Death Count

When we think about Hollywood, we usually think about directors. But let´s be honest here and speak about the importance of film producers as well. Without their hard work, we would not be able to see all new films, since they are a big part of the making of films.  There are some really well known film producers across America, who have delivered so many classics. Two of my personal favourite film producers of the past, is without a doubt the Cannon Film duo The Go-Go Boys, known as Menahem Golan and Yoran Globus. This duo managed to produce a lot of real classic 80´s films, that will be loved by many generations ahead. Just to mention some of the films, i decided to make a small wonderful list:

Missing In Action ( 1984 )

Death Wish 3 ( 1985

Cobra ( 1986 )

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ( 1986 )

Over The Top ( 1987 )

There are so many films i could discuss here, but it would take a very long time. Menahem Golam and Yoran Globus were incredible in their own unique way. They always worked on new films, and they never stopped. Making films was their big passion, and they always cared about the audience. No matter how difficult it was sometimes, since they worked with limited budgets, they did everything they could to make their projects come to life on the big screen. Unfortunately, Cannon Films could not survive into the 90´s because of the economy, but the legacy of Menahem Golan and Yoran Globus lives on for many generations to come. In present day we do have a lot of well known film producers, but i feel that there are two brothers who are really making an impact worldwide. And these film producers are known as Sonny Mahal and Michael Mahal. You might recognize their names, and that is because they are just as hard working in the industry as Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus were. Sonny and Michael Mahal have produced several films so far, such as Party Bus To Hell, Art Of The Dead and Attack Of The Unknown. They have a lot of upcoming films coming up for a release, and i am really looking forward to see them all, especially Bridge Of The Doomed ( i am a big fan of zombie films ). I did review Attack Of The Unknown and gave it a positive review, and now i was given a chance to see Death Count, one of the films who is produced by Sonny Mahal and Michael Mahal. Is it possible that Death Count is one of the films you need to see this summer, or was it not as good as i was hoping it would be?

A group of strangers wakes up individual holding cells, where no one remember how they got here. A man known as Warden ( Costas Mandylor ) inform everyone that this is a competition, and if they want to survive, they must follow his rules. As long as they follow the rules, their chances of surviving is quite bigger. How far do they have to go, to finish this game?

It is quite nice to step into something different than Attack Of The Unknown, and to experience a horror film instead. As i was watching Death Count, i was reminded of the 2008 thriller film Untraceable. Both films are quite different, but they do have one thing in common. In both of these films you get to see chosen people suffer to death, while being watched online on a particular website. In the case of Death Count, the plot is nicely built around the mystery of the mysterious man known as Warden. He is actually one of the most interesting characters in Death Count, played by actor Costas Mandylor ( who you probably remember from Saw 4 - Saw 7 ). Wearing a half mask and giving the prisoners instructions, Warden is a character who is clearly feeding on the fear of the prisoners. Even if you can´t see his eyes, you can tell by his voice that he is determined to finish what he started. Actor Costas Mandylor manage to balance this evil character, without feeling like a copycat to Jigsaw. Is there anything specific that caught my attention with Death Count? Yes, the practical make up effects. I love to see the brutal kills in Death Count, and in this film we do have some tasteful treats that are quite nasty. They really wanted to capture the feeling of old school gory horror with this film, and there are certain scenes where they pull this off in a surprising effective way. I also enjoy the approach of the game, where it is up to each person to hurt themselves as much as possible, to get as many likes as possible from the internet watchers. It really tells you that there are some messed up people out there, who actually enjoy watching people suffering. We also get a interesting twist into the story later on that surprised me, where we find out why these people were chosen. The actors in general deliver acting performances that are alright, and i especially enjoy actress Sarah French as Rachel. The scenes where she expresses fear, of not knowing how to get out or what to do in this situation, capture the right atmosphere of how someone might feel being trapped. Even if you can tell that Death Count have been inspired by both Saw and Hostel, the film manage to go in a different direction, and proves that there is much more to appreciate about this film, than just being a rip off to Saw. The police scenes may not be as effective as i was hoping they would be, but it is always lovely to see legendary actor Michael Madsen delivering dialogue in his own unique way. Death Count is a film that gives hope for gory independent horror fans, and why we appreciate practical make up effects so much. Director Michael Su finds all the strings that he needs to make this film a fun, and quite violent horror film. If you are a fan of the gory horror genre, Death Count is definetely what you are looking for. Now excuse me, i am off to sign myself up to this game. Who does not want to be tortured online to get the most likes? Sounds like the perfect Swedish weekend for me.

Rating: DDD