I remember autumn of 1989, especially because i had two crazy girls who had a crush on me, and send me letters ( i did not choose anyone of them, they were too much to handle ). During the autumn of 1989, my class mate Tom ( who played a lot of acoustic guitar ) picked up his guitar in class and started singing Dr. Feelgood. I did not know that this was a new song from heavy metal band Mötley Crue, but Tom told me i have to listen to this album. So i did, and i was knocked out of my chair, when i heard Kickstart My Heart for the first time. I knew who Mötley Crue was, especially for their Girls, Girls Girls album. But it was in 1989 when i really discovered the band for real, with the Dr. Feelgood album. I will admit that during this time, i listened a lot to the Queen album The Miracle as well, and Faith No More´s album The Real Thing ( especially since i really digged their single Epic ). Mötley Crue is a powerful band, and during this time they were still making a big impact worldwide. When the 90´s arrived, i remember hearing that singer Vince Neil was no longer a part of Mötley Crue, so their next studio album with singer John Corabi did not really made me interested at the time. I did listen to it, not awful, but i suppose i missed Vince´s voice. When Vince returned in 1997 with their studio album Generation Swine, the original line up was back. And the album did sell better than the 1994 album, but was still considered to be a flop in sales. Generation Swine was a very different album for Mötley Crue, they experimented with different music stiles. I will say this, i do enjoy some songs from this album such as Glitter and of course Let Us Prey ( my favourite song of this album ). Mötley Crue continued after the millenium and worked on new songs, and more tours worldwide. Even if the band decided to stop touring a couple of years ago, their music still lives on. If you say the band name to any metal head, i guarantee that they will start singing classics such as Live Wire or of course Shout At The Devil. When the band released their autobiogrophy in 2001, simply called The Dirt, the book sales were amazing. Everyone wanted to read about the insane life of Mötley Crue. After many years, a film based on the book have been made, based on the book. A movie about Mötley Crue, this must be a nightmare for all those Jim Bakker fans out there ? I am sure it is, so of course i had to see The Dirt, to see if this movie adaptation would tell the band´s incredible career in an honest way. Is this film almost as good as Bohemian Rhapsody, or should The Dirst stayed as a book instead and never have been made as a film ?
Nikki Sixx ( Douglas Booth ) is fed up with his family, and is trying to survive in Los Angeles as a musician. One day he is confronted by Tommy Lee ( Machine Gun Kelly ) who is a drummer and a huge fan of Nikki. They talk for a while, when Nikki reveal that he wants to put together a new band, that will make a big impact. After having guitar sessions, they find the right guitar player known as Mick Mars ( Iwan Rheon ). But they don´t have a frontman, so Tommy suggest they go check out a school friend of his known as Vince Neil ( Daniel Webber ). These 4 guys start working together on songs for their first album, and decide to name their band Mötley Crue. After their debut album Too Fast For Love is released, Mötley Crue is about to make history worldwide with their personalities, their songs and their crazy lifestyle.
Netflix have made some really good films so far, so i was worried that they would not let The Dirt become as wild as this film should be. Since we are talking about a band like Mötley Crue, you know you can´t make a film unless you show the real Mötley Crue. And i have to say, this film actually manage to find a good balance and show how wild this band was, especially during their drug and alcohol years in the 80´s. Everyone is having sex, doing cocaine and even destroying hotel rooms. Of course this film could have been even more wild, but that´s ok. Sometimes you have to find a limit, and i think they did a good choice here not to reveal every single scandal. Then the plot would have been very thin. We follow the band very early, before their first album Too Fast For Love was released from here we get to see different details about their career, their personal lives and how the band finally had their first number 1 album. The acting in this film is very divided. The best performance if i had to choose between the band members, is from actor Machine Gun Kelly as drummer Tommy Lee. He really nails the personality of Tommy Lee in a positive way. The second actor i also think managed to capture one of the personalities in Mötley Crue, is Ewan Rheon ( probably known from Game Of Thrones ) as Mick Mars. His grumpy identity fits in with the character of Mick, and you can tell that he is the old man in the band. Daniel Webber ( known from Netflix TV show The Punisher ) is pretty good as frontman Vince Neil, and you can sense that he is trying to capture the magic of Vince Neil´s stage personality. The only actor who could have done better with his character, is actor Douglas Booth ( who you probably have seen in Mr. Bingley in the film Pride And Prejudice And Zombies ) as Nikki Sixx. The overdose scenes are ok from an acting perspective, but you never really feel like he is Nikki Sixx. Is there anything else that is positive about this film ? The time periods are captured pretty good in this film, with clothes, hair style and the music style as well. And i have to mention the live scenes also looks pretty good. Director Jeff Tremaine ( the creator and director of Jackass ) have made a film that will especially please the fans of Mötley Crue, but might also find a younger audience as well. He have clearly had a passion to tell this story, and even if i find a few details he could have improved i still think The Dirt is a fun ride. Mötley Crue will always be a nightmare to extreme feminists and prude people, and that is the way it should be. When you hear Mötley you just want to headbang and have a good time. If you love metal and classic 80´s songs, The Dirt is the film you should check out and....just so you know.... be prepared to dance.
