I love documentary films. Even if i try and see some, i never really write reviews about them. I suppose that i focus more on writing reviews on ordinary movies, just because there are so many films coming out each month. The difference between a feature film and an documentary film, is that you can tell a story in a very different way. When you make a documentary film, you have to have a lot of information, and be able to put it all together, to keep the viewer interested. You do this in ordinary films also of course, but there is still a difference, since with a documentary you are not supposed to fake scenes or facts. I can´t remember how many times i have seen Micahel Moore´s really good documentary films Bowling For Columbine, Farenheit 9/11, Sicko and Capitalism: A Love Story. If you have not seen any of them, i recommend that you do. They all tell different stories, based on real events, with different views on different events and subjects. HBO have made many really good documentary films over the years. One of my personal favourites is called Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God, directed by Alex Gibney. This horrible story about deaf children, being sexually abused by the priest Lawrence Murphy in Milwaukee, makes me so angry. How a priest can molest children at all is out of my world, it should not even exist. There are plenty of good documentary films made from England also, especially from documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield. If you have not seen his documentary film Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer. He made this film before Aileen was executed, known as one of the most dangerous female serial killers ever in America. Nick Broomfield managed to capture the feeling of hos disturbed this woman was, and you also don´t know if you can take anything serious of what she is saying, i would guess she lied about almost everything. Nick continued to make more documentary fims, about all kinds of different subjects and people. One film i want to see, is called Sarah Palin: You Betcha !. They say it is a good view on who Sarah Palin is, and how she managed to bring so many scandals on her in her political career. Nick is now back, with his latest film called Tales Of The Grim Sleeper, based on the case of chief suspect Lonnie David Franklin Jr. When i got the chance to see this new documentary film, i was really excited to see if it was as good as some of Nick Broomfields earlier films. Is this the best film so far from director Nick Broomfield, or have his earlier films been much better than this one ?
Between the years of 1985 - 2007, a lot of women in all ages were found murdered brutally in different locations in Los Angeles, California. Police did not seem to find enough evidence to arrest anyone, until in 2010. A man named Lonnie David Franklin Jr, is arrested, suspected to be the serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper. Documentary film maker Nick Broomfield travels to Los Angeles, to find out what the truth is, giving interviews to Lonnies friends, and people who knew him personally. Did Lonnie really kill all the women they have found, or did he kill even more victims ? Is it possible he is not guilty, that the real Grim Sleeper is still out in the streets ?
Even how disturbing this case is, and if Lonnie David Franklin Jr is guilty or not, i find myself very interested in the investigation of what happened to the missing women. Who killed all the women and why was no one arrested for so many years ? We get to hear interviews, with Lonnie´s friends, neighbours, people who helped him with jobs, and you get a sense that he could have been the Grim Reaper, since he had so many strange ideas and forced women to get naked infront of his camera. Drugs, alcohol, criminal jobs, Lonnie does not seem like a good man, and if he did kill all of this women, i really hope he is put in jail for a lifetime. I can´t be sure that all these people who say they knew Lonnie told the truth, at the same time i think some of them might actually told what happened, at certain moments where Lonnie used women. The most odd thing was that he was actually married for a woman in many years, and his friends say that she did not seem to know what Lonnie had in his house, or what he did. Until i find out that they lived in their own houses, then you realise Lonnie could do whatever he wanted with prostitues. Duringall the interviews, and all things happening around the case, i begin to wonder, let´s say Lonnie did kill all these women, could he have had someone helping him ? I become more suspicious about Lonnies son, who seems to protect his father a lot, and even fix so one the people who were interviewed is beaten up in the streets. Could he be involved since he is making sure no one should talk ? Tales Of The Grim Sleeper is a really disturbing look at a case that followed murdered women for over 20 years, where a serial killer was suspected, but no one was arrested. If it was Lonnie who killed all these women, he must have managed to hide his tracks pretty good, considering that no DNA was found anywhere, or the murder weapon. All the clues, information that keeps coming in, gives you a lot to think about what might be true, or if someone is lying. This is definetely a documentary film you should see, to make up your own mind what you belive is true or not. Nick Broomfield have possibly made one of his best documentary films so far, Tales Of The Grim Sleeper delivers a very powerful and emotional story, that you can´t let go.
Rating:DDDD
torsdag 21 maj 2015
onsdag 20 maj 2015
Be patient, reviews are coming, and i have another surprise........
Greetings movie lovers, and all you readers out there!
This month may not have just as many reviews as before, but i will try and write more during summer, because there are a lot of new releases that i need to check out. Now, let´s get to something else. Have any of you bought any of the blu ray/ dvd releases from Scream Factory ? They are releasing horror films that have been hard to find, in new and improved picture quality with extra features included. I have bought 5 releases so far, and i thought i should do a review on one of their releases. I might do a couple of reviews, just for nostalgia fans, because i know a lot of people in my age loved many of these films from the 80´s and 90´s. So, i will do a review on one of their releases, mostly for fun.
