you can tell that the plot feels similar in some ways. With that said, i can´t say that The Silence is as good as A Quiet Place. But as a horror film, there are some positive details we should talk about. Let´s start with the acting. Lead actress Shiernan Kipka, who plays the deaf daughter Ally Andrews. I feel that she is the most interesting character in this film. She is a young woman who clearly tries to do her best, to find her way in life. Shiernan gives her character Ally a solid personality, and you feel connected to her in some ways, especially for us who have hearing problems. Legendary actor Stanley Tucci ( who you may have seen in a number of great films such as Road To Perdition and The Hunger Games ), plays the father Hugh, and i have to say that Stanley really gives a strong performance here, perhaps one of his best performances in recent years ( his best performance ever so far is in the 2015 drama known as Spotlight, a must see ). Actress Miranda Otto ( who you might remember from The Lords Of The Rings sequels, and of course in the great western film The Homesman ) delivers Another solid performance in this film as well. The bat looking creatures that attack in this film actually works pretty effective in the horror scenes. I would not call them original in any way, but they work well with the plot. I also think this film manage to capture the feeling of fear, not knowing if you will survive. My only problem with The Silence is that this film is not as effective as A Quiet Place. You never really feel terrified as you did while watching A Quiet Place. Other than that i think The Silence is still a well made horror film, that works especially thanks to the great cast. Director John R. Leonetti ( who directed the first Anabelle film, and produced the film Piranha 3D ) have made his best film so far, if you look at his catalogue of films he have directed. He gives The Silence a great look, and the right atmosphere that a horror film like this needs to feel effective. If you love monsters, and horror films in general, i think you will have a good time with The Silence. This is a film that in some ways feels like a throwback to the horror films of the 80´s and the 90´s, and i appreciate that. One thing is clear, i will never go exploring a cave after seeing this film.
Rating: DDD
A cave research team unearths an unkown species of pterosaur-like creatures, referred to as " vesps " from a mine. These creatures attack if they hear any kind of sound, and anyone can be a victim unless they find a way to stay away from these creatures. Ally Andrews ( Kiernan Shipka ) is a young girl who lost her hearing in a car accident, who lives with her parents Hugh Andrews ( Stanley Tucci ), Kelly Andrews ( Miranda Otto ), her little brother Jude Andrews ( Kyle Harrison Breitkopf ) and her maternal grandmother Lynn ( Kate Trotter ). When the family see on TV that an emergency broadcast is live, they realize that they need to move to a different location. They head to the countryside to a house where they believe they will be safe. But even if they think they should be safe, how will they survive without using any sound at all ?
Since i really enjoyed A Quiet Place, i feel like The Silence have a similar idea within this film. There are a few differences of course, but you can tell that the plot feels similar in some ways. With that said, i can´t say that The Silence is as good as A Quiet Place. But as a horror film, there are some positive details we should talk about. Let´s start with the acting. Lead actress Shiernan Kipka, who plays the deaf daughter Ally Andrews. I feel that she is the most interesting character in this film. She is a young woman who clearly tries to do her best, to find her way in life. Shiernan gives her character Ally a solid personality, and you feel connected to her in some ways, especially for us who have hearing problems. Legendary actor Stanley Tucci ( who you may have seen in a number of great films such as Road To Perdition and The Hunger Games ), plays the father Hugh, and i have to say that Stanley really gives a strong performance here, perhaps one of his best performances in recent years ( his best performance ever so far is in the 2015 drama known as Spotlight, a must see ). Actress Miranda Otto ( who you might remember from The Lords Of The Rings sequels, and of course in the great western film The Homesman ) delivers Another solid performance in this film as well. The bat looking creatures that attack in this film actually works pretty effective in the horror scenes. I would not call them original in any way, but they work well with the plot. I also think this film manage to capture the feeling of fear, not knowing if you will survive. My only problem with The Silence is that this film is not as effective as A Quiet Place. You never really feel terrified as you did while watching A Quiet Place. Other than that i think The Silence is still a well made horror film, that works especially thanks to the great cast. Director John R. Leonetti ( who directed the first Anabelle film, and produced the film Piranha 3D ) have made his best film so far, if you look at his catalogue of films he have directed. He gives The Silence a great look, and the right atmosphere that a horror film like this needs to feel effective. If you love monsters, and horror films in general, i think you will have a good time with The Silence. This is a film that in some ways feels like a throwback to the horror films of the 80´s and the 90´s, and i appreciate that. One thing is clear, i will never go exploring a cave after seeing this film.
Rating: DDD
måndag 15 april 2019
Triple Threat
It is interesting to see the young generation of today´s society. Young people love to vlog about everything, and make drama out of anything. It is like they need attention to feel loved, and to make money of course. Back in the 80´s and 90´s, we did not need social media. All we needed was to see Jean-Claude Van Damme kick ass in Bloodsport, and Chuck Norris taking down 300 terrorists with uzi machine guns, special kicks and blow up buildings. This made our generation feel good about themselves, just give us ninjas, big guns and sexy girls, and we did not care about what dinner pictures looks like ( as many vloggers like to show on social media ). I am glad i was a part of this generation, because i learned from B action movies the most important ground rule in life :- Empty your gun ammo, ask questions later. No matter if you loved Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Michael Dudikoff, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, and many other action movie stars, we all got to experience something magical with so many classic action films. So if you get a chance to show a younger generation the knowledge of Jean-Claude Van Damme´s classic catalogue, let them learn about what is more important than vlogging. Martial arts films is something i have always enjoyed, in all kinds of formats. Who remember the wonderful kick ass film Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior from 2003 with martial arts actor Tony Jaa ? A must see if you have not seen it. Or how about legendary action actor Iko Uwais in the masterpiece known as The Raid, released in 2011 ? Both of these actors have proved themselves in the action genre, and we have of course another great example known as Scott Adkins. The British action star have done a lot of great films, and i especially enjoyed his sequel Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear. So what would you say if they have gathered a lot of action stars into one film, that sounds like the perfect tea moment right ? And this is exactly what happened with the new action film Triple Threat, where you see a list of talented action actors working together. Of course i had to see this, so i got myself a Blu Ray copy from Germany, hoping i would have a good time. Does this film bring back the action genre on the right track, or should these legends do more quality films instead ?
A team of mercenaries are sent out to the jungle to wipe out a camp at the MI6 Black Site, in Maha Jayan Jungle. The team that includes Deveraux ( Michael Jai White ), Payu ( Tony Jaa ) and many other soldiers, attack the camp and murder many of the soldiers. Collins ( Scott Adkins ) have been their prisoner for a long time, and is now set free. Payu is suspicious, that this operation may not be what he thought. He and his other team friends are tricked, as Deveraux and Collins plan to blow them all up, including the hostages inside the camp. They all manage to survive, but Payu is planning to strike back against Deveraux and his team, unless it is too late ?
