Anora

In the late 90´s i became very close friend to a working collegue of mine named Robert during my first year working in health care. Not only were we both huge fans of Martin Scorsese films as well as Quentin Tarantino films, we both loved British rock music such as Stereophonics, Oasis and Monaco ( the solo project with Peter Hook basist player from New Order ). During this time he told me that he liked going to a strip club in the Swedish city of Gothernburgh known as Wandas. Of course i knew there were strip clubs in the bigger cities across Sweden but never visited one. So in 1999 i did my first visit with Robert and he would show me around the whole strip club. It was actually quite big with 2 floors. The first floor was of course the strip dance scene itself with a bar and leather sofas. If you wanted to watch the ordinary strip show you could just order a drink and sit in the leather sofas. They also had private rooms if you wanted a bit more private show. On the second floor you found a long hallway with different video rooms ( if you wanted to jerk off to adult films basically ). There was also a sofa infront of a huge TV playing some adult film further down the hallway where an older man in a suit was enjoying himself. Me and Robert basically stayed on the first floor watching the dance shows, and at some occations some of the female strippers would sit down in the sofa we were sitting in just to have converastions. Since that time i returned to visit Wandas with Robert and got to know some of the strippers a little bit better, because they knew we were respectful to the women. Speaking of strippers there have been films made in the past regarding the striptease scene such as the 1996 black comedy Stiptease with Demi Moore, Burt Reynolds and Robert Patrick. I know some people don´t like this film but i have no bigger issues with it, i would say it´s entertaining enough thanks to the great cast. And seeing actress Demi Moore on the strip scene is of course something you don´t turn down. Worth a watch on DVD or VOD if you just want to be entertained by a 90´s classic. Last year i was hearing some really positive reviews from a film called Anora, a film that´s connected to the strip club scene. What really made me curious of this film is the director known as Sean Baker, being a fan of films he have directed in the past. I finally got a chance to sit down and enjoy this film on a physical copy. Is this one of the films you need to experience this spring or is this a film that´s not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Anora "Ani" Mikheeva is a 23-year-old stripper living in Brighton Beach, a Russian-American neighborhood in Brooklyn. Her boss introduce her to Ivan "Vanya" Zakharov ( Mark Ejdelstejn ), the young son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, Nikolai Zakharov (  Aleksei Serebyakov ). Vanya is in the United States to study, but prefers to party and play video games in his family´s Brooklyn mansion. Vanya hires Ani for several sexual encounters and pay her 15.000 U.S. dollars to stay with him for a week. Vanya and his entourage fly to Las Vegas, where Anya ask Ani to marry him so that he can obtain a green card instead of returning to Russia to work for his father. Even though Ani is skeptical at first, she aproves his wish because she have geniune feelings for Vanya. This will turn out to be a huge mistake, not only for Ani but especially for Vanya.

If you remember the insane 2012 film known as Spring Breakers and how wild that film was, imagine something similar to that but takes place during strip club scenes and Las Vegas as well and you have a pretty good image of how this film Anora looks like a big part of the runtime. The film changes tone after a while but right from the start it´s a wild ride of nude bodies, sex, alcohol and drugs. So if you are a sensitive person then this is definetely not a film for you. There are several details i feel that this film does right. The portrait of a strip club business feels realistic and how the business works. You get a sense how the female strippers learn how to treat customers just in case they might get a big tip, and if they paid good enough they might be able to cross boundaries of regular rules. The main character of Anora ( played really powerful by actress Mikey Madison, most of you probably recognize from the TV series Better Things ) is a woman who basically lives day by day just to get enough money to survive. Mikey Madison really go all in to portrait the woman of Anora as a lost soul who still have a small dose of dignity left buried deep inside of her. I personally feel this is her strongerst acting performance so far in her career. Regarding the relationship that Anora develop with Russian bad boy Vanya ( played well by actor Mark Ejdelstejn ) you can feel quite early that this is not going to end well. Even when you have all the money to spend, you don´t have to take responsibilities as ordinary young people, at some poing the house of cards will fall down. And that exactly what this film tries to show as well as how destructive relationships might destroy lives. I have to mention the crazy performance of actor Karren Karagulian as Toros, he is not the person you want to upset. There are actually some funny scenes as well when a group go out looking for missing Vanya where i found myself laughing. Anora is a film that really show that happiness isn´t always about money but having real people in your life matters more than any luxuary lifestyle. A very tragic but also funny film as well that show life can be one hell of a roller coaster. Director Sean Baker ( who directed one of my personal favourite films of 2017 known as The Florida Project ) proves once more why he is such a brilliant director capturing a realistic view of the dark sides of humanity while also showing a beautiful portrait of the struggles of a young woman. Anora is definetely a must see if you want to experience something different than most Hollywood films.

Rating: DDDD

Monster Summer

There was something special about being a kid in the 80´s. We didn´t have cellphones, we had computers but we could basically just play video games on them and we actually spent time together at pizza restaurants, VHS stores playing arcade games and renting VHS tapes, at our local comic book store and at the beach. If we wanted to meet somewhere we either used our home phone or phone booths downtown. This was when we still had phone books to find phone numbers to the right adress. I remember me, Robert and Henrik during summer time going on our bicycles to the lake of Bjursjön in 1988 where we used hang out together. If we were lucky they had a café open at Bjursjö stugan during summertime ( a cabin that was connected to the lake ) so we could get ice cream or sodas. This was where we would also meet girls our age ( we were 11 years old at that time ) and just hang out together. When i have been to different lakes and the ocean as well in modern days you can tell things have changed, People don´t talk together like we did in the 80´s, a lot of people are too busy with social media and i see children not being very social like we used to be. Of course times changes you can´t escape that, but the social part have changed a lot and i think it´s great for children to be social outside social media. Speaking of the 80´s there were so many great teenage / children films released back then such as The Neverending Story, The Goonies, Stand By Me and i think we might have to include the horror film Stephen King´s IT from 1990 as well. There are some attempts to try and bring back the 80´s in films such as the 2011 sci fi teenage thriller Super 8 from director J.J. Abrams. A very well made film regarding a group of teenagers who witness aliens invading their small town. This film have so much nostalgic feelings all around it with capturing the time period really well as well as the characters match really good. One of director J.J. Abrams best films in my opinion and a true love letter to the 80´s. I highly recommend you to watch Super 8 if you want a real popcorn evening at home. Speaking of films bringing back nostalgic feelings last year a film called Monster Summer was released that is supposed to take place one summer of 1997. Im always open minded to films trying to capture different time periods, especially during the 80´s and 90´s. I noticed that the trailer reminded me of teenage films of the 80´s so that got me curious. Is this a film for fans such as the classic film The Goonies or did the film Monster Summer not deliver that much fun at all?