The first review that i will do from the Scream Factory releases is a film called Monkey Shines. It was released in 1988, actually directed by legendary director George A. Romero. The movie became a box office flop at the time, and the reviews was just average. Since i respect many of George A. Romeros classic independent films, i think this will be interesting to see again on the new blu ray release. I will take a look at this film again, sometime during next week, and will post a review right after. I have some other reviews that will be posted before this film, so stay calm, and be patient.
Thanks for the support, and remember, B movies is the answer for world peace.
Cheers from Daniel
This month may not have just as many reviews as before, but i will try and write more during summer, because there are a lot of new releases that i need to check out. Now, let´s get to something else. Have any of you bought any of the blu ray/ dvd releases from Scream Factory ? They are releasing horror films that have been hard to find, in new and improved picture quality with extra features included. I have bought 5 releases so far, and i thought i should do a review on one of their releases. I might do a couple of reviews, just for nostalgia fans, because i know a lot of people in my age loved many of these films from the 80´s and 90´s. So, i will do a review on one of their releases, mostly for fun.
The first review that i will do from the Scream Factory releases is a film called Monkey Shines. It was released in 1988, actually directed by legendary director George A. Romero. The movie became a box office flop at the time, and the reviews was just average. Since i respect many of George A. Romeros classic independent films, i think this will be interesting to see again on the new blu ray release. I will take a look at this film again, sometime during next week, and will post a review right after. I have some other reviews that will be posted before this film, so stay calm, and be patient.
Thanks for the support, and remember, B movies is the answer for world peace.
Cheers from Daniel
tisdag 19 maj 2015
Lost Soul : The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley´s Island Of Dr. Moreau
I can honestly say, i love hearing about how people make films, how they come up with ideas for a script, and how they transform characters from novels into a motion picture. There are so many ways you can tell a story, and try to make it look like the novel. When i see a dvd or blu ray release with extra material, that includes interviews, making of, or even deleted scenes, i try and check it out just in case i might find something interesting. Some releases are really filled with extras, while others are left without almost nothing. But there are moments when film makers decide to make a documentary, about their films, or about a certain film, and make it into a film documentary. One of the best releases ever ( if you ask me ), is the fantastic blu ray release Crystal Lake Memories : The Complete History Of Friday The 13th. A documentary film with interviews, behind the scenes, and other really nice treats, with the history of the Friday The 13th films, for 400 minutes.....and trust me you will not be bored. Interviews with almost every actor from all the films, there are so much to learn from all the films that no one would ever know, until they decided to collect all this information. There are other films that get their own documentary, mostly because they could be cult films, or box office hits that people love even until this day. Then we have movie adaptions, that were probably meant to be loved by the audiences, but did not manage to please either film critics or the cinema audience. Maybe some you remember the movie adaption of the classic novel The Island Of Dr. Moreau by author H.G. Wells ? It was the third movie adaption, from 1996, that was supposed to be directed by british director Richard Stanley. But he dropped out and director John Frankenheimer took over the project. At the time, it became a box office flop, and was nominated in many categories for the worst film of that year. I have seen it, and i remember that i was not really impressed with this film adaption. I was really surprised to see that a new documentary film called Lost Soul : The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley´s Island Of Dr. Moreau, was made to tell the story, of how original director Richard Stanley tell his side of what happened when production began, his vision of the film, and why he dropped out. When i got the chance to see this documentary, i decided to also write a review, since this is an original documentary film indeed. Is Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley a very fascinating look at the disaster film, or is this a disaster just like the movie adaption of the book The Island Of Dr. Moreau ?
In the early 90´s, director Richard Stanley got the chance to direct a film adaptation of H.G. Wells classic book The Island Of Dr. Moreau. With his vision he hoped to make this the best adaption ever so far, but things did not go as planned. With so many problems, before shooting, and while making the cast, Richard did not stay long into the project, until director John Frankenheimer took over. The Island Of Dr. Moreau became a box office flop, and hated by critics and viewers. Hear the story of what happened during the making of this film, both from the first director Richard Stanley, and with interviews of both film crew and actors, in this documentary film.
