Why You Should Watch Mindhunter On Netflix

Cheers everyone!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are in this world. As you might have noticed, i have published a lot of reviews since this summer, and i am happy to see that my readers seems to be enjoying the reviews so far. There are more coming in October, so have no fear, lot´s of good stuff coming your way.

Today i wanted to make a post about something completely different, and that is to give you a recommendation on a Netflix TV series that you should check out. And that is the TV series known as Mindhunter. This series is exactly my kind of TV series, with high quality acting and is very well made. Mindhunter is based on the 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside The FBI´s Elite Serial Crime Unit writtern by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Mindhunter revolvs around FBI agents Holden Ford ( Jonathan Groff ) and Bill Tench ( Holt McCanally ), along with psychologist Wendy Carr ( Anna Torv ), who operate the FBI´s Behavioral Science Unit within the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Together, they launched a research project to interview imprisoned serial killers to understand their psychology with the hope of applying this knowledge to solve ongoing cases.

There are several reasons why both seasons of Mindhunter is really good. First of all they do a wondeful job to capture the time period of each season. You can feel the atmosphere of the 70´s in the first season, and they also manage to capture the right feeling of the 80´s in the second season. Both seasons also have really good acting performances from the whole cast, and lead actors Jonathan Groff and Holt McCanally is a perfect match for their characters. Both seasons manage to tell the storyline in a very powerful way, and build up tensions for each episode. I am not suprised why legendary director David Fincher is one of the producers on this TV series. He is well known for having a good taste in quality productions, and you can almost feel a little bit of David Fincher vibes in the production. Worth mentioning is that actress Charlize Theron is also one of the producers on this TV series, wich is also a sign that this is a quality production ( Charlize is well known for having a good taste, especially in films ). There are rumours that season 3 of Mindhunters may be on the way, but nothing is officially confirmed yet. So i am really hoping that we get another season, since i feel that there is much more to be told about FBI agents Holden Ford, Bill Tench and their work with psychologist Wendy Carr. If you enjoy crime TV series, then you definetely need to see Mindhunter. Knowing that this is actually based on a real research project, makes this TV series even more interesting. Fingers crossed that we get a season 3 confirmed, and i will be jumping of joy.

So head over to Netflix, type in Mindhunter, and you will have a really good time guaranteed, going back to the 70´s and 80´s, how can anyone say no to that? Exactly, you can´t. I have plenty of reviews for all of you to read this upcoming month. And i will especially be focusing on horror films in October, since it is close to the Halloween weekend then, so if you are a fan of independent horror films, next month will be fantastic. See you all next month, take care everyone, and remember, never trust any Norwegians, especially wearing a folk dress and a violin. They are more dangerous than you could ever imagine.

Cheers from Daniel!

SAS: Rise Of The Black Swan ( SAS: Red Notice )

There is something special about military action films. Just to see some violence, guns, fighting, military style, it all feels welcome to me. Since i grew up watching a lot of military action films in the 80´s, you knew what to expect. You would get that wonderful dialogue, that may not have made a lot of sense, but that was the whole idea. It was very important to show muscles, that when you had to kick ass, you made sure that person would not stand up again. Let us not forget about weapons, they had to be in close up, so you knew someone was going to clean up the trash. As the years went by, military action films did improve, when it comes to telling a story, and being well made as well. A perfect example of that is the 2013 action film Lone Survivor from director Peter Berg. Based on the biographical novel Lone Survivor by author Marcus Luttrell, with assistance from novelist and ghostwriter Patrick Robinson. Lone Survivor tells the story of the unsuccessfull United States Navy SEALs counter-insurgent mission Operation Red Wings, during wich a four-man SEAL team, was given the task to track down Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. This is one of those films that was actually better than i expected, with strong performances from actors such as Mark Wahlber ( who plays Marcus Lottrell ), Taylor Kitsch ( who plays Michael Murphy ) and Emile Hirsch ( who plays Danny Dietz ). There are other great performances as well, but what makes this film especially good is the way that director Peter Berg manage to tell this story, in a powerful and realistic way. Lone Survivor is a must see, if you are a fan of military action films. Check out the Blu Ray release and listen to some really nice special features. During this summer i discovered a film i have never even heard of called SAS: Rise Of The Black Swan. I love to be surprised, when i see a film that shows up and heard nothing about it, so i finally sat down to watch this film on Netflix, to see if it would be any good. Is this one of the better action films released this year, or is SAS: Rise Of The Black Swan just as bad as professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya´s latino pop album Oscar De La Hoya, released in the year of 2000?

Black Swans, a family-owned private military led by American citizens William Lewis ( Tom Wilkinson ) and his adult children Grace Lewis ( Ruy Rose ) and Oliver Lewis ( Owain Yeoman ), was hired by SAS commander George Clements ( Andy Serkis ) to help a transnational gas pipeline clear through a remote village, located at the Gveil Pass in Georgia. The faced resistance and started a massacre. What they don´t know is that everything was secretely filmed by a young girl. Black Swans are now in trouble, and recieve red notices, accused of crimes against humanity.

If you have been looking for a military action film that feels like a throwback to the 90´s. then you might actually enjoy SAS: Rise Of The Black Swan. This is a very simple action film in many ways, with a lot of typical cliches, and that´s ok. Sometimes, you just want to have a good time, and watch a film that does not need a lot of thinking, and rely on entertaining the action audience instead. We need films like these to still be made, so i appreciate that Netflix released this film, so more people can discover the passion of military action films. Since a lot of films these days focus a lot on CGI effects, this film definetely tries to go more old school instead. We have to talk about the characters, and one of them who specifically stands out, is of course actress Ruby Rose ( known from her past as a MTV presenter in Australia, and working on music as well ) as the character Grace Lewis. The thing i like most about actress Ruby Rose, is that she is actually a perfect actor in action films. This is her kind of genre, instead of making drama films or romantic comedies, she should be making action films in the future. Because i feel that she have the right kind of personality for this genre, and she does her action scenes well. I have seen her in other action films such as XXX: Return Of Xander Cage, John Wick Chapter 2, and recently in the action film Doorman. If she continue on this path to make action films, i just know she have a lot more to offer the audience in the future. We also have legendary actor Tom Wilkinson ( who have been in so many classics such as In The Name Of The Father, The Full Monty and Rush Hour ) as the character William Lewis. Tom have such a natural way to portrait any kind of character, so this is definetely a perfect match for him in this role, Really nice to see legendary actor Andy Serkis ( who portrayed Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy ) in this film as well. If you are hoping for a very intelligent plot, you won´t find it in this film. But i can accept that, since i feel that this film was made for an audience who just want a traditional military action film, and this actually helps this film work. Norwegian Director Magnus Martens have no problem constructing this film, knowing that this is what old school action fans are looking for. SAS: Rise Of The Black Swan is a great choice for a cozy Netflix evening at home, if you enjoy military violence, just like myself. Anyone have a AK-47 lying around the kitchen table? I thought i should go outside and do some.... autumn gardening work.