Triple Threat is exactly what we need this spring, we have great fighting scenes, lots of guns and cheesy dialogue, what else do you need at Easter dinner ? This is a throwback to the 80´s and 90´s action films, and i have to say they have done a great job with the fighting choreography. This is actually the biggest strength of Triple Threat, that we get some really nice fighting scenes. Let´s talk about the characters. This is one of the details i think is a weak point in this film, since you don´t really care much about some of the characters. I enjoy seeing action actors Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais doing what they know best, making fun action scenes. And i have to say that they still know how to make some really nice But their characters are not very interesting, so you rely on their physical performance instead. The strongest character in this film is legendary action star Scott Adkins as the bad guy Collins. He is rough, have no heart, and this is something that Adkins manage to do well with his performance. I especially enjoy his raw tone, where he makes sure everyone knows that he is in control. Legendary action star Michael Jai White is here also, and he also does a pretty good performance as bad guy Devereaux. The story is not very interesting to be honest, but who cares ? This film knows not to take itself too serious, and focus more on the action scenes than the dramatic scenes. Director Jesse V. Johnson ( who have done stunt performances on both The Amazing Spider-Man films, including a lot of other titles ) clearly love the action films from the 80´s and 90´s. You can tell that he wanted to bring back those glory days with Triple Threat, and i think he have done a good job on this film. It is like he have read our minds, that we need to see more martial art films combined with guns. And he also seems to know how important it is to make sure that this film was made for a certain kind of audience. If you don´t like martial arts, or big guns, then you are not going to enjoy this film. If you happen to enjoy this combination, i know you will have a good time with Triple Threat. One of the better action films i have seen this spring, and worth a buy on DVD or Blu Ray, especially to support these films to be made. No need loking for what to watch this weekend, Triple Threat is what you need to experience with your fresh made popcorn.
Rating: DDD
A team of mercenaries are sent out to the jungle to wipe out a camp at the MI6 Black Site, in Maha Jayan Jungle. The team that includes Deveraux ( Michael Jai White ), Payu ( Tony Jaa ) and many other soldiers, attack the camp and murder many of the soldiers. Collins ( Scott Adkins ) have been their prisoner for a long time, and is now set free. Payu is suspicious, that this operation may not be what he thought. He and his other team friends are tricked, as Deveraux and Collins plan to blow them all up, including the hostages inside the camp. They all manage to survive, but Payu is planning to strike back against Deveraux and his team, unless it is too late ?
Triple Threat is exactly what we need this spring, we have great fighting scenes, lots of guns and cheesy dialogue, what else do you need at Easter dinner ? This is a throwback to the 80´s and 90´s action films, and i have to say they have done a great job with the fighting choreography. This is actually the biggest strength of Triple Threat, that we get some really nice fighting scenes. Let´s talk about the characters. This is one of the details i think is a weak point in this film, since you don´t really care much about some of the characters. I enjoy seeing action actors Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais doing what they know best, making fun action scenes. And i have to say that they still know how to make some really nice But their characters are not very interesting, so you rely on their physical performance instead. The strongest character in this film is legendary action star Scott Adkins as the bad guy Collins. He is rough, have no heart, and this is something that Adkins manage to do well with his performance. I especially enjoy his raw tone, where he makes sure everyone knows that he is in control. Legendary action star Michael Jai White is here also, and he also does a pretty good performance as bad guy Devereaux. The story is not very interesting to be honest, but who cares ? This film knows not to take itself too serious, and focus more on the action scenes than the dramatic scenes. Director Jesse V. Johnson ( who have done stunt performances on both The Amazing Spider-Man films, including a lot of other titles ) clearly love the action films from the 80´s and 90´s. You can tell that he wanted to bring back those glory days with Triple Threat, and i think he have done a good job on this film. It is like he have read our minds, that we need to see more martial art films combined with guns. And he also seems to know how important it is to make sure that this film was made for a certain kind of audience. If you don´t like martial arts, or big guns, then you are not going to enjoy this film. If you happen to enjoy this combination, i know you will have a good time with Triple Threat. One of the better action films i have seen this spring, and worth a buy on DVD or Blu Ray, especially to support these films to be made. No need loking for what to watch this weekend, Triple Threat is what you need to experience with your fresh made popcorn.
Rating: DDD
tisdag 9 april 2019
Glass
One of the big moments for us who were young in the 90´s, was to see The Sixt Sense from director M. Night Shyamalan in cinema back in 1999. This was the perfect way to end the 90´s with a really good supernatural thriller. This was also a really good return for Bruce Willis, after he made some mediocre film choices in the 90´s. The Sixt Sense tells the story of Cole Sear ( brilliant acting by Haley Joel Osment ), a young boy who says he can see dead people, everywhere he goes. Malcolm Crowe ( played by Bruce Willis ), is a child psychologist who tries to help Cole. Oh by the way, the suicide scene with actor Donnie Wallberg as Vincent Grey is really emotional, perhaps the best performance i have seen Donnie Wallberg do. One of the things that makes The Sixth Sense such an intelligent film, is that the suspense is built up from a psychological level, instead of using the ordinary horror concept. Director M. Night Shyamalan continued making films, and just one year after The Sixth Sense he continued working with Bruce Willis in the thriller drama Unbreakable. This film is very different from The Sixt Sense, and tells the story of Security guard David Dunn ( played by Bruce Willis ) who is the only survivor from a train crash, without any injuries at all. 131 people were killed at this train accident, and it is a mystery how David surivived at all. David finds an envelope on his car´s windshield. with a card with a logo of Elijah´s art gallery. David goes to Elijah ( Samuel L. Jackson ) who turns out to be a man who have a rare disease that makes his bones extremely fragile. It turns out David and Elijah may be connected in a certain way. Unbreakable is actually one of the more interesting film in Bruce Willis career, with a story that is more deep than most Hollywood films. I strongly suggest you check out the special features on DVD or Blu Ray, you find out some interesting details there about this film. A sequel was made, released 17 years later ( a long time between these films ) called Split. The difference with this film is that Split did not have Bruce Willis, and gave us a new character who have different personality disorders. The lead character is played by actor James McAvoy. Split is actually a great sequel, and a completely different story than Unbreakable. I knew that director M Night Shyamalan was making a third film, to end this franchise. Is this a worthy ending since Unbreakable, or should someone else have made the final chapter ?
