Mandrake

If you mention witchcraft to people in general, they will most likely think of two things:

* Witchcraft is fans of the 2002 film Crossroads with Britney Spears. There is absolutely no other film that is filled with more witchcraft than this particular film ( i have unfortunatley seen it, so i should know ). I would not recommend that you watch this film unless you want to experience demonic possessions, then it actually might work.

* Witchcraft is seen as magic or supernatural powers to harm others, unless the witch happens to be a big Nickelback fan, then we know at least that she have a very good taste in music.

I have looked into some books about witchcraft history and i remember being interested in a witch hunting manual called The Malleus Maleficarum ( Latin for "Hammer Of The Witches" ). It was written by German Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer and first published in the German city of Speyer in 1486. It has been described as the compendium of literature of demonology of the 15th century. The top theologians of the Inquisition at the Faculty of Cologne condemned the book as recommending unethical and illegal procedures, as well as being inconsistent with Catholic doctrines of demonology. To explain it more simple you could say that The Malleus Maleficarum was the 15th century version of the novel Bridget Jones Diary by author Helen Fielding. There are a few differences of course since back in the 15th century, women could not discuss all the same subjects as Bridget Jones did. But otherwise i would say it matches pretty well considering the contents of both books. Speaking of witchcraft this is something that have been used in a lot of different horror films. You have classics such as the 1966 Hammer Films production known as The Witches Or The Devil´s Own, and then you have more modern films about witchcraft and especially one film comes to my mind. The 2016 supernatural horror film The Autopsy Of Jane Doe from director André Ovredal is definetely a must watch, and tells the story of small town coroner Tommy Tilden ( Brian Cox ) and his son Austin Tilden ( Emile Hirsch ) who work together. When Sheriff Sheldon Burke ( Michael McElhatton ) arrives to coroner Tommy with an unknown dead young woman who is named Jane Doe ( Olwen Kelly ), he wants to find out why she died and try to get answer from the mulitple homicide crime scene where she was found. As they begin to examine her body, it becomes pretty clear that something is not right. She doesn´t appear to have died a natural way, and as they dig deeper for answers it seems she might have another hidden secret. This is a very well made horror film with witchcraft influences and is definetely worth picking up on DVD or Blu Ray. I have seen a couple of titles in recent years that have something to do with witchcraft and one of the titles i was curious about is an Irish horror film called Mandrake. Witchcraft in Ireland, that is something you don´t see everyday so of course i had to see if this would work. Is Mandrake one of the better witchcraft horror films in recent years, or is this unfortunately not as good as it could have been?

In a small rural town in North Ireland, parole officer Cathy Madden ( Deidre Mullins ) who takes pride in rehabilitating her clients back into civilization once they´re released from prison. As a divorced single mother, she has difficulty connecting with her son, which is amplified bu the close relationship he shares with his stepmother. To distract herself from the challenging reality, Cathy focuses on her work instead to ignite a sense of purpose. After her cowerker refuses to take on the case of newly freed Mary Laidlaw ( Derbhle Cotty ), Cathy volunteers to help her settle her back into a life outside of prison. People talk about Mary being a witch and Cathy try to ignore what people say, trying not to be judgemental. Until two missing children is found dead as if they have gone through some kind of ritual, a lot of questions are beginning to circle around town.

Mandrake is in some ways a very traditional Irish film when it comes to the nature scenery and the Irish people. Unfoertunately there is no traditional Irish music here but i can accept that. And when you throw in a witch into this landscape it already matches well with the history of Ireland, because they did exist in Ireland as well. But the one thing that makes this film stand out from traditional Irish horror films is the folklore horror elements that are clearly seen througout this film. I would definetely say that this is what makes this film more effective than i expected. With that said i would say that Mandrake does have some other qualities as well. One of the things i appreciate is the portrait of of a divorced hard working mother. I am not saying it´s a good thing that she is divorced, but the portrait of the main character Cathy feels realistic played by actress Deidre Mullins ( who you should see in the really good TV mini series The Drowning ). Shes trying really hard to make things work with her son, while shes also trying to deal with her work as a parole officer. Deidre Mullis deliver a solid performance from start to finish, and to see her struggle even more as she is kidnapped definetely helps the film become interesting in a completely different way. Actress Derbhle Cotty ( who is a must see in the very powerful drama film Notes On A Scandal ) definetely show her acting abilities as the witch Mary, and you can feel that she is filled with a passion for darkness. The film looks beautiful especially during the bleak night scenes, and i have to mention how great the cinematography is from Conor Rotherham ( who actually worked on the viking film The Northman, a film you should see ). If you are intested in witchcraft horror films then i have a feeling you will enjoy Mandrake. Director Lynne Davison take this film very seriously and especially the witch influences, and it definetely makes this film look even more darker. If you are a folklore horror fan look no further, Mandrake should be exactly what you were hoping for. Who would have thought Irish witches could be this wonderful? I had no clue but i might actually date one, especially after the experience of seeing Mandrake.

Rating: DDD

A Father´s Legacy

This review is dedicated to my Grandfather Ingvar!

