2067

A year ago, no one would have expected to go through a pandemic, but here we are. People´s lives have been lost, while we have been forced to find ways to make sure people are safe. This pandemic will most likely go on for a long time, until a positive change comes along. Until then, we should all make sure we stay safe, and don´t take any risks. I was talking to a friend of mine, and we discussed the memories of our music festival visits, and the good times we had. Imagine if we can´t have music festivals in the future, or even music concerts with just a certain amount of people, compared to ordinary shows ? We might experience this in a very long time, and that´s ok. As long as people are safe, that´s more important. Since we have no idea hat the future will bring, i think we might as well try and look positive on the future. If the Covid 19 vaccines do a positive change, we might be able to see a change. We might go through hard times, but this is when you need some positive thoughts, and not loose hope. Because who knows, there might be parts of the future that can actually make a big difference, where we found new ways to live a good life, through new technology and ideas. I like to think that there is something positive coming. When it comes to futuristic films, we have a lot of films to choose between. One cult classic that i especially appreciate, is the 1992 sci fi action horror film Split Second, from director Tony Maylam. In a flooded future London, in the year of 2008, Detective Harley Stone ( played by legendary actor Rutger Hauer ) is on the hunt for a serial killer, that turns out to be not human. Split Second may have some cheesy moments, but seeing Rutger Hauer as a bad ass cop, hunting a creature, is pure 90´s nostalgic fun. 88 Films actually released a great Blu Ray of this film, worth picking up that includes lots of great special features. One of the sci fi films that i have been planning to see, is a film released last year called 2067. I picked this film up on DVD from America ( i saw that 2067 is coming out on DVD in Sweden later this spring, so that´s good ), to see if this would be anything in my taste. Could this be one of the highligts from last year that deserves to be seen by a larger audience, or is 2067 just as dull as watching a Mathmetics debate, that never seems to end?

In the year 2067, Earth have been devastated by climate change. With all plant life on Earth extinct, civilization have collapsed around the globe; the only one city in Australia has been able to hold out against these catastrophic changes, thanks to synthetic oxygen produced by the Chronicorp corporation. However, the oxygen is tainted and gradually a deadly afflication known as The Sickness. Ethan Whyte ( Kodi Smith-McPhee ), a tunnel worker for the city´s power plant, is called before Regina Jackson ( Deborah Mailman ), the Chronicorp CTO, explains that the Sickness will eventually wipe out humanity. During the test of the Chronicle, a prototype time machine that quantum physicist Richard Whyte ( Ethan´s late father ) had worked on 20 years ago, the scientists received a radio signal from 407 years in the future, with a message to specifically send Ethan to them. In hope of finding a cure for the Sickness, Ethan is asked to be sent in to the future. 

If you are a sci fi fan, and especially appreciate independent sci fi films, then i have some good news for you. 2067 is an Australian sci fi film that combines classic sci fi films, with a  environment twist. Especially where you hear how bad the oxygen levels are in the future, you realise that this could be what we are facing in the future, unless we find solid ways to deal with environment. And i do believe we need a film like this who do bring up important issues, that we are already seeing happening worldwide ( not as big on a scale as this film does, but what we could be facing if nothing is done about it ). But the major plot of this film, is actually based on time traveling. You might think this film tries to do the same pattern as Back To The Future, but that´s not completely true. 2067 tries to show us a different version of time travelling , where the main character Ethan Whyte is clearly having a hard time, dealing with the fact that he seems to have a purpose in the future, and no one really knows why he have been chosen through a message. And the mystery of who is behind this message is actually quite interesting, as you get more answers, when Ethan finally travel into the future. If you are expecting a sci fi film with lots of guns, violence and cheesy dialogue, i can tell you right now that 2067 is not what you are looking for. But, if you do enjoy more intelligent sci fi independent films. then this might actually be a film in your taste. The time travelling in this film have some interesting scenes, especially when Ethan find a skeleton body with his name on the space suit. I also feel that the mystery surrounding Ethan, is done in a simple, but effective way. The acting in this film is divided, but the main characters Ethan ( played by actor Kodi Smith McPhee ) and Jude ( played by actor Ryan Kwanted ) both give performances that match well with the storyline. One thing i do feel is that this film could probably have been shorted about 10 minutes, since there is a lot of dialogue in some scenes. Other than that, 2067 is definetely an interesting sci fi film that takes itself more serious than most films in this genre. I do like the design of a futuristic city, where having oxygen masks is one of the biggest priority. Director Seth Larney delivers a sci fi film that actually have a lot to say, especially about the environment, and how important it is to make the right decisions. 2067 may not be appreciated by all sci fi fans, but this is definetely a film that might make you think for a while, how precious life is. Sometimes, we need a film that dare to go in a different direction, and this is exactly what 2067 does.

