tisdag 31 december 2013

The Lone Ranger


Always ride brokeback style!

I love that expression, a joke taken from Brokeback Mountain, you know the gay western drama ? It is amazing that many real male cowboys got angry at that motion picture, like it destroyed the image of western men. Come on, that is just silly. Western movies does not need to follow the same pattern, as long as the characters are interesting and the storyline is good. The Lone Ranger is a character based on the radio show, from 1933. The character became very popular, and kept the audience excited. Moving on into the end of the 30´s, The Lone Ranger became a Movie, and the audience loved the character on the big screen. More sequels kept on coming, for many years ahead. Some successfull, some less successful, but The Lone Ranger legacy stayed strong. Over 60 years later, The Lone Ranger is still around, and this time in a new updated version with a much bigger budget.  With Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger, and Johnny Depp as Tonto, is this remake a worthy tribute to this legendary character, or is this another big budget flop no one will remember ?

In San Fransicso, the year is 1933. A little boy named Will ( Mason Cook ), who love The Lone Ranger, dress up to look just like him. Will visits a sideshow, with a western theme. Inside the western tent, he encounters Tonto, an old Comanche Native American, who begin to tell the story behind his life, and the story of The Lone Ranger. It all started in the year 1869. In Colby, Texas, lawyer John Reid ( Armie Hammer ) is travelling home by train. On the same train, there are 2 prisoners in chains, Tonto ( Johnny Depp ) and outlaw Butch Cavendish ( William Fichtner ). Butch is going to be hanged, ever since he was arrested by Texas Ranger Dan Reid ( James Badge Dale ). Butch manage to get himself free, and kill 2 of the guards, leaving Tonto chained, while Butch is rescued by his own gang. John tries to stop Butch, but ends up in chains together with Tonto. They try and find a way to get the front wagon disconnected, with the help of John´s brother Dan. They succeed, and the passengers are saved. Dan arrange that John is now also a Texas Ranger, while Tonto is locked up in jail. The Texas Rangers ride away, but are ambushed by Butche´s gang. Everyone is killed, except for John who survived. Tonto manage to get out of jail, and find John in bad condition. He takes John with him, take care of him until he feels better. While John wakes up, he remember what happened to his brother. Tonto tells John he have been chosen, to help him on a quest, to stop Butch. A transformation is about to begin, as John becomes The Lone Ranger, who seeks revenge.

Comparing this with the older movies, or tv series is not a big idea. The Lone Ranger in 2013 have changed, as well as Tonto. In a bad way ? Not completely, i like the look of Tonto, but the chemistry between Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp does not feel complete. It´s like they choosed to do these characters, but did not find the right feeling. Still, the western scenery looks great, and we get plenty of action in some scenes. I would not call this a great update of The Lone Ranger, but you can tell Gore Verbinski tried to give this updated version a more stylish look. 2 hours and 30 minutes is way too long, and you can feel restless in some scenes, they would have needed to make this shorter. The Lone Ranger is not the great remake the fans should have deserved, but this is nowhere near as bad as Wild Wild West. I guess you could say that The Lone Ranger is at least a good try, to bring this legend back on the screen.

Rating: DDD

Best movie of 2013 is......


The Place Beyond The Pines


I know some would say Prisoners or Gravity should have been number 1 this year, i love them both, but.....The Place Beyond The Pines had everything i wanted. Superb acting, really good storyline, beautiful scenery, this is simply the best movie of this year. Ryan Gosling show us once again he is one of the best actors of his generation. Buy this one, don´t ask why,

Cheers from Daniel

måndag 30 december 2013

Some previews of what i will review in 2014

There are so many movies that i have not had time to review this year, and some of them are coming out soon. But i thought i could start telling you some of the titles that i will review i january. 

Adore

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hours

Lee Daniel´s The Butler

Closed Circuit


There will be other movies that will be reviewed, but these are just some of the titles that will be uploaded in january. Thank you for showing support in my movie review blog, without you readers, i would not be doing this.

Cheers from Daniel

The Movie Year Of 2013

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söndag 29 december 2013

Pawn Shop Chronicles

On the 30th of November this year, actor Paul Walker died in a car crash. A tragedy that he had to die so young, only 40 years old. Most people know him from the Fast & Furious franchise. Even if he is not with us anymore, his legacy will live on. I am going to review one of his final motion pictures called Hours, at some point of time. But let´s talk about a movie, not many of you may not have heard of. Pawn Shop Chronicles is said to be a mix of Quentin Tarantino and the 90´s video violence. Paul Walker is here also, along with some other famous actors like Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Elijah Wood, and many more. Originally this movie was supposed to be directed by Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. But he later jumped off the project, so director Wayne Kramer ( who directed movies like The Cooler, Running Scared ) got the job instead. With a big cast, and a crazy mix of genre classics, is Pawn Shop Chronicles a B movie classic already, or is this ready to go into the nearest trash can ?

Vernon ( Lukas Haas ) walks in to a Pawn Shop. He needs money for gasoline, so he tries to sell his shotgun for 50 dollars, he only gets 20 dollars for the shotgun. Vernon meet up with Raw Dog ( Paul Walker ) and tell him that he sold his shotgun. Raw Dog is furious, because they need a weapon to rob Stanley ( Norman Reedus ) in his drug lab. Suddenly Raw Dog´s friend Randy ( Kevin Ranky ) show up, and hit Vernon with his car. They leave Vernon bleeding in the grass, and begin to plan to rob Stanley, with a bow and arrows that they found. Vernon wakes up as a man approach him, known as The Man ( Thomas Jane ). Venon tells the story, that he was betrayed, so The Man let Vernon borrow his shotgun to get his revenge. Back at the pawn shop, 2 new customers, Richard ( Matt Dillon ) and his new wife Sandy ( Rachelle Lefevre ) walks in. Richard says someone hacked into his bank account. And they are supposed to have their Honeymoon in Florida, so he wants to pawn her wedding ring, just so they can go on vacation. Pawn Shop owner Alton ( Vincent D´Onofrio ) says he does not have enough money to do that. Suddenly Richard notice a ring, underneath the service desk. He asks his new wife Sandy to go outside. Richard know this ring belongs to his first wife Sindy, that dissapeared 6 years ago. So Richard wants to know who sold his missing wifes ring, and make a deal. Alton says the name J.J. Thomason sold him the ring. Richard leaves his new wife at the pawn shop, drives away to find answers from J.J. At a local restaurant, Ricky ( Brendan Fraser ), a cover artist of Elvis Presley, tries to impress one of the waitresses, with no luck. With no cash, he can´t even pay his coffee. Ricky´s girlfriend Theresa ( Ashlee Simpson ) have had enough, not having any money and touring with Ricky with no good future ahead. Theresa takes off, leaving Ricky alone on the road. Richard finds out J.J. works at the local restaurant, he will find out the truth, no matter what the consequences are.

Pawn Shop Chronicles is messy, with lots of jumping between different stories, and there is also bad acting. But here is the good news. There are not many movies out there in the year 2013 that can be compared to this one. Does it mean this is original ? Not really, does it make it a fun dumb movie to watch ? Yes, because this reminds me of a lot of B movies from the 90´s, and i used to watch alot of them in my teens. The characters may not be original either, but just to see Brendan Fraser as a low budget Elvis on a bad costume day is worth the wait. Paul Walker as a stupid redneck is a surprise, i never thought i would see him do a character like this one. And this is even more shocking, he is one of the producers of Pawn Shop Chronicles. This is not a great motion picture, but if you grew up with this genre like i did, you might actually enjoy this ride, with crazy characters and bad fun dialogue. Worst nightmare for Ulf Brunnberg ? Yes i know he would not be happy to see this one, but for the rest of us B movie lovers i think this should work, when you feel like unplugging your brain for 90 minutes.

Rating: DDD

Movie 43

Ever since summer, i have been asked by some readers of my movie blog, if i would do a review of Movie 43. For a while i was not sure if i even wanted to see this one, considering almost every critic hated this motion picture. But finally, i decided to listen to my readers, and take a look at Movie 43 with an open mind. With the biggest cast list ever in history, from Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Dennis Quaid, Richard Gere, Halle Berry, and many many more, is this a motion picture for movie lovers in general, or is this the disaster every critic is saying it is ?

Charlie Wessler ( Dennis Quaid ) is a mad screenwriter, who have ideas for a new movie. He visits film executive Griffin Schraeder ( Greg Kinnear ) , so he can hear his ideas to this new movie. As Charlie begins to tell each story, Griffin is not sure if this sounds like a good idea.

