Category Archives: TV-series / film

Monstret inom dig


Ni vet ibland så infinner sig den där känslan av något familjärt, en känsla av välbefinnande, men som ändå inte riktigt känns rätt. Som i en dröm där allt känns tydlig och kristallklart i början, men så helt plötsligt så är du inte trygg, allt runt omkring dig känns hotfyllt och du fylls av en obeskrivlig skräck. Så skulle man kunna summera Hemlock Grove.
Detta är en serie som har lite av varje, lite av gamla idéer, lite nya, lite av det bisarra, vacker är den absolut och med en udda story. Just det ja OCH blodig!, låt oss inte glömma bort blodet.
Här blandas det hej vilt av mytologiska varelser, magi, experiment, galna vetenskapsmän, hemligt brödraskap, otrohet, sex, mystik och död.


Hemlock Grove är Netflix senaste stora satsning, 13 avsnitt i första säsongen och hade premiär i april, i rollerna ser vi bland annat Famke Janssen (X-men), Bill Skarsgård och Landon Liboiron (Terra Nova).


Hemlock GroveEn ung tonårsflicka hittas mördad i utkanterna av en nedgången industristad i Pennsylvania. När jakten på ett monster tar vid börjar rykten hopa sig och många av stadens excentriska invånare misstänks – från den nyinflyttade romska familjen till den välbärgade Godfrey-klanen. I Hemlock Groves invecklade värld bär alla på en mörk hemlighet.

 


Det finns en hel del negativa recensioner som florerar om Hemlock Grove och jag har full förståelse för att den kanske inte lockar den breda massan. I ärlighetens namn var jag lite skeptisk själv, men inte på grund av dåliga recensioner är snarare så, i mitt tycke, så finns det en hel del filmer och tv-serier om just varulvar där majoriteten av dessa inte är särskilt bra. Men så är inte fallet här, tvärt om, detta är en snygg och välproducerad serie.
Inledningen med dess grafiska bilder tillsammans med Rorschachtest-rök (i brist på annat ord) är bland de snyggaste intron jag sett på länge, det tillsammans med en stämningsfull musik sätter definitivt tonen för vad som komma skall. Men det är inte enbart introt som är snyggt, scenerna är vackert filmade och man kommer genast att tänka på Twin Peaks. Just Twin Peaks jämförelsen är något som även återfinns i det långsamma tempot, här tar de sin tid med att föra berättelsen framåt, men definitivt inte så långsamt att man tröttnar. Serien är bisarr och även om den inte är på Lynch nivå, så helt klart udda och lite annorlunda.


Karaktärerna då, tja vad ska man säga, majoriteten är inte särskilt trevliga eller sympatiska och de flesta vill man absolut inte springa på i en mörk gränd. Avsaknaden av goda känslor/ egenskaper (vad det nu egentligen är) gör dem definitivt dock inte mindre intressanta, tvärt om. Här sticker Femke Jensen’s Olivia Godfrey verkligen ut, denna vitklädda vidjesmala uppenbarelse, nästan övernaturligt vacker men som enbart osar av ondska. Härligt!
Historien om rivaliteten (kriget) mellan varulvar och vampyrer är inget nytt vare sig på bioduken eller hemma i tv-soffan, men här har de hittat en ny liten twist, och det uppskattas alltid. På tal om varulvrar, här har vi nog den mest groteska och vidriga (but in agood way) varulvstransformationen jag någonsin sett.


Så vem skulle jag rekommendera Hemlock Grove till, ja först och främst till alla varulvs och vampyrentusiaster, till alla som tycker om det udda, det blodiga och som uppskattar vacker skräck.
Allt jag kan säga är att jag först hade tänkte att titta på avsnitten lite lugnt, låta det ta sin tid, men efter ca tre avsnitt var jag fast och slukade resten. OK, visst Hemlock Grove är inte den absolut bästa serien på markanden just nu, kommer inte gå till historien, men tycker nog att den är värd sin tid. Kul med serier som sticker ut lite.
Åh just det ja, kanske rekommendera serien till alla Alexander Skarsgård fan där ute, här finns ju trots allt lillebror med 😉

Hemlock Grove on Netflix

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Filed under Horror, TV-series / film, Urban Fantasy

In love with the wastelands


I think I’m in love, it’s been a while, but yes, I do believe it to be true. This time it feels new and fresh, with a hit of something familiar. It has been a long wait, but finally it arrived, a science fiction series worthy of its name.


This is of course SyFy latest release, Defiance that I’m speaking of.
What to say about this new series;
its like an ice-cream filled with all of your favorite flavors. First start with a new idea, fill it up with some Firefly, mix this up with Mad Max add a little Babylon 5 and then sprinkle on some tiny, tiny steampunk on the top and present it in a new and sparkling wrapping.


Of course maybe I can’t see the flaws (if there are any) this early in the relationship, but still, right now I don’t care because I’m in looove 😀


But seriously, it is a great show, it feels likes ages since I watched a decent science-fiction TV series. This one has it all, well most of it anyway. It can be a bit to cheesy at times and it could have been a bit darker, but hey maybe it will later on, who knows.


I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I leave this show for now and write a review later in the season. But I can say this far, 5 episodes in, I’m hooked!


Here’s the backdrop,
A new earth after a war, an earth all terraformed and forever changed, wastelands with strange and lethal animals, new city’s built, new alliances formed, alien races and humans trying to survive, to make a new living for themselves side by side. The series is about all of that and so much more.
But you know, sometimes, just sometimes pictures are better than words
Enjoy!

