Wolfman's Got Nards?!

I am a big fan of all the classic Universal monster films, and The Wolfman is always neck and neck with Dracula and Frankenstein as my favorite old school, black and white monster movie. However, when it comes down to it, if I had to pick just one - it would be the furry guy in the top spot, but only by a hair!

With that said, I have been somewhat excited about the upcoming Wolfman comeback (unfortunately, it's not in Teen Wolf form...this time!), and the reason why I've been only somewhat excited is, I wanted to see some sort of footage, or a trailer to really get a sense of how the movie would be in the end. Though, it certainly helps to have Rick Baker on board as the creator of the Wolfman's make-up, and to add a little audio awesomeness, it is more than great to have Danny Elfman around doing the tunes. Joe Johnston has a very adequate resume, much better than say...someone like, Brett "Thank the lord he isn't directing The Wolfman" Ratner. And to top it all off, the cast is fantastic. Still, I needed to see some on screen Wolfman action, and now there is finally a trailer to check out. How is it? Check for yourself, cause it's right below!



One word? Atmosphere. And the best description for the transformation stuff would have to be, sick. This trailer full on delivers, and now the excitement and anticipation can finally begin. Whether or not the Wolfman has nards is irrelevant, because this trailer has some big, hairy, sweaty nards! That is all that matters, right? Unless you are trying to have a Wolf-family, then it's a different story I guess. This trailer is more than I could have asked for, and I hope that the film can live up to my new-found hype. Guess I'll find out February 12th!

Miracle Smile :)

Ahhh…the apocalypse, how I love thee. Well, when the apocalypse is in the form of celluloid that is. For whatever sadistic reason, I never tire of this genre and I’m a little surprised that I had never heard of the 1988 nuclear war film, Miracle Mile. I guess when I don’t hear anything about a film of this nature; it must mean it isn’t very good, or no better than lackluster. However, I still was interested in checking it out and my girlfriend just so happened to pick it as the film for us to watch for the evening. I will attempt to tread lightly, but take warning, this is a film that is somewhat difficult to write about without divulging too many spoilers, so bear with me here.

While riding solo at a museum, Harry (Anthony Edwards) meets a girl named Julie (Mare Winningham), it is love at first sight as the two immediately fall for one another. Harry and Julie make a late night diner date which Harry shows up for 3 hours late after he accidentally oversleeps. He attempts to call the distraught Julie from a pay phone outside of the diner, but his apology call is for not as Julie does not answer her phone. After the failed phone call, the pay phone begins ringing off the hook; Harry takes the call only to hear a man with an insane dreaded message of impending nuclear war, nuclear war that will occur with in the next hour. After Harry makes a group of people aware of the danger to come, they arrange for a helicopter to pick them up and bring them all to the safe confines of Antarctica. After he purposely separates from the group, Harry spends the rest of the film attempting to get to his new love interest so he can take her away to the safety of Antarctica, while warning others of the nuclear doom that lies ahead. To fulfill his quest, Harry has just under an hour before the big one hits and takes out all of L.A. and the rest of the surrounding areas…talk about pressure!

Not being at all familiar with Miracle Mile, I was surprised to read about its interesting history as a script that floated around Hollywood for ten years before being made for what is a surprisingly low budget of 3.5 million dollars. The movie feels like it would have had a much larger budget and that probably has a lot to do with the top-notch direction of Steve De Jarnatt (who also scripted the film) and the gorgeously filmed L.A. locations - from the La Brea tar pits - to the streets of Miracle Mile itself. Before becoming aware of the movie’s history, I thought the film would be just some standard Hollywood fluff piece, but to my surprise, it has a ton of independent flair and creativity with the film’s direction and cinematography - to some of the movie’s stranger, yet entertaining moments. Right off the bat, Miracle Mile has a very cool opening credit sequence where the credits themselves scroll from left to right and vise versa as the camera slowly pans in a different direction for each credit, all while treated to the Tangerine Dream opening score. It is a very well done opening and introduces us to Harry and Julie as they are falling for each other without actually interacting with one another. A very artistic way to open the film and it really set the tone for me, as I was not expecting anything as creative as the opening was.

