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Squid Game Season 2 was released today, Dec. 26, 2024, which follows arguably the biggest breakthrough in international television of all time. The first season of the South Korean drama became Netflix's most-watched series, prompting the platform to bring in many more acclaimed non-English shows. Even before Squid Game, though, Netflix was airing great international series like Undercover, the Belgian-Dutch crime show that led to the acclaimed prequel film, Ferry. While hardly as successful as Squid Game, the franchise developed a fanbase nonetheless, so, of course, there's now another title — Ferry 2.

The film follows Ferry and Ferry: The Series, which both earned a strong following and became beloved by fans of international crime dramas. While Ferry 2 is becoming another hit in terms of streaming numbers, fans of the franchise aren't too happy with it and how the movie treats its titular character, Ferry Bouman. One fan of the first film and Undercover,...

Movies and shows over the past two decades, like Breaking Bad, have proven that audiences find it exciting to see the world of drug trafficking portrayed on screen. The stories of drug lords in the real world only make them more thrilling, helping to ground the productions. One of Netflix's characters, who's been in movies and shows on the platform for half a decade, is based on one of history's biggest drug lords.

Ferry Bouman, the titular character in Ferry 2, released on Netflix on December 20, is based on a lesser-known drug lord. Ferry Bouman's real-life counterpart smuggled thousands of kilograms of drugs and required an undercover police operation to be taken down. The character, played by Frank Lammers for the past five years, has had his story told across four Belgian-Dutch movies and shows on Netflix, although it's not always the same as his real-life counterpart's story.

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Compared to previous installments, the latest chapter in the Ferry franchise, Ferry 2, which brings the journey of the titular kingpin to a fitting end, is pretty self-contained, reflective, and of smaller scale. The major reason being the Ferry movie and series highlighted the grand rise of Ferry Bouman, while the original Undercover series, and now Ferry 2 charts his miserable downfall—the beginning brought growth and new people into Ferry’s life, whereas his decline in power, losing people close to him, marked his downfall. The final arc of Ferry’s journey has him untangling family ties, and despite having a pretty limited number of core characters in the movie, the personal connections make for an intriguing storyline. Additionally, as the ending of the movie hints, there are strong chances that the franchise will move towards a new direction, and to navigate that, Ferry’s familial connection will act as a pivot.

“Ferry 2” is a 2024 crime drama directed by Wannes Destoop, featuring an ensemble cast led by Frank Lammers as Ferry Bouman, Aiko Beemsterboer as Jezebel van Kamp, Monic Hendrickx as Claudia Zwart-Bouman, Huub Smit as Dennis, Huub Stapel as Brink. The film follows Ferry Bouman who after spending three years in prison tries to carve a normal life only to be pulled back when his niece comes knocking on his door.

The film opens in Costa Blanca, with the lead, Ferry Bouman, reflecting on the life he has lived and the things he’s lost along the way. Ferry was once a ruthless drug lord who would stop at nothing to expand his empire whether it meant bribing the police or eliminating his rivals. He controlled the Costa Blanca streets, ensuring only high-quality drugs were in circulation. Over time, his power and wealth grew, making him rich. Despite trying to take care of his crew,...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe had gone overboard with its practice of making viewers do homework before watching a movie or a show. I mean, if you wanted to watch Multiverse of Madness, which was a sequel to Doctor Strange, then watching the latter wouldn’t cut it. You would have to go through Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame, and WandaVision to understand the mechanics of the plot. Fans usually came to the studio’s defense, but I guess even they’ve gotten tired of it, and the MCU had to go back to the basics of storytelling. Meanwhile, Netflix isn’t backing down. They made a series called Undercover, which had 3 seasons and featured a character called Ferry Bouman. Then they made a prequel series about that character, titled Ferry: The Series. Then they made a movie that was a prequel to that prequel series,...

“Ferry 2” is a movie directed by Wannes Destoop starring Frank Lammers. With Aiko Beemsterboer and Tobias Kersloot.

Netflix has released “Ferry 2”, a sequel that brings back the character of Ferry Bouman, portrayed by Frank Lammers. Directed by Wannes Destoop, this film continues the story of a former drug lord who thought he had left his criminal past behind.