Having a father figure in your life is very important, especially if you come from a broken home or if your father isn´t around for some reason. In my case it was a bit special, because my father decided he wanted a different life and left his children behind. There are other things he did that i will not get into here because they are too personal, but let´s just say i needed to visit a psychiatrist to deal with a lot of the things he did towards me. I have forgiven my father for what he did since i felt that i can´t change the past, but i will always remember what happened. Things like that will never go away no matter how many years go by. So my real father figure became my Grandfather Ingvar who have always been there to support me. He didn´t know everything that happened between me and my father, i felt that i don´t need to tell him. I didn´t want him to feel more anger towards him than he already felt. What i especially appreciate with my Grandfather was that we spent a lot of time together, no matter if it was in his summer cabin, travelling in Europe or just travelling somewhere to meet family members. So i am grateful for a lot of great memories with Ingvar and will always cherish those memories. No matter who your father figure is in your life, it does help to have someone who you feel listen to you and want to spend time with you. You don´t have to do anything special always, it´s just hanging out together that makes a big difference. When it comes to films that takes on the subject of father figues i always think about one specific film. And that is the 2006 drama film The Pursuit Of Happyness, a very powerful film with Will Smith in the lead role as struggling salesman Chris Gardner who was homeless for a period of time while trying to make money selling portable-density scanners. This film is actually based on a period of time in the life of the real person known as Chris Gardner, who wrote a memoir on his life. A very sad story in many ways but also with a glimpse of hope, that no matter how far you sink there is always a way you can get back on track, no matter how long you have to fight back. I especially appreciate the message in this film where Chris try and teach his son Christopher Gardener, Jr ( played by Will Smith´s real son Jayden Smith ) that you have to work hard in life and never take anything for granted. Director Gabriele Muccino gave us a film that shows how important it is to have a father figure in your life, no matter how rough times are. The Pursuit Of Happyness is a powerful film that will touch your heart, and you should pick it up on DVD or Blu Ray and listen to the commentary track. If you hear the name Tobin Bell you probably think about the Saw franchise where he played the character John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise. Tobin have done a lot of different films in his career and i have seen a lot of his work. One of the films i have not seen yet is a film called A Father´s Legacy, a film i was highly recommended. I decided to give this film a chance to see if Tobin Bell would surprise me, since this is drama film. Is this a film everyone should give a chance, or is A Father´s Legacy not as good as i was hoping it would be?

Billy Ford ( Tobin Bell ) is a Vietnam veteran living on his own at his cabin, since his wife Cynthia passed away years ago. One day Billy suddenly gets an unexpected visit from a young man named Nick Wolfe ( Jason Mac ), who basically threaten Billy with a gun. He forces himself into Billy´s home and it turns out he have been shot from an armed robbery. Nick demands that Billy help him find medical supplies for his gun shot wound. Police are looking for Nick so he tries to stay low. As Nick never had his real father present in his youth, he begin to feel drawn to Billy and learn that he´s a good man. Can Nick get out of this or is it too late?

If you are expecting any Saw influences in A Father´s Legacy i can tell you right now that this is a completely different film. This is more of a realistic drama that could happen anywhere in this world, where one unexpected meeting could change two people´s lives completely no matter what background we have. In this scenario you have an old man who have been living alone for a long time, and now he have an intruder in his home. The story of A Father´s Legacy may start off what seems to be some kind of thriller but eventually turns into a completely different story. A story where two men get to share life experiences and learn from each other, where one of them have no idea what the future holds while the other have faith and knows where he is going. This is a faith based film and if you have read my reviews in the past, you might have noticed that i have seen some terrible faith based films such as God´s Not Dead 2 and Faith Under Fire. The good news is that A Father´s Legacy is actually a great film and that is especially thanks to the main characters. The acting in this film is what especially works from legendary actor Tobin Bell as the old man Billy Ford. Tobin have such a natural way to find a way to play different characters, and even if this character is quite different from John Kramer in Saw, i feel that Tobin want´s to challenge himself and do something different. Actor Jason Mac ( that fans of NCIS: Los Angeles might recognize in Season 5 ) also deliver a solid performance as criminal Nick Wolfe. You can tell that Nick is a young man who is struggling with a lot of personal problems, so maybe his encounter with Billy may actually turn his life around. For the first time Nick might actually feel like he have a father figure in his life. This film is also directed by Jason Mac and i think he did a good job. The location where this film is shot is simple and works well with the storyline, and i also feel that the cinematography by John Carrington looks great. A Father´s Legacy is a film that will show you why having a father role model might help a lost man find some kind of meaning in life, to find his own path. It´s a film that everyone can watch just to see that it´s ok to be a man and show you´re in pain, and we should not have to hide those feelings. If you are looking for a film that will make you emotional look no further, A Father´s Legacy will definetely affect you.

