tisdag 31 december 2019

15 Years Anniversary Review Of Napoleon Dynamite

Let´s travel back to the year of 2004. I remember several thing about this year, and i will mention some of the things i especially remember. This was the year when i went to my first Limp Bizkit concert in Stockholm, on their Results May Vary Tour. It was nice to hear live versions of songs, taken from their album Results May Vary, an album i still listen to. 2004 was the year when TV series Lost debuted on ABC, and became a hit TV series. Lost acually turned out to be one the better TV series that year, with a great cast and an interesting plot. This was also the year when Ben Affleck film known as Gigli, won several awards at the Golden Rasperry Awards 2004. The film won in the categories such as Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Screenplay. I have seen Gigli a long time ago. Gigli is a really bad film, and could possible be one of the worst films that Ben Affleck has ever made. But in the summer of 2004, something magical was about to happen. A small independent film was about to take the whole world by storm. A small independent film known as Napoleon Dynamite, was released in the summer of 2004. I saw the film first on DVD, since the film did not show in theatres here in Sweden ( except for a few places ). But i remember the first time i watched this film, i fell in love. This was exactly what i needed, a comedy filled with family issues, personal problems, and most of all odd characters. Since this film was released i have probably seen this film over 15 times. But since this film turned 15 years this year, i thought it would be a good idea to celebrate, considering this is such a cult Classic. Is this still one of the best independent comedies in many years, or has the magic of Napoleon Dynamite started to fade away ?

Napoleon Dynamite ( Jon Heder ) is a socially awkward 16-year-old who lives in Preston, Idaho, with his Grandmother, Carlinda Dynamite ( Sandy Martin ) and his older brother, Kipling Ronald " Kip" Dynamite ( Aaron Ruell ), 32 years old, who is unemployed and spend hours on chat rooms with his girlfriends, dreaming about becoming a cage fighter. Napoleon daydreams his way through school, especially about fantasy creatures such as ligers. This is his way to deal with him being bullied at school. When the new student Pedro Sanchez ( Efren Ramirez ) begins at school, Napoleon gets the chance to find a new friend who he can share his thoughts, and visions with. The school is looking for a new class president, and Pedro Sanchez will run as a candidate, with Napoleon as his biggest support. But things become complicated when both Napoleon and Pedro want to go with their female friend Deborah " Deb " Bradshaw to the prom dance. 

Even if 15 years have passed, Napoleon Dynamite is still one of the best independent comedies of the 2000´s. This film has everything you could wish for, black comedy, great characters, fantastic soundtrack, wonderful dialogue and wonderful costume design. This is probably my favourite school comedy, where this film manage to capture everything we all recognize from bulluying, weight issues, depression, becoming an adult and much more. Lead actor Jon Heder is brilliant as Napoleon Dynamite, and he manage to make Napoleon a very odd character, but in a wonderful way. In some ways you could probably say that we all have had a Napoleon Dynamite at our school, an odd student with passion for odd things. But we have so many more characters to talk about, so let´s continue with Kip, played by actor Aaron Ruell. Kip is one of those characters that are so nerdy and wonderful, that you can´t help loving his personality. Just the fact that he is impressed over himself, over chatting with babes online, shows you what kind of guy he is, a true ladies man. One of my favourite characters of this film, is without a doubt Napoleon´s friend Pedro Sánchez, played by actor Efren Ramirez. Pedro is one of the funniest characters in this film, with some fantastic dialogue. Let´s not forget another wonderful performance from actor Jon Gries, playing Uncle Rico. The thing about Uncle Rico is that he is still trapped in the 80´s, when he have planned to be an American football star. And this is also a very funny part of this film, as he dreams away to his past, when he is stuck as a salesman. From a comedy perspective, this film have so many delightful moments. Weird moments, are combined with brilliant tunes, and the characters match the storyline. Director Jared Hess have made a film that will live on as a cult film, for a very long time. He knew exactly what the world needed, and Napoleon Dynamite will always be his best film. If you have not seen Napoleon Dynamite, you need to see it. This is one of the funniest films of the 2000´s, and a must have on DVD or Blu Ray.

