Corrupt cops is something that have been around for a very long time. Most cops are of course good, and follow the law. But there are those cops that need extra money, or is addicted on drugs, gambling, or have other personal problems. I know that there are a lot of great cops out there, who would never let any criminal pay them. Unfortunately, some of them fall for temptation, and this give Police a bad image. When it comes to films that brings up the subject of corrupt cops, i have a favourite film that has turns 18 years old in November, but is still a damn good film. I am talking about the criminal drama Training Day, released in the year of 2001. Directed by Antione Fuqua, this film tells the story about Police Officer Jake Hoyt ( played really good by actor Ethan Hawke ) who is assigned for an evaluation headed by Detective Alonzo Harris ( brillant played by Denzel Washington, one of his best performances in his career ). Jake notice that Alonzo is very rough, but have a lot of contacts on the streets. But it becomes clear that Alonzo is doing criminal activities on his shifts, something Jake does not want to be a part of. Trainin Day is a really powerful film that brings up the subject of corrupt cops, but also how hard life is in the ghetto areas. If you have not seen Training Day, i suggest you buy this film on DVD or Blu Ray. This is one of those films that never age, because it is really well made and have fantastic acting performances from the whole cast. How many of you remember the actor Frank Grillo, from The Purge: Anarchy and The Purge: Election Year ? A damn good action actor, and he made those films so good. I decided to watch his Netflix film Point Blank, that is supposed to bring up the subject of corrupt cops. Is this another action highlight from Frank Grillo, or is he running out of ideas and try to do another genre instead ?
Abe Guevara ( Frank Grillo ) is caught in a shootout at a residental home that results the Death of District Attourney Joshua Gregory. He is chased as he is trying to be picked up by his brother Mateo Guevara ( Christian Cooke ), but is accidently hit by a car. Mateo is too afraid to stay around, and drives away. Abe ends up in hospital, where ER Nurse Paul Booker ( Anthony Mackie ) works, and is ready to help Abe. Suddenly, in the room that Abe is staying, Paul is attacked by Mateo. Lieutenant Regina Lewis ( Marcia Gay Harden ) try to get information from Paul, on the attacker. Since he was attacked, he is told to go home to his pregnant wife Taryn ( Teyonah Parris ). Unfortunately, Paul is not safe in his own home either, where he is knocked out and his wife Taryn is kidnapped. Mateo inform Paul that he will get his wife back, if he helps Abe get out of hospital. It seems that they have information on corrupt cops on a flash drive, that could destroy the lives of many well known people inside the Police organization.
If you have seen The Hitman´s Bodyguard with Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds, then you are going to recognize yourself with Point Blank. Both films are filled with car scenes, action, but the biggest difference is that The Hitman´s Bodyguard is a funnier film. Now, if you enjoy simple action films, that rely more on delivering action scenes than plot, you might actually enjoy Point Blank ( this is a remake of the french film with the same name, have not seen the original ). This is a very simple film in many ways, that we have seen many times before. The best thing about this film is actually the chemistry between actors Anthony Mackie ( who most of you know from the Marvel Universe as the character Falcon ) and Frank Grillo ( who you should see in Beyond Skyline ) as the characters Abe Guevara and Paul Booker. Their scenes together helps this film become more entertaining, and i get a sense that they had fun making this film. I am also happy to say that legendary actress Marcia Gay Harden ( who i especially remember from the Clint Eastwood film Mystic River, a must see ) as the corrupt cop Regina Lewis. Her tough attitude and her stone cold look fits well with her character. Even if the action scenes works well, there is one thing i feel that this film could have done better. I would have liked some more effective comedy scenes thrown in here. Since the main characters works well, a good sense of humour would have helped the plot to become more enjoyable. The few moments when we are supposed to laugh don´t work very well, especially with gangster thug known as Big D, played by actor Markice Moore. He is not bad in any way, but the humour with his personality falls pretty flat. As an action film i still had a good time with Point Blank, if you just want to see gun battles, violence and car chases. Director Joe Lynch ( who directed the funny action horror film Mayhem ) clearly love action movies of the 80´s and 90´s, and manage to bring that time period back with his film. Not one of the better Netflix movies, but a good choice for a popcorn night.
Rating: DDD
onsdag 11 september 2019
tisdag 10 september 2019
The Fanatic
Everyone loves some famous personality, no matter if it is a singer, movie star, sport star, author, or perhaps a famous TV chef. Being a fan is ok, as long as you respect famous people private lives. I have all kinds of favourite actors, and favourite bands. Let me give you one example of a band that has been a big part of my life, especially when i was 20 years old in 1997. Back then the metal band Limp Bizkit released their debut album Three Dollar Bill Y´all, and did not get a lot of airplay here in Sweden. I remember hearing the song Counterfeit on Swedish Tv channel ZTV, and i was hooked up. Fred Durst, frontman of the band Limp Bizkit, combined with guitar player Wes Borland, the drum technique from John Otto, the bass lines from John Otto, and the beats from Dj Lethal, transformed me. And even more 2 years later when they released their next album Significant Other ( the album that started their massive fan base, including in Sweden ). I followed this band for many years, even went to see them live in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. And when i was at the live shows, you could see how crazy fans could be, trying to meet the band for autographs. When we think of fans going crazy in films, we have a few titles to choose between. And one film especially came to my mind, and that is the 1996 thriller The Fan with legendary actor Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes. Directed by Tony Scott, this film tells the story of baseball fan Gil Renard ( played by Robert De Niro ) who is obsessed with baseball player Bobby Rayburn. The Fan is actually a pretty good psychological thriller. What if a disturbing man follows his favourite actor around, even visiting his personal home ? This is something that happens in the new film The Fanatic, directed by Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst. Is this a surprisingly good psychological thriller, or Another straight to DVD release with John Travolta no one will remember ?
