måndag 31 augusti 2015

Charlie´s Farm

I have been a lot in the countryside as a young boy, especially in summer time. We used to go out to my grandparents summer cabin, go fishing, swimming in the ocean, picking berries, bicycle rides to get ice cream. I remember an older man, who had a big land of vegetables and strawberries, he would ask kids to help him pick fresh vegetables and strawberries. This is a good environment to grow up in, learning about the countryside. Since i was usually fishing for makrill, my grandfather Ingvar used to tell me many stories on the ocean. Since i live in a bigger city, it is not often i get out to the countryside anymore, but it does happen. Speaking of countryside, maybe some of you have read in the papers about how bad swedish milk farmers are paid ? It is such a shame, because they work hard, and we want to make sure that milk is delivered locally all over Sweden, to keep the tradition alive. Same thing with the meat farmers, they are working hard and are not paid well. So what could happen if a farmer have had enough of this ? Well, most of the farmers would probably work anyway, just to keep the farm going. Then we have farmers who might live in a different world, where their own laws is what matters. Charlie´s Farm is an australian horror film, that recently landed in my lap. I actually have never heard of this film before, until it came out. Recently i have seen quite a lot of australian films, and some of them have been surprisingly good. The title sounded very cozy and happy, like this would be the happiest place on the planet. It seems i might have missunderstood. I noticed that Kane Hodder ( who plays Jason Voorhees in Friday The 13th films ) is included in the actors list, so this made the film more interesting. We even have Tara Reid here in the lead role, known from American Pie and lately the fantastic Sharknado films. Charlie´s Farm is a low budget horror film that i happened to stumble across, and caught my attention because i usually enjoy australian horror films. Since i did not know anything about it, i decided to check it out. Is this Another quality australian horror film that proves America have a lot to learn, or is this one of the few australian releases that misses the point completely ?

Jason ( Dean Kirkright ), Mick ( Sam Coward ), Natasha ( Tara Reid ) and Melanie ( Allira Jaques ) all decide to go on a road trip to the countryside. Mick and Jason have heard the stories about Charlie´s farm, where brutal killings is said to have taken place in the past. Curious about what he farm looks like, they decide to find the farm house. Mick tell his friends the story of farmer John Wilson ( Bill Moseley ), who raped and butchered women with his mentally disturbed wife Meredith ( Trudi Ross ). They had a disabled son, who is named Charlie, who grew up watching his parents murder new victims. Until one day when people have had enough and hunt both John and Meredith down, killing them both. Charlie survived but is never seen again. The gang manage to locate the farm house, as they decide to stay there. Everything seems alright at first, until Melanie see a large man in the dark night. Not knowing who this was, the gang continue to explore the area. It seems that Charlie ( Nathan Jones ) is still alive, and he will continue the tradition of his parents, to make sure that the farm is being productive.

If you love old classic butcher horror with bad acting, Charlie´s Farm have all the clichés you could imagine. Now, i love small horror budget films, if they are made with a big heart for classics. There are elements here from Friday The 13th to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but this film does not lift to that level. Sure we get plenty of gore, and lots of blood ( this combination is usually what needs to be included ), but i would have liked to see some really disturbing scenes instead of the same usual format. There are some positive details, there are some funny scenes at least, like the piano scene, with a hillbilly farmer playing a piano and singing what could be the worst boogie you ever heard. They even make fun of banjos here, just because they are out in the countryside. Deliverance influences ? Just a little, they knew that people likes a good laugh. Now for something else that surprised me. Bill Moseley, actor known from House Of 1000 Corpses and The Devil´s Rejects, is actually pretty good here as the father of disturbed boy Charlie. He is just as insane as we want him to be, as you might remember his characters from some really good performances in the past. This is not one of his better performances in Charlie´s Farm, but he certainly gives the film a more sweet taste. Even if we could have had even more gore, and some polished details along the way, Charlie´s Farm does become more fun on the way, especially when we finally get some gory treats. Kane Hodder shows up, and he is always nice to see in horror films. He is an icon in low budget horror films, and i can only respect him for all he have done for B movies. I am more interested in the story about Charlie as a young boy, while he lived with his disturbed parents, than what happens in present day. Maybe they could make an interesting prequal and tell that story some other time. From a B movie perspective, this is not as bad as you might think. On such a limited budget, there are some moments that gives the film enough feeling of classic nostalgia films. Director Chris Sun have directed 2 films before, where one of them is said to be a good one called Daddy´s Little Girl. I would not say that Charlie´s Farm is his best work yet, since i have to see his previous film, but he seems to know what B movie lovers enjoy. The australian actors are also one detail that help the film become better. Even if i would have wanted more gore, and more scenes with Bill Moseley, as an horror film you pretty much get the classic ingredients. I doubt i will visit any pig farms now for a while, you never know what meat they are cutting up there.

Rating: DDD

Everybody loves The Asylum films......right ?

Greetings everyone.

Thank you all for reading my reviews this summer, and i hope you enjoyed yourselves. Since autumn is coming around the corner, i suggest we kick things off with some fresh reviews. I will post a new review today, once it is finished.

Now, for some other information.

Since i know that 3 million Swedes watched Sharknado Marathon on Channel 9 this summer, i realise that you might want to read some more reviews from the same company that gave us this film. The Asylum of course, the film studio that makes sure quality films are made.

I will write 2 reviews on the following films.

2-Headed Shark Attack
3-Headed Shark Attack

I realise that SVT sport reporter André Pops will be very pleased about this, so i am happy to please him.

There are more ordinary film reviews coming this september, so be patient. But until later on, keep on supporting my Indiegogo campaign Coreys Angels Sweden Tour, the best campaign in history, and thanks for reading my reviews.

Cheers from Daniel

söndag 30 augusti 2015

Pixels

I am one of those people who don´t hate Adam Sandler. He have done some good films.

Really you might say ?