Rating: DDD

The Heiress

When i started working in health care in the summer of 1999, i remember meeting a patient who had epileptic seizures. My first reaction was, i became worried. I was not used to meet someone who had epileptic seizures. But i learned through a work collegue of mine, how to help the patient if a seizure does happen. You might not think about it if you are not working in health care, but there are a lot of people worldwide who have epileptic seizures. Some have smaller ones, while some have bigger seizures. And whenever i meet a younger generation of health care workers, i can bring up the importance of knowing about epilepsy, and what it actually means. Because if a human do fall to the ground, and is not taken care of correctly, it could cause damage to the patient. So if you know how to help that person in the best possible way, you could save their life. It is also good to know what could eventually start epileptic seizures, such as disco lights, or if you drink alcohol. There are of course other reasons as well, such as a severe head injury, a brain tumour or a stroke. Speaking of epilepsy, there is actually a very good film that you should see, that brings up the subject of a patient who lives with epileptic seizures. And that film is called Electric, directed by Bryn Higgins. Electric tells the story of Lily O´Connor, who is trying to live life as normal as she can, even though she does have epileptic seizures. She finds out that her brother may be alive, who she thought have been dead for a long time. So she decides to travel to see him, even though this journey could be dangerous for her, with her epileptic seizures. Electric is a really well made British drama film, with top class acting from the whole cast, especlally lead actress Agyness Deyn as the main character Lily. To be able to play a person with epileptic seizures, and make it look realistic is not easy to do. I suggest that you pick this film up from the UK on DVD, a must see if you like really powerful drama films. Speaking of epilepsy, earlier this year i was reading reviews on a British indepemdent horror film called The Heiress, about a woman who suffer with epiletic seizures, and i became very curious to check this film out. A very interesting idea for a horror film, so the question is, did this film turn out to be quite good, or is this almost as bad as the horrible film Urban Legends: Final Cut?

The sisters Claire ( Candis Nergaard ) and Anna ( Jayne Wisener ) have just said their last goodbye, to their beloved Nan. While they grief, Claire is trying to deal with her life as good as she can, since she is having seizures, everyday. Her sister Anna is worried about her, and do the best she can to take care of her sister. Claire is not only struggling with her seizures, but she begin to see people in her home as well. Is this all connected to her seizures, and her mental state, or is there another explanation?

I have only seen one film from director Chris Bell, and that is a film he directed with Steven M. Smith, simply called Hooligans At War: North Vs South from 2015. It has been a while since i saw that film on DVD from the UK, but i still remember that film for one reason. This was one of those films you could easily forget, once you have seen it, because it was not good. But the good news is that director Chris Bell have definetely taken his directing skills to a complete different level with The Heiress. Not only does this film look more professional than Holligans At War, you can actually find some good acting performances in The Heiress. Not only does this film have some good acting performances, but i do enjoy the background story of the main character Claire ( played by wonderful actress Candis Nergaard, who some of you might recognize from the 2014 TV mini series Glue ). There are a few scenes where you get to see the main character Claire have seizures, and i think that actress Candis did a realistic portrait of a person, who is struggling with her diagnose. So how does the horror story work in the plot? Surprisingly good, and i think the idea of Candis seeing a mysterious people, walking around her home, is actually quite effective. Remember, this is a film on a very limited budget, so to be able to make a horror film that works with these ideas combined, proves that anything can be done, if you just have a good idea. We have to talk about some of the other actors as well. Actress Jayne Wisener who plays Candis sister Anne, have no problem delivering a performance that match the character well. Director Chris Bell also have a part in this film, as the character Brad, and he definetely does a better performance here than in Hooligans At War. One thing i think this film does right, is to tell the story from how the main character Claire is trying to deal with everyday life. I can imagine that there are people out there, who can recognize themselves in Claire, how hard it can be having mental problems. Even if there are supernatural influences here, this definetely makes the story feel more interesting, since we really don´t know what is going on. The Heiress is a British independent horror film that works better than i expected. Director Chris Bell could be a name to look after in the future, if he continue on this path in the horror genre. Definetely worth a watch, if you appreciate old school horror films.

Rating: DDD

Baphomet

The battle between good and evil, have been written down in religious scriptures worldwide, for thousands of years. Every religion have their own view on what this battle looks like, and what Gods are good or bad. We could probably sit here for hours to discuss different religious beliefs, at the end of the day, we all have different views on religion. I will say this, i am fascinated by crazy people like Jim Bakker, who actually believe you can survive the Apocalypse, if you buy his coffee. I get it, he needs to sell his products, so why not bring in the Apocalypse as the main reason, to survive if you actually drink his coffee. But it all honesty, im not surprised anymore that there are people who believe that everything he says is true. After all, brainwashing people have been around for thousands of years, as long as religions have existed, how about that folks? Looks like we are beginning to see a pattern here. When it comes to religions in films, we have ( a lot ) to choose between, but i thought we should specifically look into a film that takes on the issue of Satanism. Yes, the religion where you worship Satan, instead of Bacon ( there actually is a Church Of Bacon, simply called United Church Of Bacon,  look it up ). I never really understood why you would worship Satan, but i suppose if you can worship religious male cult leaders, who only have sex with men ( because that makes perfect sense ), and even aliens who made human women pregnant with Jesus, then i guess anything is possible. The specific film that i have on my mind, is the 1987 horror film Prince Of Darkness from legendary director John Carpenter. A Catholic priest ( played wonderful by legendary actor Donald Pleasence ) invites Professor Howard Birack ( Victor Wong ) and his students to join him in the basement of a Los Angeles monastery belonging to "The Brotherhood Of Sleep". The priests requires the assistance of Professor Howard´s team, to investigate a mysterious cylinder containing a swirling green liquid, described as the corporeal embodiment of Satan. The whole team will soon discover the evil powers of this cylinder. Prince Of Darkness is not only a really good horror film, but this film does a really good job using satanic influences, into the story. If you love the horror films of John Carpenter, this is a must see, especially on Blu Ray, that have some wonderful special features. Speaking of satanic, i have been curious to check out a satanist horror film called Baphomet, where i noticed that Dani Filth, lead singer of metal band Cradle Of Filth, is in this film. Since i enjoy wonderful happy summer songs, that Cradle Of Filth is known for, i simply had to take a look at Baphomet, Is this the film that may inspire people for a more happier loving world, or is Baphomet just as bad as Aaron Carter´s 4th studio album Another Earthquake ?

Satanic cult leader Henrik Brandr ( Giovanni Lombardo Radice ) wants the ranch owned by Jacob Richardson ( Colin Ward ), so he sends his son Askel Brandr ( Stephen Brodie ) to try and convince Jacob that he should sell his ranch, and that they are willing to pay a very big amount of money. Jacob does not take any offer, and makes it very clear, he is not selling his home. Jacob does not know, that this is the beginning of a nightmare, not only for himself, but for his whole family as well.

If you´re not a fan of satanism, this film is probably not for you. If you are a fan of the 2010 dance film Step Up 3D, then Baphomet might be exactly what you have been looking for. Not that these films have a lot in common, but they are definetely both influenced by satanism ( you can tell just looking at the DVD cover of Step Up 3D, all the signs of Satan are there ). Baphomet feels like a throwback to the satanic films of the 70´s, with the exception of that the film takes place in modern day instead. Let us begin with mentioning the best part of Baphomet, and i especially enjoy the scenes of the satanic religious cult, when they sacrifice an innocent woman. I also enjoy when the satanists attack the family towards the end, and i was especially surprised to see satanists using sniper rifles, have that ever been done before? I actually appreciate that idea, since its fun to see that even satanists can develope, and not only use knives to kill. When it comes to the characters, we have a very mix bag here, but i do enjoy the performance of female character Marybeth,  played by actress Charlotte Bjornbak. To be honest, she should have had a bigger role in this film. Her character have a very interesting, and mysterious personality, and i would have liked to know more about her background. I actually think that she should have her own film, as the character Marybeth. How did she become the white witch? Did she experience a big tragedy in her past, that made her who she is today? Legendary Italian actor Giovanni Lombardo Rice ( who have been in classic horror films such as Cannibal Ferox and Deliria ) plays the satanic cult leader Henrik Brandr. He is without a doubt one of the characters that match very well in his role, and he knows how to portrait a very disturbed religious cult leader. Actress Rebecca Weaver deliver a natural performance as Rebecca Neville, a woman who struggle with a lot of personal tragedies. Nice to see actor Stephen Brodie ( worth checking out in Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich ), who is one of the satanic members. The satanic horror influences in this film is definetely the most positive surprise for me about Baphomet, even if you can sense that it could have been developed deeper. We have to get into some negative details as well. There is especially one strange scene, where a police officer bring out dynamite, that felt unnecessary. If you have guns, you don´t need dynamite to fight satanists. The cop who suggest the dynamite, did not have a good acting day. He gives a performance that is easy to forget. If you can accept some flaws, and appreciate classic satanic horror influences in a simple, but interesting story, Baphomet manage to put the pieces of the puzzle together in a surprising way. Director Matthan Harris have definetely tried to do a horror film that´s definetely a bit different than other satanist horror films i have seen, and i appreciate that he tried another path. Baphomet is worth picking up on DVD or Blu Ray, especially if you are looking for something to enjoy with your partner. Who needs viagra when Baphomet will spice things up in your love life?