The plot revolves around Ferry, who finds himself reluctantly pulled back into the world of drugs and crime. His peaceful retirement in Benidorm is disrupted when a teenage relative, struggling with drug problems, approaches him for money. This predicament forces Ferry to confront the remnants of his former life and the changes in the criminal underworld.

Frank Lammers reprises his role as Ferry Bouman, joined by Aiko Beemsterboer as Jezebel van Kamp and Huub Stapel as Brink. The screenplay, penned by Geerard Van de Walle and Tibbe van Hoof, attempts...

One of the best things about Netflix is that among its voluminous catalog of both domestic and international movies, you are likely to stumble upon a true diamond in the rough every once in a while. It's a satisfying feeling to come upon a thoroughly watchable movie with a unique and fun look into something new. Such is the case with the 2021 Dutch mafia film Ferry. Frank Lammers stars as the eponymous gangster who works for a Dutch mob boss in Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands. Rarely do we get to see a film that focuses on the Dutch underground with a full-feature-length offering. So that immediately gives it a leg up on most garden variety mob movies. Amsterdam is a European melting pot with various cultural influences and colorful characters. One of those eccentric misanthropes, Ferry Bouman, takes center stage as a dedicated hitman who gets an...

Stars: Dimitri ‘Vegas’ Thivaios, Jennifer Heylen, Mila Rooms, Sylvie Nawasadio, Jeroen Perceval, Frank Lammers, Tom Vermeir | Written by Trent Hagga | Directed by Jonas Govaerts

Noah Hazard loves his girlfriend Lea and their daughter Zita (Mila Rooms). But more than that, he loves his car, a gold Lexus bearing the vanity plate H4Z4RD, which was also the film’s original title. Indeed, Hazard opens with him spending so much time taking care of it that he’s almost late picking them up, something that gives Lea’s mother (Sylvie Nawasadio; Two Much for the Job) another reason to complain about him.

After dropping Zita off at school and Lea at work, he promises to pick the girl up at 3:30. He wants to go have the chip in his windshield fixed, but he has other obligations. He’s agreed to do a job for his not-so-bright cousin Carlos but...

"No parking in the red zone!" Ha ha. Samuel Goldwyn Films has revealed an official US trailer for an action movie from Belgium (in the Dutch language) titled Hazard, also stylized as H4Z4RD during its original premiere. This first opened in 2022 in Belgium, and hit the genre festivals in late 2023 playing at Fantastic Fest, FrightFest, and Sitges last year. It's hard to describe: Noah really loves his girlfriend, his daughter, and his car, but he gets involved in a deadly driving job that will result in either losing his life, his family or his beloved car. It's a car movie, and an action movie, rolled into one - and the title comes from the guy's name, Noah Hazard - starring superstar DJ Dimitri 'Vegas' Thivaios. The cast also includes Jeroen Perceval, Jennifer Heylen, Mila Rooms, Frank Lammers, Monic Hendrickx, Tom Vermeir, Emilie De Roo, and Gene Bervoets. Looks like it...

After the 2021 release of Ferry, Netflix has just released its continuation in the form of a series of the same name. Ferry: The Series, directed by Cecilia Verheyden and starring Frank Lammers and Elise Schaap in the lead, centers around a drug lord’s loyal henchman, Ferry Bouman. In Amsterdam, Ferry was a ferocious animal who never hesitated to kill his boss’s enemies, but as he was tasked with going to the campsites of Brabant to kill a group of goons responsible for killing his boss’s son, he failed to complete his task. He fell in love with a woman whose brother was one of those goons. Love brought about a big transformation in Ferry’s personality, resulting in him betraying his boss and killing him to save his lady love. In this eight-episode series, we’ll get to see the aftermath of his boss’s death...

"Ferry: The Series", is a Dutch-produced, drug crime thriller, set in the Netherlands, streaming November 3, 2023 on Netflix:

"...'Ferry Bouman' (Frank Lammers), a low-life degenerate, with his brother-in-law 'Lars' (Yannick van de Velde), friends 'Remco' (Tim Haars) and 'Dennis' (Huub Smit), fight the drug lord 'Arie Tack' (Steef Cuijpers) and a notorious motorcycle club to win a place at the top. 