Rating: DDDD

Zombieland: Double Tap

When i was a young boy, i remember the first time i learned something educational. And this did not happen in ordinary school, but through watching the VHS tape of horror film Zombie Flesh Eaters. Directed by legendary director Lucio Fulci, this film helped me learn what matters in life, wich is of course zombies. Zombie Flesh Eaters was made on a very low budget, but worked so well thanks to fun practical effects, great characters and a fantastic soundtrack. I remember getting my hands on the uncut UK release of this film on VHS, and i was probably too young to watch this film. But this was the best educational source material i could find during that time, that helped me become more intelligent than any math books. Zombie Flesh Eaters is one of those films in the zombie catalogue of films, that everyone should see. This is in my opinion one of the best film from director Lucio Fulci. My interest for zombie films continued over the years, and i watched a lot of films from different countries. One of the reasons why zombie films are usually entertaining, is that you can always find something to enjoy, no matter what the plot is about. So what happens if you mix comedy with zombies ? It worked really well in the British horror comedy Shaun Of The Dead, released in 2004. Actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are brilliant in their roles, and this is one of the best horror comedies ever made. But in 2009, we get a surprise when director Ruben Fleischer released his horror comedy Zombieland. This film turned out to be a really funny mixture of zombie horror and Comedy, combined together with some great dialogue. The combination of Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson worked really good, as well as actress Emma Stone and actress Abigail Breslin. I never thought we would get a sequel to Zombieland, but after hearing about a sequel was going to be made, i became excited. Is this the best sequel released this year, or is Zombieland: Double Tap a big disappointment ?

10 years have passed since survivors Tallahassee ( Woody Harrelson ), Columbus ( Jesse Eisenberg ), Witchita ( Emma Stone ) and Little Rock ( Abigail Breslin ) have managed to found a way to enjoy life as good as possible, even if the zombies are still around. But the zombies have evolved, where the most dangerous ones are called T-800. They set up a new home in The White House. Columbus decides to propose to Wicthita with the Hope Diamond, but Witchita is not ready. The next morning it turns out that Witchita and Little Rock have left with a note. Tallahassee and Columbus go on their own, even if Columbus is concerned over Witchita. One day Witchita suddenly shows up, looking for weapons. Turns out that Little Rock left her for a hippie known as Berkeley ( Avan Jogia ). They team up to go look for Little Rock, while the T-800 zombies are getting more dangerous.

Going into a sequel to such a great horror comedy as Zombieland, actually made me concerned. Would they really manage to pull it off again, and deliver a really entertaining sequel ? Well i got some good news for you folks. Zombieland: Double Tap is excatly the right kind of film for everyone to enjoy, especially if you love zombie films. This is actually a sequel that knows how to keep the same tone of the first film, and still bring some new ideas as well. I have to be honest though, i still enjoy the first film a bit more than this sequel, but let´s get into what i especially enjoy about Zombieland: Double Tap. The chemistry between actors Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson is really good. They manage to bring some magic moments with their characters Columbus and Tallahassee, especially when they deliver some really funny dialogue. The strongest performance in this film comes from actress Emma Stone as Witchita, a really cool character with a strong personality. But we also have some great cameos here as well, especially from actor Luke Wilson as the bad ass character Alburqurque. This is exactly the kind of guy you want next to you on Sunday dinner with family. The zombies are actually effective as well, and are divided into three different kinds of zombie species. The Homer zombies are actually a funny part of the film, where brain cells are clearly missing. The comedy timing from the cast also works well, in most scenes. There are a few times where the comedy scenes become a bit too hysterical, but not affecting the quality of the film. Director Ruben Fleischer manage to make a sequel that is entertaining, without loosing the thread of the first film. Zombieland: Double Tap is without a doubt one of the better sequel films released this year, so if you are planning to get a DVD or Blu Ray in January to watch, i suggest you pick up this one. A nice return to familiar faces, and who can say no to a zombie invasion ? I know i can´t, does not get much cozier than this.