Rating: DDD

CarousHELL 2

Autumn, the coziest time of the year. To walk around in the forest and collect autumn leaves, there is nothing better in this world. So why would you want to collect autumn leaves? Trust me, there is nothing sexier than having dried autumn leaves, in a well designed scrapbook. Just imagine turning each page, looking at the corners of every leaf, the colors, the incredible design of a leaf, i can´t imagine that anything would be more sexier than this. Does this mean i have my own scrapbooks of dried autumn leaves? Of course, what else am i supposed to look at to get turned on? A beautiful woman perhaps? Yes, i don´t mind that either, but the shape of a leaf is different, it´s quite hard to explain. Let´s just say i suggest that you try making your own leaf scrapbook, and i am sure you will soon find out your new passion. I would personally like to start my own association, where i gather people from all over the world with scrapbooks of dried leaves. I think the perfect name for this association would be Lust With Leaves. I am hoping for at least 20 members, so we could have members meetings and discuss leaves for 3 hours, in every meeting. I might be able to give everyone a cup of tea at the meetings, but be prepared that there will only be one tea flavor ( why make it complicated? ) Since i did mention how cozy autumn is, i think this is a perfect moment to mention a cozy film, and that is of course the 2016 horror comedy CarousHELL, from director Steve Rudzinski. It is quite difficult to find any film similar to CarousHELL, and this is why it probably got a lot of attention, especially online. I am not sure how well the film made in DVD sales, but i have a feeling that the film did gather a cult film following, since i still hear people talking about it today, 5 years later. I had a really good time with CarousHELL, and if you have not bought the DVD, you should. I have been hearing about a sequel for some time, and then i noticed an Indiegego campaign for CarousHELL2. It was nice to see that people wanted a sequel. So here we are in 2021, with the next chapter of CarousHELL. I was curious to see if this film would be as entertaining as the first film, so the question is, does this sequel work better than the original film, or is CarousHELL 2 just as bad as the Kevin Sorbo film Faith Under Fire?

Duke ( the voice of actor Steve Rimpici ) have had a good run, killing people who deserved to be killed. But now he finds out that he is actually a father, to a unicorn. Life suddenly have a purpose, until nazis mess up everything. It´s time for Duke to show the world once more, why unicorns don´t take shit from anyone, especially not from nazis.

To make a worthy sequel to a beloved film, is not easy. You have to be able to capture the right tone of the original film, and add some surprises as well, without loosing a connection to the original idea. And i have some good news for you, this sequel is actually better than i expected. Not only does this film manage to pick up really well from the first film, but we also find out more about the background story of the unicorn Duke ( still done brilliant by voice actor Steve Rimpici ). Knowing that Duke is now a father of another unicorn, this film definetely tries to go deeper into Duke´s life. One of the best parts of CarousHELL 2, is the nazi characters. Not only are they really funny, but they match mutch better than i expected, into the story of this film. Actress Aleen Isley as nazi leader Ilsa, is really funny. You can tell she had a really good time doing such a wacky character, and Ilsa is exactly who you would want to invite to a family dinner. If no one is having a good time there, you know Ilsa will get the party started. We also have to talk about wonderful actress Rebecca Rinehart as the nazi character Katrina. I have always felt in the past, that Rebbeca is one of a kind when it comes to making characters, in her own uniqe way. And you can clearly see that in this film, especially her comedy timing. She deliver some really funny scenes, and i have a feeling that she had a really good time while making this film. Katrina is exactly the kind of woman you would want at your bachelor party, because you never know what she would do, with no limits on her mind. What about the male actors? Terence Lee Cover as the nazi character Otto, is another great match for this film. He have good comedy timing, and i love the look of his character, he looks exactly what you would expect from a nazi librarian. The brutal kills that we got in the first film, they are here in this sequel as well, and they did a really good job on the practical effects. Director Steve Rudzinski deliver a sequel that is not only funnier than the first film, but also give us a deeper perspective on Duke. CarousHELL 2 is a must watch for those who enjoyed the first film, and appreciate quality films.

Rating: DDDD

CarousHELL

There are moments in life when you feel like you are on top of the world, and everything seems to be heading in the right direction. You don´t really know why, or how, but it´s just one of those moments you should be thankful for. Some people might feel this way after they tried a new job, or perhaps they went viral on Tik Tok. For me personally, the moment i felt that everything is going my way, was when i got to experience director Todd Sheet´s wonderful film Clownado. It is hard not to get emotional when i think about Clownado, because these are one of the few films that i felt was made for me. This film have everything, and i mean everything you could wish for. A fantastic story, acting performances out of this world, special effects that are made with passion, and of course this film have clowns in tornados. When you think about it, there is not much more you could ask for. If you have not seen Clownado yet, you should pick up a DVD or see it on Amazon Prime. There are of course a number of films i could easily mention that are worth waching, for a number of reasons. But let us dig into one film, that some of you might have seen, or at leas heard of. Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a true 80´s classic, when it comes to the combination of horror and comedy. Directed by The Chiodo Brothers, this film takes place near the town called Crescent Cove, where farmer Gene Green ( Royal Dano ), see a light in the sky and believe it might be Halley´s Comet. Local teenagers Mike Tobacco ( Grant Cramer ) and his girlfriend Debbie Stone ( Suzanne Snyder ), decides to go have a look at the crash site. Turns out that this is no comet, but a circus tent-like structure, with flesh eating clowns. This is one of those films you have to own on DVD or Blu Ray, Killer Klowns From Outer Space will forever be a fan favourite, in horror communities worldwide. I have heard several years about a film called CarousHELL, where a unicorn from a carousel attack humans. I remember seeing the trailer back in 2016, but never actually picked up any DVD, until now. I just knew that i had to see CarousHELL, hoping it would be something out of this world. Is it possible that CarousHELL is better than i expected, or is this film just as bad as Kevin Federline´s horrible pop rap album Playing With Fire? 

Duke ( the voice of actor Steve Rimpici ) is a carousel unicorn, who is fed up with being treated like shit. After the child Luchbox ( Teague Shaw ) rides the unicorn Duke in the carousel, he takes off on a killing spree. It´s time to show everyone, that unicorns are not as nice, as you might have thought.