For the rest of the film, Miracle Mile has a ton of nice looking scenes that show you the world from a very open view point with many grandiose shots that give you the sense of something epic, along with some well-executed steady cam shots to be found here and there. This is what makes the film seem bigger than it is as far as the budget goes, and it really shows that you can do a whole lot with very little in terms of money. This larger than life feel of Miracle Mile, works well when in the context of what is a film about the possible nuclear destruction of the human race. It is a nice way to follow Harry as he seems so miniscule in comparison to the openness of the big city, but even as small as he may seem, his impact on people around him is gigantic in its effect.

For the story, I mostly bought into what Miracle Mile was trying to sell me. It is intriguing and at times very smart, but at other times, things are a little unbelievable. All too often, Harry will run into a character and they are all to easily convinced that Harry is telling the truth about what will happen. However, at times Harry has to resort to lying about how he knows of the upcoming nuclear threat to get people to help him reach Julie and get to da chopper in time. I like that about the film, as Harry is only basing his knowledge of nuclear missiles taking out the planet, from a phone call that could have very easily been - just a prank. Harry himself resorts to doing whatever he has to to complete his mission of love, including the before mentioned lying and also threatening people with a gun that he got his hands on earlier in the film. You cannot blame Harry for doing these things when the world may be coming to an end, but if it doesn’t really happen…well, what then?

After a series of events, Harry eventually gets to Julie and tries to bring her to safety at the landing pad where the helicopter will be, but somewhere around this time is when the rest of L.A. has caught on to the news of the planets possible nuclear demise and everyone begins to riot and rip apart the city. This is what really struck me about Miracle Mile; as all of this chaos possibly may have been caused by Harry’s overreaction to an unconfirmed phone call he received from a complete stranger. If the end of the world isn’t coming, then the rioting, the fear, and the anarchy are all on Harry for spreading the word of what may (or may not) come to be.

With a runtime of 87 minutes, the film is almost played out in real time, which gives you the sense of urgency the Harry character has to go through to complete his task. The pacing is pretty tight and the overall feel of the film is very similar to one of my favorite Scorsese films, After Hours with how everything takes place in a short span of what would be close to real time, and the feel of an open city with a lone man on a dreamlike adventure. I also felt it had a bit of a Repo Man vibe with some of the strange, yet funny sporadic occurrences found throughout the movies runtime. I wouldn’t say that Miracle Mile is quite as good as those two films - which are two films that I very much adore, but even with some similarities, Miracle Mile is totally its own film doing its own thing, and quite well I might add. At times, Miracle Mile is silly, odd, and very 80‘s, but all the while it remains quite chilling and succeeds in putting forth a sense of fear in a decade of true nuclear paranoia, and it's all done with very dreamlike qualities.

I couldn’t help but snicker when I saw the films music was done by none other than German electro group, Tangerine Dream…something about that name always made me giggle. Nevertheless, they actually do a great job and the music conveys a quirky sense of strangeness that fits in well with a film that is itself, pretty strange. Very ominous at times and with a hint of 80’s cheese (as would be expected), I really liked the films score and it added a lot to the overall feel of the film.

As with some of the characters that are too quick to believe Harry’s horror story, I had a few other issues with the film. I liked the Harry character for the most part, and Edwards does a solid job in the acting department as a character that is a bit of a social geek, but also has a budding romantic side to him. My issue with the character though, has to do with the bad decisions on the part of Harry as he lollygags to the point of frustration. I watched him continuously lose focus on the mission at hand, and I often thought to myself that this dude needs to stop fucking around and get to that goddamned chopper before it‘s too late! Yet, Harry still seemed to have to do this and that first, before finally making his way to the landing pad destination. Fittingly, Harry’s lack of urgency does lead to him running out of time, and when the predicted hour mark has passed, and all of L.A. is going to self inflicted hell, you start to think that Harry did do all of this for nothing and in turn caused some serious shit to go down as a result. Whether that is the case or not is for you to find out for yourself, of course, but it does add to the provocative question that you will have during the film…is the nuclear assault real or not? Another issue that I had with the film is probably the biggest one, and it has to do with Julie as played by Mare Winningham. Her character is pretty lame and the sight of her annoying face and ridiculous semi-mullet made me want to puke all over my lap. Her acting skills were very lackluster and amateur at best, and I cannot believe that she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Miracle Mile, let alone that she was ever nominated for an Oscar. The Brat Pack should be ashamed, and so shouldn‘t Harry.