Moose ( John Travolta ) is an enormous fan of action movie star Hunter Dunbar ( Devon Sawa ), hoping to get his autograph. Moose is an autistic man, and he have problems understanding what is ok to do, and what is not ok. When Moose walks up to Hunter, begging for an autograph, Hunter is not happy. Moose is not giving up, he is going to get his autograph, no matter what he has to do.
I feel very divided on the film The Fanatic. I like the concept of this film, how things can go wrong when a fan has no limits to see their favourite actor. But it becomes pretty clear that this film can´t be taken serious, especially when there are some scenes that does not fit in with the main character Moose. Just look at the scenes when Moose tries to act as a British police officer on the streets of Hollywood. First of all, i seriously doubt that Moose would be able to do a character like that, when he barely can understand what is right and wrong in human behavior. I also find it very strange that this film have drawings of Moose, being painted as a painting in some scenes, for no good reason. I don´t know what the point is with these drawings, maybe to show another perspective on the life of Moose. I think we need to talk about the characters for a while. Lead actor, the legendary John Travolta ( so many classics sch as Carrie, Pulp Fiction and Face/Off ) as the fan Moose, is actually interesting in some odd way. I have never seen Travolta do a character like this, and for that i must say that this is a daring choice for him, trying something completely different. There are some scenes where he manage to give us an image of how the mind of Moose works, and it becomes clear that he have autism. Travolta acts over the top, but i think that is good in certain scenes. Actor Devon Sawa ( mostly known from the first Final Destination movie ) is actually not bad as the character Hunter Dunbar, the action star that Moose loves. Hunter is clearly an asshole, and Devon manage to capture that personality. The other characters in this film does not leave any big impression. My biggest problem with The Fanatic is that this is not an effective psychological thriller. I like the idea of an obsessed fan, but The Fanatic does not use this idea in a very effective way. John Travolta saves this film from falling apart. Director Fred Durst seems to have a vision of how it could be to be stalked by crazy fans. Unfortunately, he does not dig deep enough into the mind of Moose, and make this film pretty forgettable instead. The Fanatic is not going to be remembered as one of John Travolta´s better films. I am happy though he tried to do this character, even if the final results is not what i was hoping for.
Rating: DD
Moose ( John Travolta ) is an enormous fan of action movie star Hunter Dunbar ( Devon Sawa ), hoping to get his autograph. Moose is an autistic man, and he have problems understanding what is ok to do, and what is not ok. When Moose walks up to Hunter, begging for an autograph, Hunter is not happy. Moose is not giving up, he is going to get his autograph, no matter what he has to do.
I feel very divided on the film The Fanatic. I like the concept of this film, how things can go wrong when a fan has no limits to see their favourite actor. But it becomes pretty clear that this film can´t be taken serious, especially when there are some scenes that does not fit in with the main character Moose. Just look at the scenes when Moose tries to act as a British police officer on the streets of Hollywood. First of all, i seriously doubt that Moose would be able to do a character like that, when he barely can understand what is right and wrong in human behavior. I also find it very strange that this film have drawings of Moose, being painted as a painting in some scenes, for no good reason. I don´t know what the point is with these drawings, maybe to show another perspective on the life of Moose. I think we need to talk about the characters for a while. Lead actor, the legendary John Travolta ( so many classics sch as Carrie, Pulp Fiction and Face/Off ) as the fan Moose, is actually interesting in some odd way. I have never seen Travolta do a character like this, and for that i must say that this is a daring choice for him, trying something completely different. There are some scenes where he manage to give us an image of how the mind of Moose works, and it becomes clear that he have autism. Travolta acts over the top, but i think that is good in certain scenes. Actor Devon Sawa ( mostly known from the first Final Destination movie ) is actually not bad as the character Hunter Dunbar, the action star that Moose loves. Hunter is clearly an asshole, and Devon manage to capture that personality. The other characters in this film does not leave any big impression. My biggest problem with The Fanatic is that this is not an effective psychological thriller. I like the idea of an obsessed fan, but The Fanatic does not use this idea in a very effective way. John Travolta saves this film from falling apart. Director Fred Durst seems to have a vision of how it could be to be stalked by crazy fans. Unfortunately, he does not dig deep enough into the mind of Moose, and make this film pretty forgettable instead. The Fanatic is not going to be remembered as one of John Travolta´s better films. I am happy though he tried to do this character, even if the final results is not what i was hoping for.
Rating: DD
The Banana Splits Movie
Children TV shows, i have so many good memories from the 80´s cartoons i watched on Super Channel and on The Children´s Channel. Classics such as Dungeons & Dragons, Thundercats, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors, and many more. Back in those days you could see very violent cartoon shows, and Saturday mornings became a tradition for me and my sister. I have seen children TV shows with kids in our family, and i have to say there are some shows that feels pretty original. But let´s travel back in time, to the year of 1989, when director Peter Jackson ( who most people recognize from Lord Of The Rings, Bad Taste and of course Braindead ) released his puppet satire comedy Meet The Feebles. Imagine puppets doing drugs, having sex and killing each other, that sounds like the perfect childrens movie right ? This film is of course not for children, but an entertaining film on puppets and their shitty lives. My favourite is the heroin addicted Wynard The Frog, a Vietnam war veteran who is constantly high on drugs. Meet The Feebles is almost like a Monty Python version of The Muppets, and really funny if you are in the right mood. Well worth checking out if you want to see director Peter Jackson´s earlier work. How many of you remember the children´s TV program The Banana Splits Adventure Hour ? Maybe not a young generation, but i can imagine if you were a child around the end of the 60´s and early 70´s, you might have seen this show on TV. Animal characters Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky, all formed the fictional rock band The Banana Splits. I did not see this show as a child, not until i was older and the show was mentioned on TV. The TV show lasted 2 seasons, and now in 2019 we have a new film based on the characters, but in a horror themed way. I enjoyed the trailer for The Banana Splits Movie, but is this film better than i expected, or a total disaster ?