Yes he have, does anyone remember the 90´s classic Happy Gillmore, or his most serious acting role so far in Reign Over Me ? These 2 films are 2 of those you have to see, if you have not seen any of his films. Adam Sandler is a funny guy, but he can also be a pain in the ass. We have seen that in Grown Ups 2, one of the worst sequels i have ever seen. That´s My Boy was a good film compared to Grown Ups 2, and it was even better than Just Go With It with Jennifer Aniston. I know a lot of people talked bad about That´s My Boy, but at least you could laugh in that film, in Grown Ups 2 you wanted to punch everyone. Adam Sandler have always done so many comedies, some of them are simply too much. Big Daddy is one film that should be mentioned more often, as a classic. Limp Bizkit is also included in the soundtrack, so of course we know quality is guaranteed. Anger Managment was also pretty funny with Jack Nicholson, i was surprised to see that they worked on screen together. You Don´t Mess With Zohan is also a funny comedy, about a very special hair dresser. I always feel interested to see Sandler try different characters, that are not his usual choice. Reign Over Me really proved that he can act, and he should have been nominated for many awards for that role. It should have been a bigger hit at the box office, but i suppose people were skeptical to see him do a serious role. I have a feeling Adam Sandler will always be stuck in the comedy genre, because he knows that this is where people want to see him do. The Cobbler was one of his more serious attempts to try something different, but it did not turn out to be that good. So here we are with his new film Pixels, mixing an alien invasion with classic video arcade game characters coming to life. Since i grew up playing classic arcade games, such as Pac Man and Donkey Kong, i liked the idea of aliens using these classic games into an alien invasion, it is definetely a different approach. But would this combination really work ? I decided to give Pixels a chance at the local cinema. Is this the best Adam Sandler film in a long time, or is this just another release, almost as bad as Grown Ups 2 ?

The year is 1982. Young boys Sam Brenner and Will Cooper are two 13 year old video game lovers, who spend a lot of time in the local arcade. Brenner enters an Arcade World Championship. As he is winning every game, he is finally ready to meet his most dangerous oponent Eddie Plant, in the finals with the chosen game Donkey Kong. Brenner can not keep up, and loses the game. Eddie Plant wins the Championship, and becomes very popular. In present day, Sam Brenner ( Adam Sandler ) is working for a company who inställs home theatre systems. Will Cooper ( Kevin James ) is now the President Of The United States, trying to run the country in the best possible way. One day a military base in Guam is attacked. The Soldiers try to fight back, with no chance at all. It seems as an Alien invasion have begun. Will Contact his old friend Sam, to show him that the aliens are using classic video games characters to attack, in this case a game called Galaga. Since the invasion is growing, and Sam knows how to kill video game characters, they are forced to contact Eddie Plant , to ask for his help. Since he is locked up in prison, they manage to find a way to get him on board. With a team of chosen people, who will be trained to fight aliens, they are all ready to defend planet Earth.

If you don´t like Adam Sandler, you might as well stop reading here. Pixels will not change your mind. On the other hand, if you love classic arcade games, and 80´s comedy influences with Adam Sandler, then you might actually have a good time. This is a stupid comedy in some ways, but an entertaining one. This is actually one of his funniest films in some time, mainly because there is actually a funny idea to make classic video game characters attack humanity. The special effects are not as awful as you might expect, even if some details could have been improved. I watched this film in the Cinema with no expectations at all, since i thought it would be terrible. So i am happy to say that i laughed more than i expected, maybe because i love the 80´s influences brought in here. We have some funny characters here, especially Peter Dinklage, known from Game Of Thrones. His rude personality with his Hillbilly hair style, is a great combination. Adam Sandler is actually pretty good here, also rude of course but manage to combine his usual style while being an ordinary middle class worker. I like the fact that Sandler have done many portraits of being different middle class people, either being on low paid jobs, or just being an ordinary guy. In real life we know he makes money, and he could have easily chosen to play rich people in his films also, instead he do the other way around. Kevin James is also here, being like a sidekick while fighting against aliens. He is either good or bad, but works in the role as the president of the United States. Director Chris Columbus is a legend for many people who grew up in the 90´s. He directed the first 2 Home Alone movies, and those are classics for many families even until this day. He also gave us the first 2 Harry Potter films, so we know he can handle entertainment for all ages. Pixels is perhaps his most violent film, next to Percy Jackson & The Olympians. The biggest difference is that there is much more comedy here, than the first Percy Jackson film delivered. You can tell he must have loved to play classic video games, and he does a pretty good job, bringing the classic video games become reality. Once the action kicks in, and the guys begin to fight back with their special made guns, we do have a good time. If you love original and intelligent scripts, Pixels will definetely not be in your taste. However, if you just want to laugh and watch Sandler getting silly, you might actually see that he still knows what he is doing with the right story. Pixels is nothing unique, or special, but as an action sci fi comedy, Pixels do what it is set out to do, give entertainement. I kind of miss the classic games from Nintendo and Sega now, those were the good days of a positive childhood. Anyone remember Golden Axe ? Thats my best memories of knowledge.

Rating: DDD

onsdag 26 augusti 2015

War Pigs

Sweden is known for many things, the tasty food, they beautiful landscapes, the friendly people, and so many great music legends have created so many great songs. We are also mostly known for IKEA, Smörgåsbord, Surströmming, and Nalle Knutssons classic decision, to try and adopt a married 30 year old indian man ( this is one of the greatest moments in swedish history ).

But let´s be honest here, there is one thing that every single swede worldwide is even more proud of when they think of Sweden.

All over Sweden we talk about him, like he is bigger than Jesus and Allah ( and he is for us ).

He is the one, and only.....Dolph Lundgren.

Dolph always make every swedish person feel happy, he is the biggest inspiration to every single person in this country. Dolph is simply the only answer you need, for eternal happiness. Someday there will be a statue made here in Sweden, so every visitor from the whole world can feel why we are so proud of Sweden.