My issues are minimal at best, and even hating one of the film’s main characters was not enough to keep me from loving Miracle Mile. I found it to be a surprisingly well thought out film, which has had me thinking about it even a few days after watching it. I should also bring up that there are numerous and very welcome familiar faces that are to be sporadically found throughout the film. I was thinking of listing them, but thought it be better to just put a link to IMDB because there are sooo many interesting actors (a lot of them genre) in this film, that it would just be too time consuming to go over even a few of them, and their genre credentials.

Before I finish up here, I should mention that immediately after watching Miracle Mile, I said to Lady-suzaka…Cloverfield?! I would find it hard to believe that Cloverfield writer, Drew Godard didn’t have Miracle Mile sitting firmly in the back of his mind while writing the script for his monster movie. Saying that the films are similar is putting it lightly to say the least, as they are almost exactly the same in structure. You have two characters that have both recently fallen in love (or realized they are in love) with a woman and when disaster strikes, that character goes on a personal, almost romance driven mission to save their female love interests. Both films are pretty much in real time and deal with an attack on a big city, whether it be a monster, or a nuclear warhead. With that comes an underlying representations of fear found in both films. For instance, Miracle Mile taps in on the fear of Americans during the cold war and the possibility of World War III, while Cloverfield had strong undertones that I would liken to the fear of terrorism as a result of a post September 11th New York. You could literally swap the Cloverfield monster with the nuclear threat in both of the films and they would have almost the exact same impact on the characters and the story. There is even more that I could compare about the two films, but for the sake of even more spoilers, I will keep my thoughts to myself…unless they come up in the comments section of course! I actually loved Cloverfield, and seeing the similarities to a film that came out 20 years earlier does not change that fact in any way, I just found it to be very interesting.

So in closing, Miracle Mile is available through the Netflix instant watch service at this very moment, so if you have the means, I highly recommend checking it out if you have never seen it before. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and will definitely watch it a few more times throughout my lovely existence, as I think it will be a great film to watch repeatedly just to catch on to some stuff I may have missed the first time out. If you have seen the movie, and whether or not you agree or disagree with my enjoyment of Miracle Mile, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Daddy issues & "The Shining"

Most people would nod solemnly in agreement if I named Stanley Kubrick's The Shining as one of my top 10 films. This blog is not about the films' long, sweeping shots or the sound design or the eerie visuals. I'm here to talk about Jack Torrance. I'm here to explain why I hate Jack Torrance.

Sure it's easy to understand why one would have a distaste for this murderous character. He cut down poor Scatman Crothers like a regal ponderosa pine. He also terrorized his wife with an axe. But this isn't about Wendy. This is about Danny. Before we find ourselves in deep psychoanalysis of the paternal bond between Danny and his father, we must touch upon Jack Nicholson.

It's embarrassing how many of Nicholson's films I've seen. Of his nearly 75 entries, I have actually seen a mere 6. This hardly qualifies me to speak on the mans acting ability and I have no such intentions. I will pose this question: does he ever seem genuine? That is to say, is his natural tone one of mocking insincerity? I'm asking a legitimate question. I feel like the character of Jack Torrance was snide and easy to dislike right from the jump. I am unsure if this was intentional or simply Nicholson. For arguments sake I am going to attribute these qualities to the character.

From very early on in the film Torrance is arrogant. The way he speaks to Wendy is often condescending. But as a child who had her own daddy issues, I immediately align myself with Danny. I watched The Shining many times as a youth and even now as an adult I relate more to Danny than his mother. I was struck by how easily I slipped into the role of the child.

As the film pushes forward and Torrance begins to unhinge, his interactions with Danny become even more uncomfortable. But even before his slip into madness, Danny responds to him with unease. His demeanor with his mother is like night and day when compared to Jack. Danny shies away and becomes timid in the face of his father. The poor little boy lived in fear even before the Overlook was introduced into their lives. This is evident with the boys dislocated shoulder.

What I'm getting at here is this, to me, The Shining is about an abusive and cold father figure. That is why I hate Jack Torrance. He is the exaggerated epitome of the worst kind of absentee father; the kind that lives under the same roof.