How do we describe a film like CarousHELL? Well, i think you should think like this. Imagine if you are in a Super Market and you find so much delicious fruit, you don´t know wich ones to choose. This is the same feeling you get with CarousHELL, since this film have a lot of treats to offer, no matter what your flavor is. Not only is the idea of a carousel unicorn attacking brilliant, but this film knows exactly how to find a balance between horror and comedy, and take it to the next level. I have seen a lot of horror comedies over the years, and its always tricky to combine these genres. You have to be able to do it with an idea that actually works, and a perfect example of when it did not work at all is the 2016 horror comedy Boo! A Madea Halloween ( holy crap, this is really bad ). And this is why we need a film like CarousHELL, to stear un into the right direction. If you are a fan of practical make up effects, and love bloody kills, this film will definetely please you. There are some really funny scenes where the caroushell unicorn go absolutely nuts, and this is actually the best part of the film. What about the characters? Let´s talk about actor Teague Shaw, who plays Lunchbox. Child actors can be very divided on films, some of them turn out to be good, while some don´t feel like they fit with the character. In the case of Lunchbox, he is definetely the perfect choice for this character. He is funny, and have good timing on his dialogue. Actress Sé Marie as the character Lauren, is definetely the best character of this film. She is cocky, not afraid to express what´s on her mind. However, the funniest character in this film is without a doubt director Steve Rudzinski as the pizza delivery man Joe. He is the perfect example of a nerd, who can´t read the signals of a woman. There are some really funny moments between Joe and Lauren, she´s horny, and all he thinks about is getting his money for the pizza. Most guys would probably stop caring about the pizza money, but not Joe, he is a devoted hard worker. The practical make up effects is definetely one of the things that fans of independent horror will appreciate. We get some really brutal kills, just the way we like it. CarousHELL is not only a really fun ride, it also shows that you probably should respect unicorns more, or they might fuck you up. Director Steve Rudzinski knows exactly how to construct this odd story, and turn it into a delightful B movie. CarousHELL will not only make your day better, you might actually learn something as well, how can anyone say no to that?

Rating: DDDD

John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise

In the late 80´s, i used to visit the local library with my mother and sister. I did go there with school friends as well, but my mother loved reading books, so she would take me and my 4 year old sister to the library, to have a look at different books. My sister was of course excited about children books, and she would open some of them, having a look at the colorful pictures. At this time i was about 11 years old, and i was starting to look at other kinds of books than classic fairy tales. I was especially curious about the novels of Stephen King, since i have already seen the films Salem´s Lot, Maximum Overdrive and Firestarter as well on VHS. I was especially curious about a novel called The Shining, since i remember my uncle talked about the film on VHS. As i was going through some book shelves, i especially remember one book, that caught my attention. And it was a book about serial killers, and on the cover was pictures of several well known serial killers. One of the pictures that caught my attention was a clown, that turned out to be serial killer John Wayne Gacy. My mother saw i was looking at that book and said:- Perhaps you should look for another book, this is more for adults. I did not open the book in the library, but the picture of John Wayne Gacy dressed up as a clown, stuck in my mind. Let´s move forward to the year of 1995, when i was inside one of our local VHS stores, in my hometown. It was here i discovered a VHS rental release of To Catch A Killer, a TV mini series split into 2 parts. This TV mini series told the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, played brilliant by legendary actor Brian Dennehy ( who´s done so many wonderful performances in his career, especially as Sheriff Teasle in the 1982 action drama First Blood, with Sylvester Stallone ). I have seen this TV mini series many times, and it is still really good. The story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy will always be fascinating to me, even how disturbed he was, it is hard to understand how he could do all these horrific murders. I finally sat down to watch the TV mini series documentary called John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise, that i have been looking forward to see for several months. Is this a must watch for people who are interested in criminal cases, or should you skip this one and watch the classic TV mini series To Catch A Killer instead?

In 1978, a man named John Wayne Gacy was arrested in Chicago, suspected of murdering young teenage boys. It turns out that he murdered at least 33 young boys. Hear the stories from the people who knew him, and hear John Wayne Gacy himself tell his side of the story. 

TV mini series can be difficult to make really interesting, unless you have a story that you know will affect a lot of people, in an emotional way. John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise does not only tell a lot of details about the life of one of the most brutal serial killers of all time, but you also get to hear the stories from family, people who investigated in Gacy, as well as hearing from people who knew him. There are so many interesting details told in these 6 episodes, you won´t be bored at all. Each episode does a really good job by telling the story in the right order, and does not jump too much in time periods. The fact that they managed to get so many people on board to be interviewed, who actually got to experience this chaos, is quite impressive. It must be very difficult going back in time and talk about their experiences, and especially the people who digged out the bodies underneath the house of Gacy. I can´t imagine how you handle that, without breaking apart inside. There are also some interesting stories told that i have not heard about John Wayne Gacy before, and these details give you a completely different perspective on his personality. He clearly knew how to manipulate people, in all parts of society. You do get to see pictures from the digging underneath the house, but they try not to show too much horrible details, and i actually think that this is good. Since there were so many young boys murdered by Gacy, you don´t need to go into too graphic details. We also get a lot of private pictures shown from Gacy´s family, as well as his wedding, and even from his involvement in politics. I don´t think there is any documentary that have told the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, as well as this TV mini series does. If you are interested in this specific case, i guarantee you want to see all these episodes. Director Rob Blackburst ( who directed the really good Netflix doxumentary Amanda Knox, well worth checking out ) have clearly worked really hard on this TV mini series, and does a really good job on telling the story, for each episode. This year have only a few months left, and i can honestly say, John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise, may be the best TV mini series of this year.

Rating: DDDD

Horrible Horror Films Of The 90´s: Children Of The Corn 666: Isaac´s Return

Ah yes, the 90´s. If you were a teenager like me at that time, you remember what a great time it was. The 90´s had so much crazy stuff going on, with everything from different music genres combined, a lot of crazy films, and of course the amazing clothes of the 90´s. My favourite time of the 90´s was definetely from the middle of the 90´s, when all the crazy shit took place in my life at that time. All the great concerts we went to, the moments we would get drunk and just live life, good times. Im actually happy that i got to experience this period of time, because there was so much about the 90´s that actually made a lot of impact in our lives. Even if there are a lot of things i am thankful for about the 90´s, there were some bad things about this time period as well. Especially some films that was released at that time, and i can easily mention a couple of titles that have not aged well with time. A perfect example of that, is the 1998 horror film Carnival Of Souls. A loosely based remake of the 1962 film, that is also called Carnival Of Souls. The 1998 version of Carnival Of Souls, is a perfect example when you have a fun idea on paper, but you can´t make anything good out of it. Carnival of Souls tries to be a scary horror film at a carnival, but feels more like a lazy attempt to cash in on fans of the original film from 1962. The 1998 version of Carnival Of Souls is just as exciting as watching someone cutting a hedge, nothing much happens. Since i was going through a list of horrible horror films of the 90´s, i came across a title that immidiately gave me an headache. And when you read a film tiltle and get a headache, you know that is definetely a bad sign. The film that made me feel this headache is the 1999 horror film known as Children Of The Corn 666: Isaac´s Return. I decided to give this film a chance, if i might actually enjoy it more than what i did, over 20 years ago. Have this film actually become better after so many years, or is Children Of The Corn 6 even worse than i remembered?

Hannah Martin ( Natalie Ramsey ), the first born child of he original Gatlin corn cult, travels to the town of Gatlin to find her real mother. But a lot of strange things are happening, as she arrives to town. It seems like the Gatlin corn cult, have never really gone away.

I am a big fan of the first two Children Of The Corn films, i actually think that the second film deserves more respect, than what it got back in the 90´s. The third film was ok, but when the fourth film landed, you could feel that the franchise was going in the wrong direction.

If you thought you could not be bored of a horror film, then do i have good news for you. This is the film you are looking for.

Children Of The Corn 666: Isaac´s Return, is the sixth film in the franchise, and to be honest, the worst of the sequels of the 90´s. This film just feels like a cheap rip off from the original film, that tries to connect with the original film, but without the passion of the first two films. It almost feels like they just wanted to cash in on the title, hoping they could make money of DVD sales in the horror community. Let´s just mention the positive about this film, and that would be the return of the character Isaac ( played by actor John Franklin ) who was in the first Children Of The Corn film. Nice to see him return into the franchise, unfortunately, they have not given him much to do here. Legendary actress Nancy Allen ( who played legendary character Officer Anne Lewis in the Robocop franchise ) can also be seen in this film, and even if i wish she would have had a bigger role, still nice to see her. Legendary actor Stacy Keach ( who is excellent in the 1981 horror thriller Road Games ) is here as well, but i actually wonder why. Did he do this film just for a paycheck? Since he is a great actor, it´s hard to understand why he would do such a bad film as this one. That was the positive about this film, so you know what comes next, the negative of course. I understand that if you have a limited budget, you try and do the best you can with what you have, but it does not really feel like they even tried very hard to make this a solid sequel. Some of the characters are very weak, and most of all, the horror scenes does not work at all. There is not one single moment in this film where i felt scared, and that probably says a lot about this sequel. Some of the camera work does not work well at all, especially a car chase scene that does not even try to be effective. That this film is directed by Kari Skogland, who recently directed the really good Disney TV mini series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, is quite incredible. You would not believe that this is the same director who made the sixth Children Of The Corn film, but she did, many years ago. She have definetely improved a lot over the years as a director, and i hope she can leave this film behind, since it is not worth wasting your precious time on. Children Of The Corn 6 is not only bad, it may also be one of the most boring horror films i have ever seen. Those who say that everything was not good about the 90´s, they are right, and this film is a perfect example of that.

