tisdag 26 september 2017

IT

Growing up as a kid in the 80´s, adventure and drama films became a big part of my childhood. And i am especially thinking about 2 movies, where legendary actor Corey Feldman was included. The Goonies and Stand By Me. These 2 films was playing in my VHS player, so many times, i can´t remember how many times i watched them. There were something magical about these films, especially The Goonies. But i have to say, Stand By Me was magical as well, but in a completely different way. The young cast may be a big part of this, because they really managed to make their characters special. Speaking of Stand By Me, did you know that this film is based on the Stephen King novel The Body ? I have not read the book, but i have to say that director Rob Reiner managed to make a really good film. Author Stephen King have written so many great books, for so many years. I have only read a few of his novels, but the ones i have read, i enjoyed very much. And during the 80´s, there were a lot of films made, based by Stephen King novels. Most of you have probably seen the classic film The Shining, Pet Sematary or perhaps Firestarter with a very young Drew Barrymore ? There are of course plenty of films we could mention, but let´s focus on one novel called It. The novel was released in 1986, and became very popular, and loved by readers worldwide. When the novel was to be turned into a TV miniseries, based on the novel, there were many people curious to see if they could manage to capture the feeling of the novel, with Pennywise The Clown. The TV miniseries was released in 1990, in 2 episodes, where actor Tim Curry turned out to be the most frightening clown ever. His performance was so good, that people were really scared of clowns. I really enjoyed this TV series adaptation of the classic novel, and over the years i have watched the whole package on a nice blu ray release. After many years, and a lot of rumors, it turns out that a completely new remake would be on the way, of the film IT. When i heard that Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård would play the legendary clown Pennywise, i was mostly surprised to see him take on this role. Knowing that fans of Stephen King, are very picky on how film adaptations are made, i knew this would be a big challenge, if it would be a worthy remake. When the trailer finally landed, it was clear that this could be really good. There was only one way to find out, so of course i got a ticket after the Swedish premiere, just to see if IT would surprise me. Do we finally have one of the best Stephen King film adaptations in many years, or is this one remake they never should have made at all ?

In October 1988, stuttering young teenager Bill Denbrough ( Jaeden Lieberher ) helps his little brother Georgie Denbrough ( Jackson Robert Scott ) to make a paper sailboat. Georgie runs out to try it out in the rain, as the boat quickly sails away, as Georgie falls and hit himself. Georgie see the paper sailboat go down into a storm drain. Down there, a mysterious clown shows up, named Pennywise ( Bill Skarsgård ). Pennywise asks if Georgie wants his paper sailor boat back, only to trick him down there to kill him. A year have almost passed, and the summer of 1989 have started. Bill and his friends Richie Tozier ( Finn Wolfhard ), Eddie Kaspbrak ( Jack Dylan Grazer ), and Stanley Uris ( Wyatt Olef ) meet violent bully Henry Bowers and his gang. Bully victim, the new kid on town, Ben Hanscom ( Jeremy Ray Taylor ) joins Bill´s group, called Losers Club. Ben have read about the history surrounding the disappeared teenagers, that have been going on for centuries in this town. Bill is still hoping to find Georgie alive, while his friend will help him look for evidence. The newest member of Losers Club, Beverly Marsh ( Sophia Lillis ), also want to help the boys. But when the evidence turns towards the mysterious clown Pennywise, they are about to taste what lies beneath the darkness.