It has been three weeks after an infamous crime spree by Kevin Crembell Crumb ( James McAvoy ). Superhuman vigilante David Dunn ( Bruce Willis ) and his now-grown son Joseph Dunn ( Spencer Treat Clark ) have been working together to take down criminals. They know about 4 cheerleaders being kidnapped by Kevin Crembell, and as David run into him as one of his other characters, he finds out where his secret hiding spot is. David free the girls while fighting with Kevin´s ulter ego, known as Hedwig. The Philadeplhia Police Department, led by Dr. Ellie Staple, arrest both Kevin and David and put them both locked up at an institution for criminally insane. Another man is also locked up here, known as Elijah Price ( Samuel L. Jackson ) who met David many years ago. All of these three men belive they have special powers. But do they, or are they just imagining things ? Dr. Ellie Staple is supposed to help each patient, while they are locked up for their own safety, and to keep them away from the world outside. But is that the real truth or is there another reason to why these patients have been taken here ?
When you make a franchise and you want to end it, you have to know how to do it correctly, without destroying the plot from the past. Glass manage to finish this franchise in a way that connects with the previous film. I will admit that Glass is not as effective as the first film Unbreakable is, but as a sequel i feel that this film does a good job. Now let´s talk about the characters. Bruce Willis does one of his best performances in recent years, as he returns as David Dunn. His character David seems to carry a lot of burden since the train accident. The strongest character in this film is Kevin Wendell Crumb ( brilliantly played by James McAvoy ) who have different personalities inside him ( you might remember him from Split ). When Kevin Changes personalities, this is where the character gives us the strongest scenes in this film. I especially enjoy when he brings out one of his personalities called Mr. Pritchard. Samuel L. Jackson is back in this film as well as Elijah Price. In quite a long time in this film, he have almost no dialogue at all. But when he stops pretending not being able to speak, he give us a performance that fits with the character. I really enjoy the acting from actress Anya Taylor-Joy as the former kidnapping victim Casey Cookey. You still feel sorry for her, and she come across as a strong young woman who have managed to survive her rough years after the kidnapping. The idea of having all three main characters locked up in a institution for the criminally insane, is a very interesting idea to see how they can handle themselves being . I especially enjoy the scenes when James McAvoy´s character changes personalities, every time it flashes through the walls ( a construction especially built for Kevin ), so none of his personalities will try and escape. If you thought Split was the most psychological sequel of Unbreakable, then this third film is more focused on the treatment of each personality.. Director M Night Shyamalan have made the right choice to end this franchise of Unbreakable. It would have been difficult to continue their stories, and i think Shyamalan knew this, as he put the pieces together in a professional way. Even if Glass is not one of the better films in this franchise, i still think it works well with such great characters. If you enjoyed the previous films, i think you should see Glass to see how it all ends. Thanks for this franchise M Night, i am looking forward to your next projects.
Rating: DDD
It has been three weeks after an infamous crime spree by Kevin Crembell Crumb ( James McAvoy ). Superhuman vigilante David Dunn ( Bruce Willis ) and his now-grown son Joseph Dunn ( Spencer Treat Clark ) have been working together to take down criminals. They know about 4 cheerleaders being kidnapped by Kevin Crembell, and as David run into him as one of his other characters, he finds out where his secret hiding spot is. David free the girls while fighting with Kevin´s ulter ego, known as Hedwig. The Philadeplhia Police Department, led by Dr. Ellie Staple, arrest both Kevin and David and put them both locked up at an institution for criminally insane. Another man is also locked up here, known as Elijah Price ( Samuel L. Jackson ) who met David many years ago. All of these three men belive they have special powers. But do they, or are they just imagining things ? Dr. Ellie Staple is supposed to help each patient, while they are locked up for their own safety, and to keep them away from the world outside. But is that the real truth or is there another reason to why these patients have been taken here ?
When you make a franchise and you want to end it, you have to know how to do it correctly, without destroying the plot from the past. Glass manage to finish this franchise in a way that connects with the previous film. I will admit that Glass is not as effective as the first film Unbreakable is, but as a sequel i feel that this film does a good job. Now let´s talk about the characters. Bruce Willis does one of his best performances in recent years, as he returns as David Dunn. His character David seems to carry a lot of burden since the train accident. The strongest character in this film is Kevin Wendell Crumb ( brilliantly played by James McAvoy ) who have different personalities inside him ( you might remember him from Split ). When Kevin Changes personalities, this is where the character gives us the strongest scenes in this film. I especially enjoy when he brings out one of his personalities called Mr. Pritchard. Samuel L. Jackson is back in this film as well as Elijah Price. In quite a long time in this film, he have almost no dialogue at all. But when he stops pretending not being able to speak, he give us a performance that fits with the character. I really enjoy the acting from actress Anya Taylor-Joy as the former kidnapping victim Casey Cookey. You still feel sorry for her, and she come across as a strong young woman who have managed to survive her rough years after the kidnapping. The idea of having all three main characters locked up in a institution for the criminally insane, is a very interesting idea to see how they can handle themselves being . I especially enjoy the scenes when James McAvoy´s character changes personalities, every time it flashes through the walls ( a construction especially built for Kevin ), so none of his personalities will try and escape. If you thought Split was the most psychological sequel of Unbreakable, then this third film is more focused on the treatment of each personality.. Director M Night Shyamalan have made the right choice to end this franchise of Unbreakable. It would have been difficult to continue their stories, and i think Shyamalan knew this, as he put the pieces together in a professional way. Even if Glass is not one of the better films in this franchise, i still think it works well with such great characters. If you enjoyed the previous films, i think you should see Glass to see how it all ends. Thanks for this franchise M Night, i am looking forward to your next projects.