Rating: DDD
lördag 23 mars 2019
torsdag 21 mars 2019
District 9 10 Years Anniversary Review In May
Cheers everyone!
Daniel here, the Swedish movie review guy that loves movies. March is coming to an end and i have one review left to finish and publish. But i have some good news for science fiction lovers out there. This year it will be 10 years since director Neil Blomkamp released his science fiction film District 9, a film that proved that you don´t need a massive budget to make a really well made film. I have not seen this film since this film came out, and i remember how much i appreciated this film 10 years ago. So i have decided to watch the film again, 10 years later, to see if i appreciate this film just as much as i did back in 2009. If you don´t know who director Neil Blomkamp is, you might recognize some of his other films such as Elysium or perhaps Chappie ? Both films are in the science fiction genre. So in May i am hoping to publish my 10 Years Anniversary Review Of District 9, when i know what other movie reviews will be published first.
Are you excited about my fresh movie reviews in April ? I know i am..... :)
Cheers from Daniel
Daniel here, the Swedish movie review guy that loves movies. March is coming to an end and i have one review left to finish and publish. But i have some good news for science fiction lovers out there. This year it will be 10 years since director Neil Blomkamp released his science fiction film District 9, a film that proved that you don´t need a massive budget to make a really well made film. I have not seen this film since this film came out, and i remember how much i appreciated this film 10 years ago. So i have decided to watch the film again, 10 years later, to see if i appreciate this film just as much as i did back in 2009. If you don´t know who director Neil Blomkamp is, you might recognize some of his other films such as Elysium or perhaps Chappie ? Both films are in the science fiction genre. So in May i am hoping to publish my 10 Years Anniversary Review Of District 9, when i know what other movie reviews will be published first.
Are you excited about my fresh movie reviews in April ? I know i am..... :)
Cheers from Daniel
måndag 18 mars 2019
St. Agatha
Mothers of all ages should be respected. All the hard work you put into making everything work in your family, and for everything you do to make your kids ordinary day function. I think men ( not all men, but some ) don´t show their appreciation sometimes towards their wife / girlfriend. Take her out for a dinner, buy her some flowers, or if you really want to make her happy, give her a Dolph Lundgren DVD box set. Why is this the perfect choice ? Very easy, you see, Dolph is every woman´s fantasy. How do i know that ? I just happen to know ( not speaking about myself ). When it comes to movies that talk about motherhood, we have a lot of films to choose between. So i thought i should pick out 2 films that you should see. Let us start with Spanish horror film The Orphanage, released in 2007. A very well made film from Spanish director J.A. Bayona ( who recently directed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ). This film is about a woman named Laura, who return to her home after many years, a big house that used to be an orphanage. She plans to open the orphanage again, while she is living here with her husband Carlos and her 7 year old son Simón. One day Laura sees a strange child, wearing a sack mask. Who is this child, and why is he wearing a sack mask ? Her worst nightmare becomes real when her son Simón disappear and is gone for months. Laura never stops looking, but is there a connection to Simón´s disappearance and the past of the orphanage ? If you have not seen The Orphanage, then you really should. This is in my personal opinion the best film from director J.A. Bayona, and lead actress Belén Rueda ( who is also very good in the Spanish horror film Julia´s Eyes ) gives us a really strong performance in The Orphanage. My next film choice is of course, a film that affected me personally for different reasons. I am talking about the horror movie The Lullaby ( also known as Siembamba ). The lead actress Reine Swart did one of the best horror performances of 2018, and i have to say that she should have been nominated at the Golden Globe Awards. One of the things that really made my year special last year, is that Reine Swart shared my review of The Lullaby on her Facebook page, and this was a big honor for me. To have such a wonderful actress share my work, was the highlight of last year for me. The Lullaby tells the story of young mother Chloe, who is struggling with her mental health and have problems taking care of her new born baby. This film is a very effective story, about motherhood and especially about personal problems. The horror elements in this film is also a detail that works really well, and director Darrel Roodt clearly knew how to tell a story about motherhood. Recently i listened to a new horror movie review on YouTube channel Geek Legion Of Doom, a film called St. Agatha. The premise of this film sounded interesting, so i decided to check it out. Is this an effective horror film, or is St. Agatha a film that will most likely be forgotten ?
The year is 1957, and outside a small town of Georgia, a pregnant woman named Mary ( Sabrina Kerm ) seeks refugee at a convent Sisters Of Divinity. Mother Superior ( Carolyn Hennesy ) is making sure that Mary feels welcome to her new home. But Mary starts to feel that something is not right in her new home, that The Sisters Of Divinity may not be such a wonderful place after all.