The Catch

Beth ( Kate Winslet ) is a single business woman, who is ready to go on a blind date. Not knowing who this guy is, her friend show her a picture of Davis ( Hugh Jackman ) in Gotham Magazine. He is obviously famous, and good looking. So Beth is curious how he is as a person. As they meet at the restaurant. She notice that he have balls, hanging from his throat. Davis try and get a conversation going, but Beth is having a hard time enjoying this blind date.

Homeschooled

Samantha Miller ( Naomi Watts ) and her husband Robert Miller ( Liev Schreiber ) invite their new neighbours Sean ( Alex Cranmer ) and Clare ( Julie Ann Emery ) for coffee. Samantha and Robert have a teenage son, Kevin Miller ( Jeremy Allen White ). As the conversation begins, Samantha and Robert tell the new neighbours they homeschool their son. Samantha make out with her son, Robert hang him up in a flagpole, with poo on his chest, and order him to scream he wants to suck lots of dick. Sean and Clare begin to wonder what is going on ?

The Proposition

On a beautiful sunny day Doug ( Chris Pratt ) is ready to propose to his girlfriend Julie ( Anna Farris ). As he is ready to say the magic Words, Julie have a request. She wants him to poo on her. Doug can´t belive what he is hearing, but he promise he will do this. At a barbecue at their house, Dougs friend Larry ( J.B. Smoove ) give Doug a special bottle, that will help him shit bigger than ever before. As the night comes, and Doug is ready to give Julie her big surprise. But what he planned is about to go terribly wrong.

Veronica

Neil ( Kieran Culkin ) is working in a grocery store. At the cash register, he meets his ex-girlfriend Veronica ( Emma Stone ). They begin to argue, as the speaker is on and all the customers hear them. As the arguement continue, Veronica walks away, and Neil follows her. The customers take over the store.

Superhero Speed Dating

Batman´s Sidekick Robin ( Justin Long ) is on a speed date. As he is trying to talk to a girl, Batman ( Jason Suedikis ) runs in and explain something about a bomb. But he lets Robin fisnish his next speed date. Next girl is Lois Lane ( Uma Thurman ). She explain that Superman ( Bobby Cannavele ) is stocking her and shoot cum on her window. Batman comes back to interupt the speed date, but give Robin one more chance. The speed date continue, but everything that could go wrong is becoming even worse.

Machine Kids

A faux commercial, showing how kids work are stuck in machines, while adults take out their anger on machines, while kids have to work inside, with no respect or love.

iBabe

At a developing company, The Boss ( Richard Gere ) and his various workers is having a meeting, on the new product iBabe,  a life-sized, realistic replica of a nude woman which functions as an MP3 player. As the team present the product, the company discuss how you will prevent kids from fucking the iBabe.

Tampax

A faux commercial. Two hot women is swimming in an ocean, when suddenly a shark eats one of them. The commercial ends with the words Tampax - Now leak proof.

Middleschool Date

Nathan ( Jimmy Bennet ) and Amanda ( Chloe Graze Moretz ) are watching tv, as they start to kiss each other. Nathan´s older brother Mikey ( Christopher Mintz-Plasse ) comes into the room, and make fun of the teenagers. Suddenly Amanda finds out she have her first period, and both of the brothers freak out. When Amanda´s dad arrive to pick her up, chaos is about to begin.

Happy Birthday

Brian ( Sean William Scott ) is having a bad day. His roomate Pete ( Johnny Knoxville ) slept with Brian´s girlfriend. Pete feels bad about this. So he want to cheer Brian up. Pete says he have a surprise for Brian as he take him down the basement. Here he have a kidnapped leprechaun ( Gerald Butler ), as a birthday present for Brian. Pete thinks the leprechaun knows where gold can be found, so he try to torture the leprechaun to get an answer. Suddenly the phone rings, the leprechaun´s brother calls, to make a deal with Pete, if he give them gold, his brother will stay alive. A big pot of gold is found outside Brian and Pete´s house. With so much money they think everything is going to be alright. The leprechaun´s brother is hiding inside the pot of gold, as he attacks Brian. Pete kill both the Leprechauns and cut them into pieces, and then show Brian his special present, a fairy who sucks dicks for gold coins.

Truth or Dare

Donald ( Stephen Merchant ) and Emily ( Halle Berry ) are at a date in a restaurant. Donald try and begin a conversation, to learn more about Emily. But she does not want to tell him the same boring stuff, so she suggest they play Truth Or Dare. In this game, Donald is force to grab Another guys ass, Emily is forced to dip her tit in guacamole. As the game goes on, more crazy things happen, as both of them get plastic surgery and tattoos. David end up going with Emily to her appartment. First Emily fools David she is not interested in sex, but it turns out she is ready for a ride.

Victory’s Glory

The year is 1959. Coach Jackson ( Terence Howard ) is training the Ellison High Journeymen basketball team. They are about to meet the first white team ever, called Hickory Tech. Before the game begins, Coach Jackson is trying to get the boys ready, to kick some white ass.

I really tried to give Movie 43 a chance, considering the cast list is amazing. But does a great cast save a movie that does not work at all ? No, this is embarrassing. Do i laugh at Hugh Jackman with balls on his face. No, because the comedy scenes are not funny, as they should have been. There are so many scenes here with different sketches, that you sit there wondering.....what the hell were all these directors thinking ? Just look here, there are sketches directed by Brett Ratner, Griffin Dunne, Peter Farrelly, and Steve Carr, directors who have made ( some ) good movies. And here they fuck up, totally. And when you think at least one of the sketches might be good, something goes wrong and you feel sick, that you have to watch all of this for 90 minutes. What is all these great actors doing here, are they so desperate to make money on this garbage ? I tried to give Movie 43 a chance, and see this with an open mind. But still i could not leave without thinking, this is shit. Kevin Sorbo, please come back and make another sequel to Walking Tall, so we don´t have to experience Movie 43 again. One of the worst movies i have ever seen ? Yes, don´t rent this one or watch it on Netflix, burn Movie 43 in the ground next to Something Borrowed.

Rating: D

torsdag 26 december 2013

Carnage

Roman Polanski is a very respected director among movie lovers. Rosemary´s Baby is one of the best horror hovies of all time, and even if it is old today, the message still stay strong. I hope you all have seen Chinatown with Jack Nicholson ? One of the greatest neo-noir films of the 70´s, and Jack Nicholson did a wonderful performance as private investigator J.J ( Jake ) Gittes. Actually one of my favourite Polanski movies of all time is The Pianist. The story of polish piano player and composer Władysław Szpilman, is a very emotional and sad story, with a very powerful performance of Adrien Brody. Director Roman Polanski have always been controversial, not afraid to portrait sex, sadness and madness in some of his earlier movies. His style is unique, in some of his classics. When it comes to Carnage, we are served with something very different from his usual style. This is actually a comedy, with a cast of 4 actors only, Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christopher Walz. With a very different genre in his hands, does Roman Polanski give us a pleasent surprise, or is this way out of his league ?

Michael Longstreet ( John C- Reilly ) and Penelope Longstreet ( Jodie Foster ) invite Nancy Cowan ( Kate Winslet ) and her husband Alan Cowan ( Christopher Walz ) to their appartment. Penelope´s son was beaten by Nancy´s son in school, and Penelope thinks they should arrange a meeting for the boys, so they can get along and move on with their lives. The problem is , when they start insulting each other, the couples begin to argue more and more, until things turn really bad.

I would not want to give much more information away on the story, since you need to see for yourself what will happen. But Carnage is actually surprisingly funny, and most of all very well acted from all 4 actors. Each time anyone of these people begin to argue, you can tell they tried to show us how you might do, as a parent to defend your child. The storyline is not very effective, but on the other hand the acting here is really good, so the story does not feel very important. There will be moments where you might laugh, especially from Christopher Walz who explains that women think too much. This is not one of the best Polanski movies, but still a well made comedy,  that takes on a subject many parents could relate too. Carnage is a different approach from a legendary director, trying a new path.

Rating: DDD

Behind The Candelabra

Just about a week ago, i did a request movie review from one of the readers of my movie blog. The movie chosen to be reviewed was Falling Down. In that review i spoke some about Michael Douglas and some of his classic motion pictures. I know this legendary actor have tried many characters over 40 years. So when i heard he was taking on a true story of legendary music entertainer Liberace. i was pretty shocked. Not in a bad way, i actually thought this was a very smart move from Mr Douglas, to portrait this legend, who lived a life like no one else. Scandals, rumors, lovers. Liberace was a man who lived a wild life. Behind The Candelabra is the story of Liberace, that became a huge tv movie hit on HBO, so they decided to give the movie a chance in Cinemas. Is this one of Michael Douglas best performances in his career or is this another typical tv movie most people will forget ?