Rating: DDD
söndag 7 april 2019
Lifechanger
Mixing in love stories with horror influences is never really easy. It could work well if you have a good idea, and great characters included. But it can also fail, as the film Red Riding Hood did. Now, i was actually curious about this film back in 2011, because it did sound like a different version of the classic story of Red Riding Hood. Unfortunately, this film turned out to be too predictable and honestly pretty boring. I will say this, that legendary actor Gary Oldman saved this film from falling apart. So let´s talk about 2 other horror films that actually did turn out really good, mixing these genres together. Let´s begin with the Swedish horror movie Låt Den Rätte Komma In ( Let The Right One In ) released in 2008 from director Thomas Alfredsson ( still one of the best Swedish horror movies ever made ). What made this film unique is the story of 12 year old boy named Oskar, who falls in love with a young girl he meets outside at night called Eli, who is a vampire. Since Oskar don´t have any friends, he is happy to be Eli´s friend, and he is actually falling in love with her. But Eli needs fresh blood, and things become more complicated when bodies are discovered, and no one knows who the killer is. Låt Den Rätte Komma In is a very powerful love horror movie, about 2 people who are both lonely and find each other, even if they are very different from each other. Director Thomas Alfredsson managed to show a different take on the vampire genre, and tell a story that felt unique in many ways. If you have not seen this film, pick up the DVD or Blu Ray and give this film a chance. The remake known as Let The Right One In was actually really good, but i prefer the Swedish version ( and i usually don´t like Swedish films ). The next horror film with a love story is the 2013 ovie called Only Lovers Left Alive. A very different vampire story than we are used to see, from legendary director Jim Jarmusch ( who have directed a number of really good films, including the brilliant Coffeee And Cigarettes ). Only Lovers Left Alive is perhaps one of the most original vampire films i have seen in this genre, a must see if you appreciate original horror films with a love story. Recently i listened to a review on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom, on the film Lifechanger. The premise sounded very interesting, so i bought a DVD to check it out. Is this a film that is better than expected, or is this a film you will most likely forget about ?
Drew ( voice by Bill Obest Jr. ) is a murderous shapeshifter, who needs a fresh body to survive. No matter if he finds a woman´s body, or a man´s body, he have no choice but to transform into the people he meet to survive. But when bodies are discovered throughout different locations, Drew understand it will be harder to continue finding new bodies to take over. All he wants is to find the woman he really loves, but is it possible to do that since he have murdered so many people over a period of time ?
One of the things that makes Lifechanger stand out from an ordinary horror film, is that this film is telling a pretty original story. Imagine you have to change body, just to survive to find the person you love ? It does sound bizarre reading it here i can imagine, but when you see this film you will understand why the body transformation is so important. I have to say that Lifechanger is one of the most interesting B horror movies i have seen in quite a long time. The mixture of the 80´s classic The Hidden and the cult classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, mixed together with a love story makes this film far more original than most B movie releases. And that this man, who used to be Drew, is now a serial killer and he does not want to kill anyone ( also an original idea ). You never really know how this film will end, since Drew needs to change bodies often to survive, and that takes us to different locations and different homes. I have to mention that the body transformations looks really good, so well done on these details. The acting is actually better than you see in most B movies these days, and since there are pretty many body victims, i will mention a few actors that does a good job. Let´s start off with actor Steve Kasan ( who is also in a vampire film called Red Spring, i am curious to see ). He plays Detective Freddie Ransone, and give us an interesting character, even when his body is taken over by Drew. Actress Lora Burke ( who you might recognize from the family movie Forest Fairies ) gives us one of the best performances of Lifechanger, i would have liked to see more of her character Julia. Actress Rachel VanDuzer as Rachel, is a woman you feel have some hidden secrets, that makes her character interesting. There are more actors that do a good job as well, except for a few that does not make a big impact. But this film has a lot more to say about how far you are willing to go to find the one you love, even if you have to kill people to get there. Director Justin McConnell have managed to make a B movie that actually have something to say, without feeling predictable or dull. I have not seen any of his previous films, but i feel that Lifechanger is a big surprise for me, and i love that director Justin must have been influenced by Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and did a different but intelligent twist in his film. If you want to see an original horror film, you have to see Lifechanger. I have a feeling that this will be a cult film in the future, and that is of course a good sign.
Rating: DDD
Drew ( voice by Bill Obest Jr. ) is a murderous shapeshifter, who needs a fresh body to survive. No matter if he finds a woman´s body, or a man´s body, he have no choice but to transform into the people he meet to survive. But when bodies are discovered throughout different locations, Drew understand it will be harder to continue finding new bodies to take over. All he wants is to find the woman he really loves, but is it possible to do that since he have murdered so many people over a period of time ?
One of the things that makes Lifechanger stand out from an ordinary horror film, is that this film is telling a pretty original story. Imagine you have to change body, just to survive to find the person you love ? It does sound bizarre reading it here i can imagine, but when you see this film you will understand why the body transformation is so important. I have to say that Lifechanger is one of the most interesting B horror movies i have seen in quite a long time. The mixture of the 80´s classic The Hidden and the cult classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, mixed together with a love story makes this film far more original than most B movie releases. And that this man, who used to be Drew, is now a serial killer and he does not want to kill anyone ( also an original idea ). You never really know how this film will end, since Drew needs to change bodies often to survive, and that takes us to different locations and different homes. I have to mention that the body transformations looks really good, so well done on these details. The acting is actually better than you see in most B movies these days, and since there are pretty many body victims, i will mention a few actors that does a good job. Let´s start off with actor Steve Kasan ( who is also in a vampire film called Red Spring, i am curious to see ). He plays Detective Freddie Ransone, and give us an interesting character, even when his body is taken over by Drew. Actress Lora Burke ( who you might recognize from the family movie Forest Fairies ) gives us one of the best performances of Lifechanger, i would have liked to see more of her character Julia. Actress Rachel VanDuzer as Rachel, is a woman you feel have some hidden secrets, that makes her character interesting. There are more actors that do a good job as well, except for a few that does not make a big impact. But this film has a lot more to say about how far you are willing to go to find the one you love, even if you have to kill people to get there. Director Justin McConnell have managed to make a B movie that actually have something to say, without feeling predictable or dull. I have not seen any of his previous films, but i feel that Lifechanger is a big surprise for me, and i love that director Justin must have been influenced by Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and did a different but intelligent twist in his film. If you want to see an original horror film, you have to see Lifechanger. I have a feeling that this will be a cult film in the future, and that is of course a good sign.