It is not very often film makers can take the time and tell a story on a film that failed, both during production and while it was released to find an audience. I think Richard Stanley is very honest, and open minded, as he tells his story of what happened during this time period. You realise that it must have been hard, since his vision was not accepted, and the film studio did not agree with his ideas. We have to remember that this is the director of the cult film Hardware, so he was the perfect choice to make a movie adaption of The Island Of Dr. Moreau. While you look at the sketches, drawings, and how Richard Stanley planned to make this island unique, you kind of feel sad that the film studio did not let Richard´s vision be the focus, instead of what they have planned. I don´t want to talk bad about director John Frankenheimer, since he have made some good films in the past, like French Connection 2, and Black Sunday. I can only say that he may not have had the right feeling to make this movie adaption of this classic novel, even if he tried. One problem that becomes obvious, is that Richard Stanley must have been depressed at the time, since he closed himself in during meetings, and as an director you have to be active with the team, to work things out. So it is not strange why Richard dropped out, when he is not feeling well with so many problems around him. For those of you who did see the film back in the 90´s, you might remember that Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando was the big names as the actors on board. I never really understood why Marlon Brando would take this role at all, was it because he was desperate ? One thing is clear though, he seemed to be very determined that he knows whats best for the film, and everyone should follow his orders. Let´s not forget Val Kilmer´s behavior on set, he seemed to care less about the film, so i can understand why Richard lost hope for the film. There are plenty of interviews with the cast, and the film team telling us what happened on this disaster film set, with so many problems. I think the strength of this documentary film, is that it proves that even if you have a great vision, it does not guarantee quality. Looking back at the film The Island Of Dr. Moreau, i saw it first on VHS, and remember i did not like it very much. Not an awful film all the way, but the casting of Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando on an island with animal hybrids, did not work. Director David Gregory have really worked hard to put this documentary film together, with so many great interviews, and stories from both the cast and the film makers. With so many problems on set, and off set, you realise why this film failed, because they could not do this film adaptation in the right way. You might think that some of the actors and crew would be ashamed of being in this documentary, instead you get the feeling they want to tell what a disaster this was to make this film. Not that they are proud of the final results, but they share their thoughts and how they feel today about being apart of this box office flop. Lost Soul : The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley´s Island Of Dr. Moreau is a fascinating look at the dark side of Hollywood, with a lot of interesting stories. Definetely worth watching if you love movies and how they made certain ideas brought to the cinema screen. Actually one of the best documentary films i have seen in a while. You can see it on VOD at this moment, and a 3 disc release is coming out soon, i know i will get my hands on that.
Rating: DDDD
In the early 90´s, director Richard Stanley got the chance to direct a film adaptation of H.G. Wells classic book The Island Of Dr. Moreau. With his vision he hoped to make this the best adaption ever so far, but things did not go as planned. With so many problems, before shooting, and while making the cast, Richard did not stay long into the project, until director John Frankenheimer took over. The Island Of Dr. Moreau became a box office flop, and hated by critics and viewers. Hear the story of what happened during the making of this film, both from the first director Richard Stanley, and with interviews of both film crew and actors, in this documentary film.
It is not very often film makers can take the time and tell a story on a film that failed, both during production and while it was released to find an audience. I think Richard Stanley is very honest, and open minded, as he tells his story of what happened during this time period. You realise that it must have been hard, since his vision was not accepted, and the film studio did not agree with his ideas. We have to remember that this is the director of the cult film Hardware, so he was the perfect choice to make a movie adaption of The Island Of Dr. Moreau. While you look at the sketches, drawings, and how Richard Stanley planned to make this island unique, you kind of feel sad that the film studio did not let Richard´s vision be the focus, instead of what they have planned. I don´t want to talk bad about director John Frankenheimer, since he have made some good films in the past, like French Connection 2, and Black Sunday. I can only say that he may not have had the right feeling to make this movie adaption of this classic novel, even if he tried. One problem that becomes obvious, is that Richard Stanley must have been depressed at the time, since he closed himself in during meetings, and as an director you have to be active with the team, to work things out. So it is not strange why Richard dropped out, when he is not feeling well with so many problems around him. For those of you who did see the film back in the 90´s, you might remember that Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando was the big names as the actors on board. I never really understood why Marlon Brando would take this role at all, was it because he was desperate ? One thing is clear though, he seemed to be very determined that he knows whats best for the film, and everyone should follow his orders. Let´s not forget Val Kilmer´s behavior on set, he seemed to care less about the film, so i can understand why Richard lost hope for the film. There are plenty of interviews with the cast, and the film team telling us what happened on this disaster film set, with so many problems. I think the strength of this documentary film, is that it proves that even if you have a great vision, it does not guarantee quality. Looking back at the film The Island Of Dr. Moreau, i saw it first on VHS, and remember i did not like it very much. Not an awful film all the way, but the casting of Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando on an island with animal hybrids, did not work. Director David Gregory have really worked hard to put this documentary film together, with so many great interviews, and stories from both the cast and the film makers. With so many problems on set, and off set, you realise why this film failed, because they could not do this film adaptation in the right way. You might think that some of the actors and crew would be ashamed of being in this documentary, instead you get the feeling they want to tell what a disaster this was to make this film. Not that they are proud of the final results, but they share their thoughts and how they feel today about being apart of this box office flop. Lost Soul : The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley´s Island Of Dr. Moreau is a fascinating look at the dark side of Hollywood, with a lot of interesting stories. Definetely worth watching if you love movies and how they made certain ideas brought to the cinema screen. Actually one of the best documentary films i have seen in a while. You can see it on VOD at this moment, and a 3 disc release is coming out soon, i know i will get my hands on that.