Rating: DDD

Here is a link to the Swedish Blu Ray release of 2067, in case you are interested in picking the film up:

https://www.discshop.se/filmer/bluray/2067_blu_ray/P172107

Malasana 32

Spain, a wonderful country that have a lot to offer. Not only great food, fantastic beer and especially beautiful women, but i would have to say that spanish music is also something i appreciate. I have been to Spain 3 times, in different years. And one of the most special trips i did there was in summer of 2002. I was there with my sister and my mother, as me and my sister gave our mother two weeks in Spain as a birthday gift, to her 50th birthday. Several things happened on this 2 weeks vacation, so let me just tell you about some things. At our hotel, we had a musical entertainer known as Tony. He used to play his syntheziser and sing pop songs, with his sleazy looking combed hair and tried to charm the ladies with his special sexy smile. I loved this guy, because he was exactly what you would want as your hotel entertainer. And every night he played, i made a decision to have some fun. I would stand up and applaud for every song he played, and i mean appplaud like a maniac. Tony noticed this and was really happy saying:- He must be my number 1 fan, i love this guy. And every time i started applauding at his shows, people started looking at me as if they were wondering:- What´s wrong with this guy? The fact of the matter is, Tony was not as popular as i tried to make him look, but he loved seeing me applaud every night. My sister was embarrased, and my mother was probably as well, but that´s ok. Tony actually made us a cassette tape as a thank you to his biggest fan, simply capped Tonys Special Mix. Another funny thing that happened at the hotel was that there was a Danish guy ( i believe he was Danish, that´s what the hotel staff told me ), would go around the hotel and only say two words :- Beep beep, as if he was the cartoon character Road Runner. He could show up anywhere and say:- Beep beep, and he would just walk away. One of my favourite Danish people ever, a true legend. Let´s leave this subject for now and talk about Spanish films. Spain have a lot of great horror films in their catalogue with really good horror films such as The Nameless, The Devil´s Backbone, Rec, The Orphanage, Julia´s Eyes and many more. I would have to say that Spain is probably one of the most interesting horror producing countries in Europe, considering how many great titles they have. I finally got a chance to check out a horror film called Malasana 32 on DVD, a Spanish horror film i have been curious to see. Is this one of the better horror films to check out this spring, or have the Spanish horror magic faded away with Malasana 32?

Candela ( Bea Segura ), Manolo ( Iván Marcos ) and their two children Amparo ( Begona Vargas ) and her little brother Rafael ( Iván Renedo ) move into a new appartment in Madrid, that used to be owned by a very old woman, who passed away. Their new home was supposed to be the new start that this family needed, but when strange things begin to happen, no one is really sure about the past of this appartment.

One of the first things you will notice with Malasana 32, is how great the sound effects are. This is exactly what you would want, if you a are looking for a creepy horror film. Each scene where you do feel that something is not right, works so much better thanks to the powerful sound effects. This is something that quite a lot of horror releases don´t use anymore, unfortunately. So this is one detail that actually helps Malasana 32 become more interesting than the ordinary horror release. I also enjoy the time period where this film takes place, in 1976. You got the right colors, the right costume design, and this film also manage to capture the time period thanks to the beautiful city of Madrid. There is especially one scene in this film that i really appreciated. And that is when the young boy Rafael watches a children TV show with a creepy looking string puppet, a grandmother who wants to be Rafael´s new friend. At first this string puppet may not look odd, but the behavior of this grandmother and her creepy words, will definetely impact you, as her conversation becomes more disturbing. I also feel that the scene where character Pepe ( played by Sergio Castellanos ) is communicating with the dead through notes, that he sends over to the other side of the building through strings, is a nice touch to the plot. Speaking of characters, let´s talk about some of them. Actress Begona Vargas is definetely one of the highlights in this film as Amparo, who is struggling to help the family against this darkness. Actor José Luis de Madariaga as Grandfather Fermin gives a great, but sometmimes creepy performance, as he seems to be struggling with dementia. Does Malasana 32 deliver any surprises? Not really, we have seen this formula before. But i do feel that this film handle the atmosphere well. Director Albert Pintó bring back the old school horror of sound effects with Malasana 32, and still manage to out the pieces of the plot together in a positive way. Not one of the better Spanish horror films i have seen, but definetely a good film, Malasana 32 will please horror fans for sure.