Rating: DDD

20 Years Anniversay Review Of Underworld

For a young generation today they could probably not imagine what life was like without social media and how it was to actually meet people and hang out, have real conversations and joke about anything you wanted. A lot of things have become so sensitive in today´s society, and it is harder to express yourself. But i can tell you that the early 2000´s had a lot of advantages compared to today. Back in those days you actually had comedians who could joke about everything without being cancelled, you could also make comedies such as Dude, Where´s My Car? and Freddy Got Fingered without causing chaos. The early 2000´s also had a lot of wondeful music releases from bands such as Korn, Papa Roach, Drowning Pool, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, basically when Nu Metal was still a thing. Unfortunately we did also have Victoria Beckham´s self titled solo album released in 2001. Let´s just say it is a pop album very easy to forget ( i should not even be talking about it ). The early 2000´s also released a lot of action movies and horror movies, who might have been fun back then. But when i look back at some of them today they may not be as fun now. A perfect example of that is the action comedy Hollywood Homocide with legendary actor Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Bruce Greenwood, Lena Olin and many others. I still remember some of the reviews this film had in cinema back in 2003, and they ripped this film apart. I can understand why, because this film has not aged well. I didn´t enjoy this film for a number of reasons, such as the comedy scenes didn´t work, the action scenes was not anything special and the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett just didn´t work. I had a look at this film again not that long ago and it´s actually worse now than what i thought back in 2003. Basically a film you have no reason to watch, so you can find something more interesting. One thing though that the 2000´s actually did manage to do was to bring vampire movies back on track. I enjoyed Dracula 2000, Blade II, 30 Days Of Night, Let The Right One In and many more. There are some terrible ones as well but overall i think the vampire genre did deliver entertaining films during the 2000´s. One of the films i especially remember is a action horror film called Underworld from director Len Wiseman ( who also directed Live Free Or Die Hard, also known as Die Hard 4.0 ). Underworld released in 2003 brought a new franchise to life where you had vampires fighting against lycans ( werewolves ). Actress Kate Beckinsale became a very beloved name thanks to the Underworld franchise as the character Selene and i realised that this first film turned 20 years this year. Since it has been a while since i watched the first Underworld film i decided to do a 20 Years Anniversary Review of this film, to see if i still enjoy it after so many years. Is the first Underworld still a great horror film to enjoy today, or has this film aged just as much as Donald Trump Jr´s epic meltdowns ?

For generations, a secret war have raged vampires and Lycans, an ancient species of werewolf. The vampires gain the upper hand when Lycan leader Lucian ( Michael Sheen ) seemingly dies at the hands pf vampire Kraven ( Shane Brolly ), who becomes the second-in-command to the vampires leading elders. Selene ( Kate Beckinsale ), an member of an elite group of elite assassins known as "Death Dealers", continues to pursue the extermination of the Lycans despite other vampires no longer believing them to be a threat. During a clash with the Lycans, Selene discovers that they are looking for Michael Corvin ( Scott Speedman ), a seemingly ordinary medical student. Ignoring Kraven´s insistence to ignore the situation, Selene decides to investigate Michael. 

The thing that made the first Underworld film unique at the time it was released was that we got a chance to see vampires fighting against werewolves in a more modern world. Of course there is a long history between vampires and lycans and you do find out some details on why they are fighting against each other. I personally enjoy the idea of this battle going on in a bigger city, and it is especially the violent scenes towards each other that is really entertaining. During the film we also find out some historical facts that are actually quite interesting, that helps you understand this world and how it has evolved through history. When it comes to the characters we do have especially three highlights here. Let us begin with main character Selene played by Kate Beckinsale and talk about a perfect match. Kate does her character so cool that you forget about some of the other characters in the film. She´s tough, not afraid to use violence and she is not afraid to tell anyone what´s on her mind. Actor Michael Sheen ( who have done a lot of really good films, especially Frost / Nixon, a must watch ) as the character Lucian is really fun to watch. This is the kind of villain you want in a film like this, who have no sympathy for anyone or cares how many he kills. I also enjoy legendary actor Bill Nighy as the second most powerfulof the vampire elders named Viktor. You can tell he must have had fun making this character in hiw own way. There are a few other good characters in this film as well, but these three characters deliver something special on the big screen. How is this film from a horror perspective? I would say that it´s not that scary ( at least not if you have seen a lot of vampire films ), but i do think the combination of horror and action is what makes Underworld entertaining to watch. You get plenty of gun battles and other violent scenes where vampires fight against lycans, and it´s hard not to be pleased about this combination. Some of the special effects such as the werewolf transformations may not work as well as it probably did back in 2003, but i can accept it. Anything negtive about Underworld to say? Well, maybe that some of the acting from the smaller cast isn´t very good. There are a few smaller characters that you honestly don´t care about since they leave no bigger impact. Otherwise i think this is a great first film in this franchise and Underworld will most likely continue to entertain audiences worldwide. If you love vampires and werewolves combined, then this is definetely the film you should see. Pick this film up on DVD or Blu Ray for a popcorn night, and i promise you are going to have a fun time. Who does not want to see Kate Beckinsale kick werewolf ass? Exactly, we all do.

Rating: DDD                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

M3GAN

I have always wanted a robot that can do foot massage. Imagine coming home from work and you can smell your feet from 160 miles away, why not dip your feet into a feet robot that does not only massage your feet, clean them as well while playing classic songs like All Night Long by Lionel Richie? There is a chance you might enjoy it so much that you might end your marriage, i guess it could be worse right? I have tried a feet machine that massaged your feet underneath, but i think i would like a much more upgraded version. Hopefully this will happen in the future if Lorenzo Lamas will become a President candidate ( who does not want Renegade in the White House? ). Robots are becoming more and more ordinary in society, you have robots that clean your home, serve your food, fix cars and even help you with other service jobs. You even have robots that are meant to please adults sexually, luckily i will never know how that works. I am sure that in the future we will see them in people´s ordinary home, but can we really trust all technology. Back in the year of 2001, legendary director Steven Spielberg brought up the subject of Artificial Intelligence in his film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. This film tells the story of David ( Haley Joel Osment ), a prototype Mecha humanoid robot child who is supposed to act like a child and learn to behave like a child. But how does a humanoid robot get the same emotions as a child, when you are not a human being? A.I. Artificial Intelligence turned out to be a very interesting film from Steven Spielberg where the subject of bringing new technology into a family home. There are some interesting subjects that this film does bring up as well, but it is definetely worth checking out with Haley Joel Osment giving another solid performance. Speaking of technology, what if a child was given the chance to have a artificial intelligence doll as a best friend? A friend that will always be there for you no matter what the future bring? It may sound like a wonderful idea on paper, but what if technology does not always follow the rules of human beings? M3GAN is a horror film that turned out to be a huge success in cinema worldwide and have really made an impact on social media. Since i am a bug horror fan and i love crazy dolls, this sounded like a film in my taste. Is M3GAN the best horror film so far of this year, or is this film just as boring as another Smokie tour that sounds exactly the same for 60 years?