Noah Reed ( Mason Thames ) is an ordinary school kid just hangin out with his friends Eugene Wexler ( Julian Lerner ) and Sammy Devers ( Abby James Witherspoon ) as they visit the suspicious older man Gene Carruthers ( Mel Gibson ) property out of curiosity. Noah forget his backpack at Gene´s home who later on return it to him. It turns out that Gene is just an ordinary man, but something strange seems to be happning in town where young people suddenly disappear and return behaving very odd. Noah begins to investigate why people are suddenly being taken away as he gets help from Gene who is also suspicious about this mystery

I may as well start by saying that Monster Summer is not a future classic by any means nowhere near The Neverending Story or The Goonies. Those films can never be replaced by any modern films no matter how hard anyone tried. However, i will say that i do appreciate the effort of Monster Summer where they actually tried to capture some of that cinema magic that we used to get from teenage films from the 80´s and 90´s. This film actally understand what kind of audience it is made for and the best part of it all is that it leans heavy on nostalgic factors of the 90´s. The teenagers dress like the 90´s and they talk like we did in the 90´s. Details like these are important if you want to capture the time period right. There are other details that i feel makes this film work as well as it does and i feel that the characters match well with the plot. It feels like this could be teenagers hanging out during the summer in the 90´s just chillin inside the lead character Noha´s ( played by actor Mason Thames ) treehouse. Now i have to be honest and say the most positive surprise is how good legendary actor Mel Gibson is in this film as the character Gene. I have always been a fan of Mel but in the last 5 years there have been a few films i had issues with. But it feels like in this film he really steps up and deliver a solid performance. The mystery surrounding the witch in this film is done simple but effective and the special effects are done nicely without getting too complicated. The make up effects of the witch ( when it´s revealed who it really is ) looks like something similar to the witch in the 2014 film Into The Woods where Meryl Streep played a witch, and it actually works. So anything that could have been improved? Honestly there is not much to compain about because this is a good family movie. Monster Summer may not be a future familly movie classic but this film proves why we need to go back to more simple days in the 90´s. Director David Henrie shoud continue making films inspired by my youth because he is clearly good at making a film in this genre. If you want a nostalgic trip back to the 90´s then Monster Summer should please you, worth checking out on VOD or streaming.

Rating: DDD

Devil´s Knight

There was a time in my youth when i used to travel to the capital city of Stockholm quite alot since i visited my cousins living there. We celebrated Christmas weekends together while doing other events together as well, and one other thing we did that i can still remember was our museum visits at different locations around the city. One of the museums in Stockholm i found really interesting was the Medieval museum and the artifacts they have found from this time period. It was like stepping back in time where you would get a sense how life used to be back then, while you learned about certain people who made a very big impact in Sweden during the medieval years. I noticed in a newspaper here in Sweden not that long ago that the Medieval museum have moved to another location so i think i will visit again, not only to see what other artifacts they have found over the years but also to see their new location. I personally feel it is good to learn about history since we can learn a lot from the past, but we may also understand more regarding our ancestors. So no matter where you live on this planet, if you are able to visit a museum that have medieval artifacts and teach history i would highly recommend you to go. Speaking of medieval times there are plenty of movies that bring up this time period in history. One of my very first films in this catgory i remember seeing back in 1987 on VHS, was the mystery thriller drama The Name Of The Rose with legendary actor Sean Connery and a very young Christian Slater. This film also have a very unique performance by Ron Perlman as the hunchback Salvatore. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud this film takes place during the early 14th century where William of Baskerville ( Sean Connery ) investigate mysterious murders taking place at Benedictine in Northern Italy. If you love murder mysteries and strong acting performances then this might be something for you. If you pick up the physical release of The Name Of The Rose there are some great special features included, i highly recommend listening to the commentary track. I do enjoy watching more modern films taking place during medieval times so whenever i see a film that takes place during this time period i always try to check each title out. I had an oppuertunity to watch a medieval horror film called Devil´s Knight, produced by the very well known brothers Sonny Mahal and Michael Mahal who have produced several quality films over the years. Is this a great choice for horror fans in general or is Devil´s Knight not as solid as i was hoping it would be?

In the medieval world of Veloka, monsters and demons alike roam and terrorize humankind. The Bone Devil has plagued the Kingdom of Remeny for years. After a group of trackers fails to kill the creatur, King Samuel ( Kevin Hager ) decides to bring in an elite group of monster hunters to destroy this ancient evil and bring hope to the people of Veloka. 

One of the first things that came to my mind while watching Devil´s Knight was how this film reminded me of another medievel horror film called Season Of The Witch with Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman ( a film i have always been a fan of ). Both films takes place during the medievel times but have completely different plots. The one detail that is similar in these films is that they gather a team who are chosen to do a mission in the name of goodness. I do appreciate the fact that Devil´s Knight have such a high ambiton to try and look like old school films of medieval stories with sword fighting knights, but what especially stand out in this film is the demonic creatue that suddenly appear at certain locations. The design of this demonic creature as well as the monsters are actually quite impressive and i feel they blend in very well with the plot of this film. The sword fighting scenes between the knights, monsters and the demonic creature are much more gory than i expected so that was a positive surprise.  There are a lot of characters in this film where have several well known actors such as Eric Roberts, Kevin Sorbo, Daniel Baldwin and many others. There are especially two characters i feel make a certain impact and that is actor Kevin Hager ( who you can see in the apocakyptic vampire film Bloodthirst ) as King Samuel and actress Sarah Nicklin as Princess Sabine. Both of their acting performances especially feel powerful in this film. I am surprised over the performance of Kevin Sorbo´s character Guard Captain Baldur, this might be one of his better acting performances in recent years. There are some other characters who also make a positive impact but i have to mention the knights costume design, i really appreciate that they do look like medieval soldiers and the helmets are especially cool. There is one smaller detail i feel could have been improved and that is the attempt to tell jokes in this film. It could be me who just didn´t get the jokes good enough, either way that was just something i picked up along the way. Devil´s Knight is a medieval film filled with plenty of treats for both horror fans and medieval fans in general as well and i have to say the horror elements works more effective than i expected in this combination. Director Adam Werth ( director of Bermuda Island, a film worth checking out ) bring back life into a genre that needed a solid medieval film like Devil´s Knight.

