25 Years Anniversary Review Of Rush Hour

The 80´s and the 90´s was a fantastic time for action comedies. Especially cop movies where you usually had two partners working together serving justice, there was just something magical about this genre during these time periods. You don´t see these types of films made that often anymore in present day, and perhaps that is because a lot of director´s know that it would be difficult to capture the same magic as we got back in the VHS era. There are several action comedies i could mention, but let´s stick to one of the biggest classics of all time. And i think we can all agree that has to be the 1987 action comedy Lethal Weapon from director Richard Donner ( who of course also gave us Superman and Superman II with Christopher Reeve ). Lethal Weapon proved that you could match two really crazy and funny characters such as Sergeant Martin Riggs ( Mel Gibson ) and Sergeant Roger Murtaugh ( Danny Glover ) working for the LAPD, and put them in some really crazy situations. I have to mention that Gary Busey as the character Mr. Joshua is a great bad guy in this film, so he was definetely a great choice for this character. Lethal Weapon is not only one of the best action comedies of the 80´s but it is also a classic for the effective action scenes, effective dialogue and also the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. There were 3 sequels made of Lethal Weapon and i really enjoy the second film from 1989. The third film from 1992 is entertaining and worth a watch, but the 4th film from 1998 just didn´t have the same magical touch as the previous film had. In fact i even refused to go see the 4th film in cinema with some of my friends back then, because the trailer looked awful. It turned out i was actually right. Let´s stay in the year of 1998 because this was the year when a different kind of action comedy would become a box office hit worldwide with a new cop duo. Legendary martial arts actor Jackie Chan and comedian Chris Tucker teamed up in the action comedy Rush Hour, a film that in some ways reminds us of Lethal Weapon but is more of martial arts version of a cop action comedy. This film turn 25 years this year so i decided to revisit the film to see if i still enjoy the first film. Since i have not seen Rush Hour for at least 10 years, is it possible Rush Hour have aged better compared to most action comedies from the 90´s or is it not as funny as i remember it would be?

On the last day of Brittish rule of Hong Kong on July 1, 1997, Detective Inspector Lee ( Jackie Chan ) of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force leads a raid at the wharf, hoping to arrest the crime lord Juntao. He finds only Sang ( Ken Leung ), Juntao´s right-hand man, who escapes in a boat. Lee recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory gift to his departing superiors, Chinese consul Solon Han ( Tzi Ma ) and British police commander Thomas Griffin ( Tom Wilkinson ). Two months later, after Han takes up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles his daughter Soo-Yung Han ( Julia Hsu ) is kidnapped by Sang while on her way to school. Han calls Lee to assist in this case, but the FBI are afraid that Lee´s involvement could cause an international incident, decides to send him off to LAPD instead. Detective James Carter ( Chris Tucker ) is tricked into "babysitting" Lee as punishment for botching a sting operation. When he finds out, he decides to solve the case anyway. But working together with Lee will not be as easy as he thought it would be. 

One thing that i come to think about watching Rush Hour after so many years, is that the comedy scenes in this film would never have been allowed in 2023. There are jokes in here about black people and Chinese people that would probably cause this film to be banned if this film was released today for joking about different skin colors. But back in the 90´s you could pretty much joke about anything without being cancelled, so i still have a good time watching Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker attacking each other. They are clearly two very different people with a different mind set as well, and that is one of the reasons why they have great chemistry on the big screen. One detail i especially appreciate about Rush Hour compared to the Lethal Weapon franchise is that the martial art influences are very clear in this film. Seeing Jackie Chan doing his special moves is of course always delightful, and there are some scenes where he really shows how talented he is at choreography. Comedian Chris Tucker can be annoying sometimes in certain films, but i actually think this is one of his better acting performances in the first Rush Hour film. His comedy timing is right on point, his dialogue lands exactly where it needs to land to work with his scenes and even if he is a lousy fighter, he still make the action scenes enjoyable as well even though Jackie Chan steals the show. The plot of the film is really predictable and that´s probably the weakest point of Rush Hour. You could basically say that this film works well thanks to the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, because you can tell they had fun together. The action scenes are fun and really feels like the 90´s when it comes to the style of the film and the dialogue. Director Brett Ratner ( who actually directed all 3 of the Rush Hour films so far ) knows how to use Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker to make an entertaining film that doesn´t need an interesting plot. Rush Hour may never be as good as Lethal Weapon, but i still think this is an action comedy that manage to combine these genres sucessfull. Definetely worth checking out on VOD, DVD or Blu Ray this summer, if you just want to have a good time.