Rating: D

15 Years Anniversary Review Of World Trade Center

There are certain days you remember, for a number of reasons. It could be days when your family have a new family member welcomed to the family, or if you find out that you are ok after a cancer operation ( i had surgery for cancer, and if i would not have done it, i might not be here today ). I still remember that day when i was told that they removed the cancer from me, and it looked good, they could not find any more, it was hard to hold back the tears. Knowing that you will be able to continue living life, made me realize to be thankful for a lot of things, that we may not think about. When you go through something like this, you definetely have a different perspective on life. Speaking of remembering certain days, i still remember September 11 in 2001, i was at work when a close friend called me and said:- Did you see what happened in New York? I had no idea what he was talking about, since i was working, but he said:- You need to listen to the radio, or turn on a TV if you can. At my break, i went to our lunch room at work and turned on the TV. I still remember being shocked two see that the World Trade Center have been attacked by two airplanes, that was organized by terrorist organisation al-Qaeda. I still remember the horrible pictures of people jumping out of the World Trade Center towers, as the buildings were burning. Images like that is something you will never forget, no matter how many years goes by. I also remember seeing the rescue workers, struggling to help people who were wounded. As the towers went down, and you saw the wind of dirt going through the air, you could see the fear in people´s faces. This happened 20 years ago, this year, and we will never forget what happened that day. We lost a lot of human lives that day that will always be remembered. In the year of 2006, legendary director Oliver Stone released his film World Trade Center, a film that tries to tell the story of police officers, how they tried to survive inside the buildings of World Trade Center. I have not seen this film in almost 10 years, but it felt like a perfect time to revisit the film now, at Septermber 11 in 2021, 20 years after the terrorist attacks in New York. Is this film still a solid film, or is this film not as powerful, 15 years after the release?

On September 11, 2001, members of the Port Authority Police are dispatched to Midtown Manhattan in response to the North Tower of the World Trade Center having been hit by a plane. The officers find out that the South Tower have also been hit by a plane. Seargent John McLoughlin ( Nicolas Cage ), assembles a group of volunteers including officers Will Jimeno ( Michael Pena ) and Dominick Pezzulo ( Jay Hernandez ), to retrieve rescue equipment from Building 5. But none of them are prepared, of what´s to come.....

There is no doubt that legendary director Oliver Stone went into this film, knowing that it would affect a lot of people worldwide. You can tell that he wanted to give us a portrait, of how horrible it must have been, being inside the building with so many victims. And i have to say, this film does a really good job, telling the story, just as it was. I can not say if everything is correct, in the right order, but it feels like they at least made an effort to show their respect, both to the police officers, rescue workers and the victims as well. And it feels like this is something you need to do, if you are making a film like this, knowing that it will be very emotional, especially to the familes who lost their loved ones on September 11, 2001. The cast of this film is pretty incredible, you have legendary actor Nicolas Cage ( who have both some really good, and bad films in his catalogue ) as Sergeant John McLoughlin, Michael Pena ( who is really good in the film Crash ) as police officer William J. Jimeno , and we also have wonderful actors such as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Stephen Dorff, Nicholas Turturro and many more. And when you have a cast like this, telling a story of what happened during 9/11, you know that these actors know how to give the audience realistic portraits. And they all do a great job, and you can tell they went into this film, trying to give you a feeling of the nightmare that they had to go through. One of the things i think this film does well, is to show how horrible, it must have been for police officer John McLoughlin and his co workers, not knowing if they would ever get out there alive. You can see the fear in his eyes, and hear his frustration, as he is completely stuck underground. World Trade Center is a well made film, and really manage to capture the feeling of that horrible day, through several powerful scenes. Legendary director Oliver Stone knows how to tell a story in his own unique way, and he proves that once more with this film. He is especially good at capturing historical moments, and transfer them to the big screen, as he did in his film JFK. The timing could not be better right now to watch this film, 20 years after the 9/11 attack on New York, i suggest you go watch World Trade Center on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other platform.

Rating: DDD

Black Widow

It is quite incredible how big the Marvel industry is, with so many popular comic books, and with really big budget films with so many comic book characters from the Marvel universe. Then we have all the toys, clothes, and of course video games as well, it never seems to stop. As long as people love the comic book characters, there will always be a big fan base for more merchandise, and films as well, since there are so many characters you can make fims of. Marvel have had a really successful run with their film adaptations of comic books, and when you look at some of the box office numbers for certain films, you realise the love the fans have for these films. And i can understand why, since i grew up reading comic books in the 80´s, and at that time my biggest favourite comic book was definetely The Incredible Hulk. I used to bring my Hulk comic books to school, that even my school friends told me:- Do you ever read anything else but the Hulk? One of my memories of films based on a comic book characters from Marvel, was back in 1992 when i got to experience the 1990 film Captain America from director Albert Pyun ( the director of the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Cyborg ). Since the film was not out to rent on VHS at that time in my hometown, a friend of mine in school got a VHS tape from England, where you could buy the film. I still remember the first time we watched this film, and it was bad. You could tell that director Albert Pyun was not the right guy direct a film like this, since he did not know how to give the comic book character of Captain America a solid story or a great portrait either. I can still watch this film today, just for fun, to remember the bad moments of Marvel films. So if you want to have a good laugh, watch the 1990 version of Captain America. Over the years, Marvel took their comic book material more serious, and improved their quality for films based on their comic book characters, and a perfect example of that is The Avengers films. Here you find all kinds of comic book characters such as Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Nick Fury and Black Widow. Speaking of Black Widow, who is played by wonderful actress Scarlett Johansson, she have been in all The Avengers films. She got her own film called Black Widow, a film that was delayed a lot because of the pandemic, but i was able to finally see it on Disney +. My plan was to see this film in cinema, but with restrictions in theatres, paying for the film on Disney + was a good option. Is this another high quality Marvel film, or is Black Widow a big dissapointment?

In 1995, super soldier Alexei Shostakov ( David Harbour ) and Black Widow Melina Vostokoff ( Rachel Weisz ) work as Russian undercover agents, posing as a family in Ohio with the children Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. They steal S.H.I.E.L.D. intel and escape to Cuba where their boss, General Dreykov ( Ray Winstone ) has Romanoff and Belova taken to the Red Room for training. 21 years later, Natasha Romanoff ( Scarlett Johansson ), is a fugitive for violating Slovakia Accords. She escapes from U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross ( William Hurt ) and flees to a safehouse in Norway, supplied by Rick Mason ( O-T Fagbenle ). But no matter how she tries to hide, Natasha have no way out, unless she faces her destiny, that awaits her.