Rating: DDD

Wineville

I remember summer of 1993 while celebrating Kräftskiva in Värmland ( Kräftskiva is a tradition meal where Swedish people eat crayfish in the month of August ) with my grandparents. This was during my 16 years birthday and my grandfather wanted to celebrate this day for his grandson properly, so he had loaded up with alcohol and different kinds of wine bottles. During this meal we all had lots of crayfish, fresh bread, even some Västerbottenpaj ( it´s like a pie made with spiced cheese, it´s really good and considered to be a Swedish classic among pies ) and my grandfather gave me all kinds of stuff to drink to the meal. One moment i was having beer, then spiced alcohol called brännvin and then wine as well. By the end of the evening i had too much to drink and especially wine towards the end that i ended up in a ditch puking like hell. Of course it was one hell of a hangover the next day but my grandfather had a good laugh about it and said:- You will be fine just have some breakfast. This was actually my first time turning 16 where i was this drunk, and i actually didn´t drink wine for some time after that night. I did continue with the beer and brännvin instead, perhaps because i liked the taste of them better. To be honest im not a huge wine lover in general and i would rather have whiskey, rum, vodka or other kinds of alcohol if i have to choose. I can enjoy a glass of white wine to a fish meal or while eating crayfish, in the end i would probably choose beer instead. I do think you can make a good hotpot with red wine, it will give the hotpot some really good flavors combined with spices and veil bouillon. Speaking of wine i do have a really good recommendation for a film that talks about wine and enjoying life in general in the 2004 comedy-drama film Sideways from director Alexander Payne ( director of the brilliant Jack Nicholson film About Schmidt, a must see ). Sideways is a very well made film about 2 good friends Miles Raymond ( Paul Giamatti ) and Jack Cole ( Thomas Haden Church ) who decides to travel together before Jack´s upcoming wedding. They will taste different wine bottles, enjoy good food and have a joyful vacation. During the trip some things happen that will change everything and completely turn their vacation plan around. Sideways is a very charming, well acted film that really digs into male friendship as well as dealing with life in general. If you enjoy light hearted films that give realistic performances then you should watch Sideways. The acting performances in this film is really good so if you want strong performances, this is the film to choose. And by the way if you pick up the DVD or blu ray listen to the commentary track, we find out some very interesting details in there regarding the making of this film. Speaking of wine i heard last year there was a grindhouse inspired horror film called Wineville that was getting some positive reviews. My plan was to watch this film during Christmas weekend but plans changed so i decided to finally sit down and give this film a chance. Since im a big fan of grindhouse horror in general, is this a horror film that you need to experience or is Wineville unfortunately not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Tess Lott ( Brande Roderick ) travels back to her family home with her only son Walter Lott ( Keaton Roderick Cadrez ) after her father passed away to figure out what to do about the farm and the vinery that the family have worked on for many years. Tess have a very bad past with her abusive father and do not like coming back to home, but decides to do the best out of the situation. While staying there she finds out people have gone missing from this area. What Tess doesn´t know is that her family members carry even darker secrets than she ever would have imagined.

I have always appreciated independent horror films that tries to bring back the feeling of old school grindhouse 70´s horror and that´s exactly what Wineville manage to do. If you have seen grindhouse cinema classics and appreciate practical make up effects ( there is actually some really gory scenes in this film ) then i promise this is a film that will please you. In a sense you can say that Wineville is a film that tries to bring back a time period where you had great characters, and it´s not just about the brutal killings of people that matters. This is one detail i feel is important since sometimes certain horror films forget about making good characters, that you will remember for different reasons. Im actually suprised that for a low budget horror film like this i can´t say any of the actors does a terrible performance, they perform better than i expected. So let´s dive into the characters a bit and talk about some of them. You have of course main actress Brande Roderick ( who not only look fantastic but is of course a Baywatch legend ) as the character Tess Lott. What i especially like about Tess as a character is that shes a very natural mature mother, it feels like you would enjoy spending time with her just being a simple woman and shes quite charming as well. Child actor Keaton Roderick Cadrez as the character Walter proved to me that this young man have acting skills that could take him far, and i really appreciate the work he put into this role. General Hospital actress Carolyn Hennesy as the crazy character Aunt Margaret feels like the redneck cousin of Annie Wilkes ( fantastic performace by Kathy Bates ) in the Stephen King film adaptation of Misery and i feel that Carolyn really capture that dangerous personality that this film needed to become more effective, from a psychological level. This is the first time i have seen actor Casey King and i have to say, he did a really powerful impact with his character Joe. The horror elements in Wineville are simple and the plot is easily constructed but that actually helps the film work more effectively, with great characters and the brutal murders the combination simply feel more natural. The locations of this film at an old vineyard matches well with the plot. There are a few smaller details that could have been improved but overall im surprised of how much i appreciate Wineville for trying to bring back 70´s grindhosuse cinema and manage to do this well. Director Brande Roderick have not only made a solid horror film but the film looks great as well. If you want raw brutal old school horror then Wineville hits all the right spots, definetely worth picking up on physical media.

Rating: DDD

The Paragon

Sometimes i like to dive into odd films that may not be appreciated by some people. When i mean odd films i mean where everything doesn´t make any sense and suddenly you have scenes that comes out of nowhere for no reason. I love this kind of film making and i really appreciate creative directors who dare to do the oppisite and just make the film in their own unique way. Even if it´s not often i discover odd films i try to be on the lookout for them, just in case there might be some fascinating independent films coming out that seems fun. There are some odd films i can highly recommend that i feel should be seen, but let´s just stick with one specific film for now and that is the 2009 drama comedy known as Gentlemen Broncos. Directed Jared Hess ( director of the cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, in my opinion one of the best films of the year of 2004 ), Gentlemen Broncos is definetely a very unique film experience that tells the story of science fiction writer Benjamin Purvis ( Michael Angarano ). He recently finished his sci fi story known as Yeast Lords, which centers on a hero named Bronco ( Sam Rockwell ). While attending a two-day writing camp for aspiring fantasty and science fiction authors, Benjamin attends lectures by his idol, the prolific and pretentious writer Ronald Chevalier ( Jemaine Clement ). Chevalier announces a contest for the writers, in which the winner´s story will be published nationally. As Chevalier reviews the stories from the campers, he gets a call from his publisher, rejecting his latest manuscript. Not knowing what to do Chevalier finds Yeast Lords and decides to use Benjamin´s story and just change some pieces for his own new manuscript. Gentlemen Broncos is a really crazy drama comedy that´s all over the place with science fiction battles and switches over to the ordinary life of Benjamin. The acting in general is really charming and i just love all the crazy things happening for no reason at all, Gentlemen Bronocos should deserve to be a cult film in the future for being so odd and wonderful. Definetely rent this film on VOD or pick up a physical copy of Gentlemen Broncos. Last year a comedy drama from New Zealand caught my attention in a film called The Paragon, a film that reminded me of something odd in the style of director Jared Hess but this specific film is directed by Michael Duignan. Is this a film you simply need to see or is The Paragon too odd and too bizarre to experience at all?

Dutch ( Benedict Wall ) is a crippled man after a hit and run accident, he is frustrated and angry not knowing who hit him with the car. Dutch find a poster with information how to become a psychic. As he takes one of the telephone numbers from the poster, the phone booth next to him rings. The one answering is Lyra ( Florence Nobel ), who promises to help Dutch have psychic powers so he can find out who drove the car that injured him. Dutch go to the adress given to him and this is where his real journey begins, to understand more about himself but also learn how to use psychic powers.