In the year 1977, a 17 year old boy Scott Thorson ( Matt Damon ), is working as an animal trainer for movies. At a gay bar, he meets Bob Black ( Scott Bakula ). They begin hanging out, and one day Bob Black take Scott backstage, so he can meet Liberace ( Michael Douglas ) after one of his shows. Liberace fall in love instantly in the young boy. Scott and Liberace become lovers, as Liberace take him to a completely different world, behind showbiz and fame, that Scott have never seen before. But when Liberace offer his plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Startz ( Rob Lowe ) to make Scott look just like Liberace. Scott begin to revolt, who is already stuck in drug problems. Their relationship is becoming more complicated, when Liberace look for other young men, and visit gay pornographic theaters. Scott is ready to end this, but while this becomes a trial issue, Liberace tell the truth that he is infected with AIDS. Just when life could not be more complicated, Scott is about to make his hardest choice in life so far.

If i would tell you, that Michael Douglas has not been this good in any movie, for the last 20 years, you might think i am crazy. Maybe i am, but still Behind The Candelabra is his best motion picture in 20 years, since Falling Down. These are strong words, i know. But i feel that Michael Douglas have not made many great movies in a very long time. Some were good, like The Game, Wonder Boys and Wall Street - Money Never Sleep, but nothing very powerful like he used to do in his older classics. But here, he shines like a bright star, he is perfect as Liberace, and i can´t imagine anyone doing this character better than him. Matt Damon is also really good as Liberace´s lover Scott Thompson, the only problem i have is to see him as an 17 year old boy, considering that he actually is 43 years old today. But still, he manage to do a great performance considering his character is not easy to do. But it does not stop here. Rob Lowe is also great as plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Startz, with a hair cut that really will blow your mind away. Dan Aykroyd is here also, who looks very different than usual as the character Seymour Hellen. Behind The Candelabra is a tragic story, of this legend, that not many people could understand. Was he a pedophile ? Was he a monster ? I will let you decide for yourselves, considering this is a very strong emotional story on many levels. One of the best motion pictures of the year of 2013 ? Yes indeed, you should support the film makers and buy this one, because stories like this one need to be told. An amazing motion picture from legendary director Steven Soderbergh, i really hope they win all 4 nominations at the Golden Globe Awards 2014.

Rating: DDDD

Prince Avalanche

I have to be honest and say, Paul Rudd is not an actor i usually check out. Why ? Maybe because he usually do mostly american comedies , where you know what´s going to happen. Well there are some highlights, like This Is 40, This Is The End and of course Our Idiot Brother. He is not a bad actor, he just choose the wrong material sometimes, thankfully not as often as Kate Hudson. I will check him out in Anchorman 2 in the cinema soon, i am hoping it will be a worthy sequel to the classic first movie with Will Ferell. Prince Avalanche is actually an american remake of the icelandic movie Either Way. I have not seen the original movie yet, so i have no idea if it is good. Director David Gordon Brown is mostly famous for directing Pineapple Express, and the box office disaster Your Highness. With Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch ( who did an Amazing performance in Into The Wild ) on board, is this independent film something unique, or a blend production that does not give much at all ?

The year is 1988. Road worker Alvin ( Paul Rudd ) and his girlfriends brother Lance ( Emile Hirsch ) are painting stripes on the road, trying to follow a schedule. Alvin is trying to learn German language, because he plan to go to Germany with Lance´s sister. One day Alvin recive a letter from his girlfriend, where she says she wants to break up. Everything Alvin planned, and thought he would do is now a waste of time. He takes his anger out on Lance, trying to make him understand how bad he feels. Lance is also having a hard time, when he finds out he is going to be a father and he is not sure he is ready for this. Somewhere along this road work, Alvin and Lance find a way to deal with both of their situations.

Wow, i am shocked. This is the best performance i have ever seen Paul Rudd do, ever. When he let the anger out, we see a completely different side of this actor, i have never seen before. Some of the forest scenes are beautiful filmed, especially the water scene when Emile Hirsch goes for a swim in the dirty water. Emile Hirsch may not be as good as he was in Into The Wild ( if you have not seen this movie, go out and buy it ). But still, he does a really good performance as the confused young Lance, trying to understand life. The story is very simple, and maybe not very original, but the actors lift this story to a higher level than what it should have been. I recommend to check out the old Truck Driver, played by Lance LeGault, he is funny as hell. Always on the road with Moonshine to offer the boys some drinks, and always says what he thinks. Prince Avalanche is the kind of motion picture that the mainstream audience may not enjoy, but for us who like more original stories, this is worth checking out. Director David Gordon Brown have stepped away from the Hollywood industry to do something different, and i enjoy this. Maybe very slow in some scenes, but still Prince Avalanche delivers an accurate drama comedy, and the acting here is really good.

Rating: DDD

onsdag 25 december 2013

Gravity

In space, no one can hear you scream. This is a classic reply from Alien, that most sci fi lovers never forget. In the genre of sci fi movies, we have some really good classics that will never die, and we have some really bad ones, remember Ghosts Of Mars ? Director Alfonso Cuarón, who directed Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban and Children of Men, is back on board, and this time he is not only the director. He is also the writer of Gravity, producer and editor. Considering i really loved his previous movies, especially mexican drama And Your Mother Too, i was curious what Gravity would offer us. Making over 600 million dollars at the box office, and praised as one of the best motion pictures of 2013, is Gravity is good as everyone is saying, or is the hype bigger than the honest truth ?

On board the Space Shuttle Explorer's STS-157, Dr Ryan Stone ( Sandra Bullock ) is a medical engineer on her first mission in space. She is accompanied by veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski ( George Clooney ), who is commander on this mission. While doing service to the Hubble Space Telescope, the astronauts are informed by Mission Control in Houston, give a warning to the team about a Russian missile strike on a defunct sattelite. Mission Control want the whole team to abort the mission, but when the missile strike, it causes a chain reaction forming a cloud of space hebris. Dr Ryan Stone is forced to disconnect her safety belt. As she is floating around in space, Matt contacts her. He is going to try and pick her up, and get her back to their space shuttle. The space shuttle have very serious damage, and the crew is floating around dead. Somehow, the remaining survivors need to find a way, to get back to Earth.

I realise many people don´t like CGI that many times. But trust me, when it comes to CGI in Gravity, it does not get any better than this. The CGI is phenomenal, with amazing details that i have never seen so clear on a big screen as here. Both Sandra Bullock and George Clooney does a really good performance, as astronauts in a very serious situation. You might think it would be boring watching this, considering they are lonely in space, but this is a very intensive sci fi thriller. Director Alfonso Cuarón proves once again why he is such an brilliant director, and this might actually be his best motion picture so far. You will be on the edge of your seat while watching Gravity, this is one of the few motion pictures that leave an impact after you watched the whole movie. Do i agree with so many other movie review critics that this is one of the best films of this year ? Of course, i dont think anyone would disagree. We might have an Oscar winner in our hands, Gravity is already a knockout for all ages.

Rating: DDDD

All Is Bright

One of my all time favourite actors is actually Paul Giamatti. He have done some really good motion pictures, have anyone of you seen American Splendor, Sideways, Barney´s Version or Win Win Win ? Well if you have not heard of these titles, i suggest you rent them all. He may not be a typical Hollywood actor, but that´s why i like this man. He feels natural, and take on characters people can relate too, or someone you would want to know more about. By the way, he is really good in John Dies At The End, another one you should check out. All Is Bright is a drama motion picture, directed by Phil Morrison ( who directed the Oscar nominated motion picture Junebug ). Paul Rudd is here also in the cast, who usually can be seen in bigger productions. With a cast of 2 well known actors, and an acclaimed director, does All Is Bright tell an interesting story, or is this a drama for poetic people who loves slow cinematography ?

Dennis ( Paul Giamatti ) is let out of prison. He have no home, no money, and no future plans. He tries going home to his ex girlfriend Therese (  Amy Landecker ), but she does not let him in, He finds out she have lied to their daughter, that he died in cancer. Dennis is furious, and he finds out his best friend Rene ( Paul Rudd ) is together with Therese. He meet Dennis, and ask him desperately for a job. Rene sells christmas trees, so he arrange that Dennis helps him out. They are travelling from Canada to sell christmas trees in New York, but along the way, the problems become more obvious.