If you missed this one, give it a go! and do it NOW!!

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A stroll down Buffy lane…part 1

Too much work, a nasty cold and the depressing result is for over a week I haven’t managed to read one book. So what to do instead, well there is always the comfort of TV series.
Last Friday, we had a real geek evening, crisps, dip, some nice quality beer and selected favorite episodes of Buffy the vampire slayer. In other word a recipe for a perfect evening. The question were, which of all episodes should we watch..? In the end we decided that one or two per season is probably optimal. To be honest it actually proved to be difficult to pick out just one or two, but a decision was made and the following were selected;

buffyWelcome to the Hellmouth, in the first episode we meet Buffy Summers at her first day at Sunnydale High, were she gets to know Willow and Xander and of course Cordelia and her entourage. Buffy tries to have a fresh start but in the end she have to fight of some of the towns vampires. In all this she also meets Giles her new watcher, who try to get her to embrace her destiny. In Halloween Buffy and her friends get their costumes at the new costume shop in town, Ethan’s. Unfortunately during the evening they all turn in to whatever costume they’re wearing. The wish, when Cordelia’s wish for a Buffy-free Sunnydale comes true we are shown a alternative and chocking world. Doppelgangland, Anya lures Willow to cast a spell that will get her talisman back, the result is the summoning of Willow’s evil double from the alternate universe. Choices Annoying watcher Wesley tells Buffy she can’t leave Sunnydale to go to a finer college, she then focus to sabotage the Mayor’s Ascension plans. While Buffy can’t leave Willow has more than a few fine college to choose from, oh and we se her use a bit magic (go Willow!) The Initiative Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy and Spike is captured and find himself in a demon research facility. Hush, creatures straight out of a fairytale steals all voices of Sunnydale and sets out to collect hearts.

Unfortunately we didn’t have time to watch all of our favorite episodes this evening, so a new one is planned as we speech 😀

This lovely night reminded me how much I miss this epic series, so here is my (short) stroll down Buffy lane, season 1-4;

Buffy the vampire slayer season 1Season one
The big bad: the Master
Shocking moment: Angel is a vampire (well to be honest, it wasn’t really surprising or chocking, but still), Buffy dies
Favorite episodes: Welcome to the Hellmouth, Nightmares
Quotes:
[Buffy]“This is not gonna’ be pretty. We’re talkin’ violence, strong language adult content.”
[Willow] “I’m not ashamed. It’s the computer age. Nerds are in. They’re still in, right?”
[Cordelia] “What is your childhood trauma?!?!”

Buffy the vampire slayer season 2Season two
The big bad: Angelus (Spike and Drusilla really never feels evil enough, but they are just brilliant)
Most annoying or surprising character: Joyce Summers, she just rubs me the wrong way. The introduction of a new slayer
Shocking moment: Angel losing his soul, Angelus killing Jenny (poor Giles) and of course when Angel gets his soul back just minutes before Buffy stabs him in the heart and sends him to hell. My heart gets broken every time, so sad, so chocking.
Favorite episode: Halloween, Innocence, Passion and Becoming part 1&2
Quotes:
[Spike]“If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock”
[Buffy]“I got older.”
[Oz]“It’s okay, I’m-I’m sorry I almost ate you”
[Buffy]“No, it doesn’t stop. It never stops. Do-do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is? How dangerous? I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or, god, even studying! But I have to save the world. Again.”

Buffy the vampire slayer season 3Season three
The big bad: the Mayor (my absolute favorite villain, he is brilliant!)
Most annoying or surprising character: the arrival of a new slayer, Faith
Shocking moment: To be absolute honest there is no real shocking moments this season, Faith fall from grace is interesting, but it is no real surprise. Then there is the end of the love story that is Angel and Buffy, not as chocking as one might expect but it is ever so sad! The Wild horses score from The Prom are soooo setting the mood)
Favorite episode: Band Candy, the Wish, Doppelgangland
Quotes:
[Mayor]“Well, this is exciting, isn’t it? Clandestine meetings by dark of night, exchange of prisoners. I just, I… I feel like we should all be wearing trenchcoats”
[Buffy] “Sure. We can work out after school. You know, if you’re not too busy having sex with my MOTHER”
[Giles] “Because it has to be.”
[Faith]“You’re gonna love it, B. It’s just like fun, only boring”

Buffy the vampire slayer season 4Season four
The big bad: Adam
Most annoying or surprising character: Adam (what a tame big bad!), oh and there is Riley, you sort of don’t like him just because he isn’t Angel. Poor guy, he didn’t stand a chance.
Shocking moment: Unfortunately there isn’t really any shocking moments in this season, ok there are a few good episodes but all in all season 4 isn’t the strongest or most memorable season of the bunch. The only really good thing is the introduction of Tara and the impact she has on Willow, oh and there is Spike, a season with Spike always gets an extra plus.
Favorite episode: The Initiative, The Wish,
Quotes:
[Spike] “hate being obvious. All fangy and ‘grr!’ Takes the mystery out”
[Xander] “Well, how about this: we whip out the Ouija board, light a few candles, summon some ancient unstoppable evil? Mayhem, mayhem, mayhem; we show up and and kick its ass.”
[Giles] “We can’t let you go until we’re sure that you’re impotent or..”

Well, there it is a short summary of a brilliant series and its first four seasons. I could probably write a whole blog post just about one season at a time, and who knows maybe I will in the future. But for now this will have to do.Do you have any favorite episodes (or character) in these first four seasons?

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