Rating: DDD
fredag 5 april 2019
Alita: Battle Angel
I used to watch a lot of Japanese anime back in the 90´s and after the millenium. In fact, my high school friend Anders bought a lot of anime films from the UK, so we got to see some really nice releases that was not available at the time in Sweden. At first we used to buy VHS tapes on Manga anime, before DVD became the next big thing, and i can´t remember how many films we watched ( must have been many, since i can´t remember all the titles ). I remember especially one film that i actually bought on DVD ( and i still have it ) called Blood: The Last Vampire. Released in 2000, this anime film tells the story of a girl named Saya, who hunts bat-liked creatures called chiropterans. One of the things i really enjoyed with this film, is how well made this film is, and that the lead character Saya fits perfect to the story. Of course i also bought the 1995 Manga classic Ghost In The Shell, on Blu Ray actually to experience this film on a new level. Ghost In The Shell is one of those 90´s classics that still looks really good today, and is considered to be one of the greatest anime films of all time. If you have not seen any Manga films, i think you should see Ghost In The Shell on DVD or Blu Ray, because this is a real classic.The story is set in 2029, where cybernetic technology can replace body parts on the human body. Major Motoko Kusanagi is ordered to assassinate a diplomat from a foreign country, and her mission is successful. Public Security Session 9, who Major Motoko is an assault-team leader for, is looking for the mysterious Puppet Master who they believe is planning criminal acts. There are a lot of Manga anime comic books i have not read, and one of them is known as Gunnm ( translated into Battle Angel Alita ). The story takes place in a post apocalyptic future, where the cyborg Alita is found by a cybernetics doctor and put together. Alita have no memories from her past, but she does remember one thing, the legendary cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst. Since i have not read the comic books, i never really learned about the character of Alita. I do know that there was a video animation based on the comic books, released in 1993 called Battle Angel. But i never saw this either, for some reason. When i Heard that legendary director Robert Rodriguez would direct a new film based on the Manga comic books, i became curious. The director of the brilliant cult classic From Dusk Till Dawn, taking on a Manga comic book adaptation ? Of course i had to see this in a Cinema. Is this the return of Robert Rodriguez we all hoped for, or should he stick to making more simple action films instead ?
In 2263, Earth is devastated by the catastrophic interplanetary was known as " The Great War ". 300 years later , in the junkyard metropolis of Iron City, scientist Dr. Dison Ido ( Christoph Walz ) discovers a disembodied female cyborg with an intact human brain. Dr. Dison attaches a new cyborg body to the brain, who has no memories and names her "Alita " after her deceased daughter. Iron City becomes a whole new world for Alita, and Ido tries to teach her to be careful and not trust anyone. One day she meets Hugo ( Keean Johnson ), a young man who become her new friend. But there is a secret that Ido is carrying, as Alita follow him one night as he is a Hunter-Warrior, trying to make Money to kill cyborgs. Alita interfer while Ido is prepared to kill a cyborg, and she is forced to fight. It turns out that Alita knows the ancient martial art of " Panzer Kunst ", as she meets the massive cyborg Grewishka for the first time. She surivives, but is warned by Ido that these cyborgs are not to play with. Hugo show Alita how the game of Motorball works, and Alita is hooked up. She wants to begin compete in Motorball, even if she knows the risks. But she have bigger problems, especially when entrepreneur Vector ( Mahershala Ali ) orders Grewishka to kill Alita, to make sure she stops interfering in his plans.
If you love apocalyptic cyborg movies, then i guarantee that you will enjoy Alita: Battle Angel. This is the kind of sci fi action film that is made for a certain kind of audience, who appreciate cyborgs with different looks ( and with different fighting skills as well ). Since i have not read the comic books, i can only judge this film on it´s own. And i have to say, this is a fun ride. There are even some dramatic scenes that works as well ( of course the action scenes is the biggest advantage with this film ). Let´s talk about the characters. Alita, played by actress Rosa Salazar ( known from 2 of The Maze Runner films ). I think she does a really good job portraying Alita, and even if you see her used by a lot of CGI effects, she does still do the acting mixed with special effects. Legendary actor Christoph Walz ( who have done a lot of good films such as Inglorious Basterds and The Hateful Eight ) as Dr. Dyson is one of the most interesting characters in this film. He helps cyborgs fix their bodies, while he mourn the loss of his daughter many years ago. I think one of the things his character manage to do, is give the film a humane tone of a man who wants to help anyone he can. One cool character in this film known as cyborg bounty hunter Zapan. Played by actor Ed Skrein ( who you might remember from the great Netflix film known as Tau ), he gives his character a really strong impact as a bounty hunter, with a special designed sword. Another really cool cyborg character that looks massive, is the cyborg known as Grewishka ( with the voice of legendary actor Jackie Earle Haley ). The fighting scenes between Alita and Grewishka are one of the highlights of this film. There is a love story here as well, between Alita and a human known as Hugo ( played by actor Keean Johnson ). The battle scenes in the sport event known as Motorball, also give this film some entertaining moments when you see cyborgs battle against each other, while chasing some kind of ball. Director Robert Rodriguez is clearly a fan of the Manga comic books, since you can tell that he have tried to tell the story of Alita and capture the look of the comic books. Of course, only fans who have read the comic books knows the source material better than me, but i enjoy Rodriguez vision of the character Alita. I also think director Robert Rodriguez have managed to tell the story in a futuristic way, without doing it too predictable. You can see that he have used some elements from classic films ( and a bar scene actually reminds me of the bar fight in his classic From Dusk Till Dawn ), but that´s ok since he does a good job. Alita: Battle Angel is a fun ride in the Cinema, and will entertain especially fans of comic books in general. If this film is still running in your local Ciname, go and watch it so we can hopefully have a sequel.
Rating: DDD
In 2263, Earth is devastated by the catastrophic interplanetary was known as " The Great War ". 300 years later , in the junkyard metropolis of Iron City, scientist Dr. Dison Ido ( Christoph Walz ) discovers a disembodied female cyborg with an intact human brain. Dr. Dison attaches a new cyborg body to the brain, who has no memories and names her "Alita " after her deceased daughter. Iron City becomes a whole new world for Alita, and Ido tries to teach her to be careful and not trust anyone. One day she meets Hugo ( Keean Johnson ), a young man who become her new friend. But there is a secret that Ido is carrying, as Alita follow him one night as he is a Hunter-Warrior, trying to make Money to kill cyborgs. Alita interfer while Ido is prepared to kill a cyborg, and she is forced to fight. It turns out that Alita knows the ancient martial art of " Panzer Kunst ", as she meets the massive cyborg Grewishka for the first time. She surivives, but is warned by Ido that these cyborgs are not to play with. Hugo show Alita how the game of Motorball works, and Alita is hooked up. She wants to begin compete in Motorball, even if she knows the risks. But she have bigger problems, especially when entrepreneur Vector ( Mahershala Ali ) orders Grewishka to kill Alita, to make sure she stops interfering in his plans.