Syndicate Sadists

Having become pretty acquainted with the films of Italian auteur, Umberto Lenzi over the past year or so, I have quickly learned that I really like the films I have watched of the director quite a bit. Lenzi’s 1975 Italian crime thriller, Syndicate Sadists (aka Il giustiziere sfida la città) is based slightly off the John Rambo character (mostly in name) from the First Blood novel, and described by Lenzi himself as a modern crime version of Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars.

Before I go over the films premise, I need to mention that as Syndicate Sadists opening credits began to roll, I became extremely excited to see the name Tomas Milian roll by. I am mostly familiar with Milian from another Lenzi directed flick known as Almost Human, a film that I really enjoyed, and a good part of that enjoyment came from Milian’s performance as it clearly left an impact on me.

Okay, now that’s out of the way, Syndicate Sadists is a pretty basic story of crime, revenge, and selfless heroism. Our main character goes by the name of Rambo (played by Tomas Milian); a loner who returns to what would seem to be his old stomping grounds of Milan Italy. Rambo visits with his old friend, and police officer, Pino Scalia (Mario Piave) who informs his good pal of the gang problems the city has been having since Rambo was last in town. After a failed attempt to convince Rambo to join up with the police force, Pino attempts to make a solo bust, but ends up getting himself murdered by a couple of hooligans who are working for a notorious mob boss known as, Conti (Luciano Catenacci). As this all happens, a young boy is kidnapped by Conti’s gang for a hefty ransom resulting in Rambo trying to help bring the boy back to safety, while seeking revenge for his fallen friend. Rambo takes the law into his own hands and makes use of another unsuspecting (and naive to Rambo’s intentions) crime syndicate boss known as Paterno (Joseph Cotton), and his son, Ciccio (Adolfo Lastrettihis). Paterno has some sort of a past with Rambo, though it’s never made clear as to what that past consists of, but it is obvious that Ciccio is not the biggest Rambo fan on the face of the planet. Rambo spends the rest of the film playing the two crime organizations against one another, while trying to avenge his friend’s death, and saving the young kidnapped boy. Of course, this results in some action and also some serious ass kicking thanks to Milian as, Rambo.

Unoriginal story to a point, but I don’t think many great films always have the most original of stories to begin with. Not saying that Syndicate Sadists is a great film, but it is certainly a pretty darn good one, and the Vincenzo Mannino penned story is well executed for the most part, albeit a little confusing at times. Then again, I always seem to get confused with movies that have two crime type families the first time I watch them, it’s just a bit confusing as to who works for whom…and that may only be a problem for me.

Syndicate Sadists plot is more than serviceable to the film, and I would have to say that the movie is mostly well made with Lenzi at the helm, and also factoring in what I would assume would be a very low budget. All of the action scenes are well shot, albeit a little staged looking at times with the fight choreography. Still, the fights are quite good, and one that was a ton of fun is when Rambo lumps up a couple of baddies with a pool stick, where he then proceeds to finish one guy off by using his head as a human cue ball! 8 ball corner pocket, son! Another of many stand out action scenes is when a couple of syndicate heavies toss a Molotov cocktail at a huge truck that the police are using for a big mob sting. Thanks to the fiery distraction, the goons take off and head to safety from the police sting they just sabotaged…or so they think. As the back of the truck immediately goes up in flames, Rambo comes flying out of the flaming trucks back doors, on his motorcycle, in seriously badass fashion! This actually leads to one of the many great chase scenes that are to be found in Syndicate Sadists. Most of these scenes include Rambo on his bike, and the way they are shot, and the sense of speed is very well executed and a huge plus for the movie.

One factor that makes all of the great action, and the well-done chase scenes even greater is the presence that Milian has on screen. Everything he does looks ten times cooler, because he is doing it. Syndicate Sadists is a good film, made extremely better by Milian as Rambo, and as I said in the beginning of this post, he was a big part of what I liked about Almost Human, and is an even bigger part of what I like about this film that I am typing about here.