I have to be honest and say, St. Agatha is one of the most interesting independent films i have seen this year so far. There is a strange mix here of Catholic Church, psychological control and evil religious behavior towards women. I know you must be thinking that this does not sound like a good combination, and this is exactly how i feel after watching this film. Seeing these women being treated like garbage, is disturbing. You would think that this should be a place where they look after women who had a rough life, but instead they end up in a real hell instead. This film does a good job portraying the year of 1957, with the costume design and the location of the old house. The mentality of these so called Nuns feel very old fashioned. And they are clearly brain washed, when you see how they actually behave towards these young women. There are several performances that works in this film, but i have to say that actress Carolyn Hennesy ( who you might remember from TV series Cougar Town as the character Barbara Coman ) as the evil Mother Superior is absolutely astonishing. Her character is perfect for a film like this, and Carolyn´s performance lift this film up into another level of quality. She must have done a lot of research about how to play a very manipulative religious person before going into this role. Lead actress Sabrina Kern also gives a strong performance as Mary, who is trying to find a way to deal with her life. Actress Trin Miller ( who played Leslie in the masterpiece film Captain Fantastic ) also gives a strong performance as sister Paula. The plot may be simple, but still very effective. I personally think that the story manage to connect so well, thanks to the great characters and the disturbing environment in this convent. Director Darren Lynn Bausman ( who some of you might remember for being the director of Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV ) have made an independent film that don´t rely on any jump scares. This is a horror film that builds itself up on a psychological level, and show you how evil humans can be. I would not say that St. Agatha is an original film, but i will say that this is one of the best religious themed horror films i have seen in recent years. I am going high on the rating for St. Agatha, since i really enjoyed this film. If you want a really good independent horror film on VOD, you should see St. Agatha and hopefully enjoy it as much as i did ( hoping for a DVD release with a Director´s Commentary track ).
Rating: DDDD
The year is 1957, and outside a small town of Georgia, a pregnant woman named Mary ( Sabrina Kerm ) seeks refugee at a convent Sisters Of Divinity. Mother Superior ( Carolyn Hennesy ) is making sure that Mary feels welcome to her new home. But Mary starts to feel that something is not right in her new home, that The Sisters Of Divinity may not be such a wonderful place after all.
I have to be honest and say, St. Agatha is one of the most interesting independent films i have seen this year so far. There is a strange mix here of Catholic Church, psychological control and evil religious behavior towards women. I know you must be thinking that this does not sound like a good combination, and this is exactly how i feel after watching this film. Seeing these women being treated like garbage, is disturbing. You would think that this should be a place where they look after women who had a rough life, but instead they end up in a real hell instead. This film does a good job portraying the year of 1957, with the costume design and the location of the old house. The mentality of these so called Nuns feel very old fashioned. And they are clearly brain washed, when you see how they actually behave towards these young women. There are several performances that works in this film, but i have to say that actress Carolyn Hennesy ( who you might remember from TV series Cougar Town as the character Barbara Coman ) as the evil Mother Superior is absolutely astonishing. Her character is perfect for a film like this, and Carolyn´s performance lift this film up into another level of quality. She must have done a lot of research about how to play a very manipulative religious person before going into this role. Lead actress Sabrina Kern also gives a strong performance as Mary, who is trying to find a way to deal with her life. Actress Trin Miller ( who played Leslie in the masterpiece film Captain Fantastic ) also gives a strong performance as sister Paula. The plot may be simple, but still very effective. I personally think that the story manage to connect so well, thanks to the great characters and the disturbing environment in this convent. Director Darren Lynn Bausman ( who some of you might remember for being the director of Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV ) have made an independent film that don´t rely on any jump scares. This is a horror film that builds itself up on a psychological level, and show you how evil humans can be. I would not say that St. Agatha is an original film, but i will say that this is one of the best religious themed horror films i have seen in recent years. I am going high on the rating for St. Agatha, since i really enjoyed this film. If you want a really good independent horror film on VOD, you should see St. Agatha and hopefully enjoy it as much as i did ( hoping for a DVD release with a Director´s Commentary track ).
Rating: DDDD
söndag 17 mars 2019
Creed 2
About 2 weeks ago i got the best news in a long time, on September 20th is the premiere date of Rambo 5. Really ? Yes, this is awsome. I realize that this might be the last time we see legendary actor Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, but that´s ok. I have followed Stallone´s career since i was a young boy, and i have a lot of his films on DVD and Blu Ray. I have no idea if Rambo 5 will be any good, since you can never be sure until you have seen the film. But i have a feeling that i will have a good time in the Cinema, since i really enjoyed Rambo 4 back in 2008. Sylvester Stallone have had an amazing career so far, and he have made some really great films in the past. I posted my 30th Anniversary movie review of Tango & Cash this week here on my movie review blog, so check it out if you like. Speaking of Stallone, if you would ask most fans of 80´s films, i guarantee that most people will say that one of the best classics of the 80´s is without a doubt Rocky 4. This sequel was a smash hit, but also inroduced one of the greatest Russian boxers of all time, Ivan Drago ( played fantastic by Swedish Icon Dolph Lundgren ). The fighting scenes between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago is magical. Rough and violent, but this is supposed to be an epic battle. Rocky 4 is one of those movies you should have playing at your wedding. Why ? Because there is nothing more romantic than seeing Ivan Drago as the Russian war machine, hitting harder than anyone. All of all Rocky sequels that have been made, i have to say Rocky 5 was not very good, released in 1990. It is a sequel that tries to tell a very dramatic story about Rocky and his family issues, but never really capture you from the start. Luckily, Stallone fixed this with the really good sequel Rocky Balboa in 2006. Since Rocky was not going to fight anymore, it felt natural for him to become the trainer of Apollo Creed´s ( Carl Weathers ) son Adonis Creed ( really well played by actor Michael B. Jordan ). The film Creed was a very well made boxing drama, and made sure to keep the legacy of both Rocky Balboa, and especially Apollo Creed. Directed by Ryan Coogler ( who also directed Black Panther and the very good independent film Fruitville Station ) who found a great balance to tell a story about how hard life can be, and how to deal with your inner demons in the ring. When i Heard that a sequel was coming, bringin back legendary Russian fighter Ivan Drago, i was really pumped up. How would they connect this story from Rocky 4 into present day with Adonis Creed ? I was supposed to see this film in a Cinema, and that never happened unfortunately. So i got myself a Blu Ray copy instead, really excited to see what this sequel would offer. Is this a worthy sequel to the really good Creed movie, or is the Creed franchise ready to throw in the towel for good this time ?
