Terrifier 2

Some people might think that the most interesting characters in a film has to have dialogue. That is actually not true, because the most interesting characters can deliver a performance through facial expressions and body language. To be able to do this and deliver an interesting character, you have to find a combination that works. Something that captures the audience right from the start, with a character that you will not forget. And that is exactly what happened in a independent horror anthology film called All Hallow´s Eve from director Damien Leone. In this film we were introduced to a killer clown character known as Art The Clown ( played by actor Mike Giannelli ). In my opinion, Art The Clown was the highlight of All Hallow´s Eve. There was just something unique about this clown character, and i definetely felt that we needed to see more of this character. So in 2016 director Damien Leone released a stand alone film for the character known as Art The Clown, this time played by actor David Howard Thornton. The film is called Terrifier, and have since then gotten some respect in the horror community. When the film came out i really enjoyed it, and it is still a cozy heart warming film to enjoy. The difference between All Hallow´s Eve and Terrifier is that this film definetely show us a much more bigger portrait of Art The Clown than before, and actor David Howard Thornton knew exactly how to play this character in his own unique way. The film turned out to be really brutal with practical effects, just the way i like cozy films to be. I wacthed this film several times after the film came out on Blu Ray, and i thought director Damien Leone did a great job on the limited budget. It turned out that a sequel would be made, and an Indiegogo campaign was made to get fans involved into the making of the sequel. The campaign did very well and the fan base proved to be quite big worldwide. So here we are with a sequel to Terrifier that´s been running in cinemas for a while, and can now be found on physical media. I decided to pick up a copy myself to see if this sequel would be better than i expected. Is Terrifier 2 one of the best horror releases of 2022, or does this sequel fail to deliver the same entertainment level as the first film did?

Art The Clown ( David Howard Thornton is resurrected by a sinister entity, and returns to the timid town of Miles County. Here he finds his path to new victims, and especially in one specific family, where the young woman Sienna ( Lauren LaVera ) will be forced to fight for her life. 

The first film of Terrifier proved that you could make a really funny slasher film with lots of practical effects. This sequel continue on that path and tries to take the brutality to a whole different level. And if you want really brutal killings, look no further. There are some really brutal scenes in this film, so be prepared for a snack feast. Terrifier 2 does something completely different compared to the first film, and that is focusing more on other characters than Art The Clown. One reason may be because this film is so long ( over 2 hours and 15 minutes ), they had plenty of time to get deeper into the characters. We especially get to know the character known as Sienna ( played by actress Lauren LaVera ), and i have to say, i am impressed how well she managed to portrait this character. Since i have never seen Lauren acting in a film before, she definetely give a solid performance, especially when her battle scenes against Art The Clown. Speaking of Art, we have to mention actor David Howard Thornton of course, and his performance as America´s evangelical favourite family clown. I have always been fascinated how he have managed to make Art such a odd clown character. He did not create Art of course, but he did develope the character through the first Terrifier film and made him into the extremely murderous beast he is today. In this sequel he continues to give us a portrait of Art, filled with body language and face expressions that he does so well. The new female clown character The Little Pale Girl, played by actress Amelie McLain is wonderful in this film. I would love to see her return in a future film as the same character. So is there anything negative to say? I feel that the length is a bit too long for a slasher film. I understand that this sequel is more character driven than the first film, but i honestly prefer the simple tone that the first film had. We found out enough about the characters and could still enjoy the slasher scenes. This does not mean that Terrifier 2 is a bad horror film, it´s not. There are still plenty of details to enjoy, and i guarantee slasher fans will be pleased. I do believe though that they could have cut down at least 15 minutes and trimmed down on some of the dialogue scenes, without damaging the final result. Other than that i can´t complain, Terrifier 2 deliver what the fans want, and there is plenty of gore to be found here. Director Damien Leone keep his colorful style from the first film and add some new details, and proves that he clearly have a passion for this genre. Terrifier 2 gives hope for practical effects in horror films in the future, and we definetely need more of that. Pick up a Blu Ray copy for your next popcorn night, and who knows, maybe Art will crash the party and get everyone in the right mood.

Rating: DDD

Night Of The Tommyknockers

One of the hardest genres to combine is western and horror together. Why are these genres so hard to combine? Simply because you need an interesting western story and a interesting horror story as well, and i have seen quite many western horror films over the years. Some of them are ok, a few are terrible, and then we have the ones that are actually really good. I especially love western horror films that includes practical make up effects and some kind of evil creature / beast. There is especially one western horror film i like to talk about when i talk about this combination of genres, and that is the 2008 western horror film known as The Burrowers. I have mentioned this film in the past to other western fans, and it is too bad this film does not get more respect because this is a really good western horror film. The Burrowers begins in the year of 1879, a family from the settlements are brutally killed in their home. A team is gathered to look for Native Americans, who they suspect for the brutaly murders. They are about to find out, that deep underneath the earth, is unknown creatures looking for human victims. The Burrowers is not only a really good looking western film, but i really enjoy some of the characters as well. The creatures are actually quite different than we have seen before, which makes this film even more interesting. Director J.T. Petty managed to combine classic western ingredients with surprisingly effective horror elements. If you have not seen this film i suggest you pick up the film on DVD today, it is a must see for western fans. If you hear the name Michael Su you may remember some of his films such as Death Count and Bridge Of The Doomed. His latest film Night Of The Tommyknockers was recently released on DVD and Blu Ray, and i have been looking forward to this film for a long time. Is this the best western horror film in many years, or is Night Of The Tommyknockers not as good as i was hoing it would be?

When a group of minors blast for gold in the 1870´s, they accidently release creatures known as Tommyknockers. The Town of Deer Creek, Nevada, soon have to gather as many people as possible to survive these flesh eating beasts.

It´s been a long time since i have actually seen a good western horror film, and i can honestly say that Night Of The Tommyknockers may be the best i have seen since the 2014 western horror film Blood Moon. So what is it that makes this film so good? We have plenty to be pleased about so let´s get right into it. Let us begin with the costume design by Cheryl Prater, and i really think she managed to capture the right look for the time period of this film. You can tell that she did her research and wanted to make the characters look good on the big screen. The locations that this film was filmed at looks really good, and it really feels like we are back in the good old days of the late 1800´s. That´s one of the most important details in a western film, is to have to right atmosphere of the time period. What about the characters? I am very pleased to say that this might be one of the best acting performances i have seen legendary actor Richard Grieco ever do in his career as his character Dirk. Not only does he look cool and deliver smooth dialogue, he knows exactly what his character need to make a powerful impact. Legendary actor Robert Lasardo also give a performance that works really well as the crazy shooter Lucky. Let´s just put it this way, you would not want Lucky as a guest on Sunday dinner, he would probably kill everyone within seconds. I really enjoy the character Betsy played by actress Angela Cole. She´s definetely not afraid of challenges, or of men eiter. The biggest highlight of this film is without a doubt the humanoid creatures, and to see them attack gun slingers is of course a really fun combination. The horror elements are simple but match well with the story. I really enjoy the practical make up effects on the creatures, reminds me of the glory days of the 80´s in some ways. Director Michael Su have made several great films in the past, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is his most professional film so far. Not only have he brought back the western genre in an honorable way, but he also bring back the monster genre as we used to experience in the VHS era. Night Of The Tommyknockers will definetely knock you out of happiness and bring western fans something quite unique that we don´t see very often. If you don´t get a Blu Ray or DVD of this film, i might have to do a gun duel with you. And trust me, no one draws a gun faster than me ( im Swedish remember? We have our viking tricks ), so you really have no choice. A must have for the whole family.

Rating: DDDD

The Worst Movie Of 2022

Cheers everyone!

Look at that, the year of 2022 is coming closer to an end. 2022 gave us a lot of different events, and especially a lot more films after film makers were able to make films, and finally release more titles after lockdowns and restrictions. 🙂 I have seen some really good films this year, some alright and.....some terrible ones. 

So instead of doing a list of the worst films of 2022, why not go to my pick of the worst movie of 2022 right away? 

And the worst film i watched in 2022 is.....

Pursuit 

So why is this film so truly awful? Well first of all it might be the most boring action film i have seen in many years. Nothing is exciting or suspenseful, every action scene feels like it was filmed without any passion at all. Director Brian Skiba probably thought this would be a cool story about a computer hacker, but does nothing interesting with the characters or the story. Actors Emile Hirsch and John Cusack are both really awful. It almost feels like they are looking into the camera saying:- Are we done yet?

Should you see Pursuit?

Only if you want to experience an action film that will actually help you sleep better. Other than that I can't find much else positive to say about Pursuit. It is definetely something you don't see everyday, which in this case is not on a positive note. 

So there you go folks, congratulations Pursuit in getting this wonderful title. My 2 last movie reviews for this year are coming soon, so stay tuned and celebrate the holidays ( with or without clothes, everything is allowed here ). 

Cheers from Daniel 

Down And Out In Vampire Hills

There are some actors who work incredibly hard and work on a lot of projects. No matter what the genre is or the character, they have no fear doing all kinds of characters. I love actors who take chances and are not afraid to take on challenges. Nothing wrong in doing a character you have done before. but if you dare to try something different it also means you are taking some bigger risks. I can imagine that most actors want to explore different paths, because it also helps them develope themselves as actors as well as learning something new. One of the actors that comes to my mind is actress Dawna Lee Heising, who you simply can not miss. With her striking beauty and wonderful personality, wherever she goes on the red carpet, you know she was born to be a Hollywood star. Dawna have been in so many films in her career that the list never ends, including TV series and short films as well. I have seen a couple of her films over the years, and even if there are many that i have not had the honor to see yet, i especially remember one film for a number of reasons. The film i was thinking about is known as Amityville: Evil Never Dies ( also known as Amityville Clownhouse ) from director Dustin Ferguson ( director of Apex Predators, Rattlers 2, 5G Zombies and many more titles. So what is it about Amityville: Evil Never Dies that made me remember this film specifically? It is one of the more bizarre Amityville films i have ever seen in the Amityville title catalogue. Those who know me personally, they know i love bizarre films, especially if the plot deliver something different. And this is exactly what Amityville: Evil Never Dies, mixing Amityville with a demonic clown spirit. In this film we find actress Dawna Lee Heising as the character Samantha, and even if she does not have a lead role she is actually one of the highlights of this film. If you want to see a different kind of Amityville film, check it out DVD from Wild Eye Releasing. Recently i was asked if i could review a short film with Dawna Lee Heising called Down And Out In Vampire Hills. Since i had no idea what this short film is about, i was curious to see if this would be surprisingly good. Is this one of the better short films of 2022, or is Down And Out In Vampire Hill not as good as i was hoping for?