Rating: DDD

Faith Under Fire

I do not know why, but it becomes very clear that a lot of religious films are having problems. What do i mean by that? Not many of them are very good at all, and trust me...i have seen quite a few over the years. It is like the film makers don´t want to spend the money making a good film, or great characters. Instead they just throw in a faith based story, and let the actors act, but without any passion for the story or the message of the film. This is something that have been seen in a lot of Christian films, and the pattern seems to repeat itself. I could easily mention a whole list of terrible faith based films, but there is actually one film that actually managed to do something right. This was a film that i did not expect to enjoy, but that film is called War Room, released in 2015. For being a faith based film, War Room actually managed to bring good acting, and a story that did have something to say. Directed by Alex Kendrick, this film tells the story of Elizabeth Jordan ( Priscilla C. Shirer ) and Tony Jordan ( T.C. Stallings ) who are having problems with their marriage. Nothing seems to be working as it should, and Elizabeth is worried that everything will eventually crash. But they are about to get help from an elderly woman named Clara Williams ( Karen Abercrombie ), who knows how to get this couple back on track. Even if i usually have a problem with faith based films, War Room is one of the few faith based films that i can accept, because this is not as terrible as most films are in this genre. It´s not one of the better drama films i have seen, but in the faith based section, i would say that this is one of the better ones. Even if it usually takes time for me to check out faith based films ( because i usually skip most titles ), i try to take a look at a few, just to see if i can actually be surprised. So i came across a film called Faith Under Fire that have actors Dean Cain and Kevin Sorbo in the cast. 90´s actors that everyone remembers, and i was curious to see if they actually managed to make a good drama film with Faith Under Fire. Is this a must see for the whole family, or is Faith Under Fire just as bad as The Trump Legacy turned out to be?

Fireman Tom Hatcher ( Nick Vlassopoulus ) is struggling with his personal life. He lost his wife, and his daughter Tiffany Hutcher ( Tenley Kellog ) is being treated for cancer. Tom knows that he have to go on, as good as he can. When everything seems to feel hopeless, a bit of hope suddenly strikes Tom, where he least expected it to come.

After seeing a film like Faith Under Fire, i realise that i might not have high hopes to see a film that´s actually good such as War Room. My biggest issue with Faith Under Fire is that this is supposed to be a film about cancer, that you are supposed to take serious. And if i could, i would take this film serious, considering this very sensitive subject. But this film have a very strange way to deal with the subject of cancer, by using very strange dialogue in awkward situations. Such as when lead character Tom´s family is standing in a parade and talk about funny pie situations, it is hard to laugh when the joke is horrible. I can understand that humour is needed sometimes, to make life easier. But if you can´t do comedy that actually works with the theme of the film, you might have to make some changes. If this is the best comedy ingredients they could match into this film, then they clearly missed the mark. If you think this is the only scene with problems, hold your horses, we got more problems coming your way. A perfect example of this is when we get a scene with lead character Tom is snoring, next to his cancer sick daughter. He makes the snoring so fake, that this is actually one of the funniest scenes in the film, and it was not even supposed to be funny. Now that is comedy gold for sure. There is more that i could mention, such as the ducks that seems to be everywhere. One scene Tom and his daughter are looking at the ducks in a park, and then suddenly the ducks are walking along the Cancer Center in another scene. How did the ducks know Tom is there? Or pehaps this town have unusually many ducks in this town ? In one scene a fireman is climbing a ladder, as they are doing training, trying to be funny, and i can´t laugh one single second, while the other firemen are laughing their heads off? The lead actor Nick Vlassopoulus as fireman Tom Hatcher is not a strong lead character, and that´s not a good sign for a lead actor. The actor that actually does make an attempt to do acting is Dean Cain ( mostly known from Lois & Clark TV series ) as Pastor Dan, and he is without a doubt the best character in this film. Kevin Sorbo as Doctor Robinson is at least ok, but not seen often. Fatih Under Fire is a cancer film with so many strange scenes, and so many different subjects thrown together, that it is hard to understand what the idea behind this film is. If this was supposed to lift up the serious issue of cancer, this film fails to do so. They say you can´t laugh at a film with cancer, but clearly you can with Faith Under Fire, since the cast seems to have a good time. Director Joel Paul Reisig have made one of the strangest faith based films i have ever seen, and that could be a good sign. But in the case of Faith Under Fire, it does not help the film become interesting, or good either.