Three years have passed since Adonis Creed ( Michael B. Jordan ) lost against the fighter " Pretty " Ricky Conlan ( Tony Bellew ). Adonis scores a string a victories, including winning the WBC World Heavyweight Championship against Danny " Stuntman " Wheeler ( Andre Ward ). Adonis proposes his girlfriend Bianca Taylor ( Tessa Thompson ) and she says yes. Bianca suggest that they should start a new Life in Los Angeles, so they can focus on a new chapter in Life that might not be as easy to do in Philadelphia. Adonis is not sure about this, since he have his roots in Philadelphia, especially with Rocky Balboa ( Sylvester Stallone ). Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes news of legendary Russian boxer Icon Ivan Drago ( Dolph Lundgren ) who have been training his son Victor Drago ( Florian " Big Nasty " Munteanu, to have him fight against Adonis. Rocky does not approve this, and do not want to train Adonis when he is approached about this. Adonis is upset and decide to move to Los Angeles with Bianca and still do the fight, to honor his dead father. The big night comes, and Adonis is ready to show the Drago family who is still the champion. But the fight does not go as planned, and Adonis is seriously beaten up. However, since Victor Drago break some rules, he can not get the title so Adonis keeps the title. Ivan Drago is furious, his son needs to get the title he lost almost 33 years ago. Rocky visit Adonis at the hospital, where you can tell there are a lot of personal issues between them after this fight. Adonis has to heal, Before getting back into the ring. But he has no intention of giving up, and he is especially ready to fight Victor again, one last time.
I really enjoyed the first Creed movie, and i am happy to say that this sequel does not feel like a failure. There are some differences with this sequel, since this is supposed to keep the legacy of legendary fighter Apollo Creed, and we are also introduced to Ivan Drago´s son Viktor Drago. Knowing that this is a fight between Adonis Creed and Victor Drago, is what makes this film special. Over 30 years later, we get to see these families still going up in the ring, trying to honor their family name. One of the details that i am especially interested in, is the story beween Ivan Drago and his son Victor. You can tell in especially one scene that they have a lot of personal issues, especially Victor who is angry at his mother Ludmilla Drago. I would love to see a film focusing about the Drago family, that would be very interesting to see. Let´s talk about the acting. It comes as no surprise that actor Michael B. Jordan knows how to deliver a strong performance as Adonis Creed, he makes sure of that in this sequel as well. Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa is as always amazing, no one can make this character the way he does it. It is so great to see Dolph Lundgren back as Ivan Drago, and even if you don´t hear him a lot, you can tell he is in pain after his loss against Rocky back in 1985. I am especially surprised to see that actor Florian Munteanu as Victor Drago play his character so well. The scene where he let his emotions out towards his father Ivan, how he feels betrayed by his mother is touching. Actress Tessa Thompson is also one of the actors who deliver a performance you really appreciate, she feels so natural and give us a strong woman portrait as Bianca. Always lovely to see actress Phylicia Rashad return as Mary Anne Creed, she also does a great acting performance. Legendary actress Birgitte Nielsen does a short return as Victor´s mother Ludmilla, nice to see her back on the big screen again. One of the things i did notice while watching Creed 2, is that this film is more focused on family issues than last time. In the previous film, it was more about Adonis Creed finiding his own path, while this time it is more about family issues. And since we know there is a connection here to Rocky 4, the plot does feel emotional since we know there is a lot of history behind these families. Just to make things clear, this sequel is not as good as the first Creed film. I don´t think the dramatic tone of this film works as well as it did in Creed, but this film does work well as a sequel. Director Steven Caple Jr. ( who directed the drama The Land, respected by movie critics ) have managed to make a sequel that connects both Rocky 4 and the story to Adonis Creed in a powerful way. Creed 2 is a well made boxing drama that will most likely be appreciated by fans of the Rocky franchise, and might find a new audience as well. Something tells me this is not the last time we will see Adonis Creed in the ring. If this is true, then i am looking forward to see Michael B. Jordan back. Until then, check out Creed 2 on DVD or Blu Ray and experience a nostalgic trip that connects the future.