Rating: DDDD
fredag 15 maj 2015
Mad Max : Fury Road
As a young boy in my hometown Uddevalla, i rented a hell of a lot of VHS films. As long as there was action, horror, thrillers, sci fi and westerns, i was feeling great. Now, i will admit that I was probably too young to rent some films, but i knew the guys at Videomix so they did not care. Besides, they were movie maniacs just like myself. One of my greatest memories of renting VHS films was the really violent ones. Unfortunately, they were very censored because some feminist bastards said :- A naked woman with a knife? We cant show that? Even if i loved the VHS covers, i did not like the fact that almost every movie was censored when it was released. One great example was the Mad Max films, especially The Road Warrior. The VHS version was cut several minutes, and that should have been forbidden. You dont cut cult films like Mad Max, i am sure that there is a law in the Haag Convention that can confirm this. Mad Max is probably one of the biggest icon characters from australian films, i would say he is much bigger icon than Crocodile Dundee. Mel Gibson proved himself to be a really good action actor, and fit perfect as Mad Max. I actually did not see the first Mad Max film until in the late 90´s, probably because The Road Warrior was easier to get back in the VHS days. To be honest, i love the second film best, because this is one of the greatest action films of the 80´s, and still stand strong, even to this day. The third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, was ok, but to be honest the worst of the Mad Max films. There were some good ideas behind the project, but the film did not deliver on the same level as the previous films. The third film came out in 1985, so it has taken a very long time to bring back this legendary character back on a big screen. From what i remember, George Miller informed us back in 2003 that a script was being developed to a new film. A lot of things happened after that, and it would take many years until George Miller could begin working on the new film. With 30 years between the last film with Mel Gibson, i was really happy to see that Mad Max would return. Especially when the second trailer came out, that looked so good i could almost cry of joy. With the original director George Miller back directing a new chapter, and the new Mad Max is played by Tom Hardy, is this a worthy film to the classic ones, or should he have left Mad Max alone after all these years ?
In a wasteland, where there is no hope, the only thing that matters is to survive, Mad Max ( Tom Hardy ) ride the highways, trying to deal with his past. Long ago, his wife and child was murdered, since then he lost his hope and future. While driving in the wasteland, Max is captured by the War Boys, the army of tyrannical cult leader King Immortan Joe ( Hugh Keays - Byrne. Meanwhile, Imperator Furiosa ( Charlize Theron ) is driving a War Rig, to collect fuel. While driving she takes a different road. King Joe finds out that Furiosa brought his 5 Wives with her, selected for breeding. He order his army to hunt them down. Max is chained in the front of War Boy Nux ( Nicholas Hoult ) car, used as a blood bank for sick Boy Nux. While King Joe is getting closer, Max manage to get Boy Nux cut him loose, and help him on this journey. Furiosa dont trust Max, but realise she might need his help to make sure that the 5 Wives will survive. King Joe is prepared to kill anyone who stops his plans, but Mad Max is prepared to finish this journey, no matter what happens.
Do you remember the last time you walked out of a cinema and want to hug everyone, even throw your clothes off, just because you are so happy? Mad Max : Fury Road will give you that feeling, and i feel so wonderful today, after watching one of this years most beautiful film. The cinematography is brilliant, the action scenes are the best i have seen in many years. The fact that George Miller is back as the director, makes this adaption even more special. When all the violence kicks right in your face, you realise what it must feel like being in love for the first time. For those who might say that The Best Of Me was such a wonderful romantic film, i only have one thing to say. You can shove that dvd up your ass, because Mad Max: Fury Road shows you what real romance looks like. Lots of explosives, fighting, lots of weapons, girls fighting, now....you finally understand what romance means. This is almost like a beautiful violence opera, with so many amazing ingredients, you just don´t want it to stop. I don´t think we should compare Tom Hardy as Mad Max, to compare him to Mel Gibson, because it is always hard to be as good as the original actor. I would still say he does his performance very well, even if he have very little dialogue. The strength of Tom Hardy, is that he tries to both look like Mad Max, and act really tough, this is exactly how Mad Max is supposed to be. The biggest surprise in this film is actually Charlize Theron, as Imperator Furiosa. Damn, she is kicking ass, and she is almost like another version of Ripley in Alien. This is exactly what we need to see more of, women can be bad ass, just like men. The insane car scenes are so awsome, that i think the whole audience wanted to stand up and applaude every single time something brutal happened. Some might think that the violence is extreme, but that is the whole idea of an Mad Max film. If you look at The Road Warrior from 1981, it was extremely violent for that time period. This latest film is even more extreme, but it makes everything better inded. I can now already confirm this, that Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best films of this year, so far. And it is only May, talk about a full strike. I would personally like to thank George Miller for bringing back Mad Max to the big screen again, this is the most educational film you can find this year, without a doubt. It should be screened at every University, in every High School, so young people can learn what biology is all about. I am close to giving this a full rating, but i will still say this is a film that should be seen by everyone across the world. There is no film out there that explain what love is all about, better than Mad Max: Fury Road. I suggest you even have a Mad Max wedding, in a desert with guns, wow.....i am so good at this romance stuff.