Since 2017 is moving towards the final months of this year, i have to say that only a few horror films have turned out to be really good. And i am very happy to say, IT is without a doubt one of the horror highlights of this year. I would say that this remake is almost like Stand By Me, but with a much more disturbed horror twist. One thing i think what makes this film work so well, is the fact that it actually takes place in a small town, in the 80´s. With the young cast, and the time period of the 80´s, everything matches just the way we could wish for. Speaking about the young cast, we have a lot of really good child / teenager actors in here. I especially want to tell you how excellent the actor Finn Woldhard is, as the loud mouth Richie. His comedy timing is outstanding, and i found myself laughing many times throughout the film. Actor Sophia Lillis as the only girl Beverly, in the Losers Club, also give a really solid performance. I would say that all the actors in the Losers Club, give each character something interesting to share with us. Big brother Bill ( by actor Jaeden Lieberher ) of missing Georgie, is one of the characters you always feel sorry for. Not knowing what happened to his little brother, and living with the grief, is very difficult, and he manage to capture this in his performance. Director Andy Muschietti is perhaps known for his horror film Mama, released in 2013. This film turned out to fail for me, simply because of the CGI design of Mama herself, looked really awful. From this film, and doing a remake of IT, turns out to be the biggest shock of this year. This remake is a masterpiece, compared to Mama, if you compare these films from a horror perspective. This does not mean that IT is a masterpiece in general, but it is very clear that director Andy Muschietti have really tried to make a remake, that respects the ground material. I would even say that this film is better than the TV miniseries from 1990. Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise The Clown, turns out to be better than i expected. He does his own interpretation of the horrifying clown, and i have to say that he does a really good job. The atmosphere, surrounding the mystery of vanished kids, works really well with the story, as the kids try and search for the truth. IT is a must see for all horror fans this autumn. I seriously doubt any film will scare you as much as this remake does. The year is not completely finished, but we could be looking at the best horror film of 2017, unless something magical happens. One thing is for sure, if i see a clown downtown, i know what to hit with my car.

Rating: DDDD


P.S. Make sure to see Corey Feldman on his extended Coreys Angels Tour in U.S. this autumn, and for his upcoming European Tour in 2018, it is going to be awsome.

söndag 24 september 2017

20 Years Anniversary Of David Fincher's cult film The Game

Hello all you movie lovers !

In October i will be posting new movie reviews, in all kind of genres. But i will also do a review tribute to a real 90's classic, that turned 20 years this year. I am talking about director David Fincher's 1997 thriller The Game. This film was one of the most original thrillers of the 90's, and Michael Douglas was a perfect match for the main character. 

So a tribute review of The Game, is on the way, with plenty of fresh movie reviews as well. Thank you to all my readers worldwide, for reading my movie reviews.

Cheers from Daniel

lördag 23 september 2017

Final Recall ( The Recall )

Over the years, i have read a lot of different movie reviews from movie reviewers worldwide. Since i write my own reviews, it is always interesting to read how other people feel about movies, and if we have very different opinions. For the most part, i can see that most of the movie reviewers speak out how they feel. Some are positive, while some are not pleased, depending on how they feel about the movie they are watching. Sometimes, i see that i might enjoy a film, while ( some movie critics ) did not like the same film at all. I will give you one example, where i seem to have a very different opinion on one film, panned by most critics. How many of you have seen the science fiction horror film Extraterrestrial ? Not many ? Well, it is one of those science fiction films that not many people noticed. Such a shame, because this is actually not a bad film. Not a classic in any way, just a pretty well made sci fi horror film, that director Colin Minihan managed to work, thanks to pretty simple details with aliens included. The film was not appreciated by many critics, so i was probably one of the few who enjoyed the film, at the time the film was released in 2014. I still think this is a highlight among science fiction B horror releases in recent years, because we don´t really get that many good films coming out in a lower budget. There are of course other films i have enjoyed, while some critics disagree. But that´s ok, you have to be able to say your personal opinion writing movie reviews. Remember the classic action star Wesley Snipes ? This man have made some classics in his early days of Hollywood, and i have to mention one of my personal favourite titles, Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone. The Blade series is of course also worth mentioning since they have delivered popcorn fun. Since Wesley ended up in jail, it seemed that we would not see much of him in cinemas. As he finally was released from prison in 2013, he could move on with his acting career. His biggest film in many years, was of course The Expendables 3. In recent years, he have stayed within the B movie industry, and the films he is included in, does include a lower budget. That does not have to be a bad sign, though you can tell that he is no longer the Hollywood star he once was. He have said that he would return as Blade, if Marvel gives a green light. Let´s hope this works out. I came across one of Wesley´s latest straight to dvd releases called Final Recall ( The Recall ), and decided to give the film a chance. Does Wesley deliver another solid performance, or is this one of the films you don´t need to waste your time on ?

Brendan ( RJ Mitte ) and a group of friends head out into the forest, to spend their vacation in a house. They start the party, but according to news, mysterious things are happening worldwide in the skies. It seems that we have visitors from outer space. It seems that these aliens have located the cabin as well, and no one is safe. A mysterious person, known as The Hunter ( Wesley Snipes ), seems to be the only person who knows how to deal with the situation. What do they want, and why have they visited planet Earth ?

