Bone Face

Let us go back to the summer of 1996 for a moment. It was the month of June and i was hanging out with Pierre who worked at the rental video store known as Videomix. Pierre knew i always wanted to check out new horror releases on VHS so he would show me lists of what films are coming out on rental. I especially remember one specific day in June of 1996 because it was the Swedish VHS premiere week of the slasher horror film Children Of The Corn III - Urban Harvest. I remember as he packed up the VHS copies of this film he also had a poster of this film that he put up on the wall. I had already booked my rental copy of this film since i was a huge fan of the previous films, especially the first film. I actually owned both of the Children Of The Corn movies on VHS so clearly this was my kind of franchise. I remember watching this third film i was feeling that the level of quality had change. There were some fun killing scenes to be found in Children Of The Corn III but compared to the original film i did feel disappointed. Just a couple of years ago i rewatched Children Of The Corn trilogy on the Arrow Video blu ray box just to look at this trilogy again to see if my feelings had changed. I will say i appreciate that they tried a different approach on the third film taking place in Chicago city, that definetely brought something fresh into this genre while keeping some classic ingredients. And the fact that this film also have a adoption story included into the plot is also a nice detail. At the end of the day i can still recommend Children Of The Corn III if you want to watch a descent 90´s slasher, as long as you don´t expect it to be as good as the original film. I try to watch slasher horror films released every year in case i find some interesting titles. One of the horror slasher film posters that caught my attention this year was the poster of the independent horror film Bone Face. It looked like something in my taste and the film title sounded lovely indeed. I decided to rent this film on VOD and give it a chance. Is this the slasher horror film to watch this summer or is Bone Face a lazy attempt to cash in on slasher horror fans?

A masked killer known as Boneface slaughters several campers in a small town. At a local diner Sheriff Cronin ( Jeremy London ) and Deputy McCully ( Elena Sanchez ) enter the diner tellling all the guests that no one is leaving since everyone could be a suspect. As they begin to go through ech suspect over night, it becomes both a challenge and frustrating when some of the diner guests are not always helpful or friendly.

At first i thought this would be a very traditional slasher film but let me tell you, this is not what you might expect. This is actually more a murder mystery thriller a few slasher horror elements in certain scenes. This film feels more like a different version of the Agatha Christy novel Murder On The Orient Express, expect all suspects are kept inside an old diner. I have to say this is actually a nice surprise to see a completely different take in the slasher horror genre, making a different film that goes in a different path. And i have to say i do feel the murder mystery works pretty good as Sheriff Cronin ( played by actor Jeremy London who i remember from the 2009 film Wolvesbayne ) and Deputy McCully ( played by actress Elena Sanchez ) question all the guests at the diner. Since this film have a lot of characters in this diner you might think that we don´t get to know their personalities that good. But i have to say considering the amount of characters we actually get to know some of them. For example actor Artrial Clark ( who you should see in the 2016 war drama Free States Of Jones ) plays the character Ray, a theatre projectionist who loves horror B movies and even read a horror novel at this diner. It was very easy to enjoy Artrial´s performance as Ray because he seems like a good man, plus he loves horror films with a clear passion for low budget films. I do enjoy the performance from actor Jeremy London as Sheriff Cronin, the kind of sheriff you would want in a situation like this. The acting in general is pretty good and i do think this film looks good from a technical perspective. Since this is a PG13 horror film there is not a lot of violence or blood but that´s ok, i still think the film works anyway. Bone Face may not be appreciated by some slasher horror fans for being different in this genre. I appreciate the effort of this film and i do feel we need more films in this genre doing something different like Bone Face does. Director Michael Donovan Horn´s directorial debut full feature film is a fresh breath of air in a genre that was in need of someting different. Bone Face is without a doubt worth renting on VOD this summer.

Rating: DDD

Control Freak

There are several different categories within the genre known as horror. You have categories such as found footage, paranormal, slasher, grindhouse, psychological, zombies, creature feature and much more. That is the beauty of the genre of horror that there is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter what specific category you enjoy within horror films. And then we have a category that may not be mentioned very often but do have some quality classics. I am especially thinking about the category known as body horror. Within this category you find many different kind of body horror classics such as John Carpenter´s The Thing, David Cronenberg´s The Fly, Hellraiser, Re- Animator, Society and many more. Let us talk for a moment about a horror film that belongs within the catgory of boddy horror. And that is the 2021 Taiwanese horror film known as The Sadness from director Rob Jabbaz. Now, if you love lots of gory scenes with bodies being ripped apart, this is the film you have always wanted to see. The Sadness have some extremely brutal scenes so if you are a sensitive person, i would tell you to stay away from this film. The story takes place in Taipei where we meet young couple Jim ( Berant Zhu ) and Kat ( Regina Lei ) when Jim is about to drop off Kat at the trainstation driving their moped. They pass a bloody crime scene but don´t really think much more about it. Jim goes to a café where he witness a blood-soaked old woman assaults other cafe customers, spitting thick mucus on one of them. The man she spat on suddenly turn into a insane killer murdering his own brother. It seems a virus have spread turning humans into brutal killers. The Sadness may be a very gory film but i have to say i do think the story is really effective. The acting is really good from the whole cast and the film looks brilliant on a technical level. I would suggest that you pick up a blu ray copy of The Sadness from distribution company Vinegar Syndrome and you will find some very interesting special features as well inluded. Speaking of body horror there was a horror film released on Hulu and Disney + this spring in this category known as Control Freak. What i especially noticed by the trailer of Control Freak is actress Kelly Marie Tran who plays the character Rose Tico in the Star Wars franchise. Since i am a fan of body horror in general of course i had to see this film on Disney +. Is this a must watch for horror fans this summer or should you skip this one and watch The Sadness on blu ray from Vinegar Syndrome instead?

Valerie "Val" Nguyen ( Kelly Marie Tran ) is a successfull motivational speaker who inspire people worldwide, and she really loves to help people of all ages. But lately she have been acting strange scratching the back of her head more and more for each day. At first it may not look very strange, but as she begin to scratch deeper and deeper into her head, it becomes very clear that Valerie is struggling of a very serious compulsive urge. Her boyfriend Robbie ( Miles Robbins ) who wants to have a family with her is getting worried, while he is also mad that shes trying to hide her behavior from him. While Valerie is struggling more and more she makes contact with her father Sang Nguyen ( Toan Le ), a former drug addicted soldier who lives as a monk. Her father seems to know what is really causing her compulsive urge.

One of the most interesting details about a film such as Contol Freak is that you have to figure out if the main character known as Valerie is suffering from a mental illness, or is she chosen by a parasitic ghost that feeds on human hosts? As we see her scratching her head until she injure yourself, it becomes very clear she can not control her behavior. Actress Kelly Marie Tran as the main character Valerie gives a strong acting performance, and what i especially notice is that she capture the personality struggling with compulsive behavior. I think Valerie show a realistic side of a person who tries to lie about her behavior, as if this is not any problem. The scenes where she really show the problems reveal itself is where Kelly manage to show this behavior with body activities and facial expressions. If i compare this performance with Kelly´s character in Star Wars then i would say her acting performance feels stronger in Control Freak. Actor Miles Robbins ( who is the son of legendary actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon ) also gives a solid performance as Valerie´s boyfriend Robbie. I feel he gives this character a realistic approach, how do you handle the situation where your partner is struggling mentally and deal with everything?  Another interesting detail about this film is that Valerie is a famous motivational speaker. It becomes very clear that this inspiational speaker image slowly destroy itself with Valerie´s behavior, and this film manage to balance this very well with effective body horror scenes. The parasitic ghost scenes feel quite effective in the scenes where it seems Valerie conronts this evil spirit. I do appreciate the religious tone of Buddhism is conncted to the story, it matches well with the connection to the ghost. Im actually pleasantly surprised how good this film is in the body horror category, not a future classic in any way but director Shal Ngo ( director of quite a lot short films in the past ) have made a very stylish, well made psychological horror film with Control Freak. Definetely worth a watch on Hulu or Disney+ if you are a horror fan in general.

Rating: DDD

Ash

There is something special about films that combine the genres known as horror and science fiction. We have seen some great examples of that in cinema when certain director´s combined these genres such as Ridley Scott´s 1979 sci fi horror film Alien, John Carpernter´s The Thing, Predator, Fire In The Sky ( a film not that many talk about unfortunately ), John Carpenter´s They Live and several more titles. I could easily talk about all of the titles that i mentioned for a number of reasons. Some of these films have some really good character development, they also have great looking practical make up effects as well as simple and effective story telling. Then we have the sci fi horror films that were huge box office bombs at the time they were running in cinemas worldwide but turned out to be worth a watch on physical media or VOD. A perfect example of this is the 2009 sci fi horror film Pandorum from director Christian Alvart. If you have seen James Cameron´s classic 1986 sci fi horror film Aliens then you will most likely see that this film have influences similar to Aliens. Since humans have overpopulated Earth and used most of the planet´s resources, humanity builds an interstellar ark, the Elysium. It carries 60.000 people on a 123-year trip to colonize Tanis, an Earth-like planet. The passengers are placed in hypersleep, and some of the crew are awake at certain moments to maintain the ship. Several years later, two members of the flight crew, Corporal Bower ( Ben Foster ) and Lieutenant Payton ( Dennis Quaid ), awaken. They are about to find out that they have a different lifeform on board the Elysium. What makes the film Pandorum enjoyable is the combination of a sci fi action film and the humanoid creatures attacking the crew. In a way it feels like a B movie but the budget is clearly bigger than most B movies. I personally believe Pandorum might be a cult film in the future and you should check it out, especially on physical media. Earlier this year i saw a sci fi horror film going around film festivals called Ash from director Flying Lotus, this seemed to have some kind of alien theme and this is definetely my kind of genre within the horror community. I decided to check this film out on Amazon Prime hoping it would surprise me. Is this the sci fi horror film you need this summer or should you choose the 2009 film Pandorum instead?