Vampire Queen Penelope ( Dawna Lee Heising ) and the intellectual vampire Howard ( Ken May ) are living in a homeless camp and is forced to try and find a new way of living. But being vampires and finding a job, is not as easy as it may seem.

It is actually quite a long time ago that i could actually laugh in a vampire short film, and this is exactly what Down And Out In Vampire Hills manage to do. Who would ever have thought you would see a vampire queen looking to get an ordinary job, while people accidently dies for different reasons, no matter what job she starts? This may sound like a very weird plot, and it is in some ways. But i actually think this is a great way to bring something different into a vampire story, instead of telling a story we have seen so many times before. The comedy tone is what makes this short film work, since the horror elements are not meant to be taken seriously. Actress Dawna Lee Heising as Penelope is quite charming, and i have to say her comedy timing works surprisingly well. Especially the scene where she goes to a job agency, and the man at the office is so scared he just give her a job right away, not even asking her about her previous work experiences. The chemistry between her and actor Ken May ( who you might recognize from 5G Zombies and Angry Asian Murder Hornets ) shows that they were perfectly chosen for these characters. Their dialogue scenes also give us a chance to know their situation a little bit better, knowing that they are in financial trouble. Actor LeJon ( who you might recognzize from the Pirates Of The Carribean films ) is definetely the one who gives the best acting performance as Boris. Down And Out In Vampire Hills proves that you can try something different and bring in comedy elements that we used to see in the 80´s ( who can forget the 1987 horror comedy My Best Friend Is A Vampire ? ). Director Craig Railsback is clearly inspired by horror comedies of the past, and manage to make a short film that is both entertaining and cheesy, without making it too over the top. If you appreciate vampire comedies in general, Down And Out In Vampire Hills might be exactly what you are looking for.

Rating: DDD

Troll

Norway!

The neighbor country to Sweden ( where i live ), and let me tell you what makes Norway unique. If you go to Norway, you will see everyone wearing folk dresses. No one dresses modern there, they love their traditional folk costumes. If you even show a Norwegian a pair of shorts, they might throw them into a fire. You don´t wear shorts in Norway, it is simply not accepted. Some of them might begin to play flute, or a violin. In night time they throw of their folk dresses and run naked over the Norwegian mountains, in a tradition called Norsk midtsommerlop. I still have not understood why you have to run naked over a mountain in the middle of the night. But apparently it all makes perfect sense according to Norwegians. I might try it here in Sweden, just to see if it works. I have to mention that in Norway they also worship the greatest legend of all time, who is known as Kirk Cameron. Norwegians are obsessed in every TV show, every movie that Kirk Cameron have ever made. If you visit the home of a Norwegian citizen, pretty much all of them have the whole DVD box of Growing Pains. How do i know this? Just visit any Norwegian family and you will see for yourself. Norway is also known for their pop band A-ha, and of course their most big hit ever known as Take On Me. I have been to Norway several times in my youth, and if you love big mountains and fishing, this is the place you should go to. Norwegian films is something you don´t hear people talk about very often, but they have actually released some really good films over the years. One of the films that comes to my mind is the Norwegian disaster film The Wave, released in 2015. Directed by Roar Uthaug, this film tells the story of Geologist Kristian Eikjord ( Kristoffer Joner ), who is working his final day in the Norwegian tourist destination Geiranger, before moving to Stavanger with his family. But his journey there is soon stopped as a tsunami is causing chaos. The Wave is not only a really well made disaster film, but this film have some really good acting as well. Definetely worth checking out if you want to watch something good. How many of you remember the 2010 found footage film Trollhunter from director André Overdal? This film have become a Norwegian cult classis in the horror community, and it is a great film. Definetely a different take on trolls, with a plot that is interesting. Director Roar Uthaug have recently released his latest film simply called Troll on Netflix. Another Norwegian film about trolls? When i first heard about this film i knew i wanted to see it, so i finally took the time to watch it. Is this film as good as Trollhunter, or is Troll a film you might as well skip and just take a walk in the forest instead?

A drilling operation tunneling through the mountains of Drove results in an eruption and the deaths of several workers and protestors. Desperate for answers, the Norwegian government recruits a diverse array of scientists, including Professor Nora Tidemann ( Ine Marie Willman ), who is a Paleontologist. As the investigation goes on of what happened, Nora is one of the peoplewho clearly see evidence of very large footprints. They don´t know how they can explain this, but Nora is definetely curious to find some answers. When the evidence becomes much clearer, it seems that they might be facing something that no one has ever encountered before, except Nora´s father Tobias Tidemann ( Gard B. Eisvold ) who have knowledge that no in the modern world have ever seen before.

If you were hoping that Troll would be something similar to Trollhunter, i can tell you right away that these are two very different films. Both films may have a troll theme, but this latest Norwegian troll film reminds me more of a Godzilla film. You have a lot more action scenes and you actually see the massive troll more than you did in Trollhunter. What else does the Netflix film Troll have to offer more than this? There is a story between a daughter known as Nora ( played by actress Ine Marie Wilmann ) and her father Tobias ( played by actor Gard B. Eidsvold ), and how their relationship have been damaged since Nora´s mother passed away. I think this is actually a good idea to build in a different plot than just do an ordinary action disaster film. Both actors Ine Marie and Gard B. actually manage to capture the feeling of a daughter and father relationship on screen with their acting, and i actually think that they did a good job making you feel a connection to their characters. When it comes to acting in general in this film, it is a very mixed bag. Some characters are ok while others are nothing you will remember, So what actually saves Troll is the action scenes themselves, instead of the characters. This film have some impressive action scenes, that definetely feel like a throwback to monster movies of the past. To see a Norwegian film take on this kind of genre is defnetely different, and for the most part i am actually entertained. Does it mean that it is on the same level of the Godzilla films? Not even close, but i appreciate the effort they put into this film. The troll itself is actually pretty cool to look at, and does remind me of old school beast movies. Director Roar Uthaug proved with his film The Wave that he knows how to make disaster films, and with Troll he proves that he can make action films as well. It may have flaws but is still entertaining to watch. Troll is definetely not a film for everyone, and is most likely more appreciated by fans of monster movies or disaster movies as well. If you don´t know what to watch this Christmas, i think you should give Troll a chance on Netflix. One of the more entertaining Norwegian films i have seen in a while, and that´s coming from a man who don´t trust Norwegians ( how can i when they run naked over mountains ? ).

Rating: DDD

Curse Of Jack Frost

Christmas weekend, the most wonderful time of the year. It depends on who you ask of course, because there are people who don´t look forward to all the stress, decorating the home, fixing all the Christmas food for the whole family, and making sure all gifts are arranged. Personally i have no problem with Christmas, as long as it´s about gathering family and enjoying food together. I feel that this is more important than getting gifts to the whole family. Kids should get some gifts ( without doing it too extreme, where some parents spend too much money ), but Christmas itself is meant to be a gathering with the people you love. One thing i love to do at Christmas Eve, is to watch a classic Christmas movie. Does not matter if it is a comedy, a drama, an action film or even a horror film. One of my personal favourite Christmas movies of all time, is the 1989 comedy known as National Lampoon´s Christmas Vacation with legendary comedian Chevy Chase. I watch this film every Christmas, because it takes me back to my youth in the early 90´s. Did you know that it actually took two years to get this film released in Germany, not until December 12 1991? There must have been a reason of course, but the film did well at the box office. At a budget of 25 million dollars, it made over 70 million dollars worldwide, not bad for a comedy from the 80´s. National Lampoon´s Christmas Vacation continue the story from the previous film about the Griswold family, this time as they begin to prepare to celebrate Christmas with relatives. Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold is as always brilliant, and i actually think this is his best performance in this film as this character. Wonderful actress Beverly D´Angelo as Ellen Griswold, delivers another solid performance with great comedy timing. Then you also have Cousin Eddie Johnson ( played by Randy Quaid ), who is one of the funniest characters in this film. National Lampoon´s Christmas Vacation is not only one of the best Christmas comedies of all time, it´s also a film that everyone can watch together. You may have read in Christmas books about Jack Frost, a personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, winter and freezing cold. He have been included in both books, movie adaptations and cartoons as well. The film i especially remember is the 1998 Christmas comedy Jack Frost with Michael Keaton. Not one of his better films in his career, but a charming family comedy ( if you can accept the cheesy 90´s CGI effects ). The film was a box office bomb, so found it´s audience on VHS instead. If you enjoy Christmas comedies, you might want to check it out. Speaking of Jack Frost, this year we had an independent horror film released simply called Curse Of Jack Frost. This is the first full feature film from director Liana Failla ( who directed a couple of short films in the past ), and i thought the trailer looked like fun. Since i am a fan of Christmas horror films, is Curse Of Jack Frost a film you should watch on Christmas Eve, or should you watch the 80´s classic Silent Night, Deadly Night instead?

The Christmas demon Jack Frost ( Stephen Saley ) is out in a winter wonderland, terrorizing a family to make sure he finds new victims. No matter what it takes, they need to stop this Christmas demon, once and for all.....