Rating: DDD

måndag 30 december 2019

IT: Chapter Two

In these days, i barely read any books. But there was a time in my youth, when i did read some books. Since i had no interest in reading Swedish authours, i usually turned to legendary author Stephen King. I may not have read many books of his, but the ones i did read i enjoyed. One of the books i do remember from author Stephen King, is his novel Misery. This novel tells the story of popular writer Paul Sheldon, who is seriously injured in a car accident. Former Nurse Annie, who is a big fan of Pauls Misery novels, takes him to her home to help him. But it turns out that Annis is more than a fan, she wants Paul to ressurect her favourite character back from the dead in the Misery series. This book really shows why some fans take things too personal, and loose control of their own reality and believe they can cross any line they want, as long as they are pleased. This novel was first released in 1987, and i believe i read the novel the first time around 1990, the same year when the film adaptation of this novel was released from director Rob Reiner. The film adaptation follows the novel pretty good, except for a few changes. And i have to say that the film Misery is still really good, and one of my favourite performances from actress Kathy Bates. She did the character Annie Wilkes in her own unique way, so if you have not seen Misery yet, you should check it out on Netflix, VOD, DVD or Blu Ray. Speaking of 1990, i remember how terrified i was when i first saw TV mini series Stephen King´s IT, based on the novel of the same name by author Stephen King. What made IT so special on the TV mini series was the character Pennywise The Dancing Clown, played by legendary actor Tim Curry. Many years ahead i heard the news of a remake of the TV mini series, made into a new film with Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. The 2017 film IT turned out to be much better than i expected. So here we have the sequel IT: Chapter Two, that is supposed to end the story from the previous film. Is this a really good ending in the IT franchise, or should they have skipped this sequel from being made ?

In 1989 a group of young friends throught that they killed Pennywise The Dancing Clown ( Bill Skarsgård ) for good, until Mike Hanlon ( Isaiha Mustafa ) call up his old friends in 2016. Mike is still living in Derry, Maine, and after some brutal murders he realise that Pennywise is back. He calls Beverly Marsh ( Jessica Chastain ), Bill Denbrough ( James McAvoy ), Richie Tozier ( Bill Hader ) and the rest of The Losers Club. They all need to come back to Derry, to make sure Pennywise does not take any more victims. 

I honestly did not go into this film with too high expectations, after hearing a lot of different opinions about this sequel. Even if this film is not as scary as the IT film from 2017, there are some details i think that this film manage to do in a positive way. To see the main character from the previous film as adults, is of course interesting to see. Since i enjoyed the performances from the teenages in IT, we now get to see how they developed after so many years. One thing becomes clear, no matter how many years go by, the loser club stays united. Since the previous film had pretty unknown young actors ( except for a few ), this sequel have some heavier actors included that i am sure most of you will recognize. James McAvoy ( who i especially love in the British black comedy Filth, a must see ) plays the adult version of Bill. There is no doubt that McAvoy knows how to develope a character, and he proves this once more in this film. I have seen McAvoy do stronger performances than in this film, such as in Split, but he is a good choice for this character. My favourite performance in this film comes from actor Bill Hader ( who did a wonderful performance in The Skeleton Twins ), who plays the adult version of Richie. Bill has that vulgar language that fits him so well, and he comes across as an asshole sometimes, but you can´t help to like him. There are some other characters that works as well, including Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise of course. But this sequel have some problems that we must talk about. This film is way too long, over 2 hours and 49 minutes long. For a horror film that is way too long, and it feels like some scenes are just filling in for the parts that feel pretty dull. Some of the CGI effects are not very effective, where some of the scary scenes feel too predictable and less scary. I will say that there is at least one good scene, where Pennywise turns into a spider, and that is actually a good idea. Overall, IT: Chapter Two is a sequel that will divide fans of the previous film. This is not a bad film, there are enjoyable scenes to be found. But this sequel is not as good from a horror standard, compared to the first film. Director Andy Muschietti ( who directed the previous IT film ) may not have made the sequel i was hoping for, but i can sense he as a passion for telling the story of Pennywise in a simple but effective way. If you love clowns and horror, then this film will probably be a good choice for the New Years Eve party.

Rating: DDD

torsdag 26 december 2019

The Worst Movie Of 2019

Cheers everyone!

Daniel here, your favourite Swedish movie critic ever. Really ? Yes, just ask the Kardashians and they will confirm this. I have just celebrated Christmas, so im a little bit tired from all the Christmas food, but the alcohol helped. 2019 is coming to an end, and i have seen some really good films this year in many different categories. Of course i did not enjoy every single film i watched, and especially one film was really bad. So when i was thinking about what film i would choose as the worst film of 2019, it was not so hard to figure out what title i would choose. And my choice is... 