Run to your local cinema now and buy tickets, that is all you need to know.
Rating : DDDD
In a wasteland, where there is no hope, the only thing that matters is to survive, Mad Max ( Tom Hardy ) ride the highways, trying to deal with his past. Long ago, his wife and child was murdered, since then he lost his hope and future. While driving in the wasteland, Max is captured by the War Boys, the army of tyrannical cult leader King Immortan Joe ( Hugh Keays - Byrne. Meanwhile, Imperator Furiosa ( Charlize Theron ) is driving a War Rig, to collect fuel. While driving she takes a different road. King Joe finds out that Furiosa brought his 5 Wives with her, selected for breeding. He order his army to hunt them down. Max is chained in the front of War Boy Nux ( Nicholas Hoult ) car, used as a blood bank for sick Boy Nux. While King Joe is getting closer, Max manage to get Boy Nux cut him loose, and help him on this journey. Furiosa dont trust Max, but realise she might need his help to make sure that the 5 Wives will survive. King Joe is prepared to kill anyone who stops his plans, but Mad Max is prepared to finish this journey, no matter what happens.
Do you remember the last time you walked out of a cinema and want to hug everyone, even throw your clothes off, just because you are so happy? Mad Max : Fury Road will give you that feeling, and i feel so wonderful today, after watching one of this years most beautiful film. The cinematography is brilliant, the action scenes are the best i have seen in many years. The fact that George Miller is back as the director, makes this adaption even more special. When all the violence kicks right in your face, you realise what it must feel like being in love for the first time. For those who might say that The Best Of Me was such a wonderful romantic film, i only have one thing to say. You can shove that dvd up your ass, because Mad Max: Fury Road shows you what real romance looks like. Lots of explosives, fighting, lots of weapons, girls fighting, now....you finally understand what romance means. This is almost like a beautiful violence opera, with so many amazing ingredients, you just don´t want it to stop. I don´t think we should compare Tom Hardy as Mad Max, to compare him to Mel Gibson, because it is always hard to be as good as the original actor. I would still say he does his performance very well, even if he have very little dialogue. The strength of Tom Hardy, is that he tries to both look like Mad Max, and act really tough, this is exactly how Mad Max is supposed to be. The biggest surprise in this film is actually Charlize Theron, as Imperator Furiosa. Damn, she is kicking ass, and she is almost like another version of Ripley in Alien. This is exactly what we need to see more of, women can be bad ass, just like men. The insane car scenes are so awsome, that i think the whole audience wanted to stand up and applaude every single time something brutal happened. Some might think that the violence is extreme, but that is the whole idea of an Mad Max film. If you look at The Road Warrior from 1981, it was extremely violent for that time period. This latest film is even more extreme, but it makes everything better inded. I can now already confirm this, that Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best films of this year, so far. And it is only May, talk about a full strike. I would personally like to thank George Miller for bringing back Mad Max to the big screen again, this is the most educational film you can find this year, without a doubt. It should be screened at every University, in every High School, so young people can learn what biology is all about. I am close to giving this a full rating, but i will still say this is a film that should be seen by everyone across the world. There is no film out there that explain what love is all about, better than Mad Max: Fury Road. I suggest you even have a Mad Max wedding, in a desert with guns, wow.....i am so good at this romance stuff.
Run to your local cinema now and buy tickets, that is all you need to know.
Rating : DDDD
The Imitation Game
I have been to London 3 times so far, and i love the atmosphere of the big city. So many restaurants, shops, but the biggest passion i have for London is the music scene. There are many great british bands around England, and for many years i have tried to check out some of latest releases. Some are really good, some are average. But it is always nice to hear young people are influenced by classic ingredients. Speaking of England, there are so many good films coming out, including british tv series. If you compare swedish films and tv series with british productions, you realise that the english actors are on a completely different level on acting. They feel more natural, more explosive, and they try to show emotions, compared to Swedish actors. I am not saying that all swedish productions are bad, but very few of the films that comes out have a high quality. So i rather watch european productions, because quality is most likely guaranteed. One of the greatest british actors of all time, is named Benedict Cumberbatch. When i saw him for the first time in Sherlock, a new adaption of the Sherlock Holmes character, i could not resist his fantastic performance. How he could make the legendary character Sherlock Holmes in such a unique way, was really uplifting. Perhaps you saw him as an evil character Khan, in Star Trek Into Darkness ? You might remember what a fantastic performance he did. If you have not seen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, i suggest you go and rent it, and see him deliver a very solid performance. There are more films i could recommend, but let´s paus this information, and focus on this film called The Imitation Game. Based on the life and career of the British mathmetican Alan Turning, who helped to solve the Enigma codes in World War II. Based on a true story, is this historical drama another proof why Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the greatest actors of England, or is this role not the right choice for his
In the year 1939, Britain declares war on Germany. A young mathematican named Alan Turing ( Benedict Cumberbatch ), is asked to join a team, chosen by Commander Alastair Denniston ( Charles Dance ). At first Commander Alastair is not sure if Alan have what it takes to solve the codes, but when he see his potential, he decides to let him into the secret project. With the team of Hugh Alexander ( Matthew Goode ), John Cairncross ( Allen Leech ), Peter Hilton ( Matthew Beard ), Keith Furman ( Ilan Goodman ) and Charles Richards ( Jack Tarlton ). The teams mission is to try and find out what the germans are planning, and try to break the ciphers, and try to find secret messenges. The team see Alan as a very hard person to work with, until one day when Commander Alastair inform Alan that he refuse to fond the construction of the machine. Alan refuse to accept this, so he write to Winston Churchill, who confirm that he approve Alan to be the leader of the team, and also fund the machine. Alan fires Furman and Richards, and plan to find someone who fits better into his vision. He meets Joan Clarke ( Kiera Knightley ), a Campbridge graduate. Alan realise that they need a womans perspective in this project, so he agree to let her join. As the project moves along, Alan´s personal life could destroy everything, when some people find out he is homosexual. Alan hide, and become the husband to Joan, not to loose his position. But how long can he hide the truth, and can he finish this project if the truth comes out ?