When it comes to horror films with a Christmas story to tell, you can go the easy way and just tell a story that everyone knows, or you can try a different path and still bring in a well known Christmas character. In the case of Curse Of Jack Frost, this is a different adaptation of Jack Frost than what we have seen before. I personally don´t mind traditional stories, or if you change certain details. As long as the film is entertaining and actually deliver something tasteful, im pretty much up for anything. Curse Of The Jack Frost have especially 2 fun details that makes this film fun to watch. The character´s look is quite amusing, imagine if Carrot Top have been frozen down in the Sylvester Stallone classic Demolition Man machines from 1993 and someone messed up and the body was extremely frozen, you would pretty much have that face look as you have here. And i have to say, that this version of Jack Frost feels more like a comedy than scary. I know this is supposed to be a horror film, but it is a bit hard taking this character seriously. And i have no problem with that, since he is actually the highlight of this film. The second detail i enjoy in this film is to see what Jack Frost does with each victim. We only see a limited amount of violence, but it is entertaining enough. I have to mention that i really enjoy seeing actress Nicola Wright ( who i really enjoyed in the independent horror film The Curse Of Humpty Dumpty ) in this film as the character Alba. There is something magical about Nicola on the big screen, i just love her screen presence. Anything negative to say about Curse Of Jack Frost? Maybe that there are a bit too many dialogue scenes, and we could have used those scenes more to watch Jack Frost have fun with his victims. Some dialogue scenes are quite frankly boring, and that´s something you don´t want in a Christmas horror film. Otherwise i would say i find this film entertaining, as long as Jack Frost makes sure we have a Christmas party of blood. Director Liana Failla have made a simple but enjoyable Christmas horror film that might be enjoyed if you appreciate independent horror. Tired of romantic Hallmark Christmas movies on TV? Then this might be what you are looking for. After all, Jack Frost knows how to welcome everone, just don´t expect a warm welcome.

Rating: DDD

P.S. You can watch Curse Of Jack Frost on the YouTube channel V Horror on the following link:

https://youtu.be/nabPHfb6nP0

30 Years Anniversary Review Of Reservoir Dogs

Most films that comes out every year might be remembered for a short period of time, but then will most likely be forgotten. It´s not that every film is bad, there are always good movies coming out. But very few of them will become cult classics, and are rewatched over and over, no matter how many years go by. When i look back at movies from the past, i can definetely see why we had so many great releases from the 70´s, 80´s and 90´s, compared to today. Movies were made differently and with a complete different passion, that would make a real impact. It could be everything from the style of the film, the powerful characters, or the plot of the film. To make all of this work you need a director who knows exactly what vision he / she has. One of the best directors ( in my opinion ) in the last 30 years is without a doubt director Quentin Tarantino. He have never made one bad film in his amazing career so far, and every film have something to offer his audience. I have seen all of his films so far, that includes films he have even produced or done acting in. So i think we can clearly say that i am a huge fan of his style of film making, and i don´t think we will ever have a director like him in the future. He is such a unique personality who clearly have a passion for old school cinema, and no matter what story he wants to tell, he knows exactly how each film should look like. With classics such as Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Volume 1 & Kill Bill Volume 2, Inglorious Basterds and so many more, Quentin have always delivered films that will always be remembered for a lot of reasons. So his legacy is here to stay for many generations ahead. This year i noticed that his directorial full feature directorial debut film Reservoir Dogs turns 30 years old. I still remember the first time i saw Reservoir Dogs in cinema, and it was definetely a moment i will never forget. Right after my cinema experience i wanted to dress up just like these characters, and walk cool downtown in sunglasses. I decided to make a 30 years anniversary review of this film, and revisit the film after many years to see if i still really enjoy Reservoir Dogs. Is this still one of the best Quentin Tarantino releases in history, or have this film aged a lot and lost some of it´s magic?

Crime boss, Joe Cabot ( Lawrence Tierney ), hire six thugs, who are strangers to each other, to carry out a diamond robbery. Each person is given a specific name, without revealing their own name, so they focus on the job itself and don´t get to know each other personally. When the heist does not go as planned, they are forced to split up and try and handle this complicated situation.

Reservoir Dogs is one of those films you will never forget, because this film have everything you could wish for. You have some of the best movie characters you could ever find combined, amazing soundtrack, hard hitting dialogue and a very well constructed plot. To be able to make all of this work in just one film is incredibly hard, but director Quentin Tarantino knows exactly how to make all of this work, and every scene in this film have something to offer. Especially the dialogue scenes, where each character deliver some really funny moments. The discussions about what the Madonna song Like A Virgin is really about, is a perfect example of how you can make a scene entertaining without doing it too complicated. The characters in this film are so good, it feels impossible to compare any of them. Everyone from Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi and many others give top notch performances. It is like no other actors could have played these characters, because each one were chosen for a very special reason. The heist story is perhaps simple, but works very well because of the brilliant acting and powerful dialogue. I have to especially mention actor Harvey Keitel as Mr White. He is really cool, and knows how to handle each situation, even if he can loose his temper. I love the diner scene where Mr. White takes the note book from Joe Cabot ( Lawrence Tierney ), and suddenly discuss why he can´t have the notebook back. Such a simple subject turns into a brilliant dialogue scene. We do get some really violent scenes, but there is a good reason to why these scenes are included into the plot. The most iconic scene has to be Mr Blonde ( Michael Madsen ) torturing the police officer, by dancing to a classic 70´s song. Reservoir Dogs is such a smooth, professional film from start to finish, that you never want to leave. Quentin Tarantino don´t hold back on anything and just let the powerful dialogue hit all the right notes. I have no problem saying that this might be one of the best heist films ever made, because there is no other film in this genre that have characters on the same top level of Reservoir Dogs. If you want to experience a real classic 90´s movie, you need to see this film. I promise you that after you have watched Reservoir Dogs, you will be dancing in your living room. How many movies can make you do that? Exactly, not that many. Pick up your blu ray copy today, and make your Christmas quite special in the company of Reservior Dogs. 

Rating: DDDD

Blade Of The 47 Ronin

Box office bombs, we see them every single year. Films that film studios were hoping to make some money at the box office, but ends up loosing a lot of cash. There are of course several different reasons why some films fail. Some of them might just be terrible, or it could be that the audience are not interested in certain films because of the plot or the characters. I personally don´t dislike box office bombs very often, there are a few exceptions of course where i can understand why the film bombed at the box office. How many of you remember the 2015 sci fi action film Jupiter Ascending? Not that many of you? I can understand why. This film have actors such as Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean and you even have English actor Eddie Redmayne here. I saw this film in the theatre, and i still remember hos disappointed i was. Since this film is directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, we both know that they directed all 4 Matrix films. You would think that they might have made another sci fi epic with Jupiter Ascending, but it is just a bad sci fi film. The action scenes are not that effective, and you honestly don´t care about the characters. On a budget somewhere around 200 million dollars, the film only made over 180 million dollars at the box office. If you think about these numbers and you know they need to make at least around 500 million dollars to make any kind of profit ( promoting the film cost a lot of money as well ), you realise that directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski must have had a rough time that year. Even if Jupiter Ascending did sell over 11 million Blu Ray copies in America, that is still very far away from a profit. If you have not seen the film, i suggest you watch The Matrix instead. How many of you remember the samurai action film 47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves released in 2013? This film was a massive box office bomb, and on a budget somewhere around 200 million dollars, the film only made over 150 million dollars at the box office. I actually enjoy this film, even if it was a really big box office bomb. I never would have suspected that we would get a sequel to this film, conisdering how much money the first film lost. But here we are with a sequel called Blade Of The 47 Ronin, where we see legendary action star Mark Dacascos instead of Keanu Reeves this time. 9 years after the first film came out, is this sequel better than i would have expected, or should you avoid Blade Of The 47 Ronin and watch the first film instead?

An evil witch named Yurei ( Dan Southworth ), whose ancestor was slain by one of the 47 Ronin, has surfaced in a modern world Budapest determined to have his revenge. Yurei seeks to completely destroy all samurai ny uniting both halves of the powerful Tengu Sword. A prophecy claims only a descendant of the original 47 Ronin can wield the blade and defeat the great evil.

Knowing that this sequel could have easily been made as a rip off from the first film, i have to say that this sequel is quite different from 47 Ronin. First of all have you ever seen Japanese samurai´s in the streets of Budapest? I love it when they dare to do something different and don´t make a sequel exactly the same as the original film, and that is exactly what they did here. Does this mean that this is a better film than 47 Ronin? No, i still prefer the original film. But let´s go through some of the details that i appreciate about Blade Of The 47 Ronin. First of all how often do you see samurai battles between ninja´s that reminds you of the 80´s in 2022? I actually feel that the samurai battle scenes are fun to watch, because they remind me a lot of VHS video violence at the local rental store, where some fun cheesy VHS titles didn´t hold back on the violence. We also get martial art fighting scenes in Blade Of The 47 Ronin, which is always welcome. The tone of this film feels like they were inspired of action films of the 80´s, since some of the dialogue scenes feels like something out of Big Trouble In Little China with Kurt Russel. Not that this film will ever even be close as good as that cult film, but i appreciate that they took the time to make their own tribute to martial art films of the 80´s. I especially enjoy the subway train scenes, where plenty of samurai´s fight against a lot of ninjas. How is the acting in this film? The best acting comes from legendary martial art action actor Mark Dacascos as the character Lord Shinshiro. Not only is Mark charming in this role, but he´s actually the most interesting character as well. Actress Anna Akana as the lead character Luna starts off a bit annoying, but change her behavior after a while and becomes more entertaining. Teresa Ting as the character Onami is cool, great at fighting and not shy at all. So anything negative to say? You honestly don´t care about the plot while this film tries to tell a story that is supposed to be deep, but doesn´t do a very good job with that. So my advice is just to enjoy all the martial art scenes instead, and don´t focus on the plot. Director Ron Yuan ( mostly known for being an actor in TV series Marco Polo ) deliver a martial art action film that will most likely please fans who have missed ninja films of the 80´s, and i think he have done a good job to bring back this genre to the big screen. Blade Of The 47 Ronin is definetely made for an audience who appreciate martial arts, and if you happen to be a fan of similar films, i have a feeling you are going to have a good time.