The Least Of These

This film should have been more interesting considering there is a horrible tragedy surrounding the story of Graham Staines, who were killed with his two young boys in India. But this film have no depth, no emotional scenes, and especially really bad acting. The Least Of These is a film you will forget so quickly, because there is nothing that leaves an impact with this story. Actor Stephen Baldwin is so stiff, that you might ask yourself if he really wanted to do the role of Graham Staines. I understand if director Aneesh Daniel wanted to tell this tragic story, but he does not seem to focus on doing this film more dramatic, instead of making it very boring. There are also some scenes where we are supposed to feel an emotional impact, but you are left feeling nothing at all. The Least Of These is one of those films that i don't really understand the point with, since this should have been an intetesting film when you know the true story behind what happened. 

So if you wondered what film to skip this year, then don't see The Least Of These. The last reviews of this year are coming within a few days, so keep your eyes open and i will see you soon. 

Cheers from Daniel

fredag 20 december 2019

Rabid

There are director´s who have a very unique style, when it comes to making films. There are of course several director´s i could mention, but i am especially thinking about legendary director David Cronenberg. This man have made so many classics, and i would want to talk about so many titles. But i decided to pick out two films that i personally really enjoy for different reasons. Let us begin with the 1981 film known as Scanners. This film is in many ways pretty original, since this film tells the story of people who are gifted with telepathic and telekinetic powers. Scanners have influences from science fiction, action and horror films, all combined into a nice presentation. I would have to say that Scanners feels like an opera in violence, with an open mind about our abilities to use our brains in a different way than most people would do. Director David Cronenberg must have been inspired to tell this story with medical terms in his mind. If you have not seen Scanners, this is a must see if you are a fan of sci fi horror films. The next film that came to my mind is the 1977 horror film known as Rabid, one of the true classics from director David Cronenberg. Rabid tells the story of Rose ( played by actress Marilyn Chambers ) who is in a very serious motorcycle accident, and is rushed into a Surgical operation. An orifice develops underneath one of her armpits, and this orifice hides a phallic stinger that she uses to feed on people´s blood. Rabid is an odd horror film, but tells a quite original and fascinating story, that reminds me of a different kind of vampire tale. Rabid is one of those Cronenberg gems that everyone should see, since this is in many ways one of the true classics of the 70´s. If i say the name The Soska Sisters, what comes to your mind then ? For me personally, i am thinking about their film American Mary, released in 2012. This is a very good horror film, that tells the story of Mary ( played wonderful by actress Katharine Isabelle ), a medical student, who finds out how much easy money she can get through underground surgery. American Mary gives a very fascinating look into the darker world of surgery, and what consequences these procedures can cause. When i found out that The Siska Sisters would direct a remake of David Cronenberg cult film Rabid, i was very curious to see the result. Is this one of the better remakes in recent years, or is Rabid a film you might as well skip for something more original ?

Rose ( Laura Vandervoort ) is a passionate fashion designer, who loves to bring out her own unique design, is not respected by her boss Gunter ( Mackenzie Gray ), who does not see her true potential. After being turned down, and humiliated by co-workers, Rose is not seeing anything positive in her life at the moment. One day, she suffers a disfiguring accident where her face is damaged really bad. Forced to live with this disfigured face, and can´t show her face outside, she finds a clinic that helps victims such as herself. She decides to make the surgery that is suggested. The result is amazing, and this should give her a new start in her life. But something happened with Rose after surgery, and she is clearly no longer who she used to be.