If you like speed, fast dialogue and action, All Is Bright is your worst nightmare. On the other hand, if you like good acting, in a story about ordinary people, you might enjoy this one. Paul Giamatti is of course the best actor here, his character Dennis show us a simple man who made some bad choices in life, and now he is trying to do something about the situation. The biggest problem with All Is Bright is that the storyline is not very strong. Some scenes are very slow, so you might get sleepy if you are not interested in what will happen to Dennis. Paul Rudd does an ok performance, but nothing you will remember. Still, even if i see problems, All Is Bright is a warm motion picture with an important message. I also like the fact that they choosed to make this film in a small town in Canada, where they also speak french. This makes the story more interesting. Nothing unique, but still worth watching for those who like Paul Giamatti.

Rating: DDD

fredag 20 december 2013

Thor: The Dark World

I always loved the character Thor in comic books as a child, even if my favourite was The Hulk. In some ways, Thor always seemed more human than many of the comic book heroes, that he had a different view on the world. I have seen cartoons, and the first time Thor did his debut on film in The Incredible Hulk Returns, in 1988. But finally in 2011, we had the pleasure to see Thor in his own big budget box office hit, by director Kenneth Branagh. I really loved the adaption that Kenneth Branagh made, with actor Chris Hemsworth as the lead character Thor. Not only because of great acting, but also because the story between Thor and his brother Loki, played by the great actor Tom Hiddleston. The humour mixed with very well made action sequences worked very well. Chris Hemsworth returned as Thor in the movie adaption of The Avengers, along with Tom Hiddelston. And i have to say, their chemistry on the big screen delivered, as 2 brothers with different priorities. So here we are, the new sequel to Thor, with the same cast as last time. Is it possible that Thor 2 is just as good as last time, or is this another example of another box office hit made just to get cash ?

A long time ago, Bor father of Odin, defeat Dark Elf Malekith ( Christopher Eccleston ) and his army. Malekith planned to destroy the universe with a weapon known as the Aether. Bor safeguards the Aether, so no one can use this deadly weapon. Malekith and his lieutenant Algrim ( Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ) escape with Dark Elves.

Present day. In Asgard, Loki ( Tom Hiddelston ) stands imprisoned for crimes on planet Earth. He still feel Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ) does not deserve to be king of Asgard. Thor is ready for a final war, to pacify the Nine Realms following the reconstruction of Bifröst. In London, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster ( Natalie Portman ) is on a date. But her intern Darcy Lewis ( Kat Dennings ) interrupts this meeting. Dr Jane is getting Readings about something happening in an abandoned factory. The team goes to check these events out. While Dr Jane walks alone in one area, she find herself teleported to another world where she is infected by the Aether. Thor finds out Dr Jane is infected and take her to Asgard, to see if they can remove the Aether, but with no luck. When Jane was infected, this helped Malekith wake up from a long sleep. He ensembles his army, and begin planning an attack on Asgard. They manage to get inside, Asgard as Thor´s mother Frigga ( Rene Russo ) is brutally murdered. Odin ( Anthony Hopkins ) orders Thor not to leave Asgard, but Thor decide to revenge his mothers death, with the help of Loki.

I am happy to say, Thor: The Dark World is another great chapter of the Thor movies. There are so many great details to be happy about. High quality acting, fantastic special effects, a good story line, and we actually get some good laughs along the way. I must confess that Tom Hiddelston is absolutely fantastic as Loki, he have found a great balance in this character of both madness and intelligence. The locations are still majestic and this time you get to see even more of Asgard. Director Alan Taylor have made his own touch on Thor, but still managed to keep some of the great details Kenneth Branagh gave us last time. I suppose you could say Alan tries to show more epic battles, and also more scenery from different worlds, including Svartalfheim. Chris Hemsworth will hopefully play Thor in the future, because they won´t find anyone better to do this character with so much charm. Thor: The Dark World is a feast for comic book fans, geeks, and even action lovers in general, this is a motion picture that can please many different personalities. Maybe i should dress up as Thor at the upcoming Christmas Dinner ? Sounds like a great plan.

Rating: DDDD

And the winner of request movie review this week is......

Congratulations Jenny Foran :)

I will review Carnage before christmas eve, and thank you so much for asking for so many requests, i think you hold the record so far of most requests :) Thanks for reading my movie review blog everýone, and remember, no one writes sexier movie reviews than me ;)

Cheers from Daniel

söndag 15 december 2013

Falling Down

One of my earliest memories of classic movies was in 1985. I was 8 years old and watched Romancing The Stone, an action adventure with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner on VHS. Back in those days, the video releases were very cut. So when some scenes looked too violent, plenty of scenes were cut down, because of a law that actually existed. There are plenty of classic movies who faced the same situation, thankfully most of them can now be found uncut on blu ray. Speaking about Michael Douglas, this is an actor with many classic motion pictures in his hands, most of you must have seen Wall Street, or maybe Basic Instinct ? The list can go on forever, but i have to say this is a true legend. No matter what category he tried on screen, he could bring magic on screen, even if the movie was bad. Just a year after the huge success with Basic Instinct, Michael Douglas took on a very different character in Falling Down, by director Joel Schumacher. The story sounded very simple, about a man who is trying to get his daughter a present, even if he is not allowed near his former home. But maybe this is much better than what it sounds, or is Michael Douglas wrongly casted in this odd thriller drama ?

William Foster ( Michael Douglas ) is having a really bad day. Stuck in traffic he have had enough. He leaves his car, and start walking on the highway. He wants to buy his daughter a gift, so he walk around, on this hot day trying to make everything alright. But when he is conflicted with people, in different situations, he loose his mind and all hell breaks loose. He smash a store with a baseball bat, beat up 2 gang members ( who try and revenge him by a shootout, where they all crash ). In this car that the gang members drove, there is a bag with weapons, so William pick up the bag and continue his journey. Armed with lots of guns, and having a really bad day, there is nothing that will stop him from coming home to his daughter. Police Sergeant Martin Prendergast ( Robert Duvall ) is working his last day at the police station, Before retirement, when he finds out several people are telling police about a mad man, going out in the streets causing problems. Martin does not think this could be such a big deal, until more people contact police, as William continue his journey. William´s ex-wife Elisabeth Trevino ( Barbara Hershey ) recive phone calls from William, where she tells him he is not allowed to visit his daugter. William does not listen, he will see his daughter, no matter what he have to do.

I was 16 years old when Falling Down came out, and i went to see it at the cinema. I loved it, and even today 20 years later, i still love Falling Down for many reasons. The simple story of William Foster on a really bad day is brilliant. Michael Douglas did one of his career´s best performances in Falling Down. To make this character so disturbed, and still you feel sorry for him, is a very big challenge as an actor. Robert Duvall shows once again why he is such a legendary actor, with a very strong performance as the tired Sergeant Martin, ready to throw in the towel. This is actually the best motion picture so far that director Joel Schumacher have made so far in his career, ( Phone Booth is really good also, but not as good as Falling Down ). Original stories are always more interesting to watch, than the same Hollywood pattern we are used to see. Falling Down is one of the best movies of the 90´s, no doubt about that. I honestly hope no one does a remake on this classic motion picture, no one could do better than the original story. Worth buying to your blu ray collection.


Rating: DDDD

And the winner of last weeks movie review request is......

Congratulations Christian Kempe

Your movie review request of Falling Down will be posted tonight.

Last week on my personal facebook page, i had a competition.
People could request for one movie review, no matter what the category or year the movie was released. There were different requests, so i simply picked one of them.
I will be doing this again, maybe even start doing them in here on the blog page.
So tonight i post a requested movie review for one of my fans of
Daniels Super Sexy Movie Reviews.

lördag 14 december 2013

2 Guns

Say the name Michael Bay, and every boy or man between the age of 18 - 45 years of age, get an erection. Really ? Yes, boys and men love big guns, big cars, girls in bikinis. Well, not really, but many of them do, i was just being ironic. Action movies can be fun to watch, if they are well made and have great actors. If there is just action, and no acting, we might have a problem. But hold on, 2 Guns is not directed by Michael Bay ? Nope, this action movie is directed by Baltasar Kormákur, who previously directed Contraband with Mark Wahlberg, and here they work together again in 2 Guns. We also have legendary actor Denzel Washington onboard. This sounds like fun. With a combination tighter than Elton John´s ass, is 2 Guns an action feast, or another violent patriotic movie with less brain and more lame content ?