Tomas Milian has a screen presence unlike few I have witnessed before; the way he carries himself is so nonchalant and cool, without trying to be cool. Milian’s acting style is so interesting to watch as he is constantly moving his face around and it often seems that he is chewing on food, and many times, he is. His physiognomy is that of a bad guy, with his dark hair, beard, and worn out rough around the edge features, but he is able to show genuinely noble and morale intentions with just a few subtle facial movements. His mannerisms are great when he interacts with other characters, he almost seems like he could not be bothered with what is going on around him if it doesn’t interest him, and it comes off as very realistic as he is just so natural on screen. He rather reminds me of De Niro before De Niro became a caricature of himself. Even when he is riding his motorcycle, Milian’s demeanor is so cool in the way he rides, as he has this slouching, kick-backed appearance to him. He commands the screen and the viewer’s attention with out overacting or chewing up all the scenery, and it is a great joy to watch this man act.

*Removes Milian’s penis from mouth*

Rambo as a character is one that I enjoyed. Even with him being a guy that plays by his own rules and looks as bad (if not badder) as any bad guy to be found in Syndicate Sadists, he never comes off as a bad person. Rambo is a good guy that is trying to help the right people with no regard for his own safety and well being…he has the look of an anti hero, with out the anti hero characteristics and pitfalls. With Syndicate Sadists plot (and the close-ups!) taking from A Fistful of Dollars, the look of the Rambo character seems to have been slightly inspired by another Sergio Leone film from a few years earlier, Duck, You Sucker! Much like John H. Mallory (played masterfully by one James Coburn), when you first meet Rambo, his face is completely covered like a ninja (both characters wearing some type of a red bandana), with a pair of dark, wide eyed, bike goggles protecting his eyes from the wind. Both characters kinda look like bugs and each have to almost unravel their faces to reveal who they are to the audience. In addition, like Mallory, Rambo’s vehicle of choice is a motorbike.

One last great thing that I loved about Rambo is some of the great lines of dialogue written for the character. They’re almost along the lines of one-liners, but actually witty, very tough sounding, and so wonderfully delivered by a dubbed (?!) Milian. In one scene, Rambo is trying to find out who killed his friend Pino, by repeatedly smashing a mobsters head into the ground. When the gangster says it wasn’t him that did it, Rambo replies with “I don‘t wanna know that shit man…It‘s my script and I know all the lines. You want me to start killing off characters, or you gotta give me the dialogue as read!” One other great little scene that shows how badass Rambo is, is when he’s fighting two thugs, one of them says to the other “He‘s all mine!” Wherein Rambo replies with “Yeah, stay outta the way…I‘m all his.” Now that is a bad motherfucking ass line if I have ever heard one.

As I may have enjoyed Syndicate Sadists for it‘s solid action scenes and some of the great dialogue, it is very obvious that I really liked this film for Milian, Rambo, and how Milian portrayed Rambo. I am also happy that I have found an actor that I will from now on be on the look out for in other films of the Italian influence. Chances are you have seen Milian (who is surprisingly [to me] a U.S. citizen) in his more recent movies as he has done some American film work since the early 90’s. I personally find him to be an impressive lead actor and all of you out there reading this need to try to check out either Syndicate Sadists or Almost Human. Both are very good films in the Euro-crime genre, and both have a performance from Milian well worth seeking out.

"Blahblahblah Whale Watching Massacre"

It's actually Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre. I've just been pronouncing it wrong, so I typed it the way I say it out loud. I came across the trailer the other day on Twitch. I was super intrigued and wanted to share.

It's an Icelandic film, so I mean, that's cool. There is also a lot of blood spitting in the trailer. I'm a fan of mouth blood. Actually, there seems to be quite a bit of blood and gore in general. I'm OK with that, I just hope it isn't super over the top and bordering on goofy. Twitch and imdb have a September release date in Iceland. I look forward to it hitting the states.




Matt was obviously taken with the trailer and badass poster as well.

She Loves to Do the...Wild Thing(s)

Awesome new trailer for Spike Jonze's adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are...I can't even express how excited I am for this film!

I just watched "Boogie Nights" for the first time

Crazy right?

I have a pile of movies-I-should-have-seen-but-haven't. What's my excuse? I don't have one. Sometimes things slip through the cracks. Sometimes instead of watching a "classic" (subjective term!) I put on Shaun of the Dead for the 19th time. After I watch films I've put off and pushed aside I'm usually regretful that it took me so long to see them. I can now add Boogie Nights to this list.


















