my brief thoughts on.... 'Frozen' (2010)

what a terrible thing to happen to someone.... to get caught out in the freezing cold with minimal protection and no way to save yourself without sustaining a deadly injury.... not to mention that the first chance to be saved isn't going to happen for several days.... this is the premise of 'Frozen' and is enough to instill fear in me right off the bat, even before the movie starts.... besides the frightening plot, what's impressive about this is the fact that the movie is basically 3 people on a ski lift.... for almost the whole movie that's almost all you see.... it's difficult to pull off a movie under these circumstances, but 'Frozen' makes a valiant effort.... it's not the first movie to use this type of strategy.... but this doesn't always work.... when it does, it can be extremely powerful.... but when it fails, it just comes off as being dull and uninspired.... lazy writing.... in the case of 'Frozen', i think that they accomplished exactly what they were going for.... and they didn't have to resort to the hand held camera tricks that so many movies are using these days....

i've already outlined the basic plot already.... what happens is that 3 friends go out to ski on a mountain.... they bribe a lift operator to let them go for one last run before they shut it down for the weekend.... a mix up occurs and the 3 get stuck halfway up and the ski resort shuts down unaware.... the 3 people start to freak out about their situation and try and come up with ways to get down.... after some attempts and some horrific results, things start to look really bleak.... the rest of it is something you'll need to see on your own....
i really looked forward to seeing this movie.... and it lived up to the majority of my expectations.... there was very few things about it that bothered me.... and those things weren't enough to outweigh the good things.... i liked it enough to give it 4 out of 5 stars.... it was entertaining and at times nail biting.... there isn't much to speak of in the way of action.... most of it is talking about what to do.... and because of that, when the few action scenes take place, it makes things that much more intense.... it is available right now OnDemand, but i don't know for how long.... so i would recommend you check it out soon.... in closing, i think that 'Frozen' lived up to my expectations.... it didn't surpass them, but it left a good impression.... i'm glad that people are still out there writing for the actor and the audience, not the box office.... i don't ski, but the next time i do i will stick to the bunny slopes that don't required a lift.

if you like simple movies with minimal action: 'Open Water', 'The Blair Witch Project', and 'Buried' (2010)

my thoughts on.... 'Dead Snow'

You're sitting at home and considering what to watch. What's the first thing that comes to mind? A horror movie? A zombie movie? A Norwegian zombie movie? A Norwegian Nazi zombie movie? Well, that's what you've got on your hands with 'Dead Snow'. Granted, back in the hay day of the 70's zombie films, one of the most popular sub-genre's was the Nazi zombie movie. I mean, who doesn't want to see some zombies killed? Espcially if they're Nazi's! You'll find that with some limited seraching, you can find a lot of "classics" out there to absorb. You will need a little bit of spare time to watch them all, but it'll be worth it. 'Dead Snow' is the first time I've seen anyone delve back into this genre, since it was popular. It's been re-vamped for a modern audience, but it's for the best.

It starts out simple enough with some younger folks in a cabin in the woods. You then hear about a legend of a Nazi miliatary outfit who was on the lamb from prosecution after stealing all of the gold and precious items from the town. Shortly after, they disappeared. Slowly, over time, they became less of a reality and more of a boogeyman story of sorts. The young folks are warned that it might not be the best idea to stay in the area, due to the legeng, but they stay anyway. Soon.... they're over run by Nazi zombies! Go figure. The rest of the time is spent fighting for their lives.

One thing to keep in mind before you watch this film, is that the zombies aren't your typical zombie fare. They don't shamble, they don't lack intelligence and they don't avoid the use of weapons. These aren't your grandmother's zombies. However, if you can get over that fact, you'll really find this to be a very enjoyable film. It's fun, it's campy, it's bloody and it's way over the top! A real gem of a movie, in the rough.

All in all, a solid 4 out of 5 star movie. Also, a welcome one that is trying to revitalize a long lost sub-genre. It's made it fresh and new again. Something all the jaded zombie lovers out there can get behind. It's also an extremely fun movie, which pays homage to all of it's predecessors. There's not a previous zombie movie out there that doesn't get a little bit of a tip of the hat. That just makes 'Dead Snow', all that much better. It almost reminds me a bit of 'Dead Alive', but not quite as bloody. My suggestion to you? Check your brain at the door, rent this little slice of heaven and enjoy. It's just that simple. A great little movie, that I think qualifies as a masterpiece in it's sub-genre.

If you enjoy this movie, check out: 'Shockwaves', 'Oasis of the Zombies' and 'Evil Dead 2'

my thoughts on.... 'Fritt Vilt aka Cold Prey'

who doesn't like Norwegian horror, right....? oh wait, you haven't seen much or any before....? well, here's your chance....! it seems that lately, some of the best horror has been coming from overseas.... it seems that there is still some art left too it over there.... and even ideas that we've all seen before or unoriginal themes, take on a new life and feel fresh.... this movie is the perfect example of that.... not unlike 'Let The Right One In'.... i mean, it was a vampire movie.... but it was anything but your atypical vampire movie.... and it was artistic and amazing....

some could compare 'Cold Prey' to 'The Shining' and a slew of slasher based movies.... and both would have some truth to them.... however, the commonhood they share only goes so far.... it's artistic and pretty to look at like 'The Shining' and it takes place in a frozen place at a hotel.... however, there's no spiritual aspect to it.... and yes, it has a slasher with a mask and whom is gigantic and menacing.... and yes, you'll probably figure out the end long before it happens.... but the ride is so much fun, it really doesn't matter....

the plot centers around a group of friends out snowboarding on a deserted mountainside.... they figure it's a better idea to do that than to brave the hordes of people at the major ski slopes.... bad idea.... one of the guys breaks his leg and they realize quickly that they're a long way from help.... so noticing a hotel off in the distance, they head over to take refuge.... the hotel is closed and appears to have been closed since the mid 70's.... and they break in so they can keep warm until they can get back to the car and go get help.... little do they know that they're not alone.... and soon they'll find out the hard way....

the pacing and feeling of this movie is wonderful.... it kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire film and i found myself actually caring about the characters.... which is rare in American horror films it seems.... it's more about the kills and the possability of a franchise.... 'Cold Prey' is not original however.... but the source material is presented in such a way that it feels new to you.... i mean, how many time have you seen the masked serial killer slowly killing off the teenagers one by one....? and he keeps killing until one of them steps up and brings the madman down.... maybe i just gave away the story and the ending.... but don't let that stop you from spending the time to watch this movie.... trust me, it's worth it....this movie is currently available through Netflix OnDemand.... and you should take advantage of that while you can.... if you like your horror a bit more artistic and with a little more feeling to it.... but still with that killer edge.... this is the movie for you.... sadly, the version on Netflix is dubbed (which sucks), but if you can deal with that.... it's a good investment.... however, if that's just too much for you to handle.... rent it and watch it in it's original language with subtitles as it should be viewed.... all in all.... 4 out of 5 stars.... for some reason this movie really stuck with me.... even though i knew the entire story and ending by the first 10 minutes of the film, it just didn't matter....

the sequel is out there, but not readily available yet.... and is getting pretty good reviews so far.... and i can't wait to get my hands on it.... once you're done with this, start looking into other foreign horror.... the French have raised the bar along with the Swedish and now this.... i mean, there's still good stuff coming out right here at home, but don't limit yourself.... it'd be a damn shame to miss out on this one and others....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'The Shining', 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and 'Prom Night'