Robert Trench ( Denzel Washington ) and Michael Stigman ( Mark Wahlberg ) are planning a robbery at a bank. While Michael is sitting down at a café, Robert visits the bank to open a saftey box. He gets a chance to see how security is, and look for other details. Michael tries doing a deal with drug lord Papi Dreco ( Edward James Olmos ), but Dreco stops the deal in the last minute. Robert´s superior Jessup ( Robert John Burke )finds out the mission failed, but Robert decide to keep on going undercover, to assist Michael robbing the bank. While both Robert and Michael cross the mexican border, U.S. Customs stop them for questioning. Turns out Robert is an undercover DEA Agent, trying to get Papi Dreco arrested, if he would have gone through with the cocaine deal. Michael knows nothing about Robert being a DEA Agent, but he also hold a secret. Michael is an undercover Naval Intelligence Officer. His commanding officer, Harold Quince ( James Marsden ) give Michael orders to kill Robert, so the Navy can steal the money from the bank robbery and use them to fund covert operations. But when Robert and Michael find out that 3 million dollars is wrong, and 43 million dollars is the right number, their secret plans are becoming harder to hide.

2 Guns might sound like the typical robbing bank action movie, thankfully the plot is more twisted than i expected. But there are more good news. The chemistry between Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg works very well, and we get some funny scenes as well. We even get Bill Paxton in here, who does a great performance. I like the cinematography as well, director Baltasar Kormákur have a talent for making action movies, without being over the top Michael Bay style. The only problem i have with 2 Guns is that the story is not very original. We could have had something more unpredictable, maybe tried a different perspective with the final results. Still, 2 Guns is a fun ride, and great entertainment with a couple of beers. Let´s see, where did i put my gun ? You never know if Jehovas Witnesses will ring my door bell.

Rating: DDD

R.I.P.D.

Men In Black is now one of the biggest sci fi classics of the 90´s. The idea of an secret organization chasing down aliens, was a great idea. Critics and the audience loved the combination of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, trying to save the world. The sequel was not that good, i remember feeling dissapointed. Thankfully i found that Men In Black 3 was a step in the right direction. Right after Men In Black 3 came out, i suddenly heard about R.I.P.D. It seemed like a different version of Men In Black with the same concept. Not sure what to think, i watched the trailer and felt, i might check this out. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges with big guns ? That can´t go wrong, or could it ? Is R.I.P.D. a fun combination of sci fi action for the geek audience, or did this concept run out of ideas ?

Detective sergeant Nick Walker ( Ryan Reynolds ), and detective lieutenant Bobby Hayes ( Kevin Bacon ) steal some gold they found during a drug-bust. Nick plan to use this gold, to make his life better with his wife Julia Walker ( Stephanie Szostak ). Suddenly Nick regret that he took the gold and tell Bobby that he plans to return it to where it belongs. At a raid on a warehouse, Bobby shoot Nick, to stop him from returning the gold. Nick wakes up, at the warehouse, but everything looks different. He suddenly gets sucked up into the sky, and is transfered to The R.I.P.D. Department ( The Rest In Piece Department ). Nick is informed about the agency, where they recruit dead police officers, to patrol the afterlife to catch " Deados " ( spirits that failed to cross over, and stayed on Earth as monsters ). Nick is assigned to a partner, Roy Pulsipher ( Jeff Bridges ), who needs to learn Nick how Everything works as they go out on a new assignement. On Earth, every R.I.P.D. officier are assigned avatars, transformed to fit into the ordinary world. Nick is a chinese guy man, named Jerry Chen, and Roy is a russian woman, Opal Pavlenko. On every mission, catching suspect monsters, Nick is determined to revenge on Bobby for killing him.

There are some parts where i found myself laughing, for a short moment. And some action scenes look ok, but overall R.I.P.D. is not as good as Men In Black. The CGI effects are terrible in some scenes, when you see the strange looking humans turning into monsters. Sad to say Jeff Bridges does not do very good here either, he is not awful, but he is far away from his acting quality in Crazy Heart ( this one you have to see ). Ryan Reynolds looks pretty much the same he always does, but his character is not very interesting. I really liked his performance in Buried, here he seems kind of lost. R.I.P.D. is one of the biggest box office bombs of 2013, taking in only 78 million, and the production budget was 130 million dollars. Everything is not terrible, some of the action scenes deliver some entertainment, but not enough to hide all the other problems. R.I.P.D. had potential, but director Robert Schwenke must have missed all the details that are needed to make this work.

Rating: DD

torsdag 12 december 2013

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones

For those who know me personally, they all know i hate Twilight. Why ? Because there is nothing good about Twilight. None of the movies have anything i needed to see. That´s why i loved Hobo With A Shotgun, this should have been the biggest box office hit at the cinemas, instead of vampires in a love story with nothing to say. The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones is based on the novel of writer Cassandra Clare. There are 6 books in the series, and i have never heard about any of them before. When i saw the trailer of The Mortal Instruments at the cinema, i remember thinking 2 things.

1. This can´t be worse than Twilight, could it be ?
2. At least we get action, and none in Twilight.
 
So with no high expectations, i decided to take a look at The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, to see if we might actually have a good start of thís movie adaption. Is this a new fantasy action genre that actually delivers entertainment, or is City Of Bones a movie adaption just as boring as Taylor Lautners acting ?

Clara Fray ( Lily Collins ) lives in New York with her mother Jocelyn Fray ( Lena Headey ). Clara see herself drawing a strange symbol, she even see this symbol in her coffee. Not knowing what it means, she does not feel worried about it. On a night out with her friend Simon Lewis ( Robert Sheenan ), she notice a night club with the same symbol she have seen herself draw on paper. She persuade Simon to go with her into this club, as they take a look around. People here dress strange, and it does not look like a normal night club. Suddenly Clara witness a murder, by a man named Jace Wayland ( Jamie Campbell Bower ), but no one else reacts. Simon did not see anything, so Clara is not sure if she saw this in reality. Next day, while spending time with Simon, Clara see Jace passing by outside a window. She confront Jace outside, as she is trying to get answers. Suddenly Clara´s mother is calling constantly, she is under attack at home. Clara runs home to find their home destroyed, and her mom is missing. A demon attacks Clara, while she manage to hide during an explosion from her owen. Jace shows up again, killing the demon. He explains he is a Shadowhunter, who know Clara is chosen to be apart of their team. Clara is taken to the City Of Bones, a gate is located in a graveyard, where she tries to get answers from her past, to help her remember why her mother knew about these Shadowhunters. It turns out she used to be a Shadowhunter, fighting demons. The Shadowhunters are now prepared to let Clara learn the basics, so she also can become one of them. One of the people she is warned about is Valentine Morgenstern ( John Rhyes Meyers ), who is looking for a sacred cup. If he use this sacred cup, he could use these powers to destroy Shadowhunters and control the world.

I am surprised to say this, The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones is not awful. Actually this is a lot better than Twilight. Sure we have problems here, some of the actors does not do a great job. But the story is more interesting than the Twilight mythology, with more action, including monsters and demons. The CGI could have been better in some scenes, but still i find myself enjoying this first chapter of The Mortal Instruments. I suppose i like the idea of a society with Shadowhunters, who fight evil in many different shapes. One other problem i have is that within these 2 hours, we don´t get enough action. Some scenes are slow, and they could have made some changes here. There is actually a scene reminding us of Twilight, where werewolves attack vampires, but thankfully there is much more violence and fights here. The leading actress Lily Collins does a descent performance, but Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace Wayland is actually one of the highlights in this motion picture. A sequel is going to be made, the next chapter called City Of Ashes, and rumours say Sigourney Weaver might join in. I hope they get the mistakes done right next time, because this could actually become something interesting. Norwegian director Harald Zwart have given us a taste of a different fantasy adventure, that could have been better, but at least better than any of the Twilight movies. Worth a watch if you have seen enough of Jul Med Ernst.

Rating: DDD

Captain Phillips

Tom Hanks is one of the actors, i grew up watching in comedies mostly. In the 80´s he did some classic motion pictures like Big, and The Burbs. Suddenly in the 90´s he made a career change, with Philadelphia, playing a homosexual who finds out he have AIDS. If you have not seen Philadelphia, i suggest you go rent it. Since the millenium, Tom Hanks have tried many different character roles, in many different genres. And for each movie he takes on, he seem to fit in, no matter what kind of character he chooses. I have to be honest and say i did not expect to see him in Captain Phillips, a story based on the true events Maersk Alabama Hijacking in 2009. And that is why i am curious to see, if this critical praised motion picture, show a different side of Tom Hanks acting talents. Deep out in the ocean, does Captain Phillips deliver a solid thriller drama, or is this story way to big to be told in an honest way ?