Rating: DDD

Out Of The Blue

Even if i am a big horror fan, i do enjoy a good thriller. Especially if the plot is interesting and brings something different to the table. To be able to make a great thriller, you have to know how to build up tensions that leaves a big impact. The film does not need to have a complicated plot, as long as the story is well told and have interesting characters included. I have seen a lot of thrillers since the 80´s, and there are a lot of great titles to choose between. It all depends on what kind of thriller you are looking for, and if you don´t mind violence. I could easily say that you should see the 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction with Michael Dougles and Glenn Close ( it is definetely worth checking out ), but i would like to take this moment to talk about a thriller film that does not get mentioned anymore. And it is not that old, and that is the 2010 thriller known as Buried. Directed by Rodrigo Cortéz, this film tells the story of Iraq-based civilian truck driver Paul Conroy ( played by actor Ryan Reynolds, in one of his most interesting acting roles ), who, after being attacked, finds himself buried aline in a wooden coffin, with a limited amount of supplies. The one thing that makes Buried stand out from the crowd in the thriller section, is that it´s actually much clever than most thrillers. You may think you know all the answers from the beginning, but as you move towards the end of the film, you will soon realise that there is much more to the background story. Even if the film is 12 years old today, it is still one of those titles i highly recommend. It is well made, have some really good acting, and the film also looks really good, even if we are inside a wooden coffin. Definetely the best film from director Rodrigo Cortéz so far. A must see, and i suggest you pick up the film on DVD or Blu Ray and you should be able to get it for a good prize. Romantic thrillers is something we used to see a lot of, especially during the 80´s and 90´s. There are still films made in this category in present day, and even if you don´t hear much about them, i still take some time to check out some titles. One of the films i did see the trailer for a few months ago is a film called Out Of The Blue. Not knowing much about the plot, i decided to give this film a chance. Is this one of the better romance thrillers of this year, or is Out Of The Blue a film that will most likely be forgotten?

Connor ( Ray Nicholson ) is trying to get his life back together, after being locked up in prison for 3 years. He manage to get a job as a librarian at the local library, where he enjoy helping visitors. At the beach one day he meets a woman named Marilyn ( Diane Kruger ), and instantly feel a connection between them. They start seeing each other, even though Marilyn is married. The secret relationship will eventually lead them into trouble.

I don´t really know why director Neil LaBute felt the need to do this film in such an odd way, but Out Of The Blue is one of the strangest thrillers i have seen in quite some time. There are some really odd events that suddenly happens for no reason at all, and i suppose it is at least good that everything is not completely predictable. That does not mean that this makes Out Of The Blue more interesting, because even if you add some unexpected scenes, you need to be able to tell a story that´s interesting. And this is probably where i find myself lost with Out Of The Blue, that this film does not build up any real tensions. It could have been interesting about an ex prisoner trying to find his way in society. But what we get instead is a story that is constructed together without a bigger purpose, and just becomes a thriller about a cheating wife who want´s her husband murdered. I have some other negative things to say as well, but let´s get into something positive. The film does not look bad, and i like the beautiful locations where this film was made. Even if actress Diane Kruger ( who i love in Quentin Tarantiono´s film Inglorious Basterds, and is also good in the Liam Neeson thriller Unknown ) does not do one of her better performances here, but is definetely the most interesting character in this film. One character i wish we could have seen more of, is the character Kim ( played by actress Gia Crovatin ). I find her personality fascinating, and if it wasn´t for Gia´s screen presence, i believe Out Of The Blue would have been even weaker. So let´s go back to the negative again, and lead actor Ray Nicholson is pretty weak as a lead character. If they really wanted to tell a story surrounding his return to society after being locked up for 3 years in prison, they probably should have done it in a different way. The cheating story have been done so many times before, i don´t really see why you should pick this film if you can find something better like A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen. Out Of The Blue is not a horrible film, it just lacks of passion and an interesting story. Director Neil LaBute have directed several great films in the past, such as Lakeview Terrace with Samuel L Jackson. Out Of The Blue is probably one of his weakest films yet unfortunately, and i was actually looking forward to see this film. If you love romantic thrillers, you could do worse than Out Of The Blue, but don´t have any high expectations. I suggest you check out A Perfect Murder from 1998 instead, and i promise you will enjoy that film more than this one.

Rating: DD

Horrortales.666 Part 3

Horror films in general can be tricky to make, especially if you want to please fans of this genre. You have to be able to tell a story that the audience will feel connected to, and deliver characters that they enjoy. But what if you have to tell more than one story in the same film, and make it into an anthology horror film instead? That can be quite difficult, unless you know what stories you want to tell in each segment. Anthology horror films have proved to worked very well over the years, and there are several great titles to choose between, not matter if you love grindhouse cinema, haunted horror or mysterious creatures. I have seen a lot of anthology horror films, and there are some titles i can easily recommend, while there are others that looked interesting but turned out to be pretty bad. One film i like to go back to that have always been good since the film was released, is the 2012 anthology horror film known as V/H/S. This film can also be described as an found footage horror film as well, so this is a quite interesting combination. V/H/S begins with a criminal gang, who were paid a lot of money to break into a house and steal a VHS videotape. As the criminal gang breaks in, they discover the corpse of an old man sitting in front of the television. While the other criminals are free to roam the house, one of them stays behind in the TV room with the dead body to watch a tape left in the VCR. Each story in V/H/S have something to offer horror fans, no matter what category you enjoy. There are some stories i enjoy more than others, but overall i do thing V/H/S is a great choice in the anthology horror category. The second V/H/S/2 is definetely the best film in the franchise, and the third one is the worst. I really enjoyed V/H/S/94 though, and i am looking forward to see V/H/S/99 this Christmas. Sometimes i have the honor to be asked by independent film makers, or people who worked on independent films if i can review their films. And this is exactly what happened with a film called Horrortales.666 Part 3, and of course i feel honored that they personally asked me to review this film. Since this is an anthology horror film, i was curious to see if this film had some interesting stories to offer the audience. Is this a horror film you should see, or is Horrortales.666 Part 3 just as bad as Victoria Beckham´s pop solo album from 2001?

The Burglar ( Joel D. Wynkoop ) is forced to sit through different stories on a computer, or The Witch ( M. Catherine Wynkoop ) will not let him go. Each story will affect The Burglar in many different ways, but will he really be able to leave?

Since i have not seen any of the previous films in the Horrortales.666 franchise, i am going into this third film not knowing anything about the previous stories. And that is ok, because even if you have not seen the previous films, you will still be able to enter this film and understand what is going on. Now, if you think this is a scary film, i can tell you right away that it´s not. I would say that this is more of a horror comedy, that tries to use scary elements to make you frightened. So let´s start with what i enjoyed with this film. The most interesting story is the one that is called The Vessel, directed by Anthony Piseno. What makes this story quite different is that it´s about a woman who is deaf and use sign language to communicate. Her name is Ellen ( played by actress Windy Hamilton ), and she have been feeling some entity visiting her, after she purchased a cursed vase. This may be the very first time i have seen a deaf character in an anthology horror film, so the story of The Vessel definetely proves that you can tell an interesting story with a deaf character. I do like the performance from actress Alysia Grim who plays the psychic, Lily. The best character of all is without a doubt actor Joel D. Wynkoop as The Burglar. His acting is so over the top, i actually had some really fun moments in this film, especially when he is reading the introduction to each story. Anything negative to say about Horrortales.666 Part 3? If i wanted to find flaws, i could easily mention some details. But since i know this is a micro budget independent film, i appreciate the effort that this horror anthology film deliver, especially made for fans of low budget horror films. Some of the acting is horrible, but why expect anything more when you know this is supposed to be entertaining? Horrortales.666 Part 3 is perhaps not a film for fans of The Kardashians, but that proves that this film actually have more quality to offer than any season of that TV series. Every director deliver something different to the table with this film, and if you love anthology horror, i think you should check it out on DVD from The Sleaze Box. You know what they say, a limited budget give film makers a chance to be more creative, and that is something that Horrortales.666 Part 3 definetely proves.

Rating: DDD

Hellraiser

Most people want to be good in life, help other´s that need help and make a home that feels safe. There will always be challenges along the way, where we are forced to deal with difficult situations. We might loose a family member in a disease, or you find out that someone you love may be going through a very rough time that personally affect you. What we need to do is try and have hope and not give up, no matter how difficult it may feel. But what if there are people, who look in a different direction and want to explore the darkness instead? They want to see what it is like on the other side, where goodness does not exist and pure evil feeds on the flesh of humans? This is a perfect example what happened in the 1987 cult classic horror film Hellraiser from iconic horror director Clive Barker ( author of Books Of Blood horror fiction anthologies, released in six volumes ). Hellraiser is one of those films that have managed to age with dignity and is just as appreciated as it was in the late 80´s. Hellraiser begins by showing us a man known as Frank Cotton ( Sean Chapman ), who is in Marocco, where he buys a puzzle box that is said to open to a realm of otherworldy pleasure. At his home, Frank solves the puzzle and hooked chains emerge, tearing him apart. A black-robed figure resets the puzzle and the room is restored back to normal. Frank´s brother Larry Cotton ( Andrew Robinson ) moves into the home of Frank, where he intends to build a relationship with his second wife, Julia Cotton ( Clare Higgins ). Larry is unaware that Julia had an affair with Frank before her marriage to him. When Larry accidently cuts his hand moving furniture, his blood drips on the attic floor and resurrects Frank in a ghoulish form. Julia discover that Frank have returned in another shape, where he needs her help to restore his body buy having human victims. Julia pick up strangers in bars, and take them to the attic. Julia may think she is helping Frank, but does not know who is really behind all of this. Hellraiser is still to this day a really good horror film, with really good practical make up effects, great characters, and i love to see legendary actor Doug Bradley as Pinhead, one of the greatest 80´s iconic horror characters. We have had many sequels over the years, and i would like to say that i really appreciate the second film most, and i think the third one is alright. After that we did have some terrible ones ( except for Hellraiser: Inferno, i did enjoy this one ). Hellraiser Judgment was at least a nice attempt to go back to the original form of Hellraiser on a limited budget. And here we are with a reboot, simply called Hellraiser. Being a fan of this franchise, does this reboot deserve to be respected, or is it just a simple cash in to make money out of horror fans?