Rating: D

Welcome To The Circle

When ever i visit the countryside ( especially during summer ) i always look for bad signs. What do i mean by that? Well, if you see a big mansion, with girls dancing around piles of skulls, wearing the same design of dresses, and only one man can be seen, you know it is a religious cult. Wait a minute, maybe they just love to do art projects, or are big fans of Ronan Keating´s debut album from 2000? I am pretty sure that those are cult signs, but i can buy the argument that they could love Ronan Keating, doesn´t everyone love him? I am pretty sure that we all do. Religious cults have been seen in many different styles, and they all seem to be bat shit crazy. There are plenty of religious cult leaders that we could mention in here, but let´s bring up one of those maniacs, and that is of course the religious cult leader of NXIVM, known as Keith Raniere. If you never heard of him, that´s ok. He used to run NXIVM where he burn marked women, as if he owned them, had sex with them and....did a lot of other crazy stuff. I have seen a very interesting documentray film about NXIVM, called The Lost Women Of Nxvim. There we get to find out about the investigations on women who both was found dead, claimimg to be suicides at first. But as the documentary goes on you soon realise that something is seriously wrong. The so called suicides does not seem to be realistic, especially one of them where she killed herself with a shotgun, and could not reach the trigger. Strange right? There are plenty of films with religious cults, and one of my personal favourites is a film called The Sacrament from director TI West. A found footage horror film that tells the story of a news team who travels down to the tropical area of Eden Parish, to do a report on the religious society of Eden Parish, as well as investigate about a missing sister of one of the news team members. A really well made film, that works really well thanks to really good acting and a powerful story. I suggest you pick it up on DVD, should be easy to find a good deal on. I recently sat down to go through VOD titles of films that looked interesting, and i came across a film called Welcome To The Circle. An indenendent horror film that takes place in a religoius cult? This sounds like something we have seen before, but the poster did look interesting, so i decided to give this film a chance. Is this film better than i expected, or is Welcome To The Circle a film that no one will likely remember ?

Greg ( Matthew McCaull ) and his daughter Samantha ( Taylor Dianne Robinson ) are out camping in the forest together, having a good time. Unfortunatel, everything takes a different turn when Greg is attacked by a bear in the tent. Samatha is not harmed in any way, and Greg survives as well, as they are discovered by three women who take them to their home. Greg wakes up in bed, and is informed that he and his daughter are now guests at the circle. Seeing his daughter wearing a mask, makes Greg wonder what is going on, but he tries to be friendly since he is still alive. Who are these people, and what is the circle?

Welcome To The Circle starts off in a pretty traditional way, with typical religous cult influences that we have seen several times before. But this film actually do go in a different direction, by using a different approach than most religous cult films. And that is the use of manequin dolls, as if they are real people. And that is one creepy thing, that i actually appreciate with this film. You see these manequin dolls everywhere in this religious society, as they are seen inside a guest house, outside on a porch, even spending time with the religious members as well, as if they could talk to them ( without getting any answer ). Another detail is that there seems to be portals you can go through, located at different locations in this area. And this is also a very different approach in a religious cult film that i actually have not seen before. And when you combine these ideas with a religious cult family, this does actually help Welcome To The Circle deliver a different, but interesting approach in this genre. What about the characters? I would say that most actors all manage to capture the look of typical religious cult members, but that does not mean that they are bad. I especially enjoy seeing actress Andrea Brooks ( who some of you definetely will recognize from TV series Supergirl ) with her completely insane personality of character Sky. She is clearly a perfect example of what happens when you have been brainwashed far too long, and have no reality view of life at all. And she clearly have mental issues as well, so not a very good combination. The character Matthew is quite interesting, played by actor Michael J Rodgers, he reminds me of the typical religious leader such as Keith Raniere, with some differences of course. But i do feel that he manage to do his character well. Actors Hilary Jardine and Cindy Busby also give us performances that match well with their insane characters. Is there anything negative to say about Welcome To The Circle Of Life? The only thing i feel could have been interesting, would be a deeper psychological view into how this cult begun. We do get to know a little bit about the background, and that´s fine. Maybe i would have liked to know certain details, surrounding their mysterious leader. There are some questions that are never answered in this film, but if you can go into this film with an open mind, you might actually find this film interesting. Welcome To The Circle do have some interesting ideas combined, and i always find religious cult films fascinating, so this is definetely a film in my taste. Director David Fowler have made his first debut full feature film that is both fascinating, and a bit odd as well. I am looking forward to see what he will work on in the future. I have to mention that this film does have a good soundtrack as well. A film that will most likely be enjoyed if you love religious cults, or insane personalities. Who can say no to that combination, right?