Rating: DDD

Alone At Night

One genre in the horror genre that never seems to die is the genre known as slashers. Typcially most slashers who are released have some kind of killer who attack people with a certain kind of weapon, no matter if it´s a knife, a machete, or perhaps a sword. I have seen so many different kinds of slasher films since the late 80´s, and there have been some good ones. Unfortunately there are some slashers that never really turned out to be anything special, and were just released to cash in on slasher fans. Some might prefer the Scream franchise especially after the original film from 1996 was such a big hit, but i was personally never a big Scream fan. I don´t mind the first two films, but they were enough for me so i never saw the sequels that followed. That doesn´t mean i can´t recommend the original film, it is worth checking out. I personally prefer other kinds of horror films in this genre and a perfect example of that is the 2006 slasher film known as Hatchet. Directed by Adam Green, this film tells the story of a group of tourists out in the swamp in New Orleans who have an accident and their boat is damaged. In the swamp they do not expect to meet the local legend Victor Crowley ( Kane Hodder ) to still be alive. The character Victor Crowley proved that you can make a fun slasher character with practical make up effects on a limited budget, and i have to say i enjoy some of the other characters in this film as well. The gore effects are fun to watch and there are some brutal scenes to enjoy. You even have smaller roles here from legendary horror actors Robert Englund and Tony Todd in here. This film is without a doubt working so well thanks to legendary horror actor Kane Hodder. He proves that you can play two different characters in the same film and still make it work. Hatchet is simply just a fun B horror movie with a good sense of humour and fun practical killing effects. I recommend you pick up the DVD and check out the nice special features, especially the director´s commentary track. I try and check out slasher film when ever i can, and even if it´s not my favourite genre in horror film there are a few interesting titles that comes out every year. One of the films i had on my watch list is a slasher film called Alone At Night ( also known as 18 & Over ), a film i didn´t know anything about really except saw the poster. Is this a film that will please fans of this genre, or is Alone At Night just as dull as another episode of Emerdale?

Vicky ( Ashley Benson ) and and her friend Stacy ( Sky Ferreira ) head towards a cabin together, owned by Stacys family to do a week of heavy camming online on the site 18 & Over to make some money. What seems to be an ordinary visit to the woods, is about to change completely

Alone At Night tries to go in different directions. One moment we are witnessing a reality TV show and the people who have decided to join the show, and then we are out in the countryside in a cabin where a woman does live webcam nudity shows for money. That´s a pretty crazy mix right already 15 minutes into the film, and the reality show is something we especially get to follow in certain scenes. One character in this reality show known as Deadass played by actor Tyler Dean Flores, imagine a combination of singer Sean Paul and hip hop artist Bow Wow combined, trying to look cool in the biggest glasses you have ever seen, he definetely stands out in this reality show. Not saying this look is making him look that cool, but we definetely need Deadass in this reality show. The most odd characters in Alone At Night who doesn´t fit in at all but are funny to watch ( for being so bad ) is Pamela Andersson as Sheriff Rogers and her nephew Depurty Wayne ( ASAP Nast ). Not only are these the worst cops i have seen in a long time, but they are actually entertaining to watch. I personally feel that they should have had more screen time together since a slasher needs some comedy, and they would be a great match to certain scenes. Pamela Anderson have never been a good actor, and i am ok with that. At least in this film she´s not trying to be serious but just to have fun with her character. We even have legendary actor Luis Gusmán ( who can forget him from classics such as Boogie Nights and Traffic ? ) here playing the character JazzyLou. Unfortunately he is not used very well in this film, and he actually give one of the better acting performances. Actress Ashley Benson thankfully give us the most interesting character in this film called Vicky. Did i mention Paris Hilton shows up? She does, but nothing you will remember. As a slasher film i have to say that Alone At Night feels pretty weak, when you think about how the kills are done in this film. There are not many memorable killing scenes at all, and unfortunately not effective either. Director Jimmy Giannopoulos mix too many ideas together with this film and especially the reality show doesn´t really fit in. He should have kept the story to the cabin only and it might have been interesting. Alone At Night is not completely horrible, but it is a film you will easily forget. A slasher film that we have seen so many times before and doesn´t really do anything unique or different and doesn´t even try to be a good slasher. My advice, pick up Hatchet on DVD instead and i guarantee you will have more fun.