As an actor Dolph have made so many action films, that you always love his performances. He can never be bad, because he is Dolph. Most of you must have seen his classics Rocky 4, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, The Punisher, Masters Of The Universe and many more. He still continue to make action films, and one of my personal favourites is called Universal Soldier - Day Of Reckoning. The combination of Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren and Jean - Claude Van Damme in the same film, kicking a lot of ass, was so beautiful i could almost cry. I also enjoyed him in Skin Trade, one of his best action films in many years. Recently i read that he is the lead actor of Kindergarten Cop 2, the sequel to the Schwarzenegger classic film. That sounds very interesting indeed. War Pigs is a new film, with the interesting cast of Dolph Lundgren, Luke Goss and Mickey Rourke, set in the 1940´s. I can not remember that i have ever seen Dolph do anything as this before, or even Luke Goss try this genre before. With the director of the film Saints and Soldiers, known as Ryan Little, and a classic cast of action film stars, is War Pigs a nice surprise, or just another straight to dvd release that wont be remembered ?

Captain Jack Wosick ( Luke Goss ) survived from his latest mission. At base camp, Major A.J. Redding ( Mickey Rourke ) is ready to send Jack on his next mission, together with Captain Hans Picault ( Dolph Lundgren ). They are ordered to train an army of young soldiers, to be prepared to battle against nazis behind enemy lines. They get the nickname War Pigs, while the training begins. Jack and Hans try to make the soldiers learn how to survive out in the battleground. Even how good they can become, no one can hide from the fact that the germans are planning their next attack.

I know that Dolph Lundgren have planned to direct an historical film set in Scandinavia in the future, because he wants to try some new ground. War Pigs may be an war action film, but you do get to see him do a different character. This is more of a serious role for him, where you can at least feel that it feels more realistic than many of his other action films. The combination of Luke Goss and Mickey Rourke in the cast is also a nice suprise. There are plenty films made to tell different stories about the second world war against the nazis, and there are many great releases that deserves to be seen. War Pigs is a much smaller film, released straight to dvd. Sometimes this is a sign for lower quality, but War Pigs is actually not bad at all. There is more dialogue here than any of the latest films i have seen with Dolph, and the action scenes are ok. If you were hoping to see kicking and fighting, this is not the film you were hoping for. This might be the most serious film i have seen Dolph do so far in his movie career. Luke Goss in the lead role fits right in, especially in the scenes with Dolph, they are the biggest reason why this film turns out alright. Mickey Rourke wears a cowboy hat ( again ), even though i never really seen this before in a film set at World War II. Either way, he is alright. Director Ryan Little is actually the director of the 2003 film called Saints And Soldiers. Also a war movie, also taking place at World War II , that turned out to be surprisngly good at the release that year. I remember calling it one of the better straight to dvd releases, since director Ryan Little proved you can make a good war film on a limited budget. He have directed 2 more films, a prequel to Saints And Soldiers and a sequel also. I have not seen any of them yet, but i might take the time to do so. His latest film War Pigs is not as good as the first Saints And Soldiers film, but still proves himself to be a director who likes to tell stories on a limited budget. One of the problems with War Pigs, is that the story is not really interesting. Since this is set in World War II, it should have plenty of interesting turns into the war, but unfortunately not. So instead, what makes War Pigs good enough to watch, is the actors, and their characters. Especially hearing Dolph speaking a mix of french and english, a fun combination. War Pigs is not ground breaking in the war genre of films, but i do enjoy the thought of action stars trying a much more serious project. I suggest you rent it, and give it a try. Especially if you want to hear Dolph speaking french, no one is better at french than Dolph, you heard me french people ?

Rating: DDD

Fantastic Four

Comic books were a big part of my young childhood. But i did not read everything, i collected several numbers of The Hulk. You could say i was madly happy about watching The Hulk on cartoons, renting the VHS collection at the video stores, and watching The Hulk on tv, with Lou Ferringo. After a while i switched completely and beginned to read Conan The Barbarian, the comic book version instead. I suppose that changing comic books is not a bad thing, because we all can get tired of reading the same thing. Like if you read a novel that you enjoyed, and read it several times, eventually you will be ready to try something else. I did try and read some Superman comic books, and if i remember correctly some Spider Man also. Marvel have some of the greatest comic book characters out there, and we have a lot of film adaptations out there based on the characters. I have seen almost all the film adaptations released within a wide period of time, and i have to say that many of these film adaptations are really good. One of my personal favourites from these releases is Thor, where both films so far managed to deliver solid comic book action, brought to the cinema screens. Maybe its because i am swedish, and may have some viking blood in me. There are plenty of Marvel characters that have been made into films, and most of them have turned out really well. In 2005, director Tim Story ( who directed the funny film Barbeshop in 2002 ), was chosen to direct Fantastic Four, based on the comic book characters. The film may have been successfull at the box office, but both critics and fans of the comic books was not pleased with the film adaptation. Since the film did pretty good in tickets sales, a sequel was released called Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. The critics were a bit more positive, but the fans were not very pleased with the final result. So, after almost 8 years, 20th Century Fox decided to bring back Fantastic Four with a brand new cast, and much younger also. When i watched the trailer for this latest version, i had some hope that it would be a different, and more serious tone of Fantastic Four than the previous versions. Is this latest film adaption exactly what we were hoping for, or is this even worse than we could ever have imagined ?

Reed Richards and Ben Grimm are two young boys, who together work on a prototype teleporter. After many years of developing the prototype machine, Reed ( Miles Teller ) and Ben ( Jamie Bell ) hope to show their project to Professor Franklin Storm ( Reg E. Cathey ). They finally get his attention, and it seems that Professor Franklin need their idea at the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join, since Professor Franklin wants to make a bigger prototype teleporter of Reeds version. To make this work, they need a team. Scientist Sue Storm ( Kate Mara ) is also hired, including technician Johnny Storm ( Michael B. Jordan, and " Quantom Gate " designer Victor Von Doom ( Toby Kebell ). An experiment to use the Quantom Gate is successfull, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen ( Tim Blake Nelson ) plan to send a Group from NASA into a parallel dimension known as " Planet Zero ". Reed and his team are dissapointed, that they are not chosen to do this mission. So, they decide to go anyway, without permission from Professor Franklyn. Reed, Ben, Johnny and Victor agree to all go over to the parallell dimension, as Sue stays to mak sure everything works. The mission works, and they get a chance to explore Planet Zero. When Victor touches green-lava like substance, the surface they are standing on collapses, and the ground erupts. Reed, Ben and Johnny manage to survive, but they can´t save Victor. Sue manage to send them back to Earth, but the machine explodes and altering Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben on a molecular-genetic level, affording them super-human conditions and abilities. Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields of energy, Johnny can engulf his entire body in flames and fly, and Ben becomes bigger and develops a rock-like hide which gives him enhanced strength and durability. The whole team is placed in government custody, and are not allowed to work on any more projects. One year later, Reed is a fugitive, is located in South America by Sue. All of the team members still have special Powers, so they need to make sure they are only used if necessary. Reed is brought to Area 51, to help Dr Allen, who needs his help again to open another gate to Planet Zero, so they can do more research. As the team of Dr Allen arrives, they suddenly see that Victor have survived, but who has been fused to his spacesuit. Victor have special telekinetic abilities, and can control elements. He is now known as Doom, and he have plans to destroy humanity, so he can rebuild Planet Zero. Reed and his team realise that they have to stop him, in any way they can.