If you enjoyed the Captain Marvel film from 2019 ( wich i did, and wrote a positive review on this blog ), then you are going to have a good time with Black Widow. These are very different kinds of comic book characters, so it would be wrong to compare them, since they have different backgrounds, and different super powers. When it comes to the character of Black Widow, this film really gives you a much deeper look into her personality, not only from her childhood, but also who she is at this point in her life. Actress Scarlett Johansson ( who have done so many fantastic films, especially one of my favourites with her called Lost In Translation, a must see ) have no problem doing this character in her own powerful way, both delivering some really good action scenes, but also deliver some powerful dialogue scenes as well. To be honest, i don´t think they could have chosen a better actress to play this comic book character. It feels like a perfect match, and i really hope to see her return as Black Widow. We have to talk about some other great performances as well, so let us continue with actress Florence Pugh ( who made a really good performance in the mystery horror film Midsommar, the most realistic portrait of how Swedish Midsummer actually is celebrated here in Sweden ), as the character Yelena. She is tough, not fraid of challenges, and Florence really give this character a strong portrait. I really think the character Taskmaster ( played by actress Olga Kurylenko ) works surprisingly good in this film, with a very cool look as well. One unexpected scene, is to see character Natasha watch the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, on a laptop computer. It is nice that they actually did this scene in the actual film, because it brings a nostalgic feeling for fans of James Bond, and you can actually sense that Natasha have a personality that kind of reminds me of James Bond. Who knows, maybe Scarlett should take on a similar role in the future, perhaps as the unknown daughter of James Bond? The action scenes deliver some really fun moments, in classic Marvel style, as well as bring in some unexpected surprises as well. Black Widow does not only work really well as a comic book film adaptation, but also give a completely different look into the life of Black Widow, wich makes this film even more interesting. Director Cate Shortland ( who directed the powerful war drama Lore in 2012 ) have definetely managed to tell a story of Black Widow, that both feels inspiring, but also show her true identity, compared to The Avengers films. If you are a fan of the Marvel universe, you need to see Black Widow. This film will definetely warm a lot of peoples hearts with hope this autumn, and that is exactly what we need.

Rating: DDDD

Karen

There are a lot of crazy people out there, some happen to be more crazier than others. And then we have a category of people, that will definetely make an impact, and not in a positive way. I am especially thinking about women that we would call....Karen. I think most people all over the world have met a Karen, at some point in their lives. Those are the types of women who will do anything to make their vioces be heard, but do not bring anything that will help them look good. Most of the time you will see a Karen start a fight, or they might cuss online, as if they are in World War 3, because their President Donald Trump lost the election. Sometimes they might even do really crazy shit, such as film themselves live on Facebook and go on an insane rant, so my advice if you met one of Donald Trump´s favourite women, do not start a fight, just let them make a fool of themselves. When it comes to really crazy women on film, there is especially one film that comes to my mind, is the 1987 psychological thriller Fatal Attraction. Directed by legendary director Adrien Lyne ( who directed the 1983 classic Flashdance ), this film tells the story of Daniel Gallagher ( brilliant played by legendary actor Michael Douglas ), who is a successful Manhattan lawyer. He meets Alexandra Forest ( fantastic performance from legendary actress Glenn Close ), an editor for a publishing company. When his wife and his daughter are out of town, he have an affair with Alexandra. As he spends some more time with her, he begin to see that there is something wrong with Alexandra. Fatal Attraction is the perfect example of when cheating have gone really bad, if you have sex with the wrong person. Not saying cheating is good in any way, but if you end up with a woman as Alexandra, you fucked up completely. A very effective psychological thriller that have some really insane scenes, with really strong performances. I suggest you watch it on DVD, Blu Ray, VOD, or on Netflix, and i guarantee you are in for one hell of a ride. Since we mentioned the crazy world of Karens earlier in this review, i was surprised to see this summer that a film was coming, based on the idea of a racist Karen going nuts. Could you actually make a film on this subject? I just had to see what they have tried to do with the idea of bringing a Karen into a film. Is this the best thriller of the year, or is Karen a big pile of dog shit?

Karen ( Taryn Manning ) lives in a nice neighborhood, where she loves to be in control. When the new neighbors Malik ( Cory Hardrict ) and his wife Imani ( Jasmine Burke ) move in to the house next door, Karen is not happy. They are clearly black, and can not be trusted. So Karen decides to make sure that they will not do anything wrong on this street, and she will be watching them, every day. Malik and Imani will soon find out, that this is the worst kind of neighbor you could ever wish for.

I have to make something clear. If you thought you should take this film seriously, then you should forget about that, and go into this film with a completely different mind set. Karen is one of those films i would catgorize " A Bad Film, Fun To Watch, For The Wrong Reason ". There is no way that you can take this film seriously, and especially after you have seen the whole film. This is one of those thrillers who tries to be too serious, and fails to do so. There is no psychological tension here at all, so it almost becomes as a satire instead, that is meant to be taken seriously. If they really thought that this would be a thriller that would work thanks to a Karen character, they probably should have worked harder on the plot, and the character as well. What does make this film fun to watch, even though it is not supposed to be fun? That is the character Karen, played by actress Taryn Manning ( who you might have seen in the 2005 film Hustle & Flow ).  This is not the best acting performance of the year, but i got to give it to Taryn Manning, she must have had fun playing this character. She may not be able to make this Karen as horrible as the real Karens out there across America, but at least you can enjoy her performance from a comedy perspective. The racist undertone in this film is very clear, and you can cleary see that Karen is a pure racist, all the way through. Some of the dialogue she throws out there are just hilariously bad, and remember, this is not supposed to be a funny film, but a thriller. One of the actors who do give some kind of serious acting performance, is actor Cory Hardrict ( who you can see in the Clint Eastwood film American Sniper ) as the character Malik. At least he gives a performance that matches with his character. Karen may be one of the most odd films of this year, and i have a feeling that we won´t see anything like this film, this year. It is a very strange mix of a thriller, with a racist undertone, that you can´t take serious. Director Coke Daniels probably wanted to make a thriller that would bring up the subject of racist people, and i don´t have a problem with that, since we need to adress that racism is not ok. But when you can´t take a film seriously, when it actually have a racist character as the lead character, they clearly missed the whole point with this film. So, for me, this is more of a satire instead, that proves that you can make films that will make you laugh, that´s not even supposed to be funny. Karen is definetely one of the strangest films i have seen in a long time, and maybe that´s why i had fun watching it, because i can´t take anything serious with this film. It´s just so bad, that it becomes entertaining to watch. I don´t know about you, but i definetely don´t want a Karen on my street, who knows what she put in her fruit cake?

Rating: DDD

Threshold

Road trips can be really fun, exhausting but also inspiring. I suppose it all depends on who you go on a road trip with, if it is with a family member, some friends, or some relative ( that you can not stand ). One of the best road trips i have ever done was the summer 0f 2004, when me, Sharon, John, and his two kids went all over Scotland. We started from Edinburgh and went all the way to the Highlands at Isle of Skye. We did stay at a Breakfast And Bed hotel, owned by one of Sharon´s family members, so we would start from there in the morning and walk on foot, on the fantastic Scottish Highlands. I still remember the amazing view we had, as we were standing on the top of one mountain, looking down at the Highlands. I remember in a small village, we were invited to a local pub where the owner found out i am from Sweden. Since he was a big fan of football player Henrik Larsson, he gave me a big drinking glass of whiskey and said:- This is on the house. I have never seen so much whiskey in a drinking glass before, it was the size of a big IKEA drinking glass, so you can imagine it was easy for me to get drunk. We hiked on the Highlands for a few days, until we started packing up to go back to Edinburgh, but on the way back we took a different road, so we could stop at some other well known Scottish locations. This road trip in Scotland is one of the road trips i will never forget, because the company i had on this trip was so fun, and we all had a good time on this journey. I also remember playing the Swedish artist Gunther feauturing The Sunshine Girls on CD in the car, as everyone started singing along to Ding Dong Song ( one of the greatest Swedish summer song classics ). Speaking of road trips, there are several really good films that takes place during a road trip. One of my personal favourite films in this genre, is the Australian horror film Wolf Creek from 2005. This film tells the story of two British tourists, Liz Hurley ( Cassandra Magrath ) and Kristy Earl ( Kestir Morassi ) who are backpacking across the country with their Australian friend Ben Mitchell ( Nathan Phillips ). They have no idea, that the man they meet  known as Mick Taylor ( John Jarrat ), is a sadistic serial killer. Wolf Creek is a very brutal and well made horror film, that is a must see, especially if you love films about serial killers. The performance of John Jarrat definetely helps this film work so well. Definetely worth picking up on DVD or Blu Ray. I have been hearing some positive reviews about a film called Threshold, that is supposed to be a road trip film. Since i am a fan of this genre, is Threshold a positive surprise, or should you skip this one and watch something else?