Making a remake of a classic cult film is not easy. You have to be able to respect the original film, and still make the remake good enough to be enjoyed by the audience. In the case of this remake of Rabid, i would say that this is at least a good atempt to try and make a new version of Rabid. The thing is that this remake does not try and copy the original film completely, but tell the story in a different way than in the 1977 film. I think this was a good choice, because it would have been pretty boring if they made this film look excatly like the original film. Another detail i have to mention, is the brutality of several scenes. We get to see infected attacking humans for their blood and flesh, and i like the look of these scenes. It is almost like watching a zombie attack, with good looking practical effects. Did we need a remake of Rabid ? I feel divided on this subject, since there are both good remakes and bad remakes of classic films. The one good thing about this specific remake, is that people who enjoy this new version will perhaps be curious to see the old film. And that is of course good, since you should experience David Cronenberg´s cult film. When it comes to the cast, i think we do have some interesting characters here, especially the lead character Rose ( played by actress Laura Vandervoort, who some of you might recognize as the character Lisa in the sci fi TV series V ). Rose is especially interesting after her horrible accident, when you see a completely different personality inside of her growing for each day. Actor Mackenzie Gray delivers one of the most entertaining performances in this film, as the fashion designer Gunter ( reminded me of the character Serge in the Beverly Hills Cop films ). The horror elements works pretty good for the most part, and thanks to a great lead performance, Rabid manage to find a good balance to tell an interesting story, and directors Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska have clearly felt a passion in this remake as they made this film effective. If you are fed up with ordinary Christmas movies during the holidays, let Rabid guide you into a tasteful treat of effective horror elements. To be honest, if i could celebrate Christmas, it would be in a Rabid way, it does look very peaceful.

Rating: DDD

söndag 15 december 2019

The Mistletoe Secret

Hallmark Channel, the channel that is made for that softly, candle cozy family gatherings, where no explosions are allowed, no gun shoot outs, no ninjas and no female strippers. And i can understand why, this is a channel that is especially made to make TV friendly movies for families who love romance, decorations, coffee moments. It is almost like walking into a world i don´t recognize ( except when you visit someone who clearly is a Hallmark addict ). In early 2003, i used to have Hallmark Channel on my decoder box. I did not choose the channel, it was included in the channel package. I can´t remember how many films i looked at during that time, but i would probably say 3 films, within a time period of 5 years. One of the films i do remember is a western film with actor Kevin Sorbo. The film is called Avenging Angel, where Kevin Sorbo plays a gun shooting preacher ( my kind of preacher, we should have more of those ). The film may not have been a masterpiece, but as a western film it was fun seeing Kevin Sorbo doing a western film with gun shootings ( though you did not see much violence, maybe because it was a Hallmark film ). Over the years, you can watch Hallmark Christmas movies on TV, where especially 2 channels in Sweden show different Hallmark films. My wife watch these films sometimes, and i recently watched 2 film with her. I can´t say i throught they were really good. But earlier this autumn i made a decision, that i would review a new Hallmark Christmas movie on my movie review blog. I knew this would be a risk to take, that i might choose a film that would be so corny, so soft, that i would fall asleep. But i ended up choosing a film called The Mistletoe Secret, where Dallas actor Patrick Duffy is included. Is this the greatest Christmas movie of all time, or should we cancel Christmas completely after seeing The Mistletoe Secret ?

Aria Eubank ( Kellie Pickler ) lives in the small town of Midway, who have been selected as one of the candidates to the travelling TV show Masters Of Travel Contest, what city is the best feature destination during Christmas. TV host Sterling Masters ( Christopher Russel ), sends Alex Bartlett ( Tyler Hynes ) to Midway, to make sure he digs deeper into what makes Midway a special place during Christmas.

I was prepared to have a bad experience with The Mistletoe Secret, since every Hallmark film is usually pretty bad, except for a few titles. But this is not as horrible as i expected, and we have especially one actor to thank for this. Legendary TV series actor Patrick Duffy, who most of you remember as Bobby Erwing in the TV hit show Dallas back in the 80´s. Even if this is not a great performance, there is something charming about seeing Patrick Duffy here in a Christmas movie. He has a natural way to make characters feel joyful. So is there anything else positive about this film ? The Mistletoe Secret does manage to bring out a Christmas feeling, especially from a small town perspective where everyone helps making the town prepare for the holidays. But let´s be honest here. If you are looking for great acting, you won´t find it in The Mistletoe Secret. Especially from lead actress Kellie Picker. She looks great, but when it comes to acting she needs to work more on her performance. I know that she is a singer as well, and to be honest i have only seen her before on American Idol, and not in any other film. Actor Tyler Hynes is also in this film ( who i especially remember from the Flatliners remake ). Unfortunately, his character is not anything special, and quite predictable. So that leaves us to the rest of the film, the contest if Midway will be chosen by a travel TV show of being the best Christmas location to visit. If the contest would have included some surprise, i might have enjoyed it more. But this film never really do much about the contest itself, and focus more on the romance between Aria and Alex. Director Terry Ingram clearly loves Christmas, but focus too much on predictable characters, than giving us anything unexpected. The Mistletoe Secret is probably a great choice if you are addicted on Hallmark Christmas movies, i personally feel that the only reason to watch this film is to see legendary TV actor Patrick Duffy deliver some Christmas joy. Who is up for a Christmas whiskey with me, and a Christmas meal ? I believe i might have more joy with this combination then what i had with The Mistletoe Secret.