Never trust a trailer!

That is one thing i learned after having expectations from the Fantastic Four trailer, released earlier this spring. I was hoping that this would actually be a film, that would get things right, since the 2005 film, and the 2007 film did not manage to please me. When i heard that director Josh Trank, ( who directed the suprisingly good film Chronicle ), was chosen to direct the reboot of Fantastic Four, i suddenly felt hope. This was going to be the Fantastic Four film that changed these classic comic book characters into a good film adaptation.

That did not happen........

I have heard director Josh Trank, is blaming the film studio, that this is their version, not his. Is this true ? I am not sure, but he did direct this film, so i see no other way around than to blame everyone involved in this film. I know that there was a good idea behind the film, to make it more serious than the previous films. It could have worked, if they really wanted to give us what we deserve. Instead, we get an film adaptation, that does not feel completely finished, like they tried to mix up a story, with the character Dr Doom included, but not with passion or enough heart for the respect of fans. Considering that the comic books is loved worldwide with Fantastic Four, you would expect that someone finally pick up the right feeling of the comic books, and make them look the right way. The problem with this latest film, is that you really don´t care about the characters, even though they are supposed to be super heroes. I will say that the beginning of the film, is at least more interesting. We get to know some of the characters, from an early age. Once they become older, and the story tries to become more serious, i just feel pretty bored. I think one very important thing about comic book films, is you really need to find a way to make the characters feel alive on screen, and this is something that is missing here. Once we are introduced to the new Fantastic Four with their super powers, you just don´t feel very excited. A few CGI effects looks ok, but the look of Dr Doom may not look what you expect. The acting is one problem, not many of the actors feel good enough to take on these characters. Miles Teller as Mr Fantastic, may be one of the few actors here that at least give some kind of performance. Kate Mara as Invisible Woman does have some interesting scenes, but i know she can do better, considering her good performances in the past. It is such a shame that Fantastic Four did not give us much more, because there is an interesting idea here. In a few scenes we get to taste what could have been good, but it all falls later on with predictable action scenes. I am close at giving this film the lowest rating, but what saves this film is the few scenes that have some potential to deliver some interesting details. I doubt we will see the same duo come back as Fantastic Four since the box office numbers are bad, but if they do, they need to make things right.

Rating: DD

måndag 17 augusti 2015

Summer of 2015 is coming to an end.

I will be honest and say i did not see a lot of films at the cinema im june and july. But now in august i have taken some time to watch some cinema releases,  and i am trying to get time to write some more reviews. I would like to say that i am both positive to some releases,  and not so positive to a few films.  

This week i am taking some time to finish my latest reviews,  starting off with the new comic book adaption of Fantastic Four. 

Thank you for all the positive feedback i get from readers worldwide,  more reviews are on the way.

Cheers from Daniel 

lördag 15 augusti 2015

The Face Of An Angel

There have been a lot of discussions on why male actors, are paid more than female actors. I personally think that if you do the same job, you get paid the same salary. Women have protested against this in many years, and i support their voices. Just because some male actors are paid more, does not make them better actors. The fact is that some women are better actors than men, even if this is something certain men would not agree on. So why did i bring this up ? I think it is important to discuss, because we need to be respected equal, no matter if we are men or women.

Now to my review.

There are an handful of british actors that have made it in the movie industry. One of my personal favourites is without a doubt Helen Mirren. Tough as hell, and yet she can do so many great characters, in all genres, and she feels so natural. I recommend you see her against Al Pacino in the HBO film Phil Spector, they are both really good, based on the true case. I will be seeing her latest film Woman In Gold in the theatre soon, and of course i will write a review on the film. Speaking of British actors, most of you must remember Kate Beckinsale. Ever since the first Underworld film was released, men all over the world fell in love with the vampire and werewolf killer, dressed in outfits that was made for her. But here is the thing, i actually liked some other of her films, have anyone seen Nothing But The Truth ? Or perhaps you remember the wonderful film Everybody´s Fine with Robert De Niro ? ( Buy this film, it is that good ´). Since most people know her from the Underworld films, it is nice to see her try different characters in different genres. I know that she is working on another Underworld film, but she also have some other films coming out, so we will be seeing her do many more projects ahead. Do you remember the case of Amanda Knox, the american woman who was accused of murdering Meredith Kurcher back in 2007 ? I followed this case, both through news, but also watched documentaries, because there was a lot of details that did not feel correct. And the investigation by the italian police felt strange, as if they missed important details. Amanda Knox was free completely on 27th march this year, and this case seems to be solved. Or is it really ? The Face Of An Angel is a new film, based on this case, with Kate Beckinsale, and Daniel Bruhl among the actors. When i weard about this film, i became interested to see if it gives us an interesting view on the case. Since this is a very sensitive case worldwide, does The Face Of An Angel give us the details we wanted to know, or is this just another film made from true events, with no substance at all ?

