fredag 21 februari 2025
Anora
tisdag 18 februari 2025
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
torsdag 13 februari 2025
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
måndag 10 februari 2025
Wineville
fredag 7 februari 2025
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
tisdag 4 februari 2025
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.