Rating: DDD

The Special

I am one of those who have not been afraid to experience different things in life. I have travelled quite a lot, and i have seen quite a few things, especially in Europe. Especially in the sex industry, and i have plenty of stories to tell from my strip club visits, and when i visited sex clubs as well. I will let you know about one of those experiences, and that was autumn of 1998. I was going to Germany and was just planning to drink beer, shop alcohol and check out stores. We ended up eventually in a whorehouse ( as some call it a brothel ), where the host introduced us to the girls, as we were offered different choices. I know that the extreme Swedish feminists does not like reading anything positive about the sex industry, and that´s ok. I will say from my experience, i have nothing to complain about. This was a very nice visit in Germany, and i will forever remember the good times that i experienced there. Would i recommend anyone to visit a place like that? If it is a legal business, then why not? There are serious sex workers who pay taxes and do the right thing, and they should not be ashamed of their profession. Because let´s be honest folks, the sex industry will always be around, in some shape or another. And people will always be drawn to sex, no matter what they enjoy or want to try. When it comes to film that takes on the subject of the sex industry, we have quite many different films to choose between. Since i mentioned the year of 1998 earlier, let us bring up one film that actually brought up this subject in the year of 1999. The film is called 8mm, and this is a German-American thriller from director Joel Schumacher, that tells the story private investigator Tom Welles ( played by legendary actor Nicolas Cage ), who is contacted by Daniel Longdale ( Anthony Heald ), attourney of wealthy widow Mrs. Christian ( ), whose husband died recently. While clearing out her late husband´s safe, she and Longdale find an 8mm movie wich appears to depict a real murder, that is connected to snuff films. Tom begins to investigate the truth, as he walks into a world he knows nothing about. This is acually a great thriller, that does show you a dark side of sadistic addiction. I also think that Nicolas Cage is great in the lead role, so definetely worth checking out. This film does look into the darker part of sex industry, something you don´t see very often. I recently came across a very interesting independent film that looked really fascinating called The Special. A story that is connected to a visit to a brothel, that turns out to be quite uniqe experience. Is this an independent horror film that is actually original and good, or is this a waste of your precious time?

Jerry ( Dave Raphaelly ) does not like his job, and now he suspects that his wife Lisa ( Sarah French ) have cheated on him. Jerry´s co-worker and friend Mike ( Dave Sheridan ) is also his drinking buddy. Finally one night Jerry have had enough if seeing his friend feeling miserable, so he suggest that they will visit a brothel that he knows of, where he have a surprise for Jerry. Mike suggest that Jerry should try The Special, but won´t reveal what it is. Jerry finally agrees to do it, but will he be able to handle this new experience?