This might actually be the greatest performance of Benedict Cumberbatch so far. I am stunned how well he managed to portrait Alan Turing, the british cryptanalyst. I do not know if this is close to how he was in real life, when he was still alive, but i have a feeling no one could have done a better performance than Benedict. The story itself is very interesting, how Alan could help find the Enigma codes, during the second world war. You understand how he must have been in real life, a very intelligent man, who had to prove himself while some people were skeptical about his work. To see how he could read codes, and find out secret information is impressive. I could only imagine that if i tried to make any sense of these codes, i would be stuck. Director Morten Tyldom, is actually a director from Norway. His most famous film from the past, might be Headhunters, based on the novel by author Jo Nesbø. If you compare Headhunters to The Imitation Game, it feels like Morten Tyldom moved up on a completely different level of quality cinema. This is definetely his best film so far as an director, and he proves himself with such a powerful story. The acting is really good, from all corners of the film. The cinematography is splendid, where he manage to capture the feeling of different time periods of Allan Turnings life. One of the performances that you should notice, is Charles Dance as Commander Alastair Denniston. I can´t remember when he was this good, this might actually be one of his best performances ever. One detail i really enjoy with this story, is that director Morten Tyldom really tries to dig deep, so we can feel how many problems Allan had in his whole life, including that he was a homosexual man. Of course he could not tell this to everyone, because in those days that was a crime. The Imitation Game is a film that gives us a chance to understand this legendary man, who changed many peoples lives with his hard work. I think it would be a great idea to show this film from an educational perspective, since there is a lot to learn from Alan Turing. I will advice you to buy this film, it is a very important portrait of a man who helped changed history during the second world war. There is no doubt, The Imitation Game is a winner in many ways, and Benedict Cumberbatch should have won an Oscar at The Academy Awards earlier this year. See this film today, you will never regret that you did take the time to see it. Any doubts now ?
Rating: DDDD
In the year 1939, Britain declares war on Germany. A young mathematican named Alan Turing ( Benedict Cumberbatch ), is asked to join a team, chosen by Commander Alastair Denniston ( Charles Dance ). At first Commander Alastair is not sure if Alan have what it takes to solve the codes, but when he see his potential, he decides to let him into the secret project. With the team of Hugh Alexander ( Matthew Goode ), John Cairncross ( Allen Leech ), Peter Hilton ( Matthew Beard ), Keith Furman ( Ilan Goodman ) and Charles Richards ( Jack Tarlton ). The teams mission is to try and find out what the germans are planning, and try to break the ciphers, and try to find secret messenges. The team see Alan as a very hard person to work with, until one day when Commander Alastair inform Alan that he refuse to fond the construction of the machine. Alan refuse to accept this, so he write to Winston Churchill, who confirm that he approve Alan to be the leader of the team, and also fund the machine. Alan fires Furman and Richards, and plan to find someone who fits better into his vision. He meets Joan Clarke ( Kiera Knightley ), a Campbridge graduate. Alan realise that they need a womans perspective in this project, so he agree to let her join. As the project moves along, Alan´s personal life could destroy everything, when some people find out he is homosexual. Alan hide, and become the husband to Joan, not to loose his position. But how long can he hide the truth, and can he finish this project if the truth comes out ?