Rating: DD

The Mother

Back in 1998 i remembering visiting a cinema in Gothenburg in early december as i was going to see a film called Out Of Sight with actor George Clooney ( who had already done a legendary performance in the film From Dusk Till Dawn by that time ). I remember watching the poster that was right next to me while getting snacks and i noticed the name Jennifer Lopez. I have not really thought much about her name at that time, but as i watched the film Out Of Sight i understood why i recognized the name. About 6 months earlier i have watched a film on VHS called Selena and that´s where i first remember my first encounter with Jennifer Lopez. In the film Selena she plays the Mexican singer Selena Quintanilla Pérez, with the artist name known as Selena who became very popular in Mexico. It was her third album Entre a Mi Mundo in 1992 that really kicked off her career to be noticed worldwide. The film Selena tells the story how it all started and how Selena worked all the way to the top, and the tragic end where she was killed by someone she knew very well. It is a very tragic story of Selena dying so young, but the film is a great tribute not only to the real Selena but to her music as well. Jennifer Lopez did a great job in the lead role and she proved that she knew how to act. After she also did a great performancre in Out Of Sight it has been a very mixed bag for Jennifer Lopez when it comes to picking films. You have the 2001 film The Wedding Planner, how many of you remember that? And then of course you have the really terrible comedy Monster-in-Law ( what were you thinking Jane Fonda? ). I actually enjoyed the 2007 film Bordertown with Jennifer Lopez and Martin Sheen, even though i know some people have different opinions about the film. It was a box office flop at that time but i think it´s worth checking out, based on female homocides in Cuidad Juárez. I suggest you pick this film up on DVD and give it a chance. For quite many years it seemed that Jennifer Lopez was stuck making monstly romantic comedies and i have not seen any of her latest ones. Until i saw the trailer of her new Netflix film The Mother and she finally seemed to be going into the action genre again. Is this the best film we have seen with her in over 20 years or is Jennifer Lopez film career doomed for all eternity with The Mother?

The Mother ( Jennifer Lopez ), an assassin is on the run from dangerous assailants. She is trying to protect her only daughter Zoe ( Luzy Paez ) from the people who wants to kill her. She travels to Alaska to a remote cabin to try and live a new life with her daughter there. But her past will not leave her behind and she will soon be forced to fight, even if she may not survive.

Finally Jennifer, you finally hit the right spot. Not only is The Mother a well made action film but it also shows the importance of the love a mother have for her own child and how you are willing to do anything for your child. Now, you might think that she will step right back to the romantic genre. She doesn´t at all in this film and i think that was a very good choice. We need to see you in more different films from now on Jennifer Lopez, because you clearly prove that you can do other genres with The Mother. So let us begin by telling what i appreciate especially with The Mother. First of all the portrait of Jennifer Lopez character really feels like a great match. She is tough, doesn´t take shit from anyone and most of all she´s not afraid to risk her own life. This may be the first time i have seen Jennifer Lopez do action stunts on a whole other level than before and i am really glad that she went into this role so serious. Acting wise i will say that she does a pretty good job, considering that this is a very physical role for her. So how is the daughter character Zoe played by actress Lucy Paez? This is the very first time i have seen her act in any film but i actually think she´s alright. The chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Luzy Paez is actually pretty good, especially in the scenes where they are trying to survive. How are the action scenes? I would say for a film that takes place for the most part in Alaska i would say they look good with the beautiful nature scenery. The one negative thing i might say is that the plot isn´t really interesting to be honest. So it is more thanks to the chemistry between Jennifer and Luzy that makes this film work as well as it does. The Mother is in many ways a traditional American action film except for one thing, that this is also a film about parenthood and how to raise your child in a good way. If you just want to watch something simple but is still good enough as an action film, you could go a lot worse than The Mother. Director Niki Caro ( director of the live adaptation of the Disney film Mulan ) clearly set out to do a female action character with a message how important motherhood is. I really hope you continue on this path Jennifer after have done The Mother, because i want to see you do more films like this. We definetely need to se J Lo kick some more ass in the future, and The Mother definetely bring some entertainment to the Netflix audience.