When you enter a film like The Special, you might think you can figure out right away what is really happening. But this film actually dare to take some chances, and do something different than most independent horror films. The idea of a man going to a brothel to get pleasures from a box, almost like a glory hole, is actually a great idea for a horror film. This box is actually what gives the man pleasure, as the man insert his penis inside the box. Sounds weird right? It is, and that is one of the reasons why i enjoy this film. Remember the 1982 cult classic Basket Case ? Instead of a monster in a basket, imagine a combination together with influences from The Blob and you pretty much have The Special. And this is definetely something you don´t se very often, so that helps The Special stand out in the crowd for being a bit more original. I really get a feeling that this film does feel inspired by the film Basket Case, because the main character in this film called Jerry ( played well by actor Davy Raphaely ), is so obsessed with this box, just as the character Duane Bradley was with the basket he would always carry in Basket Case. I would not say that these films have a lot in common, but the influences are clearly there from the 1982 film. Speaking of the characters, lead actor Davy Raphaely may seem very shy at first, but his behavior clearly changes once he becomes addicted to the box, and Davy manage to capture that behavior with his facial expressions, and some body language as well. I do enjoy the performance of Jerry´s friend Mike ( played by actor Dave Sheridan from the cult independent film Ghost World ). He is kind of a sleazy party guy, but he care for his friend. Dave capture the character of a guy most of us would want as a friend, someone you can trust but also have fun with. When you actually see what´s inside the box, it is actually a clever idea. Finally a bit of an original independent horror film, i always appreciate the effort of a film that combines different ideas, and match them well together. The Special may not be for everyone, but i definetely enjoyed this film for trying a different path. Director B. Harrison Smith deliver a horror film that actually dare to cross different genres, and he manage to make this film work. Definetely worth picking on on DVD or Blu Ray, if you are planning a barbecue evening with some cold beers.

Rating: DDD

Alone

I have always had a hard time understanding men who wants to control women. Even if i am a man myself, i never felt the need to control any woman. Every woman should feel free to do what they want, and live their life, and not be controlled by any partner. I realise that men who do feel this way, should seek help. Especially if they have no control over what they can do, and might harm the woman. It is always difficult to hear women on interviews, or documentaries, who have been victims of abuse, or even kidnapped by male psychopaths. Speaking of kidnapped, there is one film that i never forget, that the younger generation probably never heard of. But back in the 90´s this was one of the thrillers that most people wanted to see, and that is the 1993 thriller known as The Vanishing ( actually an American remake of the 1988 film Spoorloos ) from director George Sluizer. I have not seen the original film, but i read a long time ago that it is supposed to be good. The American remake is actually a great thriller, mostly thanks to the great cast of Kiefer Sutherland, Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock and Nancy Travis. But i do enjoy this film, especially for being a solid thriller. This film tells the story of couple Jeff Hariman ( Kiefer Sutherland ) and Diane Shaver ( Sandra Bullock ) who goes on vacation together. As they stop at a gas station, Jeff suddenly can´t find Diane anywhere, as she is completely vanished. No one seems to knows where she is, and Jeff never stops looking. 3 years goes by and Jeff is still trying to found out what happened, as one person finally come forward with information. The Vanishing is worth checking out if you enjoy psychological thrillers. Have any of you seen the Swedish thriller called Försvunnen from 2011? It is a thriller about a woman who plans to start a new life at a new location, but is suddenly kidnapped by a stranger. For a Swedish thriller, this is not to bad. But i have been curious about an American remake of this film called Alone, that was released last year. Is this remake better than the Swedish film, or is Alone a psychological thriller that no one really asked for?

Jessica ( Jules Willcox ) is starting a new life, after loosing the love of her life who killed himself. She heads off on the highway, hoping that this restart will help her move on with her life. While on the highway, she has a random encounter with a man ( Marc Mencacha ) who cause her to almost have an accident, as she is trying to pass him to the other side of the road. As she stops to rest, she notice that this man is following her, and he also tries to talk to her. Jessica sense something is not right, and takes off. But the journey ahead, will become even more difficut.