I think we should be honest about something. If actor Wesley Snipes was not included in this film, it would have failed to deliver any level of entertainment. His character The Hunter, is some kind of former army soldier, who lives by himself in the forest. When you see him making traps, defending himself over trespassers, you at least have a character who is interesting. The teenagers in this film, are not professional actors. I am not saying that they never have done anything good before, since i have not seen them in any other films. But in Final Recall, you get a sense that they don´t really know how to make interesting characters. Instead, they go for the same pattern, the stupid screaming teenagers, that make all the bad decisions. Since we have seen this so many times before, you really don´t care if the aliens kill them all. In fact, they should, and at least we have something to be happy about. The plot looks pretty much like a lot of teenage science fiction films, except for a few small details. The aliens have a combination of classic grey color, with some other elements from alien design. The flying glowing jellyfishes are pretty bizarre, and i am not sure i understand why they fly around. In a film like this, you would hope that they would have some kind of epic battle scene, between humans and aliens, but that does not really happen here. Director Mauro Borrelli is perhaps most known for his work as a conceptual artist, for the films Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man´s Chest and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World´s End. He have also worked as an illustrator in many other films, while directing his own films as well. I have not seen any of his feature films in the past, so i have no idea if he have directed any good films. This film however, shows that director Mauro Borrelli makes everything too simple, for you to care about the film. There are no big surprises, nothing original, and most of the actors have no idea what they are doing. So it all lands on Wesley Snipes, who saves the film from being flushed down the toilet. Final Recall is not the science fiction film you should see this autumn. A film most likely to be forgotten, even from dvd lovers worldwide. I suggest you pick up the blu ray of Extraterrestrial instead, and enjoy yourself.

Rating: DD

söndag 17 september 2017

The Hitman´s Bodyguard

Can you believe that it was 30 years ago since Lethal Weapon hit cinema screens worldwide ? The action comedy from 1987 became a huge success, and the main actors Mel Gibson and Danny Glover turned out to be a really good combination. Back in 1987, i was just 10 years old, so i did not see it until my early teenage years. As the premiere of Lethal Weapon 2 came out in 1989, i was easily hooked up by these films. The sequel turned out to work really well, perhaps because of the magic between Mel and Danny. As the 90´s rolled in, of course we got a third film in 1992. It was becoming clear that it was harder to bring back the same magic in another sequel. You could sense that they should have stopped there. Of course, the film studio probably thought they could bring in some big cash, so they decided to make Lethal Weapon 4. The film did not do as well as they thought, even though it was not a box office bomb. With discussions of a 5th film, it seemed that Mel Gibson was not interested in doing another film. And i think he did the right choice, we would not need a fifth film. Instead a tv series was made, with actors Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans. I actually have not seen one full episode of the tv series yet, but i will try and take a look, at some point. The action comedy genre have been around for a very long time, where we have seen many different combinations of actors, trying to make things work. The films known as Ride Along, could have been funny, if the actors Kevin Hart and Ice Cube had better comedy material to work with. These films proved through that they could not reach any level near Lethal Weapon. I liked the idea behind the Ride Along films, because both Kevin Hart and Ice Cube have proved themselves to be funny in comedy, though these films did not fall in my taste. When i heard early spring of 2017, that actors Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson would team up together, in an action comedy called The Hitman´s Bodyguard, i thought that this was a great idea. Both of them are really good actors, and i was hoping that their chemistry on screen would show a perfect match. I was curious to see if this would be like a Lethal Weapon tribute, or a completely different take on the genre. With 2 great actors in lead roles, with the talented director Patrick Hughes on board the project, do we finally have an action comedy that works, or is this a desperate try to make money at the box office ?