Rating: DDD

Evil Dead Rise

If there is something we have learned in the world of horror films, is that a big budget doesn´t make a good horror film. What you need is a good idea, great characters and especially practical effects that actually works. It doesn´t matter how much CGI effects you believe will make a scene better, it will never be as good as it is from a practical effects point of view. This is why i defend a lot of old horror films that didn´t have the oppurtunity to use effects with computers. they had to create everything themselves with practical make up effects and create evil characters that really worked on screen. There are of course a lot ot classic titles i could easily mention but let us go back in time to the year of 1981 when director Sam Raimi released his full feature directorial debut film The Evil Dead. Considering the budget that this film was made on and the practical effects they used, The Evil Dead really proved that you can make effective horror films on a very limited budget. This film tells the story of five Michigan State University students who travel to a isolated cabin in rural Tennessee. Down in the cellar, Ash ( Bruce Campbell ) and Scott ( Richard DeManicor ) look around to see what they can find, and there lies a very old book they have never seen before. They bring the book upstairs and it is translated Naturom Demonto, a Sumerion version of the Egyptian Book Of The Dead. Scott plays the tape recorder found close to the book, where archaeologist Raymond Knowby ( Bob Dorian ) speaks of the pages of the book, and while they listen to the tape they resurrect a demonic entity. The Evil Dead is not only a really fun horror film, but this film also proved why director Sam Raimi was brilliant and using camera angles in his own unique way. The Evil Dead was a really big success in the 80´s and gave director Sam Raimi a lot of respect among horror fans as well as audiences worldwide. The sequel Evil Dead 2 is even better than the first film according to me, and actor Bruce Campbell really proved his acting ability in this film as well. I also really enjoy Army Of Darkness ( also known as Evil Dead 3 ) from director Sam Raimi as well. A different take on this franchise but really entertaining. 20 years after Army Of Darkness we got a remake of Evil Dead in 2013 from director Fede Alvarez, and i really enjoy this remake that clearly showed respect for this franchise. So here we are 10 years later with a Evil Dead sequel, simply calle Evil Dead Rise. With a different story and a brand new director on board, is this film better than i expected or should they have skipped making this sequel and left the franchise alone?

Guitar technician Beth ( Lilly Sullivan ) is upset when she finds out that she is pregnant and decides to visit her sister Ellie at the Monde Apartments complex in L.A. ( Alyssa Sutherland ), a tatoo artist. These sisters are not very close anymore, affected by their past. Ellie is a single mother to teenagers Danny ( Morgan Davies ) and Bridget ( Gabrielle Echols ), as well as her youngest daughter Kassie ( Nell Fisher ). While the children return home after going out to buy pizza for everyone, an earthquake open up a concealed chamber down in the basement parking lot. Danny investigate the chamber and find old records dated all the way back to the year of 1923, as well as a very strange looking book. Not knowing what these records are all about, and the connection to the strange book, he and his family are about to find out that something very evil is about to be released.

In the first 20 minutes of Evil Dead Rise you get a sense that this is just another attempt to cash in on the Evil Dead franchise. I know some people were impressed with the opening scene of the film title and it does look good, but i wouldn´t say it is scary. It is after these 20 minutes when we get closer to about 30 minutes into the film when things become more interesting. This is where we finally feel the Evil Dead influences come to life and bring some fun. I have some other negative things to say but let´s leave that to later on in this review. So let´s talk about what i enjoy most of Evil Dead Rise. Some of the gore effects are fun and are quite brutal in some scenes, and this is exactly what i would want in an Evil Dead film. There is even an eye flying scene similar to Evil Dead 2 ( not as effective i would say as in Evil Dead 2, but still a fun watch ), and that to me shows that they tried to show their appreciation to the classic films. The biggest highlight when it comes to the gore is when they really make it extremely brutal towards the end. Actress Alyssa Sutherland ( who played the character Aslaug in the TV series Vikings ) is definetely the highlight of Evil Dead Rise playing the character Ellie. Especially when she is possessed and bring on several fun scenes and really go out of control. The children in this film are surprisingly good and i think they bring something for each character, so we get a little bit sense of who they really are. Ok so i have to talk about the negative about Evil Dead Rise, and that is that i will probably not remember this film that much in the next 20 years. What do i mean by that? The shock elements are not as effective to me as it was in the 2013 remake of Evil Dead from director Fede Alvarez. That remake really understood what Evil Dead was all about and captured a lot of the spirit from the previous Evil Dead films, while Evil Dead Rise tries to go in a different direction. That doesn´t mean i dislike this new film for trying something different, i still enjoy it. But if i compare this latest film with the 2013 remake i can tell you right away i will most likely remember that film more than Evil Dead Rise, because the shock elements in this latest film isn´t quite strong enough. It may be that i have seen so many horror films that it is hard to shock me at all, unless someone does something original or unexpected. I will say that i still enjoy Evil Dead Rise for what it is, a gory horror film with some fun suprises. Director Lee Cronin ( director of the horror film The Hole In The Ground, worth checking out ) tries to do something different with Evil Dead Rise and i have to applaud him for his effort, because he does manage to bring something different into the genre. He does manage to capture some effective horror moments throughout this film, especially with the brutal scenes. If you are a fan of this franchise i am pretty sure you will enjoy this film, but as i said earlier do not expect the same shock value as in the 2013 remake. There is a chance you might be disappointed.