Rating: DDD
Three years have passed since Adonis Creed ( Michael B. Jordan ) lost against the fighter " Pretty " Ricky Conlan ( Tony Bellew ). Adonis scores a string a victories, including winning the WBC World Heavyweight Championship against Danny " Stuntman " Wheeler ( Andre Ward ). Adonis proposes his girlfriend Bianca Taylor ( Tessa Thompson ) and she says yes. Bianca suggest that they should start a new Life in Los Angeles, so they can focus on a new chapter in Life that might not be as easy to do in Philadelphia. Adonis is not sure about this, since he have his roots in Philadelphia, especially with Rocky Balboa ( Sylvester Stallone ). Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes news of legendary Russian boxer Icon Ivan Drago ( Dolph Lundgren ) who have been training his son Victor Drago ( Florian " Big Nasty " Munteanu, to have him fight against Adonis. Rocky does not approve this, and do not want to train Adonis when he is approached about this. Adonis is upset and decide to move to Los Angeles with Bianca and still do the fight, to honor his dead father. The big night comes, and Adonis is ready to show the Drago family who is still the champion. But the fight does not go as planned, and Adonis is seriously beaten up. However, since Victor Drago break some rules, he can not get the title so Adonis keeps the title. Ivan Drago is furious, his son needs to get the title he lost almost 33 years ago. Rocky visit Adonis at the hospital, where you can tell there are a lot of personal issues between them after this fight. Adonis has to heal, Before getting back into the ring. But he has no intention of giving up, and he is especially ready to fight Victor again, one last time.
I really enjoyed the first Creed movie, and i am happy to say that this sequel does not feel like a failure. There are some differences with this sequel, since this is supposed to keep the legacy of legendary fighter Apollo Creed, and we are also introduced to Ivan Drago´s son Viktor Drago. Knowing that this is a fight between Adonis Creed and Victor Drago, is what makes this film special. Over 30 years later, we get to see these families still going up in the ring, trying to honor their family name. One of the details that i am especially interested in, is the story beween Ivan Drago and his son Victor. You can tell in especially one scene that they have a lot of personal issues, especially Victor who is angry at his mother Ludmilla Drago. I would love to see a film focusing about the Drago family, that would be very interesting to see. Let´s talk about the acting. It comes as no surprise that actor Michael B. Jordan knows how to deliver a strong performance as Adonis Creed, he makes sure of that in this sequel as well. Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa is as always amazing, no one can make this character the way he does it. It is so great to see Dolph Lundgren back as Ivan Drago, and even if you don´t hear him a lot, you can tell he is in pain after his loss against Rocky back in 1985. I am especially surprised to see that actor Florian Munteanu as Victor Drago play his character so well. The scene where he let his emotions out towards his father Ivan, how he feels betrayed by his mother is touching. Actress Tessa Thompson is also one of the actors who deliver a performance you really appreciate, she feels so natural and give us a strong woman portrait as Bianca. Always lovely to see actress Phylicia Rashad return as Mary Anne Creed, she also does a great acting performance. Legendary actress Birgitte Nielsen does a short return as Victor´s mother Ludmilla, nice to see her back on the big screen again. One of the things i did notice while watching Creed 2, is that this film is more focused on family issues than last time. In the previous film, it was more about Adonis Creed finiding his own path, while this time it is more about family issues. And since we know there is a connection here to Rocky 4, the plot does feel emotional since we know there is a lot of history behind these families. Just to make things clear, this sequel is not as good as the first Creed film. I don´t think the dramatic tone of this film works as well as it did in Creed, but this film does work well as a sequel. Director Steven Caple Jr. ( who directed the drama The Land, respected by movie critics ) have managed to make a sequel that connects both Rocky 4 and the story to Adonis Creed in a powerful way. Creed 2 is a well made boxing drama that will most likely be appreciated by fans of the Rocky franchise, and might find a new audience as well. Something tells me this is not the last time we will see Adonis Creed in the ring. If this is true, then i am looking forward to see Michael B. Jordan back. Until then, check out Creed 2 on DVD or Blu Ray and experience a nostalgic trip that connects the future.
