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