YOU EUROPEAN WEIRDOS...

TROLLHUNTER (2010)

(Norwegian: Trolljegeren)

A group of students investigate a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter...

Trollhunter is made in the form of a mockumentary and it features a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, including Otto Jespersen. According to director André Øvredal, the team tried to maintain maximum secrecy around the project. They kept both the title and cast secret until shortly before the première; instead dropping cryptic teasers to create a viral effect. Producers Sveinung Golimo and John M. Jacobsen reported great international attention around the film. Already before the première, several American companies had expressed interest in doing a remake.
The day the movie opened in the United States, Deadline.com announced that director Chris Columbus's company, 1492, along with CJ Entertainment & Media had acquired remake rights to the film.
The song “Mjød” by Kvelertak, a six-piece metal band from Stavanger, Norway, appears over the closing credits and at the end of the final credits, there is a notice in English, claiming that:
"No trolls were harmed during the making of this movie"

Director: André Øvredal
Writter: André Øvredal
Starring: Otto Jespersen, Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Johanna Mørck, Knut Nærum
Running Time: 90min
Country: Norway
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM

Rating: 9/10


THE BROKEN (2008)

In London, the radiologist Gina McVey organizes a surprise birthday party to her father John McVey with her boyfriend Stefan Chambers, her brother Daniel McVey and his girlfriend Kate Coleman. On the next day, she sees herself driving a car on the street and she follows the woman to her apartment, where she finds a picture of her father and her. While driving back, she has a car crash and loses parts of her memory...

The inventive spelling of the title reads somewhat silly in Norwegian and Danish since the Ø in broken is a letter in the alphabet in these languages and sounds like the "u" in "burden". In addition "brøken" is a Norwegian word meaning "the fraction".
The film premiered on 18 January 2008 as part of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It also was the first choice in Horrorfest 2009 and was part of Sitges Film Festival 2008, where Angus Hudson won the award for Best Cinematography.
Sean Ellis is British film director, writer, and producer and he is best known for his film Cashback (2004). For the same film in 2006, he was nominated for an Oscar Award in the category "Best Short Film, Live Action".

Director: Sean Ellis
Writter: Sean Ellis
Starring: Lena Headey, Asier Newman, Michelle Duncan, Melvil Poupaud, Richard Jenkins
Running Time: 88min
Country: UK
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0nKZd9UxuI

Rating: 8/10


OUTCAST (2010)

Cathal (Nesbitt) is a killer who is pursuing his former lover Mary (Dickie). Mary, a woman who comes from an ancient and magicalceltic race, and her son Fergal (Bruton), hide in an outlying district of Edinburgh and use magic to protect themselves, but Cathal is determined to outsmart them...

Director: Colm McCarthy
Writter: Colm McCarthy, Tom McCarthy

Starring: James Nesbitt, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo, Niall Bruton, Hannah Stanbridge, Karen Gillan

Running Time: 98min
Country: UK, Ireland
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH5bbbn3vZs

Rating: 7/10

THE RIGHT ONE IS IN

THE BOOK

(Låt den rätte komma in)
(eng.: Let the right one in) 2004
by John Ajvide Lindqvist


Låt den rätte komma in is a vampire fiction novel by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. The title refers to the Morrissey song "Let the Right One Slip In", and the element of vampire folklore which says that vampires cannot enter a house unless invited. It takes place in Blackeberg, a working class suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980s. The book focuses on the darker side of humanity, dealing with issues such as existential anxiety, bullying, pedophilia and murder. It was a bestseller in the author's home country of Sweden and was translated into several languages, including English. A Swedish-language film by the same name, directed by Tomas Alfredson, was released in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim. An English-language film adaptation, directed by Matt Reeves, was released on October 1, 2010, titled Let Me In.
The American version is called Let Me In because the publishers believed that the original title was too long. They first suggested the title be changed to Let Her In, but Lindqvist suggested Let Me In instead.

THE FILM
(Låt den rätte komma in)
(eng.: Let the right one in) 2008

Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live he's faced with a choice. How much can love forgive?

Alfredson, unfamiliar with the horror and vampire conventions, decided to tone down many elements of the novel and focus primarily on the relationship between the two main characters. Selecting the lead actors involved a year-long process with open castings held all over Sweden. In the end, then 11-year-olds Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson were chosen for the leading roles. They were subsequently commended by both Alfredson and film reviewers for their performances. The novel presents Eli as an androgynous boy, castrated centuries before by a sadistic vampire nobleman. The film handles the issue of Eli's gender more ambiguously: a brief scene in which Eli changes into a dress offers a glimpse of a suggestive scar but no explicit elaboration. When Oskar asks Eli to be his girlfriend, Eli tries to tell Oskar "I'm not a girl". Lindqvist had insisted on writing the screenplay himself. Alfredson, who had no familiarity with the vampire and horror genres, initially expressed skepticism at having the original author do the adaptation, but was very satisfied with the end result.
> In the film's final scene (on a train), Oskar and Eli use Morse code to communicate. They are tapping out the letters P-U-S-S, which is Swedish for "small kiss".<
The film received widespread international critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the "Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature" at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation's 2008 Méliès d'Or (Golden Méliès) for the "Best European Fantastic Feature Film", as well as four Guldbagge Awards from the Swedish Film Institute.

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Writter: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Running Time: 114min
Country: Sweden
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZJUgsZ56vQ

Rating: 9/10

THE REMAKE
(Let me in) 2010

Interest in producing an English version of Let the Right One In began in 2007 shortly before it was released to audiences. In 2008, Hammer Films acquired the rights for the English adaptation and initially offered Tomas Alfredson, the director of the Swedish film, the opportunity to direct, which he declined. Matt Reeves was then signed to direct and write the screenplay. Reeves made several changes for the English version such as altering the setting from Stockholm to New Mexico and renaming the lead characters. The film's producers stated that their intent was to keep the plot similar to the original, yet make it more accessible to a wider audience.
The film received highly positive reviews from critics, becoming one of the best critically reviewed films of 2010. Many critics noted it as a rare Hollywood remake which stayed true to the original film from which it was based, while some criticized it for being too similar to the Swedish film in light of Reeves promoting the film as being a new take on the original novel. Chloë Moretz won several awards for her performance with critics praising the on-screen chemistry with her co-star, Kodi Smit-McPhee. An official comic book miniseries prequel titled Let Me In: Crossroadswas released after the film which establishes the back-story of Abby and ends where the theatrical film begins.

Director: Matt Reeves
Writter: Matt Reeves, Story: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Elias Koteas, Richard Jenkins
Running Time: 116min
Country: United States
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRRAEVHq8E

Rating: 7/10