Rating: DDD
lördag 16 mars 2019
Holmes & Watson
Detective novels was one of my favourite books in my youth. I used to read the most interesting murder novels ( even though it took me a long time to finish them ), with very well known criminal authors. One of the classics that i did enjoy reading was books from author Arthur Conan Doyle, and especially his novel The Hound Of The Baskervilles, where Detective Sherlock Holmes try to solve a murder mystery in Baskervilles with his sidekick Dr Watson. The legendary detective Sherlock Holmes have been very popular for a very long time, and the books by author Arthur Conan Doyle is still today read by millions of people. Sherlock Holmes had a very unique personality, and the way he solved crimes was also something that captured the attention of readers. I think one of the reasons why this legendary character is still loved today, is the way that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his novels, he knew how to tell stories about murders without being too graphical. I remember seeing the TV movie adaptation of The Hound of The Baskervilles, released in 1983 with legendary actor Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed this film, and they managed to tell the story of the mystery surrounding Baskerville in an interesting way. There are plenty of films done with Sherlock Holmes, with a lot of different actors. But my personal favourite so far is the TV series with British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes. I did enjoy the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr, but i have to say that Benedict Cumberbatch made the Sherlock Holmes character come to life in a complete different way than before. if you have not seen the TV series Sherlock, i suggest you watch it on Netflix. Let´s change subject for a short while. How many of you remember the 2008 comedy known as Step Brothers with actors Will Ferrell and John C. Reilley ? It was a really funny film about 2 adult step Brothers, who are adults living at home with their parents but act like they are still children. Both actors did a really good job playing spolied brats in adult bodies, and i suggest you see the very funny music video with them both doing a hip hop video called Boats N´ Hoes, just really funny comedy material. When i saw the trailer for Holmes & Watson, that Will Ferrell and John C. Reilley would reunite to a new Sherlock Holmes comedy, i was happy. Do we finally have a funny comedy, that would be just as crazy as Step Brothers turned out to be, or is this a movie that does not deserve to exist at all ?
In the year of 1881, Sherlock Holmes ( Will Ferrel ) meets and befriends John Watson ( John C. Reilly ). They begin to work together as Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, trying to solve crimes and catch criminals. During the trial of Professor James Moriarty ( Ralph Fiennes ), who is a suspect of murder, Holmes declare that Moriarty is not the killer. Instead, he believe that a man named Jacob Musgraves is the man they need to catch instead. As Holmes believe he have solved this case. Watson have arranged a surprise party for Holmes birthday at Buckingham Palace. While cutting the birthday cake, a body falls out of the cake. Holmes is on the case right away, as Queen Victoria ( Pam Ferris ) ask Holmes to solve this murder. The most brilliant detective in the history of England will find the truth, or is he simply too stupid to do that ?
Maybe i was hoping too much with a great cast, when i feel disappointed. Because a lot of the scenes that are supposed to be very funny miss the goal. Now, i do think it was a great idea to have Will Ferell and John C. Reilley return in a new film together. Unfortunately we don´t get the same magic here as we got in the very funny comedy Step Brothers. For some reason, they don´t seem to find the right comedy elements in this Sherlock Holmes adaptation. The vulgar language and the comedy timimg does not deliver as much entertaining as this film should have with a cast like this. We even have actors Ralph Fiennes , Rebecca Hall and Steve Coogan in this film, so how can you fail with a cast like this ? There are only a very few scenes i smiled, but not more than that ( especially a musical scene where Sherlock Holmes dance on the streets of London, looking for Dr Watson as he is in love with him, a good idea to bring in gay influences ). Will Ferell does at least not do as bad performance as John Malkovich did in Johnny English from 2003. I am telling you, i have never seen Malkovich make a fool of himself, and that performance was dreadful. John C Riley usually manage to deliver solid comedy scenes, but fails to do so in several scenes. One of the few performances that does not fail completely, is actor Hugh Laurie ( who you might remember from the critially acclaimed TV series House ) as Mycroft. There is also a funny scene where Billy Zane goes on board on Titanic ( reference to the 90´s classic ), and both Holmes & Watson are exremely happy, because that is Billy Zane. . With all the missed oppurunities, it feels like Holmes & Watson feels like a comedy that is trying too hard to make people laugh. Director Etan Cohen directed the pretty funny comedy Get Hard, the first time he worked togeher with actor Will Ferrell. This was a film that actually had some funny scenes, but it feels like Etan may have taken on this project without knowing how to make it work with Sherlock Holmes. He clearly does not seem to use the right comedy influences correctly, so he basically throws in anything to make people laugh. I wish that comedian and director Simon Pegg ( who has done a number of really good comedies such as Shaun Of The Dead and of course Hot Fuzz ) would have directed Holmes & Watson, and we might have had a completely different film. If you enjoyed Step Brothers, i suggest you skip Holmes & Watson, because i guarantee that you will be disappointed. I am not surprised why this film bombed at the box office, we deserved something better than this.
Rating: DD
In the year of 1881, Sherlock Holmes ( Will Ferrel ) meets and befriends John Watson ( John C. Reilly ). They begin to work together as Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, trying to solve crimes and catch criminals. During the trial of Professor James Moriarty ( Ralph Fiennes ), who is a suspect of murder, Holmes declare that Moriarty is not the killer. Instead, he believe that a man named Jacob Musgraves is the man they need to catch instead. As Holmes believe he have solved this case. Watson have arranged a surprise party for Holmes birthday at Buckingham Palace. While cutting the birthday cake, a body falls out of the cake. Holmes is on the case right away, as Queen Victoria ( Pam Ferris ) ask Holmes to solve this murder. The most brilliant detective in the history of England will find the truth, or is he simply too stupid to do that ?