An 8 year old girl named Cady ( Violet McGraw ) loses her parents in a horrible car accident. She is sent to live with her aunt Gemma ( Allison Williams ), a roboticist at the high-tech Seattle company Funki. Gemma is covertly using the company´s resources to develop M3GAN ( Model 3 Generative Android ), a child sized humanoid robot doll powered by artificial intelligence, designed to be the ultimate companion. After a failed test with M3GAN in the lab, Gemma´s boss David ( Ronny Chieng ) discovers the project and order her to stop work on it right away.  Gemma tries to focus on Cady and make her feel welcome into her home. Since she is alone and in need of a friend, Gemma have an idea. If she can create a friend to Cady with the parts left of M3GAN that was damaged and fix her, to make sure that she will have good company. At first everything seems to be going well, Cady loves M3GAN and she actually seems to be following orders by her creator. Until one day, when Gemma discover that maybe she is not in control after all....

Remember the 2019 version of Child´s Play where a high-tech Chucky doll kill people? That remake of the 1988 classic Child´s Play did bring up the subjects of what could happen if you let technology go too far. In M3GAN we have a similar idea where a young girl get a best artificial intelligence doll. I realise that some younger generations may believe M3GAN is an original idea but it´s not. We have seen similar stories before, but there are some differences. In this film we can clearly see that the technology itself have improved a lot. The artificial intelligence of M3GAN can do a lot more than any high-tech doll, and it also seems that she is able to express herself differently than we have seen an artificial intelligence have done before. Let´s dive into the positive parts that i appreciate about M3GAN. amd let us begin with M3GAN herself. In one way she may look nice from your first view but i really think they did a great job showing how quickly she can change personality. It becomes more interesting to learn how she works as we see her trying to handle different situations, where she clearly have problems to understand consequences. She will never be able to handle everything perfect which makes it even more scary having her taking care of a child. The horror elements works pretty good with the new technology aspects and makes you wonder, how can anyone trust artificial intelligence completely? What if you depend too much on technology and let go of the ordinary daily routines that we are used to have? Child actor Violet McGraw ( who you might recognize from the Netflix TV series The Haunting Of Hill House ) as the character Cady, proves once again why she is such a talented young actor. Actress Allison Williams ( who is perhaps most known from TV series Girls ) is a great match for the character Gemma, and you can actually feel that she clearly have a lot of knowledge on artificial technology. Anything negative to say?  Honestly i can´t really complain about M3GAN since this is a pretty clever horror film in many ways. Maybe it could have had something more original added to the story, but overall i think this is a horror film that does have a lot to say about the danger of technology. Director Gerard Johnstone ( director of the horror comedy Housebound, worth checking out ) deliver a well made horror film that will definetely make you think about where do we draw the line between letting technology control our lives. M3GAN manage to do something most horror films doesn´t do, and that is deliver horror scenes that works without being brutal or bloody. That alone is definetely not easy to make it work in this genre, so im definetely recommending this film. M3GAN is a must see if you love doll or toy horror films, who would not want this girl fixing your coffee every morning? I know i would.

Rating: DDD

The Fabelmans

I remember in the summer of 1986 i was hanging out at Nicklas home ( a school friend of mine who had the biggest VHS collection i have ever seen ) and his parents bought a lot of VHS films from a Home Entertainment club. I remember especially this summer because they had bought both of the Indiana Jones movies, the first one called Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark and the other one called Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom on VHS. We watched both films that night in Nicklas room and this was the very first time i fell in love with the Indiana Jones films. Harrison Ford as the snake hating archeologist Indiana Jones was the perfect character for a real adventure that took him worldwide. I did see the third film Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade in cinema several years after this, i believe i saw it in cinema in early 1990 ( even though i was too young to see it, but it was all worth it ). I also loved this sequel as well and there was just something magical about the Indiana Jones trilogy. I could probably talk all day long about my love for the 3 first Indiana Jones films ( i appreciate the 4th film even though it is not as good as the previous ones ), but one important detail about these films is that they are all directed by legendary director Steven Spielberg. Most movie lovers have a favourite Steven Spielberg film no matter if we are talking about E.T., Jaws, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Jurassic Park, Schindler´s List, the list never ends. Steven Spielberg have created movie magic for so many years that it is hard to pick a favourite. But if i had to pick one i believe i would probably choose the 1998 war movie Saving Private Ryan with Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Edward Burns and Tom Sizemore among others. A really powerful war movie that capture you right from the start with really strong acting performances, and very dramatic war scenes. A must see if you have not seen it, and listen to the commentary track of this film, no matter if you pick up the DVD or Blu Ray. There are several interesting details you will find out there that could be interesting. For quite some time director Steven Spielberg have had an idea of a movie telling the story of him growing up as he fell in love with movies and how he was inspired to become a film maker. And here we are with his latest film The Fabelmans that is said to be a film that really shows how his passion for films started, and i have been really curious to see this film for a long time. I finally did get a chance to see the film in cinema, so is this the best Steven Spielberg film in many years, or is the magic of Spielberg not as magical as it used to be?