I am quite surprised when i noticed that this film is directed by John Hyams. For those of you who don´t know his background, he have directed several of Jean-Claude Van Damme films such as Universal Soldier - Regeneration, Dragon Eyes and Universal Soldier - Days Of Reckoning. But he is also the son of legendary director Peter Hyams who directed ( in my opinion ) one of the better Van Damme films known as Timecop. So why am i surprised over director John making this film? It is definetely a very different film from his catalogue, and i love it when a director takes on a complete different genre than we are used to see them do. Alone is a psychological thriller that reminds me of psychological thriller films that we have seen before ( there are some similarities to the original Swedish film, but not that it affects the film in any way ). I will be honest and say that i prefer this American remake over the Swedish film for a number of reasons. First of all i think this film have a stronger build up than the original film, on a psychological level . I also feel that the acting in this film is stronger as well, especially from legendary actor Anthony Heald ( who i especially remember from The Silence Of The Lambs, that i will be doing a 30 years anniversery review of this summer ) as the psychopath character Richard. Lead actress Jules Willcox ( who i remember from Netflix series Bloodline ) gives a strong performance as Jessica, who is being followed by this maniac. I also feel that this film manage to tell a story that is actually told in a effective way, thanks to the great characters. Alone is a thriller that shows that you can never be safe anywhere, not matter where you go, you never know who is on the highway. There is no doubt that director John Hyams took a big chance by doing this film, this is definetely not something we are used to see him do. Im happy to say that he delivers a thriller that works better than i expected. For some reason i feel like going on a forest journey after watching this film, that must be a good sign, right?

Rating: DDD              

Outside The Wire

You would think that people will learn that war does not solve all problems, but here we are in 2021 with several big wars in our catalogue, so many lives lost and it never seems to stop. I realise that wars will always be around, and there are military programs that are needed to keep certain situations more stable. Will i personally support a war? No, because i don´t believe in killing innocent people, who clearly suffer in war. Do i believe in killing war criminals? I personally feel that they should be locked up instead for life, for the crimes that they have commited. If a war criminal dies in war, i would of course not feel sorry for him at all, he will hopefully burn in hell. I am pretty sure there are people out there all over the world, who disagree with me on these subjects, and that´s ok. We all have personal opinions on many subjects, and we are allowed to express our throughts, and how we feel about this subject. War films can be found in many different categories, who tell stories from wars in different countries, and time periods in history. I have seen quite many war films over the years, and there are some good ones to choose between. One of the war films i feel we don´t hear much about anymore, is the 1988 American war film The Beast ( also known as The Beast Of War ) from director Kevin Reynolds ( director of the 90´s classic Waterworld ). This film takes place in the year of 1981 in Afghanistan, where a Sovjet T-55 tank who become lost during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. This is a really well made war film that especially have very powerful war scenes, and a great cast including actors such as Jason Patric, Stephen Baldwin ( one of his better acting roles ), Steven Bauer and many more. If you find this film on DVD, you should pick it up and give it a try. Netflix have produced quite many action films over the years, and they seem to find an audience who loves big guns, explosions and violence. I recently came across a film i was planning to see early this year called Outside The Wire, that seems to be a futuristic action film. Is this a great choice for action lovers worldwide, or is Outside The Wire a horrible film from start to finish?

In 2036, a civil war between pro-Russian insurgents and local resistances in Ukraine leads the US to deploy peacekeeping forces. During an operation, a team of United States Marines and "Gumps" ( robotic soldiers ) are ambushed. Drone pilot Lt. Thomas Harp ( Damson Idris ) disobey a direct order, deploys a Hellfire missile in a drone strike against a suspected enemy launcher, killing two Marines but saving 38. As punishment, Harp is sent to Camp Nathaniel, the US base of operations in Ukraine, where he is assigned to Captain Leo ( Anthony Mackie ), an android millitary officer. Harp and Leo are set out on a mission to prevent terrorist Victor Koval ( Pilou Asbaek ) from gaining control of a network of Cold War-era nuclear missile silos.

One of the first things i notice with Outside The Wire, is that this is a pretty basic military action film that we have seen several times before. I would not say that this film copy all films in this genre completely, but i guarantee that you will be reminded by other sci fi action films that takes place in the future. Does that affect the film in a negative way? Not really, since this film do have entertainment value, especially if you love sci fi action films. There is one problem though that becomes pretty clear with certain characters. And that is that some of the actors in this film, are not delivering characters that you will feel interested in. This is such a shame, because if they only would have worked more on delivering stronger characters, i think i would have enjoyed this film more. But let´s talk about something positive for a change. Actor Anthony Mackie ( who did a really powerful performance in the American war thriller The Hurt Locker, a must see ) delivers without a doubt one of the best acting performances in this film, as the character Captain Leo. I would not say this is one of the better films that he have done so far ( considering how many good films he have made in the past ), but he definetely shines out from an acting perspective in Outside The Wire. We also get a descent performance from actor Damson Idris as the character Harp, and the scenes that these two actors do together lift up the quality level of this film. So what about the action scenes, are they any good? If you don´t have too high expectations, and can accept some pretty basic ideas combined, then you will most likely have fun with the action scenes. Director Mikael Håfström ( who directed the very good horror film 1408 ) delivers a sci fi action film that may not deliver many surprises, but knows what kind of audience it was made for. If you don´t know what to watch, give this film a chance. Who knows, maybe you will feel inspired by a bright future, in the company of Outside The Wire.