Film maker Thomas ( Daniel Bruhl ) is preparing himself to make a new film, based on the case on the murder of Meredith Kurcher in Italy. He arrange a meeting with author Simone Ford ( Kate Beckinsale ). She agree to let him use some facts from her book, but also tell him not to use too many details, that he have to try and find information himself also. Thomas begin listening at the court sessions, to hear the investigators talk about the case and to learn more about the evidence. It becomes more clear that the italian police have made some mistakes at the crime scene, that could have helped them solve this case. One night out at a bar, Thomas meet young student Melanie ( Cara Delevingne ). She becomes curious about his work around the murder case and begin seeing him. While Thomas continue to find information, he meets a man called Fransesco ( Corrardo Invernizzi ), who says he knows the truth of the story. But does he really know the truth, or is Thomas just being tricked to belive in something else ?

Let´s make this clear, if you were hoping for an oscar winner, this is not the film to look for. The Face Of An Angel is more of an thriller drama, released straight to dvd instead of cinemas worldwide. That does not mean this is terrible, just because it is not a massive Hollywood production. Now, we have to talk about something important. This film is directed by Michael Winterbottom. This man have directed some really good films in the past, like Welcome To Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People, and A Mighty Heart. So we know that he can make powerful stories come to life on the big screen. The Face Of An Angel feels very light, by that i mean that this film feels a bit too simple for the subject. If you are going to make a film, based on a true case, make sure it feels interesting. The problem with this film, is that you really don´t feel like the characters care about the case. The acting may not be terrible all the way, but the film feels too dull, and with such an important case as this, it is not acceptable. Usually Daniel Bruhl have a screen presence in his characters, here he does not shine like he usually does, and he is the lead actor. He is not bad,  buti would have liked to see him more emotional, and show more frustration over his investigation on the case. Kate Beckinsale does her performance pretty good, but the best actor here is without a doubt Cara Delevingne. Her character Melanie is both realistic, interesting and you feel curious about her personality. The story about the film maker, making a film on this case, is not completely wasted. Since the case is very unique, and had many twists and turns, we get different perspectives from what might have happened. The Face Of An Angel have some interesting points to share, surrounding the case of Meredith Kurcher. In the end, there are just too little details, and you eventually feel bored in some scenes. I respect director Michael Winterbottom for his work as an director, because he have made some wonderful films in the past. This one does not lift to that level, and that is such a shame. Maybe someday we will get a film based on this case, made in a different and more interesting way. By the way, i am looking forward to see Daniel Bruhl in one of his fresh upcoming films called Burnt, with Bradley Cooper, it will be released in October this year. The premise of that film sound interesting.

Rating: DD

söndag 9 augusti 2015

Terminator Genisys

I remember the year 1984, for several reasons. It was the first year i went to school at the age of 7, Queen released their classic album The Works, and James Cameron directed the classic sci fi action film The Terminator. This film had a lot of cool ingredients,  that other films of the 80´s did not have. The budget was limited but the film looks really good, even today in some scenes. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger have already had a hit with Conan The Barbarian. But it was about to change his life completely, when Terminator was released. The Terminator did very well at the box office and was praised by critics.  Schwarzenegger became an action movie superstar and begun his journey on taking Hollywood by storm. James Cameron continued to make action films, especially with the amazing Alien sequel. It would take a long time until a sequel was made,  not until 1991 with Terminator 2 - Judgement Day. It became the biggest action box office success of all time and the special effects were fantastic. The soundtrack by Guns N Roses sold amazing and everywhere you could hear people talk about the film.  Since the sequel did fantastic worldwide,  we knew that a third film had to come. That sequel would take 12 years to release, under the title Terminator - Rise Of The Machines. This film dissapointed me personally, because it could have been better. Schwarzenegger did what he could but the film failed at the box office in America, while it did better in Europe. A fourth film was released in 2009 called Terminator Salvation. This film has some interesting ideas about Skynet, but in the end did not feel powerful enough to enjoy.  So here we are with a fourth film, with Arnold back on screen. I was really excited about seeing this fourth film , hoping we would finally have a good sequel. Is Terminator Genisys the best action film this summer, or just a desperate try to make money of fans? 

In the year 2029, Human Resistance leader John Connor ( Jason Clarke ) make a final stand against Skynet. They seem to win, until they find out that Skynet send a T-800 Terminator back to the year 1984,  to kill John Connor's mother Sarah Connor. Kyle Reese ( Jai Courtney ) is send to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor, but he finds out that Sarah already defends herself against the T-800 Terminator, and disable it. But bigger problems are waiting,  when Kyle is confronted by a T-1000  ( Lee Buyung - Hun). They manage to stop him for now with the help of Sarahs protector,  the Guardian ( Arnold Schwarzenegger ), a reprogrammed T-800. Sarah and Kyle travel to 2017, to make sure that the future is not doomed from Skynets plans to end humanity.  

Compared to the latest sequels from 2003 and 2009, i would have to say that Terminator Genisys manage to at least feel more true to the original first film. This is nowhere as good as the first film or the sequel from 1991, but from an entertainment perspective, i had a good time watching Genisys. There are lots of weapons,  explosions, fighting and plenty of CGI effects. Schwarzenegger is without a doubt the best part of this film.  He is funny and go straight into the action sequences with his unique style. Is there anything wrong with Genisys?  Yes, the story itself is not very interesting,  even though we get to see both the future and present day, here set in 1984. It is the action scenes that deliver when the film begin to get the right speed. Director Alan Taylor directed Thor: The Dark World , so he was a good choice to direct an Terminator sequel.  This is not as good as i hoped it would be, but still good enough to be a sequel that at least follow the same path as the earlier films. Lead actor Jai Courtney tries to be a new Kyle Reese, but it is hard to be better than Michael Biehn. The new Sarah Connor played by Emilia Clarke, is nowhere near as good as Linda Hamilton was. Still she is fun to watch being the bad ass female hero. If you love the Terminator films,  you might actually be surprised that director Alan Taylor have tried to capture the old feeling from the first Terminator films. And for that he deserve some respect, and he does know how to make action films. Terminator Genisys may not bring much new details to the Terminator franchise, but from an entertainment perspective this film have some funny moments. If you love Schwarzenegger and plenty of action, this sequel does at least please you enough for the moment. 