"But only when his lover 'Danielle' (Elise Schaap) learns the dark side of Ferry and his business, does it become clear what price he has to pay..."

Click the images to enlarge...

As technology is spreading its tentacles in as myriad ways as it can be possible, the fallouts are being documented cinematically as well to underline mindless adoption of technologies by humans. Danish film The Takeover is one such film in the category.

The year was 1993. We were watching Demolition Man (1993) starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock. There was one scene where for the sake of love making Sandra Bullock wore a contraption and asked Sylvester Stallone to wear the same as well and experience the magic of love making without actually doing it. Sylvester Stallone’s character just pulled off the contraption and exclaimed – if love making is to be done like this then it is a matter of disgrace. It was a cinematic visualization of where and in what form could technology lead to!

Cut to 2022. The Takeover, a film from the Netherlands now showing on Netflix, has brought...

Suspense doesn’t get lost in translation on this Dutch-language series about two detectives who infiltrate the world of a drug lord. Here’s why you should catch up before the series returns for Season 3 on January 10. The thrill of the case Under pressure and facing sky-high stakes, Bob Lemmens and shrewd partner Kim De Rooij (Anna Drijver) can butt heads while immersing themselves in this dangerous landscape—a stark contrast to their depressingly normal home lives. The big bad Drug kingpin Ferry Bouman (Frank Lammers) has become such a fan favorite, he even received his own prequel movie, Ferry, documenting his origin story. The new season will see him looking to take his empire back, and on a collision course with Bob, who has his own serious set of headaches. The shocking deaths Try not to grow too attached to the characters: As Bob goes to extreme lengths to do what the job takes,...

Stars: Lance Henriksen, Frank Lammers, Tonya Kay, Jack Betts, Everette Wallin, Shae Smolik, Daniel O’Reilly, Gregg Christie, Leticia Labelle, Giovannie Espiritu, Val McAdoo, Carter Scott, Marvin Ryan, Brie Mattson, Anthony Jensen | Written by Everette Wallin, Suzanne DeLaurentiis, Dale Fabrigar | Directed by Dale Fabrigar

Written by Everette Wallin, Suzanne DeLaurentiis and Dale Fabrigar and directed by Fabrigar, D-Railed is a mystery set on a train that crashes into a river. The sinking train isn’t the only thing for the survivors to worry about though, because there’s a monster in the murky depths who wants some dinner, too. It’s a murder mystery on a train… but with a difference and some added horror to pump up the tension a bit.

This one intrigued me because the whole plot sounded so crazy to me, like a bunch of ideas all tossed into one movie. The problem with throwing so many things at the wall though,...

Dimitri “Vegas” Thivaios, one-half of hugely popular electronic dance music duo Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, has landed his first lead role in a feature film, “H4Z4RD.” Billed as an action comedy, “H4Z4RD” is the second film from Belgian director, Jonas Govaerts, whose debut feature, the horror flick “Cub,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Thivaios temporarily broke Instagram when he filmed himself cutting off his signature locks for the role. The haircut, soundtracked by his first solo single, “Pull Me Closer,” has logged over half a million views.

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The Belgian/Greek Thivaios has made a few appearances on the big and small screen in recent years, including on “Jurassic World 3: Dominion” and “Rambo: Last Blood.” “H4Z4RD,” which takes place in Antwerp, in Thivaios’ home country of Belgium, takes...

"Undercover" is the Dutch-language crime drama TV series, starring Tom Waes, Anna Drijver and Frank Lammers, inspired by real-life events, following undercover agents who infiltrate a drug kingpin's operation, with Season Two streaming November 8, 2020 on Netflix:

"...in Limburg, a Belgian province bordering the Netherlands, the infiltration is executed by two agents, 'Bob Lemmens' (Waes) and 'Kim de Rooij' (Drijver)...

"...who pose as a couple at the campground..

"...where an 'ecstasy' drug kingpin spends his weekends..."

Click the images to enlarge...