Leo ( Joey Millin ) gets a call from his mother, who is worried about his sister Virginia ( Madison West ), and ask him to go check on her. Leo knows his sister history of struggling with a drug addiction. He finds her in really bad shape, but in just a short while, she seems fine again. He finds out that she have been cursed by a sinister religious cult. A bonding ritual performed on her, was said to help with her addiction. But something happened to Virginia as she was a part of this cult, that affect her, and Leo agree to go on a road trip with Virginia, to confront her past from the religious cult.

I am always open minded to watch films that tries to tell the struggles between a sister and a brother, especially when one of them are addicted to drugs. In this case it is the sister, while the brother have promised to take care of her. Knowing how addiction works ( i lost a dear friend of mine in the summer of 2010 in a drug overdose, so i know how bad things can end, not being able to save him ), i feel that this film manage to capture the addiction through the character Virginia. We have to talk about the two main characters, and since i mentioned Virginia, let us begin with actress Madison West ( who can be seen in the David Fincher film Mank, on Netflix ). I really feel that she is trying to portrait a young woman, who is struggling with her addiction, but also with her mental issues. Madison manage to bring those emotions out in her performance. Actor Joe Millin who plays the brother of Madison, also manage to bring a performance that match this story. The road trip with these characters bring some interesting discussions, and of course some problems as well, especially when Madison is trying to deal with her past in a religious cult. I have to mention that this is definetely a film for independent film fans, who appreciate a film that is more focused on telling an old fashioned story, and not focusing on following any trends. Does the religious cult part of this film work, outside of the road trip? I would say that this is where the film really get interesting, and i would have liked to see a little bit more of the cult. I have to mention the great looking cinematography by Powell Robinson, who manage to capture the American landscape really well. Directors Powell Robinson and Patrick Robert Young have made a film that does not only show how addiction works, but also give a glimpse of the danger of religious cult in an effective way. Threshold is definetely worth checking out, i suggest you pick up the Blu Ray from Arrow Video.

Rating: DDD

Cannibal Troll

When most of us think about trolls, we might think about ugly looking creatures from Scandinavian folklore. They were giant, monstrous beings, sometimes possessing magic powers. Trolls lived in castles and haunted the surrounding districts after dark. I rememeber as a little boy reading story books about trolls, and i especially remember some creepy looking images. I even had nightmares about seeing trolls in the forest, as if they were actually waiting out there. I remember when i was in the forest with my friends playing, i would look around just in case they would be out there. My image of trolls changed of course, as i started to see other versions of trolls in cartoon shows, and in animated films as well. And my image of trolls would forever change becuase of one film, that is probably known as one of the great classics of the 90´s, but not for beeing good. And that is of course the 1990 cult film Troll 2, a very bizarre horror comedy that definetely is a must see. Even if the creatures themselves are known as goblins in the film, you could say thay they have a similar look to trolls ( however, in this film the practical make up effects are really bad, wich makes this film even more fun ). This film tells the story of parents Michael Waits ( George Hardy ) and Diana Waits ( Margo Prey ), take their kids Joshua Waits ( Michael Paul Stephenson ), and Holly Waits ( Connie Young ) to the countryside, as their father Michael always dreamed about being a farmer. So they travel to the rural farming community of Nilbog. What they don´t know, is that Nilbog is the kingdom of goblins. Troll 2 have some of the most insane horror comedy scenes ever made, with some really crazy ideas thrown together. And i think this is why this is such a cult classic, because you can´t find anything similar to this film, it definetely is original in many different ways. Pick up the Blu Ray of Troll - The Complete Collection, and see both films, including some nice special features. Speaking of trolls, i have heard about a low budget independent horror film called Cannibal Troll, and of course i needed to check it out. A cannibal troll in the forest sounds like my kind of film, question is, is this even better than i expected, or is Cannibal Troll a film you should not waste your precious time on?

A group of female friends go out to camp in the countryside, to enjoy themselves and to get away from ordinary day life. But what they don´t know, is that in this forest, lives a cannibal troll ( Zuza Tehanu ), who is looking for fresh victims. 

I really hoped that this film would be fun, and there are a couple of good ideas with Cannibal Troll. Unfortunatley, this film have some major issues that we need to discuss. First of all the teeth of the Cannibal Troll, they are sticking out in all directions. It looks so silly, that you can´t take this troll seriously. The mask itself is not all bad, but the teeth is so badly done, that someone should have said:- This is never going to work, since this is a troll who is a cannibal. Another detail that does not work is the house of the troll. It is a cozy cabin with nice lamps, lovely furniture, and i wonder if this house was meant to look scary. It definetely does not feel like the home of a cannibal troll, you would probably let him live in a cave, where he feeds on human flesh. Maybe this troll is really good at fixing cozy homes, but it just does not match well with the character. I do feel that the idea behind the cannibal troll is a good idea, so if they only would have done this character in a much more effective way, this film could have worked. What about the female cast? I don´t really have much to complain about, most of the characters are ok ( considering all the problems that this film is clearly struggling with ). I have to mention actress Megan Purvis in this film, who i recently reviewed in her film Medusa. Nice to see her in this film as well, i only wish she would have a stronger character. So does this film work as a horror film? No, this is not a scary film, or a horror film that you can take seriously in any way. The main issue is that you don´t really feel like this is a troll who really is a cannibal, since you don´t really see any real effective cannibal scenes at all. If they really wanted to sell the idea of this troll being a cannibal, they should have went for it with some effective practical effects, where you actually see the troll eating human body parts. There are just a few scenes where we do have a little bit of fun, when the troll attacks with shooting arrows. Not a bad idea, but should have been done more effectively. Directors Scott Jeffrey and Rebecca Matthews have made a low budget horror film that could have been fun, but with some major mistakes such as the troll teeth, and the troll home that does not really match with the character, they could have done a lot more to make this film work. Cannibal Troll is a film that may easily be forgotten, since this film struggles with some big issues. Too bad, i was hoping i would enjoy this film, turns out this is not what i expected.

Rating: DD

Blackstock Boneyard

It´s hard to understand, that even in the year of 2021, we still have racists in this world. You would think that times would have changed, that people would see that we are all human beings, no matter what country we live in. I never really understood racist behavior, especially this idea that there should only be certain human races. To me, this is just pure bullshit. Who cares where you are from, or what language you speak. I would never personally judge someone, because of what country they are from. What we should be focusing on is to try and help each other, reach out if anyone needs us, and get to know people from different cultures. That´s how you make a good society, showing that there is no difference between us. There will always be people we may not agree with ( trust me, i do not like evangelical scammers like Jim Bakker, trying to sell a Miracle Blanket lately for 1000 U.S. dollars, how can anyone believe in him? ), but we can learn to live life anyway. When it comes to films that take on the subject of racism, we have a lot of films to choose between, in many different categories. One of my personal favourite films, that is very hard to watch, but is defineely a film that schools should be showing, and that is the 2006 British film known as This Is England. Directed by Shane Meadows ( who directed the really good drama thriller Dead Man´s Shoes, from 2004 ), This Is England tells the story of 12-year-old Shaun ( brilliant played by actor Thomas Thurgoose ), who joins a gang of skinheads, led by Woody ( a powerful performance by actor Joe Gilgun, who feels sympathy for Sean and invites him to the group. At first it may seem like Shaun is in good hands, until he meets violent skinhead known as Combo ( who is definetely the strongest acting performance in this film, from actor Stephen Graham ). This Is England is not only one of my favourite drama films about racism, this film also shows that you can change, that it is never too late to become a good human being. Director Shane Meadows knows exactly how to tell a very sad story, what happens when you don´t feel loved in society, and all you know is hate. I suggest you pick up the Double DVD release from the UK with some nice special features. I have heard about an independent horror film called Blackstock Boneyard ( also known as Rightful ), that takes on the subject of racism. Is this film surprisingly good independent horror film, or is Blackstock Boneyard supposed to be buried undeground instead ?