Riya ( Eiza González ) wakes up in a space research station on the planet known as Ash. There seems to have been a battle across the space station, where she finds dead bodies lying in different rooms as she seems to get flashback memories, not entirely sure if she is involved somehow. As she look around for clues to get a bigger picture what caused all of this, the truth will change the full image completely.

One thing you should know before watching Ash is that this is not a film where you have a lot of things happening. The film takes it´s time to try and explain a certain timeline that includes the main character Ryia ( played by actress Eiza González who i recognized from the TV series From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series ) because she have trouble remembering everything. In a way you could probably call this a slow burn film since it doesn´t rush into anything and tries to actually tell a story instead of just using CGI effects. What i appreciate about this is that you get a different depth in a sci fi horror film, it´s not all about facing a dangerous lifeform, this film also tries to go on a deeper level and focus on the story instead. If you would rather have a more violent driven sci fi film then this might not be for you. But hang on for a moment, there are some violent scenes in this film so you just got to be patient. Let´s get into some of the details i appreciate about Ash and i have to say i love the colorful look of the planet. It almost looks like a painting that moves the colors around the amtmosphere. I also appreciate the story part of the main character Ryia trying to remember what happened, who killed all the people she woke up discovering? Actress Eiza González does a good performance as Ryia and almost feels like a younger version of Ripley from Alien in certain scenes, where you feel the empowerment of strong women. Aaron Paul ( who is brilliant as the character Jesse Pinkman in classic TV series Breaking Bad ) gives a solid performance in this film as the character Brion. The Medbot robot who can fix your body from injuries and wounds is clearly the future of health care we need. The alien parasite looks pretty cool from a design perspective. Of course there is something i need to mention that is negative, there are a couple of scenes where we get a bit too much dialogue that didn´t feel necessary. Director Flying Lotus ( who directed the odd but wonderful 2017 film Kuso ) is from a technical standpoint a good film maker. Ash is clearly a love letter to those who grew up watching 80´s sci fi horror and in general this film manage to capture that magical VHS feeling of the past. Definetely worth a watch on Amazon Prime this summer.

Rating: DDD 

Revenge Of The Boogeyman

Independent movies are incredibly important in today´s society. Without independent films we would not have the same level of creativity and passionate film makers as we unfortunately don´t have within the big studios of Hollywood. This is why i support independent film makers to be able to create films on limited budget who actually care about their project. One independent film distribution company who is well known on the independent scene is known as Breaking Glass Pictures. Over many years i have tried to see several of their releases both on VOD and in some cases on DVD as well. There are several titles that i feel worth checking out released by Breaking Glass Pictures such as The Special, Halloween Party, Butchers and The Mad Hatter. These are just some good recommendations that are worth a watch but let´s talk about one specific film that Breaking Glass Pictures released during the pandemic on DVD. And that is the 2019 horror film Exit O from director E.B. Hughes. I actually bought this film during the pandemic since i ordered basically everything online during this time. This film tells the story of a young couple Billy ( Gabe Fazio ) and Lisa ( Augie Duke ) who are spending a weekend in an old hotel that Billy have stayed at in his childhood. This weekend will not only turn out completely different than Billy and Lisa expected, where especially Billy is in for a shocking truth. As a supernatural horror film with some surprising twists i feel that Exit O does a great job telling a solid story, and i do appreciate the acting performances in general. Worth checking out if you are a fan of independent horror. Last year i reviewed an anthology horror film called Beware The Boogeyman telling 4 different stories, in my opinion the best film that Breaking Glass Pictures have released so far. So here we have a sequel called Revenge Of The Boogeyman and i was of course excited to check it out. Is this just as good as the first film or does this film fail to reach the same level of quality the first film have?

Calvin ( Calvin Morie McCarthy ) is a struggling addict who decides to go on a cabin weekend with his friends Tim ( Tim Coyle ) and Jax ( Jax Callington ). What may have started as an ordinary weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.

One of the things i noticed right away with Revenge Of The Boogeyman is that this is not an anthology horror film like Beware The Boogeyman. I do appreciate that they tried a different approach with this sequel instead of just making a similar film as the firs one. However, there is a big problem with this sequel that damage the film in some ways and that is the comedy tone in certain scenes. They attempt to act funny and to be completely honest that doesn´t work at all. I do think horror and comedy can work well if you combine these genres in an effective such as the Evil Dead franchise. In this film though it just don´t match well with the story of the Boogeyman. There are three positive details at least and first i have to say i appreciate the look of the Boogeyman. He kind of looks like Carrot Top combined with the cave troll from The Lord Of The Rings after using extremely high doses of botox. I do think the acting from Calvie Morie McCarthyy ( who you might recognize from the independent horror film Exocism in Utero ) is pretty good considering this is a low budget horror film. The practical make up killing scenes have some gory moments. That´s pretty much it when it comes to the positive. The rest of the film is a mixed bag of so called funny scenes mixed with the Boogeyman killing at a few moments. This film could have been a worthy sequel if they skipped so many of the comedy scenes and focused on the story of the Boogeyman. And why is the Boogeyman so little in this film? Director Erik Skybak ( who also directed the independent horror film Exorcism in Utero ) tries too hard making a funny horror film that failed to entertain me as much as i was hoping for. Watch this one only if you enjoy the first film but i can´t recommend this one. Not completely terrible but could have been much better. Revenge Of The Boogeyman proves that sequels does not always succeed.

Rating: DD

G20

Over my 47 years i have seen several American presidents take office at the White House in Washington DC. The earliest memory i have of my first moment of seeing the American president was on Swedish TV back in 1981 and that was Ronald Reagan. He was elected President on November 4, 1980 but i was too young to remember that ( i was 3 years old at that time ). So why do i remember seeing President Reagan just a year later? My grandfather Ingvar watched a lot of news coverage regarding the assassination attempt of President Reagan in 1981 and he wanted to know the latest details. Obviously i was too young to understand at that time what have happened so when i was a litte bit older in 1986 ( i was 9 years old at this time ) i read about this assassination attempt in a history magazine at our local library. That´s when i had flashbacks from the TV news coverage of President Reagan in 1981 but i only remembered a few images. Since the 80´s a lot of things happened with different Presidents and who can forget the President Bill Clinton scandal in 1998 where he had sex with White House intern Monica Lewinsky? A classic American historical moment that sold a lot of gossip magazines and news papers worldwide. Did you know that Monica moved to London in 2005 and studied social psychology at the London School of Economincs? Since then she have done a lot of different things and of course will always be marked over this 1998 scandal. Speaking of Presidents in the year 1997 director Wolfgang Petersen ( director of the 1984 children movie classic The NeverEnding Story ) released his action film Air Force Down with legendary actor Harrison Ford as U.S. President James Marshall. This is definetely one of the best action films with a President kicking terrorist ass and Harrison Ford did a great performance. Legendary actor Gary Oldman as the Russian terrorist leader Egor also gives a wonderful acting performance. Air Force One is one of those 90´s action movies that came at a perfect time when action movies were very entertaining and you should definetely check it out on streaming or physical media. I woud also recommend the 2013 action film Olympus Has Fallen with Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart ( where Aaaron plays President Benjamin ). This spring a new action film was released on Amazon Prime where female President Danielle Sutton ( played by actress Viola Davis who i always remember from the 2009 vigilante action thriller Law Abiding Citizen ) kicks terrorist ass in the action film G20. I thought it would be interesting to see a female President showing her combat skills so i decided to give this film a chance. Is this the action film to watch this summer or is G20 as predictable as Smokie´s full discography ( where all the albums sounds the same ) ?.

President Sutton ( Viola Davis ) travel to South Africa with her husband Derek Sutton ( Anthony Anderson ) and their two children Serena Sutton ( Marsai Martin ) and Demetrius Sutton (Christopher Farrar ). Sutton have to attend the G20 summit meeting leaders from all over the world. But this G20 summit is suddenly stopped as a group of terrorists lead by their leader Rutledge ( Anthony Starr ). He have specific demands and want to capture President Sutton to be able to complete his mission. What Rutledge doesn´t know is that Sutton knows how to deal with terrorists, especially if she needs to use more violent tactics.

If you were hoping that G20 was going to be an action film that reminds us of action films such as Die Hard and Air Force Down then this is the film for you. It is not a classic such as the films i mentioned, but what G20 does that is a bit different is bringing out a female President who does not only hold speeches, she actually fight and handle different guns as well. Other than that there are no big surprises in this film. That does not mean this is a terribe film, i think i should be honest though and let you know this is a very basic action film. So let us get into the positive about G20 and i have to say it is a good idea to hold this terrorist attack at a political event for world leaders. If you want to make an impact and put fear into highly respected people then the G20 meeting in South Africa is definetely the right location. The characters of this film is a bit of a mixed bag, a couple of the characters function while others are pretty forgettable. I do think the strength of this film comes from the performance of actress Viola Davis as President Sutton. Not only is she rough and not afraid to face fear, she is also willing to protect innocent lives that crosses her path. Viola have no problem doing a physical action performance and you can tell she must have had fun making this film. I do appreciate actor Anthony Starr ( who you recognize from the very popular TV series The Boys ) as the main villain Rutledge. Some of the action scenes look alright and to see Viola Davis fight against big men is quite charming. To the negative i have to say the crypto money part of the story didn´t interest me at all. I would have prefered a different approach by these terrorists, because not all of us care about crypto money or crypto currency. I would still say that G20 is an action film that manage to entertain me for trying to go old school with physical fights and gun battles. Director Patricia Riggen ( who directed the interesting film The 33, based on the true story of a copper mine in Chile collapsing with workers stuck inside ) may not deliver an action film that may be remembered for bringing anything new, but she still manage to bring back old school action that VHS fans may appreciate. If you just want to be entertained with violence this summer, give G20 a chance on Amazon Prime.