On the night of January 10, 1952, in Haddon Township, New Jersey, Jewish couple Mitzi Schildkraut-Fabelman ( Michelle Williams ) and Burt Fabelman ( Paul Dano ) take their young son Samuel Fabelman ( Mateo Zoryan Francis-DeFord ) to see his first film Cecile B. Demille´s The Greatest Show On Earth. Dazzled by a scene involving a train, Samuel asks for a model set for Hannukah, which he crashes one night. Mitzi, understanding Samuel´s intentions, allows him to shoot another crash scene using Burt´s 8 MM camera. This is where Samuel begins his journey into making home made films and learning the process of film making. As teenage Samuel ( Gabriel LaBelle ) begin to proof his directing skills, he is also forced to see his own mother having depression problems. No matter what will happen in his family home, he understands that he can´t leave his passion for films behind.

If you grew up watching movies in cinema like i did you are going to love The Fabelmans. This is a true love letter to movie making and to cinema magic as well. You can really feel the passion for film making in this film right from the start to the very end, and this is clearly a film that director Steven Spielberg have a lot of passion for. It must have been quite special growing up during the 1960´s and learn the process of film making. This was at a time when they could not use any digital effects or computers, it was all done by trick filming, when to cut scenes and making practical effects work. But this is just not a film about the passion for film making but also a story of a family and all the challenges they face in ordinary life as well as hard times. Every family go through this and i feel that this film manage to capture both wonderful moments as well as the sad moments. The Fabelmans is a film that brings up the subject of struggling with depression, in this case we see this with the character mother Mitzi ( played really powerful by wonderful actress Michelle Williams ). I have met a lot of people struggling with depression in my 24 years in health care, so i actually think that the way Michelle portrait this in the film is very realistic. And i think it is very important that this film doesn´t only give you the glorious magic of cinema, that there is another reality out there that a lot of families can relate to. The acting in The Fabelmans is really good from many characters and i especially connect with the lead character Samuel Fabelman played by actor Gabriel LaBelle ( who i have seen in the 2018 film The Predator ). Gabriel really capture the magical feeling of the character Samuel and his passion for film making, and you really feel how much movies mean in his life. Comedian and actor Seth Rogen actually surprised me in this film as the character Bennie, he´s actually a good actor if he gets the right role. Legendary actor Judd Hirsch ( who can forget him from the 1996 classic Independence Day ) as granduncle Boris is absolutely amazing. I wish we could have seen more of him in this film. Even if The Fabelmans does not tell the whole truth of Steven Spielberg´s childhood you can actually feel that this film show a part of who he was in his youth. How talented he was and learned to create magic with his own view of the world. The Fabelmans is definetely a film that will please people who love movies, who grew up in the cinema and also for future film makers. This film also show that no matter what passion you have in life, never stop working hard to reach your goals, no matter how rough the journey may be. Director Steven Spielberg deliver a very professional, charming story that will touch a lot of hearts out there. Once again he proves why is is such an amazing director and i can not wait to see The Fabelmans again, a must watch on the big cinema screen.

Rating: DDDD

Bermuda Island

I still remember my first trip to another country when i was just 12 years old. My grandparents Ingvar and Elsa took me to San Augustin, Gran Canaria in January of 1990. At that time i have only seen my neighbor countries Norway and Denmark, so to come to a tropical island like this and witness banana trees, orange trees, palm trees everywhere, it was definetely something else. I fell in love with so many things, such as the white beaches to the simple restaurants. People were friendly and i even loved the small villages with the old houses. Back then we didn´t have internet so i can look back now and appreciate how people gathered to spend time together, no matter if you were a tourist or a citizen living there. At the pool i layed listening to my Sony Walkman cassette player, and one of the songs i remember was from the British band Curiousity Killed The Cat and their song Name And Number. There was one favourite restaurant called Loopy´s, and especially their amazing garlic bread. I have never tasted any garlic bread as good as they served at Loopy´s so i actually went back there just to have that. I remember we went to different locations with a bus company and witnessed some beautiful locations, but the roads were so small so the bus driver had to be on the lookout for cars passing by. This first trip to a troical location inspired me to travel in the future, and so i did and have been to 18 countries so far. Most of these countries are not tropical, but if i had to pick one of the most beautiful vacations i have been to so far it is definetely Thailand. Some of the amazing islands in Thailand are just incredible beautiful, and the ocean water is so clear. I would have easily stayed longer there if i could, but i hope to travel back at some point. Speaking of tropical islands, there are quite a lot of films where we find ourselves on a tropical island. Some of you might think about the Robert Zemeckis film Cast Away with Tom Hanks ( definetely worth watching ), and there are other great titles as well. But i decided to talk about one film not many of you might remember called Survival Island ( also known as Three in the UK ) from director Stewart Raffill. This film tells the story of a group of people on a luxary boat where a fire suddenly appear. The fire spreads too fast and everyone is forced to go in a survival boat. Only a few survivors make it to the shore of a tropical island, not knowing where they are or if they will meet any other people. Survival Island is in one way a simple thriller, but interesting from a survical perspective. What do you do to survive, how far are you willing to go? Interesting to see actor Billy Zane ( Titanic, Sniper, Dead Calm ) here as what seems to be a douchebag as the character Jack. If you love thrillers and tropical locations combined, i think Survival Island could be something worth checking out on DVD. If i mention the names Sonny Mahal and Michael Mahal, i would not be surprised if you are familiar of the films they have produced in the past. I have seen several of the films they have worked on and enjoyed every single one for different reasons, especially Night Of The Tommyknockers. I was given the honor to see their latest produced film called Bermuda Island, a film that looked exactly like a film in my taste. Is this one of the better horror films to see this year, or is Bermuda Island not as fun as i was hoping it would be?