Maybe i was hoping too much with a great cast, when i feel disappointed. Because a lot of the scenes that are supposed to be very funny miss the goal. Now, i do think it was a great idea to have Will Ferell and John C. Reilley return in a new film together. Unfortunately we don´t get the same magic here as we got in the very funny comedy Step Brothers. For some reason, they don´t seem to find the right comedy elements in this Sherlock Holmes adaptation. The vulgar language and the comedy timimg does not deliver as much entertaining as this film should have with a cast like this. We even have actors Ralph Fiennes , Rebecca Hall and Steve Coogan in this film, so how can you fail with a cast like this ? There are only a very few scenes i smiled, but not more than that ( especially a musical scene where Sherlock Holmes dance on the streets of London, looking for Dr Watson as he is in love with him, a good idea to bring in gay influences ). Will Ferell does at least not do as bad performance as John Malkovich did in Johnny English from 2003. I am telling you, i have never seen Malkovich make a fool of himself, and that performance was dreadful. John C Riley usually manage to deliver solid comedy scenes, but fails to do so in several scenes. One of the few performances that does not fail completely, is actor Hugh Laurie ( who you might remember from the critially acclaimed TV series House ) as Mycroft. There is also a funny scene where Billy Zane goes on board on Titanic ( reference to the 90´s classic ), and both Holmes & Watson are exremely happy, because that is Billy Zane. . With all the missed oppurunities, it feels like Holmes & Watson feels like a comedy that is trying too hard to make people laugh. Director Etan Cohen directed the pretty funny comedy Get Hard, the first time he worked togeher with actor Will Ferrell. This was a film that actually had some funny scenes, but it feels like Etan may have taken on this project without knowing how to make it work with Sherlock Holmes. He clearly does not seem to use the right comedy influences correctly, so he basically throws in anything to make people laugh. I wish that comedian and director Simon Pegg ( who has done a number of really good comedies such as Shaun Of The Dead and of course Hot Fuzz ) would have directed Holmes & Watson, and we might have had a completely different film. If you enjoyed Step Brothers, i suggest you skip Holmes & Watson, because i guarantee that you will be disappointed. I am not surprised why this film bombed at the box office, we deserved something better than this.
Rating: DD
måndag 11 mars 2019
Dark Sister
Ever since i was a young boy, i grew up learning about art. Both of my parents used to paint, and they have made several paintings, and i have 2 of them in my home. Both of the paintings were made by my father, who have painted for many years. My mother stopped painting for personal reasons, but she does go to art exhibitions. I used to draw also, but not for the same reason as my parents did. But there was one painting i did do, back in the year 2003 while working at a school for disabled students. I was working with one of the students in art class, and the teacher asked if i could paint as well. So i did, and i painted a pear, with a energy field, with an arm strangling a man. I remember the reaction from the art teacher, she was fascinated by my bizarre painting as she wanted me to tell her what went through my mind painting this. I did explain that i just had an image of my mind, about an angry pear, who wanted to get the anger out, so the strangling was a way to get the anger out. The art teacher said that she have never seen anything like this before, and she suggested that i should paint more. I never did really, except i kept the painting. When we speak about art in horror movies, we do have some titles to choose between. And i would like to talk about one specific film, that made art look very bizarre and fascinating in director David Cronenber´s cult classic Videorome, released in 1983. This film may not include paintings in that sense, but have a very artistic style that reminds us of painted pictures through TV. Videorome tells the story of Max Renne ( played by legendary actor James Woods ) who is the president of CIVIC-TV, a Toronto UHF television station. The ratings are bad, so Max decide to do something about this. As he is introduced to a new TV show called Videorome, he may finally have found what he is looking for. This film is very bizarre in many ways, and this is why i enjoy this film for the artistic style inspired by bad TV shows. Director David Cronenberg does a really good job trying to tell a story of how far we might be willing to go, to reach our goal. I recently came across a trailer on Wild Eye Releasing, on a Australian horror film called Dark Sister, at this film does look very different from what i have seen recently. And when i see an independent film that tries to go a different path, of course i am interested. Is this a horror film for the audience who loves art, or should someone paint all over Dark Sister and make the film vanish forever ?
Artist Cassie ( Amanda Woodhams ) paint what she sees from visions, mostly brutal murders that seems to have happened for real. She is not sure why she have these visions, but they make her paintings something out of the ordinary. But when this is affecting her personal life in a negative way, she realize that there must be an answer to her visions and why she is chosen.