Rating: DD

måndag 9 december 2019

The Furies

Humans love hunting for fresh meat. The knowledge of hunting have been carried around by many generations in history, and a new generation of hunters are taught how to find fresh meat in forests, mountains and in the air. In my family we do have some hunters, that mostly hunt for moose or deer. So every autumn they go out ( with a hunting permission of course ), and hope to find a deer or a moose. I have only been on a hunting trip once, when i was very young. I barely remember anything, since i just sat watching mostly. For me personally, i am not really interested in hunting. I love meat, and i don´t mind trying different kinds of meats, but that would be in a restaurant and not trying to hunt myself. When it comes to hunting in films, we have a lot of titles to choose between. We have more ordinary hunting films in the drama selection, or we have horror films where humans hunt everything from animals to monsters. But what about hunters hunting humans ? Now we are getting into a completely different genre, and there is especially one cult classic film i have in mind. In 1993, legendary director John Woo released his action film Hard Target, with legendary action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. This film is not only a really good action film, but takes hunting on a different level, by telling a story where businessmen Emil Fouchon ( played by legendary actor Lance Henriksen ) and Pik van Cleef ( Arnold Vosloo ) hunt homeless people as a sport. The human hunting scenes are very effective, and the camera angles that director John Woo manage to lift out in this film makes Hard Target look great in this genre, even now 26 years later. The idea of rich people hunting homeless people for fun, is actually not a bad idea for a film like this. The plot works with the incredible action scenes. I would probably say that this is one of my favourite Van Damme films of the 90´s, even if i enjoy a lot of his films. When it comes to horror films and hunting humans, we do have some films to choose between, especially in the cannibal category such as the Wrong Turn franchise ( only see the first 3 films, skip the rest ). Earlier this autumn i was hearing some positive reviews on a film called The Furies. My first thought that it sounded like a cute Saturday morning film. Turns out this is an Australian horror film, that seems to deliver some slasher ingredients. Is this the best Australian films i have seen in many years, or is The Furies just as bad as Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles ?

Kaylie ( Airlie Dobbs ) is kidnapped, as she wakes up in the middle of nowhere in a forest area, in a strange box. Her friend was kidnapped as well, and she begin searching the area. She meets some other girls in this forest area, that turns out to be kidnapped as well. But this is no ordinary kidnapping. It turns out these girls were chosen for a game, where different men wearing masks are chasing them with different weapons. Kaylie and the girls have no choice, they must find a way out of there, or this game might finish them all.

The Furies feels like a mixture of Hostel and the 1994 film Surviving The Game, combined with some other classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And i have to say, i enjoy this film more than i expected. With such a simple plot, this film manage to find a way to tell a story that works well with the practical effects. Since i really appreciate horror films from Australia, i am happy to say that this film manage to show us once again why Australian horror films knows how to deliver entertainment. The Furies has a slasher tone, that brought me back to the 80´s, where these men wearing strange masks slaughter women. It may not sound very original, but that´s ok. Because in the slasher genre releases of this year, i would say that The Furies is one of the better releases. Let´s get into the characters for a bit. Actress Airlie Dobbs ( who i enjoyed in the horror film Killing Ground, worth checking out on DVD ) plays the character Kayla. I think what makes her character interesting, is that she is clearly a survivor. Even if you can tell she is suffering from this horrible situation she is going through, she is determined to survive, and actress Airlie Dobbs manage to lift this up through her performance. Actress Taylor Ferguson ( who some of you might recognize from the TV series Cleverman ) as the character Sheena, may not be as strong from a character perspective as Kayla is, but i still enjoy Taylor´s performance. Actress Linda Ngo ( who i recignized from TV series Top Of The Lake ) gives an unexpected performance towards the end, that i really appreciate. The plot in this film is actually more clever than most slasher films, when you find out that this hunt is arranged with the use of technology. Overall, i have to say that The Furies is a delightful surprise for me. Director Tony D´Aquino have found a way to bring back the slasher genre back up on it´s feet again, in a positive way. If you are planning to prepare for Christmas dinner soon, then i have a suggestion. Make sure the whole family watch The Furies while having Christmas dinner, so you make sure everyone will feel the taste for more meat. Because i can assure you, if there is one thing The Furies does right, is making sure you will have a bigger passion for fresh meat. Well done Australia, let me know when your next human hunt game begins, i might try it with my Swedish viking sword ( it is true, most swedes run with them all the time )