A plane full of passangers on their way to a tropical paradise crash in the ocean during a storm. A lot of survivors manage to swim to an island, not knowing where they are or if anyone will find them. As they try to find ways to survive, they will soon find out that they are not alone on this island.

You could actually say that this is the monster version of Tom Hank´s classic Cast Away, but with a lot more people who survives a plane crash. The story of Bermuda Island is a simple setup that does not need to be complicated, since this is a film that is clearly inspired by tropical zombie classics such as Lucio Fulci´s 1979 zombie film Zombie Flesh Eaters, but includes demonic creatures instead of zombies. Let´s get into some of the positive details that i appreciate about Bermuda Island. First of all to hear such a big cast work together to survive means we get a lot of different characters. Being on an island together not knowing if you will be found by anyone, this means that the characters has to work together. I would say that for the most part the cast have a good chemistry while they try to adjust to reality. How do you arrange food supply? Do you search the island for useful material to build a home ? The cinematography by Michael Su looks great to the beautiful tropical locations. It really feels like they knew what look this film needed to make it a fun throwback to monster films of the past. The biggest highlight of Bermuda Island is definetely when the monsters begin to attack. They look like a combination of Rob Zombie on a bad hair day who have been demon possessed after seeing a Smokie concert. The practical effects is of course really appreciated in a film like this, since i love to see lots of blood and bodies being ripped open. Even if there are several great characters in this film, my absolute favourite character in Bermuda Island is wonderful actress Sara French who plays the character Carolyn. I don´t know what it is about Sara that makes her screen presence so enjoyable, maybe it is a combination of her acting and personality that matches so well. Actor Wesley Cannon as the character FBI Agent Victor Sweden ( the best FBI name i have ever heard in a film, i love it ) is really cocky and does not takes shit from anyone. Wesley manage to make his character stand out from the crowd with his loud mouth and rough attitude. Anything negative to say about Bermuda Island? If i wanted to find flaws i could probably do that, but i enjoyed this film for what it is, and that is the monster version of Cast Away that we all have been waiting for. Director Adam Werth deliver a film that will definetely please fans of monster horror classics. Bermuda Island is like a buffé at your favourite restaurant, you can find a lot of delicate pieces to be pleased about. Definetely worth checking out if you appreciate this genre and tropical locations as well.

Rating: DDD

Deadstream

Streaming on Youtube or other social medias is very popular all over the world. People love to stream talking about video games, movies, sports, art,  historical events and so on. And it seems that especially during the pandemic this was a great way to gather people, as a lot of countries had very strict Covid rules. And in moments like these people had the chance to see each other in smaller groups and even limit their social life to make sure people stay safe, where streaming turned out to be a great way to make it possible. It seems that it is still very popular to stream, and no matter what hobbies you have you can find a streamer that will fit your taste. One of the most odd streamers i have come across ( not even knowing people would stream about this ) is a streamer who calls herself Tiffany Liew on YouTube. She does live streaming videos where she is knitting ( yes you heard that right ), and if you love knitting then i guarantee you will love her YouTube channel. When i said odd i didn´t mean anything negative towards Tiffany Liew herself, it´s just that she does something completely different as a streamer and i think that is cool. Am i good at knitting? No i am terrible, but if i ever want to learn i will definetely check out her videos from now on. If you are curious to see her channel and her content, just write in Tiffany Liew on YouTube and you should find her easily. When we talk about streamers or let´s even say vloggers, there are horror films that includes this subject. Some films are alright while there is especially one film i really enjoy. And that is the 2014 found footage horror film Creep from director Patrick Brice. This film tells the story of videographer Aaron ( Patrick Brice ) who answers an online ad for one-day job in a remote town. The man who made the online ad, his name is Josef ( Mark Duplass ) and he wish to record a video before he dies. It turns out he has not long to live through a disease, so Aaron accept the job to make Josef final wish come true. But as they begin working on this video, Aaron notice that everything is not right with Josef. As a found footage horror film i have to say Creep is really well made and definetely worth picking up on DVD or Blu Ray. Speaking of streaming, i have heard about a found footage horror film called Deadstream. I read some reviews late last year that made the film interesting so i finally got a chance to check it out. Is this the found footage horror film everyone should be watching, or is Deadstream just as horrible as the 2017 film The Clapper ( a film i still don´t understand why it was even released ) ?

Internet vlogger Shawn Ruddy ( Joseph Winter ) isn´t as popular online as he wants to be, so to become more popular he comes up with the idea to visit one of the most haunted houses ever and record everything. At first everything seems pretty calm, until he notice that something strange is going on in here.    