Bodyguard Michael Bryce ( Ryan Reynolds ) is hired to protect Takashi Kurosawa ( Tsuwayki Saotome ), a Japanese arm dealer. Everything seems to be going well, until Takashi is assassinated. 2 years have passed, and Michael have fallen into disgrace, still working but under complete different circumstances. Meanwhile, Vladislav Dukhovich ( Gary Oldman ), the ruthless dictator of Belarus, is put on trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. The prosecution is unable to substantiate their allegations with physical evidence. To make sure that Vladislav is convicted, they need the notorious hitman Darius Kincaid ( Samuel L. Jackson ) to testify in court. He agrees to do so, but only under one demand, that his wife Sonia Kincaid ( Salma Hayek ) is guaranteed a exoneration. Interpol Assistant Director Jean Foucher ( Joaquim de Almedia ) assigns Amelia Roussel, a greenhorn agent ( former girlfriend of Michael Bryce ), to lead a squad of Interpol agents tasked to escort Kincaid to testify at The Hague. On their way, the convoy is ambushed, and everyone except Kincaid and Amelia is killed, as they escape to a secret safehouse. No one knows where Amelia have taken Kincaid, and her main mission is to make sure no one finds them. But to guarantee that Kincaid will testify at The Hague, she needs help. So she calls her ex boyfriend Michael for help. Not willing to help her at first, he realise the importance of the mission, and that they are the last hope, to make sure that Vladislav is locked up in prison.

I love it when you see a film, and laugh more than you would expect. And this is what i did while watching The Hitman´s Bodyguard in the cinema seat. Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are the best action comedy duo since.....Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in The Heat. I would say that The Hitman´s Bodyguard is so far one of the funniest comedies released this year. The plot is nothing you really care about, so the film basically works well because of the chemistry between the main characters. The fast, vulgar dialogue is exactly what a film like this need. Samuel L. Jackson makes sure to steal the show, many times throughout the film. Ryan Reynolds knows how to mix his classic style, where his comedy timing fits right in. I also enjoyed seeing so many action scenes in Amsterdam ( maybe because i enjoyed my visit there ), and we do get plenty of shoot outs. Nice to see legendary actor Gary Oldman here, as the evil Vladislav. I would not say he does a great performance ( if you compare to some of his classic films, but he does ok ). One of the unexpected highlights is without a doubt Salma Hayek as Sonia, the wife of Kincaid ( Samuel L. Jackson ). She is raw, tough, and says exactly what she thinks. I have to mention legendary actor Richard E. Grant, who have been in many great films in the past ( including Bram Stoker´s Dracula with Gary Oldman ). Nice to see him again, after so many years. If you can bare with lots of vulgar language, lots of violence and with a very simple story, you are in for a treat. The director of this film, Patrick Hughes ( who made The Expendables 3 a glorious ride ), use the right tools to get back the action comedy genre, back on track. This is the kind of film you go and see, just to laugh. Nowdays, you don´t really get to see many great comedies, and this is why you should visit the cinema and experience The Hitman´s Bodyguard. By the way, do not miss one scene where Ryan Reynolds sings Ace Of Base classic song The Sign in a car, with Samuel L. Jackson backing him up. Did you ever think you would see these actors ever sing a Ace Of Base song ? Exactly, that´s one of the reasons why you should see this film. The Hitman´s Bodyguard is a funny action comedy, that will guaranteed entertain people of all ages. Make sure you get tickets to see it, and i promise you will have a good time.

Rating: DDD

The Gracefield Incident

Does aliens really exist, or are we alone in the universe ?

I would not be surprised if there is some kind of life organism out there, since there are plenty of planets that we have not discovered out there. I don´t think all those people who say they were abducted by aliens are telling the truth, obviously most of them know that they can make money on stories like that. Also, we have seen fake videos, fake pictures of aliens in many years, so there is a business for this. Conspiracy theorists loves to get new material, so if you want to make money, make fake alien videos and they will guarantee pay you. I suppose that people want to believe in aliens visiting Earth, because it feels interesting, exciting, or mysterious. Who knows, maybe one day we will actually encounter some kind of life form out there. Aliens in science fiction films have been around for a very long time, and i personally feel that one of the biggest classics within this genre, is without a doubt director Steven Speilberg´s film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind from 1976. This was one of the films from my childhood, where i really got interested in alien science fiction films, mainly because this is a very well made film, with really good acting. The alien abduction theme was used really well in this film, and you also got a sense that director Steven Spielberg have researched UFO sightings, before making this film. The encounter with the aliens is one of those classic scenes in the end, that still works today. Hollywood continued making films, based on alien encounters, and in the year of 1993 we finally got a surprisingly good release called Fire In The Sky. Directed by Robert Lieberman, the film is based on the Travis Walton abduction, where he claimed he was abducted by aliens in 1975. Even if it has been confirmed, that Travis Walton lied about the abduction ( while he still believe all of this happened ), the film Fire In The Sky is one of the better films within the alien abduction area. With a solid cast, and good special effects as well, i highly recommend you try and buy the dvd online. Ever since the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project hit cinemas worldwide, found footage horror films have continued to survive in the horror community. And it seems that this genre is here to stay, as long as people enjoy seeing low budget horror film. I came across a found footage horror film called The Gracefield Incident on VOD, that is supposed to be a film where humans encounter an alien. Since very few found footage horror films actually works nowdays, does this new film finally give found footage horror a step into the right direction, or is The Gracefield Incident another release you don´t have to care about ?