"Undercover" is the Dutch-language crime drama TV series, starring Tom Waes, Anna Drijver and Frank Lammers, inspired by real-life events, following undercover agents who infiltrate a drug kingpin's operation, with Season Two streaming September 6, 2020 on Netflix:

"...in Limburg, a Belgian province bordering the Netherlands, the infiltration is executed by two agents, 'Bob Lemmens' (Waes) and 'Kim de Rooij' (Drijver)...

"...who pose as a couple at the campground..

"...where an 'ecstasy' drug kingpin spends his weekends..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Stars: Lance Henriksen, Frank Lammers, Tonya Kay, Jack Betts, Everette Wallin, Shae Smolik, Daniel O’Reilly, Gregg Christie, Leticia Labelle, Giovannie Espiritu, Val McAdoo, Carter Scott, Marvin Ryan, Brie Mattson, Anthony Jensen | Written by Everette Wallin, Suzanne DeLaurentiis, Dale Fabrigar | Directed by Dale Fabrigar

Written by Everette Wallin, Suzanne DeLaurentiis and Dale Fabrigar and directed by Fabrigar, D-Railed is a mystery set on a train that crashes into a river. The sinking train isn’t the only thing for the survivors to worry about though, because there’s a monster in the murky depths who wants some dinner, too. It’s a murder mystery on a train… but with a difference and some added horror to pump up the tension a bit.

This one intrigued me because the whole plot sounded so crazy to me, like a bunch of ideas all tossed into one movie. The problem with throwing so...

Sci-fi superstar Lance Henriksen features in the award-winning D-Railed, on DVD and Digital August 6 from Uncork’d Entertainment. The Dale Fabrigar directed horror film, currently sweeping awards on the festival circuit, also stars Shae Smolik, Frank Lammers, Carter Scott, Everette Wallin and Tonya Kay. The film was produced by Suzanne DeLaurentiis …

The post Lance Henriksen gets D-railed appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.

The Season 2 finale of Collection Complete is dedicated to Killer Klowns from Outer Space! Also: a trailer for Morbid Colors and the trailer for D-Railed (along with DVD and digital release details).

Collection Complete Season 2 Finale Details: "The Killer Clowns That Came Back! – Collection Complete 2.11.

Unearthed by the docu-series Collection Complete, the show’s Season Two finale takes a rare look at a pair of screen-used props from the 1988 cult film Killer Klowns from Outer Space, which serendipitously found their way back to Los-Angeles based filmmaker and collector Sean Clark, as well as offering up a sneak peek at what the popular series has in store for Season Three.

The show’s nineteenth episode, future episodes are set to dig into the whereabouts of actor James Remar’s vest from the 1979 cult flick The Warriors, the world of stage-used Kiss guitar and memorabilia collecting, one of the largest Barbie collections in the western hemisphere,...

A second season of Netflix’s first Benelux original, “Undercover,” is in production, and the story will move from focusing on the illicit drugs trade to the illegal arms business.

Non-English-language drama is finding a global audience on streaming platforms, and “Undercover” has ranked as one of Netflix’s most popular series in that category in the U.K. and fared well in Latin America and elsewhere.

The first run followed the a pair of cops from the Dutch and Belgian police forces going undercover to bust a drug ring manufacturing Ecstasy. Belgian pubcaster Vrt aired it locally and Netflix launched it in the U.S. and rest of the world, with the exceptions of France and Germany.

The second season, like the first, will comprise 10 installments. It is set a year after the events of the first run and will again follow Kim De Rooij, played by Anna Drijver,...

Extr-y, extr-y, read all about it! Fright Rags has announced a three-day sale of their "Clas-sick" design "Kill Destroyers." Continue reading for info on how to pre-order this item. Also: D-Railed first details and trailer and What Water Was Left Behind U.S. release details.

Fright Rags' Kill Destroyers Shirt Release Details: "This Friday 10/26 at 10 am we're bringing back a Clas-sick Fright-Rags tee featuring the most terrifying super-group design, Kill Destroyers!