Rating: DDD

Final Recovery

Addiction can destroy humans lives, no matter if you are addicted to drugs or alcohol. I have witnessed this myself when i lost a childhood friend of mine called Marcus who i went to school with for many years. He had a well paid job at Volvo Trucks, a nice apartment and a lovely girlfriend who i met several times. But just before Swedish Midsummer weekend in the year of 2010 i got a phone call from my mother. She was completely devastated telling me that Marcus was found dead in his apartment from a drug overdose. I remember i completely froze all of me, i could not believe a word she said. My childhood friend gone just 32 years old. I knew Marcus had tried drugs in his early 20´s but i didn´t know he got deeply addicted. You see he was good at hiding it in public, at least the moments we were seeing each other in our youth. But i still remember all the good times we had and i do miss him, he was my friend. Sometimes i wish i could have done something to help him from his problems but he never showed any signs of addiction. He must have learned how to hide the addiction like Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, 2 different personalities. Addiction is not always easy to see and some people learn how to try and hide it. There is a perfect example of this in the 2012 film called Flight with Denzel Washington playing air pilot and Captain William "Whip" Whitaker. He uses both cocaine and drinks alcohol in his private life. While he is supposed to fly a SouthJet Air flight, co-pilot Ken Evans ( Brian Geraghty ) takes over while Captain William discreetly mixes vodka in his orange juice and takes a nap. William wakes up as the airplane is crashing because a mechanical fault and he still manage to land the plane in a field. As he wake up in a hospital he finds out 96 passangers survived out of 102 aboard the plane. An investigation begins on the crash and they find out his alcohol level during the flight. This is a very well made film about addiction, but also the damage addiction can cause not only to yourself but also to people who care about you. A must see from legendary director Robert Zemeckis. Speeking of director´s who keep making quality films we have to talk about director Harley Wallen. I have seen so many of his quality films over the years such as Eternal Code, Ash And Bone, The Devil´s Left Hand, Beneath Us All and of course one of my personal favourite TV series known as Tale Of Tails. He have a new film out called Final Recovery that seems to be connected to the subject of addiction as well as rehabilitation for addicts. A very interesting plot indeed. Is this another quality film from Harley Wallen or did i have too high expectations for Final Recovery?

Drug addict Rodney ( Jasper Cole ) have a long history filled with bad decisions. He checks into the secluded Sage Treatment Center, hoping for a second chance. After a while he sees something isn´t right. Patients vanish without explanation and the facility´s matron Louise "Nanny Lou" Stamey does not want to answer any questions. Rodney begin to dig deeper into the truth what is really happening at this facility.

If you think that this film is only about the subject of addiction this film actually have a diffrent twist included into the plot. We do have people struggling with addiction which is a very important part of this film, but the surprising twist actually have to do with how the people working as this rehabilitation clinic if they really are helping the patients or perhaps damage them instead. This is the most interesting part of Final Recovery where you see that these addicts are not in a safe place, while this is supposed to be a place where they should be getting the right treatment. The medical treatments is clearly something that doesn´t look serious in this facility. There are several interesting characters in this film i feel that i should mention so let´s start with the addict known as Rodney ( played by actor Jasper Cole ). You can tell that Rodney have been a drug addict for many years, where his only hope is to get high and everything else doesn´t really matter. I feel that this is a strong acting performance from Jasper Cole who manage to portrait an addict with facial expressions, body language and sounds like an addict. The facial wounds also capture the rough life of an addict, where you can tell he´s gone through some really rough moments. Actress Cherish Lee as the wild and loud character Tonya is another great performance that captures the personality of an addict. Cherish especially capture that personality through her wild body movement. The most powerful acting performance comes from actress Charlene Tilton ( legendary actress from iconic TV series DALLAS ) playing the disturbing character Nanny Lou. This is clearly a woman who should not treat any patients and the performance definetely capture her evil personality. Actress Kaiti Wallen just keep getting better and better for each film i see her acting in, and i really appreciate her realistic performance as the character Cindy. Harley Wallen have a role as well and of course he deliver as officer Jacob Cramer ( Harley always look cool on the big screen ). Final Recovery is a cleverly put together medical thriller that tries to show the dark side of addiction but also the dark side of medical treatments as well, how easy it is to use humans who are already struggling with their lives. Who cares if some addicts dies, who would miss them? Harley Wallen proves once more that he is a talented film maker who knows how to tell realistic stories and captures the dark side of humanity. If you are going to see a good thriller this summer i can tell you right now Final Recovery is a great choice. Addiction is a subject that needs to be talked about and this film might help people to see different angles of addiction.

Rating: DDD

High Rollers

Even though i appreciate seeing brand new young actors on the big screen there is something special about iconic Hollywood actors. There are so many legendary actors we could mention and all of their classic films so let´s talk about some of them for a moment. Michael Douglas as an example who have not seen classics such as Romancing The Stone, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, Black Rain, Falling Down ( one of my personal favouite films with Michael Douglas ), The American President, Wonder Boys and so many other titles. Let us focus for one moment on one of his films that i feel everyone should see at some point and that is the 1997 psychological thriller The Game from director David Fincher. I can not tell you how many times i have watched this film over and over again ever since i watched this film in cinema back in the 90´s, i have watched this film in different formats such as VHS, DVD and on blu ray. This film tells the story of investment banker Nicholas Van Orton ( Michael Douglas ). A very rich man but is living unhappy and lonely, no matter how pretty his house is and have a home maid. He is still struggling with the suicide of his father who killed himself on his 48th birthday jumping of the roof of the family mansion. So Nicholas is not looking forward to his own birthday. However, on his birthday his younger brother Conrad ( Sean Penn ) suprise him with a special gift, a voucher for a "game" offered by a company called Consumer Recreation Services ( CRS ). Doubtful at first he decides to visit the CRS office. This is a very clever twisted psychological thriller with really good acting performances that should be seen on physical media. Another big Hollywood star who have been in so many classics is of course John Travolta. Who have not seen him in classics such as Carrie, Saturday Night Fever, Blow Out, Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, The Thin Red Line and of course the 2009 remake of The Taking Of Pelham 123. Last year he was in a heist action film called Cash Out and i have seen this film. It wasn´t anything special in this genre and i almost forgot about it, until i noticed that a sequel to this film have been released. I didn´t review Cash Out last year but i decided to review the sequel High Rollers anyway since i have not reviewed many heist films. Is this a perfect movie to enjoy this summer or is High Rollers even more forgettable than the first film Cash Out?

While Mason Goodad ( John Travolta ) and his partner Amelia Decker ( Gina Gershon ) and their friends attend the beach wedding ceremony of Link ( Natali Yura ), a boat suddenly explode out in the ocean. 2 helicopters with armed soldiers drop them off to take Amelia as a hostage. The kidnappers demand that Mason and his team pull off a casino heist owned by Zane Black ( Demián Castro ). Mason have no other option than to accept this mission.

If you have seen the 2001 heist comedy Ocean´s Eleven from director Steven Soderbergh you know this is one of the best heist films ever made. The casting of this film is brilliant with actors such as George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Elliott Gould and many others. What made Ocean´s Eleven work so well as a heist comedy was the characters of the heist and the heist itself was told in a very effective way. The other films in the Oceans Eleven franchise are enjoyable but the first film is definetely the best. High Rollers tries a similar path as Ocean´s Eleven since this film is also taking place in Las Vegas, where the gang from the first film Cash Out is told to do a heist in a famous casino. This could be a fun idea for a film if you know to make an effective heist action film. Unfortunately i have to say this is quite a boring heist film to be honest. The action scenes ( when they finally happen ) are not very exciting. This is pretty much a very basic heist film you find in High Rollers with no surpises at all. It would be one thing if this film had some charming moments during the heist operation and we could enjoy ourselves that way. This film does not have that either for the most part. To the positive i will say i enjoy the heist gang at least in certain scenes played by actors John Travolta, Lukas Haas, Quava, Natali Yura, Noel Gugliemi and Swen Temmel. In a way it is nice to see them all return in another film, too bad they could not get a much more fun mission to do. John Travolta does a very standard performance with no surprises. Nice at least to see actress Gina Gershon ( especially good in the 1999 drama The Insider with Al Pacino ) in a role as former FBI agent Amelia Decker. At the end of the day this is a very predictable heist film that is actually worse than Cash Out. Not the worst film in John Travolta´s career ( that would easily be Battlefield Earth ) but still a very forgettable heist film. Director Randall Emmet is making a third film with the same gang, i hope it will be much better than this one.

Rating: DD

Silent Zone

In different cultures we show respect to the ones who have passed away. In Sweden for example we have a very traditional funeral since Christianity is our main religion. Did you know that the Malagasy people of Magadascar open the tomb of their loved ones every few years and rewrap them in fresh burial clothes? This may sound odd to some people but this is a way for the Malagasy people to both show respect to the dead plus speed up decomposition and push the spirit towards the afterlife. This ceremony includes dancing and music which is a part of this burial ceremony. I don´t know if i would want to watch someone i love have their coffin opened like this every year but i respect the burial tradition of the Malagasy people of course. I personally don´t fear death ( at least not at this moment ) because this is a part of life that no one can escape. But what if people suddenly woke up from the dead and how would we deal with that? This is something we have seen happened in a lot of horror films that brings up the subject of the undead, also known as zombies. I have seen so many zombie films over the years that i sometimes forget certain titles because there are so many similar releases. When it comes to zombie films you have a very big variety in this genre. You have the traditional zombie films that´s clearly inspired by legendary director George A. Romero and then you have zombie horror films that tries a different path such as the British horror film The Girl With All The Gifts. Let´s talk about another title instead that im sure not everyone have seen and that is the 2010 horror film known as The Dead. A well made British horror film from directors Howard J. Ford and Jon Ford. This film almost feels inspired by legendary director Lucio Fulci´s classic Zombie Flesh Eaters except this film takes place out on the wilderness of Africa. I like the practical make up effects, and i also enjoy the characters of this film. I suggest you pick up a DVD copy of The Dead if you want to watch a good zombie film during this summer. During spring time i heard that there was a German DVD and blu ray release of a zombie horror film calld Silent Zone. Since i am a big fan of this genre i was of course curious to check this film out just in case it would be something in my taste. Is this the best zombie pick of this summer or should they have skipped production of Silent Zone and made a completely different film?