Best friends Mathew Donovan ( Mathieu Ratthe ) with his wife Jessica Donovan ( Kimberly Laferriere ) and Joe Mendez ( Victor Andres Turgeon-Trelles ), with some close friends, go out to a cabin together in Gracefield, to have a fun vacation. Everything is going well, until a big fire object crash into the woods in night time. Matthew and Joe run off to investigate what came down from the sky. They are about to find out, that they are not alone in the woods.

Found footage horror films can either be good, or really bad. There are very few times where i have seen something really good, or anything really unique within this genre. The Gracefield Incident is not original in any way, and we have seen some of the elements used in here before. Alien found footage films have been done before, in different ways, and this one pretty much go in the same direction. Let´s start with the positive with this film. The alien hands coming out of the dark, is actually a pretty good idea. You don´t get to see the alien itself ( not until later in the film ), except for the hands an the arms. Using a big forest on the run from an alien, is also a good way to make a found footage film, and we do get some scenes where you can sense some kind of creepiness. Now, let´s talk about the negative sides of The Gracefield Incident. The acting is not good, and you don´t really care about the characters at all. If you are hiding from an alien, would you scream all the time ? This is one of those things that gets annoying, since i seriously doubt this would be the first thing you do, because the alien would most likely find you very easily. The CGI effects of the alien body is not very good. I realise that there is a limited budget here, but if you really want to make a film scary, you need to make sure that the alien looks creepy. Some scenes makes no sense, as when one of the guys suddenly leave a trail of balloons in the forest, with a yellow color, to make sure they find their way home. But in the cabin the balloons are red ? Did the balloons change color on their own, or did the German magician duo Siegfried & Roy do some magic tricks ? This could have been a fun horror film, if some details were improved before filming started. I can sense that director Mathieu Ratte wanted to give this genre a try, and i don´t blame him for doing so. Since this is his directorial debut as a full feature film, i realise that this is his first big try to make his own film. He has not failed completely, there are some good ideas within this film. But looking at the final results, it becomes clear that The Gracefield Incident has some flaws that should have been corrected. Not one of the worst found footage films i have seen, just nothing really interesting. I suggest you rent V/H/S/2 and see how found footage horror should look like. V/H/S/2 is a film made with passion, and have some wonderful gory scenes. If you are a fan of this genre, The Gracefield Incident might be worth a look, but don´t expect anything special. There are plenty of alien films i can recommend, and this is not one of them.

Rating: DD

lördag 9 september 2017

It Stains The Sands Red

Zombie films are usually divided into 2 different areas.

# They pretty much follow the same concept, with flesh eating dead people

# A few films take some unexpected chances, and make something original.

These few films that try and look outside the pretty standard zombie format, are always more interesting to me. Not that i don´t mind the usual concept, it is just nice to get some fresh air once in a while. One example for me, is the horror comedy called The Revenant. A film that should have been screened all over the world in cinemas, because this film is so damn good. The story of 2 friends, where one of them dies in battle in Iraq, and return home dead, buried underneath the ground. He wakes up, as his best friend tries to help him not to rotten, and everything goes wrong. A really funny, dark horror comedy, that is still today worth buying on blu ray or dvd. I suggest you pick this one up. Of course how can we not forget Peter Jackson´s ultimate classic Braindead, that have some of the most insane butcher scenes in history of zombies. There are a few directors out there who do take some chances. And one film we should mention, from director Alejandro Brugués, is the Spanish film called Juan Of The Dead. A really funny zombie film, with some classic scenes included.  Most zombie films don´t try any unexpected turns, so usually you know by looking at a dvd cover, if you are in for a treat. Over recent years, i have noticed that it is becoming harder, and harder, for film makers to make really good zombie films. Perhaps it is because it is hard to find really good, original ideas, in this genre. I still believe that there is hope for the zombie genre. As long as passionate film makers work really hard, to make solid projects, i know we are guaranteed to have something good coming our way. I did enjoy the British zombie horror film The Girl With All The Gifts, released last year from director Colm McCarthy. It did feel a bit more original than most films in this genre, worth checking out on blu ray. Now, as i always try to keep myself updated on horror films, i came across a trailer a couple of months ago, on a film called It Stains The Sands Red. This film actually looked interesting, so when i got a chance to see this film on VOD, i just had to see if this could be something good. Do we finally have one of the best horror films of this year, or is this another zombie flick that no one will remember at all ?