**Special 3-day Limited Time Release!**

This Clas-sick design is available for Three Days Only, 10 am Fri 10/26 - 10 am Mon 10/29, Est at a special price! The special price will only be available for 72 Hours - and any extras from our One-time-only print run (if there are any) will be put up on the site at a later date for full price.

Art by Jason Edmiston

This Is A Pre-order Item - Ships In 7-9 Days."

For more information, visit Fright Rags' website,...

Sales team handles worldwide rights.

Conquistador Entertainment is in Toronto talking up two news titles on its sales roster to worldwide buyers – Escape And Evasion, and thriller D-Railed.

The sales team represents Bronte Pictures’ Escape And Evasion, which is in post in Sydney and delves into the psychosis of Seth, a returned war veteran.

When the sister of one of his fallen comrades begins to question an official report into the death, Seth is drawn into a world of collusion and government secrets.

Escape And Evasion shot on the border of Myanmar and Thailand and in the Queensland rainforests of...

Exclusive: Samhoud looking to open Vr cinemas all over the world.

Amsterdam-based Vr specialists Samhoud Media has announced in Cannes it will open its first Vr cinema in China next month (on 10th June.) This will be located in Beijing.

Samhoud Media is also launching itself as a distribution company for Vr and is a producer of Vr content too.

Among its recent Vr movies is 17-minute drama High Five, directed by Frank Lammers.

The announcements come as Samhoud looks to open Vr cinemas all over the world.

The aim is to have 50 to 100 cinemas by the end of the year - and eventually to open 2000 to 3000 cinemas worldwide.

Samhoud aims to open 100 cinemas in China this year alone. It is working with partners everywhere from Dubai to Spain and Scandinavia.

The company launched its first venue, The Vr Cinema, in Amsterdam 18 months ago - and the site has already attracted over 60,000 visitors. Its sites are...

Title: Admiral (Aka: Michiel de Ruyter) XLrator Media Director: Roel Reiné Writer: Alex van Galen & Lars Boom Cast: Frank Lammers, Sanne Langelaar, Barry Atsma, Egbert Jan-Weeber, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance Running time: 2hrs 2min Rating: Unrated (violence, language, nudity) Available On VOD And iTUNES: February 23, 2016 In Theaters: March 11, 2016 Biopic of 17th century Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, the founder of the Dutch Marine Corps and Netherland’s best strategist. After many successful victories, the Admiral is being pressured by his doting wife Anna ( Sanne Langelaar) to retire and help raise their children, because she is tired of waiting with bated breath for him to return from each battle. [ Read More ]

The post Admiral Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Two powerful Naval armies square off for supremacy over the high seas in our exclusive clip from Admiral, arriving on VOD and Digital HD formats February 23, before arriving in select theaters on March 11. Frank Lammers stars as Dutch captain Michiel de Ruyter, who is featured in this clip as his ship engages in warfare. Will the Dutch fleet live to see another day? From the looks of this scene, it seems they're in quite a strong position.

When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France and Germany and the country itself is on the brink of civil war, only one man can lead the county's strongest weapon, the Dutch fleet: Michiel de Ruyter. This film is based on the true story of Michiel de Ruyter, the 17th Century admiral who became famous for his battles in the Anglo-Dutch Wars. He scored several victories against both the English and French armies,...

Read More: Why 'Childhood's End' Doesn't Tell You How to Feel About That Ending In the new drama "Admiral," Dutch director Roel Reiné is uncovering an often overlooked part of European history. The official synopsis reads: "When the young republic of The Netherlands is attacked by England, France and Germany, and faces its own civil war no less, only one man, Michiel de Ruyter, can lead the county's strongest weapon: the Dutch fleet."  With a robust and impressive cast including Frank Lammers, Sanne Langelaar, Rutger Hauer and Charles Dance, "Admiral" looks to be an entertaining adventure. The film will be released by XLrator on VOD starting February 23 and in theaters on March 11. Read More: XLrator Media Acquires Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Doc 'Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation'...

XLrator Media has acquired North American rights from Arclight Films to the Dutch historical epic that premiered in Berlin earlier this year.

The distributor will release Admiral via its Turbo action label in early 2016.