During a party at hedonistic millionaire Roland Voight´s ( Goran Visnjic`) mansion, sex worker Joey Coscuna ( Kit Clarke ) comes across a mechanical puzzle box, which Voight insists he solve. Joey solves the configuartion and is stabbed by a blade that springs from the box. A portal opens, from which chains fly out and rip Joey apart. Six years later, recovering addict Riley McKendry ( Odessa A´zion ) is living with her brother Matt McKendry ( Brandon Flynn ), his boyfriend Colin ( Adam Faison ), and their roomate Nora ( Aoife Hinds ). Riley´s boyfriend, Trevor ( Drew Starkey ), convinces her to help break into an abandoned storage warehouse, where they discover and take the puzzle box. Riley manage to open up the puzzle box, not knowing that she have opened a portal to the other side.

When you make a reboot of a classic film, you will have to know that the audience of the original film will have some opinions, no matter which way you choose to go. What i personally care about in a reboot, is that you actually make a good film, that knows what kind of audience it was meant for. If you can accept that there are other characters here from hell instead of Pinhead, i think you will actually enjoy this Hellraiser reboot. It has more of the same atmosphere of the 2 first Hellraiser films, than many of the sequels in the past. And that is exactly what i was hoping for with this reboot, that they actually took the material seriously and showed respect to the original film. Let us get into some details of why i enjoyed with this film, and first of all i love the demonic creatures that we see coming out of the walls. Their practical make up effects is some of the best work i have seen in a very long time in horror films. Each character look really good, and we even have like a different version of Pinhead here as well. I also love how brutal this film is in certain scenes, just like we want a Hellraiser film to be. Bodies beeing torn apart, flesh wounds, lots of blood. This is something that i have been missing for a long time in this franchise, and i am happy to see that they decided to bring this back. The main character Riley ( played by actress Odessa A´zion ) is actually the perfect character for a film like this. She have struggled a long time with addiction, and now she is forced to deal with these demonic creatures. Odessa clearly worked hard to make us feel like she is a struggling addict, and i actually think her acting performance works better than i expected. There are a few interesting other characters as well. So anything negative to say? Some of the other characters don´t get much space, which means that you will not remember them. The film is 2 hours long, and i actually think it could have been cut down at least 10 minutes, without harming the film itself. Otherwise i have to say, this is one of the better horror reboots i have seen in recent years. Director David Bruckner ( who directed the well made horror film The Ritual, worth checking out on Netflix ) have clearly taken this film seriously and listened to the fans of the franchise. He manage to capture the Hellraiser tone from the past, and add some new interesting details that actually manage to work. Looking for a horror film this Christmas to enjoy? I suggest you give Hellraiser a chance, and you might be just as pleased as i am.

Rating: DDD

Black Adam

Let´s travel back in time to ancient times to the year of 2001. This was at a time when we still used pay phones, there was still VHS tapes released on the market, even though DVD was the cool thing at this time. It was also during this time i used to visit the local record store to check out metal albums. I especially remember listening to one album from the American Nu Metal band known as P.O.D, as they released their latest studio album Satellite. I still remember the opening track Set It Off, what a fantastic way to start an album. The song on this album called Youth Of A Nation is still today just as relevant as it was back in 2001. And there are several songs on this album that still sounds just as good, as they did 21 years ago. I have to mention that 2001 was the year when legedary director Ridley Scott released his very well made war film Black Hawk Down, a must watch. 2001 was also the year when i watched The Mummy Returns in theatre, the sequel to the entertaining action adventure film The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers. Actors such as Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo, all returned after the box office success of the 1999 film The Mummy. The sequel was actually really good and it was nice to see the cast return in another adventure. In this sequel we could also see very well known wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing the character Scorpion King. I think he did really good in his role, unfortunately the CGI effects of him towards the end look really horrible. Dwayne Johnson got his own film a year after in The Scorpion King, a film that basically focuses on Scorpion King. Entertaining if you enjoyed the previous Mummy films. Dwayne continued his acting career and have since the early 2000´s done a lot of different films. I am actually a fan of his 2005 film Doom ( based on the popular video game ), even though it flopped big at the box office but sold really well on DVD. I was not suprised when i heard that Dwayne would take on a comic book character called Black Adam, since a lot of Hollywood actors have been in Marvel films or DC films. I have not read any of the comic books with Black Adam, but i was curious to see what Dwayne would bring to this character. Is this one of the better comic book films of this year, or is Black Adam just as predictable as one of Donald Trump´s rally´s?

In 2600 BC, the tyrannical king Ahk-Ton of Kahndaq ( Marwan Kenzari ) creates the Crown of Sabbac to attain great power. After attempting to stage a revolt, a young boy is given the powers of Shazam by the Council of Wizards, transforming him into Khandaq´s heroic champion, who kills Ahk-Ton and ends his reign. In the present day, Khandaq is oppressed by the Intergang, a mercenary organization, as Adriana Tomaz ( Sarah Shahi ), and archaeologist and resistance-fighter, tries to locate the Crown of Sabbac with the help of her brother Karim ( Mohammad Amer ) and their collegues Samir ( James Cusati-Moyer ) and Ishmael ( Marwan Kenzari ). As Adriana obtains the crown, Intergang ambushes and kill Samir, forcing Adriana to read an incantation that awakens Teth-Adam ( Dwayne Johnson ).

When i watch an action film based on a comic book, i just want to be entertained. I do not need a complicated plot, i don´t need to know everything about each character. I just want to unplug my brain cells and just watch CGI action scenes, fighting, muscles, cool outfits and monsters included if possible. A lot of the stuff i just mentioned can actually be found in Black Adam, if you can accept that the plot is thin. So how is this film compared to a lot of other super hero movies? I would not call it nowhere near as good as The Avengers movies and not as good as the Captain America films either. But i do find Dwayne Johnson charming in the lead role as Black Adam, and even if he may come of a bit stiff in certain scenes, i actually enjoy seeing him doing something different to his real personality. Would i call it good acting? Not really, since Dwayne is perhaps known for not being the most powerful actor. But he knows how to entertain in action scenes, and this is where you see him at his best. The character of Black Adam is pretty cool actually, with his body armour and personality. Even if we don´t find out a lot about him, they give away some details that makes you understand where he comes from and how he became this super hero. What about the other characters? Pierce Brosnan ( legendary James Bond actor, who also have done several other great films such as The Ghost Writer and The World´s End ) is the character Doctor Fate, and he is actually one of the most entertaining characters. Pierce have such a natural way to portrait each of his character, and he proves that once more. Comedian Mohammed Amer deliver the funniest character in this film, playing the character of Karim. I hope to see him return in another DC film in the future, because i think there is more to be told about his character. The action scenes are big, and have a lot of power. Especially the battle scenes between different super heroes are enjoyable. So anything negative to say? Perhaps that some of the characters doesn´t feel interesting. You really don´t care about some of them, and just want to watch action scenes instead. Director Jaumet Collet-Serra ( director of the surprisingly good 2005 horror remake of House Of Wax ) may not hit all the right notes with Black Adam, but i still feel that he managed to make this an entertaining super hero movie. If you want action and super heroes, Black Adam have enough of both parts to entertain you for 2 hours. I might make my own super hero script someday, how about The Wedding Match Maker, flying all over the world to match couples? This might be the best super hero movie idea in many years, i might have to begin writing a script ( before anyone steal my idea ).

Rating: DDD

Burial

I have visited Germany several times since my youth, and my first journey there was back in 1992. This was just a few years after the Berlin wall have fallen, so you could sense that people were happy again. On my second journey to Germany in 1998, i did get to experience German culture on a completely different level than my first journey there. I did do a drunk visit to Germany in 2001, but it was only for shopping and buying alcohol. Since i have always been fascinated about World War II, i decided it was time to learn more about the history surrounding World War II. So in the spring of 2013 i travelled to Berlin to do a historical journey around the city. There was so much to learn about the war, and so many places to visit. I was only there for almost a week, but i managed to see quite a lot. There was especially one location where i felt emotional, and that was when i walked around Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Knowing that millions of Jewish people were killed during the war, it is important that we never forget what happened. So if you really want to find out more information about World War II, i suggest you do the same and visit Berlin. Speaking of World War II, one of my favourite films that tells the story from this time period, is the German film Downfall from 2004. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel ( who also directed the well made World War II film 13 Minutes from 2015, well worth watching ), Downfall give us the most personal portrait of Adof Hitler than any other film so far, and German actor Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler is absolutely brilliant in his role. I have no doubt saying this is the most powerful performance i have ever seen from an actor, doing a portray of a historical dictator. Not only is the acting in this film really powerful, but the story surrounding his final days is filled with very emotional scenes. If you have not seen Downfall, i suggest you pick up the 2 DVD disc from the UK, and you get some nice special features included. I try and check out films that takes on different stories from World War II, no matter if they are based on true events or just borrow ideas from different time periods. One of the films i have been very excited about since i watched the trailer, is an independent film called Burial. The plot seemed to tell a different story about Adolf Hitler than we have seen before, so that alone made this film interesting. I finally got a chance to see this film, so is Burial one of the films you need to see before this year ends, or is it nowhere near as good as i was hoping it would be?

A small group of Russian soldiers are ordered to transport the dead body of Adold Hitler to Stalin in Russia. On their journey to their destination, they are forced to face some unexpected problems.