This might actually be the greatest performance of Benedict Cumberbatch so far. I am stunned how well he managed to portrait Alan Turing, the british cryptanalyst. I do not know if this is close to how he was in real life, when he was still alive, but i have a feeling no one could have done a better performance than Benedict. The story itself is very interesting, how Alan could help find the Enigma codes, during the second world war. You understand how he must have been in real life, a very intelligent man, who had to prove himself while some people were skeptical about his work. To see how he could read codes, and find out secret information is impressive. I could only imagine that if i tried to make any sense of these codes, i would be stuck. Director Morten Tyldom, is actually a director from Norway. His most famous film from the past, might be Headhunters, based on the novel by author Jo Nesbø. If you compare Headhunters to The Imitation Game, it feels like Morten Tyldom moved up on a completely different level of quality cinema. This is definetely his best film so far as an director, and he proves himself with such a powerful story. The acting is really good, from all corners of the film. The cinematography is splendid, where he manage to capture the feeling of different time periods of Allan Turnings life. One of the performances that you should notice, is Charles Dance as Commander Alastair Denniston. I can´t remember when he was this good, this might actually be one of his best performances ever. One detail i really enjoy with this story, is that director Morten Tyldom really tries to dig deep, so we can feel how many problems Allan had in his whole life, including that he was a homosexual man. Of course he could not tell this to everyone, because in those days that was a crime. The Imitation Game is a film that gives us a chance to understand this legendary man, who changed many peoples lives with his hard work. I think it would be a great idea to show this film from an educational perspective, since there is a lot to learn from Alan Turing. I will advice you to buy this film, it is a very important portrait of a man who helped changed history during the second world war. There is no doubt, The Imitation Game is a winner in many ways, and Benedict Cumberbatch should have won an Oscar at The Academy Awards earlier this year. See this film today, you will never regret that you did take the time to see it. Any doubts now ?
Rating: DDDD
torsdag 14 maj 2015
Reviews are coming, i promise
Hi everyone out there.
You may have noticed that i have only posted one review so far this month. The truth is i am really busy this month, both with working more and other projects. But in the middle of may, things should turn around easier. So hold out, i will post and write more reviews when i get some time over.
Thank you for your support
Cheers from Daniel - Swedens Oldest Virgin ( If it is possible )
You may have noticed that i have only posted one review so far this month. The truth is i am really busy this month, both with working more and other projects. But in the middle of may, things should turn around easier. So hold out, i will post and write more reviews when i get some time over.
Thank you for your support
Cheers from Daniel - Swedens Oldest Virgin ( If it is possible )
fredag 1 maj 2015
The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death
If someone would ask me, what studio produced some of the greatest horror classics ? I would without a doubt answer Hammer Films. Christoper Lee as Dracula, who does not love these classics from the 60´s and the 70´s ? All of them may not be great, but i would honestly say that he is the best Dracula ever, in motion pictures. Hammer Films became a legendary english film company, with a lot of horror releases that became cult films. All of them did not do well at the box office, but the comapny proved that they loved B Movies, and continued to work with great actors like Bela Lugosi, Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed, Barbara Shelley, and many more . One film that i will always remember is a film known as To The Devil A Daughter from 1976. A very odd satanist horror film, with influences from Rosemary´s Baby, and other satanic films of the 60´s and 70´s. This is not the best film that Christopher Lee made with Hammer Films, but i found myself enjoying the odd mix of christianity and satanism. If you have not seen it, i suggest you buy the uk dvd. There is a collection of Hammer Films classics released on dvd, for the fans to enjoy. If you have read my movie review blog for years, you might have stumbled across a film called Wake Wood. It was the first feature film from Hammer Films, as they ressurected after many years apart. Wake Wood did not get a lot of attention, since this was a smaller budget film. Such a shame, because it was so nice to see Hammer Films making old school horror films again, and this was a good release. You should try and see it if you can, should be avaible to buy, especially from the UK. In 2012, i was really surprised to see Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe, doing a completely different film from his past work in The Woman In Black. This film was also made from Hammer Film Studios, and turned out to be a nice release. A simple story, set close to a small british village. The film made a profit, so it is no surprise that we have a sequel in our hands. With a brand new cast, and a brand new director, is this sequel still worthy the original film, or is this another proof of a waste of time ?
World War II is going all over Europe. In London, bombs are falling while people are trying to take cover. Eve Parkins ( Phoebe Fox ), Deputy Headmistress, are helping a group of school children to stay in safety. The situation is becoming more dangerous, so Eve and the kids, evacuate together with the school's headmistress, Jean Hogg ( Helene McCrory ) to the countryside town of Crythin Gifford. As they arrive, they are picked up by air warden Dr. Rhodes, who will take them to Eel Marsh House. As the bus suffers a puncture, they all have no choice but to get to the house. Before they head off, a man named Jacob ( Ned Dennehy ) warn them about the house, and that they should not go there. Even if they hear the warning, they continue their journey. At the Eel Marsh House, you can tell it is in bad condition, but they decide to stay there anyway. Eve begin to see a woman in black, appear in front of her. Not knowing who she is, or what she wants, she tries to dig into the information. When one of the children goes missing, Eve understand that all of them could be in danger, unless there is a way to understand what the woman in black is here for.