The Paragon is a film that is kind of difficult to describe. On one hand this is a charming story about a man trying to find his way in life while this is also an odd story about what meaning each one of us have in this life ( and in other galaxies and what each galaxy means ). I would say this film is also about learning to use psychic powers and if this sounds weird than trust me, it just gets more weird as the film goes on. And this is one of the things i really appreciate about The Paragon, this is a straight up nerd sci fi comedy that really tries to give us the image that it´s ok not to be the same as everone. We all have different qualities and even if some people might think we are strange, just be yourself and don´t worry too much about it. I would also say this is a film that tries to give us a deeper look how mind control works and how we can learn to use our minds in different ways. There are some really funny scenes in this film where i found myself laughing over the nerdy tone that the odd character Lyra ( played really well by actress Florence Noble ). Her serious tone all the time speaking to Dutch ( played by actor Benedict Wall ) is such a good match that i love hearing her sounding like everything is meant to be taken seriously in life. You are not supposed to enjoy life, you are supposed to be serious every day. There is a great chemistry between the main characters and even if they are very different from each other, and have different views on many things they still seem to get along in some magical way. Even if the science fiction theme do become very obvious in certain scenes with some weird events it doesnt affect the story in any negative way. I personally feel that The Paragon is a film that we need in modern day society, a film that dares to be different and does not follow the typical Hollywood pattern. This is a fun sci fi comedy that really give you a sweet after taste, almost as if you had a desert at a restaurant and feel surprised how much you enjoyed it. Director Michael Duignan proves that you can make intelligent and fun films as long as you have good ideas and great charatcers included, and The Paragon have all of this. If you want to experience something unique and still have a good time, you should definetely rent The Paragon on VOD.

Rating: DDD

The Coffee Table

In my ordinary day life i always have coffee every morning and i also have some during day time as well. Coffee is one of those things i need to have to function, or at least that´s the way it feels and i just keep this tradition going. I didn´t always drink coffee in my youth and i didn´t start enjoying it until i started working night shifts at the company known as Odal. This is where my coffee drinking actually started in the autumn of 1998 at the age of 21. All of my working collegues had coffee on every shift so it became like a social thing to sit down and talk on breakfast or lunch breaks. Our boss Hans was also nice enough to sometimes buy us a cake to enjoy with the coffee. Since then i developed my passion for coffee and i buy different flavors in stores, i might try a different kind of coffee at a café with a nice slice of apple pie. I don´t mind an Irish coffee either with some whiskey in there, perfect on a winter evening. Speaking of coffee and cafeés ( could be a diner as well ) i have a personal facourite film that actually have coffee as a connection to the film itself. And that is the 2005 drama film Coffee And Cigarettes by legendary director Jim Jarmusch ( director of Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai ). This film tells different stories from different characters while they are having conversations over a cup of coffee and a cigarette. What makes this film so good is the conversations, there is a lot of passion in the subjects and each character have a unique past. Really good acting performances from Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Steve Buscemi and Cate Blanchett among others and the film looks really good on a technical level. A film you should see if you love fascinating films with depth. Speaking of coffee i heard last year of a Spanish film called The Coffee Table was getting good reviews after being screened on many film festivals worldwide. A film that seemed to be a quite different cinema experience. In fact this film took a very long time before getting a physical release. I finally got a chance to watch the film to see if this would be something i would appreciate. Is this a film you need to experience or is The Coffee Table not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Jesus ( David Pareja ) and Maria ( Estafania de los Santos ) are a couple going through a difficult time in their relationship. Nevertheless, they have just become parents to a little boy. To shape their new life, they decide to buy a new coffee table. A decision that will change their lives completly.

The Coffee Table is a perfect example of a film you should know as little as possible before watching this film. Avoid any trailers or reading about the film, i did the same thing going into The Coffee Table and i am so glad that i did. This is not only a disturbing film in many ways but especially if you are a parent to a child. Im not going to go into details and just let you decide if you want to watch this film or not. The coffee table itself is connected to the plot in a simple way, where you understand why this table is a symbol of grief. You might wonder how can a table make you feel sad? There is a perfect explanation to this once you see the film and understand what i specifically mean. This is an odd film in many ways that combines serious drama, comedy but especally bring in some very dark horror elements into the mix. On a psychological level this is where The Coffee Table works best, when the disturbing truth reveal itself and makes a powerful impact on the audience. I would argue that this might be one of the films that will really affect parents of all ages if you decide to watch The Coffee Table, because there is a scene in this film that will definetely shock you no matter how young or old you are. The acting in general is really good from basically the whole cast, and i would say actress Estafania de los Santos as the mother Maria stands out with her aggressive tone and ironic dialogue in certain scenes. Actor David Pareja have some very rough scenes to act out in, where we are supposed to feel the pain he feels. The Coffee Table is a film i will most likely never forget since it is so unique, so different from anything we usually see in ordinary film releases. It is a heavy film to swallow and have so many lairs of sadness written all over the surface. Director Caye Casas have not only made a really powerful film but have made a film that will make you question humanity. A must see if you want to see something different and uniqe, The Coffee Table will not leave your mind easily.

Rating: DDDD

P.S. If you want to watch a European blu ray release of The Coffee Table there is one coming from distrubtion company Second Sight coming out this year, just check their homepage for updates.                                 

Gladiator 2

Films that tries to capture different time periods in history can be very fascinating for many different reasons. We may get a look into a completely different society that functioned quite differently from what things do in modern times. There are of course certain details that we still use today like they did in ancient history, we still make hand made objects and hand made clothes just like they did back in those days. The difference is of course back then they could not mass produce products like we can in modern factories. I really didn´t get interested into history until i was 20 years old when i travelled to Greece for the first time in the spring of 1997. This was when i went to see the the Cave Of Zeus that´s located on Mount Ida on the island of Crete. Before i went here i didn´t really know much at all about Greek Mythology because i never really got into reading much about it. After i did this visit to the Cave Of Zeus i became more fascinated regarding the history of Zeus and actually checked out some books in my hometown library when i got back to Sweden. You could say that i have Greece to thank for inspiring me to learn more about history and since then i started to check out more regarding history in each country i visited on vacation. 3 years after my first visiti to Greece there was a very big movie premiere worldwide of the historical action film Gladiator in the year of 2000 from legendary director Ridley Scott. A film that turned out to be the best acting performance i had seen actor Russel Crowe do so far in his career at that time and i also loved the performance from actor Joaquin Phoenix. The gladiator scenes were very impressive, the costume design looked really good and in general this turned out to be a very powerful film to experience. Still until this day Gladiator is one of my personal favourite films when it comes to telling stories connected to the history of the Roman Empire. Gladiator is one of those films you should see if you have not seen it, still to this day it looks really good. For many years we hear news about a possible sequel and for quite some time it seemed like we wouldn´t get one, at least not with Russel Crowe included into the cast. So here we are with the official sequel Gladiator 2 with brand new characters and director Ridley Scott back as the director. Is this a worthy sequel to the classic film Gladiator or does this sequel fail to live up to the same quality as the original film have? 