If you love apocalyptic cyborg movies, then i guarantee that you will enjoy Alita: Battle Angel. This is the kind of sci fi action film that is made for a certain kind of audience, who appreciate cyborgs with different looks ( and with different fighting skills as well ). Since i have not read the comic books, i can only judge this film on it´s own. And i have to say, this is a fun ride. There are even some dramatic scenes that works as well ( of course the action scenes is the biggest advantage with this film ). Let´s talk about the characters. Alita, played by actress Rosa Salazar ( known from 2 of The Maze Runner films ). I think she does a really good job portraying Alita, and even if you see her used by a lot of CGI effects, she does still do the acting mixed with special effects. Legendary actor Christoph Walz ( who have done a lot of good films such as Inglorious Basterds and The Hateful Eight ) as Dr. Dyson is one of the most interesting characters in this film. He helps cyborgs fix their bodies, while he mourn the loss of his daughter many years ago. I think one of the things his character manage to do, is give the film a humane tone of a man who wants to help anyone he can. One cool character in this film known as cyborg bounty hunter Zapan. Played by actor Ed Skrein ( who you might remember from the great Netflix film known as Tau ), he gives his character a really strong impact as a bounty hunter, with a special designed sword. Another really cool cyborg character that looks massive, is the cyborg known as Grewishka ( with the voice of legendary actor Jackie Earle Haley ). The fighting scenes between Alita and Grewishka are one of the highlights of this film. There is a love story here as well, between Alita and a human known as Hugo ( played by actor Keean Johnson ). The battle scenes in the sport event known as Motorball, also give this film some entertaining moments when you see cyborgs battle against each other, while chasing some kind of ball. Director Robert Rodriguez is clearly a fan of the Manga comic books, since you can tell that he have tried to tell the story of Alita and capture the look of the comic books. Of course, only fans who have read the comic books knows the source material better than me, but i enjoy Rodriguez vision of the character Alita. I also think director Robert Rodriguez have managed to tell the story in a futuristic way, without doing it too predictable. You can see that he have used some elements from classic films ( and a bar scene actually reminds me of the bar fight in his classic From Dusk Till Dawn ), but that´s ok since he does a good job. Alita: Battle Angel is a fun ride in the Cinema, and will entertain especially fans of comic books in general. If this film is still running in your local Ciname, go and watch it so we can hopefully have a sequel.
Rating: DDD
torsdag 4 april 2019
The Bouncer
I was recently going through a list of movies that will turn 30 years old this year. 1989 had a lot of great films released that year, especially in the action genre. I recently did a 30 Years Anniversary review of the Sylvester Stallone classic Tango & Cash. If you have not read that review you are welcome to check it out, posted earlier this month. 1989 had great films such as Blind Fury, a Rutger Hauer classic where a blind man uses his sword to kill bad guys. We have to mention that this was the year when Lethal Weapon 2 was released, a sequel that is actually really good with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. I have to mention a horror classic, that is known as The Horror Show ( also called House 3 by some fans ) with legendary actors Lance Henriksen and Brion James. One of the reasons why The Horror Show is such a great horror film, is the performance from Brion James. I personally think this is his best acting performance in his career. Let´s continue talking about wovies released in 1989. This year legendary action actor Jean - Claude Van Damme released 2 films known as Cyborg and Kickboxer. Cyborg is a fun apocayptic action film with lots of fighting, but also some drama scenes as well. Kickboxer is the best film that Van Damme did this year, and is one of his biggest classics. Kickboxer had a great story, and especially some really good fighting scenes. Van Damme continued making films in Hollywood, up into the late 90´s. After some personal problems, he continued making films for other film studios and never stopped making films. And the list of films he have done over the years is incredible, you can tell that he have been very active. I can´t say i have enjoyed every film, but a lot of them are good. So let´s talk about some that i think you should see. Wake Of Death, released in 2004 from director Phillipe Martinez ( who is a producer of the Richard Gere film The Flock ). Wake Of Death is a great looking action film, and worked so well thanks to the combination of fighting scenes, as well as the action scenes. The next film i have to mention is the 2008 film known as JCVD, where Van Damme got many film critics to praise his acting. The truth is that JCVD proved that he can act, and this is one of his better films in his career. Last year i was hearing some very positive reviews about Van Damme´s film known as The Bouncer ( also known as Lukas in some countries ), especially for his acting performance. Of course i had to check this film out, so had to get a Blu Ray copy from Germany. Is this the best Van Damme film for many years, or should he go back to his traditional concept ?
Lukas ( Jean - Claude Van Damme ) is fired from his job as a night club bouncer, after a man is accidently killed. He is forced to find a new job, so he can support his daughter Sarah ( Alice Verset ). Lukas goes for a job interview at a strip club, where they need a new bouncer. He gets the job from club owner Jan Dekkers ( Sam Louwyck ). Lukas realize that Jan is doing a lot of criminal activities, especially money laundring. Criminal investigator Maxim Zeroual ( Sam Bouajila ) confront Lukas with a suggestion, he will help him and give him information on what criminal activities Jan is doing, and he will make sure that Lukas daughter is safe. Lukas agree on the offer, but he soon realize that this could become more complicated than he expected. Is it too late for Lukas to find a way out, from his miserable life ?
It has been a while since i have seen Van Damme do a really good film. And i am happy to say that The Bouncer is his best film since JCVD. There are a number of reasons why The Bouncer is better than a lot of his films in recent years. Van Damme is acting much better than you would expect in The Bouncer, and you can tell that he have tried to dig deep into his character. You have an interesting plot about a man with a rough past, trying to do everything he can to make the life for his daughter as good as possible. One thing that works really well in this film is the drama scenes, where Van Damme get to show his great acting. You can feel his anger, and the frustration of being stuck with his life. If you are worried that there are no fighting scenes, there are some scenes here and they do look great. But it is not only Van Damme that deliver some good acting. I also enjoy the acting from child actress Alice Verse, who gives a solid performance. Actor Sami Bouajila ( who you might have seen in the good films Days Of Glory ( 2006 ) and The Crew ( 2015 ) also gives a solid performance as Maxim. I have to mention actress Sveva Alviti ( who you probably have seen in the film Dalita ) as the character Lisa, a woman who clearly have a lot of personal problems. There is especially one scene where Lisa tell you about her past, and you get a sense that she have a good heart, but choosed the wrong path. The strip club scenes are very dark, and this fits really well with the tone of this film, since you feel that this is a very sad story. I think a film like The Bouncer needs to feel sad, to make another impact on you. This is not supposed to be a story about hope, this is a story about dealing with a life where you can´t see a light in the tunnel. Director Julien Leclerclq ( who also directed The Crew that i mentioned earlier ) have made a film that clearly shows that Van Damme is a powerful actor. That he gets a chance to show that he knows more than just fighting, and he knows how to give us a strong character. Julien also knows how to tell a story in the life of criminals, without making it too predictable. I also have to mention that director Julien have managed to capture the strong relationship between father and daughter, and not using too much dialogue is a very good idea. The Bouncer may not be the best film Van Damme have made in his career, but this is his best film since JCVD. I suggest you support The Bouncer and buy a DVD or Blu Ray, this is a must have in your Van Damme collection.