Las Vegas party girl Molly ( Brittany Allen ) is stuck in the desert with her boyfriend Nick ( Merwin Mondesir ). Suddenly, on the highway, a strange looking man is going towards Nick´s car. It turns out to be a zombie ( Juan Riedinger ). Molly and Nick lock themselves inside the car, while the zombie tries to get in. At some point, they both choose to go out, when Nick is attacked and killed. Molly is now forced to walk through an endless desert, trying to survive. With no weapons, she will have to try and survive against the zombie, that she named Smalls. A journey through the desert, will change the life that Molly was used to. 

When you don´t know what to expect, from a movie you have not heard much about, but is pleasantly surprised, then you have to feel positive. And this is the way i feel after watching It Stains The Sands Red. This is a pretty unique horror experience, that does not look like any zombie films that i can think of. I would not say it is the most original zombie films in many years, but still i have to say that this film is really good. The story is very simple, and maybe that is why it fits so well in the desert, with less dialogue, and more acting instead. To see basically just 2 characters through out the film, also makes this film interesting. There are a few characters that shows up, along the way, but the main characters are basically one zombie and one human. What makes this film special, is the way that the film is constructed. From the start, it does not seem to be anything special, but it finally picks up within 10 minutes, and the fun begins. There is not a lot of blood, or flesh eating ( just in a couple of scenes ), this is more about the journey for a woman, who is stuck in a very complicated situation. Lead actor Brittany Allen give us a solid performance, while actor Juan Riedinger plays the zombie Smalls really good. To act like a zombie, the way that Juan does in this film, has to be applauded. He clearly have studied zombie behavior, and tried to portrait one in his own way. Director Colin Minihan have directed horror films in the past, such as Grave Encounters and Extraterrestrial. His latest film It Stains The Sands Red is his most ambitious work so far as a director, and i really appreciate that he have tried do do something different within the zombie genre. I really hope that people will discover this film on VOD, or wait for the dvd or blu ray release, this is one of those films you should experience this autumn. I really enjoyed myself watching It Stains The Sands Red, because this is a film that dares to try a different path, in a movie genre that is in need of fresh air. I seriously doubt we will see any zombie film better than It Stains The Sands Red, within this year. A must see if you ask me.

Rating: DDDD

Annabelle: Creation

My childhood with dolls did not last very long, i guess i never really was interested in dolls at all. My sister was, for a while. But i really became skeptical about dolls, ever since i first got to see the horror film Child´s Play from 1988. The Good Guy´s Doll, given the name Chucky, would soon give me a true view how dolls really are. Insane, possessed murdering toys, so of course i would make sure that no dolls would come near my childhood room. Chucky became perhaps the most iconic doll ever, in cinemas worldwide. And the first film actually managed to work well, as a horror film, thanks to director Tom Holland ( perhaps known most for his directorial debut feature film Fright Night ). After Chucky really took the world by storm, we got to see dolls in all kinds of shapes, in new films. One example is the horror film Dolly Dearest, a film i mostly remember from the good old VHS glory days. Not a unique film in any way, but it was nice to see a female doll on a killing spree. Dolls continued to make their way into Hollywood films, and one of better releases has to be director James Wan´s film Dead Silence from 2007. Unfortunately, this film was not a big hit, even though it deserved to be. But the film critics were clear, this was a good old fashioned horror film, worth checking out. In 2013, director James Was was about to make a film that would shock the entire world, known as The Conjuring. Based on the true story, surrounding the paranormal investigators Edward Warren Miney and his wife Lorraine Rita Warren, this film showed one of their most cases. The Conjuring is one of the better horror films i have seen in years, and director James Wan really captured the feeling of solid old school horror, instead of jump scares. One thing we were introduced to in this film, was a possessed doll called Annabelle. The doll had a very disturbing look, and the film managed to make me believe that really good horror films can still be made. A sequel was of course released, and i have to say that even this one was also really good. Now, a spin off film for the doll Annabelle was also released. I personally did not enjoy this film, for many reasons. It just did not work for me. So i was a bit skeptical to hear about a new film about the doll Annabelle. Until i heard that director Adam Sandberg ( who directed the great looking horror film Lights Out ), would do the next chapter of Annabelle. So here we are, with a prequel to the film Annabelle. Is this a much better film than last time, or should we burn every film project with Annabelle underground for good ?