Sixteen years after Marcus Aurelius ( Richard Harris ) death, Rome is ruled by corrupt twin emperors Greta ( Joseph Quinn ) and Caracalla ( Fred Hechinger ). In the North African kingdom of Numida, the refugee Hanno ( Paul Mescal ) lives with his wife Arishat ( Yuval Gonen ). The Roman army led by General Acacius ( Pedro Pascal ) invades and conquers the kingdom, killing Arishat and enslaving Hanno and the other survivors. The slaves are taken to Ostia, where the Romans pit them against baboons to advertise them as potential gladiators. Hanno savagely kills a baboon, impressing the stable master Macrinus ( Denzel Washington ), who promises Hanno an oppurtunity to kill Acacius if he wins enough fights in Rome. There is no other option for Hanno, this may be his only way out to regain his freedom.

Knowing how many people worldwide who loves the original film, it must have been a big pressure on director Ridley Scott since he knows the fans will not accept a sequel unless it feels like a worthy sequel. To be completely honest i didn´t keep my own expectations that high to this film because i didn´t want to be too disappointed in case it would have turned out to be terrible. Luckily i will say, Gladiator 2 is not as bad as some of us fans of the original film thought it could be. There are a number of factors that make Gladiator 2 a solid sequel so let´s start to go through some of the details that this film does well. I personally feel that the costume design in this film is well made, if we are thinking about the time period where this film takes place. It feels like these are people living during the Roman empire and the costumes are clearly meant to capture that historical time period. The gladiator scenes are well made and they actually made some refreshing updates on some of the gladiator fights, where especially one scene makes a big impact with sharks inside the arena. I feel that this is a good idea to try and add something different and not just repeat the same concept too much. That way you still keep the gladiator battle fun but do a different take on the survival concept. You know sometimes when you may think the hero may be the best part of the film? Not in Gladiator 2, i will definetely say that the best character of this film is the evil Macrinus ( played really good by actor Denzel Washington ). Each scene that Denzel Washington deliver dialogue pick up this film to a completely different quality level, and that clearly shows how much effort he made to make this character feel so powerful on the big screen. So what doesn´t work as good in this sequel? I would say the lead character Lucius ( played by actor Paul Mescal ) is not as powerful as Russel Crowe was in the original film´s character Maximus. Im not saying Paul is terrible in the lead role, but he doesn´t match the same screen magic as Russel Crowe had in the gladiator scenes. I know some people have complained about there are some historical faults in this film, i personally don´t have a problem with that since there are plenty of films that does the same and still turn out to be entertaining. Gladiator 2 is a action adventure that will most likely please you if you love films that takes place during the Roman empire and appreciate a lot of violence. Director Ridley Scott proves once more he is a very talented film maker and this is definetly a genre he is passionate about. If you want epic sword battles, muscles, beautful locations and beautiful women as well then this is the film for you. Gladiator 2 knows what audience it was made for and this is definetely a film for historical fans in general.

Rating: DDD

Heretic

 I still remember the autumn of 1994 for three different reasons, this was when British acid jazz funk soul band Jamiroquai released their second studio album The Return Of The Space Cowboy and i was in the Swedish city of Gothenburgh at the release weekend at their biggest record store Bengans. It was also this autumn i saw the latest Roland Emmerich film Stargate on a cruise ship to Denmark who had a special screening of the film on board the ship together with my sister. But before all of this happened there was one movie release in Sweden during this autumn that had become a huge success at the box office and that was the romantic comedy known as Four Weddings And A Funeral. I have never been a huge fan of romantic comedies and i remember seeing this poster in cinemas thinking:- This does not look like a film for me. I did not see this film in cinema that year so i decided to wait until the film was released on VHS instead in case i had nothing else to watch. I believe i didn´t rent this film on VHS until the late summer of 1995, because there were so many other films i were more interested in at that time. Four Weddings And A Funeral turned out to be a typical romantic British comedy with a lot of characters and some crazy stuff happening as well. Looking back at this film i don´t think it´s one of the terrible romantic comedy films, it does have some charming moments. But there was one actor i just could not connect with in this film and it was Hugh Grant as the character Charles. I wouldn´t say the performance is terrible but i just didn´t feel like i cared about his feelings for Carrie ( played by actress Andie MacDowell ). Over the years that followed Hugh Grant actually surprised me big time by doing a great performance in the charming 2002 comedy-drama About A Boy ( i also love the movie soundtrack by artist Badly Drawn Boy ). This film really showed that if he gets the right character, Hugh Grant can work really well with a good script included. In his career he have made some good performances in certain films and ever since i heard about a film called Heretic i became really curious about this film. It seemed very different from what we have seen Hugh Grant do in the past and this caught my attention. I love it when an actor does something completely different and challenge himself. Is this one of the films you need to see this winter or is Heretic nowhere near as good as i was hoping it to be?

Two young Mormon missionaries, confident Sister Barnes ( Sophie Thatcher ) and timid Sister Paxton ( Chloe East ) have a hand written note of what homes they should visit. On this note they have the adress to an older man named Mr. Reed ( Hugh Grant ). As they knock on his door he welcome them both in, promising they will also meet his wife. Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton inform Mr. Barnes that they are there to tell him about the book of Mormon. At first it seems like an ordinary conversation but these Mormon ladies get a feeling that something is not quite what they expected with Mr. Reed. They get a feeling this man may not be as friendly as he might have seem from the beginning.

I have noticed that Hugh Grant have really tried to step away from his past, not repeating himself as he did back in the 90´s and early 2000 taking on characters that almost felt the same. Heretic is really his biggest proof yet so far in his career that he really can act very powerful. This is without a doubt the best acting performance i have personally seen Hugh Grant do but there are more things i really have to talk about this film as well. I love it when a film takes place especially at a house and the plot is mostly focused on one location. There may be different rooms of this house but this film manage to express a disturbing image through the right camera angles, the dark that seems to be surrounded in this home with no glimpse of hope other than eternal darkness. The most interesting part of Heretic is where we really get to see how disturbed the personality of the character known as Mr. Reed ( who is of course played by Hugh Grant ). How he loves to play games and challenge others especially in the subject of religion to convince especially two Mormon young women that he have the answers. There is a lot of dialogue scenes in Heretic and if you don´t like too much dialogue i would recommend that you still give this film a chance. You see this is a much more psychological horror film with depth than we usually see. The dialogue is very important to understand the psychological expressions of Mr. Reed, why he is behaving the way that he does. Not only is the acting brillant by Hugh Grant but i feel that both female actors Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East give powerful performances. Heretic gives a very fascinating look into the mind of a mad man, but also gives us a lot of interesting points regarding religion and faith. The horror elements are simple but very well constructed into the plot. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods ( who directed the sci fi dinosaur movie 65 with Adam Driver ) have really stepped up big time on a film quality level with Heretic compared to 65. This film does not only look great but have some of the most interesting dialogue scenes i have seen in a long time between fascinating characters. Heretic clearly shows that you can make quality horror on a limited budget and this is definetely a film you should see.