I'm not sure what to say about this film that hasn't already been said. People have had 12 years to gush over the performances and Paul Thomas Anderson. I just feel obligated to blog about a film I feel so strongly for. It has been some time since I have watched something that has elicited so many emotions from me. Boogie Nights has easily climbed into my top 10.

This cast is stellar. Even Heather Graham, who I view as the weakest link, was believable and a joy to watch. Don Cheadle was likable and sympathetic; John C. Reilly was hysterical without being a caricature; Burt Reynolds was busy being the film icon that he is; and of course Mark Wahlberg was great. Julianne Moore is one of my favorite actresses and I was enraptured every time she was on screen. I love that woman!

In my opinion this film is flawless. The plot, the characters and their choices were all believable and I was completely sucked in. From the awkwardness of Wahlberg's character early in the film to Moore's maternal breakdown, I was emotionally invested. By the end I was sitting there hoping everyone would be OK. It says a lot when a film filled with questionable characters has you rooting for their happiness.


















Now I will list in a very disjointed, fangirl fashion, all my favorite scenes. This will include spoilers as I am assuming everyone is not as lame as me and didn't wait 12 years to see this.
I adored all the music. It managed to permeate the scenes without being distracting. I loved how much Reynold's character hated video. It was so dated yet such a realistic reaction of a man set in his ways. I loved when Graham kicked that asshole kids head in with her skates. HA! I loved Alfred Molina (and I know Joe does too!). I loved Thomas Jane. And as a Buffy fan, I loved how one of the 4 kids Phillip Baker Hall brings to the New Years Eve party was Tom Lenk.

I wish I had more intelligent, insightful and interesting things to say. That's OK though because Paracinema Magazine issue 7 will have the article "'A Mile of Dick and No Balls' John Holmes, Eddie Nash and the Wonderland Murders at the Movies" by Roy Maurer.

Stalking...in a Winter...Wonderland

Assuming you have read Christine’s post (cause it‘s right below this one!) about a film that, strangely enough, I just so happened to start writing about the very same evening she posted her blog. I find it to be quite the exciting coincidence, and I am happy to be able to bring yet another view of the film, to you, the person right in front of this computer screen. Hope you, and of course, Christine, enjoy my take on Fritt Vilt.

It’s nice to hear about something coming out of Norway that isn’t Black Metal related, not that I don’t love me some of that good ol’ church burnin’, satanic driven, Black Metal music, it would just be nice to hear about something else coming from out of that country. Black Metal, and of course, Vikings. Not really known for their horror films, Norwegian director, Roar (like a dungeon dragon?) Uthaug’s Slasher film, Fritt Vilt made a modest splash a few years back before it was released here in the States under the title, Cold Prey. I heard about the film numerous times, and that was along with Let the right One In, [REC], and Inside, really showing the diversity in completely different countries putting out some quality horror films. Even with a pretty basic plot, and not quite as great as those other films, Fritt Vilt is a very strong entrance to the horror party for first time feature director, Roar (Cloverfield?) Uthaug.

Fritt Vilt’s strength stems from the film making all the way, with skilled artistry put into the look and style of this film. Use of colors are nice, from some of the interior shots of the cold steel, sterile lit, long hallways of the hotel location, to the other areas where everything is dark and dingy from slight elemental exposure and age. Major stand out for me is, I love the gorgeous snow covered mountains and how enveloping they are to the characters and there location. Freezing winds and snow blanket the scenery, taking over the landscape and depriving the setting of oxygen and life, leaving the setting with the emptiest of feelings.

Throughout the introduction process, it quickly seems that the characters will be your average teen-ish kids that you would come to expect, but that is only a thought. By time the group has their snowboarding trip stopped in its tracks, due to one of the guys breaking his leg; they actually seem to be a lot better than most teens of the Slasher genre. They have almost normal conversations, no one does anything crazy, or wacky, and they are all mostly likable. Most movies would have the uber stereotypical film clique, the jock, the Goth, the silly guy, the black guy that loves hip-hop and is extra thugged out. Ya know, cause thugs hang with jocks, Goths, and silly guys and vice versa. Fritt Vilt’s characters have slight aspects of those overly stereotyped characters, but it is so minuscule, as they are believable as a group of friends that would actually be on a snowboarding trip together.