Rating: DDD

The Best Man

When most people think of Sweden they think about ABBA, Ace Of Base, Roxette, Bruno Wintzell ( both opera singer and TV host of naked breast game show Tutti Frutti ), that swedes are not very social and of course we love to collect framed pictures of Runar Sögaard ( ex husband of singer Carola ). We could probably find more reasons why we are famous worldwide, but in Sweden we only have one true legend that beats every single swede who ever existed. And that is of course the one....and only.....Dolph Lundgren. I can not believe we do not have a statue of Dolph Lundgren in our capital city known as Stockholm so far, he is the most talented actor we have ever had in this country. Dolph could do any character perfectly no matter what film he decided to make. If he would do a serious drama film he would do it absolutely brilliant, if he would play a surgeon he would be the greatest surgeon ever. That is just the way Dolph works, he can never fail at acting. So forget about Zlatan and Nichlas Wahlgren and just lay your eyes on Dolph instead, because Dolph is all you need to feel complete in your life. He have done so many action films in his career that it is a lot of titles to check out, if you have not seen them all. One of the classics you don´t hear much about these days is the 1988 film Red Scorpion, where Dolph Lundgren plays Lt. Nikolai Rachenko, a Russian war machine who will destroy anyone who gets in his way. Red Scorpion is one of those action films that doesn´t take itself seriously and include fun characters, and Dolph is of course brilliant as the Russian soldier. Red Scorpion is definetely worth checking out and i suggest you pick up the blu ray release from Arrow Video. Since i have a tradition to try and check out every Dolph film that´s coming out, i finally arived to a film called The Best Man. Without reading about the plot i just saw the movie poster of Dolph Lundgren and Luke Wilson ( yes the actor from Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy ). Is this another highlight in Dolph´s career or is this actually one of his worse films i have seen in almost 20 years?

Cal ( Luke Perry ) is getting married to the love of his life Brook ( Nicky Whelan ) at a resort hotel out in the wilderness with her family and some friends of his invited for the wedding. But the ceremony is cancelle when mercenaries take over the hotel and kill the guests. Cal have no other choice but to try and stop them with his friends.

If you have seen most films in Dolph Lundgren´s incredible long career you know what you are getting with The Best Man. This is straight up a typical action film in many ways, and the plot isn´t anything you will remember. I wouldn´t even say that this is a film that brings anything fresh to the table because you have pretty much seen similar films before. One thing though that actually helps this film stand out a little bit from most action VOD releases is that it takes place during a wedding ceremony weekend in a hotel out it the wilderness. So it is far away from any big city and the cell phones doesn´t really work out there, in that sense it is a good idea to have a terrorist attack on a big hotel like this. So how are the characters in this film ? If you can accept that the acting isnt´t that good and includes some cheesy dialogue, i believe you will enjoy seeing actor Luke Wilson having a conversation with Dolph Lundgren in a bar. I never thought i would see these two actors working on the same film, so that is actually a fun combination. I do enjoy the piano scene with Dolph Lundgren because you can tell he´s not even playing the piano and the young woman looks impressed anyway. That scene itself becomes one of those moments where you can just enjoy yourself, even if it doesn´t make any sense. The action scenes between the actors takes a while before they really kick in, but when they finally do we get the classic 80´s and 90´s action style we all remember and loved. The terrorists have pretty big guns so they sure bring a party to this wedding ceremony, and this is actually a fun combination if you are going to do a wedding theme action film, you might as well make sure lots of ammo is wasted. Anything negative to say? Perhaps that we have seen this type of action film so many times before that you will probably not remember The Best Man for being unique in any way. However, if you just want a simple action film without any complicated plot, this could be what you are looking for. Director Shane Dax Taylor does clearly not care about what´s trending on TikTok, he just want to bring back action films of the past with The Best Man. Who said wedding films have to be boring? The Best Man proves that you can actually have fun at a wedding.