The Banana Splits Show is a children´s TV show that is loved by fans worldwide. One of the show biggest fans known as Harley ( Finlay Wojtak-Hissong ) Watch the show all the time, and love the characters Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky dancing and singing. When Harley get ticket´s to the show as a Birthday gift., he is beyond thrilled. He invites his friend Zoe ( Mariah Nash ) to go with him to the show, together with Harley´s parents and his big brother. As they arrive to the studio they are all welcomed by Paige ( Naledi Majola ), who works behind the scenes on the show. But what the audience does not know, is that this show is being cancelled. But this show is not over yet, not until The Banana Splits have made sure that their show will be better than ever.
When you have such a classic children´s TV show as The Banana Splits, it is important to capture the same style of the show and still make a version that works as a horror comedy. I would have to say that they have done a good job with this version. You have some brutal kills, happy songs and the robot costume animals looks pretty effective. When you see them dancing on stage, you want to dance with them ( not speaking about myself, a cousin of mine…..). The Banana Splits Movie knows what it wants to do, and that is to entertain the audience. The characters in this film are very divided. I like some of them, while others don´t leave any big impact. Let´s get into the characters that i enjoy in this film. Child actor Finlay Wojtak-Hissong is without a doubt one of the highlights in this film, as the biggest Banana Split fan ever named Harley. Finlay delivers a performance that fits well with his character. South African actress Naledi Majola as the character Paige, is clearly a woman with a good heart. Naledi make her character feel so natural, and matches so well into the studio environment where this film takes place ( for the most part ). Actress Dani Kind who plays Finlay´s mother Beth, becomes the survivor fighter, risking everything for her children, and i feel that Dani pull this off in a positive way. Now, most other characters are not the ones you will remember, so it is basically the characters i mentioned earlier who fit in well with the plot. What about the brutal killing scenes ? Well, they are actually kind of funny to watch. It is not often you see characters from a Children´s TV show kill people, and that is actually a fun idea. Except a burning head scene, where the CGI fire looks bad, including the make up. Other than that i had a good time with The Banana Splits Movie. Director Danishka Esterhazy ( who directed the well made sci fi thriller Level 16 ) have found the right tone for a film like this to work. This is my kind of Saturday morning show where heads fly off, bodies chopped up in half, the perfect way to start breakfast. Get this film on DVD or Blu Ray, and give a copy each to your family, and i guarantee they will start dancing of joy. On second thought, i feel like dancing and singing now:- Lalala Lalalala…...
Rating: DDD
The Banana Splits Show is a children´s TV show that is loved by fans worldwide. One of the show biggest fans known as Harley ( Finlay Wojtak-Hissong ) Watch the show all the time, and love the characters Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky dancing and singing. When Harley get ticket´s to the show as a Birthday gift., he is beyond thrilled. He invites his friend Zoe ( Mariah Nash ) to go with him to the show, together with Harley´s parents and his big brother. As they arrive to the studio they are all welcomed by Paige ( Naledi Majola ), who works behind the scenes on the show. But what the audience does not know, is that this show is being cancelled. But this show is not over yet, not until The Banana Splits have made sure that their show will be better than ever.
When you have such a classic children´s TV show as The Banana Splits, it is important to capture the same style of the show and still make a version that works as a horror comedy. I would have to say that they have done a good job with this version. You have some brutal kills, happy songs and the robot costume animals looks pretty effective. When you see them dancing on stage, you want to dance with them ( not speaking about myself, a cousin of mine…..). The Banana Splits Movie knows what it wants to do, and that is to entertain the audience. The characters in this film are very divided. I like some of them, while others don´t leave any big impact. Let´s get into the characters that i enjoy in this film. Child actor Finlay Wojtak-Hissong is without a doubt one of the highlights in this film, as the biggest Banana Split fan ever named Harley. Finlay delivers a performance that fits well with his character. South African actress Naledi Majola as the character Paige, is clearly a woman with a good heart. Naledi make her character feel so natural, and matches so well into the studio environment where this film takes place ( for the most part ). Actress Dani Kind who plays Finlay´s mother Beth, becomes the survivor fighter, risking everything for her children, and i feel that Dani pull this off in a positive way. Now, most other characters are not the ones you will remember, so it is basically the characters i mentioned earlier who fit in well with the plot. What about the brutal killing scenes ? Well, they are actually kind of funny to watch. It is not often you see characters from a Children´s TV show kill people, and that is actually a fun idea. Except a burning head scene, where the CGI fire looks bad, including the make up. Other than that i had a good time with The Banana Splits Movie. Director Danishka Esterhazy ( who directed the well made sci fi thriller Level 16 ) have found the right tone for a film like this to work. This is my kind of Saturday morning show where heads fly off, bodies chopped up in half, the perfect way to start breakfast. Get this film on DVD or Blu Ray, and give a copy each to your family, and i guarantee they will start dancing of joy. On second thought, i feel like dancing and singing now:- Lalala Lalalala…...