In the year of 1913, two landowners known as Thomas Griffin ( Davis Jite ) and Meeks Griffin ( Dean Will ) who are wrongly accused of robbery, rape and murder. In order to get a fair trial, they have to sell their land. They are found guilty and are sentenced to die in the electric chair. In the year of 2013, Judge Carol Johnson ( Terry Milam ), the grandson of the judge that sentenced the Griffins to die, is about to close a lucrative deal on the land that once was their farm. There´s just one problem, his lawyer Roger Newbold ( Jonathan Fuller ) has found another heir to the property, Lyndsy ( Ashley Welan ) and she´ll have to be convinced to sell. But as she and her friends arrive to town, the Griffins rise from the grave.

I might be one of the few movie reviewers out there that actually enjoy this film, but that is the truth. There are some issues that could have been fixed, but Blackstock Boneyard actually tries to do something different with the subject of racism. How often do you see black people come back to life, to kill racists? I think this is a great idea for a low budget horror film, to show the world, if you do something horrible towards innocent people, the past might haunt you for what you did. Let´s be honest about the acting in this film, there are some terrible performances from some of the actors. But then you have certain characters that actually works surprisingly well, such as the racist character Judge Carroll Johnson, played by actor Terry Milam ( who you might recognize from the Mark Wahlberg film Deepwater Horizon ). Even if you don´t like this character for being a racist asshole, the performance from Terry actually works, and he is able to make his character match with the plot. Actor Jonathan Fuller ( who some of you might remember from the 1995 B horror movie classic Castle Freak ) as the character Roger Newbold. Another character that also match well into the racist society. The fun part of this film is to see the , coming back to revenge that they were killed innocent. There are a few details that could have been improved, during the kills ( you do see that they rather use CGI effects than practical effects, wich is a bit of a shame ), that would have made the scenes more effective. Since this is for the most part, a very ordinary slasher film, you know what to expect. One of the positive details about this film, being a slasher, is that this film actually have a story, something that a lot of slasher film does not have. Blackstock Boneyard is a very simple horror film, that actually have an interesting story to tell. Director Andre Alfa deliver a directorial debut film that especially deals with racism, wich is important to talk about. I personally feel that they could have gone a little bit further, showing the real brutality of these evil people. Overall, i do enjoy this film, for trying a quite different approach in this genre. If you enjoy independent slasher horror films, give this one a chance.

Rating: DDD

Blood Red Sky

I love flying to different countries, and just the feeling of leaving your own country, to explore new places, Even if i ever would go to a place i have been to, such as an island in Greece, i would never stay at the same hotel, or even at the same street. I always change locations, because if i have already seen certain streets, while living there at a hotel, i rather see something else. My dad actually have a former co worker ( my dad owned a construction company for over 40 years ), and this man always rented the same house, at the same location, every summer. He could have rented another cabin in the area, but no, it had to be that specific cabin. I suppose we all have our requests, and prefer certain things, but i am personally quite open minded, and don´t need everything fixed. Like one time when i flew to Prague, Czech Republic with my wife, i did not book any hotel, just the flight. We fixed a hostel room instead, and it turned out to be great. Only thing that was odd, was that we had a shower where everyone showered together, men and women. Because in Prague, that´s what you do, no need for privacy there, just shower everyone together. Speaking of travelling, there are a lot of films that takes place on an airplane, and i am especially thinking about one film that is known as Flightplan, directed by Robert Schwentke ( who directed the latest G.I. Joe film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, a film i will be doing a review of this autumn ). Released in 2005, this film tells the story of American aviation engineer Kyle Pratt ( played really good by legendary actress Jodie Smith ), who is travelling with her 6-year-old daughter Julia, on a flight to take back her husband´s body back to the U.S. from Berlin. On the flight, her daughter suddenly disapperar, without any traces. She knows her daughter checked in with her, and that they sat down in the plane together, so how can she have disappeared? A very solid psychological thriller with solid performances. Definetely worth checking out on Netflix, or Amazon Prime, wherever you can find it. Horror films that takes place on an airplane can be found, in very different shapes and formats. One of the films i have been looking forward to see is the German horror film Blood Red Sky, since this is a vampire film. Germany have a history of good horror films, remember Rammbock ( also known as Siege of The Dead in the UK )? Is the Netflix horror film Blood Red Sky one of the film you have to see this autumn, or should you not waste your time on this film?

A German widow, Nadja ( Peri Baumeister ), and her son Elias ( Carl Anton Koch ) prepare to board the plane. Nadja, who appears to suffer from leukemia, is set to visit a doctor who can provide her with the treatment she needs to restore health. As the passengers settle down for the evening, a group of men, including the co-pilot Bastian Buchner ( Kai Ivo Baulitz ), directly murder three marshals on the plane and sabotage the black box, preventing the plane from being tracked on radar. Their leader, Berg ( Dominic Purcell ), makes an announcement to the passangers that he and his men are now in control of the plane. A sociopath hijacker named Eightball ( Alexander Scheer ) sees Nadja trying to hide with Elias, and he shoots her down. Assuming that she is now dead, they have no idea what is waiting for them. Nadja is actually not an ordinary human.

Do you remember when Wesley Sniped needed to take a drug to stay in control in the 2002 film Blade 2? There is actually a similar idea in Blood Red Sky, with the main character Nadja ( played by actress Peri Baumeister ), have to take some kind of medicine ( drug ? ) to stay in control, just like Blade did back in 2002. And i actually think this gives the vampire character of Nadja a completely different portrait as a vampire. If you are going to make a vampire film, why not try and do a film that does not follow the same pattern, as the most usual vampire films does these days? So this is definetely one of the most positive details about this film. What else works with Blood Red Sky? If you love brutal vampire films, you will definetely have some fun with this one. Especially when most of the passengers turn into vampires, then we really get into some fun scenes. The vampire design is simple, but effective. I would say that they actually did a good choice by staying true to a more classic look of the vampire, instead of making them all look like monsters. The acting in this film is very divided, since there are some characters who does a good job, while some deliver a performance who does not make a big impact. A perfect example of this is actor Dominic Burcell ( who you might remember from Blade: Trinity? ) as the terrorist character Berg. He have the right look of a terrorist, but his performance does not really give the character any depth. This is why we should be thankful for the character Robert/ Eightball from actor Alexander Scheer. This is exactly how you play a terrorist on a plane, with no boundaries of insanity, and Alexander really capture the audience with his wonderful, psychotic performance. Lead actress Peri Baumeister definetely goes into her character Nadja in a powerful way, especially when she turns into the vampire. Blood Red Sky manage to combine a classic airplane hijack idea, with vampires in a simple, but effective way. Director Peter Thorwarth pay respect to classic films in this genre, but adding some different ideas as well. He is clearly a fan of vampire films, and you can tell that through his passion for this genre, in this film. Blood Red Sky may not be a future classic, but definetelly a fun vampire ride. If you are a fan of this horror genre, you should check this film out on Netflix. I definetely feel more inspired to fly, after the experience of watching Blood Red Sky.

Rating: DDD