This is one of those films I watched when it first was released, and I remember liking it, but didn’t remember anything of the story. So finding it in a second hand store, I brought it home for a rewatch.

Gothika is a somewhat rare bird. It is produced like a straight thriller with both a cast and a budget you would not normally associate with a horror film. At least not in 2003. Except it features a rather disturbing ghost/posession type story which at least in my mind puts it clearly in the horror genre.

With that out of the way, Gothica holds up very well. It’s a creepy and still quite disturbing film. A well told story blending the ghost and horror elements into a more real world story of power, abuse and corruption.

I read Pet Sematary, the novel, when I was 15 or so, and really liked it at the time. Somehow, I never got sround to see the film when it came out a few years later. So when I recently found a restored version on BluRay at a discount, I figured now was as good time as any.

This is a film without any surprises — even if you have not read the novel. Once the first milestone of the plot is reached, the rest comes exactly as expected. What it does well is the way it builds up the tension. Not rushing it, but not too slow either. It feels like a decent adaptation of the novel as far as I can remember.

Where the film shows it’s age is in the performances of the cast. Stiff dialogue and a bit exagerated performances make this an interesting study of the genre and period. However it does less to make the film feel beleivable or frightening. The sole exception is the small kid (Gage, played by Miko Hughes) who does an amazing role. Especially at the end.

The film was remade in 2019, but I have not seen this version. From the trailer it looks like a much more slick and less interesting production. Younger audiences will probably prefer it though.

It Stains the Sands Red is quite an interesting and rather original Zombie flick. At the start I thought I knew where it was heading, but then it headed somewhere else entirely.

Ramaskrik 2018 was held Oct 19 - 22 of that year. This post is based on the reviews I did on my social network profile during the festival.

English title: Blue is the warmest color

This is a slow, romantic and for the most part very beautiful film. The dynamic between the young and insecure Adèle just discovering her sexuality, and the more mature and confident Emma is portrayed wonderfully. There’s in my opinion a tad too much focus on the intimate relationship between the two, while Adèle’s reluctance to come out with her sexual orientation, and her relationship to her family, collegues and friends is left hanging without resolution.

Still a great film worth watching, though.

It’s been ages since I saw Tobe Hoopers timeless classic for the first time, and it’s been on my list for a rewatch for quite a while. While the legend is probably greater than the movie itself, I think the film still holds a good grasp on its audience. It was not the only, but definitely one of the main reasons the Norwegian film review board for home videos were established in the early 1980’s, and thus caused a thriving underground scene for trading uncut and banned horror films in Norway. Ah those were the days… But I digress.

The film is remarkably restrained in it’s portrayal of violence compared to the later films it has inspired. There’s virtually no blood to be seen, and while the chainsaw is waved about ferociously, we never (with one exception) get to see it actually cut into any humans. At the same time it’s sinister score, cinematography and narrative style is unsurpassed in the genre, even though it has been attempted copied many times.

That said, this is a disturbing and exceptionally violent film which definitely isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. If on the other hand, you only have seen the films it inspired, or the imo quite bad 2003 remake, check out the original and you’re in for a treat!

A film I didn’t expect too much from. I’ve heard really good things about it, but for some reason it never excited me. How wrong I was!

This is a masterpiece of good old fashioned suspense horror at it’s finest! The story unfolds slowly, and keeps you alert and wondering throughout the movie. The complete lack of jump scares and most of the now almost mandatory tropes in every film is refreshing and a joy to watch.

An intense film based solely on its story is rare in todays cinema. Highly recommended!

English title: Let the right one in.

I loved this film when I watched it in the cinema on its release. Finally got to watch it again this weekend, only took me ten years (Hell how time flies!) I still find it a great film that holds up very well.

This is much more a romance than a horror as such. The growing relationship between the young bullied Oskar and Eli is at the centerpiece of the film making it warm and cozy, all the while not saving on the horror elements. As a kid more or less on the sme age as the main characters at the same time (early ’80s,) it hits the nostalgia nerve quite well too. I highly recommend this one, even for people who don’t traditionally like horror films.

There’s also an american remake of this, of course. If you were unlucky enough to have seen that one instead of the original, you have been deprived of a great film!

This movie followed me home sortof by accident. I found a split release with The Others (2001) and Monster in the same box at a second hand shop, so home it came. Since I knew nothing about the film, I had no expectations either. However the films surprised me in a positive way.