Rating: DDD

torsdag 5 december 2019

The Young Cannibals

Cannibal murderers may not be found very often, but they do still exist out there. It is impossible to understand, how a person can even have the idea of eating another human being. Since i don´t have much knowledge in this area, i am sure there are different reasons of why someone would go this far, from a psychological perspective. I remember one of the first cases i read about in my youth, and that was about the case of serial murderer, and cannibal eater Jeffrey Dahmer. He murdered 17 young men, had sex with the victims dead bodies, and ate some of them. Dahmer died on prison on November 28, 1994, while he was beaten to death by a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver. I can´t say i feel sorry for Dahmer being murdered, considering all the men that he murdered. There is a really good film, based on the life of Jeffreh Dahmer, simply called Dahmer. Released in 2002, this film is directed David Jacobsen and actor Jeremy Renner ( who most of you know from the Avengers film as Hawkeye ) plays Jeffrey Dahmer in this film. Dahmer is a really disturbing portrait of how mentally disturbed he was, and how he managed to trick so many victims. Actor Jeremy Renner really gave a powerful performance as Dahmer, and i have to say that this is one of my favourite films in his career. Another film came to my mind, that also includes cannibalism that is worth buying on DVD or Blu Ray. The 1977 cult classic film The Hills Have Eyes, directed by Wes Craven is one of the films that really brought up cannibalism in a very brutal way. The story of a family who are stranded in the Nevada desert, are attacked by cannibal savages. The Hills Have Eyes is one of the best films of director Wes Craven, even if i am a big fan of many of his films. I would say that this is probably one of the most cult horror classics from the 70´s. There is a really good Blu Ray release of this film on Arrow Video with special features worth checking out. Earlier this autumn i noticed a poster of a new film called The Young Cannibals, and i was fascinated instantly. I needed to see for myself, so i had to pick it up on DVD. Could this be a surprisngly good throwback to the cannibal films of the past, or is The Young Cannibals just another forgettable release ?

Nat ( Megan Purvis ) is a patient at a psychic hospital, and is not allowed outside. Ethan ( Benjamin Sarpong-Broni ) has a plan though, to get her out of this place. They manage to escape, so they can celebrate her birthday with friends out in a forest area, where their hiking friends are waiting. But the good times are about to change, when they find out that some kind of cannibal monster is found in this forest area, looking for fresh victims.

The beginning of The Young Cannibals is actually one of the highlights of this film. It has been a while since you get a great start in a film, since most films takes a while until they find the right tone. And if only this film could have kept that tone in the rest of the film, i think this could have been a real delight for horror fans. However, this does not mean that The Young Cannibals is a bad horror film. I will get into some other positive details as well. The monster look pretty nasty, with the big teeth, and clearly loves human flesh. It is almost like they are having their own barbecue party, with raw meat only of course. Even if you don´t get to see a lot of brutal scenes, i do like the idea of this beast walking around for fresh food. Another detail i enjoy is that in some scenes, only a certain amount of people can see the beast, it´s almost like a few chosen ones have the ablility to see them, while some can´t see them anywhere as they are being attacked. A good idea indeed, adds something different to the story. The characters in this film are very divided from an acting perspective. While some works ok, you don´t really get connected with some of the other characters. The characters i especially enjoy are Ethan ( played by actor Benjamin Sarpong-Broni ) and Nat ( played by actress Megan Purvis ). One of the details that makes the character Nat especially interesting, is that she is a mental patient who have escaped her psychic hospital. The horror scenes later in the film bring some fun, but we need to talk about something that missing in this film. I would have liked some more brutal scenes, when it comes to the killing. Directors Kris Carr and Sam Fowler have made a directorial debut film that leaves a hopeful taste of a bright future. The Young Cannibals is the perfect film to show during the Brexit discussions in Great Britain, and hopefully this film will inspire people on how you solve problems the right way. A fun B horror monster movie with a throwback to the glory VHS Days of the 80´s and 90´s as well, how can anyone say no to that?