Rating: DDD

Renfield

When you mention a character such as Dracula it is difficult not to feel a bit of nostalgia. Based on the classic book Bram Stoker´s Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker, this book was inspired by the real Prince Vlad III ( also known as Vlad The Impaler ) in Romania, Dracula became one of the most iconic vampire characters in movies. I have seen most of the films where you find Dracula included going all the way back to the 1931 film Dracula from director Tod Browning. Looking back at this film today it may not be as scary as i thought it was as a kid in the 80´s but it is still a well made horror film. Where i really fell in love with the character Dracula was in the 1958 film Dracula, where legendary British actor Christoper Lee took on the iconic role as Count Dracula. The 1958 film Dracula begins in the year of 1885, where Jonathan Harker ( John Van Eyessen ) travels to the castle of Count Dracula, outside of Klausenberg to take up his post as librarian. Inside the castle, a young woman approach Jonathan and claims she is a prisoner and begs for help. Dracula ( Christopher Lee ) arrives, greets Jonathan, and guides him to his room. What Dracula does not know is that Jonathan is actually a vampire killer, and have actually travelled there to kill him. The 1958 film Dracula is not only well made but it definetely showed why legendary actor Christopher Lee knew how to portrait Dracula like no other actor before. I have seen the other Dracula films with Christopher Lee in the past, some of the films are good while at least one of them wasn´t really good. Christopher Lee never let us down though in his performance, he knew exactly what he was doing. Since these years with Dracula we have had a lot of different film adaptations based on the classic novel of Bram Stoker, in many different versions. Early last year i was hearing rumors about Nicolas Cage playing Dracula in a horror comedy called Renfield. I got a chance to see this film before it ended running in cinema, is this one of the films you need to see this summer or is Renfield a really big disappointment?

In the early 20th century, Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula ( Nicolas Cage ) meets English lawyer R. M. Renfield ( Nicholas Hoult ). Renfield hopes to broker a deal for some land, and after proving he is a useful assistant, he ends up being Dracula´s familiar, allowing him to be immortal and gaining super strength and speed when he consumes bugs. After almost being killed by vampire hunters, Dracula and Renfield move to New Orleans to recuperate. No matter where they go, they can not escape their past.

Some of you might remember the Mel Brooks comedy Dracula - Dead And Loving It with legendary comedian Leslie Nielsen trying to make a more funny approach on Dracula. He was funny, but i can honestly say that i actually prefer Nicolas Cage as Dracula for especially one reason. I definetely feel that Nicolas Cage have such a wide acting ability compared to Leslie Nielsen since he was best as a comedian. Cage can portrait any kind of character in all kinds of genres, something that Leslie Nielsen may have had problems with when he tried to do other genres of films. That doesn´t mean im not a big Leslie Nielsen fan, i am for sure. But he just didn´t have the same qualities that Nicolas Cage has on the big screen in so many different characters. The way he portrait Dracula in Renfield definetely proves his ability to change acting styles, and i love the crazy combination that he does in several scenes. Renfield definetely feels like both a tribute to Bram Stoker´s Dracula but also as a parody of the story with some unexpected surprises. The combination of horror and comedy works much better than i expected in this film, and there are several scenes where i found myself laughing. We have to talk about the chemistry between actors Nicholas Hault and Nicolas Cage, and it really feels like they found a great match. Not only are both of their characters very effective on screen, they both deliver some funny dialogue as well that actually works. Nicholas Hault may not be known for being one of the most powerful actors of his generation, but i feel that he really found is place in this film with the character of Renfield. The horror elements may not be very scary but i have to say that the brutality of several scenes are quite effective, where bodies are ripped open and even heads fly. This is exactly what i want in a horror comedy, don´t hold back on the gore effects but give us a lot of joy. Overall i have to say that Renfield is one of the better Dracula comedies i have seen in the last 30 years and director Chris McKay ( director of the sci fi action film The Tomorrow War ) have made his best film so far in his career. Renfield may have some flaws but i actually enjoy this film for what it is. Definetely the funniest horror comedy in a long time, so get your DVD or Blu Ray copy this summer of Renfield.