So here we go, a sequel to a descent horror film that actually turned out to be a quite nice surprise. When i watch a sequel i usually have 2 rules.
1. Make the film a worthy sequel, and add something suprisingly unexpected, that still manage to fit into the storyline.
2. Do not repeat yourself too much, use simple details that may even make the sequel a worthy experience.
Usually most sequels do not manage to deliver enough when they get released. One of the biggest problems is that many sequels are just made to make money at the box office, and the directors don´t really care about the substance. Even if i watch most sequels to good horror films, i can´t say i enjoy all of them. There are only a few times that i found myself surprised, and those moments are precious. The Woman In Black 2 is not an awful sequel, it could have been terrible. But if you compare to the first film, this feels like a quick release just to scare audiences, but not in a positive way. Jump scares are now thrown into this film, to try and look even more scary, The problem is that they should not have done that, Remember the atmosphere of the first film ? Dark creepy locations, with the feeling of someone watching, simple things like this can make a good horror film if you use this in an intelligent way. There are some scenes here that remind us of the first film, but the difference is that it is not that scary. The plot is set in the 40´s, and the locations of some scenes are different, so there are some changes here since last time. Still, i can´t say i am pleased with the final product. Director Tom Harper was one of the directors for miniseries This Is England´86, so you know he can provide quality. I don´t think horror is his strength to be honest, since Woman In Black 2 does not have that much to be pleased about. I like the idea of the kids, staying at this abandoned house. Unfortunately it seems that director Tom Harper does not use this idea in a better way. In some ways this is a very simple sequel, with nothing original to offer. Do some of you remember the spanish horror film The Orphanage ? This was a really good horror film, made with a big heart for the genre, without being complicated. The Woman In Black 2 could have been a worthy sequel, since the idea was great to move forward to the 1940´s. In the end, it all feels dull, since there is not much to care about. The kids are the one who lift this film, they are actually better actors than the adults, so well done. If you enjoyed the first movie, skip this one. It will not give you anything fresh in return.
Rating: DD
World War II is going all over Europe. In London, bombs are falling while people are trying to take cover. Eve Parkins ( Phoebe Fox ), Deputy Headmistress, are helping a group of school children to stay in safety. The situation is becoming more dangerous, so Eve and the kids, evacuate together with the school's headmistress, Jean Hogg ( Helene McCrory ) to the countryside town of Crythin Gifford. As they arrive, they are picked up by air warden Dr. Rhodes, who will take them to Eel Marsh House. As the bus suffers a puncture, they all have no choice but to get to the house. Before they head off, a man named Jacob ( Ned Dennehy ) warn them about the house, and that they should not go there. Even if they hear the warning, they continue their journey. At the Eel Marsh House, you can tell it is in bad condition, but they decide to stay there anyway. Eve begin to see a woman in black, appear in front of her. Not knowing who she is, or what she wants, she tries to dig into the information. When one of the children goes missing, Eve understand that all of them could be in danger, unless there is a way to understand what the woman in black is here for.
So here we go, a sequel to a descent horror film that actually turned out to be a quite nice surprise. When i watch a sequel i usually have 2 rules.
1. Make the film a worthy sequel, and add something suprisingly unexpected, that still manage to fit into the storyline.
2. Do not repeat yourself too much, use simple details that may even make the sequel a worthy experience.
Usually most sequels do not manage to deliver enough when they get released. One of the biggest problems is that many sequels are just made to make money at the box office, and the directors don´t really care about the substance. Even if i watch most sequels to good horror films, i can´t say i enjoy all of them. There are only a few times that i found myself surprised, and those moments are precious. The Woman In Black 2 is not an awful sequel, it could have been terrible. But if you compare to the first film, this feels like a quick release just to scare audiences, but not in a positive way. Jump scares are now thrown into this film, to try and look even more scary, The problem is that they should not have done that, Remember the atmosphere of the first film ? Dark creepy locations, with the feeling of someone watching, simple things like this can make a good horror film if you use this in an intelligent way. There are some scenes here that remind us of the first film, but the difference is that it is not that scary. The plot is set in the 40´s, and the locations of some scenes are different, so there are some changes here since last time. Still, i can´t say i am pleased with the final product. Director Tom Harper was one of the directors for miniseries This Is England´86, so you know he can provide quality. I don´t think horror is his strength to be honest, since Woman In Black 2 does not have that much to be pleased about. I like the idea of the kids, staying at this abandoned house. Unfortunately it seems that director Tom Harper does not use this idea in a better way. In some ways this is a very simple sequel, with nothing original to offer. Do some of you remember the spanish horror film The Orphanage ? This was a really good horror film, made with a big heart for the genre, without being complicated. The Woman In Black 2 could have been a worthy sequel, since the idea was great to move forward to the 1940´s. In the end, it all feels dull, since there is not much to care about. The kids are the one who lift this film, they are actually better actors than the adults, so well done. If you enjoyed the first movie, skip this one. It will not give you anything fresh in return.
Rating: DD
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