Rating: DDD

måndag 2 december 2019

Once Upon A Time In Deadwood

When ever i think about classic western films, i always remember the films that i loved most. Of course i would have to say that the western films of legendary director Sergio Leone are probably my favoruites in this genre. But there are so many other great western films, that you don´t hear much about these days. There might be different reasons to why they are not mentioned, but i would like to bring up 2 western films that i personally enjoy for different reasons. Let us begin with the 1995 film The Quick And The Dead, directed by Sam Raimi. This is a different kind of western film, that reminds us of Evil Dead 2 film tricks while still keeping an old school western look. The cast is really good including Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russel Crowe, Leonardo Di Caprio, Lance Henriksen, Gary Sinise, Toby Bell and of course Bruce Campbell. The Quick And The Dead is one of those 90´s gems that deserves to be seen by a young generation of western fans. Director Sam Raimi knew exactly what this film needed, a brutal but really clever filming technique. If you have not seen The Quick And The Dead, pick it up on DVD or Blu Ray. The next film that came to my mind is the 2004 French western film Blueberry, directed by Jan Kounen ( perhaps most known for his 1997 film Dobermann ). This film Blueberry is based on the comic books of the same name, illustrated by Jean Giraud. But as i understand, from those who have read the comic books, this film has very Little common with the source material. I still enjoy this film though, especially with the cast of French actor Vincent Cassel, actress Juliette Lewis and legendary actor Michael Madsen. Blueberry have the right kind of western tone, and the cinematography looks good from Japanese cinematographer Tetsuo Nagata. How many of you saw the action film Death Kiss last year with Charles Bronson look alike actor Robert Bronzi ? I did, and i wrote a review of this film. The official Facebook page of Death Kiss actually shared my review on their page, so check it out if you want. Since i enjoyed Death Kiss, i wanted to see if Robert would deliver in a western film. Is this better than i expected, or is Once Upon A Time In Deadwood a film that will be lost in the sand storms ?

Notorious gun slinger The Colonel ( Robert Bronzi ) is poisoned by an heiress named Ursula ( Karin Brauns ). This way he have no choice but to help her, or he dies withing 3 days. Ursula´s sister is kidnapped by a gang of hoodlums. The antidote can be found where Ursula´s sister is located. The Colonel and Ursula begin their journey, where anything can happen when they least expect it.

If you are a fan of old school western films, then Once Upon A Time In Deadwood should please you. This is exactly what your Grandpa have waited to see, a real old fashioned western that does not need CGI effects. The filming locations are beautiful, and i have to say that the costume design looks pretty good as well. I know you all are waiting for me to talk about actor Robert Bronzi, so here we go. If you enjoyed his performance in Death Kiss, then look no further. I guarantee that you will enjoy his performance in this film as well. He fits well in this genre as the character The Colonel, and he does deliver the same Charles Bronson feeling with his shooting scenes. But this film also have some other characters worth to mention. Actress Karin Brauns ( who grew up in Sweden, Norrköping, so i raise a Swedish flag of prideness ) plays the character Ursula, and i really think she is a good choice for this character. You might think she looks so innocent, but Ursula have a certain personality, that helps her character become more interesting. Actress Lauren Compton ( who you can see in the B horror movie Clowntown ) also shows up in here. Most of all, i have to mention legendary actor Michael Paré who plays the character Swearengen. Paré knows how to make an entrance, in his own unique way. If you are expecting any big surprises, you won´t find it here. The story is very simple, but works with the characters. Once Upon A Time In Deadwood is a film that is made for western fans, and if you appreciate this genre then i have a feeling you might have a good time. Director Rene Perez ( who also directed Death Kiss ) proves once again why he knows how to make a film fit so well with Robert Bronzi. Since i really appreciate film makers that still make this genre, i think it is important to support these films since we know they don´t get released very often. So pick up a DVD copy from Uncork´d Entertainment, and help this genre stay alive. I am hoping to see Bronzi fight zombies in an apocalypse film in the future, i have a feeling that would be a beautiful experience.

Rating: DDD