Rating: DDD  

The Top 10 Countries That Read My Reviews Most

Thank you so much all you readers for reading my reviews worldwide.  I have taken a look at The 10 most biggest readers from the countries that read my reviews most of all. So here is the list. 

1. Portugal 
2. USA 
3. Sweden 
4. India
5. Australia 
6. Canada
7. Germany 
8. Finland 
9. Pakistan
10. Serbia 

To all readers worldwide,  i thank you so much. I will be writing more reviews and i am posting one tonight.  Have a great sunday. 

Cheers from Daniel 

lördag 8 augusti 2015

Sharknado 3 : Oh Hell No!

I love quality films, especially if they are made by the legendary company The Asylum. They mix every single thing they can, from horror, sci fi, action and comedy, with actors that was big in the 80´s or 90's. Some people call their films shit, i say that they make much better films than Satan himself, known as Colin Nutley. A couple of years ago i was hearing the internet people go insane over a film called Sharknado. Since 3 million swedes loved this film, i had to see it. And you know what?  This film changed my life, i finally found paradise, just imagine the concept of sharks in tornados?  It is a brilliant idea, and the film was a success.  When it was time for an sequel,  i knew that it could only be awsome. I actually supported the film on Indegogo and got a blu ray before the official release date. Sharknado 2 - The Second One had more action, more cameos than the first film and was a hell of a lot of fun. Just seeing sharks being cut up by chainsaw,  swords,  baseball bat and 8 other weapons was just lovely. So here we are with another sequel,  with more cameos and one of the best movie titles of 2015. Since i love the previous films, is Sharknado 3 as good as we hoped it would be, or is the franchise becoming worse? 

Fin ( Ian Ziering ) and April ( Tara Reid ) are having a baby soon. Fin is in Washington to receive an award from the President Marcus Robbins ( Mark Cuban ). A sharknado storm goes in over Washington and destroy The White House and many more buildings. Fin manage to escape as the sharknado finally ends. April ( Tara Reid ) is at Universal Orlando with her daughter Claudia  ( Ryan Newman ) and her mother May  ( Bo Derek ). When a sharknado strikes the fun park, April survive the attack. Fin is on the way to Florida, as he encounter another sharknado storm,  but is saved by Nova ( Cassie Scerbo ) and Lucas  ( Frankie Muniz ). They have weapons to defend themselves until they find a safe location. They meet up April in Florida,  as Fin plans to get help from his father Gilbert Grayson Shepherd ( David Hasselhoff ) , a former NASA Colonel. The plan is to stop the worst Sharknado from space. 

Holy mother of armpits in Mars!!!!!!

Sharknado 3 is such a wonderful film, i falled in love instantly. We get insane action scenes, more sharks than ever and we even have David Hasselhoff in space,  what more can you ask for ? We got cameos from the Jedward twins, Lou Ferringo,  Lorenzo Lamas,  Jerry Springer, Frankie Muniz, Penn and Teller and many more. The main characters played by Ian Ziering and Tara Reid are back, both are kicking ass as always. If you did see Sharknado 2,  you might remember that her hand was bitten off?  Now she have a chainsaw hand. What a wonderful detail, because nothing is sexier than a woman with a chainsaw. Fin does what he does best, killing sharks in every possible way,  anywhere,  even flying sharks in space.  Director Anthony C. Ferrante have directed all the Sharknado films so far,  and he proves that he knows exactly what he is doing.  He mixes all the crazy ingredients that a film like this needs,  and also make fun of classic tv film and movie actors. David Hasselhoff is the best cameo here and Frankie Muniz also manage to do a fun cameo. Sharknado 3 is this summers best movie,  and you should buy your own copy when it comes out on dvd or blu ray.  Sharknado makes you feel good, Sharknado makes our lives better.  I think there should be an official Sharknado day worldwide, so the whole world can dress up like their favourite characters or dress in shark outfits.  

Sharknado 3 is the only thing you need this summer, and a lot of Ron De Jeremy Rum of course, this combination is the true way to heaven. 

Rating: DDDD 

onsdag 5 augusti 2015

Pressure

I love being close to the ocean. Especially if it has a white beach, palm trees and so hot your hairy chest is sweatty like Donald Trump´s combed hair piece. The feeling of swimming into a blue clear ocean is just fantastic. As long as you don´t run into any dangerous fishes, or octupus, i would swim far out. I always wanted to explore diving, lookin at the coral reeves, different fishes, and sea life in general. I am not sure though if i wanted to dive very deep, since i would probably panic. Just imagine those who work, both on submarines and in other sea crafts to finish a mission, depending on what needs to be done. That must be both hard but interesting, because you both get to experience the sea in a completely different way than we are used to, and it takes a lot of knowledge of how the sea works in different weather conditions. When it comes to motion pictures, we have plenty of titles that take on different jobs on the ocean, or underneath. One of the most famous underwater films of all time is of course The Abyss, by director James Cameron. If you by any chance have missed this one, make sure you rent it, or watch it online. Leviathan, the 1989 sci fi horror film with Peter Weller is also a classic, released on blu ray recently with some nice extra features. One film that perhaps was not great, but worked as an popcorn and beer film, is Into The Blue. Who does not want to see Jessica Alba in a bikini, being hunted by a drug lord and his men ? Speaking of films that takes place in water, i am actually one of the few who enjoyed Waterworld with Kevin Costner. As an action film, it had many elements from classic films, and also some Mad Max vibes. Let´s get more serious for a moment. Many men and women work on different oceans, in many different occupations. They work long hours, and have to be able to handle many hard situations that only certain types of people would accept. I recently came across a new released british film called Pressure, that i actually never heard of until now. In Sweden, there is no release date so far from what i know, so you can watch it online or get the dvd on Amazon. Since i am interested in films that take place on the ocean, i decided to take a look at Pressure. Is this another british release that guarantee quality acting, or is this a release that you don´t need to think about ?