Rating: DDD

Ravage ( Swing Low )

I love brutal films from the 70´s. There were some wonderful releases during that time period, that still work well even today. Sure, some practical effects may look a bit cheesy at times, but there are film makers from this time period who could construct powerful films. I could easily name at least 10 films that i can watch over and over again, that were all released during the 70´s. But i thought i should bring one specific title up instead, that have been very controversial for many years, and that is the 1978 revenge horror film I Spit On Your Grave, from director Meir Zarchi. I remember the first time i saw this film on VHS, and that was in 1999. A friend of mine had been to London for a weekend trip, and found the film for sale in a store. We watched it together, and i still remember how brutal i thought the rape scene was. Let me explain the plot a little bit so you understand what it is about. This film tells the story of Jennifer Hills ( played by legendary actress Camille Keaton ), who is a fiction writer. To write her first novel, she decides to go to the countryside, where savage local men decide to attack her. I Spit On Your Grave is not a film for you who is sensitive, especially with violence towards women. This film is definetely one of the few in this genre that does not hold back on violence. One of the reasons why i enjoy this film, is because it is very effective as a revenge film. It is a very brutal film in certain moments, but there is a reason for why this woman makes sure these men pay the price for what they did to her. This is one of those 70´s films that i feel you should see, because this is a true classic from this era. Try and get the uncut version, since there are several versions released ( where some scenes are cut down ). Even if this genre still exist and do show up in a small amount of titles, we don´t get to see brutal revenge films released very often, especially not influenced by films of the 70´s. So when i noticed an independent film called Ravage on VOD, i knew this could be something in my taste. The question is, did this film turn out to be better than i expected, or is Ravage doomed to be forgotten?

Nature photographer Harper ( Annabelle Dexter-Jones ) is out on the countryside to take pictures of beautiful locations and of wild life. She starts hearing noices from one location, and notice that locals of Watchatoomy Valley are savages, and capture their brutal crimes with photograps on her camera. They notice her and the hunt is on, and Harper have no other choice, but to do everything she can to survive.

I have to admit that my expectations for Ravage was not very high, just because it sounded like a film in my taste. When you have seen a lot of films, you learn not to have too high expectations, just in case you might end up feeling disappointed. But this film is actually one of the better revenge horror films i have seen in recent years, and there are several reasons why this film works well. First of all this film looks really good, with cinematography from Christopher Walters. The bright colors and the atmosphere of the redneck countryside is captured so good, you can sense the fear in the air. Another detail that this film does great is to give a strong portrait of a very disturbed redneck family, who clearly have some really disturbing mental issues. Lead actress Anabelle Dexter-Jones gives a really solid performance as photographer Harper who is attacked by these savages. Once she start her revenge journey, this film becomes a fun ride, to see her give these pigs what they deserve. Is this film original in any way? No, but that´s ok, since i do enjoy seeing films in this genre still being made, since it does not happen very ofte, especially when they are clearly inspired by the films of the 70´s. There are some brutal scenes in this film, but i would not call them extreme in any way. There is a reason to why some scenes need to be brutal. Legendary actor Bruce Dern gives another strong performance as Mallincrkrodt ( very odd name right? ), and he have no problem giving you a creepy atmosphere. One performance i have to mention is actor Robert Longstreet ( that some of you might recognize from Netflix TV mini-series The Haunting Of Hill House ) as the savage leader Ravener. A very good performance, with a character you won´t forget. Director Teddy Grennan manage to balance all ingredients in this horror/thriller in a professional way. Ravage ( also known as Swing Low ) is definetely worth checking out if you are looking for a great film, especially if you are a fan of revenge horror films. One thing is clear though, im not going to visit any Redneck country for quite some time. If i hear any banjos start playing, don´t be suprised if you see me running ( i will most likely only show up if i hear the Hanson christmas album, only then i can feel safe ).

Rating: DDD