In a zombie-ravaged world, a resourceful teen Abigail ( Luca Papp ) and her protector Cassius ( Matt Devere ) fight for survival, facing relentless dangers and testing the limits of hope and loyalty.

It would be very easy to say that Silent Zone looks very similar to a lot of low budget zombie films, and in some ways that is just the case. Even of there are films i could mention that reminded me of similar films there are some positive details about Silent Zone that makes this a solid film in this specific genre. For a zombie film that stretches almost 2 hours in playtime i have to say they have managed to make it work both when it comes to the plot, characters and of course zombie attack scenes as well. What especially makes Silent Zone stand out is the main two characters known as Cassius ( played by actor Matt Devere, who you might recognice in the 2018 film version of Robin Hood as the character Gerald the Crossman ) and Abigail ( played by actress Luca Papp who can be seen in MAX Tv series Dune: Prophecy as the character Acolyte ). Even if they are not father and daughter in this film they have a very close relationship on their journey through this fallen world. They argue like father and daughter, they deal with pain and sorrow together while at certain moments they manage to find smaller moments of joy. I think their screen chemistry matches the story and i would imagine especially fathers and daughters might recognize themselves. The plot itself of Silent Zone is very simple and not complicated at all. And that´s ok because you don´t need to make it complicated as long as the plot matches the characters. The zombie attack scenes are for the most part fast and effectfull, with plenty of shootings and violence. The zombie make up effects look ok i would say, nothing to complain about. One detail i noticed is that these zombies dies no matter where the bullet hit them. so they are far more easier to kill than the ones who only dies from head shots. We also get to know some other characters along the way who add some interesting scenes about survival. So to the negative i would have to say there isn´t anything special to be found here and no surprises. Perhaps they could have added a surprise twist into these 2 hours of playtime but instead they play cards a bit too safe. Still i feel that Silent Zone have enough qualities for fans of this specific genre who willl most likely appreciate this film. Director Peter Deak have made a full feature directorial debut film that looks good, included a good amount of effective action scenes and knows how to make zombie attacks scenes look good on the big screen. If you are a fan of this genre i see no reason not to pick up a physical copy of Silent Zone. This is a B movie old school throwback that reminds us of good times at the local VHS store.

Rating: DDD

Everyone Is Going To Die

Home is where the heart is they say. A home you feel comfortable in is very important, where you get to show your personality and what kind of design you like to have. No matter what kinds of chairs, tables, even paintings, make your home feel like this is a part of you. I personally am a simple man when it comes to my home. My favourite room is my guest room where i have my DVD shelves where you can go through my movie collection. If you love classic films from legendary director´s such as Brian De Palma, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, Quentin Tarantino, Joel and Ethan Cohen and many more, i basically have all of their films on DVD ( and some blu rays as well ). The thing i love having a guest room this way is that if i have any guest over for a visit they can choose if they want to watch any of my movies at night from my collection since i have a TV set attached to the wall. I have some ideas making it into a movie room one day, i just have to figure out something good that matches the size of the room. I do feel comfortable in my apartment but what if your home was suddenly invaded one day by a stranger, someone you have never met before? What would you do? Would you try to force the stranger out of your home or would you call the police? This is a good setup for several films in this subject, there are plenty of good home invasion thrillers and horror films to choose between so let´s mention one that´s worth a watch. The 2008 psychological horror film The Strangers tells the story of James Hoyt ( Scott Speedman ) and Kristen McKay ( Liv Tyler ) are staying at James childhood home after attending a wedding. While they attempt to have sex there is someone knocking at the door. A young woman is standing there, asking if Tamara is home. None of them know any Tamara so the woman leaves. While James goes out to buy cigarettes the woman return to ask for Tamara, but what Kristen doesn´t know is that a masked person is already inside the house. The Strangers is an effective psychological horror film with great acting performances and is well made on a technical level. Worth a watch on streaming. During spring i heard about a British home invasion thriller known as Everyone Is Going To Die that looked interesting. Since i a am a big fan of British cinema in general i thought i should give this film a chance. Is this a solid home invasion thriller that you should see or would it be better to skip this one and watch The Strangers instead?

Wealthy entrepreneur Daniel ( Brad Moore ) lives inside a beautiful house and seems to have it all. Except a good relationship with his daughter Imogen ( Gledisa Arthur ) who´s coming over to celebrate her birthday at his house. Daniel is hoping to patch things up with his daughter during this celebration. Suddenly Imogen notice someone with a mask standing on his property, until they find out it´s actually two women who are forcing themselves into Daniel´s home. They are here to celebrate Imogen´s birthday and there are certain rules that needs to be followed.

When this film starts it looks like a pretty basic home invasion thriller at a very nice house with a rich father living there from his successfull career. But then after a while this film takes a completely different turn than i expected with some surprising twists. And this is where you find the strength of this psychological thriller that it actually have some surprises along the way. There is another detail i found myself appreciating but i will get into that later. When it comes to home invsion films there are several of titles that don´t have strong characters. This film actually manage to deliver two fascinating characters and they are Comedy ( played by actress Jaime Winestone who i recognized from the powerful British drama film Farming ) and Chiara D´Anna ( who is brilliant in the 2014 drama The Duke of Burgundy ) and the character Tragedy. These are the home invasion characters that causes chaos inside this home and honestly they match well with the plot. These are the kind of characters you want in a film such as this to make the plot more interesting. I feel that both actors Jaime Winestone and Chiara D´Anna developed their characters to be fascinating, where especially one of them is really mentally unstable. There is some violence in this film but i wouldn´t say it´s too much, i would rather say that the violence scenes works well for a good reason. To the detail i also appreciate about this film is that the dialogue is simple but effective. I could possibly find smaller details that could have been done more effective but in general this is a good home invasion thriller that actually works. Director Craig Tuohy deliver a thriller that looks good, have good acting performances and create a solid story for this genre that´s usually hard to do something different with. Everyone Is Going To Die should be appreciated this summer for those who enjoy British quality films so of course i recommend this one.

Rating: DDD

Captain America: Brave New World

When you think of certain actors for their most famous roles or movies it is very easy to pick what films comes to your mind. For example, when you think about legendary actor Al Pacino you might think of The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, Heat or Donnie Brasco. And i can completely understand why you would think of his most classic films. But how often do you hear about his other films such as Serpico, ....And Justice For All, Cruising or even the 1999 drama film The Insider? He have done a lot of really good films that doesn´t get mentioned these days which is such a shame. The Insider for example is a film that was critically acclaimed back in 1999 and even if the film was a box office failure i feel it deserves more respect for telling a very important story. If you can´t find The Insider on streaming get a physical DVD copy, you can find this film very cheap. Let´s bring up another actor who a lot of you are familiar with known as Anthony Mackie who most movie fans have seen in 8 Mile, Million Dollar Baby, Eagle Eye, The Hurt Locker and playing the comic book character Falcon in the Avengers. But how many of you remember his performance in the 2012 action horror film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? This is a film i really enjoyed and it managed to balance over the top action scenes combined with horror that almost felt like a tribute to B movies. Ok so some CGI scenes are a little bit over the top in this film, but i still feel Abaham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter hits the right spots. In this film Anthony Mackie played a character called Will Johnson, a very close friend to Abraham Lincoln ( played by actor Benjamin Walker ). Definetely worth checking out on physical media. Last year Anthony Mackie was seen in the post-apocalyptic action thriller Elevation and i actually enjoyed it. Not a favourite in this genre but i think if you enjoy films that brings on the subject of the apocalypse you might enjoy this one. This film have an interesting plot and i do like the creature design. So here we are back into the world of Marvel and we get another action release especially focused om the character known as Captain America. Anthony Mackie takes over the role as Captain America after actor Chris Evans decided to stop playing this character in a lot of previous Marvel films ( i enjoy them all, especially Civil War in this franchise ) . I decided to get myself a blu ray and give this film a chance. Is this another Marvel treatment for fans of comic boook movies or is Captain America: Brave New World a big disappointment that should have been a lot better?

Five months after Thaddeus Ross ( Harrison Ford ) is elected president of the United States, he sends Sam Wilson ( Anthony Mackie ) and Joaquin Torres ( Danny Ramirez )--the new Captain America and Falcon, respectively--to Oaxaca, Mexico, to stop the illegal sale of classified items stolen by Sidewinder ( Giancarlo Esposito ) and his mercenary group Serpent. Wilson and Torres recover the items, but Sidewinder escapes. Wilson and Torres meet up with Isaiah Bradley to train ( Carl Lumbly ), a super soldier who was imprisoned and experimented by the U.S. government. President Ross invites Wilson and Torress to a summit with world leaders at the White House, and Wilson accept on the condition that Bradley is also invited. During the summit, Ross ask Wilson to help him reform the Avengers. During the summit, Ross explains that a new metal, adamantium, has been discovered on "Celestial Island", which was formed when the Celestial Tiamut emerged in the Indian Ocean. To aviod an arms race, Ross proposes a treaty to govern adamantium´s mining and distribution. As he is talking, the song "Mr Blue", plays and causes several men, including Bradley, to begin shooting at Ross and other dignitaries. Ross is not injured but Sam is suspicious of who caused this incident. Who wants to hurt Ross that badly and for what reason?