A group of professional divers , Engel ( Danny Huston ), Mitchell ( Matthew Goode ), Jones ( Joe Cole ) ,Karsen ( Ian Praire ) and Hurst ( Alan McKenna, are sent on a mission deep underneath the sea to fix a damaged oil pipe. As they begin the reperation, their diving bell is struck by disaster. With damages on their diving bell, the whole crew realise that they will not survive, unless someone can locate their position. To survive, they need to find a way to make it to the surface, but is it possible considering how deep down they are stuck in the ocean ?

If you were hoping to see something like The Abyss, or a film that reminds us of underwater action film, Pressure may not be what you would want to see. This is a more realistic underwater film, where you follow a team trying to survive underneath the surface. You can tell that the budget is smaller, and that the cast is limited. With that said, i can not say that i am dissapointed, since Pressure is a film that manage to find a balance, between reality and claustrophobia. To be trapped underneath the ocean so deep, it will be hard for someone to find you, must be devastating to experience. The cast does a good job, trying to act out of their situation. Especially Danny Dyer, who you might have seen in films like 30 Days Of Night, Clash Of The Titans. Matthew Goode is also an actor who proves himself, he was really good last year in The Imitation Game, and let´s not forget his performance in Stoker. Director Ron Scalpello have only directed one feature film before Pressure, and it is called Offender. I have not seen it, but i know that the reviews were good for the film after it was released. With his second film, Pressure shows that he knows how to use a smaller cast, in an intelligent way. There are not many scenes filmed close to the surface, so we stay underwater almost all the time. This gives the film team a challenge, to make us interested in the storyline. There are some scenes where they have long conversations, but this is not supposed to be an violent film. This is supposed to feel realistic, and for that i have to say Ron Scalpello manage to hit the spot, good enough to keep us seated. There are a few moments where the tempo slows down a bit, that could have been a little bit more intensive. The acting is what really makes Pressure work, the story itself is not very original or suspensful enough. I would say that The Abyss is still the best underwater film so far, especially the extended version. Pressure is still a good choice though, if you want to see more acting than Michael Bay CGI effects, in the end it all depends on how good the acting is. I feel like going diving now, just to see how far i can go ? Probably just 2 meters, but thats not to bad.....right ?

Rating: DDD

lördag 1 augusti 2015

Child 44

I am one of the biggest critics when it comes to being negative about swedish films. Those who know me personally knows what i have to say about certain titles. I think you might have understood this over the years since i started this movie review blog, becaue i give my honest opinion. But we do get some good films released, when i least expect it. Not that long ago, i did see a swedish film that was better than i expected, with the title Min Så Kallade Pappa, by director Ulf Malmros. Maybe it was because Mikael Nykvist did such a good performance, including a great performance by lead actor Vera Vitali. So i am not always against swedish films, a few times there are some titles that are released that turn out alright. We just need more quality films, because i know we have young directors with great ideas and visions, that needs to be on screen. Speaking of swedish films, we have a trilogy of films made from the title Easy Money. When the first film came out, audiences were crazy about this new action thriller by director Daniel Espinosa, and critics were very pleased with his camera work, including the quality of acting. He did not direct the 2 sequels that came out, but they still managed to become successfull either way. Instead, Daniel made the choice to direct a much bigger film production, taking on the action thriller Safe House. This was also a good film, with a much bigger budget, with actors like Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. It was a box office success, and Daniel was now on his way to make more big budget films. His next project, was to make an film adaption of the novel Child 44, by author Tom Rob Smith. And this time he was going to make a film, with an even bigger cast list than before. I was actually curious to see his next film, just because i have read about the case of The Butcher Of Rostov, and seen some tv films in the past about the murderer. With a cast of many respected actors, and a respected director, is Child 44 an interesting look at this legendary russian case, or is the final product nothing what we expected it to be ?

In the year 1953, MGB Agent Leo Demidov ( Tom Hardy ) is chosen to investigate the murder of Alexei Andreyev´s ( Fares Fares ) young son, found naked with flesh wounds at train rails. It does not take long until another body of a young child is found brutally murdered. Not knowing who is behind these murders, the Ministry Of State Security, decide that Leo should be replaced after complications, together with his woman Raisa Demidova ( Noomi Rapace ), to the location known as Rostov. Here Leo is set to work together with General Nesterov ( Gary Oldman ) and his men, to find the child killer. More victims are found on different locations, and Leo belive that this killer might be using the train to find victims along the train rails. As the investigation goes on, Leo is still struggling with personal problems, and he is still not getting along with former collegue Vasili Nikitin ( Joel Kinnaman ). Suddenly it seems that they might actually have some information, that it could be a factory worker behind the killings. But is this really true, or is there someone else behind these brutal murders ?

Director Daniel Espinosa, have proved himself to be an effective director in the past, with films like Easy Money and Safe House. And when i saw the cast list for Child 44, with names like Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Charles Dance and Vincent Cassel, i thought to myself that this could actually be something interesting. We even have a swedish cast that speaks for itself, with Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman and Fares Fares. With hopes that Child 44 would deliver an interesting story around a child murderer in Russia, i had to think about what i just saw as the end credits roll down.....

This must be a joke.....

Why? Where should i start ? The acting from almost every single actor is awful, even Tom Hardy is not good in the lead role. How is that even possible after films such as Locke and Mad Max: Fury Road ? What about Gary Oldman ? He is perhaps not awful, but he does not seem to care about his character. I am most embarresed about swedish actor Joel Kinnaman, he was good in Robocop, and did alright in The Killing tv series. But here ? Oh man, did you really want to be on set at all ? It feels like he just went in to shoot his scenes to get his paycheck. Noomi Rapace is actually one of the few actors who actually tries to act, even if she have done much better films in the past. To see legendary actor Charles Dance here, after his really good performance in The Imitation Game, is kind of sad. He is probably the only actor who actually does a good performance, in the few minutes he is on screen. He deserve so much more respect than this film, including Gary Oldman of course. Child 44 is a big mess, both in production value and you can´t really care about the characters. When you have an interesting story about a child murderer, you need to find a way to make it emotional and disturbing to keep the viewer interested. Especially since it is based on the true case of The Butcher Of Rostov. Here you feel almost nothing at all, while the investigation keeps on going, it is almost like director Daniel Espinosa said at a meeting.....