Rating: DDD
torsdag 5 september 2019
The Hitcher - A Review In Memory Of Rutger Hauer
There are a lot of fantastic old school actors out there , such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, and many many more. They have brought us a lot of classics, and they still work in the movie industry to bring us more quality films. Then there are actors, who are true legends, and i am especially thinking about one iconic actor who changed the world with his characters. I am of course talking about Rutger Hauer, who recently passed away. When i got the news, i felt so sad. Rutger Hauer was a big part of my childhood, and i used to buy every film i could find with him on VHS, even in my teenage years. I still keep the VHS tapes with his films, and i have some titles on DVD and on Blu Ray as well. When i think back at some of my favourite Rutger Hauer films, i have so many titles to choose between. I think he was excellent in the action film Nighthawks as a terrorist, being chased by Sylvester Stallone. Directed by Bruce Malmuth, this film is a real old school treat for 80´s nostalgia fans. Who can forget his performance in Ridley Scott´s cult classic Blade Runner, released in 1982. Rutger played the replicant character Roy Batty. I don´t think Blade Runner would have turned out to be such a cult classic, without the fantastic performance from Rutger Hauer. As i Heard the news about Rutger Hauer passed away, i started to think that i should do a memory review for him. And when i went through all the films he made, i felt that The Hitcher would be perfect. A cult classic from 1986, that is still today considered to be one of the best films in his career. I have not seen this film for probably 10 years, so it was time to see if i would enjoy this film as much as i used to. Is it possible that The Hitcher still is entertaining, or has this film aged a lot over the years ?
Jim Halsey ( C. Thomas Howell ) is delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego. He spots a man hitchhiking in the West Texas and decide to pick him up. The hitchhiker´s name is John Ryder ( Rutger Hauer ). It becomes pretty clear that John is strange. When they pass an abandoned car on the highway, John hit Jim´s leg, to keep going. When Jim ask questions, it becomes clear that there is something wrong with John who begin to threaten him. Jim manage to kick out John out of the car, and is happy to be free. But further down the highway, a family have picked up John, offering him a ride. It seems that John have chosen Jim to play with, and he won´t stop until everything ends the way he planned.
One of the things that strikes me about The Hitcher, is how effective this film is, both as an action film and a horror film. You could say that this is a film that mix different genres into each other, and is really well constructed. The desert areas match perfect with the action scenes, and having a serial killer on the loose makes this film even more effective, when Rutger Hauer gives such a strong performance as John Ryder. Let´s get into the characters a bit more. C. Thomas Howell ( who i especially remember from the 1986 comedy Soul Man ) did his best performance in his career in The Hitcher as the character Jim Halsey. Thomas really goes deep into his character, and he makes sure that you feel connected with him on his horrible journey. I mentioned the performance of Rutger Hauer earlier, but it is important to say that this is one of the performances that i will always remember in his amazing career. Rutger does not only know how to act as a serial killer, he also knows how to say the dialogue in a certain way that only he can do. His facial expressions, his way to play with John Ryders emotions and clearly have no emotions about what he does. The scene where Jim asks serial killer John why he is doing this to him, and he answeres very cold:- You´re a smart kid....figure it out, is so effective. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh is also in this film as the character Nash, who helps Jim. Even if this is not the best performance i have seen her do, i still feel she does a good job with her character. One of the things that The Hitcher does well, is delivering great looking action scenes on the desert highway. You can feel the rush, as Jim is trying to find a way out of this hell. Director Robert Harmon ( who directed the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Nowhere To Run ) made this film special, in the sense that he knows how to give us a brutal but effective serial killer story, and combine this with some very powerful action scenes. The Hitcher will always be one of the 80´s cult films that will live on for many generations, and especially fans of Rutger Hauer. This is a must have on DVD or Blu Ray, and a perfect Christmas gift to the whole family this Christmas. Because let´s be honest, who would not want John Ryder cutting the Turkey at the Christmas table ?
Rating: DDDD
Jim Halsey ( C. Thomas Howell ) is delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego. He spots a man hitchhiking in the West Texas and decide to pick him up. The hitchhiker´s name is John Ryder ( Rutger Hauer ). It becomes pretty clear that John is strange. When they pass an abandoned car on the highway, John hit Jim´s leg, to keep going. When Jim ask questions, it becomes clear that there is something wrong with John who begin to threaten him. Jim manage to kick out John out of the car, and is happy to be free. But further down the highway, a family have picked up John, offering him a ride. It seems that John have chosen Jim to play with, and he won´t stop until everything ends the way he planned.
One of the things that strikes me about The Hitcher, is how effective this film is, both as an action film and a horror film. You could say that this is a film that mix different genres into each other, and is really well constructed. The desert areas match perfect with the action scenes, and having a serial killer on the loose makes this film even more effective, when Rutger Hauer gives such a strong performance as John Ryder. Let´s get into the characters a bit more. C. Thomas Howell ( who i especially remember from the 1986 comedy Soul Man ) did his best performance in his career in The Hitcher as the character Jim Halsey. Thomas really goes deep into his character, and he makes sure that you feel connected with him on his horrible journey. I mentioned the performance of Rutger Hauer earlier, but it is important to say that this is one of the performances that i will always remember in his amazing career. Rutger does not only know how to act as a serial killer, he also knows how to say the dialogue in a certain way that only he can do. His facial expressions, his way to play with John Ryders emotions and clearly have no emotions about what he does. The scene where Jim asks serial killer John why he is doing this to him, and he answeres very cold:- You´re a smart kid....figure it out, is so effective. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh is also in this film as the character Nash, who helps Jim. Even if this is not the best performance i have seen her do, i still feel she does a good job with her character. One of the things that The Hitcher does well, is delivering great looking action scenes on the desert highway. You can feel the rush, as Jim is trying to find a way out of this hell. Director Robert Harmon ( who directed the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Nowhere To Run ) made this film special, in the sense that he knows how to give us a brutal but effective serial killer story, and combine this with some very powerful action scenes. The Hitcher will always be one of the 80´s cult films that will live on for many generations, and especially fans of Rutger Hauer. This is a must have on DVD or Blu Ray, and a perfect Christmas gift to the whole family this Christmas. Because let´s be honest, who would not want John Ryder cutting the Turkey at the Christmas table ?
