KarlFranksMrGeeky
Joined Sep 2013
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Ratings544
KarlFranksMrGeeky's rating
Reviews17
KarlFranksMrGeeky's rating
Hugely impressed at what was acheived with this micro-budget throwback to the low budget sci-fi films and TV shows of the 70s and 80s. It may seem like an Asylum Films style Independence Day spoof, but don't be fooled.
Refreshingly at the core it is a heartfelt character driven drama, focusing on themes such as loss and mental illness, with realism, believability, and a thoughtful depth; all wrapped up in an enjoyable 90 minute sci-fi movie.
Yes it's not perfect, but for all its faults give me a film like this, made with passion, heart, and soul any day of the week over soulless mega-budget blockbusters.
Films like this is why I love independent films.
Congratulations and Well Done to Director/Writer Simon Cox and everyone involved.
Refreshingly at the core it is a heartfelt character driven drama, focusing on themes such as loss and mental illness, with realism, believability, and a thoughtful depth; all wrapped up in an enjoyable 90 minute sci-fi movie.
Yes it's not perfect, but for all its faults give me a film like this, made with passion, heart, and soul any day of the week over soulless mega-budget blockbusters.
Films like this is why I love independent films.
Congratulations and Well Done to Director/Writer Simon Cox and everyone involved.
My spoiler free review for The Bloody Asylum that can be found at WordPress, Mr Geeky blog:
Huset (released as The Winter Siege in the UK) is a really solid Norwegian horror film set in Norway during World War 2. Written, directed, and produced by Reinhert Kiil, who has directed a number of feature films and short films including Juleblod (Christmas Blood). The trailer gives the impression that it is a film within the possession genre, however, even though it has some of those elements it also encompasses other horror genres. In some respects it also has certain aspects that bring to mind in a positive way The Twilight Zone. For the most part it is a successful variation of genre conventions, but its main strength is that it is at the core a film that deals intelligently and thoughtfully with the effects of war on the individual.
The film opens with a stunning yet bleak snow scape vista, leading into a beautiful aerial shot that sets the tone of the film perfectly. The story that follows focuses on two German soldiers and their Norwegian prisoner who come across the titular house. A large part of the film is contained within this house and is pretty much a three hander involving these characters. The acting is superb from all three leads, Frederik von Luttichau, Mats Reinhardt, and Sondre Krogtoft Larsen perfectly depicting each of their respective characters, making them engaging and giving them enough depth so as the audience has an emotional investment in them.
The superb cinematography by John-Erling H. Fredrikson and the production design by the director Reinhert Kiil compliment each other perfectly, flawlessly evoking the era the film is set. The framing of shots brilliantly utilises the widescreen, with great use of camera movement, and the editing by Iris Jenssen Nylaendet and Silje Rekk heightening the atmosphere. The drained coloured look of the film works beautifully, almost feeling like a colourised black and white film, further adding realism to the World War Two setting. The music by Kim Berg and Levi Gawrock Troite (credited as Levi Gawron) together with the sound design in the quieter moments of the film enhances the atmosphere, however at times misplaced overuse of loud sounds and music are relied on to create unneeded jump scares that while not ruining the film do at times detract from the other more effective aspects.
Huset is pretty much successful with what the film-makers seem to have set out to achieve, feeling at times a unique horror because of the setting and time period. There is more depth to it than expected, with some thought provoking elements. Feeling fresh and bringing something different to the horror genre. Even though it is not perfect the positives far outweigh the few negatives.
As I write this review I have watched Huset twice now and would happily watch it again because of its unique engaging feel that I have not come across before.
Horror fans who are after a creepy and atmospheric horror film with some heart and depth will find Huset well worth checking out.
Huset (released as The Winter Siege in the UK) is a really solid Norwegian horror film set in Norway during World War 2. Written, directed, and produced by Reinhert Kiil, who has directed a number of feature films and short films including Juleblod (Christmas Blood). The trailer gives the impression that it is a film within the possession genre, however, even though it has some of those elements it also encompasses other horror genres. In some respects it also has certain aspects that bring to mind in a positive way The Twilight Zone. For the most part it is a successful variation of genre conventions, but its main strength is that it is at the core a film that deals intelligently and thoughtfully with the effects of war on the individual.
The film opens with a stunning yet bleak snow scape vista, leading into a beautiful aerial shot that sets the tone of the film perfectly. The story that follows focuses on two German soldiers and their Norwegian prisoner who come across the titular house. A large part of the film is contained within this house and is pretty much a three hander involving these characters. The acting is superb from all three leads, Frederik von Luttichau, Mats Reinhardt, and Sondre Krogtoft Larsen perfectly depicting each of their respective characters, making them engaging and giving them enough depth so as the audience has an emotional investment in them.
The superb cinematography by John-Erling H. Fredrikson and the production design by the director Reinhert Kiil compliment each other perfectly, flawlessly evoking the era the film is set. The framing of shots brilliantly utilises the widescreen, with great use of camera movement, and the editing by Iris Jenssen Nylaendet and Silje Rekk heightening the atmosphere. The drained coloured look of the film works beautifully, almost feeling like a colourised black and white film, further adding realism to the World War Two setting. The music by Kim Berg and Levi Gawrock Troite (credited as Levi Gawron) together with the sound design in the quieter moments of the film enhances the atmosphere, however at times misplaced overuse of loud sounds and music are relied on to create unneeded jump scares that while not ruining the film do at times detract from the other more effective aspects.