In the year 1943, doll maker Samuel Mullins ( Anthony LaPaglia ) and his wife Esther Mullins ( Miranda Otto ) grieve over the death of their 7 year old daughter Annabelle " Bee " Mullins ( Samara Lee ). An unknown entity, who Samuel and Esther believe to be their daughter´s spirit, turns out to be a demonic presence, convince them to transfer its essence into one of Samuel´s porcelain dolls. Their daughter´s spirit is not inside the doll, instead it is filled with pure evil. Things are becoming really out of hand, when Samuel and Esther decides to stop this entity. They lock the doll inside Bee´s room, covering the door with bible pages, and hire a priest to bless the room, and the house. 12 years later, in the year 1955, The Mullers open their home to help young girls, as an orphanage home. Sister Charlotte ( Stephanie Sigman ), who make sure the girls behave, and do what they are told. Best friends Janice ( Talitha Eliana Bateman ) and Linda ( Lulu Wilson ) promise each that they will always be together, no matter who adopts them. But strange things begin to happen in the house, when Janice finds Annabelle´s room, and open the locked door. 

Since the film Annabelle failed to deliver a solid film, i am pleased to say that Annabelle: Creation is a step into the right direction. You do sense a much more creepy atmosphere, and the frightening scenes work much better than last time. There is no doubt that Swedish director Adam Sandberg knows the horror genre, and how to scare the audience. He knows how to use camera angles, the right locations, and also manage to capture the right horror atmosphere. To compare this film to the first Annabelle movie is very easy, this is a more well made film. The characters, mostly surrounding children in an orphanage, is also a really good idea. When you have children involved in horror, it does get a bit more frightening. The children actors do their performances good, and i have to say that actor Talitha Eliana Bateman really give a strong impact, as the handicapped young girl Janice. All the struggle she goes through in the film, makes you feel more uncomfortable, knowing that she has to fight harder against evil forces. Actor Lulu Wilson ( who did the best performance in the film Ouija: Origin Of Evil ), proves once again why she is such a really good actor. Her character Linda, the best friend of Janice, is also one of the highlights. Nice to see legendary actor Anthony LaPaglia here, as the character Samuel Mullins. He still knows how to make a solid performance. The doll Annabelle, looks creepy as hell of course, and there are some scenes, where you get the sense that she is watching. The most frightening scenes, is when you get to see the possessed attack, unexpected. Is this horror film as scary as The Conjuring ? No, but then again, that is not necessary, because this is not supposed to be the same story. Director Adam Sandberg could be Sweden´s very own version of James Wan, and he surely have proved himself so far. If he will continue to make more solid horror films in the future, we could hope that he also could direct a Swedish horror film one day. We really need a good one over here, they don´t show up very often ( not since Let The Right One In ). Annabelle: Creation is a horror film, for all of you who loved The Conjuring. This is the kind of film that will make you grab the cinema seat, and eventually experience some frightening moments. Until i have seen the remake of Stephen King´s classic book IT, i can tell you that Annabelle: Creation is worth seeing in the dark cinema theatre. This autumn is up for a good start in horror, let´s hope it last all the way until Christmas.

Rating: DDD

söndag 3 september 2017

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming

Men, all over the world, i think it is time we have to confess, our deepest secret. A secret filled with so many emotions, that we might have to hold hands, and remove our clothes.