I think the best way to enter a film like Burial is to know that this is not supposed to be a World War II film that´s exactly the same story that we have seen so many times before. This film actually tries to take a different path, and that is especially one detail i think Burial should be respected for. Anyone who is willing to tell a story that does not look similar to others, will always be appreciated. I might as well talk about the negative part of this film early in this review. This film have certain scenes that feels very slow, where some of the actors deliver dialogue without a lot of emotions. I understand that this is probably a way to get us into the characters on a deeper level, but without any emotional dialogue in certain scenes, it feels hard to feel interested in their personalities. I realise that this film is on a limited budget, but some of the battle scenes between soldiers are not very effective. There are some scenes where they do find the right tone for this time period, but not as powerful as i was hoping for. To the positive though, i have to say actress Charlotte Vega ( who you might recognize from the 2021 remake of Wrong Turn ) as the character Brana. Not only is she a cool character, but i love to see that she is given so much space in this film as one of the main soldiers. Charlotte feel so natural in her role that you can actually buy that she is a trained soldier, and not just a woman in military clothes. Actor Barry Ward ( who you might recognize from the crime TV series Save Me ) deliver one of the better male performances as the character Tor. I do enjoy the mysterious atmosphere in the story surrounding the secret mission to hide the dead body that they are moving to a secret location. It gives the story some depth and a different twist than the ordinary war movie. Burial does have something interesting going for it, with a plot that actually stands out in this genre. If they only would have made more powerful battle scenes, i think this film would have been even better. Director Ben Parker ( who also directed the 2016 film The Chamber ) have definetely proved that you can do something different with a war movie, and Burial feels like a fresh wind in a genre that need´s to take more chances. Definetely worth checking out, but do not expect a war horror film, this is definetely a completely different approach on World War II.

Rating: DDD

Accident Man: Hitman´s Holiday

A young generation today are living in a technological world, especially with social media. I do enjoy some parts of social media, where you can stay in contact with friends, family and work collegues in a easy way. You can also do positive things as well, that might make someone happy. But there was a time in history called the 80´s, when we had fun in a completely different way. This was at a time when we learned that you could play Rambo in the woods, or try out special kicks like legendary action star Chuck Norris. I even dressed up as Rutger Hauer´s serial killer John Ryder ( with a similar long coat ) in the 1986 classic The Hitcher, at a school party in 1989. It was in the late 80´s when my life changed personally. Especially after i got to experience a film called Bloodsport with new action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, this film changed my world completely. Martial arts films became a new passion of mine, and i don´t remember how many times i watched Bloodsport on VHS. It became one of those films i could rewatch, and remember all the dialogue. Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux turned out to be the perfect choice for this character. Even if this film is 34 years old, it is still one of the the real true classics in martial arts cinema. If you have not seen this film, i highly recommend that you pick up this film on DVD or Blu Ray. Speaking of martial arts, there are not that many true martial arts action stars that keep on making films in this genre. One of them who really knows how to deliver fun action films, is of course action actor Scott Adkins. He is one of the few actors out there who still deliver martial art action films, like they did in the 80´s and 90´s. So i am forever grateful to see him keep going, and making films that reminds me of my childhood. In 2018 he did a different kind of martial arts action film called Accident Man, based on the comic book characters created by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner. I had a great time with Accident Man, it had several fun fighting scenes, plenty of violence but also some great comedy moments as well. I bought the German blu ray release, so i still watch it now and then. I have heard a rumour of a sequel might be coming, and it was recently released to rent on different platforms. So here we are with the sequel called Accident Man: Hitman´s Holiday. I had a great time with the first film, so the question is, does this sequel deliver even more entertainment than the first film, or is sequel even worse than i expected?

Mike Fallon ( Scott Adkins ) is laying low in Malta, away from everyone and tries to focus on himself. But everything is about to change when he is forced to deal with his past, and face some new enemies as well.

Have you been looking for a really fun martial arts action film, like we used to have in the 80´s and the 90´s? Look no further, because trust me on this, you won´t find any other film in this category this year that is more entertaning than Accident Man: Hitman´s Holiday. This film have everything you could wish for, wacky characters, really powerful martial art scenes, fast hitting action sequences and really funny comedy moments. To be able to combine all of this into one film is very difficult, but i have to say that i am impressed how they pulled it of so effectively. You can definetely feel the comic book influences in here, and i can imagine that they wanted to please the fans of the comic book characters and the first film as well. Lead actor Scott Adkins ( who have done so many great films such as Universal Soldier: Day Of Recknoning, Undisputed III and Ninja - Shadow Of A Tear ) as the character Mike Fallon is just as good as you remember from the first film. Not only is Scott´s comedy timing really good, but his fighting scenes are the best i have seen in many years. Actor Perry Benson ( who stars in one of my personal favourite British films known as This Is England, a must see ) as the character Finicky Fred, is exactly what a film like this needs. He may not be tough, but he wants to help Mike any way he can, even if it means chaos most of the time. Legendary actor Ray Stevenson ( who i remember from films such as Outpost, The Book Of Eli and the 2011 film version of Thor ) is really good as Big Ray, who was in the first film as well. Ray knows how to deliver some really hard hitting dialogue, and i feel that he and Scott match very well together on the big screen. Some of the fighting characters are really cool, but there is one character that i just can´t stand. And that is the character known as Dante Zuuzer played by actor George Fouracres. He is annoying, not funny and it feels like he is only in the way in the entire film. Overall though i had a really good time with Accident Man: Hitman´s Holiday. Directors George Kirby and Harry Kirby deliver an entertaining film that could be described as a combination of 80´s Patrick Swayze classic Road House and The Hitman´s Bodyguard, overdosed on Red Bull´s. If it wasn´t for the character Dante, my rating would be even higher. Still this is definitely worth checking out on VOD, and Scott Adkins proves once more why he is the future of martial arts action films.

Rating: DDD

Halloween Ends

There are people out there who are filled with so much hate and darkness that you can not change them. It is almost as if they have a demon inside of them, with extremely evil intentions. These people have no remorse, have no compassion for anyone, and they don´t function in an ordinary society. A perfect example of a person like this, is the iconic horror character known as Michael Myers. If you have seen a lot of horror films since the 70´s, you know that Michael Myers was seen for the first time in the 1978 film Halloween, from legendary director John Carpenter. This is one of the greatest slasher classics of all time, and even if the film is almost 45 years old, it is still a very effective horror film. Halloween tells the story of 6 year old Michael Myers, who on Halloween night in 1963, stabs his own teenage sister Judith to death. For 15 years Michael is incarcerated at Smith´s Grove Sanatorium, during wich time he never speaks a word. On October 30, 1978, Michael´s psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Lewis ( Donald Pleasence ), arrives to the sanatorium to escort Michael to a hearing. Michael manage to escape, steal knives, rope and a mask from a hardware store. He is going home, no matter what it takes. It is quite incredible what a great looking film Halloween is, considering the budget. On a budget over 300.000 dollars, the film made 70 million dollars at the box office, wich is incredible numbers in ticket sales. If you are a slasher horror fan, you have to see this film. My suggestion is that you pick up the Blu Ray release and check out some really nice special features, or the 2 disc DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment. The sequels that followed have some good ones, and then you have the really horrible film known as Halloween Resurrection ( why was this film even made ? ) The 2018 film Halloween from director David Gordon Green turned out to be a pleasant surprise, that actually moved the franchise in the right direction. The sequel Halloween Kills had some fun kills, but i didn´t like the story or some of the characters. So here we are with the last film in the latest Halloween sequel, also directed by David Gordon Green. If this is the final Halloween film ever ( wich i find hard to believe ), is this a worthy final goodbye to Michael Myers legacy, or is Halloween Ends a big disappointment?

On Halloween night in 2019, 21-year-old Corey Cunningham ( Rohan Campbell ) babysits a young boy named Jeremy Allen ( Jaxon Goldernberg ), who pulls a prank on Corey by locking him inside the attic. Just as Jeremy´s parents come home, Corey kicks the door open and accidently Jeremy over a staircase railing to his death. Corey us accused of intentionally killing Jeremy but is cleared of manslaughter. Three years later, the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, is still reeling from the aftermath Michael Myer´s ( James Jude Cortney ) latest killing spree in 2018. Laurie Strode ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) is writing a memoir, having bought a new house and living with Allyson ( Andi Matichak ), her granddaughter. Allyson falls in love with Corey, but does not know of his dark past. As Corey struggle with his inner demons, he is about to let them all loose as he meets Michael.

When you read the title of Halloween Ends, i think most of us fans of the original film was hoping for a big epic battle between Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis classic character Laurie Strode. At least that is what i was hoping for with this film, as well as a better story than in Halloween Kills. I will say this, that the story of Halloween Ends is definetely deeper than i expected, and that part does not really include Michael Myers himself. There is another story in this film that is not focused on Michael, but a new character known as Corey. If you were hoping for a traditional Halloween film, i guarantee you will be disappointed. It takes quite a long time before Michael shows up in the film, so we get to know the character Corey and his background story. Actor Rohan Campbell plays Corey, and i don´t think he does a bad performance, it´s just that this become a whole different film than a Halloween film. I do not blame him for it, since he is just portraying his character. I think it might have been better to let Corey have his own film, since i do think he is an interesting character. When you mix him into the Halloween franchise, you loose some of the classic elements from the films of the past. We do get like a final stand off towards the end, but maybe not in the epic way i was hoping for. What about legendary actress Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode? She is definetely the highlight of this film, and even if her character is not as effective as she was in the 2018 film, there are a few scenes i especially enjoy. What about Michael Myers played by James Jude Courtney? I do think he manage to portray Michael, and still manage to bring in some changes without hurting the film. As a Halloween film, i feel that Halloween Ends could have done something much more effective with the source material. It does not feel like the end that i wanted, so i don´t feel pleased about certain details. One positive detail though, Corey´s stepfather actually watch Hard Target with Jean-Claude Van Damme in a scene, who would have thought we would ever see this in a Halloween film? Is Halloween Kills a bad film? No, there are parts of the film i enjoy. Director David Gordon Green try and finish his third Halloween film what he believe´s is a worthy end. I disagree, and i actually feel disappointed. It might be a good time to end this franchise ( even though i have a feeling Michael will return ), everything does not last forever, and Halloween Ends is a perfect example of that.