When an odd movie comes along now and then, i can´t help myself feel pleased to see that there are still film makers with passion for telling stories. With that said, i can´t say that Dark Sister is a masterpiece in any way, since this film does have problems. But i have to say, this film clearly must have been inspired by the legendary horror director Dario Argentino, and this is something i really appreciate with this film. There is an odd mixture here of odd murder scenes, strange characters and the music is really weird. For me who appreciate horror movies that go outside the comfort zone, i enjoy seeing films like Dark Sister, that tries to bring back the odd horror movies of the 60´s and 70´s. The budget is very limited, but that does not affect the movie production in a negatvie way. The most positive detail about this film is without a doubt the main character Cassie, played by actress Amanda Woodhams. I really like her performance as painter Cassie, a woman who paints murders that she have visions about. Amanda Woodhams go into her character in a very interesting way, and she is the strength of this film. I would like to see her in more films in the future. Actor Liam Graham is here, who you might remember from the 2016 film called House Of Love. I would not say this is one of his better performances, but his character works for this film. One of the more interesting characters ( a part from Cassie ) is the character Dr. Sosa, played by actress Nicola Bartlett. A very mysterious character, and that is exactly what a film like this needs. The plot does have an interesting story, but i would have liked to see even more of Cassie´s personal issues, instead of jumping around to different characters. Because this film should have focused more about Cassie, since it feels like this film is more about her than the murders themselves. One of the problems i have with this film, is that some of the male characters feel very weak in this film. Most men does not give any memorable performances in Dark Sister, so it is basically the women who makes sure this film feels interesting. Director Sam Barrett ( who directed the thriller Esoterica ) have made an interesting horror film, that does not look like anything i have seen lately. I did notice that this film was actually made in 2014, but did not get a wider release until early 2019, through Wild Eye Releasing ( the film also goes under the name of Sororal ). Dark Sister is not a film for everyone, but if you appreciate the work of legendary director Dario Argentino, then i think you might enjoy Dark Sister. Give the film a chance, and support independent film makers so we can continue to get more interesting films made.
Rating: DDD
Artist Cassie ( Amanda Woodhams ) paint what she sees from visions, mostly brutal murders that seems to have happened for real. She is not sure why she have these visions, but they make her paintings something out of the ordinary. But when this is affecting her personal life in a negative way, she realize that there must be an answer to her visions and why she is chosen.
When an odd movie comes along now and then, i can´t help myself feel pleased to see that there are still film makers with passion for telling stories. With that said, i can´t say that Dark Sister is a masterpiece in any way, since this film does have problems. But i have to say, this film clearly must have been inspired by the legendary horror director Dario Argentino, and this is something i really appreciate with this film. There is an odd mixture here of odd murder scenes, strange characters and the music is really weird. For me who appreciate horror movies that go outside the comfort zone, i enjoy seeing films like Dark Sister, that tries to bring back the odd horror movies of the 60´s and 70´s. The budget is very limited, but that does not affect the movie production in a negatvie way. The most positive detail about this film is without a doubt the main character Cassie, played by actress Amanda Woodhams. I really like her performance as painter Cassie, a woman who paints murders that she have visions about. Amanda Woodhams go into her character in a very interesting way, and she is the strength of this film. I would like to see her in more films in the future. Actor Liam Graham is here, who you might remember from the 2016 film called House Of Love. I would not say this is one of his better performances, but his character works for this film. One of the more interesting characters ( a part from Cassie ) is the character Dr. Sosa, played by actress Nicola Bartlett. A very mysterious character, and that is exactly what a film like this needs. The plot does have an interesting story, but i would have liked to see even more of Cassie´s personal issues, instead of jumping around to different characters. Because this film should have focused more about Cassie, since it feels like this film is more about her than the murders themselves. One of the problems i have with this film, is that some of the male characters feel very weak in this film. Most men does not give any memorable performances in Dark Sister, so it is basically the women who makes sure this film feels interesting. Director Sam Barrett ( who directed the thriller Esoterica ) have made an interesting horror film, that does not look like anything i have seen lately. I did notice that this film was actually made in 2014, but did not get a wider release until early 2019, through Wild Eye Releasing ( the film also goes under the name of Sororal ). Dark Sister is not a film for everyone, but if you appreciate the work of legendary director Dario Argentino, then i think you might enjoy Dark Sister. Give the film a chance, and support independent film makers so we can continue to get more interesting films made.
Rating: DDD
lördag 9 mars 2019
Will I Review The New Mötley Crue Movie On Netflix ?
Cheers everyone!
Daniel here, the most beautiful movie review critic in the history of Sweden. Really ? Yes. So i was asked last week by one of my movie review readers, will you write a review of the new Mötley Crue movie on Netflix ? My answer is of course :- Yes i will. I did see the trailer when it was released, so it does look interesting. I will try and watch the movie right after the premiere, and write a review before the month ends. I still have a couple ones left to finish. By the way, if you want to have a good laugh, check out a classic clip of David Manning talking about Starbucks coffee. Its one of those moments where everything feels fantastic. Here is a link to the video.
https://youtu.be/HEzb2WsVYgo
New movie reviews are on the way, have a great weekend and see you soon.
Cheers from Daniel
Daniel here, the most beautiful movie review critic in the history of Sweden. Really ? Yes. So i was asked last week by one of my movie review readers, will you write a review of the new Mötley Crue movie on Netflix ? My answer is of course :- Yes i will. I did see the trailer when it was released, so it does look interesting. I will try and watch the movie right after the premiere, and write a review before the month ends. I still have a couple ones left to finish. By the way, if you want to have a good laugh, check out a classic clip of David Manning talking about Starbucks coffee. Its one of those moments where everything feels fantastic. Here is a link to the video.
https://youtu.be/HEzb2WsVYgo
New movie reviews are on the way, have a great weekend and see you soon.
Cheers from Daniel
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