When the characters take shelter at the abandoned hotel so they can care for their friends busted leg, they learn that the hotel has some rather storied past involving a missing boy, with a birthmark covering a large area around one of his eyes. Having no cell phone service and being too far from their car, the five friends stick around the hotel for a little while, and of course enjoy some delicious alcoholic beverages. Some do a little exploring, a few others chill and do some drinking, and the character development is pretty good, also, the characters avoid the Slasher pitfalls of getting wasted to the point of acting moronic. Even when one of the couples seems to go off to bone, they don't, because the girl doesn’t want to rush things. Prude. One character is unrealistically handy, quick on her feet, and has some serious doctor skills when it comes to fixing up her injured buddy, something that is always pretty lame in other films. Still, where Fritt Vilt differs from other Slashers films is, it at least avoids a useless explanation. There’s no line about “How bad it sucked learning this stuff in medical school,” or “That time when her drunk mother fell down the stairs and broke her leg, and she had to fix it,” or anything like that, it is what it is, and no pointless waste of time explanation is given.

I can say how I like the characters, their development is a nice change of pace, and I think they are much better than the average horror film pals are, that also factors into some of the films issues too. There are only five characters, and I know I suck at math, but five characters means there is very little room for killing more than five people. It also means that you have a ton of time before even the first character becomes victim to the films killer. In fact, it took excessively long for even a second character to be killed. Fritt Vilt is around 98 minutes, and could have very easily shaved off 10 or so minutes that would have really sped things up. This is a classic example of a film that kept me in, but got real close to losing me at times. With a lack of kills that are few and far between, they aren’t all that hardcore either. The first kill is very cool and lasts for a decent amount of time but a few were too fast, and major letdowns in the ferocity and carnage department. There is even a *SPOILER!* neck break! Really? A neck break?!

With the lack of kills in Fritt Vilt, it makes it difficult to convey a sense of threat when you do not see or hear the killer. When on screen though, he is pretty bad-ass looking, and those moments really ramp up the tension as the teens try to avoid the monstrous menace while in the tightly confined cavernous hotel location. The killer has a wicked burly snowsuit that looked to have some fur on it, but the fur was so dirty and grungy that it was almost unrecognizable. With a huge pickaxe by his side, he also wore a hood that covered a good portion of his face, along with a beat up ski mask, and a pair of goggles keeping his appearance hidden; all while being very natural and realistic to what a snow-mountain man serial killer would look like. To be honest, I think the killer in Fritt Vilt may be one of the coolest and most intimidating movie monsters I have seen since the 80’s…and the 80’s were the 80’s, so that is pretty high fucking praise for a Slasher villain. However, it is too bad that the killer didn’t get more screen time.

It is insanely obvious who your final girl will be by time you near the end of Fritt Vilt, and it is even more obvious if you have ever seen the poster for Fritt Vilt II. Further more, if you can‘t figure out who the killer may be, then you must be Helen Keller. Those minor issues aside, with the lack of killer presence, kills, and kills that usually result in a few excited obscenities from myself, everything is almost completely made up for in the films closing moments. Fritt Vilt has an awesome ending that is a major change of pace from the rest of the films runtime, and made me wish that the film had been more like the ending all along. Knowing that there is a Fritt Vilt II, and also hearing great things about it, makes me real excited to see if they can keep up with the intensity and adrenaline found at the end of the first film.

Fritt Vilt is a great film in many ways. Thanks to some characters that were much better than usual (especially for a Slasher), a dope ass killer, a great setting, and an ending that is one hell of a joy ride, I was swayed and forgiving of the films many issues and shitfalls by the movies end time. Roar (Altered Beast!?) Uthaug is definitely a director with major talent, skill, and is some one to look forward to in the future. He is currently co-directing a film that would be described as a children’s fantasy called (get ready for this one, spell check!) Julenatt i Blåfjell, which could very possibly be interesting. I am now pretty excited to check out the well received sequel to Fritt Vilt (unfortunately not directed by Roar [ing 20‘s] Uthaug), and there has been very recent news about a third film in the works. So, Fritt Vilt isn’t the second coming of Krueger by any means, but maybe we have a new Slasher series that could be equivalent, if not better than most of the Slasher films since the genres 80’s heyday. I’ll get back to you on that thought after I see Fritt Vilt II.