Rating: DDDD
Lukas ( Jean - Claude Van Damme ) is fired from his job as a night club bouncer, after a man is accidently killed. He is forced to find a new job, so he can support his daughter Sarah ( Alice Verset ). Lukas goes for a job interview at a strip club, where they need a new bouncer. He gets the job from club owner Jan Dekkers ( Sam Louwyck ). Lukas realize that Jan is doing a lot of criminal activities, especially money laundring. Criminal investigator Maxim Zeroual ( Sam Bouajila ) confront Lukas with a suggestion, he will help him and give him information on what criminal activities Jan is doing, and he will make sure that Lukas daughter is safe. Lukas agree on the offer, but he soon realize that this could become more complicated than he expected. Is it too late for Lukas to find a way out, from his miserable life ?
It has been a while since i have seen Van Damme do a really good film. And i am happy to say that The Bouncer is his best film since JCVD. There are a number of reasons why The Bouncer is better than a lot of his films in recent years. Van Damme is acting much better than you would expect in The Bouncer, and you can tell that he have tried to dig deep into his character. You have an interesting plot about a man with a rough past, trying to do everything he can to make the life for his daughter as good as possible. One thing that works really well in this film is the drama scenes, where Van Damme get to show his great acting. You can feel his anger, and the frustration of being stuck with his life. If you are worried that there are no fighting scenes, there are some scenes here and they do look great. But it is not only Van Damme that deliver some good acting. I also enjoy the acting from child actress Alice Verse, who gives a solid performance. Actor Sami Bouajila ( who you might have seen in the good films Days Of Glory ( 2006 ) and The Crew ( 2015 ) also gives a solid performance as Maxim. I have to mention actress Sveva Alviti ( who you probably have seen in the film Dalita ) as the character Lisa, a woman who clearly have a lot of personal problems. There is especially one scene where Lisa tell you about her past, and you get a sense that she have a good heart, but choosed the wrong path. The strip club scenes are very dark, and this fits really well with the tone of this film, since you feel that this is a very sad story. I think a film like The Bouncer needs to feel sad, to make another impact on you. This is not supposed to be a story about hope, this is a story about dealing with a life where you can´t see a light in the tunnel. Director Julien Leclerclq ( who also directed The Crew that i mentioned earlier ) have made a film that clearly shows that Van Damme is a powerful actor. That he gets a chance to show that he knows more than just fighting, and he knows how to give us a strong character. Julien also knows how to tell a story in the life of criminals, without making it too predictable. I also have to mention that director Julien have managed to capture the strong relationship between father and daughter, and not using too much dialogue is a very good idea. The Bouncer may not be the best film Van Damme have made in his career, but this is his best film since JCVD. I suggest you support The Bouncer and buy a DVD or Blu Ray, this is a must have in your Van Damme collection.
Rating: DDDD
onsdag 3 april 2019
Bayou Caviar
1996
A year i remember for a lot of reasons, especially because some great music albums was released this year, how about the debut album K from British rock band Kula Shaker ? Or the third album from British disco funk soul band Jamiroquai simply called Travelling Without Moving ? This was also the year when American hardcore punk rap band Dog Eat Dog released their second album Play Games ( loved their CD single Isms back in the day ). Of course we have to mention that British pop artist Mike Flowers Pops released his debut album A Groovy Place, an album you should own. Now, the year of 1996 was great for many other reasons as well, especially for the films released this year ( not talking about the terrible sequel Lawnmower Man 2 - Beyond Cyberspace ). The brilliant drama film Lone Star from director John Syles with really good performances from legendary actor Kris Kristofferson and a young Matthew McConaughey, giving a strong performance as well. Of course the action classic The Rock with Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris and Michael Biehn made the summer of 1996 magical. But there was one film this year that made a lot of Buzz, both in news papers but also from Movie critics, with a performance that everyone seemed to love. And this was the performance from actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film Jerry Maguire. This film had superstar Tom Cruise, and a young Renée Zellweger, but it was Cuba Gooding Jr, who won an Oscar for his performance in this film. I have not seen this film for many years, probably not since the late 90´s, but i remember Cuba´s performance. He continued making a lot of films over the years, some were ok, while some are not so good ( especially remembering Snow Dogs ). I will say that i did enjoy his 2008 film Hero Wanted, directed by Brian Smrz. Hero Wanted may be a very simple action film, but actually worked because of the cast including Ray Liotta, Norman Reedus, Kim Coates, Ben Cross and Jean Smart. But i am going to be honest and say, i have not seen a lot of Cuba Gooding Jr´s B movie releases. Why ? I don´t know, i guess some of them did not make me interested. Until i watched him play O.J. Simpson in the TV series The People v O.J. Simpson. The best performance i have seen Cuba do in his career so far. Recently i bought his latest film Bayou Caviar from Gravitas Ventures. This is actually his directorial debut film as well. Does this film deliver more than expected, or is this another film you will forget from the Gooding catalogue ?
Rodney King ( Cuba Gooding Jr. ) used to be a boxing champion, even being on the Olympics team for boxing. Now, many years later he is training younger people to learn the skills of boxing. But his personal life is a big mess, especially after he witnesses a crime from Russian mobsters led by Yuri ( Richard Dreyfuss ). Since Rodney witnessed a murdered, Yuri demands that he will work for him, and find some information on Isaac ( Gregg Bello ), that will make him look bad. Rodney´s friend Nic ( Famke Jensson ) is working hard to deliver erotic photos of beautiful women, and she is in desperate need in cash. So Rodney have an idea, a young girl he just met known as Kat ( Lisa Marie Johnson ), could be filmed having sex with Isaac, in secret. This would destroy the life of Isaac, who is a respected landlord with a pregnant wife and a son. They set up a video camera, as Nic films them having sex. But there is a problem, it turns out that Kat is not 18 years old, younger than they expected. Rodney realize that they are in deep shit over this, and Yuri can not find out about this.
