Midsummer Nightmares 2: Summers End – 2014 – There’s a lot of cleavage!

Director: Ryan Stacy

Horror

I write this without the benefit of having watched the first one. The reason for this is that I want to treat this as an individual movie rather than a sequel. This might also be the cause for why I don’t totally get it. It seems to me that there’s way to much talk about stuff I don’t really connect to the movies main plot. Correction: of course it’s connected to the main plot, just not in a way that makes a lot on sense.

I can’t really say that it works as slasher. It’s not suspenseful enough, it’s not bloody enough. As a thriller? Well, there’s that thing about suspense again. A thriller more than anything revolves around suspense. The actors are quite bad most of the time but the thing the flick lack is suspense sounds and music. These things can do wondrous things with a mediocre plot.

To be honest, I don’t get this plot. There’s way to much talk about what happened before that’s unknown if you haven’t watched the first movie. I will watch it later though and see if I can connect the dots. The things I get are that some crazy killer from the past returns to kill off a bunch of friends. I don’t know why, there isn’t much motivation to anything in the movie. Why, why, why? That’s always the thing we should get to know one way or another. Except if you’re David Lynch, then you can get away with a totally confusing movie.

It’s hard to separate the acting from the direction. Who’s really to blame? I can’t say for sure but there is at least one saving grace – Christy Faulkner, who does the part of this hot ginger head Amber. She’s by far the most skilled actor in this production. That’s my opinion anyway! Many of the others, not all of them of course, seem to be in the production just to add cleavage values! That’s not necessarily a bad thing saying so makes me feel like a dirty old man. But perhaps that’s just what I am. The thing is that there’s a lot of cleavage but not enough boobs for it to be really sleazy. The attempt is fine to begin with but it does not work all the way.

All in all this is a little to amateurish for me to get off on. It’s a pretty short movie, about 70 minutes – luckily! It feels much longer than that since the pacing is so slow. Why don’t the killer come out and kill some of the characters already. There’s a decent teaser in the beginning of the film, but then there’s all that cleavage… In the end there’s an obvious attempt to surprise us which only add to the confusion. Just make it simple next time!

But did I regret seeing this? Do I want my time back? Not really. It was still worth my time and it should be worth your time too. It may not be top notch but very few movies are and there are after all some intriguing things about it. Did I mention Christy Faulkner?

4/10

Ps. having watched the first instalment of this I can now say I get it! At least I get it more than I did before. My views above haven’t changed, it’s still a confusing movie but if you have seen the first film you much better off. It would facilitate your understanding for this! Ds.

Sleaze Flick Review: Amateur Porn Star Killer 2 - 2008

Amatuer Porn Star Killer 2

Director: Shane Ryan

2008

Horror

I figure that if you have any interest in this movie you have already seen the first in the trilogy. I find it unnecessary to write down a synopsis in bold letter as I usually do since it’s really more of the same thing. Brandon picks up girls, fucks and kills them.

There are two version of the film on this DVD release. There is the movie version and the snuff version. They are similar of course but also quite different. The snuff version is more to the point without a lot of the stuff going on around the movie version. Personally I like the snuff version better, it’s somewhat rougher and also what the killer really intended. The victims’ pain and humiliation comes through better!

But both versions are very hard to watch, not because of the theme – which is truly a horrible one, but because of the way the story is told. Out of order and with a very shaky hand hold camera. There is lots of nudity – both male and female. It’s one of the things that the film benefits from; it makes it a little more realistic to be sure! But for the most part I’m sorry to say that it’s quite dull. I’d rather see the first film than this at any time but I’m still looking forward for the final part which I will review soon!

Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - 2010

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Director: Michael Apted

2010
Fantasy

Lucy and Edmond now lives with their cousin Eustace and his parents. It’s not a pleasant acquaintance for neither the siblings nor Eustace as they keep getting on each other nerves all the time. Lucy and Edmond talks about their adventures in Narnia but their bitter and younger cousin don’t believe a word they say. But wait, all of a sudden a secret passage into the world of Narnia appears. They find themselves in the water next to a great big ship called the Dawn Treader and get rescued from drowning by Prince Caspian himself. The journey goes onward to the unchartered waters in the kingdoms outskirts, towards the land beyond the sea – the land of Aslan.

I don’t think there is anyone who can claim that the first part of the series – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe isn’t the most famous and widely spread story of the all. I say the first sine it was the first to be published even if The Magicians Nephew takes place first. That’s a story I’d be happy to see made in this new context. But this is the third part of this new film series and the third book to be written too actually. Unfortunate I don’t think it hold up to the same standards as the two previous movies, It’s more or less ok, and it’s adequately made and all that put it misses something I just can’t put my finger on. It feels like a “lighter” fantasy adventure than the previous two movies but there was undeniably potential to make it really exciting wit undiscovered unknown world. It could have been compared to the journeys made by Odysseus or the adventure of Jason and the Argonauts. It’s very similar to a Greek story but without the tragedy that usually ends them.

The film itself, or rather the story, holds no big surprises. It’s fairly obvious that the relationship between the cousins are about to take a drastic change on the journey. It’s also obvious why the other two siblings aren’t along for the ride this time – they’ve grown too old for the fantasy land Narnia. It’s a kingdom only available through a child’s open mind for imagination.