Huset is pretty much successful with what the film-makers seem to have set out to achieve, feeling at times a unique horror because of the setting and time period. There is more depth to it than expected, with some thought provoking elements. Feeling fresh and bringing something different to the horror genre. Even though it is not perfect the positives far outweigh the few negatives.
As I write this review I have watched Huset twice now and would happily watch it again because of its unique engaging feel that I have not come across before.
Horror fans who are after a creepy and atmospheric horror film with some heart and depth will find Huset well worth checking out.
My spoiler free review for The Bloody Asylum that can be found at WordPress, Mr Geeky blog:
Sadly a film which has very undeservedly gone under the radar.
Soulmate is the award winning 2013 British feature film debut of Belgium film-maker Axelle Carolyn, more well known to many as the former wife and film-making partner of Neil Marshall, director of Dog Soldiers and The Descent. She also played a role in his 2010 film Centurion. Her most recent film, which she created and produced, is the highly acclaimed 2015 anthology film Tales of Halloween. She also contributed to it as the writer and director of the "Grim Grinning Ghost" segment starring Alex Essoe, star of the superb Starry Eyes from 2014. Axelle Carolyn also most recently co-wrote an episode of Netflix Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chapter Nine: The Returned Man.
She conceived, wrote, and directed the modern set gothic horror Soulmate, which was produced by Neil Marshall. The film is in part inspired by the stories of M.R. James and the Henry James novella Turn of the Screw, most famously adapted into the 1961 film The Innocents and later the inspiration for the 2001 film The Others starring Nicole Kidman. However, Soulmate brings something slightly different to its inspirations. It is at its core a beautifully melancholic meditation on loss and grief with a superb lead performance by Anna Walton. She is complimented by a brilliant supporting cast of Tom Wisdom, Tanya Myers and the hugely underrated Nick Brimble, star of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Sweeney tv series and films, and The Creature in Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.
The film forgoes jump scares in favor of atmosphere and a slow build, making it feel different to many modern horror films. Along the way there are some unexpected twists and turns with a nuanced ambiguity even as the credits roll. The atmosphere of the film is accentuated by the breathtakingly beautiful bleak cinematography and production design coupled with the perfect use of music and sound.
Sadly for the British release Axelle Carolyn was forced by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to make cuts to the suicide sequence because they felt even as an 18 certificate (hard R rating) there was too much focus on the technique shown and could be imitated. She, rightly so, felt that those cuts romanticized suicide and instead cut out the entire scene from the British version of the film, amounting to two minutes and thirty three seconds. To have her vision compromised because a key scene was cut must have hurt because it feels that this negates the impact of the entire film. Maybe this was the reason one of the best British films of recent years went under the radar and is now an almost forgotten film. The version I saw and reviewed is the uncut version that to this day is unjustly banned in the UK. Jokingly Axelle Carolyn calls it a Video Nastie, which it definitely is not.
For those who are looking for a subtle thoughtful horror film with depth and heart Soulmate is highly recommended.
Hopefully in the future we will see more from the extremely talented Axelle Carolyn.
Sadly a film which has very undeservedly gone under the radar.
Soulmate is the award winning 2013 British feature film debut of Belgium film-maker Axelle Carolyn, more well known to many as the former wife and film-making partner of Neil Marshall, director of Dog Soldiers and The Descent. She also played a role in his 2010 film Centurion. Her most recent film, which she created and produced, is the highly acclaimed 2015 anthology film Tales of Halloween. She also contributed to it as the writer and director of the "Grim Grinning Ghost" segment starring Alex Essoe, star of the superb Starry Eyes from 2014. Axelle Carolyn also most recently co-wrote an episode of Netflix Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chapter Nine: The Returned Man.
She conceived, wrote, and directed the modern set gothic horror Soulmate, which was produced by Neil Marshall. The film is in part inspired by the stories of M.R. James and the Henry James novella Turn of the Screw, most famously adapted into the 1961 film The Innocents and later the inspiration for the 2001 film The Others starring Nicole Kidman. However, Soulmate brings something slightly different to its inspirations. It is at its core a beautifully melancholic meditation on loss and grief with a superb lead performance by Anna Walton. She is complimented by a brilliant supporting cast of Tom Wisdom, Tanya Myers and the hugely underrated Nick Brimble, star of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, The Sweeney tv series and films, and The Creature in Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.
The film forgoes jump scares in favor of atmosphere and a slow build, making it feel different to many modern horror films. Along the way there are some unexpected twists and turns with a nuanced ambiguity even as the credits roll. The atmosphere of the film is accentuated by the breathtakingly beautiful bleak cinematography and production design coupled with the perfect use of music and sound.
Sadly for the British release Axelle Carolyn was forced by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) to make cuts to the suicide sequence because they felt even as an 18 certificate (hard R rating) there was too much focus on the technique shown and could be imitated. She, rightly so, felt that those cuts romanticized suicide and instead cut out the entire scene from the British version of the film, amounting to two minutes and thirty three seconds. To have her vision compromised because a key scene was cut must have hurt because it feels that this negates the impact of the entire film. Maybe this was the reason one of the best British films of recent years went under the radar and is now an almost forgotten film. The version I saw and reviewed is the uncut version that to this day is unjustly banned in the UK. Jokingly Axelle Carolyn calls it a Video Nastie, which it definitely is not.
For those who are looking for a subtle thoughtful horror film with depth and heart Soulmate is highly recommended.
Hopefully in the future we will see more from the extremely talented Axelle Carolyn.