Richard Phillips ( Tom Hanks ), is the Captain of the MV Maersk Alabama. As the ship takes off from the Port of Salalah in Oman, they are ordered to sail Gulf Of Aden to Mombasa. Captain Richard is worried about the rumours about Somali pirates, who are located in this area, as he arrange training exercise for the whole crew, to be prepared in case of emergency. Everything seems fine, until one day 2 boats with armed Somali pirates. They manage to escape, but Captain Philips inform the crew they need to be more alert. The next day, the Somali pirates are back, and this time they manage to board the ship. Armed with Ak-47´s, and they demand to get paid by America, everyone on the ship is in danger. Richard realise he need to find a way to get everyone in safety, and get help from the outside world.

Captain Phillips is a very intensive thriller drama. You might think it could be boring out in the ocean, when you only see boat scenes. But director Paul Greengrass is a very talented director at finding suspensful scenes, builded up with emotional tensions. Tom Hanks is brilliant as Captain Phillips, and show why he is such a legendary actor ( when he works with a talented director ). When it comes to the Somali pirates, leader of the gang Abdubali Muse, played by Barkhad Abdi, you can tell he really tried to show us how evil you can become, desperate for money. I really hope people take notice of Barkhad, he could be a new star, since he did this character so well. The real crew of MV Maersk says that the portrait of Captain Phillips is not correct. Maybe that is true, but i look form a different perspective, about the story itself and how vulnerable people can become, in a situation like this one. This is a really good motion picture, with a very solid story to tell. I will never travel to Gulf of Aden, there is no question about that.

Rating: DDDD

tisdag 10 december 2013

Wallander - Sorgfågeln

Wallander is one of the biggest, most successful crime drama movie series in Sweden. Germans love them, i still don´t understand why. Ever since Krister Henriksson took over the role from Rolf Lassgård, swedish people did not let the series down. Millions of watchers, many people buy the dvd´s. And here we are, the final Wallander movie with Krister Henriksson. I have tried to watch some of his earlier movies as the Ystad police commissioner Kurt Wallander, and i always left with the question, who can like this ? But let´s go into this final movie with an open mind. Is Wallander Sorgfågeln better than the rest of the series, or is it the same shit i am used to see ?

Restaurant owner Paul Salino ( Per Graffman ) is kidnapped. Police commissioner Kurt Wallander is on the case, to try and find Paul. But as he digs deeper into the case, he finds evidence that might tell a different story, than what he thought could be the truth.

I tried, i really did try and see this last Wallander movie with an open mind. And did it help change my mind ? Fuck no. This is shit, and i still don´t understand why so many swedes love this. If someone can explain what makes Wallander good, go ahead and explain, because i see no reason why i should care. Krister Henriksson still act as bad as always, everyone else act bad, and we are left with a final Wallander movie that still does not change anything. I would not be surprised if they reboot the character again, if they do they better change everything. Wallander - Sorgfågeln is the final Wallander movie with Krister Henriksson, so now i have something to be happy about.

Rating: D

måndag 9 december 2013

Clear History

Larry David is a brilliant comedian. His tv comedy show Curb Your Enthusiasm have made my bad day, turned over into a much better day. And this is the reason why, he hates life, he thinks everyone are idiots. And this is why i love this show, in every episode everyone hates him, and when he suddenly think he might found happiness, everything goes wrong. In 2009, when he had the leading role in Woody Allen´s motion picture Whatever Works, i fell in love with this story. A jewish man, who thinks everyone are a bunch of morons, with no intelligence at all, meets a younger woman who start to change him. He won´t admit it, but he begin to think that maybe everyone may not be completely bad. Now the most negative man on earth is back, in a new motion picture, with actors like Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton and Danny McBride. Is Clear History another smash hit from Larry David, or is he running out of good material ?

Nathan Flomm ( Larry David ) is a co-founder and head of marketing for a California electric car company run by Will Haney (Jon Hamm ). Will decide to name the electric car " Howard ", as the company agree this is a good idea. But Nathan hates the name, who names a car " Howard " ? Since Nathan won´t agree on this, he quits his job and sells his share. Suddenly when Will´s car idea is selling really good, making him a millionaire, Nathan understand he never should have sold his share. So, he decide to start a new life with a new name, Rolly Davore. Nathan moves to Martha´s Vineyard, where he begin to enjoy himself with good friends. Suddenly he finds out Will Haney is moving there also, into a huge mansion, with his wife Rhonda Haney. Nathan falls in love with Rhonda, after spending time with her, so he start planning revenge on Will. With the help of his friend Frank ( Danny McBride ), they hire local quarry operator Joe Stumpo ( Michael Bolton ) to blow the mansion into pieces. The problem is, Nathan want Rhonda to leave her husband, and still manage to get away with revenge.

There are many situations here, where you will find yourself laughing constantly. Larry David delivers once again another grumpy old man, who hates the world, in such a clever way that only he can do. I will say Whatever Works is a bit better than Clear History, but still this is comedy with many ordinary day events, turned into a complete disaster. Director Greg Mottala, who directed both Superbad and Paul, give us a simple story with so much too say. He even manage to show Kate Hudson´s acting ability again, and that was a long time ago, since we seen that side of her. Michael Keaton is actually funny as the crazy local Joe Stumpo, he is almost a more crazy version of Dr. Emmet in Back To The Furture. If you love dark humour, then you will love Clear History. Comedies on this level does not come very often. I also want to be a grumpy old man, who think everyone are idiots, it looks like so much fun.

Rating: DDDD  

onsdag 4 december 2013

Big Ass Spider!

A life without B movies would be boring as hell. We need B movies, because they can both give you a good time, and even feel nostalgic. I have seen so many wonderful titles, and different kind of B movies, that most of them are easy to remember. One of my all time favourite ones is The Toxic Avenger from 1985. The full uncut edition is fantastic, with so many classic scenes you can never get tired of watching of watching this one. When it comes to monster movies, there are plenty of them out there, including flesh eating bugs. So how about a spider, in the size of Ron Jeremys manhood, running around eating people, does this sound like the perfect Ullared moment ? Yes indeed, but is Big Ass Spider a new classic B movie, or another failed cheesy production ?

Alex ( Greg Grunberg ) is a insect exterminator, who takes his job very seriously. While helping a customer, he gets bitten by a spider, and goes to the hospital. Here he tries to flirt with one of the nurses with no luck. But at the hospital, an ordinary day is about to change, when a unique spider is out in the morgue, killing hospital workers. Alex is asked to try and kill the spider, until the military is called in. This is no ordinary spider, it grows bigger on every body it feeds on. Ordinary guns does not stop this beast, and while time is running out someone needs to find answers how to take care of this situation.

Big Ass Spider is a blast. I laughed many times, not just because of the fun dialougue, but also because there are many fun scenes here. The special effects are actually not terrible, and that is the biggest surprise. The spider scenes look creepy at some points, until it becomes bigger. The cast does a pretty good job, and we get some fun guest actors in here, like director Lloyd Kaufman, who made so many great Troma Films movies. I really enjoy legendary actor Ray Wise as Major Braxton Tanner, a very hard Major with balls of steel. If you don´t like B movies, Big Ass Spider wont change your mind. But if you do enjoy this genre, give this one a chance. You can Watch Big Ass Spider on VOD ( Video On Demand ), and it will be out in january on dvd. Now excuse me, i just need to turn the flamethrower on, i have a feeling there might be a spider crawling inside the kitchen sink.

Rating: DDD

tisdag 3 december 2013

Lovelace

If you told me you have never seen a porn movie, i would know you are lying. Everyone loves sex, at least 98 % of us ( the 2 % are most likely older religious people who think sex is a sin ). I have seen lots of porn, in all kinds of genres. And i enjoy it. Say what ? Yes, you heard me, i like porn. What´s the big deal ? It can be fun to watch sometimes, to spice up things or just to stroke the salami. Either way, sex is great and i am not afraid to say that. When it comes to the older porn movies, Deep Throat is a classic, with Linda Lovelace. It may not have been the greatest porn movie of all time, but this is still a cult movie. I think i might have been 14 years old the first time i watched the movie on VHS, so this was a long time ago, i am 37 years today. The tragic story behind Linda Lovelace is still told today in books, in magazines, and she died in 2002 in a car accident just 53 years old. Lovelace is a movie, based on the story behind Linda Boreman ( her acting name became Linda Lovelace ), how she became a huge star in the porn industry after Deep Throat, and a look inside her personal life. With Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace, is this a worthy tribute to the legendary actress, or is this nothing what we would expect it to be ?