Roel Reiné directed and Klaas de Jong produced the 17th century-set story that takes place during the Anglo-Dutch naval wars and centres on Holland’s Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer and Frank Lammers star.

“Admiral is a dazzling film of epic proportions with larger-than-life naval battles that haven’t been seen since Master And Commander,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

“Audiences will be blown away by the amazing cinematography and action set-pieces, coupled with stunning performances from the entire cast. As proven by the huge success of the Game Of Thrones series and our own recent Ironclad films, action fans have a huge appetite for exciting content based on historical facts and themes.

“Admiral is a unique...

Arclight Films has sold Roel Reine’s Admiral - set for a gala screening at the Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff) - to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The Dutch historical epic, which topped the Netherlands’ box office when it was released in January under the title, has sold to the UK (Signature Entertainment), Germany (Lighthouse), Japan (Transformer), Turkey (Aqua Pinema), Vietnam (Galaxy) and the Middle East (Italia Films).

Set in the 17th Century, the film tells the story of Dutch naval hero Michiel de Ruyter and his battles against the English and other forces at a time when the Netherlands was on the verge of civil war.

The film stars Frank Lammers, Sanne Langelaar and Barry Atsma, along with Charles Dance and Rutger Hauer.

“It’s very exciting to be selected for a gala event at the Beijing International Film Festival and have the opportunity to bring Admiral to a larger audience,” said Reine.

“I...

Leo Hannewijk, festival director at Film by the Sea in Vlissingen, has taken up a new, additional role as film commissioner in Zeeland.

His appointment comes as film activity in the region is intensifying, partly in response to the new Dutch cash rebate incentive introduced last year.

Recent films to have shot in Zeeland include Berlinale title Confetti Harvest, the first feature by Tallulah H. Schwab and Sergio Herman, Fucking Perfect, a feature doc about the titular master chef who decides to let go of his three-star restaurant Oud Sluis in the region in order to fulfill his dreams.

Also shooting in the region was Roel Reiné’s epic seafaring costume drama Michiel De Ruyter, starring Charles Dance, Frank Lammers and Rutger Hauer. A Film will be giving Michiel De Ruyter a 150-copy release in the Netherlands later this month.

Hannewijk and his colleagues in Zeeland will be meeting with Reiné next week to have talks about making...

Title: Bullhead Directed By: Michael R. Roskam Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Tibo Vandenborre, Frank Lammers, Sam Louwyck, Robin Valvekens, Baudoin Wolwertz, David Murgia, Erico Salamone, Philippe Grand’Henry, Kris Cuppens, Sofie Sente, Kristof Renson Talk about starting out on the right foot. Not only did first time feature writer-director Michael R. Roskam deliver a solid film, but he snagged an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Will it claim the Oscar? I’m betting against it, but Bullhead is still undoubtedly a worthy watch. As kids, Jacky Vanmarsenille (Robin Valvekens) and his buddy Diederik Maes (Baudoin Wolwertz) get into a scuffle with a local bully,...

Note: This is a re-post of our Viff review.

The name Michael R. Roskam may become very familiar around cinematic circles—possibly as soon as next spring. Beating out all other accomplished filmmakers from Belgium, it is this writer/director’s first feature Rundskop [Bullhead] that has won the honor of representing its country at the Oscars. You’ll understand why it prevailed quickly, earning the praise of not just being a great debut, but a great film too.

Assured, intelligent, and gripping, this gangster tale isn’t necessarily unique in tone but is completely fresh in subject matter. Instead of cocaine or heroine as the central drug manufactured and distributed, the Flemish mob families here deal cows. By injecting growth hormones, multiple farms in Belgium have cultivated strong illegal trade circles of infused beef and milk. It’s big business and thusly under constant police surveillance, but somehow they’ve...

Title: Bullhead Drafthouse Films Review by: Harvey Karten Grade: B Director: Michael R. Roskam Screenwriter: Michael R. Roskam Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeanne Dandoy, Tibo Vandenborre, Jeroen Perceval, Barbara Sarafian, Frank Lammers Screened at: Critics’ DVD, NYC, 2/15/12 Opens: February 17, 2012 There’s a reason that people fly into rages over incidents that a rational person would consider almost neutral. Jackie (Matthias Schoenaerts), whose body is ripped from taking steroids, is a character looking for a revenge that the audience must consider thoroughly justified. In one of the several flashbacks, a handsome but decidedly weak 12-year-old unable to defend himself, is set upon by local young toughs, his testicles literally crushed,...