Rating: DDDD
onsdag 4 september 2019
Ma
Becoming an adult is hard, but it is also good for you. To be able to make your own decisions, and make your own choices in life. Unfortunately, some people have a hard time growing up, for different reasons. It could be that you are stuck with your parents, being too comfortable and letting them fix everything for you. It could also be you had a rough childhood, and could not live the normal teenager life, and suddenly as an adult you want to experience that time you missed. Some might have been bullied through their teenage years, and when their teen years were destroyed by the bullying, they don´t know how to behave as an adult. Let´s bring up the bully subject for a while. This is something we have seen in several horror films, but there is one film who clearly can show you, how awful teenagers can be against other students in the Stephen King based horror film Carrie. Made in 1976, this film tells the story of student Carrie White, who is having a really hard time in school, not having any friends and a very strict religious mother. When the school prom is coming up, the students will pay for what they have done to her. Carrie is a true classic in the bully section of horror films, and a really well made film from director Brian De Palma. Actress Sissy Spacek gave a really strong performance in this film as Carrie, and i think especially young people should see this film to understand what bullying can do to other people. Director Brian De Palma managed to tell a story that will affect you, and even if Carrie is over 40 years old, it is still a true horror classic. What if a former bully victim, now living as an adult, decided to live her teen years again ? It does sound bizarre, but this is something that the horror film Ma brings up. I heard some positive feedback on this film, so decided to check it out on Blu Ray. Is this the horror film that will please horror fans in the cold autumn weather, or is this a film you should skip at all cost ?
Teenager Maggie Thompson ( Diana Silvers ) moves with her mother Erica Thompson ( Juliette Lewis ) to her Ohio hometown after Erica´s husband leaves her. At high school, Maggie becomes friends with Andy Hawkins ( Corey Fogelmanis ), Haley ( McKalley Miller ), Chaz ( Gianni Paolo and Darrell ( Dante Brown ) who invite her to go with them in a van hunting for alcohol. The idea is to find an adult who can buy them what they need. After some failed attempts they run into Sue Ann Ellington ( Octavia Spencer ), also known as Ma. She agree to help the teenagers. Sue Ann is a very lonely woman, who works at a veterinary clinic. When the teenagers get in trouble for drinking on a public location, Ma offers them to party in her basement. The teenagers are thrilled, and this becomes their favourite place. But something is clearly wrong with Sue Ann, as she tries to live out her teen years as an adult. What happened to her in the past ?
One of the first things that comes to my mind is that Ma reminded me a lot of the 2002 psychological thriller One Hour Photo. This is in my opinion the best film from legendary actor Robin Williams ( we all miss him dearly ), as he plays the character Seymore Parrish, who works as a photo technician and become obsessed with a family who are his biggest customers. One Hour Photo is a very interesting look, at a very disturbed lonely man who imagine himself being a family member of a family he does not know. Ma have some similar strings in this film, as she tries to make her past good again by spending time with teenagers to feel cool and wanted, that she never felt as a bully victim. One of the things that makes this film interesting, is that the character of Ma is clearly stuck in her past. If she can´t be happy, no one else should be either. You can tell she is still suffering since her school years, being a bully victim. Let´s get into the characters for a while. Actress Octavia Spencer ( who have done some really good performances in several films, especially in Hidden Figuers ) plays the disturbed character Sue Ann, also known as Ma. She is clearly the biggest strength of this film, when you see that she have no empathy and remorse. Legendary actress Juliette Lewis delivers another strong performance as Erica Thompson, and i am really surprised by young actress Diana Silvers. I have not seen her in the critically acclaimed film Booksmart yet ( i will see this film eventually ), but she gives a great performance as Erica´s daughter Maggie. I just love the performance of English actor Dominic Burgess who plays the character Stu, a casino worker with such a good heart. Ma has a very easy plot, but manage to balance this with strong performances and reach a level of psychological horror that a film like this needs to work. I would not say i see anything original here, but that´s ok. This is a well made horror film, that feels realistic. Director Tate Taylor ( who directed the James Brown biographical film Get On Up ) knows how to construct an effective horror film, without jump scares and go for old school methods instead. If you don´t know what to watch on DVD or Blu Ray this weekend, check Ma out. I guarantee you will be affected how bullying can mess people up.
Rating: DDD
Teenager Maggie Thompson ( Diana Silvers ) moves with her mother Erica Thompson ( Juliette Lewis ) to her Ohio hometown after Erica´s husband leaves her. At high school, Maggie becomes friends with Andy Hawkins ( Corey Fogelmanis ), Haley ( McKalley Miller ), Chaz ( Gianni Paolo and Darrell ( Dante Brown ) who invite her to go with them in a van hunting for alcohol. The idea is to find an adult who can buy them what they need. After some failed attempts they run into Sue Ann Ellington ( Octavia Spencer ), also known as Ma. She agree to help the teenagers. Sue Ann is a very lonely woman, who works at a veterinary clinic. When the teenagers get in trouble for drinking on a public location, Ma offers them to party in her basement. The teenagers are thrilled, and this becomes their favourite place. But something is clearly wrong with Sue Ann, as she tries to live out her teen years as an adult. What happened to her in the past ?