In 1970, in Florida, Linda Borgeman is a young 21 year old girl who accept a volunteer job, as a dancer at a roller rink. She and her best friend Patsy ( Juno Temple ) are discovered by Chuck Traynor ( Peter Sarsgaard, who supply the girls with weed. Linda and Chuck fall in love, and become a couple. Linda´s mother Dorothy Boreman ( Sharon Stone ) is skeptical at first, but when Chuck tells her he was in the army, she feels that this might be a good man for her daughter. Linda´s father John Boreman ( Robert Patrick ) is not sure what to think of Chuck, but tries to be positive. Linda gets married to Chuck and they move in to their own home, to start a new life. Chuck is having economical problems, and need to get more cash fast. But he is arrested, for soliciting prostitution at his night club. 6 months later, Linda bails him out. Chuck need money and find a way to make sure he can make some in a simple way. He sets out a meeting with producers Nat Laurendi ( Eric Roberts ) and Anthony Romano ( Chris Noth ), show them a home made sex film of Linda showing her talents. Both producers want her to star in their new motion picture Deep Throat. So she needs a new name, and they choose Linde Lovelace. When Deep Throat is finished, and is ready for a premiere, rumors spread about this young talented girl. Deep Throat becomes a huge success, and Linda Lovelace becomes a adult video star, who everyone wants. But when her success is at the top, problems in her marriage begin to unfold, and the fact that she wants a different life than this.

This is an interesting story, of an icon that will never die. You could say Linda Lovelace was the 70´s version of Traci Lords, even if they were different women. The acting by Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace is really good, this may be her best performance so far in a motion picture. But there are more people we need to praise, Sharon Stone as her mother Dorothy is really good, and you can barely see it´s her. Peter Sarsgaard, as Chuck, acts out very powerful as an asshole. So far so good. After we get to see behind the scenes of Deep Throat, we suddenly move years ahead, when Linda tries to start a new life. And this is where i feel confused. I would have wanted to know more about her problems, about her terrible marriage. The story jumps ahead too fast, and we don´t get to know all the things we would have wanted to know. But still, Lovelace is a strong drama motion picture, about how vulnerable you can be as a young women, and be controlled by a man who don´t care about your feelings. Even if i would have wanted to know more, and make this 2 hours long instead of 1 hour and 30 minutes, i still feel this is an important movie. The adult industry will never go away, so the best way to deal with this industry, is too support and listen to the women working. Go buy a ticket, Lovelace delivers.

Rating: DDD

Ender´s Game


I love sci fi movies, if they have something more than cgi effects and a good storyline. I suppose we could sit here for hours and speak about all the great sci fi movies, like Aliens, Avatar, Pitch Black, Star Trek Into Darkness, and many other great titles. But there is always a chance the final product could have been great, but gives you a sour taste of disappointment. Anyone remember Doom with Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson ? There were alot of rumours going around about the novel Ender´s Game, by author Orson Scott Card, that a movie was being made. This novel is quite old, and i never really read it, so i actually had no idea what this would be about. But then as the production finished, and names like Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley came out, i found myself curious if this could be something i might enjoy. With 2 such great actors onboard, and a classic sci fi novel made into the big screen, is this a feast for sci fi lovers worldwide, or just another dull cgi presentation ?

In the year of 2086, Earth is attacked by aliens called Formicks. Years later, a young cadet named Andrew " Ender " Wiggin ( Asa Butterfield ), is offered a place in Battle Field. Colonel Hyrum Graff ( Harrison Ford ) and Major Gwen Anderson ( Viola Davis ), have watched Andrew how effective he reacts in combat, after beating down a bully named Stillson ( Caleb J. Thaggard ). Ender is the last " launchie " ready for Battle School, and he needs to be trained. The introduction is operated by Sergeant Dap ( Nonso Anozie ), who explain how Battle Field works. As Ender becomes respected among the other teenagers, he finds a game called the Mind Game, a video game made to keep an eye out on what the students are doing. Enders training continue, as he is transfered to Salamander Army. Here he is trained to learn shooting during free time, by Commander Bonzo Madrid ( Moisés Arias ) and Petra Arkanian ( Hailee Steinfeld ). While Ender is about to finish his training, he realise that Battle Field holds more secrets and danger, than he ever could have imagined.

Ok, this is a sci fi movie for teens. As an adult i can´t find much to be very positive about Ender´s Game. Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley ? Sure, but what about the rest ? The teen actors are not all bad, but most of them feel uninspired, as the story tries to go in a more dramatic direction. The special effects are not all bad, i just find Ender´s Game very slow, and sleepy in some moments. Sorry folks, i can´t say i enjoyed this very much. Some scenes looks great, but overall this is a sci fi movie for teens, who loves chemistry, science and Harry Potter books. For the rest of us, we watch Aliens - The Extended Version on Blu Ray, now this is more how a sci fi movie should look like, lots of guns and aliens, Jesus might actually exist after all.


Rating: DD

söndag 1 december 2013

The Kings Of Summer

We all know what is was like to be a teenager. We all have dreams, hopes and try to find our way in society. I remember i was a shy nerd. Not very popular among girls, but i found my way eventually and had great friends. In summertime i remember we used to do all kinds of things, i even got to travel far away to Spain and Greece, while some of my best friends never travelled abroad. I suppose no matter how you lived your life as a teenager, we all have memories of good times and bad times, but these memories will always be remembered. The Kings Of Summer is a drama motion picture, about growing up as young men, trying to deal with life. Praised at the Sundance Film Festival by both critics and the audience, is this a modern Stand By Me, or an independent movie with nothing to share ?

Joe Toy ( Nick Robinson ) is frustrated about his father Frank Toy ( Nick Offerman ). Frank is an expert at making his son become punished for every single mistake he does. Joe have had enough, so he finds a place in a forest with his 2 friends Patrick Keenan ( Gabriel Basso ) and the very odd Biaggio ( Moisés Aires ). Here they start building their own house, from material they can find, and buy thanks to Joe´s dad´s stolen money. They finally manage to get the house builded, without letting anyone know what they have done. One day the escape from their family home, and begin living in the forest, trying to learn how to survive. While they are missing, the boys families report their kids missing, as police begin to investigate where the kids might be. The boys keep on their lives in the forest, bringing in some friends to also live free. But as the days go by, everything they thought would be perfect, is about to change for everyone.

I don´t understand why no one gave The Kings Of Summer a chance in Sweden to have a screening. Was it because it did not do well at the box office in Usa ? Probably, or simply because this is a much smaller film, and most of them always gets released first on dvd, unless they get alot of attention. This is a motion picture that take on many subjects about being young, and thankfully the cast make The Kings Of Summer worth watching. This is actually the debut movie by director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and i have to say he is very talented. He manage to find a way to both deliver beautiful scenes with deep emotions, in a very detailed way. There are some slow moments, but overall this is a great debut feature film by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, and i hope he continue making independent movies in the future. Now, i have to say that Moisés Aires is fantastic as the very odd teenager Biaggio, he is a mix of Steve Urkel and Napoleon Dynamite in his own unique way. The Kings Of Summer came out on dvd in the Uk in late September, no release date for Sweden yet, but make sure you buy this one, and you will have a great summer moment with these boys.

Rating: DDD

fredag 22 november 2013

Jug Face

Every year we see what the big movie studios are doing. They will do anything to have another big blockbuster hit at the box office, no matter how many times we have seen the same concept. Horror is the typical genre for this subject, sequels and prequels are released constantly. But sometimes there comes a original story, that does not look like everything else. For example, take a look at this motion picture called Jug Face. Made with a very low budget, and directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle ( this is his first full length film ), Jug Face got a lot of positive feedback at Slamdance Film Festival 2013, and by many movie critics. Most actors are pretty unheard of, except for Larry Fessenden ( Stake Land ) and old school actress Sean Young ( No Way Out, Blade Runner ). Is Jug Face a fresh story for us who love new ideas, or is this another typical straight to dvd release ?

In a backwoods community, clay maker Dawai ( Sean Bridgers ) have made a Jug Face, that a voice told him to do. This voice is coming from The Pit, a pit in the ground who the whole community worship. Every jug face that is made from Dawai, is supposed to look like someone in the community. This means that person must be sacrificed. Ada ( Lauren Ashley Carter ) have sex with her own brother Jessaby ( Daniel Manche ) in the forest, Ada realise she have to keep this secret, as she steals one of Dawai´s clay heads, that looks like her. She bury the clay head underground, so no one in the community knows she is supposed to be sacrificed. Ada´s family have chosen her to marry Bodey ( Mathieu Whitman ). Her family still thinks she is a virgin, so no one can find out her secrets. But the community is being suspicious about Ada, what is she hiding ? And what is the secret behind The Pit ?