Rating: DDD

Assassin Club

Assassins, what would life be without them? They are the ones who fix all of your problems. If you have a working collegue who is making you pissed off for not cleaning your coffee cup enough, just call your local assassin and a bullet to the head and the problem is solved. Perhaps you have an annoying neighbor who don´t like the way you trim your bushes? Just call your local assassin and he will use the garden tools to make several wholes in the body. It´s the perfect marriage you never thought you could have, even if you may never meet very often. Your local assassin fixes anything you want, what husband would do that honestly? Only thing missing in here would of course be the late 80´s saxophone and everything would feel complete. Movies with assassins can be found in many different kinds of action films, and we do have some good ones and unfortunately some bad ones as well. I might as well mention one of the worst ones i have seen and that is the Steven Seagal film Absolution from 2015. It is boring, doesn´t have well made action scenes and Steven Seagal himself is not in shape to be a dangerous assassin. I understand he is older, but look at Dolph Lundgren still in fantastic shape making physical action films. So i think you should skip this film and let´s talk about one good assassin film instead, and that is the 1995 action film Assassins with Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas. A film i still remember seeing in cinema back in the day and i still watch it on my DVD collection among Sylvester Stallone films. Assassin tells the story of assassin Robert Rath ( Sylvester Stallone who plans to retire, haunted by the memory of murdering his mentor Nicolai Tashlinkov ( Anatoly Davydov ). While on an assignment, another assassin named Miguel Bain ( Antonio Banderas ), manages to eliminate Rath´s target first. Bains next plan is to kill Rath and become the world´s best assassin. If you love action movies of the 90´s then you will guaranteed have fun with Assassins. It may not be the best film from legendary director Richard Donner, but it is a fun assassin action film. Early this year i saw a trailer of a new action film simply called Assassin Club, and i noticed how it looked like a throwback to the 90´s. I just had to see this film and rented it on VOD. Is this a great action film to enjoy this summer, or is Assassin Club nowhere near as good as i was hoping it would be`?

Morgan ( Henry Golding ), an ex-Marine sniper turned into an assassin, is thinking about leaving to start a normal life with his beloved girlfriend Sophie ( Daniela Melchior ).  His mentor Caldwell ( Sam Neil ) have one last job for him, and that job is offering him 6 million dollars if he kills 6 chosen people. Each person is chosen for a very certain reason, and each person must be cut of a thumb to prove that you have taken their life. At first Morgan isn´t sure if he should do it, but suddenly he have already started his mission without him knowing this is the start. As he begins to locate the target´s he notice that something is not quite right.

We might as well be clear about one thing when it comes to Assassin Club and that is if you are looking for great acting performances, you won´t find it in this film. But since we are talking about a pure action film than maybe we don´t really need that do we? If you think back to the action films of the 90´s they were not known for delivering great acting, it was all about the action scenes. And that is the case for this film as well and it really feels like a throwback to how action films used to be at the VHS store. You get plenty of violent fighting scenes, shooting scenes, car chases, hot women, pretty much everything you could wish for when it comes to a film like this. The story is very simple and not hard to follow at all, and if you just want to be entertained for a moment than Assassin Club knows how to fix that by using simple methods. Let´s get into the characters for a bit and let´s start with lead actor Henry Golding ( who played Snake Eyes in the G.I. Joe inspired film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins ) who is the assassin Morgan. One issue i have with Henry is that he´s not a very powerful actor, so to put him in the lead role makes things a bit complicated when he´s lacking when it comes to acting. I do think he works better in the action scenes when he gets to do his own physical performance. Swedish actress Noomi Rapace is here as well playing two different characters, and when she doesn´t deliver any solid dialogue scenes she knows how to do action scenes for sure. Her fighting scenes is where we get to have some fun, and i hope to see her do more of this in the future. Legandary actor Sam Neil as the character Caldwell is probably the only character that bring some kind of acting into this film. Even though this is not one of his better performances he does bring something charming to his character. Overall it would be very easy to say that Assassin Club is simple entertainment for the moment, if you just want a simple action film. This film doesn´t add anything new to the table, it just knows what kind of audience it was made for. Tired of another romantic comedy with Jennifer Aniston? Then i suggest you put on Assassin Club instead and see what an ordinary Sunday should look like. 