One of the first things that comes to my mind is that Ma reminded me a lot of the 2002 psychological thriller One Hour Photo. This is in my opinion the best film from legendary actor Robin Williams ( we all miss him dearly ), as he plays the character Seymore Parrish, who works as a photo technician and become obsessed with a family who are his biggest customers. One Hour Photo is a very interesting look, at a very disturbed lonely man who imagine himself being a family member of a family he does not know. Ma have some similar strings in this film, as she tries to make her past good again by spending time with teenagers to feel cool and wanted, that she never felt as a bully victim. One of the things that makes this film interesting, is that the character of Ma is clearly stuck in her past. If she can´t be happy, no one else should be either. You can tell she is still suffering since her school years, being a bully victim. Let´s get into the characters for a while. Actress Octavia Spencer ( who have done some really good performances in several films, especially in Hidden Figuers ) plays the disturbed character Sue Ann, also known as Ma. She is clearly the biggest strength of this film, when you see that she have no empathy and remorse. Legendary actress Juliette Lewis delivers another strong performance as Erica Thompson, and i am really surprised by young actress Diana Silvers. I have not seen her in the critically acclaimed film Booksmart yet ( i will see this film eventually ), but she gives a great performance as Erica´s daughter Maggie. I just love the performance of English actor Dominic Burgess who plays the character Stu, a casino worker with such a good heart. Ma has a very easy plot, but manage to balance this with strong performances and reach a level of psychological horror that a film like this needs to work. I would not say i see anything original here, but that´s ok. This is a well made horror film, that feels realistic. Director Tate Taylor ( who directed the James Brown biographical film Get On Up ) knows how to construct an effective horror film, without jump scares and go for old school methods instead. If you don´t know what to watch on DVD or Blu Ray this weekend, check Ma out. I guarantee you will be affected how bullying can mess people up.
Rating: DDD
söndag 1 september 2019
Dolls
When i was a kid in the early 80´s, i used to collect He-Man dolls, and play with them at the home of my neighborhood friend Claes. He had the Greyskull castle as well, and some other He-Man characters that i did not have. And i remember one time, when while we were playing with the He-Man dolls, he asked me if i wanted to see something. Of course i said yes, so we went into his parents bedroom. Under the bed was lots of porn magazines. Boobies everywhere, so from that day on i stopped playing with dolls, and learned that there are better things to do...such as gardening. Dolls can be wondeful for children, or terrifying. This is why dolls is always a bad idea in horror films, because you can never trust a doll completely. One of the best examples of this is of course the classic horror film Child´s Play, from director Tom Holland ( who also directed the classic 1985 horror film Fright Night ). Released in 1988, this film tells the story of Andy Barclay, a young boy who gets a doll as a gift from his mother. A Good Guy Doll, who is no ordinary doll. This doll carry the evil soul of serial killer Charles, and use the doll to continue murder victims, under the name of Chucky. This is a true 80´s classic and the best film in the Child´s Play franchise. I do enjoy some of the other Chucky films as well, but the first one is special in many ways. One of the dolls that scare people most these days, is of course Annabelle of The Conjuring franchise. I have seen all the films, including her own 2 films ( a review of the third film will be published in September ), and i have to say she is really effective as a scary looking dool. Remember the classic The Puppet Masters franhise ? Well, looks like we got a new film with different dolls, in a horror film called Dolls from Uncork´d Entertainment. I bought a DVD copy of this film, hoping it would please my horror genes. Is this the doll film we all wished for, or is this film a big dissapointment ?
Robert Holbrook ( Thomas Downey ) is taking care of his mother´s home. Since she passed away, he is staying in her big house, and his daughter Sammey Holbrook ( Trinity Simpson ) moves in as well. Robert are thinking about getting rid of 3 different dolls in the attic, but show them to his daughter instead. There seems to be something strange about these dolls, since at certain moments they seem to be able to move. Not worrying too much about this, Robert and Sammey go on with their ordinary day life. Until they get a visit from mysterious lady Margaret ( Dee Wallace ), and it becomes clear that these dolls carry a dark secret.
If you are expecting a film similar to the Puppet Master franchise, you might not find what you are looking for her. Dolls is a different kind of horror film, that focus more on psychological feelings than murdering dolls. We do get to see a little bit of the dolls showing up at certain locations, and even some murder scenes where the dolls are involved. But this film is more focused on family issues, and how they handle them with these strange dolls up in the attic. Let´s get into the characters for a while. Thomas Downey ( who some of you might remember from the independent horror film Bethany, worth picking up on DVD ) plays the character Robert Holbrook, a children´s book author. He clearly becomes inspired by the dolls in the attic, as he starts writing his next book with the dolls in mind . Thomas manage to deliver this character in a positive way. Young actress Trinity Simpson ( this is the first time i have seen her in a film ) is in my opinion the highlight of this film as Thomas daughter Sammey Holbrook. You can tell she is struggling with family issues towards her mother Lynn ( played by actress Elise Muller ), one of the reasons why she lives with her father instead. Sammey is a great character for a film like this, since she is both emotional and frustrated over the family situation. Legendary actress Dee Wallace ( so many great performances such as The Howling, Critters and many more ) plays the character Margaret. As soon as we see her character on screen, this film becomes more interesting. It becomes clear that Margaret have some very important information about this house. Dolls is the kind of film that takes time to get into, and this is not a horror film made to have lots of blood and gore. If you can accept that then you might actually enjoy this film. Director Cuyle Carvin ( mostly known as an actor, been in a lot of films and TV shows ) have made a film that feels inspired by classic dolls films, but still manage to go in a different direction. I like the fact that he tries to tell a story from a family perspective, and not only on a certain character. I suggest you give Dolls a chance on DVD from Uncork´d Entertainment, this is a horror film with more depth than focusing on the amount of victims. One thing is clear, no dolls are going to be in my appartment in the future ( security reasons, just in case they might go insane ).
