Eddie on "THE TROLL HUNTER"

I had been jonesing to see this cool little Norwegian movie called THE TROLL HUNTER (Trolljegeren), after I heard about it last year. This unique and original fantasy horror film brings to us the idea that what if trolls really existed, but are being kept secret.

This is the story or 3 student filmmakers making a documentary about a series of mysterious bear killings and meet Hans, a supposed unlicensed bear poacher. Hans admits to them that he hunts trolls that have broken out of their territories, for the TSS (Troll Security Service). He allows them to film and follow him because, well, he’s sort of a disgruntled employee.



Ok,  this is not a perfect film, I did thoroughly enjoy it. While even being a low budget movie it is pretty epic and the CGI is quite impressive. The story does have some interesting twists, and very interesting explanations for for mundane things we see everyday. You have to see the movie to understand what I'm talking about.

First off this is a mockumentary, shot in the hand-held camera style, but it doesn’t over use this style. The shots are steady with smooth sweeping shots, that allow you to really see the trolls and the locations. Everyone complains about the hand held style, but this does not bother me as much as long as the story is interesting, which it was. All of the actors in the film are great, and natural, the locations are beautiful, and the trolls look pretty damn cool. The trolls I must say while looking kind of campy sometimes, but still look awesome, and no species ever look they same. Hans at one point goes in length to discuss the variety of trolls and their sub species.

The humor is also very funny and dry. There is a whole gag about whether or not anyone of the students is Christian, because trolls can smell Christian blood. And another one where Hans has to get a troll that lives under a bridge, so he brings out 3 goats onto the bridge to lure it out, you know like the fairy tale "Billy Goats Gruff".  That particular scene is my favorite in the movie.

So I recommend this movie, but it might not be everyones cup of tea. You should see before Hollywood remakes it, yep you heard me right, Chris Columbus’s production company, 1492, acquired the rights to this movie. Which proves my point that Hollywood has run out of original ideas.

Oh did I mention that it's subtitled, just in case you hate to read at the movies

Check out the trailer:

Eddie on "Super 8"

Last night I went and saw JJ Abrams monster mash Super 8 last night with friends. And I am not going to sit here and give you spoilers or story details about this film, just my opinions of it.

I have been really excited about seeing this movie since hearing about it last year

This film has been an Internet buzz with people trying to figure out what the monster looks like. To their credit they’ve kept the monster under wraps, with great success.

You probably know the premise but I’ll tell it anyway for some of the people who live under a rock.

A group of friends making a Super 8 zombie movie, in the summer of 1979, witness a massive train crash, and then find out the crash might have not been an accident at all. After strange and unexplained things start happening the kids begin to investigate what is going on their town.

It’s a coming of age movie, a monster movie, an adventure, and a comedy, not in a slapstick comedy, but kids are kids., and works it’s best when they are just hanging out.

The first 15 minutes of the kids making their little movie is funny and sweet, it reminded me of when my friends and me used to make super 8 movies in the seventies. Well as they are shooting a scene, an epic train crash happens, literally, right in front of them. I must admit that the crash is pretty amazing piece of filmmaking, even if it is CGI. The train is one of those long cross-country trains, so cars and parts are flying around everywhere. You can actually feel the kids in peril as they run for their lives, when the shit hits the fan.

The casting of the friends is spot on, the kids get to act like kids, which is good. As a matter of fact everyone in this film is perfect.

The directing is great, the cinematography is great, the sound design, the wardrobe, the look and feel of the period is perfect, it feels like 1979. Even those lens flares made me nostalgic for that era.

A lot of people are comparing this to Goonies, but that is just a generalization. Any movie where a bunch of kids are doing anything adventurous will be compared to that.

But this is a monster movie, it is the central catalyst for what happens, and JJ Abrams keeps the suspense going throughout. A shadow here and reflection there, you never get to see the creature as a whole until about 90 minutes in.

But there is a problem, while the film was enjoyable, the last 10 or so minutes killed it for me. They try to make you feel sympathy for the monster and this may have worked, if the monster did not eat innocent people, hung up in it’s lair like sausage. If this monster is much more intelligent than humans and telepathic, means it would also have known the difference between good guys and bad guys. Now people who have seen this movie may argue with me on this. But lets be honest do good/bad people taste differently, I don’t think so. I am surprised that Spielberg let this issue slip through, I guess he was happy that Abrams was pretty much making an homage to him.

Close Encounters conspiracy - Check, ET coming of age - Check, JAWS don't show monster till end - Check

And when it comes down to it, the monster looked like something out of a “Gears of War” video game.

Also one small nit-pick Ideal Toy Company began exporting the Rubik’s cube, in 1980 from a Hungarian manufacturer so don’t have someone in 1979 say “Hey, that looks like a Rubik’s Cube”. Also I don’t think that Hunchback of Notre Dame model box is a period one at that.

What began as an awesome movie, and continued to do so throughout, just pussy-ed out at the last minute. So as a how friend Tim just mentioned, I feel the same way, I didn't hate it but I didn't love either.

To watch the actual zombie movie “The Case” the kids were making during the credits almost rectified it. But while that little film was awesome, it was just to late. (The kids actors in the film wrote and directed the film within a film on their own)

All the critics out there love this film, even the LA Weekly and the NY Post loved it. But I think they were mostly in love with the nostalgia the film invokes.

Last note if JJAbrams comes up with a story and directs that's fine, just let someone else write the story, where was Bob and Alex??