Rating: DDD

Woman Of The Photographs

In the early 2000´s i watched a lot of horror films from Japan. You could probably say it started in the late 90´s with the very well known Japanese horror film known as Ringu ( 1998 ), but it was in the early 2000´s when cinemas across Sweden really gave Japanese horror film a bigger platform than we were used to see here. Even though i watched most of these films on VHS to begin with i did pick up some on DVD as well. One of the films though i remember watching in a cinema in the city of Gothenburgh, was the 2002 horror film known as Ju-On: The Grudge. At the time i have only read about this film in British movie magazines ( i used to buy a lot of them back in the early 2000´s ) and i did read some reviews in Swedish newspapers as well. A horror film that looked quite different from other horror films but also had a very interesting background story. Ju-On: The Grudge begins with Takeo Saeki ( Takashi Matsuyama ) who murders his wife Kayako Saeki ( Takako Fuji ) after discovering she is in love with another man, also killing the family cat, Mar, and his son, Toshio Saeki ( Yuya Ozeki ). The nurders create a curse that revives the family as vengeful ghosts. Who ever enters their house in Nerima, Tokyo, is eventually consumed by the curse. Ju-On: The Grudge from director Takashi Shimi is still today one of the true Japanese horror classics and is still kind of creepy in certain scenes. There are several sequels and of course an American remake from 2004, and even if i don´t mind the remake i still think the 2002 film is still more effective as a horror film. If you have not seen Ju-On: The Grudge i highly recommend you pick it up on DVD. Japanese films in general have proved to deliver a lot of quality films over the years such as Akira Kurosawa´s Ran, the animated classic Spirited Away and many more. I recently picked up a Japanese film called Woman Of The Photographs on a Blu Ray release from Epic Pictures, a film that i have heard of quite a while. Since i am a fan of Japanese film i thought i would give this film a chance. Is this a must see this summer or is Woman Of The Photographs not as interesting as i was hoping it would be?

A local photographer named Kai ( Hideki Nagai ) helps his clients to make each photograph perfect by trying to fix pictures that his customers wants to be improved. One day as he is out in the forest to take photographs of insects, he meets the mysterious girl named Kyoko ( Itsiku Otaki ) who have been bruised from a tree. She follows him to his photograph studio and is fascinated in his work. He agrees to take her photos and she post some pictures online. It seems that her wounds make people fascinated in the photos, and the bigger the wounds are the more likes the pictures get. Kyoko always wanted to be loved on social media, this could be her chance to become even bigger.

To call this a pure horror film would be misleading if you ask me since Woman Of The Photographs feels more like a drama horror, where the drama is definetely more detailed than the actual horror influences. This is the kind of film that will definetely not be appreciated by an audience who expect jump scares or intensive horror. This is what you would call a slow burner that takes it´s time to introduce the characters, and tell a story without rushing anything. One of the most important subjects that this film bring up is how affected we might be by social media to be loved. That we have to get plenty of likes to be accepted in society, and we have to stay on top no matter what it takes. I feel that they manage to capture the addiction of physical looks as well as addiction of social media in this film in a effective way, and still make the story interesting enough. The cinematography from Yu Oishi looks really good and i love the strong colors in certain scenes. Before we get into some other positive details that i enjoy about Woman Of The Photographs, there is especially one thing i need to talk about. There have been claims that this film is inspired by the work of David Cronenberg and i can see that in certain scenes. But i have to be honest and say this is nowhere near as good as the David Cronenberg classics, without being disrespectful to director Takeshi Kushida. I do like the idea behind this film and the clear image of being obsessed with your own looks. But it takes a very long time for this film to become really interesting, and it feels longer than the 90 minutes that it has in playtime. I think director Takeshi Kushida should have focused more on the darkness of the obsession of physical look even further and i actually think this film would have been even more interesting. There are just a few characters in this film but one of the most interesting characters is without a doubt the photographer Kai ( played by actor Hideki Nagai ) who doesn´t say a word in this entire film. To be able to act good without using dialogue is a challenge and Hideki Nagai handle this very well. He only speak a little bit in the last 5 minutes of the film, but other than that no dialogue at all. Actress Itsuki Otaki as the influencer Kyoko give a realistic performance of a young woman who is clearly too obsessed with being popular. Woman Of The Photographs is a fascinating film that´s really focused on photography and how much a picture can say without any words. If you are a fan of Japanese films then you should definetely give this film a chance. Imagone it took this film 3 years to really reach out worldwide. Whatever the reason may be it was worth the wait.

Rating: DDD