Rating: DDD
Robert Holbrook ( Thomas Downey ) is taking care of his mother´s home. Since she passed away, he is staying in her big house, and his daughter Sammey Holbrook ( Trinity Simpson ) moves in as well. Robert are thinking about getting rid of 3 different dolls in the attic, but show them to his daughter instead. There seems to be something strange about these dolls, since at certain moments they seem to be able to move. Not worrying too much about this, Robert and Sammey go on with their ordinary day life. Until they get a visit from mysterious lady Margaret ( Dee Wallace ), and it becomes clear that these dolls carry a dark secret.
If you are expecting a film similar to the Puppet Master franchise, you might not find what you are looking for her. Dolls is a different kind of horror film, that focus more on psychological feelings than murdering dolls. We do get to see a little bit of the dolls showing up at certain locations, and even some murder scenes where the dolls are involved. But this film is more focused on family issues, and how they handle them with these strange dolls up in the attic. Let´s get into the characters for a while. Thomas Downey ( who some of you might remember from the independent horror film Bethany, worth picking up on DVD ) plays the character Robert Holbrook, a children´s book author. He clearly becomes inspired by the dolls in the attic, as he starts writing his next book with the dolls in mind . Thomas manage to deliver this character in a positive way. Young actress Trinity Simpson ( this is the first time i have seen her in a film ) is in my opinion the highlight of this film as Thomas daughter Sammey Holbrook. You can tell she is struggling with family issues towards her mother Lynn ( played by actress Elise Muller ), one of the reasons why she lives with her father instead. Sammey is a great character for a film like this, since she is both emotional and frustrated over the family situation. Legendary actress Dee Wallace ( so many great performances such as The Howling, Critters and many more ) plays the character Margaret. As soon as we see her character on screen, this film becomes more interesting. It becomes clear that Margaret have some very important information about this house. Dolls is the kind of film that takes time to get into, and this is not a horror film made to have lots of blood and gore. If you can accept that then you might actually enjoy this film. Director Cuyle Carvin ( mostly known as an actor, been in a lot of films and TV shows ) have made a film that feels inspired by classic dolls films, but still manage to go in a different direction. I like the fact that he tries to tell a story from a family perspective, and not only on a certain character. I suggest you give Dolls a chance on DVD from Uncork´d Entertainment, this is a horror film with more depth than focusing on the amount of victims. One thing is clear, no dolls are going to be in my appartment in the future ( security reasons, just in case they might go insane ).
Rating: DDD
Annabelle Comes Home
There are very few things i find creepy in life, that comes to my mind. If you really want to scare me, just hold up a DVD Collection of Colin Nutley´s trilogy of Änglagård, and i will be screaming in fear like a little girl. We should have exorcism rituals towards these films, i can´t think of anything more demonic than Änglagård. Next thing that always scare me, is to hear Jan Johansen doing his 90´s hit Se På Mig, on his tour all across Sweden. Everytime i hear him do this song, i will be running down the street in panic as if i am being chased by an evil spirit. Is is really that bad ? Yes, it really is. So here we come to the third thing that makes me feel a creepy feeling. The possessed doll known as Annabelle, is not only really ugly but looks really creepy as well. When we were first introduced to her in the 2013 film known as The Conjuring. Annabelle turned out to be a doll that actually made a powerful impact with her bizarre look, but you could feel something is very wrong with her. Director James Wan managed to capture that feeling in this film, and The Conjuring is easliy one of my favourite horror films in many years. A year later, Annabelle got her own film, directed by John R. Leonetti. This is a film that is nowhere near as good as The Conjuring, unfortunately. There are a couple of frigthening scenes, but overall a lot of the potential that could have been used with Annabelle, is lost with pretty ordinary horror scenes. But this was about to change, when Swedish director David F. Sandberg, directed the prequel Annabelle: Creation in 2016. This film is actually a much better horror film, and gave us the background story of how Annabelle became possessed. Of course there was going to be another sequel, so earlier this summer Annabelle Comes Home hit cinemas worldwide. I got a chance to see this film before it stopped running in cinema. Is this the sequel we all wanted with Annabelle returning, or is this a sequel that we did not need to be released ?
In 1968, demonologists Ed Warren ( Patrick Wilson ) and Lorraine Warren ( Vera Fermiga ) confiscate the Annabelle doll from nurses Debbie ( Kenzie Caplan ) and Camilla ( Sade Katarina ), who claim that Annabelle have often performed violent activities in their appartment. During the drive back home to the Warrens, the doll summons spirits to attack Ed, but he narrowly survives. Annabelle is locked up in a sacred glass in the Warrens artifacts room that is blessed by Father Gordon ( Steve Coulter ) to ensure the evil is contained. Four years later, the Warrens welcome Mary Ellen ( Madison Iseman ), who will be in charge of babysitting their daughter, Judy Warren ( Mckenna Grace ) while Ed and Lorraine travel overnight to investigate another case. At school, Judy notices the spirit of a priest who is following her. At the Warrens home, Mary Ellen´s friend Daniela Rios ( Katie Sarife ) arrives uninvited. She is curious about speaking to the dead. She finds the keys to the Warrens artifacts room, and go downstairs. She opens the sacred glass where Annabelle is located. Daniela may think she will talk to her father again, but she is about to find out that she made a terrible mistake.