Rating: DD

Danger In The House

I am personally very interested in criminal TV shows, crime podcasts and crime documentaries. I try and take a look at a little bit of everything when i can, because there are a lot of interesting cases out there. The cases i am mostly interested in have murder incidents included. It is of course a big tragedy knowing that these people could still be alive with us today, if some of these victims got the help they needed. If there is anything positive that can come out of all of these tragedies, it is that we can learn more about killers and understand them, so we might be able to stop them from killing again. There is never any guarantee that we can stop them of course, but we must do the best we can to at least try and stop each killer. Since there are a lot of interesting cases to listen to, i would highly recommend you listen to a YouTube video in 2 parts, and that is a video called The Black Dahlia Murder with Steve Hodel, on a channel called Most Notorious. In this 2 part video audio interview, you get to hear the story from a man known as author Steve Hodel. He is a private investigathor and have written several books, where he talks about why he suspects his own father murdered Elizabeth Short in 1947. Steve Hodel go through a lot of information surrounding his father, why he believe he could be her killer and give some interesting information about the victim Elizabeth Short as well. Definetely worth listening to if you are interested in criminal murder cases. There are a lot of crime drama TV movies released out there from Lifetime, and every year they dig deep into criminal cases that will definetely be appreciated if you don´t want to see blood. I have seen a few films from Lifetime over the years. Most films are very predictable, and you don´t remember many of them at all. However, i recently came across a Lifetime movie that caught my attention, because the plot looked interesting. The film is called Danger In The House, and i decided to give this film a chance, even though i knew this is a Lifetime movie. Is this perhaps one of the best Lifetime movies ever made, or is this even worse than i could have ever imagined?

Connor Connington ( Jamie Spilchuk ), is a wealthy young man who is worried about his elderly mother June Connington ( Barbara Gordon ), so he decides to hire a caregiver named Nora Reed ( Rebecca Liddiard ) to take care of his mother. At first everything seems to go smooth, until some unexpected events changes everything.

TV movies can usually be very bad, somwhere in the middle or at a few occations you find something that is surprisingly good. In the case of Danger In The House, i would say that this film have more to offer than i expected. What especially makes this film stand out is the different twists that this film deliver, and this is something i actually appreciate. To make a crime drama thriller interesting, you have to do something to make the plot interesting. And i have to say, this film might be one of the few Lifetime movies that i have seen that actually makes an effort. So let´s talk about what works in this film. Since you really don´t know what is going on between these characters, it helps the plot move forward to an interesting conclusion. How are the characters in this film? The most interesting character in Deanger In The House is without a doubt Nora, played by wonderful actress Rebecca Liddiard. There is something mysterious about Nora, and you can tell that she is carrying some personal secrets that she does not want to be revealed. Rebecca have no problem giving her character the right kind of personality that this role demands, and i also like the way she deliver her dialogue in a natural way. Actress Kathryn Kohut as the character Taylor, is another character i find a bit mysterious. She may seem to be an ordinary woman, but she also seems to be carrying her own secrets. I have to mention actress Barbara Gordon as the older lady June, who Nora takes care of. I do feel that the portrait of her is realistic, how an elderly woman her age would react in certain situations. The thriller drama elements are of course limited in a film like this, since Lifetime is known for not making violent films, but in this case i am actually ok with that. I feel that Danger In The House have enough of interesting twists to make this film work, and with some good characters included. Director Michelle Ouellet have perhaps made one of the better Lifetime movies i have seen so far with Danger In The House, and that is coming from a man who is not a big fan of these films. Who knows, maybe i would have the honor to talk to Michelle in the future about this film, i would be very interested to do so. Danger In The House is without a doubt one of the best Lifetime films released so far, and we definetely need a DVD release worldwide. 

Rating: DDD

Bridge Of The Doomed

I have many times wondered why i have become such a wonderful, and loving gentleman as i am today. Is it because of my many cups of Swedish coffee, or perhaps my banjo duels in the small society of Söråker ( where they mainly survive on moonshine )? Could it be that i have seen David Hasselhoff live in Hamburg in 2018 on his Looking For Freedom Tour? I think it might be a combination of everything to be honest, but the best answer i could find is my passion for zombie films. I was quite young when i started watching zombie films, and back in those days i would get them on VHS tapes. When i wanted to find some rare releases of zombie films, i would ask my school friend Anders to order them from England, because they released a lot more films than here in Sweden. One of the films i still remember, is the UK VHS release of George A. Romero´s Day Of The Dead. This turned out to be one of the best VHS buys i did get from England, and i can´t tell you how many times i watched this film. Day Of The Dead is a true love letter both to fans of zombies, but also to the work of legendary director George A. Romero. Day Of The Dead. This film takes place inside a bunker in the Everglades, where a group of soldiers try and survive while the whole world outside is filled with undead walking the streets. Day Of The Dead is not only one of the best zombie films ever made, but is really entertaining as well. The practical make up effects are really good, the characters are amazing, and i love some of the dialogue scenes. A must buy on Blu Ray from Arrow Video. The special features have some really tasteful stuff to offer, that i can highly recommend. Speaking of zombies in films, i recently got a chance to sit down and watch a brand new zombie film release called Bridge Of The Doomed, produced by the legendary brothers Sonny Mahal and Michael Mahal. Is this the best zombie film of this year so far, or is Bridge Of The Doomed a film that will most likely be forgotten?

A group of soldiers are ordered to hold a bridge during a zombie outbreak. They will soon find out, that the undead are not the only ones out there, but something else that they have never encountered before.

Do you miss the good old days of bloody practical make up effects of the 80´s? Then look no further, because Bridge Of The Doomed brings back flesh eating zombies, even more tasteful than your corn flakes package. Not only that of course, but we get plenty of flesh wounds and head shots, wich clearly shows that this film was made for true old school fans of zombie films. So what makes this film enjoyable other than the practical make up effects? The look of the zombies works suprisingly well, and there is a big diversity of zombies. You have zombies that look like pretty recently deceased, and then you have the zombies that have clearly been dead for a while with barely any face left. I think this is a really good idea to try and mix it up a bit, makes the zombie attack scenes more fun to watch. The zombie attack scenes themselves are entertaining to watch, as they feed on human flesh. When it comes to characters we especially have two that stands out from the crowd, so let us begin with the first one. And that is the character known as Sgt. Hernandez, played by actress Kate Watson. Not only is this the coolest character of this film, but i love her attitude. Let´s just say that not many would dare to ask her for a dance at the Christmas party, in case she´s having a bad day. Actor Robert LaSardo ( who have been in so many classics such as TV series NYPD Blue ) plays the cool character of General Vasquez. I seriously don´t think anyone would have been a better choice for this character than Robert LaSardo, becuase he is such a perfect match for this role. His dialogue is smooth, and he knows how to sound serious. The monster that appears in this film is a pleasant surprise. I think it was a good idea to bring this creature in, and not do the whole film with only zombie attacks. Anything negative to say? I could probably find pieces if i wanted to, but i don´t really see a point. Bridge Of The Doomed is like a fun combination of the 2008 film The Devil´s Tomb and The Girl With All The Gifts, that does not take itself too seriously and focus more on the entertainment level for the fans of this genre. Director Michael Su is clearly a fan of the zombie genre, and deliver a film that is more tasteful than any season of TV cook show Hell´s Kitchen. What are you waiting for? Get your copy of Bridge Of The Doomed on physical media, today.

Rating: DDD

Blowback

People are so sensitive these days, and seem to look for problems everywhere. A lot of people go out on TikTok and complain about everything, no matter if it is about relationships, the latest season of The Bachelor, or even if they did not get the right coffee they ordered at Starbucks. Back in the 80´s it was completely different. You would fist fight a guy, and no matter who won you solved the problem that way. There was no need for TikTok, the fist did the talking instead. Even if you hit his balls, it would still be a better way to solve the problem than go out on social media. I did get beat up, but looking back now it was still a way to learn how to deal with life. The 80´s was a hell of a good time either way, so when i see the young generation today on social media i feel depressed. My advice to them is, learn Muay Thai or any other combat sport. Speaking of the 80´s, this was the glorious time of action films, when you can blow up 8 cars, empty your ammo of 564 bullets, do some special kicks, and feel that everything was in control. Action films in those days didn´t care on what environment activists or extreme feminists thought, when all you needed was to show some muscles and kick some ass. It was during the 80´s you saw wrestler´s such as Hulk Hogan go into films such as Rocky 3 and No Holds Barred. Even if not every film Hulk Hogan made turned out to be successfull at the box office, he was still respected as a wrestler. The legacy of wrestle´s in action films continued into the 2000´s. Wrestler´s such as John Cena have been in several action films, and i especially remember the 2006 film known as The Marine. A classic action concept story of a marine soldier called John Triton ( John Cena ), who´s wife is kidnapped by a group of diamond thieves. If you just want to watch an action film that is entertaining and simple, The Marine is a good choice Speaking of wrestler´s, another well known name in action films that includes a wrestler is of course Randy Couture, who is also a 6 times world heavyweight champion in UFC. Even if he have been in several action films over the years, his most famous role has to be as Toll Road in The Expendables franchise. I recently sat down to watch his latest action film known as Blowback, to see if it would be any good. Is this the perfect film to enjoy this upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, or is Blowack a perfect example of a straight to DVD release that will dust on a shelf?

Nick ( Cam Gigandet ) is in need of money, and accept a mission to do a heist with gym owner Veronica ( Michele Plaia ) with a team of criminals including Jack ( Randy Couture ). At first everything seems to be going smooth, until one of the heist gang members shoot Nick, and steal his part of the heist. Nick have been tricked, and need to find a way to strike back towards the people who betrayed him.