Bayou Caviar is a film that has a lot of different issues. We get to see the story of the main character Rodney Jones, who used to be a boxing champion and now survive as a criminal. We also get the story of his friend photographer Nic, who is trying to get new photo jobs and even sleeps with clients. We also get to see the life behind a boxing club, where Rodney still tries to help younger people learn the sport, even though he puts himself in problems. You could call this the boxing version of the 1998 film Wild Things in some ways, but with a different twist included. The most interesting part of the film is when Rodney finds out that the new girl Kat is not as old as they thought she was, and they have made a sex tape of her. And this is where the problems become more clear in this film, when you make a really bad decision. As a drama film, there is an interesting plot here. Maybe the plot is divided a bit too much in some scenes, but you are especially interested in Rodney´s background, and what went wrong with his life. Unfortunately we don´t get to know some details that would have been interesting, but you get a sesne that he lost track when his boxing career ended. Cuba Gooding Jr as Rodney Jones, gives a pretty good performance. I have seen him doing better acting in the past, but i still think he deliver an interesting character. The best performance in this film comes from legendary actress Famke Janssen ( remember her classic performance in Bond movie Goldeneye ? ) as Nic. You can tell that she is a woman who have a passion for taking pictures of beautiful women, and Famke manage to show this through the personality of Nic. Legendary actor Richard Dreyfuss ( from classics such as Stakeout and of course Close Encounters Of The Third Kind ). is also included in the cast. You don´t get to see him much in the film as criminal boss Yuri, but i appreciate that he is in this film, being such a iconic actor. Actress Lia Marie Johnson gives us a performance that fits with her character. The biggest problem with this film in my opinion is the ending. The ending is one of the worst endings i have seen in a long time. It feels very cheesy, too predictable and should have been corrected. Bayou Caviar is not a film for everyone, this is the kind of film for you who like to see a realistic portrait of people who are living with a lot of personal problems. For a directorial debut, i think Cuba Gooding Jr. have made an interesting film. Worth a watch if you enjoy independent films.
Rating: DDD
A year i remember for a lot of reasons, especially because some great music albums was released this year, how about the debut album K from British rock band Kula Shaker ? Or the third album from British disco funk soul band Jamiroquai simply called Travelling Without Moving ? This was also the year when American hardcore punk rap band Dog Eat Dog released their second album Play Games ( loved their CD single Isms back in the day ). Of course we have to mention that British pop artist Mike Flowers Pops released his debut album A Groovy Place, an album you should own. Now, the year of 1996 was great for many other reasons as well, especially for the films released this year ( not talking about the terrible sequel Lawnmower Man 2 - Beyond Cyberspace ). The brilliant drama film Lone Star from director John Syles with really good performances from legendary actor Kris Kristofferson and a young Matthew McConaughey, giving a strong performance as well. Of course the action classic The Rock with Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris and Michael Biehn made the summer of 1996 magical. But there was one film this year that made a lot of Buzz, both in news papers but also from Movie critics, with a performance that everyone seemed to love. And this was the performance from actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film Jerry Maguire. This film had superstar Tom Cruise, and a young Renée Zellweger, but it was Cuba Gooding Jr, who won an Oscar for his performance in this film. I have not seen this film for many years, probably not since the late 90´s, but i remember Cuba´s performance. He continued making a lot of films over the years, some were ok, while some are not so good ( especially remembering Snow Dogs ). I will say that i did enjoy his 2008 film Hero Wanted, directed by Brian Smrz. Hero Wanted may be a very simple action film, but actually worked because of the cast including Ray Liotta, Norman Reedus, Kim Coates, Ben Cross and Jean Smart. But i am going to be honest and say, i have not seen a lot of Cuba Gooding Jr´s B movie releases. Why ? I don´t know, i guess some of them did not make me interested. Until i watched him play O.J. Simpson in the TV series The People v O.J. Simpson. The best performance i have seen Cuba do in his career so far. Recently i bought his latest film Bayou Caviar from Gravitas Ventures. This is actually his directorial debut film as well. Does this film deliver more than expected, or is this another film you will forget from the Gooding catalogue ?
Rodney King ( Cuba Gooding Jr. ) used to be a boxing champion, even being on the Olympics team for boxing. Now, many years later he is training younger people to learn the skills of boxing. But his personal life is a big mess, especially after he witnesses a crime from Russian mobsters led by Yuri ( Richard Dreyfuss ). Since Rodney witnessed a murdered, Yuri demands that he will work for him, and find some information on Isaac ( Gregg Bello ), that will make him look bad. Rodney´s friend Nic ( Famke Jensson ) is working hard to deliver erotic photos of beautiful women, and she is in desperate need in cash. So Rodney have an idea, a young girl he just met known as Kat ( Lisa Marie Johnson ), could be filmed having sex with Isaac, in secret. This would destroy the life of Isaac, who is a respected landlord with a pregnant wife and a son. They set up a video camera, as Nic films them having sex. But there is a problem, it turns out that Kat is not 18 years old, younger than they expected. Rodney realize that they are in deep shit over this, and Yuri can not find out about this.
Bayou Caviar is a film that has a lot of different issues. We get to see the story of the main character Rodney Jones, who used to be a boxing champion and now survive as a criminal. We also get the story of his friend photographer Nic, who is trying to get new photo jobs and even sleeps with clients. We also get to see the life behind a boxing club, where Rodney still tries to help younger people learn the sport, even though he puts himself in problems. You could call this the boxing version of the 1998 film Wild Things in some ways, but with a different twist included. The most interesting part of the film is when Rodney finds out that the new girl Kat is not as old as they thought she was, and they have made a sex tape of her. And this is where the problems become more clear in this film, when you make a really bad decision. As a drama film, there is an interesting plot here. Maybe the plot is divided a bit too much in some scenes, but you are especially interested in Rodney´s background, and what went wrong with his life. Unfortunately we don´t get to know some details that would have been interesting, but you get a sesne that he lost track when his boxing career ended. Cuba Gooding Jr as Rodney Jones, gives a pretty good performance. I have seen him doing better acting in the past, but i still think he deliver an interesting character. The best performance in this film comes from legendary actress Famke Janssen ( remember her classic performance in Bond movie Goldeneye ? ) as Nic. You can tell that she is a woman who have a passion for taking pictures of beautiful women, and Famke manage to show this through the personality of Nic. Legendary actor Richard Dreyfuss ( from classics such as Stakeout and of course Close Encounters Of The Third Kind ). is also included in the cast. You don´t get to see him much in the film as criminal boss Yuri, but i appreciate that he is in this film, being such a iconic actor. Actress Lia Marie Johnson gives us a performance that fits with her character. The biggest problem with this film in my opinion is the ending. The ending is one of the worst endings i have seen in a long time. It feels very cheesy, too predictable and should have been corrected. Bayou Caviar is not a film for everyone, this is the kind of film for you who like to see a realistic portrait of people who are living with a lot of personal problems. For a directorial debut, i think Cuba Gooding Jr. have made an interesting film. Worth a watch if you enjoy independent films.
Rating: DDD
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