Charlize Theron does a great role as the prostitute serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Despite the title this is not a horror film, but rather a tragic drama about two women on the run from quite different worlds, both outsiders in their own way, that try to find a life together. The dynamic between the two, the rowdy prostitute Aileen and the more insecure, coming out lesbian Selby (played by Christina Ricci) carries the film to the very end.

I’ve been wanting to see Martyrs for ages. I can’t remember when I first saw the trailer, but it has been on my list for years! While known for it’s violence, I think the story, and how it unfolds are the real strengths of this film. It’s a unique, chilling and well told story that only reveals its full plot at the very end. Well done!

There’s also a US remake from 2015. Why anybody would want to bother with that is beyond me! See the original!

In April this year a group of friends organized a trip to the Dead By Dawn horror film festival in Edinburg. This was a new festival to me, even though it has been going strong for 25 whole years already! Landing in Edinburgh the day before the festival, we got to see a bit of the city, and did the mandatory intake of Haggis and Whisky. Nice town, and by the look of it, a perfect location for a horror film festival.

Another year, another Ramaskrik Horror Film Festival! As always it has been a memorable weekend filled with lots of horror movies, old and new friends, beers and generally a great time.

This report from the Ramaskrik Horror Film Festival of 2016 has taken way too long to finish. My apologies for that. We’re now only a about a month and a half away from the next Ramaskrik, which I’m very much forwards to it! Anyways here is my report from four days dedicated in full to horror films, beers and socializing with other horror fans.

Norwegian horror films are getting some attention, and there’s no reason Huset should not get it’s share too. A brand new horror film from Reinert Kiil, which at least I know best from the low budget slashers Hora (Whore) and Inside the Whore. Even though low budget, they were enjoyable films and gave promise of a director that could do interesting things given more resources.

The Devil’s Hand from 2014 (not to be confused with the film with the same title from 1961) sets a nice atmosphere, but never becomes scary nor very exciting. The plot seems pretty obvious throughout the entire movie, but the ending lifts it up a notch. Not a bad movie, it has some interesting elements, and the setting is beleivable. Still I think it will fall a bit inbetween chairs for the horror fans.

This video is hosted on YouTube, click to watch it there.

Here’s my personal summary of the Ramaskrik Horror film festival at Oppdal this year. I’ve been to Ramaskrik once before, but only for a short stop of one day. That was a very positive experience, so this year I wanted to go for the full festival.

Clowne is something as rare as the pilot for a TV series produced by a a crew of Norwegian high-school students. Don’t let that discourage you, this is really well made and very well produced!

Divine has always been a fascinating figure. Here’s a great documentary going beyond the over the top, sleazy drag queen image most of us associate with her, and shows a glimpse of the human behind the image.

Available on Vimeo On Demand, recommended!

Kumiko is a disilutioned office worker from Tokyo that one day sets out on a journey to find a treasure she is convinced exists in America. She has seen so in a movie, it is her destiny.

Hal Hartley is an american independent filmmaker who has done a number of films. His latest film Ned Rifle (2014) is the third film about the characters and story begun with Henry Fool (1997). I have sadly not seen the second film, Fay Grim (2006) yet, but it does not seem like that’s a requirement either. The films stand well on their own.

There’s film, and there’s film by Peter Greenaway.

I’ve been a fan of this extraordinary film maker from the first time I saw The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. So I was sligthly surprised when I found a new film directed by the master that I didn’t know about. The Baby of Mâcon is far from new, but not one of his most well known films. Released in 1993, it stired some controversy and was refused distribution in the USA. That pretty much sealed its fate as an underground classic.

After seeing (and loving) Livide I had some hopes for Among the Living (Original title: “Aux yeux des vivants”) from the same directors. It’s not a bad movie, but far from the masterpiece that Livide was. It never really manages to build up to a scare, even though it quite obviously tries to. The filming is nice, and the movie is well produced without really fulfilling it’s potential.

Ida is a really beautiful, slowpaced film from Poland. It’s filmed entirely in black and white, uses a minimum of dialogue, and gives the actors time to convey the films dark story mostly through their emotions. Definitely worth watching!

Lately I’ve been trying out Popcorn Time. I know it’s hardly news anymore, but I’m one of those who like to pay for the movies I watch, so I’ve been looking a bit around for what alternatives I have. So far, given my prefered platforms and a requirement that the solution needs to be playable using Free and Open Source software, I’ve really only had one choice: Vimeo.