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