Since this is pretty much a one man vlogger found footage horror film, you know you won´t see many characters in the entire film. And to be able to make that work you have to have an interesting story and a great main character as well. In the case of Deadstream i do have some positive things to say and especially one detail that i did not like about this film. But let us begin with the positive details, and i especially enjoy the lead character Shawn played by actor Joseph Winter. As a vlogger and a streamer you can not deny that he have a big passion for his work. This character is actually quite funny in some scenes, because he´s not as tough as he might seem. And it is in the scenes when he panic´s where the fun begins, that he clearly wasn´t prepared to meet any evil entity or spirit in this haunted house that he visits. What about the scary scenes? Since this is a found footage film you can´t expect a lot of CGI effects, since it is only practical effects. And this is actually something i appreciate with this film that they don´t focus on using digital effects in the entire film. It actually helps the old story surrounding this house become more interesting. There is especially one scene where Shawn gets attacked what seems to be like some kind of demonic zombie ( not sure how i could explain it ) and the practical make up effects looks great. I love when they make a real effort to make details such as these work. So what is the negative part about this film? The house itself doesn´t look that spooky. I would have prefered if they made the house look like it used to be, without the graffiti painted walls. I understand it is supposed to look like a house no one have lived in for a very long time, but i think they could have done it much more effective than they do here. Otherwise this is not a bad found footage horror film, there are elements that works and will definetely please fans of this genre. Directors Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter deliver a horror film that not only looks good but does have some entertaining moments. Deadstream shows that there is no limit of what you can do as a streamer or a vlogger, and that might be a warning sign that we probably shouldn´t take too many risks. Worth a watch, especially if you love vloggers.

Rating: DDD

Mad Heidi

One of my favourite hobbies on my free time is to visit waffle restaurants. I love waffles and could live on them forever, and waffle restaurants or cafés are the best. But i have a certain rule that i always do before i eat the waffle i am served. I always meisure that the waffle is the right size, which should be 7-inches long. So i always carry a meisure roller with me to each waffle restaurant. I have had waitors ask me why it is so important, and i try to explain why. I suppose they don´t really take this very seriously as i do, because i feel that this is extremely important. I am thinking about starting my own Waffle Meisuring Championship in the future, where the fastest ones who can meisure an amount of waffles within a certain time limit, wins a waffle trophy ( yes made by actual waffles ). I have to figure out what the championship competition will be called, but i guarantee it will have something sexy included. Speaking of waffles, i even remembered that we used to have them in my childhood home in the 80´s. That was a time when i wear my yellow / green shirt ( it was the 80´s, everything worked then ) and watched Prey For Death wish Sho Kusogi on VHS. Ninjas and waffles was actually a combination that worked. I am thankful that some directors have actually tried to make the 80´s come back to life in recent years, and a perfect example of that is the masterpiece known as Commando Ninja. Directed by Benjamin Combes, this film is the perfect love letter to 80´s action films, and tells the story of soldier John Hunter ( Eric Carlesi ) who is living an ordinary life with his young daughter. Until one day when she is kidnapped by a secret Ninja Organization, he must do everything to get her back. Commando Ninja is one of those films that is so damn good you get a boner within seconds. You get massive guns, explosions, ninjas, muscles, dinosaurs, time travelling and so much more. The film is a true love letter to the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Commando with some other 80´s elements thrown in there. A must watch for everyone. I always try and watch similar films such as Commando Ninja, especially if there is a film that tries something different and still have 80´s vibes. This is where i came across a film called Mad Heidi that i have been hearing for a while. I noticed that you can rent the film on the official webpage for Mad Heidi so i decided to do that. is this the best film you can see so far of the year 2023 or is Mad Heidi not as fun as i was hoping it would be? 

In a dystopian Switzerland that has fallen under the fascist rule of an evil cheese tyrant President Meili ( Casper Van Dien ), Heidi ( Alice Lucy ) lives the pure and simple life in the Swiss Alps, where her Grandfather Alpöhi ( David Schofield ) does his best to protect Heidi. One day Heidi´s boyfriend Goat Peter ( Kel Matsena ) is brutally killed by President Meili´s men, as they follow Heidi to her grandfather´s home. His home explodes and Heidi thinks he is dead as she is being taken away as a prisoner. She manage to escape eventually to begin her training into a real Alps warrior. Heidi will have her revenge.

If you didn´t think you would experience a perfect movie in 2023, think again!!!!!!

Mad Heidi is everything you could ask for, you have swiss nazis, swiss cheese, alp wrestling, alp outfits, alp music, cheese infected zombies, brutal kills, fantastic dialogue, acting better than most films released in the last century, and we also have the really cool 70´s blaxploitation look in this film. How is it even possible to make such a film like Mad Heidi and not even make it bad? It is like the whole crew on Mad Heidi knew that this is the film the whole world have been waiting for. So what is it especially that i love about Mad Heidi? First of all the comedic tone of this film is the funniest i have seen since.....Borat in 2006? Now think for a moment, that is 17 years ago a film really mad me laugh out loud. So alredy here you can tell that Mad Heidi is on the path to something great. I love all the crazy characters you can find in this film, especially 90´s legendary actor Casper Van Dien ( who have been in several classics such as Starship Troopers and Sleepy Hollow ) as President Meili ( President of Switzerland ). I don´t think anyone could have played this character as good as Casper Van Dien and i am really impressed how well he pulled this character off. I really love actress Katja Kolm ( who you should see in the 2017 film Mademoiselle Paradis ) as the insane character Fräulein Rottweiler. She is definetely the nightmare dating profile you wish never existed, and that is why we love this character so much. She is fearless, ego tripped and is definetely devoted to her country. The main character Heidi played by actress Alice Lucy is of course the biggest highlight of this film. She is absolutely fantastic as Heidi the alp assassin, and you can´t get enough of her killing. Since this is the first time we see Alice Lucy act as a lead actor in a bigger production film than she´s done before, i have to say she did a fantastic job and i really hope to see her return as this character. What other details do i love about Mad Heidi? The fact that lactose intolerance is a serious crime in Switzerland is really funny. The references to Switzerland food all the time and Switzerland traditions, it is all here and no matter how crazy this sounds it all makes perfect sense between attractive swiss women and brutal killings. Speaking about the brutal killings, there are some really funny butcher scenes in here where Heidi makes sure bodies are split apart. Director Johannes Hartmann and co-director Sandro Klopfstein have made a future cult classic with Mad Heidi that will be enjoyed for many generations ahead. There is just so much to enjoy about this film that you never want it to end. For me personally, this is exactly my kind of film and that is the reason why i call Mad Heidi a masterpiece. Swiss cheese anyone? Don´t mind if i do.