This film have had some bad reviews since the world premiere back in February, not by all movie critics of course there have been a couple of exceptions. One of the big issues some movie critics have with this film is the political messages. If you don´t like political issues or politics in general i can fully understand why this would be seen as something negtive. However, i have no problems with the political messages in this film personally. In fact i am poltically interested in my personal life so this actually helps this film creating some interesting angles in this subject. I am on the positive side for Captain America: Brand New World and i will get into some of the details i appreciate about this film. Actor Anthony Mackie as Captain America works great and even if he is very serious in his role i do like his approach in this comic book character. I have always enjoyed the diversity of Anthony Mackie´s acting ability and he does fit in well into the Marvel universe. Legendary actor Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross give this film some old school acting vibes. I would say i enjoyed his performance as President James Marshall even more in the 1997 action classic Air Force One, but considering his age i think Harrison Ford still got that magical screen presence in this latest Captain America film. Breaking Bad and of course Better Call Saul actor Giancarlo Esposito as the character Seth Voelker is definetely one of the more interesting characters i feel should have had more screen time. I do enjoy the scenes we do get to see him in, especially in the action scenes. Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns may divide Marvel fans considering his look, i think it´s ok but could have been made more effective. The CGI action scenes look good in general and deliver some enjoyable moments. Red Hulk is of course a highlight that reminds us of nostalgia memories of The Hulk. To the negative side i would say there are some side characters i just don´t care about. They are there to make the film longer basically and not much more. Captain America: Brand New World is definetely not one of the better Marvel films but is entertaining enough if you want hard hitting comic book action similar to The Avengers. Director Julius Onah ( director of the Netflix film The Cloverfield Paradox ) deliver a superhero film that may not give the audience anything new but this is definetely a worthy poporn moment. Worth a watch on Disney + or VOD unless you prefer physical media.

Rating: DDD

Queen Of The Ring

I can still remember one of the greatest TV moments in history of my childhood and that was back in the year of 1990 on April 1st. This was when one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time took place at WrestleMania VI between Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior where Hulk Hogan lost his title and that made Ultimate Warrior the new WWF Champion. I was only 12 years old at this time and that time period in wrestling was very unique. Not only this fight of course but you had so many great wrestlers back in 1990 such as André The Giant, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, The Bushwackers, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Earthquake, "Macho King" Randy Savage, The Undertaker. WWE Wrestling used to be my Saturday watch and i would imagine myself running in the ring making wrestling strikes. In my adult life i have not really followed wrestling that much and know all the latest big names. I pretty much stopped watching wrestling around the year of 2003 when i watched wrestlers like Chris Jericho, John Cena, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and many others deliver great matches. The one thing i do appreciate is that a lot of wrestlers started their own movie careers such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Obviously Dwayne Johnson is the biggest movie star coming out of the wrestling community but i enjoy seeing others trying to hit the big screen. Speaking of movies and wrestling just 2 years ago in 2023 we had a really good drama film called The Iron Claw released in cinemas, based on the true story of the American wrestling family known as The Von Erichs. It´s a very tragic story knowing how much this family went through and the film does a really good job capturing the curse of this family. The acting in general is really good but the strongest acting performance comes from Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich. If you love powerful drama movies you need to see The Iron Claw from director Sean Durk. It´s not very often you hear about female wrestlers unfortunately so when i saw a film have been released about the female Amercian wrestler Mildred Burke. I did not know about her story so i was very curious to see if this film would do a good job telling her own incredible story. Is this a film everyone should see this summer or is Queen Of The Ring a film that doesn´t really manage to make this story interesting at all?

Mildred Burke ( Emily Bett Rickards ) is a hard working single mother working at a diner. She visits a wrestling match one day and feel a big passion for the sport. At one moment she meets wrestler Billy Wolfe ( Josh Lucas ) and ask him to train her. At first he doesn´t take her seriously but decides to give her a chance. This is where the journey for Mildred Burke begin where she becomes one of the first women to win the world champion title in wrestling for women, while raising her son as a single mother.

I think it is very important that we have stories that are being told how women all over the world had to fight to get their respect. Just because you are a woman shouldn´t mean you are treated differently than a man, she deserve to be treated respectfully. And this is one of the reasons why this film Queen Of The Ring is an important film how women such as wrestler Mildred Burke made a big change in the world of wrestling. There is a charming approach in this film how it all started and why Mildred felt so much passion for learning wrestling. Speaking of wrestling we do get to see quite a lot of wrestling scenes and they do look good from a technical perspective. I also feel that we get to know the personality of Mildred and what her values are as a single mother ( this was seen as normal back in the 1950´s, you were supposed to have a traditional family ). Lead actress Emily Bett Rickards ( who i enjoyed in the DC superhero TV series Arrow ) does a great performance as Mildred Burke and i think she balance this character in a realistic way. I also feel that her wrestling performance ( yes she actually does wrestling in the actual film ) looks good in the ring. We have other great performances from actor Josh Lucas as Mildred´s manager and husband Billy ( who can forget him from the brilliant Russel Crowe film A Beautiful Mind ) and of course The Wire actor Waltor Goggins as the wrestling manager G. Bill. Not only is this a solid film in general but i do feel Queen Of The Ring manage to show what an impact Mildred and other female wrestlers made in the 1950´s. On the negative side i would say knowing this film is supposed to take place during the 1950´s i wonder why modern music is playing towards the end. They did a good job on costume design as well as locations taking place during this time period, so getting the music right shouldn´t be very difficult. Overall this is a well made biographical film and this film leaves an important message especially towards women. No matter what passion you have in life do not let any man tell you not to follow your dreams. Director Ash Avildsen ( who directed the controversial 2017 film American Satan ) is clearly inspired by the story of Mildred Burke making this film and you can feel that in the atmosphere of the wrestling ring. Worth a watch if you want a different story in the world of sports.

Rating: DDD

In The Lost Lands

There are certain director´s who don´t care about movie critics and if they are disliked for not doing Oscar winning films. These director´s make movies with stories that they love to do and create them out of passion for movies. A perfect example of a director that have always been passionate about making movies of genres that he loves is the well known director Paul W.S. Anderson. I can still remember the very first time i watched his first full feature debut film Mortal Kombat ( based on the extremely popular video game franchise ) back in 1995 in cinema with my school friends. It was a cinema experience i really enjoyed and my school friends enjoyed it as well. Mortal Kombat the live adaptation had so much to be pleased about. Lots of martial art fighting, cool action scenes and most of all characters that matched well with the story. It is still today one of the better movies based on a video game and have been a best seller on VHS, DVD and blu ray as well. Paul continued making other great films such as the sci fi horror classic Event Horizon, sci fi action film Soldier with Kurt Russel and of course all his films based on the extremely popular video game franchise known as Resident Evil. I actually enjoy the Resident Evil films and even if i think the final film Resident Evil - The Final Chapter was the least good one ( it was edited far too much that it became hard to see certain action scenes ) i still feel director Paul W.S. Anderson did a good job on this franchise. Of course it is well known that his wife actress Milla Jovovich played the game character Alice in all of the Resident Evil films and i think she did a great physical performance. Speaking of Milla and Paul i am one of those who openly admit i am a fan of the 2020 sci fi action film Monster Hunter ( also based on a video game ). I think this film is far better than some movie critics said back in 2020 and i had a great time in the company of Monster Hunter. During the pandemic i heard that Paul and his wife Milla was working on a project called In The Lost Lands. At that time i didn´t know much more about it until i saw a picture from the set of the film. It did look like an apocalyptic story and this is definetely something in my taste ( i have seen a lot of films taking on different stories regarding the apocalypse ). This film was delayed for several reasons but i was finally able to check this film out on blu ray. Is this another entertaining release from husband Paul and wife Milla or is In The Lost Lands their worst collaboration so far in one of their movie projects?

In the apocayptic world of Lost Lands, the Church ruled by Overlord is trying to execute the witch known as Gray Alys ( Milla Jovovich ) by hanging her. She manage to use her powers to make a man release her as she is able to escape. While Gray Alys is back in her home she is visited by The Queen Melange ( Amara Okereke). The Queen needs a werewolf to be killed by Gray Alys so The Queen can steal the powers of the beast. Gray begin her journey to find a hunter to help her named Boyce ( Dave Bautista ) to face the werewolf in the Lost Lands location known as Skull River.

Imagine for a moment if you mixed the apocalyptic films of Priest, The Book Of Eli and throw in some western influences in there are you pretty much have the look of In The Lost Lands. This is a film that clearly have inspiration from a lot of different styles, and since i have not read the short story In The Lost Lands ( written by author George R.R. Martin ) that´s found in the anthology book Amazonas II, i don´t know if this film capture the look or feeling of the short story. So i will only give you my opinion of the film itself not knowing much about the source material. The film itself may not be original in any way and i have seen several films in the past that use certain similar details as this film, but one of the things i think this film does right is use the Christian church in a completely different way. In this version of the Christian church they send out deadly hunters to kill sinners, especially witches of course since they have never been approved by church. I like the idea of followers of Jesus arming themselves with guns and other weapons in a more modern version of Christian crusaders. The church palace itself looks pretty cool and different from a traditional church. The apocalyptic world of Lost Lands have some cool looking locations. Even though i will say some places do have bad CGI effects i do like the idea behind the locations and how depressing it looks, as if there is no hope there and just misery. The chemistry between actors Milla Jovocich as the witch Gray Alys and Dave Bautista as huntsman Boyce may not be perfect acting wise, they both have some issues delivering dialogue but i will say this. I do enjoy seeing them travelling together in the Lost Lands fighting against humans and beasts. Their journey together reminded me of western films in the 1960´s and 1970´s except here it is in a completely different world. I also enjoy seeing actress Arly Jover ( who played the character Mercury in the original Blade film ) as the Christian huntress Ash. On the negative side i will definetely say some CGI scenes look bad. I can accept bad CGI as long as the film is entertaining but in certain scenes it feels like they didn´t made an effort to make the scenes look good. There are some terrible acting as well from certain characters that you will soon forget about. In general i would say In The Lost Lands is worth checking out if you enjoyed the apocalyptic films of Priest and The Book Of Eli. This film have issues but i can accept that, i just happen to enjoy apocalyptic action films and i do feel this is something worth watching this summer on physical media. Not one of director Paul W.S. Anderson´s better films but enjoyable enough to recommend buying a physical copy. In The Lost Lands is a film that´s made for B movie lovers and im definetely a part of that audience.