There is nothing to complain about as far as the visuals are concerns really, but I guess you’re so spoiled these days, with various Harry Potter films that really try to make the most of it, that you can’t help but feel that something is missing. You could say that the filmmakers make it a little too easy for themselves or perhaps underestimates the audience a bit. At least if the audience is a bit older and have somewhat stricter demands that the inexperience of youth.

It's a nice movie when it comes to entertainment values and it has the right kind of humor to fit the feeling of matinee. It’s a nice family movie that doesn’t complicate things too much. Perhaps there’s somewhat of a religious statement somewhere in the background and as I am totally hooked on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner I can’t see a bird flying around a boat without thinking it's an albatross – a sign of hope and a good sign. But it's probably just med analyzing too much again…

Review:Yakuza Hunters 2 - 2010

Yakuza Hunters 2

Aka: Yakuza Hunters: The Revenge Duel in Hell

Director Shinichi Okuda

2010

Action

Three years after the final battle of the first film Asami comes to town. There are a lot of injustices and it’s ruled by a Yakuza gang, they´re planning to build a casino on the spot so everyone else has to leave. Those who refuse are tortured and killed by the Yakuza. Asami stands in the way to get the last few people to move and the Yakuza plays their final card – the summit Akira – a beautiful assassin who seems unbeatable. But Asami trains for the task and the final battle is soon upon her.

You can´t argue with the fact that this film doesn’t have much in common with the first. This isn’t a girl-gang movie at all like the first was. There isn’t nearly the same amount of action and gruesome scenes in it either. The story is simpler and it’s rather slow paced. Oh, and it’s far more enjoyable than the first one!

The reason for this is partly that I can understand the drama in this one. It’s not as strange as the first one and I think it works better actor wise. It´s a slow build-up for the final scenes and as the movie itself is about 70 minutes you never get bored. Sure, there are a few clichés along the way but what the heck – this is entertainment!

I can’t really figure out the logic in making a sequel like this (or a sequel to the first film at all really) but I guess it’s possible to ignore all the events in the first movie and just see this as a totally different story. That’s the way it works for me! I see this as a standalone film, as I usually do with remakes and sequels. It´s a good way of letting the movies own qualities been seen rather than some imaginative comparisons.

There are some cool action sequences in it but for the most part it’s just a feel-good film for me. I can watch it with a smile on my face and not worry about any holes in the plot or anything else that might have disturbed me with a more complex idea of the sequel.

Images: © 2012 Cine du Monde (UK Licence)

Review: Quarantine 2: Terminal - 2011

Quarantine 2: Terminal
Director: John Pogue
2011
Horror

A flight from L.A. is forced to do an emergency landing when one of the passengers starts to attack the others. When they finally reach the ground there seems to by no help available. They search for a free gate where they expect to find medical personal. But nothing happens. All entries to the terminal are locked. What’s going on? Soon they realize that the entire building is surrounded and quarantined. A virus turn one by one of the passengers and flight personal into blood thirsty zombies and the outside world are not about to set them free. They take no risks with the deadly virus!

This starts as an intriguing sequel! And even if the first film – Quarantine, was more or less the same movie as the Spanish original [REC] this is a more stand-on-it’s-own sequel and has nothing in common with [REC2]. Some of the original essence has been lost since this film doesn’t contain any of the handhold subjective shaky camera what so ever. It’s referenced to but the imagery is not used. Perhaps they’re saving that for part 3?

The fact that it has nothing to do with the original sequel and not with the first Quarantine either really, gives the film a lift. It feels fresh and I can’t remember ever seeing a zombie attack on a plane before. Zombies on a Plane!

You could argue that the intro sequences are filled with clichés, but I think it’s charming and it’s not made by mistake. It’s almost as if the creators mock themselves, or perhaps the audience. It’s not obvious where the virus will come from and who that’ll get it first, just that it will come! There are plenty of re herrings and the final eruption of aggravation is pretty good.

Like the other movies this is about super fast infected individuals rather than real zombies. At least if you take the old school of slow zombies into the equation. Some say that the only true zombies are just like that, slow and horrifying and craving human flesh. The latter is the case here though, they bite and there’s blood! But it doesn’t follow through all the way and after the emergency landing the film turn more conventional and reminds you more of the other films in the series. It would have been fun have the entire plot take place in the air but I guess that would have been a hard scenario to accomplish.

The part on the ground, which is the most of the movie, is slower paced than the beginning, but it never gets stale or boring. It’s very well acted and there is an explanation to everything in the end. I won’t tell what happens but if you’re after a happy ending you might want to see something else instead. I don’t think it’s a spoiler claiming that since most zombie flicks seems to have some kind of apocalyptic ending anyway. It’s kind of the essence of the genre, to lead the story into total and ultimate decadence.

All in all a very entertaining flick but surely not a masterpiece. If you like zombie films with virus infections you should like this one too and it’s not necessary to have the other films in the two series in fresh memory. This film can make it on its own, all you need to know is explained pretty clear.