Theatrical movie trailer for Michael R. Roskam's Bullhead (Rundskop), starring Matthias Schoenaerts Michael R. Roskam directs and writes what is one of the year's most stunning international debuts. Bullhead is a harrowing tale of revenge, redemption and fate. Domineering cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts in a ferocious breakout performance), constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, initiates a shady deal with a notorious mafioso meat trader. When an investigating federal agent is assassinated and a woman from his traumatic past resurfaces, Jacky must confront his demons and face the far-reaching consequences of his decisions. Cast of the Drafthouse Films release which opens on February 17th in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, also includes Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Tibo Vandenborre and Frank Lammers.

Theatrical movie trailer for Michael R. Roskam's Bullhead (Rundskop), starring Matthias Schoenaerts Michael R. Roskam directs and writes what is one of the year's most stunning international debuts. Bullhead is a harrowing tale of revenge, redemption and fate. Domineering cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts in a ferocious breakout performance), constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, initiates a shady deal with a notorious mafioso meat trader. When an investigating federal agent is assassinated and a woman from his traumatic past resurfaces, Jacky must confront his demons and face the far-reaching consequences of his decisions. Cast of the Drafthouse Films release which opens on February 17th in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, also includes Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Tibo Vandenborre and Frank Lammers.

Theatrical movie trailer for Michael R. Roskam's Bullhead (Rundskop), starring Matthias Schoenaerts Michael R. Roskam directs and writes what is one of the year's most stunning international debuts. Bullhead is a harrowing tale of revenge, redemption and fate. Domineering cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts in a ferocious breakout performance), constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, initiates a shady deal with a notorious mafioso meat trader. When an investigating federal agent is assassinated and a woman from his traumatic past resurfaces, Jacky must confront his demons and face the far-reaching consequences of his decisions. Cast of the Drafthouse Films release which opens on February 17th in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, also includes Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Tibo Vandenborre and Frank Lammers.

The name Michael R. Roskam may become very familiar around cinematic circles—possibly as soon as next spring. Beating out all other accomplished filmmakers from Belgium, it is this writer/director’s first feature Rundskop [Bullhead] that has won the honor of representing its country at the Oscars. You’ll understand why it prevailed quickly, earning the praise of not just being a great debut, but a great film too.

Assured, intelligent, and gripping, this gangster tale isn’t necessarily unique in tone but is completely fresh in subject matter. Instead of cocaine or heroine as the central drug manufactured and distributed, the Flemish mob families here deal cows. By injecting growth hormones, multiple farms in Belgium have cultivated strong illegal trade circles of infused beef and milk. It’s big business and thusly under constant police surveillance, but somehow they’ve managed to stay off the radar from any real...

Though it slipped past us somehow the 2011 Berlin Film Festival released the first block of titles from their Panorama section yesterday and there are some very familiar names in there, among them Ryoo Seung-Wan's The Unjust, Jorge Padilha's Elite Squad 2, Angelique Bosio's The Advocate For Fagdom and Hugo Olsson's The Black Power Mixtape - all of which have received coverage here in the pages of Twitch. You want the complete list? Here it is:

Panorama Main Programme + Panorama Special Bu-dang-geo-rae (The Unjust) by Seung-wan Ryoo, Republic of Koreawith Jung-min Hwang, Seung-bum Ryoo, Hae-jin Yoo Chang-Pi-Hae (Ashamed) by Soo-hyun Kim, Republic of Koreawith Hyo-jin Kim, Kkobbi Kim Dance Town by Kyu-hwan Jeon, Republic of Koreawith Mir-an Ra, Seong-tae Oh The Devil's Double by Lee Tamahori, Belgiumwith Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier Dirty Girl by Abe Sylvia, USAwith Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy, Dwight Yoakam, Mary Steenburgen, Jeremy Dozier...