Rating: DDD

A Tribute Movie Review Of Tony Todd: Immortal

In a world filled with anger and sadness, no matter if someone lost a job, lost a family member, perhaps you have an illness that´s very difficult to deal with, no matter why you feel this way know that there are people out there who actually care about you. When some people may seem cold there are still good people out there who will take their time to hear your voice, help you any way they can. At some point some of these good souls have to leave our world to begin their next chapter. One of the people i have in mind who unfortunately passed away in November last year is the actor known as Tony Todd. I never met him unfortunately but i have been told he was one of the most kindest, good hearted men who walked on this Earth. That he was very supportive and cared about many people in his life. When i have heard so many positive words regarding him for who he really was, i wish we would have more people like him in society. My first encounter with the name Tony Todd happened back in 1993 at the VHS rental store Videomix. The brand new horror film Candyman just came out and of course i had to rent this film. My friend Pierre who worked at the Videomix rental store said it was his favourite horror film of the year. I was about to find out why he enjoyed this film so much and i personally felt that actor Tony Todd delivered a very strong performance as Candyman. The first film is still today seen as one of the true classics in horror society all over the world and there were 2 sequels made as well. I would recommend you to check them out as well, especially because of the character Candyman who is unique. Tony proved his powerful acting skills once more in the cult classic The Crow in 1994 and of course in the Final Destination franchise as well. Since i have seen several films with Tony Todd over the years i try to check some of the films out where he is included, films that may not have been in cinemas worldwide and relased on other platforms. One of Tony Todd´s closest personal friends reached out to me and asked if i could review one of his films called Immortal and of course i said that i would be honored to do so. Is the film Immortal one of the films from legendary actor Tony Todd that more people should watch?

4 different stories told by four different director´s where each story have a connection with each other, especially on a subject that may be sensitive for some.

Before i watched Immortal i didn´t read about this film at all to know as little as possible. I personally love to know as little as possible for certain films and i felt that Immortal would be perfect to visit. This is an anthology film with 4 different stories and each story have something important to say, especially the subject of immortality. What if you suddenly found out that you can not die? How would you react? How would you deal with this if you discovered you can not die as an ordinary human being? There are several questions i think most of us would think about regarding if we found ourselves in this situation. But there are some other details as well in each story that´s connected to immortality. For example in the third story ( and my personal favourite of the 4 stories we are presented with ) called Ted and Mary and this is where legendary actor Tony Todd really give a heart breaking performance as the husband Ted taking care of his cancer sick wife Mary ( played powerful by actress Robin Bartlett. One of the reasons why this segment touched me personally is because i lost my grandfather in cancer and i feel this segment really captured how heavy it can be emotionally seeing your partner ( or family member ) dying. I have to be honest and say that this might be one of the best acting performances i have seen Tony Todd do in his career. It feels honest, realistic and i am pretty sure a lot of people can feel a connection to his character if you have someone you love struggling with cancer. The first segment Chelsea surprised me with an unexpected twist between the main character Chelsea ( played by actress Linday Mushett ) and cult film Trick r´ Treat actor Dylan Baker as her teacher Mr Shagis. I do appreciate the acting between both of these characters and how the plot of this segment is constructed. This is an anthology thriller that will make you think about life in general, and this film may also make you think about the things that really matters in life instead of material things or money. Directors Tom Colley, Jon Dabach, Danny Isaacs and Rob Margolies have all directed interesting stories that all look great as well from a technical perspective. Immortal is a film you should see if you want to experience a film that´s well told and have some very important things to say.

Rating: DDD

Revelations

I have been a huge fan of foreign films since the early 90´s and i can still remember the very first time i watched the Indian drama film Salaam Bombay! on VHS in 1990. This film really emotionally touched me of the story of the homeless child Krishna ( played brilliant by child actor Shafiq Syed ) who tries to survive in the city of Bombay among criminals and drug addicts. There are several very powerful scenes in this film and i feel this is one of those classics you should see. Then we have other classics from countries such as South Korea and they have made plenty of quality films for many years. One of the titles from South Korea i feel doesn´t get mentioned often anymore is the 2000 South Korea mystery thriller known as Joint Security Area directed Park Chan-wook a true legend who directed classics such as Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. All three films are included in the so called Vengeance trilogy from director Park Chan-wook. Joint Security Area was actually released before this trilogy and this was my introduction to this beloved director. The first time i watched this film was on a Swedish DVD release from the distribution company Atlantic Film, which is a 2 DVD disc release. Joint Security Are tells the story of an investigation regarding a shooting incident involving two North Korea soldiers in the Korean Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) in the Joint Security Area at a North Korea border house. A very well made film with powerful acting performances and i have to say a very interesting plot. Definetely worth a watch on physical media and Arrow Video released a great blu ray release of this film filled with special features. Let´s stay with films from South Korea and how many of you watched the very effective zombie horror film Train To Busan back in 2016? The director of this wonderful film Yeon Sang-ho released his latest film Revelations on Netflix this spring so of course i had to check this out ( considering how much i enjoy Train To Busan ). Is this anotherr high quality film from director Yeon Sang-ho or is this not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Pastor Sung Min-can ( Ryu Jun-yeol ) leads a small congration and tries to welcome everyone from society without judging anyone. One day he is visitd by an unknown man he have never seen before known as Kwon Yang-rae ( Shin Min-jae ). He welcome him for a cup of coffee and offer to write him in as a new member of the church. Pastor Sung get a phone call and leave for a short while. As he return back to the room Kwon Yang-rae is about to leave. Pastor Sun notice that he have a foot shackle, not knowing what crime he have comitted. When Pastor Sun get a phone call from his wife that their daughter is missing he immediately think of the new visitor. Does he know anything about his daughter?

You may have noticed over the years that it´s not often i watch many Swedish films because they are mostly not good, or they don´t have powerful acting performances. I feel that a lot of Swedish directors should learn how to construct a high quality film by watching this Netflix film Revelations. There are several details i appreciate with this film and let´s begin talking about some of the details that makes this a strong film experience. I have to say the characters in this film are very strong, especially the character known as Pastor Sung Min-chan ( played really good by actor Ryu Jun-yeol ). What i find so interesting about this character is that he have so many things to deal with. His wife is cheating with him plus his daughter is vanished. She is eventually found but an accident happens within this timeline that will change the life of Pastor Sung Min-chan forever. Ryu Jun-yeol plays this character very emotional who is clearly struggling inside himself, while he tries to keep the positive Christian Pastor image alive for his congregation members. Knowing that he have comitted sin and he should tell the truth, instead he tries to hide the truth while there is another young girl missing. We also have the story of Detective Lee Yeon-hee ( great performance from actress Shin Huyn-been ) who is consumed by guilt ever since her sister killed herslef after she was kidnapped by a sadistic sex offender. Revelations have different stories to tell that connect along the way, there is a reason to why these stories are connected especially in biblical terms. I wouldn´t say that this film does anyhing original but what it manage to do is show us how vulnerable we can be in life, when we are forced to face consequences that may change our lives completely. Director Yeon Sang-ho clearly felt inspired by classic thrillers while making Revelations and he manage to craft this film with his own personal touch. It looks great, deliver strong diaogue and the psychological perspective from different angles of humans dealing with personal crisis hits the right spot. Not the best film from director Yeon Sang-ho but definetely one of the better thrillers i have seen this year. Revelations say a lot about human guilt and you should definetely watch it on Netflix.

Rating: DDDD

The Bayou

As much as i love being in nature and explore different areas, i am aware that there is a possibility i could face a bear where i live in the north of Sweden. There have been several bears witnessed in different parts of forest areas here and some bears have even stepped into house areas. For example a male friend of mine who owns a house outside of the city he had a bear walking close to his parking lot. He had this recorded through his security system so you can imagine how shocked he was seeing a bear walk close to his garage. This only happened one time for him specifically but he have heard other house owners who have seen a bear get close to their home. As long as you stay inside your home you are safe, the bear will not attack you if he / she doesn´t feel threatened. I would imagine the bear was looking for food, because my male friend noticed that some apples were gone from the ground when he got back home. He didn´t mind the bear ate the apples i think he was more concerned if the bear would return since he have 2 children to think about. Event though i love animals and love to see bears from a distance i am very careful. One time i actually sat and watched a bear family from a mountain, as i witnessed a bear family walking together. I did keep a far distance because i know i should not get too close. When it comes to lakes or the ocean i have not witnessed more than fishes of different kinds. I have been thinking about visiting the Alligator Bayou in Louisiana, USA, simply because it would be fascinating to see alligators for real. Alligators have been included in a lot of different movie adaptations over many years and there are some classics that you should see. Perhaps one of the most well known classics when it comes to alligator horror films has to be the 1980 horror film Alligator from director Lewis Teague ( director of the classic Stephen King film adaptation Cujo from 1983 ). Gruesome murders are happening around the city´s sewer system where different body parts are found, Detective David Madison ( played by legendary actor Robert Forster seen in the classic Gregory Peck western film The Stalking Moon, worth a watch ) is on this case where he tries to find out who is behind all these horrible murders. Alligator is a classic creature feature horror film worth a watch and i highly recommend the UK blu ray release of this film from distribution company 101 Films, it has some really nice special features included. Speaking of alligators i have been curious to see a animal horror film simply called The Bayou that i saw a trailer for earlier this year. It looked like something similar to the 1980 horror film Alligator but takes place in the swamp instead. I picked up a physical DVD copy of The Bayou to see if this would be something in my taste. Is this one of the horror films you need to see this summer or is The Bayou a film so dull that you would be more excited watching British Chess Campionship?