Rating: DDDD

35 Years Anniversary Review Of Predator 2

Action movies are not the same anymore as they used to be. What do i mean by that? There was a time when action movies really lifted the genre to new grounds during the 80´s and 90´s and it seems it´s becoming more difficult in modern days to reach the same level. There are a few exceptions where the action franchise managed to strike back such as The Expendables franchise, but if you look at the overall picture there are not many titles that have made the same impact. Back in the 80´s for example it was completely different when the action genre really lived up to expectations with classics such as First Blood, Lethal Weapon, RoboCop, The Terminator, Aliens, The Road Warrior, Cobra, Commando, Rambo - First Blood II, The Delta Force, Die Hard, we could go on for hours if we really wanted to mention every 80´s action film you should see. But just looking at these titles you realise what an incredible time the 80´s was for this specific genre. So for a moments let´s talk about one of the real true action classics of this time period that i did not mention earlier and that is the 1987 science fiction action film Predator from director John McTiernan. Predator really gave the action audience everything you could wish for with lots of big guns. lots of explosions, big muscles, knife edge sharp dialogue, really perfect characters for this film and a really cool looking alien. Predator tells the story of a team of commandos ordered to do a mission in Central America to save a local cabineet minister whos helicopter was shot down in the jungle. What this team of commandos don´t know is that there is something far more dangerous out there waiting for them. Predator is one of the best Arnold Schwarzenegger films of all time and have so many classic action scenes. If you have not seen Predator you simply have to, it is one of those films that are timeless. In 1990 a sequel of Predator was released this time with actor Danny Glover in the lead role instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger, where the alien visit the city of Los Angeles instead of the jungle in Predator 2. This year in 2025 it will be 30 years since this sequal was released in cinemas so i decided to do a 35 years anniversary review of Predator 2. Is this sequel still good today after so many years or have this film aged poorly and lost some of the magic it once had?

In 1997, Los Angeles is experiencing a heat wave and a turf war between heavily armed Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels. L.A. Police department is really struggling with the war between all the criminal gangs and Lieutenant Mike Harrigan ( Danny Glover ) is making sure him and his team are cleaning up the streets as good as possible. But when the city of Los Angeles gets a visit from the alien known as The Predator ( Kevin Peter Hall ), no one is safe in this city anymore and Mike Harrigan is about to face his toughest battle so far.

Predator 2 have always divided fans of the original film and while some think this is a really good sequel to Predator there are some fans who feel this film does not hold up as a sequel. I am actually on the side that think this is a really good sequel to the original film. Is it as good as the original film? No, but being a sequel i think is pretty damn good one for actually doing something different and actually making this film work. So what does Predator 2 bring to the table that i really appreciate? First of all the action scenes are really fast, hard hitting and there is a lot of violence in this film. If you are going to have a manhunt between humans and an alien in Los Angeles there should be a lot of violence. You have massive gun scenes, explosions, bodies being ripped apart, you can pretty much say this sequel really wanted to be even more gory than the original film in certain scenes. They really managed to make the Predator hunting scenes work really effective in this film, giving us a different approach of the Predator adjusting to the city life. I love several of the crazy characters that this film has as well, especially at the police district where these cops don´t take shit from anyone. Just look at the female character Leona Cantrell ( played by actress Maria Conchita Alonso, who can also be seen in the Schwarzenegger classic The Running Man ), she reminds me of the classic female character Vasquez in Aliens. Leona will rip your balls off without even regretting anything, shes that kind of tough cop that we need on the streets. Then you have the more funny wacky character Jerry Lambert ( played by legendary actor Bill Paxton ) who is full of charming dialogue and personality. Legendarry actor Danny Glover does a really good job on his lead character Lieutenant Mike Harrigan, a man who have no fear and will kill without a doubt. Another thing Predator 2 does really well is showing us the struggling issues the criminal gangs are facing with this alien wiping them out. Doesnt matter what guns they have, they could easily all be executed by the Predator. Of course the Predator himself ( Kevin Peter Hall ) does an excellent job in this incredible costume. Predator 2 is a hell of a good time if you love a combination of science fiction, horror and action. Director Stephen Hopkins did a really good job making this film a worthy sequel and it´s actually one of my favourite sequels of the 90´s in general. I don´t need to explain anything else just go watch Predator 2 on streaming or physical media, this is how a sequal is supposed to look like.

Rating: DDDD

Die Alone

I used to help my grandfather Ingvar in his garden during hot summer days in my youth. He had both vegetables and salad growing in his garden and we would pick together fresh vegetables that we used for dinner. My grandfather was very aware that it is important to know the food you put in yourself and by having his own garden he knew there were no chemicals around, everything was grown naturally. I especially remember his carrots and sometimes we would pick out quite many and my grandmother made a carrot cake ( perfect for a coffee moment ). I think gardens like this is great for the environment, you don´t have to buy everything in the store and you save gas or diesel money as well. Plus you get to be outside and work with your hands, which i loved to do. We also used to go out in the forest and pick mushrooms and berries close to autumn season, it was another way to make sure my grandmother could use these ingredients in cooking and baking as well. Things that are good to do for the environment in general is something we all should think about. No matter how you help the environment as long as you find good solutions to make a difference. Speaking of environment and making a difference, there are people who really love nature and animals a bit too much. A perfect proof of that is the award winning environment documentary film Grizzly Man from legendary director Werner Herzog. This film tells the very fascinating story of grizzly bear activist Timothy Treadwell who lived many years in Alaska among grizzly bears by filming them at different locations with several 100 hours of film footage. Unfortunately in 2003 he was killed an eaten by a grizzly bear together with his girlfriend. When you see the documentary film you can tell he had mental problems, but he really cared for the grizzly bears and loved being near them. This is definetely a must see film if you want to see a uniqe story regarding odd humans who loved nature. Let´s stay withing the subject of environment and let´s talk about a horror film that came out last year, that actually brought up the serious subject of the environment and what impact it can make. A horror film called Die Alone that seemed to have an interesing concept for the story. With a great cast included with a fascinating story, is this one of the horror films you need to see right now or is Die Alone not as good as anyone would have expected?

Ethan ( Douglas Smith ) is struggling with headaches and memory loss, as he wakes up not recognizing himself in a world that seems to have changed a lot. While looking around what seems to be an abandoned neighborhood a patrol of armed soldiers pass by. They are prepared to shoot Ethan but an unknown stranger suddenly take each soldier out. It turns out to be a woman named Mae ( Carrie-Ann Moss ) who have learned hos to survive in a world that´s not only infected by a virus but have creatures out there in the forest. Ethan explains to Mae he needs to find his girlfriend Emma ( Kiberly-Sue Murray ) who is still out there. But with his memory loss struggling with Amnesia it´s hard to remember certain details of the last time he met her, Ethan is determined to find her no matter what it takes.