I think this is the time to tell the world, that every man does not become a real man, unless they have experienced Sharknado. Just look at me as an example, before the first Sharknado film came out back in 2013, i felt confused. I always thought that you would only become a man, if you collected all of Kenny G´s albums, and listened to him, every time you took a shower. But after i experienced Sharknado, i realised that i spent years on Kenny G for no reason at all ( well, that´s not completely true, some songs do make me feel romantic ). Sharknado took me by storm, and lifted me up like nothing i have ever experienced before. Sharks in tornados proved to be one of the greatest ideas of all time, and i loved the concept. This is exactly what the Academy Awards needs to have nominated. Actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid turned out to be the most powerful cinematic couple on screen, in a very long time. The sequel Sharknado 2 turned out to be even more fun than the first film, with an insane list of cameo actors, such as Mark McGrath, Viveca A. Fox, Judd Hirsch, Billy Ray Cyrus, Andy Dick among some of the cameos . The action was much more intensive, and the chainsaw scenes became more epic. As the next film Sharknado 3 came along, you realised that the franchise would become even more wild, and give us more insane shark attack scenes. And i think that the film worked, especially with the cameo actors Frankie Muniz, David Hasselhoff, Bo Derek, Lorenzo Lamas, Lou Ferringo and many more. As the film Sharknado 4 landed worldwide, we still got to experience another crazy ride, with another list of lovely cameos. Director Anthony C. Ferrante have directed all of the films, and you could tell that he knew exactly what the world wanted to experience. So of course i was not surprised to hear that he would return with a 5th film, and here we are with the next chapter. Since i enjoy these films very much, i was of course really excited to see if this fifth film could still work. Is this sequel be the best film of the series so far, or is it time to end this franchise for good ?

Fin Shepherd ( Ian Ziering ) and April Shepard ( Tara Reid ) is once again forced to face the biggest Sharknado storms, that they have ever seen. Their son Gil Shepard ( Billy Barrat ) is trapped inside one of the Sharknado storms, and they need to get him out. To make this possible, they need to travel with the help of Sharknado storms all over the world, and get help from different personalities. Nova ( Cassandra Scerbo ) have returned, to help get their son back, with the help of her team. But can Gil be saved, or is this mission doomed to fail ?

Let´s just be honest, every Sharknado film have changed our lives. Without them, we would not have this wonderful world, and that is the truth. And for every sequel you realise how much these films means to the whole world. Going into this fifth film in the Sharknado franchise, i knew that we would be delivered high quality. And let me tell you, Sharknado 5 knows how to put on a real show.

In the latest film, you get influences from Indiana Jones, Back To The Future, James Bond and many more classic films. You can sense that they have borrowed some scenes, and changed them into the Sharknado theme. And that´s ok, a film like this is not supposed to be original. It is supposed to be insane, and funny as hell. One difference with this sequel, is that they main characters Finn and April, get to travel through Sharknado storms, and land in different countries. We get to see them in England, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and many other places. And i love the idea, to bring Sharknados worldwide, with a lot of twists. Actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid continue to make their wonderful characters Fin and April, and you can tell that they know what quality acting is all about. One of the highlights of this film, is of course the character Nova, by actor Cassandra Scerbo. She is really tough, and fits perfect for this franchise. This time around you also have cameos from Poison singer Bret Michaels, Olivia Newton-John, Tony Hawk, Samantha Fox, and even Swedens biggest Icon of all time, Dolph Lundgren ( not Zlatan, he stands no chance against Dolph ). One of the most important cameos in this film, is of course Fabio Lanzoni as The Pope. This has to be one of the greatest acting performances of all time. The plot makes no sense at all, and i love that. All we need is exploding sharks, sliced sharks, humans beaing eaten by flying sharks, and you know you have a really good time. The action scenes are so insane, that you can´t really explain the experience, you simply have to see this to understand. Director Anthony C. Ferrante proves once again, why he can make amazing sequels. It feels like we should have at least 6 more Sharknado films, because there is so much more to do with this franchise. How about Sharknados attacking the Nobel Prize Award in Stockholm, or how about Sharknado attacking Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany ? Sharknado 5: Global Swarming will make you applaude, laugh, jump, all at the same time, because this is one of the highlights of this year. I saw that the film is out next week on dvd and blu ray in Germany, so i suggest you get yourself a copy. I promise that you will have a really good time. Will we see Sharknado again ? Of course we will, and we need more sequels in the future. Our younger generation needs to learn what quality films looks like, and what better way to do that with the help of Sharknado ?

Rating: DDDD