Houston university student Kyle ( Athena Strates ), is on vacation with a group of friends. While they are flying in a smaller plane with some other  passengers as well the plane crashes into a swamp. Out in the middle of nowhere with no radio, they don´t know what´s waiting out there for them

Imagine if you mixed the 2023 action film Plane with Gerard Butler, spiced it up with a different version of the 1980 classic film Alligator and add influences from the film Cocaine Bear. There you pretty much have The Bayou and what audience this was made for. This is one of those horror films that clearly feel inspired animal horror films in the past and i have to say this is actually better than i expected. Don´t get me wrong, this is not going to be a future classic that everyone will talk about The Bayou. I do believe though that this could be a film that might find it´s audience if you happen to love this genre in the same category as Alligator. There are a few smaller details i feel could have been better but let´s get into the positive. I do think the alligator attack scenes work pretty good in this film and this is quite a brutal film at certain moments. The alligators design looks quite realistic except for the fact that these alligators have become stronger thanks to drugs. The story is very simple but works for this particular formula. One detail i actually think this film manage to do that a lot of horror films fails with is to have a big cast and manage to pull this off. I feel that the casting of this film is well done and in general the acting performances are alright. I especially enjoy actress Athena Strates as her character Kyle who have a lot of knowledge on alligators, so clearly she is the perfect person to have around if you are stuck in a swamp. I also enjoy actor Adonis Anthony ( who i remember from the 2015 war movie Soldiers Of The Damned ) as the character Frank who tries to find solutions of suvival in the swamp. So to the negative and i find the character known as Rufus ( played by actor David Newman ) to be annoying. His negative attitude and his phone scenes doesn´t really add anything to the story. The Bayou ends up being a positive surprise for me and this really feels like a love letter to B horror movie fans. Directors Taneli Mustonen and Brad Watson must have been inspired by the 1980 film Alligator while they made The Bayou, and i really appreciate their effort to bring back animal horror films to a classic formula that VHS fans will recognize. Definetely worth a watch, The Bayou is my kind of cup of tea.

Rating: DDD

Heart Eyes

The 80´s were full of slasher horror films and had a lot of classics released in this specific genre. You have the Friday The 13th franchise of course ( who released 8 films in this franchise up until 1989 ) and then you have the Halloween sequels of course. But then you have completely different horror slasher films in the 80´s that didn´t have franchises but were good anyway, For example some of you might have seen the 1981 slasher horror film The Burning from director Tony Maylam ( who also directed the Rutger Hauer sci fi horror classic Split Second, worth buying on physical media ). The Burning is a great example of 80´s slasher horror classics. You could say that this film is similar to Friday The 13th but im ok with that, this is just a fun horror film with practical make up effects and cheesy dialogue. Interesting fact, did you know that in the film The Burning you find actor Jason Alexander ( mostly known from classic comedy TV series Seinfeld as his character George Costanza ) playing the character of Dave. If you love 80´s slasher horror then you should check out The Burning on DVD or blu ray, no matter what format you prefer watching movies in. Another 80´s sasher horror classic i have to mention is the 1981 horror film My Bloody Valentine from director George Mihalka ( who actually directed 2 episodes of the classic thrilller TV series The Hitchiker ). I remember i saw this film for the very first timee on rental VHS back in 1991. This is a very simple slasher horror film where a masked miner killer is murdering the people of a small town where the miner mask is what this film is known for. I will say that for a slasher horror film that especially uses a Valentine´s Day theme i think My Bloody Valentine is a good choice if you want something to watch in this specific genre where it is considered to be cult classic. Also check out the 2009 remake My Bloody Valentine 3D from director Patrick Lussier ( director of the horror cult film Dracula 2000 ), i actually enjoy this remake as well. Speaking of Valentine´s Day and the horror genre we did have a slasher horror film released earlier this year called Heart Eyes that had quite a lot of positive reviews. I was planning to see this film in cinema but plans changed so i decided to rent it on VOD instead. Is this a solid horror slasher film or is Heart Eyes a film that will most likely be forgotten on the DVD shelves in the future?

For the past several years, the "Heart Eyes Killer" have wreaked havoc on Valentine´s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. Valentine´s Day is here once again and Heart Eyes is ready to end more human lives.

When it comes to the genre of horror slasher films i personally enjoy if you can mix a bit of comedy into the slasher genre. I don´t mind serious slasher films but if you mix a bit of comedy that can actually be a very effective tool in this genre. It becomes clear that Heart Eyes is one of those films that actually doesn´t take itself seriously at all and have plenty of comedy moments between the slasher scenes. Knowing that this is a film that brings up the holiday known as Valentine´s Day this is a theme that actually works for this film. Considering how many romantic films and romantic comedies that are made for this special day i think it´s great to make fun of this day, not everyone loves Valentine´s Day and for some people it can actually be a difficult day. So let´s talk about what i enjoy about Heart Eyes and i have to say the mask of serial killer Heart Eyes looks good. It is definetely a different design of a serial killer mask than for example Ghostface in Scream ( im honestly not a big fan of the design of the Ghostface mask ). There are quite many killing scenes in this film so if you love brutal kills or classic killing ingredients you will definetely find all of this in this film. Lead actress Olivia Holt ( who i have only seen as an actress in the 2023 slasher horror film Totally Killer ) as the charming character Ally is a good match for this film. I especially like her scenes when she is challenged to survive against Heart Eyes and how she is able to fight back with the help of character Jay. Speaking of Jay i have to mention actor Mason Gooding ( known from the Scream franchise ) and i do enjoy his acting performance as well. I can´t really say anything negative about Heart Eyes because this is just a fun slasher horror comedy that manage to balance both horror and comedy effective. Director Josh Ruben deliver a surpringly solid horror film that will definetely be loved by those who love holiday horror themed films and is definetely worth a watch. Just let Heart Eyes fill your heart with joy and a big blade, to me that sounds like the best way to end a romantic day bleeding at the dinner table.

Rating: DDD

Peter Pan´s Neverland Nightmare

I used to read several children books back in the early 80´s at our local library. My mother had a library card so we could basically borrow as many books as we wanted. I remember in the year of 1983 when i was 6 years old i was sitting in the library reading the book known as Treasure Island from author Robert Louis Stevenson. This was the children´s book version and not have as many pages as the original book released in 1883. I loved reading about a pirate adventure and the images in the book looked good as well. This was the first time i encountered the story of Treasure Island and i would begin to read the original version of the book at the age 12 back in 1989. I remember that i really enjoyed reading the real book compared to the children´s version because there were so many more details and events compared to the shorter version for smaller children. Just 2 years later in 1991 legndary director Steven Spielberg released his film adaptation of the classic story of Peter Pan known as Hook, inspired by the 1911 novel titled Peter & Wendy, written by author J.M. Barrie. I did see this film in cinema but not until in the spring of 1992 when the Swedish premiere took place. Hook is a charming fantasty adventure that really feels like a Peter Pan movie. The cast is really good with legendary actors such as Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hopkins, Maggie Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow and Phil Collins among many others. Unfortunately the film became a big box office bomb at that time but i still enjoy the film Hook. It is a fun family film if you are in the right mood. In 2003 a new updated version of Peter Pan was released in cinemas worldwide from director P.J. Hogan ( director of the 1994 Australian romantic comedy classic Muriel´s Wedding ). I enjoyed the 2003 version of Peter Pan and i think the casting was great and there are some fun adventure scenes in this film adaptation. The character of Captain Hook in the 2003 film played by actor Jason Isaacs is especially enjoyable. I know that there was a Disney movie released in 2023 called Peter And Wendy, i have not seen this film though. However, i did decide to check out the horror film Peter Pan´s Neverland Nightmare that seemed to be doing something similar to the low budget slasher film Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey II ( a film i actually enjoyed ). Does the story of Peter Pan work well in a horror format or is this film just as bad as the original Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey film?

Fifteen years ago, Peter Pan ( Martin Portlock ), worked at a fantasy-themed circus where he performs as a mime for many children. After a show that night, Peter attempts to abduct thirteen-year-old James Hook ( Charity Kase ) in his house. James mother, Roxanne Hook ( Kierston Wareing ) fights Peter and mutilates his face, but is overpowered and murdered while Peter abducts James. In the present day, Wendy Darling ( Megan Placito ) lives in a complex family dynamic with her younger brothers John Darling ( Campbell Wallace ) and Michael Darling ( Peter DeSouza Feighoney ), and their mother Mary Darling ( Teresa Banham ). On Michael´s birthday, Wendy gives him a ride to school and promise to pick him up later. However, she gets distracted while talking to her boyfriend, and does not notice Michael leave on his bike. While Michael rides through the woods he gets abducted by Peter Pan. Michael´s family get a phone call from Peter who promise them that he will take Michael to Neverland, where all the other children goes.