After i finished watching Die Alone i thought about one of my favourite modern zombie films known as The Girl With All The Gifts from director Colm McCarthy ( a film i actually watched twice in cinema, that doesn´t happen often ). Die Alone does have a completely different story and is not a zombie film in the same sense as The Girl With All The Gifts. But what both films touched on was how the world is affected when a virus takes over humanity and the remaining survivors have to live a life knowing they could die tomorrow, while mother nature seemed to change it´s course with new changes in society. Die Alone is clearly a virus horror film but this film actually have a deeper meaning that the virus itself where the whole world learns this virus is our own fault for destroing the environment. I think this is a great approach if you want to make a horror film regarding the importance of caring about nature and let it have a natural balance. This film also carry the importance of really loving someone no matter who it is, in this case it is the character Ethan ( played by actor Douglas Smith ) who is looking for his girlfriend Emma not knowing if shes still alive. In a world that seems hopeless and lost, it is true love like Ethan express to Emma you need to keep yourself motivated. One big issue for Ethan is he is struggling with amnesia so we do jump forward and backwards in the film and i feel the performance of someone with amnesia looks realistic. The zombie looking creatures with a very unique design looks good and especially when they have trees growing out of them, as if this is mother nature´s creation. The acting in general is alright and i epsecially enjoy actress Carrie-Ann Moss performance as the survival warrior Mae. You can tell this is a woman who have experienced rough moments in her life. The horror elements work for the most part ( even though i feel they could have developed certain scenes more ) and i appreciate that this film isn´t focused completely on the zombie like creatures. If you like post apocalyptic films in general and want a different approach in this genre i would recommend to check out Die Alone. Director Lowell Dean ( known for directing WolfCop and the sequel Another WolfCop ) manage to do something different with Die Alone and actually tell a story that not only gives us a different approach on telling a horror survival story but makes the film look good as well with clear connections to amnesia and environment ( might sound like a strange combination but actually works ). If you want a different film experience look no further, Die Alone should be on your watch list.

Rating: DDD

Operation Blood Hunt

If someone would have asked me:- Daniel what is the perfect dating movie to watch together on a date? I would know exactly what to answer and that would be:- It needs to be a war movie combined with horror, where nazis fights zombies or vampires and i promise your date will be the happiest ever. I am fully aware i should be a dating expert and perhaps i will be at some point, i just have to figure out some things first but im sure it will be alright. For example figure out what Hawaii shirts i should be wearing while meeting dating couples, a first good impression is important they say. Speaking of war movies combined with horror this is one of those combinations that i really enjoy personally, and even if not every single film released that combines these two genres have been good there are some really good ones you should check out. You could go for the 2002 war horror classic Deathwatch from director M. J. Bassett that takes place during the year of 1917 during World War I where soldiers confront something evil in the trenches. A well made horror film that not only works well as a war movie but the horror scenes are effective as well as the acting performances are solid. I would also recommend the 2018 war horror film Overlord from director Julius Avery ( this is in my opinion his best feature film so far ) and this film was one of my personal favourite horror films of 2018. The story takes place during  World War II when American soldiers during D-Day is sent to destroy a radio-jamming tower that´s located in a small village taken over by nazis. They discover a secret bunker where nazis have been doing experiments on the villagers, turning them into zombie like creatures. Overlord is a war hero movie that is really effective both as a war movie and a horror movie as well. The combination matches very well together and i especially think the nazi experiments with the villagers is where Overlord really give us horror fans a real treat. Good acting performances, great costume design and great action scenes as well. Overlord is actually worth owning on a physical copy. Speaking of World War II horror films i actually sat down to watch a film in this genre called Operation Blood Hunt, a film that seems to combine classic war scenes but adds werewolves into the mix as well. When you hear a combination like that you know there is a possibility that this could be fun. Is this film a great way to enjoy the weekend with some ice cold beer and some snacks included, or should Operation Blood Hunt been thrown into the trash to soon be forgotten? 

                                                                                                                                                                 The Reverend Conte ( Quinton "Rampage" Jackson ), accompanies a ragtag group of military rejects to a remote South Pacific Island to investigate the disappearance of Marine units said to be in the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Ever since i saw the trailer of Operation Blood Hunt i knew this would be a film for me. Who doesnt want to see a war movie taking place during World War II and have werewolves included? It is exactly that kind of combination that may sound completely insane for some people, but for me this makes perfect sense. This film really have all the B movie ingredients you can think of. You have dialogue that no one can take serioysly where characters just seems to be placed here to be a team of soldiers. You have body fights, weapons, even bodies being torn apart as the werewolves attack. If you can accept that this film is made on a limited budget and not take it seriously at all, there are things to appreciate about Operation Blood Hunt. Let´s talk about the positive details first what i especially appreciate with this film. The werewolf costumes looks pretty cool and they look quite large as well. When we actually see werewolves fight against soldiers this is where this film finds it´s rightful place. I especially love one character in this film and that is the bad ass female character known as Heirani ( played by actress Sonia Couling ). It is nice to see actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers ( who i remember from the 2004 historical action film Alexander with Colin Farrel ) in this film as well as actor Quinton "Rampage" Jackson ( probably most known for his role B.A. Baracus in the 2010 film version of A-Team ). Now, we have to talk about especially two negative details i feel could have been fixed easily. In some scenes they play modern music in a film thats supposed to take place during World War II. Why would you add that unless there is a good reason? I also feel that the costume design could have been done better to match with the time period. Im not saying each character is wrongly dressed, but in some cases it becomes pretty obvious. At the end of the day i feel that Operation Blood Hunt have enough of entertainment to be recommended, especially for those who appreciate this genre on a limited budget. Director Louis Mandylor ( who you can see as the character Chaplain Glover in the sci fi horror film Doom: Annihilation ) is clearly inspired by the werewolf classic Dog Soldiers but make a different fun twist with this story. A film that may not be groundbreaking in this genre but still have enough power to please the audience.

Rating: DDD

Azrael

One of the things that almost every single film have to incude apart from costumes, make up and the direction of the film itself is that we need to have dialogue to get to know our characters. If the dialogue is well written and matches the characters well, it definetely helps the film become more interesting. Of course to be able to make the dialogue work properly the acting performance itself should be solid ( hopefully really good if the story is well written ). But what if the film have almost no dialogue at all and the actor ( or actors ) have to use body language and facial expressions in the entire film? That is exactly what the survival drama film All Is Lost from director J.C. Chandor ( director of the recent cinema release Kraven The Hunter that´s clearly a box office bomb ). Released in 2013 this film tell the story of a man who tries to survive out at sea after his sailing boat hits a floating container. The sailing ship is repaired as good as he can do but still have problems holding together through rough weather. At one point his sailing ship can no longer go on and its sinking while he uses his inflatable life boat. A well made survival drama that really capture the fear and desperation of a man who is loosing all hope. If you love survival films in general and want to see a unique film in this genre than this is the film i would recommend for you. Legendary actor and director Robert Redford deliver once more a powerful acting performance and proves you can make a solid film on a limited budget. I have to mention what makes this film unique is that the dialogue is extremely low so Robert Redford basically act with his body and face expressions. Speaking of very little dialouge i heard last year about a horror film called Azrael, that was supposed to be unique for barely having any dialogue at all. I had a feeling this could be a different horror experience so i just had to check this film out and picked up a blu ray copy. Is this the perfect way to start of 2025 when it comes to horror films or is Azrael not as good as people were saying in the horror community?