When you make a sequel, make sure you use the tools in the right way. And in the beginning of this film, we do get a good start with actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. When they get screen time, i feel that this is where the film works best because of their characters. Since we have seen them in the previous The Conjuring films, it is hard not to love them. However, when this film takes a different turn, and try to become scary, i can´t help feel disappointed. You see, the horror scenes in this film are not very effective for the mostIt is almost as if they think the audience will be happy just to see Annabelle show up, while some other strange events takes place. And this is a mistake that they should have fixed, because this film is nowhere as good as The Conjuring. The horror scenes feels too predictable, and no big surprises are left here. Let´s talk about the characters. Young child actress Mckenna Grace ( who i especially remember from the Netflix series Designated Survivor ) as the character Judy Warren, is in my opinion one of the highlights of this film. She delivers a great performance, and i am looking forward to see her make more interesting characters in the future. Actress Madison Iseman ( especially enjoyed her performance in the strong independent drama Beauty Mark ) as the character Mary Ellen, a sweet a wonderful woman that is easy to love. Madison deliver a good performance as the emotional young woman Mary. I also enjoy the performance from Katie Sarife who plays the character Daniela Rios ( who i remember from the great TV film Cleveland Abduction ). It becomes clear that Daniela is a very curious, and open minded girl. Even if i do enjoy some of the characters in this film, it becomes hard to enjoy this film until the end. With no unexpected twists, and no real frightening scenes, Annabelle Comes Home feels like a dull sequel. With so much potential from a great cast, and we are only left with a horror film that is easy to forget. Director Gary Dauberman have not made a bad directorial debut film, but he just don´t have the power to deliver a really scary horror film. I like some details that he tried to bring in, but in the end he leaves no big impact. Annabelle may have come home, but not in the way i was hoping for. If we do get another sequel, do it right next time and make me scared. I think i might as well watch The Conjuring instead, and experience how a horror film should look like.
Rating: DD
In 1968, demonologists Ed Warren ( Patrick Wilson ) and Lorraine Warren ( Vera Fermiga ) confiscate the Annabelle doll from nurses Debbie ( Kenzie Caplan ) and Camilla ( Sade Katarina ), who claim that Annabelle have often performed violent activities in their appartment. During the drive back home to the Warrens, the doll summons spirits to attack Ed, but he narrowly survives. Annabelle is locked up in a sacred glass in the Warrens artifacts room that is blessed by Father Gordon ( Steve Coulter ) to ensure the evil is contained. Four years later, the Warrens welcome Mary Ellen ( Madison Iseman ), who will be in charge of babysitting their daughter, Judy Warren ( Mckenna Grace ) while Ed and Lorraine travel overnight to investigate another case. At school, Judy notices the spirit of a priest who is following her. At the Warrens home, Mary Ellen´s friend Daniela Rios ( Katie Sarife ) arrives uninvited. She is curious about speaking to the dead. She finds the keys to the Warrens artifacts room, and go downstairs. She opens the sacred glass where Annabelle is located. Daniela may think she will talk to her father again, but she is about to find out that she made a terrible mistake.
When you make a sequel, make sure you use the tools in the right way. And in the beginning of this film, we do get a good start with actors Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. When they get screen time, i feel that this is where the film works best because of their characters. Since we have seen them in the previous The Conjuring films, it is hard not to love them. However, when this film takes a different turn, and try to become scary, i can´t help feel disappointed. You see, the horror scenes in this film are not very effective for the mostIt is almost as if they think the audience will be happy just to see Annabelle show up, while some other strange events takes place. And this is a mistake that they should have fixed, because this film is nowhere as good as The Conjuring. The horror scenes feels too predictable, and no big surprises are left here. Let´s talk about the characters. Young child actress Mckenna Grace ( who i especially remember from the Netflix series Designated Survivor ) as the character Judy Warren, is in my opinion one of the highlights of this film. She delivers a great performance, and i am looking forward to see her make more interesting characters in the future. Actress Madison Iseman ( especially enjoyed her performance in the strong independent drama Beauty Mark ) as the character Mary Ellen, a sweet a wonderful woman that is easy to love. Madison deliver a good performance as the emotional young woman Mary. I also enjoy the performance from Katie Sarife who plays the character Daniela Rios ( who i remember from the great TV film Cleveland Abduction ). It becomes clear that Daniela is a very curious, and open minded girl. Even if i do enjoy some of the characters in this film, it becomes hard to enjoy this film until the end. With no unexpected twists, and no real frightening scenes, Annabelle Comes Home feels like a dull sequel. With so much potential from a great cast, and we are only left with a horror film that is easy to forget. Director Gary Dauberman have not made a bad directorial debut film, but he just don´t have the power to deliver a really scary horror film. I like some details that he tried to bring in, but in the end he leaves no big impact. Annabelle may have come home, but not in the way i was hoping for. If we do get another sequel, do it right next time and make me scared. I think i might as well watch The Conjuring instead, and experience how a horror film should look like.
Rating: DD
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