Ever since i saw the poster of Peter Pan´s Neverland Nightmare i was curious to see how on Earth they would do a different take on the classic character Peter Pan. Considering how bad Piglet was as well as Popye´s Revenge ( two films who are also based on famous children book and comic  book characters ) i knew there might be a chance that this film would not be good either. I will be honest and say though i actually enjoy this film for a number of reasons. I have to say i really appreciate seeing a completely different take on the Peter Pan character. This is the serial killer version of Peter Pan which makes this a completely different version than we are used to see. The way he kills his victims is a fun slasher surprise plus this is not the flying Peter Pan you might remember from the Steven Spielberg film Hook, this is basically the mentally disturbed version where he doesn´t play ordinary games. This film have some really brutal kills and they are all made with practical make up effects. As some of my readers might know after all of these years i really love horror films that uses practical make up effects, simply because it actually makes the horror scenes more effective. Seeing the character Peter Pan slash bodies open in different way is of course a jolly good time. Actor Martin Portlock as Peter Pan deliver an acting performance that´s actually better than i expected and i especially love the scenes where he goes completely nuts and hunt his victims. I do enjoy the acting performance of actress Kit Green as Tinker Bell and her scenes with Martin Portlock are effective from a horror perspective. Actress Megan Placito also surprised me with a very physical performance that matches the film. The horror scenes in general of Peter Pan´s Neverland Nightmare works well and i appreciate that this film doesn´t go in the traditional Peter Pan pattern and try a different approach. To be honest this is my favourite of the British independent horror films recently compared to Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey franchise, Peter Pan´s Neverland Nightmare is a gory enjoyable slasher horror film that will please fans of this genre. Director Scott Chambers manage to deliver a horror film that actually refreshing and different, and that is something you don´t see everyday. I picked up a physical copy of this film and so should you if you enjoy fun slasher horror films.

Rating: DDD

Y2K

If you happen to be a big movie fan ( no matter what country you live in ) then you might have seen at least a couple of films released by distribution company known as A24. They have a long list of quality films where i could easily pick some of the films you simply need to see. For example i feel that more people should see the 2019 psychological horror film known as Saint Maud. Directed by Rose Glass ( who later directed the great romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding ) this film tells the story of newly-converted religious private carer Katie ( brillant played by actress Morfydd Clark, also really good in the British folk lore horror film Starve Acre ) who is assigned to take care of Amanda ( Jennifer Ehle ), a former dancer who is terminally ill with stage four lymphoma. At first you might think Katie is a sweet private palliative care nurse but there is something seriously wrong with her. This film is really effective from a psychological perspective where the acting performance from actress Morfydd Clark really stands out. Unfortunately the film flopped during the pandemic but i highly recommend buying a physical copy of Saint Maud or at least rent it on VOD. I should also mention that the cinematography from Ben Fordesman is really beautiful in this film. Another A24 film you should check out was released quite many years ago and we find ourselves in the year of 2015. I am especially thinking about the American comedy-drama known as Mississipi Grind from directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. This is a very well made film that really show how destructive it can be having a gambling addiction. The acting performances from both Ben Mendelshohn and Ryan Reynolds are both really good as they travel across the country playing poker and other gambling games. If you cant find Mississipi Grind streaming it´s cheap to buy on DVD, definetely worth checking out. Last year A24 released a horror film called Y2K, a film inspired by the millenium events since the year of 1999 was seen as very special as we moved into the 2000´s. I remember back then how afraid people were about what would happen when the year 2000 started, will the computers stop working? Nothing happened really but it´s fun this film tries to capture this time period. The film flopped at the box office but did become a streaming hit instead. Is this a horror film worth checking out or is Y2K just as boring as Popeye´s Revenge ( a film i reviewed last month ) ?

In 1999, best friends Eli ( Jaeden Martell ), Danny ( Julian Dennison ) and Garrett ( Kyle Mooney ) discuss plans for New Years Eve while their parents are out. Eli have a crush on his classmate Laura ( Rachel Zegler ) but he´s too nervous to talk to her even though his best friend Danny try to talk him into making a move on her. Eli and Danny decide to crash a party, stealing alcohol that´s locked inside to prepare themselves to party at the last night of 1999. When midnight strikes nothing will ever be the same again.

I have some things to say about this film and it´s not all positive. But we might as well get into what i did feel works with Y2K and i definetely feel that they captured the time period right of the year 1999. I was 22 years old at this time so i do remember a lot of things so i could definetely recognize the clothing style, the music we used to listen to ( for me i used to listen to the Limp Bizkit album Significant Other in 1999 ) during this year and of course the legendary VHS rental stores that were a big part of our young years. I also feel that some of the characters feel like they behaved like teenagers back in 1999, the way some of them talked and how cool it was do chat rooms back then. There is a funny dance scene at a house party of the Sisqó classic Thong Song where the character Danny goes all in at his dance moves. Speaking of characters i do like the chemistry between best friends Eli and Danny, played by actors Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison. That was some of the positive and we have to talk about what doesn´t work with Y2K. This is supposed to take place during the end of 1999 and you would want to feel like it really is the end of the 90´s and the millenium crisis. That´s one thing this film fails to capture and i feel that is a big missed oppurtunity. If you are going to capture the end of the 90´s correctly as it was you should have gone all in like it was, how hysterical some people were worried about the millenium. The horror elements in this film are not as effective as i were hoping they would be. Sure, we get people killed by machines and i do like the idea. But it worked much better in the 1986 sci fi horror classic Maximum Overdrive to be honest and that film actually knew how to make machines come to life in a cool way compared to Y2K. Since this is supposed to be a sci fi horror comedy i feel that the combination doesn´t work all the way through. It´s not a terrible film, there are a couple of charming moments ( such as Fred Durst showing up ) and i like the concecpt of the plot. Unfortunately it´s the horror elements that feel too weak for Y2K to function. If you grew up in the 90´s you might want to check it out just for nostalgic reasons. Director Kyle Mooney have made a film that may please some fans of the 90´s, i just wish he could have used more effective ingredients than what we got.

Rating: DD

Night Call

There was a time in the early 2000´s i used to watch certain French films in cinema between the years of 2000 up until the year of 2016. I still watch French ( and Belgian films as well ) but usually rent the films on VOD or buy some physical releases. I will be honest and say that sometimes French films can be far more better than American films when it comes to acting, telling a powerful story and how professional the film looks. One genre especially where i feel French films have proven to be really good is the genre known as action. A true French action classic is without a doubt the 2000 psychological thriller action film The Crimson Rivers with French actors Jean Reno and Vincent Cassell. A well made film with great performances and the murder invstigations are effectively constructed. I reccommend this film if you enjoy crime films in general and i know there is a sequel released in 2004. Jean Reno returned to the sequel as his character Commissaire Pierre Niemans. I have not seen the sequel so far but it´s on my future watch list. If you want to watch a great French film on streaming i would recommend you to watch the French action thriller Netflix film known as The Stronghold ( BAC Nord ) directed by Cédric Jimenez ( director of the really good French crime action thriller The Connection, a must watch). This film tells the story of three Marseille cops, Grég Cerva ( Gilles Lellouche ), Antoine ( Francois Civil ) and Yass ( Karim Leklou ) who are fighting against drug gangs every day in the city with the highest crime rate of France. It takes a little while before The Stronghold really kicks in with the action scenes, but when it does you get some intensive police action. A well made film from director Cédric Jimenez and definetely worth a watch on Netflix. Last year i remember seeing a poster of a French / Belgian action thriller Night Call. I later found out that this is the directorial full feature debut film for director Michiel Blanchart and i did find the plot to look interesting for this film. I also noticed that Belgian actor Jonas Bloquet is in this film who i recognized from the horror films The Nun and the sequel The Nun II. Is the action thriller Night Call one of the better French movies in recent years or should you avoid this one and watch The Stronghold on Netflix instead?

Mady Bala ( Jonathan Feltre ) is a student by day and during night he works as a professional locksmith, always helping anyone who needs his assistance. While sitting in his work car he gets a phone call from a woman who says her name Claire ( Natacha Krief ). She needs help to get inside her apartement. Mady travel to her adress and help her in, but she doesn´t have any cash on her so need to get money from the cash machine. While she is there she calls Mady to get out while he is waiting in her apartment, apparently this is not her place after all. A large man attacks Mady and it all ends with the man dying. A group of men arrive to the apartment looking for a bag, finding the dead man. Mady is captured and being interrogated by a criminal gang, why was he in this apartent? No one have seen this locksmith before and they see no other way out, they have to take him out. Mady have no time to wait and have to try and escape.

Making a film in general takes a lot of work and your very first full feature film is of course something you will always remember as the director. If you make your very first film to turn out to be good then chances are you will be noticed around the world. When it comes to Night Call this is actually better than i expected. Not that i had very high expectations from the beginning but this film have a lot of redeeming qualities. Not only does this film look really good with many beautiful night scenes over the city, but the acting in this film is one of the true highlights from several characters. You can actually sense that some of the actors really went all in for their characters and that´s exactly what you want in a criminal action thriller such as this. When the characters give strong physical performances with hard hitting dialogue, it feels like we are inside the underground criminal world where there are no rules except getting the job done, no matter what it takes. I feel that the character of Mady ( played really well by actor Jonathan Feltre ) is a great match as the main character in Night Call. How do you react when someone tricked you as a locksmith to get inside an apartment to find out they used you? Worst of it all is of course is that Mady kill another person while hes protecting his own life. He have never killed a person before, how do you go on after something like that happens? There are several questions Mady struggle with and it´s not getting any easier as criminals chase him around the city. Thankfully Mady is a professional locksmith and this is something he will be able to use his knowledge of, especially in one specific scene in this film. The violence and the high speed of the film Night Call is a very effective combination, it´s very difficult to get sleepy by this film as intensive as certain moments are in specific scenes. Director Michiel Blanchart deliver a really effective action thriller and show that he knows this genre really well, even though this is his full feature directorial debut film. This is a must see for everyone who loves criminal thrillers and i am already looking forward to future films of Michiel Blanchart. Night Call is definetely one of my personal favourite thrillers of this year.

Rating: DDDD