In a world where no one speaks, a devout female-led community hunts down a young woman named Azrael ( Samara Weaving ) who have escaped imprisonment. Azrael is due to be sacrificed to an ancient evil in the wilderness, but fights for her own survival.

I think it is very important to know that this horror film is in many ways inspired by biblical pages, so if you are going into this film you might as well know that this is a faith based horror film. With that being said i can honestly say that does not affect the quality of this film at all, in fact it actually makes perfect sense why they would use this in the film when you see how the world have turned. These forest areas where people have builded their own society on junk that they have found, looks like something out of a Mad Max film but without the desert. The post apocalyptic feeling can clearly be seen through the whole film and i do feel they did a really good job capturing the feeling of hopeless souls, not knowing if they will survive the demonic beasts out there wandering around. Speaking of these demonic creatures, i have to say they did a really good job on the practical make up effects on these creatures. Not only that but when these creatures feeds on human flesh you actually get to see them eating from the body through effective practical make up effects. So what about the characters? Since there is basically no dialogue in this entire film it means each actor has to use their body language and facial expressions. I would say basically the whole cast does a great job with what they have to work with ( it´s not easy acting without dialogue ) and the character that really sticks out is the lead character known as Azrael ( played by actress Samara Weaving from the very entertaining dark horror comedy Ready Or Not ). Not only does she act well physically but especially her facial expressions works really well. I actually don´t feel like i have to say anything negative about any specific details of Azrael, this is in fact a better horror film that i expected. Azrael is a raw,dirty and well made horror film that clearly show if you build an actual film set on a limited budget it looks way cooler than any CGI effects. I also really appreciate that they really worked hard to make the practical make up effects look this good. Combine all of this with a religious undertone and you have a horror film that not only stands out but actually feels interesting. Director E.L. Katz ( director of the 2019 TV series of Swamp Thing ) is clearly what we need in the world a horror if he continue making quality films such as this. No need to wait any further you pick up a physical copy of Azrael as well.

Rating: DDD

Rippy

Back in the early 2000´s i worked at a high school with disabled students, this was one of the greatest jobs i have ever had. Even if most of the students were going through rough moments most of them were much happier than other students. We did school trips together and we even did camping trips outside of school. One of my working collegues at this school was a man named Wieland and let me tell you he was such a fantastic guy. Not only were he amazing to the disabled students but he also treated school staff fantastic as well. One of the things i learned from Wieland was that in the 80´s he travelled to Australia to backpack in the Australian wild life. One day he brought pictures from his journey there and how amazing that journey was. The only thing he really complained about was sleeping out in the wilderness and waking up with scorpions outside the tent that they set up. And there was not only one of them near by but several scorpions. So he took a twig he found near by just to remove scorpions so they could get out of the tent safely. I can´t even imagine how scared i would have been myself, i never liked seeing scorpions at animal parks. Either way i am grateful to have shared some good moments with Wieland and his Australia trip was really interesting. Speaking of Australia most of my readers know i have some favourite horror films from Australia and especially the films Wolf Creek and Rogue. But there is one horror film that´s considered to be a cult classic known as Razorback from director Russel Mulcahy ( probably mostly known for his most beloved film Highlander from 1986, a film i am a huge fan of ). Razorback is like a classic monster movie except here we have an enormous boar attacking civilians. It´s a fun cheesy horror movie that´s not meant to be taken seriously. Last year i saw a trailer of a low budget horror film called Rippy about a killer kangaroo killing people in the Australian wilderness. It sort of reminded me of Razorback except this is a kangaroo instead feeding on human flesh. Of course i had to check this film out since this looks like something in my taste. Is it possible Rippy is the best way to start of this new year or is this a low budget film that most likely will be forgotten?

Out in the middle of a small Australian society some kind of animal have attacked humans who have no chance to defend themselves. Sheriff Maddie ( Tess Haubrich ) is investigating the murders of found bodies not knowing who is behind these horrific murders. As the investgation goes on and more bodies are found, she is about to witness the beast herself.

If you don´t like horror films taking place mostly in the wilderness than this is most likely not the film for you. However, if you appreciate a horror film using real nature instead of a lot of green screen than you might actually appreciate what this film Rippy was trying to do. This feels like a thowback to animal horror films of the 70´s like Grizzly where no one is safe, and i think making this film taking place in the Australian wild life is a great idea for a horror film. Kangaroos have been used in other films before such as in the terrible family film Kangaroo Jack fom 2003 ( how many of you actually remember this one? ). Thankfully Rippy is far more entertaining to watch compared to Kangaroo Jack so lo let´s dig into what i appreciate about this film. I think the companionship of the small town community in this film fits well with the plot of this film considering everyone is a possible victim. When they work together for survival it helps the battle between humans and this demonic kangaroo become more fun. Some of the practical make up effects on certain bodies looks charming when we see bodies ripped apart, just like we used to see in VHS horror films of the 80´s. I feel that lead actress Tess Haubrich as the character Maddy is just enough cool to look like a strong female character, while she still can show she can be vulnerable. Legendary actor Michael Biehn ( who is fantastic in both The Terminator and Aliens ) as the character Schmitty brings enough charm to please both his old school fans and new ones as well. I also have to mention actress Angie Milliken as the tough character Donna, exactly what this film needed. Ok so now to two issues with this film and i feel that the CGI effects of the kangaroo is not that strong. In fact, in some scenes when it attacks humans it doesn´t feel as effective as if someone in a costume ( like they used to do with werewolves in the 80´s ) would have looked cooler. Same thing goes with the CGI attack effects from the demonic kangaroo, if that would have been done more practical it would have looked much more effective. When i look at the whole picture surrounding Rippy i feel that this is a nice throwback to monster films of the 80´s and i really appreciate the effort they put into this film. It´s a very simple film made with passion for B movies and you can tell director Ryan Coonan tries to bring back that nostalgic feeling with films such as Razorback. If you want to have a good time and just enjoy a B horror film made for the fans of this genre, Rippy should be a great time at home with pizza and some beer. Flesh eating beasts in Australia? That´s good enough for me to come visit the country, let´s hope i get an axe there just in case i get into trouble.