Rating: DDDDD

Guillermo Del Toro´s Pinnochio

As a kid i did watch some of the well known Disney films, such as Robin Hood, The Great Mouse Detective, Pinnochio and some other titles. But honestly i was not a huge fan of Disney films, because i watched completely different animated suff such as Thundercats, Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors, G.I. Joe, Rambo ( animated TV series ), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and much more. On Saturday mornings i would turn on Super Channel, because that was where you could watch violent cartoons back in the 80´s. As i got into my adult life, the only animated films i watched during that time was Manga films such as Fist Of The North Star, Urotsukidoji, Ghost In The Shell or classics such as Blood - The Last Vampire. Disney films wasn´t on my list most of the time, and only a few other animated films would cross my path such as Monsters Inc. Not that i have anything against animated films, i do appreciate some of them. But i have not been a huge fan of animated films in general, because i prefer other kinds of films instead. As you may have noticed over these years on my movie review blog, i never review animated films and this might explain why. I have been asked in the past if i was going to review any Pixar films, but didn´t feel interested in doing that. Since i mentioned Disney earlier there are some classics that a lot of people still to this day appreciate, and one of those films is Pinnochio. Released in 1940, Pinnochio tells the story of woodworker and toymaker named Geppetto, who creates a marionette whom he named Pinnochio. As Geppetto falls alseep, he wishes upon a star that for Pinnochio to be a real boy. Late that night, a Blue Fairy visit the workshop and brings Pinnochio to life. This is a charming Disney film that is well made, considering that it was released in 1940. Ever since this original film was released we have had other film versions released over the years, where one of the most bizarre versions has to be the 2002 film version with Italian actor Robert Benigni. This film version is quite different than you might expect, and i enjoy it. It´s not a fantastic film in any way, just entertaining. Last year we actually had 2 film versions released of Pinnochio, a new Disney adaptation from director Robert Zemeckis and a new Netflix film called Guillermo Del Toro´s Pinnochio. I have not seen the latest Disney film, but i decided to check out Del Toro´s version of this classic tale that was released on Netflix. Is this one of the better animated versions of the classic tale of Pinnochio, or is it not as good as i was hoping it would be? 

In Italy during World War I, the carpenter Geppetto loses his son, Carlo, during an aerial bombardment by Austro-Hungarian forces. Geppetto honors his memory by planting a pine cone that he found near Carlo´s grave, wich grows into a tall pine tree as Geppetto grieves for his son for over twenty years. One day Geppetto decides to cut down the pine tree, as he builds a wooden boy in drunken rage, he passes out and leaves the puppet unfinished. A blue humanoid being, known as the Wood Sprite, brings life to Pinnochio. As Geppetto wakes up, he discover that the wooden boy is actually alive. This gives Geppetto a chance to live a life with a son, that he didn´t get to live with Carlo.

If you were hoping for a traditional Pinnochio film, that this version will definetely let you down. But honestly i think this is the best animanted version i have seen of Pinnochio so far, even better than the original Pinnochio film. I know that a lot of Disney fans will not agree with me and that is completely fine. But when it comes to animation this is more of my style of an animated film, i like darker stories and with a completely different way to tell a story than most Disney films. So what is it i especially appreciate about Guillermo Del Toro´s Pinnochio? First of all the design of Pinnochio, i really like the different wooden design that might be creepy for smaller children. Because of his creepy look in this film, he does seem different than we have seen him in other film adaptations. I think they did a really good job on the design, and didn´t hold back on making changes. Sometimes it is good to try a different path and not just go with how things used to be. The animation in this film looks really good, and i just love some of the simple details as Pinnochio´s home with Gepetto´s work shop. You can tell that they worked hard to make the image of Geppeto´s workshop look good, but also bring in some nostalgic feelings as well from the story. I especially love the dark and sad atmopshere that we get to experience in this film, that everything is not a dance filled with joy. There are several really interesting characters in this adaptation of Pinnochio, and one of the most fascinating ones is without a doubt Count Volpe ( who´s voice is from legendary actor Christop Waltz ). You can´t trust him and you know he is greedy person. Pinnochio ( who´s voice is from child actor Gregory Mann ) is charming, funny at times and you can´t help enjoying his odd behavior in public. Pinnochio is definetely the best character in this film because he is filled with so much joy and odd dialogue. Gregory Mann does a really good job on the voice of Pinnochio. Directors Guillermo Del Torro and Mark Gustafson give us the most well made animated version of Pinnochio made so far, with so many details to be pleased about. I had a really good time with Guillermo Del Toro´s Pinnochio and might say that this is the best animated film i have seen for many years and this is definetely a must watch on Netflix.

Rating: DDDD