I was hoping Blowback would be a fun throwback to the action films of the past, but unfortunately this is another typical example of a straight to DVD action release. Does this mean that there is nothing positive to say about this film? Even if i have some things to say from a critical perspective, i will say this. If you just want a simple heist action film, you could do worse than Blowback. There are a few scenes where you at least feel like they are trying to go back to action films of the past, even if you can tell that the budget is limited. And for that i am thankful, that they don´t care what is trending right now, let´s just go old school instead. If they only would have made the action scenes more powerful, this could have been a fun ride. Now to the problems with Blowback. First of all there is no real chemistry between the heist gang, and you don´t really care what will happen to them. If you remember the classic heist gang of Quentin Tarantino´s cult film Reservoir Dogs, that is how you do a heist team. In Blowback it just feels like this team is here to pick up their money, and don´t even care about doing this job either, If you are making a heist film, i think you need some kind of chemistry between a criminal gang, or why even bother making a criminal gang? The acting is not very good by some of the characters, and this does not help the heist scenes either. I will say this, lead actor Cam Gigandet ( who i enjoyed in the 2010 action horror film Priest ) is the most interesting character in this film, playing the character Nick. If he would have been given better dialogue, and a better script, he might have been able to make his character even more interesting. Randy Couture as Jack do have a few good scenes, but i would have liked to see him more violent and feel more evil, since he is supposed to be one of the bad guys. One surprise though is actor Robert Giardina as the character Joey Delfanzo. If he would have been in the heist gang, this could have actually been a much more interesting film. I like the way he portrait his character, like an old school Italian gangster. How are the action scenes in general? Not that impressive honestly, so this is another detail that should have been fixed. Director Tibor Takács ( director of the 1996 film Sabrina - The Teenage Movie, and the 1998 film Sabrina Goes To Rome, both masterpieces of course  ) is clearly a fan of old school action films. For some reason he doesn´t seem to know how to make a solid heist film, and just make too many simple decisions instead. Blowback could have been great, and what we are left with is just another action release that will most likely be forgotten. I suggest you watch Quentin Tarantino's cult classic Reservoir Dogs from 1992 if you want a really good heist film. Blowback has too little to offer, and that is not a good sign if you enjoy action films in general. 

Rating: DD

Dead Zone

Before the pandemic i remember sitting with some of my former co workers at a seminar about health care. We were invited through the company that we worked for at that time, and i am always interested in listening to speakers who are educated about health care. In this case it was a woman, i would guess around 55 years old ( i did not ask her of her age, not the best idea ). She seemed nice at first, but once she started the seminar i could barely stay awke. She talked with no passion, and it was almost like she just stood there, hoping that someone would listen. So towards the end i closed my eyes for a moment while no one was looking, and dreamed that we would have a zombie apocalypse in the building instead. Imagine everyone at this seminar running all over the place, full chaos, zombies feeding on human flesh and no boring speeches? I think i would have felt right at home in this scenario. Zombie outbreaks have lived longer in the film industry than Swedish artist / politician Richard Herrey´s solo album career. He did release a couple of albums with his band Herreys up until the 90´s, but only made one solo album in 2006 called Jag E Kung. So why just one solo album you might ask yourself? Well, it is not very good, so i can´t imagine he sold a lot of copies. This is why you can always trust zombie apocalyptic films instead, because they know what the audience wants. I remember last year when i did a recount of all the apocalyptic zombie films i have seen in the last 10 years, and the numbers are pretty high. I don´t know why i enjoy this genre, maybe it is just because you don´t have to think too much and just have a good time. There are several titles i could easily recommend, but let us talk about The Asylum film Rise Of The Zombies, directed by Nick Lyon ( director of Titanic 666, wich you should check out ). Rise Of The Zombies is a fun low budget horror film with legendary actor Danny Trejo kicking zombie ass. The plot may not be much to talk about, but it is entertaning if you appreciate B movies. Pick up the film on DVD or Blu Ray, and just enjoy your weekend. I recently came across a film title i have never heard of, and that is a film called Dead Zone. A film that looks like a zombie film, but i really did not know much more. Is this a film that is better than anyone would have expected, or is Dead Zone just as dead as Donald Trump´s hair piece ? 

An elite team of soldiers, are sent inside a radiation-poisoned town on a very important mission to get a vaccine. They know about the undead walking the streets, but it turns out, something else is also waiting out there.

We have to be honest and say that Dead Zone have nothing unique or original to offer apocalyptic fans. This is a very traditional action horror film that have a lot of the same elements from several other smiliar B movies in the past. But there are two things that i especially appreciate with Dead Zone, so let us begin with the first detail. The body armour looks pretty cool on the soldiers, where they use a special designed helmet. We see inside the helmet of each soldier´s face with data information, and even if it may not be well made, i appreciate the effort. The monster that shows up in certain scenes looks pretty cool, and even if you can tell it is made on a limited budget, it still gives this film a different approach than just zombies. How are the characters in this film? I would say a mixed bag, and since we see most actors underneath the special helmets through out this film, you have to accept how they made this film, or i don´t think you will finish the film. The actors that stand out is definetely action actor Michael Jai White. He knows exactly how to deliver dialogue in a easy way and still look cool. Actress Whitney Nielsen ( who is worth checking out in the independent horror film Behemoth ) is exactly what this film needed, playing the cool female character Goodman with bigger balls than most men. Legendary actor Jeff Fahey is here as a military general, and i wish we would have seen him more. But the scenes where we hear him speak is definetely a highlight. So anything negative to say? The zombie make up effects look really cheap, that they actually tried to film the zombie attacks with a lot of cuts to cover up the make up effects. Not a good idea, because the shooting scenes themselves would have been more fun if they actually made an effort on the zombie´s make up. The plot is very thin, but thankfully the soldier scenes make up for that, since i feel that this group of soldier´s have a good chemistry. Director Hank Braxtan ( who directed the film Jurassic Hunt, a film i actually enjoy ) deliver a pretty simple, but fun zombie action film. If you just want military action and macho characters, this could be something you might actually appreciate. Dead Zone is definetely not for everyone, but if you are a fan of this genre, i suggest you give this film a chance.

Rating: DDD

Fall

In the spring of 1998 i did something i have not planned, or didn´t think i would do. I bungy jumped right down into a big ravine, and i don´t think i have ever been as scared as i was then. Everything went alright and the instructors were really good, so i had no need to be worried. But when you actually do something like this, it is hard to explain how it feels. In my case it was mostly fear, but once you have done it then it is quite a unique experience. I remember watching other people do it as well ( we were a study group who did this together, it was an activity day the school have arranged outside of our studies ), and i remember one young woman who backed out because she was too afraid. It was alright though, and the instructors said that it´s good that she did not force herself or felt forced to do it. We had some other activities as well that day, such as ax throwing, shooting arrows, so it was a fun day so everyone got a chance to spend time together. Speaking of heights ( thinking back at the bungy jump in the ravine ), i don´t really like beeing too high up in the air. A building of 10 floors is ok, however if you get to 30 floors that´s when i would rather stay in the lobby. If you personally don´t mind being high up in the air, i suppose it is no problem and i know i would never bungy jump again. But it was fun trying it in 1998, just to see how it would be. When it comes to films that takes on the issue of heights i have a personal favourite film. And that is the 1993 action film Cliffhanger from director Renny Harlin, with legendary action actor Sylvester Stallone. Cliffhanger is one the best height action films ever, and you can actually feel like you are hanging in the mountains of this film, as the character Gabe Walker ( Sylvester Stallone ) try and survive in the mountains against a gang of heist criminals. Even if Cliffhanger is getting closer to 30 years old, it is still a really well made action film and a worthy Sylvester Stallone classic. Cliffhanger proved that you can actually make an action film in snowy mountains, where you don´t need CGI effects. Director Renny Harlin proved once again why he is such a great action director with Cliffhanger ( before his career took a big turn with Cutthroat Island ). If you have not seen it, watch it on Netflix, Amazon Prime or any other streaming service, or i highly recommend the Blu Ray release. Speaking of heights, since the summer of 2022 i heard about a new film called Fall, that looked like it could be interesting. A film about two women climbing a 2,000-foot tall radio tower is something you don´t see everyday. I finally got a chance to watch this film, so the question is, does this film deliver more than i expected, or is Fall a perfect ecample of a film that falls flat to the ground?

Adrenaline junkies and best friends Becky Connor ( Grace Caroline Currey ) and Shiloh Hunter ( Virginia Gardner ) are climbing a mountain with Becky´s husband, Dan ( Mason Gooding ), who loses his footing  and falls to his death. Becky´s whole world is destroyed, as she tries to struggle each day mourning after her husband. After some time have passed, Hunter suggest that Becky has to face her fears and go with her on another climbing trip, this time to climb B67 TV tower ( that is 2,000-feet tall ) out in the desert. Becky does not feel ready to do anything like this, but decides to go with Hunter.

I will say this, since a lot of movie releases that comes out every year look very similar to each other, Fall at least tries to go in a different direction. When was the last time you saw a film with 2 people stuck completely up in a radio tower? When ever i see a film that attempts to actually tell a story, i am always interested. Fall does open up some important questions such as: How you do survive up in a 2,000-foot tall radio with a very limited amount of supplies? What do you do if you can´t contact anyone ? How far are you willing to go to survive? There are probably other questions as well that you will think about as you watch this film. If you don´t like heights for some reason, you will definetely feel the tension in some of the most intriguing scenes. So what is especially good about this film? I would say that the cinematography from Miguel "MacGregor" Olaso looks beautiful. You can tell that he really did a good job on this film, and knew exactly what style this film needed to work. The main characters Becky and Hunter, played by actors Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner, they actually match well on screen and you believe that they are friends. I would say that their acting performances are solid, and we do get to know some personal details about them that actually makes the plot a bit more interesting. Only one annoying thing, and that is the social media stuff. I understand that these women are young and want to show their climbing skills, but you get a feeling that especially one of them might be too engaged in her social media attention. Especially when their lives are at risk, it is probably the last thing you want to think about how many likes you can get. As a survival thriller i will say that the film knows how to tell a simple but effective story, and the location out in nowhere is actually a great idea to make it look more difficult. The height scenes are really beautiful filmed and you can actually feel the fear in certain scenes. Fall is perhaps not a film for everyone, especially if you happen to be a Michael Bay fan and love lots of CGI and explosions. If you enjoy a different kind of film experience, this might actually be something worth checking out. Fall is actually a susprisingly good film, and even if it will never be a classic such as Cliffhanger, it is definetely one of the better height films in the last 15 years. Director Scott Mann ( who directed the entertaning action thriller Final Score with Dave Bautista ) proves that you can make a solid height film on a limited budget, and i am actually looking forward to see what he will bring us next.

Rating: DDD