When i see something original coming out on dvd, or blu ray, i try to check it out as fast as i can. Here in Sweden, there were no talk about Jug Face, so i discovered the movie from different web sites, that praised this motion picture. Knowing that this is not a big Hollywood production i felt very curious about what this could be. I have to say, Jug Face delivers quality. Forget about the budget, this is more intelligent than most of the horror releases coming out this year. The story about this cult society is deeply disturbing, and shows how people in a small community can become evil, and do terrible deeds. Main actress Lauren Ashley Carter proves that she could be heading towards a very bright future, after this performance in Jug Face. She reminds me of a young Susan Sarandon, but still with her own style. Director Chad Crawford Kinkle may borrow some classic cult influences, but he mix them with his own visual style, and with a different twist. I am already looking forward to his next motion picture. Jug Face is not a classic horror movie, but this is still worth checking out. I even suggest you buy this one, to support directors who are trying to make different ideas, made into a cinema delight. Who wants a Jug Face ? I know i do want one.

Rating: DDD

tisdag 19 november 2013

Machete Kills

From a Grindhouse trailer, made into a motion picture, Machete took the world by storm. Let´s be honest, without Danny Trejo in the lead role as Machete, this would not have been as good as it did. This legendary actor knows how to make icon characters, and as Machete he nailed it big time. Director Robert Rodriguez have always loved B movies, remember From Dusk Til Dawn ? You could tell that this was a tribute to the 1970´s, with corny picture and sleazy dialogue, just the way we like it. Machete Kills is the latest story of Machete, and this time we have a handfull of movie stars included, how about Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen and Cuba Gooding. Jr ? Yes, in case you wonder, Lady Gaga is also here. So with Danny Trejo back as Machete, will the audience have a great time once again, or are the expectations too high ?

Machete Cortez ( Danny Trejo ) and Sartana Rivera ( Jessica Alba ) is on a mission to stop corrupted US military men, who have been supplying the Mexican drug cartels. The mission does not go as planned, and Sartana is killed, shot in the head. Corrupted Sheriff Doeakes ( William Sadler ), tries to hang Machete with no luck. Suddenly Doakes is informed to stop the torture, The President Of United States, Rathcock ( Charlie Sheen ), order his staff to bring Machete to the white house. President Rathcock suggest that if Machete help him, Rathcock will arrange so Machete becomes an american citizen. Machete agree on his mission, to eliminate Marcos Mendez ( Demián Bichir ). Machete meets his handler Blanca Vasquez ( Amber Heard ), who seduce Machete, before he heads off too Acapulco. In Acapulco he finds Cereza ( Vanessa Hudgens ), who can help him locate Marcos. Cereza takes Machete to Marcos, where he meets this legendary criminal. Chaos breaks out, and Machete kidnap Marcos. But the problems don´t stop here. Marcos have a missile launch device to his heart, and within 24 hours the device will blow up. Now a bounty hunter known as El Chameleón ( Cuba Gooding. Jr ) is out there to kill Machete, as well as his old enemy Osiris Amanpour ( Tom Savini ). Determined to finish mission, Machete will not let anyone stand in his way.

Before i saw the trailer of Machete Kills, i was really looking forward to a sequel. After having seen this sequel, i feel kind of split. Is this good ? Yes, in some ways. Is it worse than the original movie ? Yes, but this is not an awful action movie. The cheesy dialogue is here, cheap special effects, lots of hot girls, and big guns, all the right ingredients you need at a dinner while watching Halv 8 Hos Mig. One problem is that the magic with the first motion picture is not as clear here, as it used to be. I loved the grindy picture, here this is made more like an ordinary action motion picture. Ok, Machete Kills may not deliver as much as i hoped, but this is still a fun ride. With lots of action, lots of body parts flying, and you will laugh at some of the bad jokes. Machete Kills wont win any awards, but if you love B action movies, then you will guaranteed get a morning wood from this motion picture.

Rating: DDD

söndag 17 november 2013

Getaway

Bullitt is one of the biggest classic motion pictures when it comes to car chases. Steve McQueen behind the wheels in San Fransisco in the 60´s, an icon movie that will live on. Some might say Getaway from 1972 is also one of the best car action movies of all time, also starring Steve McQueen. The Fast And The Furious franchise is todays biggest car action blockbusters, and for every movie it seems that people love this genre. I suppose if you mix cool cars, hot girls, and lots of action, it should be the perfect mix for viewers of Leila Bakar. You might think Getaway with Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez is a remake from the 70´s motion picture, but this is not a remake. Instead it is said that Getaway is an original story. With such a great actor as Ethan Hawke behind the wheels, is Getaway a popcorn feast, or another example of a poor idea gone bad ?

Former race driver Brent Magna ( Ethan Hawke ) comes home to find his home destroyed. And his wife is missing, as it turns out she have been kidnapped. Brent recieve a phonecall from a man called The Voice ( Jon Voight ), who explain what he has to do, to make sure his wife will survive. A special designed car is located in a chosen area, and Brent need to drive and follow instructions, if he does not follow orders, his wife will die. While Brent is ordered to wait in a construction zone, a young woman called The Kid ( Selena Gomez ) tries to steal Brent´s car. She fails, as The Voice order Brent to take The Kid with him on his journey, since he might need her help. It turns out that The Voice have planned everything, that The Kid was supposed to try and steal the car. The Kid is a skilled computer hacker, so her knowledge is usefull while The Voice give them both new orders. Time is running out, and Brent know that too many mistakes might end it all.

Getaway have been panned by almost all movie crititcs, and i can understand why. Getaway is not a great movie, but at least it is not bad all the way. The biggest problem with Getaway is that the plot feels dull, and when Ethan Hawke does not deliver his acting quality as he usually does, there is not alot left to be happy about. Selena Gomez did a great performance in Spring Breakers, here she is just a teen girl who tries to be cool, and that´s pretty much it. There are a few car scenes that looks pretty good, but overall director Courtney Solomon have delivered an action movie without intensive scenes. Getaway is nothing you will remember, but would i rather watch this than Intresseklubben ? Yes, no doubt about that.

Rating: DD

lördag 16 november 2013

Riddick

I remember when i went to see Pitch Black in a small cinema in my hometown Uddevalla. This was not a sci fi movie that was seen by a large audience, or got very much attention in Sweden. But i liked it, for several reasons. The visual effects looked great, the character Riddick ( played by Vin Diesel ) had a very strange look, with his creepy eyes. The director David Twohy showed us a very different sci fi idea, of a planet we have never seen before. 4 years later a sequel was released, The Chronicles Of Riddick. But it did not do very well at the box office, so i did not expect to see Riddick back again. So here we are, with the third movie with Vin Diesel back in action. David Twohy is also back directing again, is Riddick the best sequel so far, or is this a desperate try to get the audience to come back ?

5 years have passed, and Riddick is now Lord Marshall of the Necromonger fleet. He does not enjoy wearing this crown, and refuse to swear into the Necromonger. This cause big problems, so Riddick strikes a deal with Commander Vaako ( Karl Urban ). If Vaako gives him the location of Furya and a ship to take him there, he will let Vaako become the new leader of Necromonger. Vaako agree to take Riddick there, but as they travel to Furya, Riddick looks around and realise he have been tricked. This is not Furya, as he kills 3 of the soldiers. Vaako shoots around the cliff Riddick is standing on, as he falls down underneath the mountain, buried alive. Riddick did survive, but is badly damaged. As he tries to get strength, and find water, he meets a new enemy called Mud Demons, creatures that hide in water. He find out their weakness, kills the beast, and continue his journey. At an empty mercenary station, Riddick broadcast his identity and his presence on the planet. 2 ships with bounty hunters arrive to the mercenary station, to kill Riddick. Their leader Santana ( Jordi Mollá ) makes sure his team is armed and ready, to meet Riddick in the wasteland. But they are not alone, somthing else is out there.

Thankfully director David Twohy have tried to go back to the first movie, and make the storyline more intelligent, instead of just loads of action sequences. With that being said, this is not as good as the first movie, but a step in the right direction. Vin Diesel does pretty much the same acting performance he always does, and he actually fit the character Riddick. The plot is not very deep, and this is a problem with this motion picture. There are some interesting details we find out along the way, but those scenes are too short, while the action kicks in. Overall i have to say Riddick is at least a worthy sequel to Pitch Black, even if the first movie is still the best one so far. If you love sci fi action, i think Riddick will satisfy you, and let you have a good time. This is said to be the last movie based on the character Riddick, considering it did well at the box office, i don´t think this will be the last time we see Vin Diesel in space, or maybe i am wrong ?

Rating: DDD