:- Listen up everyone, i want you to try and act like police officers, just try at least, and we will use the scenes, no matter how they turn out.

I have nothing against him personally, or his previous films, because i know he is a good director with the right material. I don´t know what went wrong with Child 44, or why he choosed to direct this film. Maybe he had a bigger vision, and it just did not turn out the way he thought. One of the few things i can say is positive, is at least the locations they used. It almost feels like you are in Russia, and the train scenes look ok. But apart from this, there is not much more to say about this film. Child 44 is a big disappointment, and i was actually looking forward to seeing this film with such a great cast list. I suggest you see one of Daniel Espinosa´s earlier films instead, because i know he can direct films with the right script. His latest film though does not give us much at all, on any level.

Rating: D

While We´re Young

Becoming older is an issue that some people have a problem with. I am not one of them tough. In about 4 weeks i am turning 38 years old, getting closer to 40. To some this might be depressing, i see it as a blessing. Why ? Life is made to live, so i always take chances and do many different private projects that makes no bloody sense at all. You see, i always felt a passion about making no sense at all. Why does everything have to make sense, when it is more fun to just have fun ? I think a lot of people take life too seriously, when we don´t need to. One day you might fall down and never wake up, so you might as well live life instead of sitting there regretting everything. When i look at tv shows like Housevives Of New York, or something like that concept, i understand why they are there. They get paid well, and they don´t want to age. All the botox and plastic surgery, can´t change the fact that we are all meant to become older. What is more important, looking like 22 again, or just feeling good about yourself ? In my world, i rather have a positive life, doing what i love to do, and taking chances. When i went on a honeymoon to Thailand last year, i suddenly saw what some people have been talking about. Older men, with thai girlfriends, 40 years younger than them. You would think that these women would leave, because of the age difference, but i think they choose to stay when they get enough money every month. Tragic in some ways, but that´s life, we all make choices what we think is right for us. Speaking of choices, there is one actor who definetely choose a lot of different characters, i am thinking about Ben Stiller. In the early 2000, he mostly made comedies, or romantic comedies of the usual category, that we have seen so many times before. He did do the really intelligent film The Royal Tenenbaums, from director Wes Anderson, highly recommended. It would take a while Before he decided to do something different in films, with the film Greenberg. This was a film that looked like nothing he have done Before, a very odd film about different personalities, trying to deal with ordinary day life. Ben have continued to deliver different films, maybe The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is one of his more serious films lately. Naomi Watts is known for many great performances, one of my personal favourite films is Eastern Promises with Viggo Mortensen. Of course we have to mention her excellent performance in the masterpiece Birdman. Both of them are here in the film While We´re Young, by legendary director Noah Baumbach. Is this a combination that is as good as i was hoping it would be, or is it not on the same level as Noah´s previous films ?

Josh Schrebnick ( Ben Stiller ) and Cornelia Schrebnick ( Naomi Watts ), is an middle aged couple, struggling with their relationship, to make it work. They spend time with their friends Marina ( Maria Dizzia ) and her husband Fletcher ( Adam Horovitz ). They have a baby, and like to do the usual family activities. Josh and Cornelia does not have a child, so they try to find ways to activate themselves, and still have fun. They meet a younger couple, Jamie Massey ( Adam Driver ) and his wife Darby Massey ( Amanda Seyfried ), and become very Close to them. They love to see that their relationship is filled with passion, they enjoy Life each day and have so many ways of handling relationship issues, that Josh and Cornelia did not think would work. Both Josh and Cornelia feels inspired, as they spend more time with the younger couple, going on different trips with them in town, doing things they never thought they would do. Josh is still trying to finish his documentary film, that he have been working on for years, but money is running out. Jamie knows about Josh work on documentary films, and ask him to be a part of his own documentary film. Everything is going surprisingly smooth, and feels exciting for this middle aged couple. But is this going to last, or is there a different turn waiting around the corner ?

Usually it is easy to think that this could be another Ben Stiller comedy, in the same way we are used to see him. But he have changed his perspective, and choose completely different films nowdays. While We´re Young is definetely one of his better films in recent years. With the combination of Naomi Watts, having discussions about relationships, age issues, ordinary day habits, you do get to laugh, especially when you are close to 40 years of age, like myself. When you become older, it is easy to do things in a certain way, just because it is comfortable. But is it really that important ? Does everything have to be in a certain way because you get older ? I think that as long as you are enjoying life, do what you feel like. Dance hip hop, dress in the clothes you like, listen to any music style, hang out with people all ages, as long as you feel good about life. This is some of the things that are brought up in While We´re Young, not to stop living life because you get older. No one is going to help you fix your regrets, so go on and challenge yourself. Ben Stiller is really good as the ordinary mature hard worker Josh, dreaming of finishing his documentary film. His wife Cornelia, played really good by Naomi Watts, shows that she is ready to explore more options, how to have fun with yourself and who you spend time with. The Young couple played by Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried, give you a feeling that youth feels timeless, at the moment. Everything seems possible, as long as you have a passion for something. Director Noah Baumbach, have directed some really good films in the past, maybe you have seen The Squid And The Whale, or perhaps Frances Ha ? He have directed a film with Ben Stiller in the past, called Greenberg. It was actually the best film i have seen Ben Stiller do in many years. In his latest film, he shows some really good age issues, in a very intelligent way.  He brings up subjects that we can all relate to in our adult life, and try to give a different perspective, what happens when we try to do different things, than our usual routines. I think of my grandparents Rune and Maj, they never went anywhere almost, afraid to see different places, and did not like changes. I am the oppisite, and have travelled to many places around the world, i love seeing new things, exploring creative changes, both in cultural happenings and in ordinary day life. This is a film that gives you an feeling, that it is ok to have passion for life, even when youre older. Recommended for all ages, it is nice to see that older people get recognition also in films, we have a lot to offer in today´s society. I feel like going on an bicyclye to South America, only wearing a t shirt and underwear, anyone want to join ? There will be at least one drink for each stop, just to make sure the bicycle ride is more steady.

Rating: DDD