Impossibly-Cool Cover Art 3-Pack: Without Warning (1980)

 A few weeks back, I watched the Cult Classic Film known simply as 'Without Warning.'

While getting my Screencaps, I found some different Posters for it.

Both are from the same design, but a little bit different.

First up, a Swedish Poster that gets the scale a bit wrong...

So, if you don't know, the Alien Hunter does throw/launch things that look like this.

Said things are also like 6-10 inches in diameter.

This makes them look like Alien Saucers coming to eat you!

(We wouldn't get until Nope)

We also have an American version of the Poster that tweaks the Title ever so lightly...

Same giant mouths.
This is thankfully not the TV Movie of The Langoliers!

As a bonus, here's an alternate Poster that seems to split the difference Title-wise...

What is the Title again?

Who cares?  This is a great Poster.

Import/Export: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)

 Will this Finale deliver like it should?

This is The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the 2009 Finale to the Dragon Tattoo/Millennium Trilogy.  It's been building up so many things, characters and setting up moments.

As crazy as it sounds, the original title of the Story was 'The Castle in the Air That Was Blown Up.'
I like the new Title better.

Events have left Lisbeth very injured and now in custody for her 'crimes.'  Granted- she did do some crimes, but not the ones they are trying her for.

As the Title implies, her actions are agitating a whole group of people who want her put away to cover their own tracks.

Will they succeed?  To find out, read on...

After being shot several times by her terrible Dad, Lisbeth is in the Hospital.

The Cops also know where she is now, stating that she'll face charges once she recovers.

The Dad- who she struck with an axe- is in the same Hospital, which seems like a big oversight.

He's connected to a group called The Section, who then send a man to get answers.
He tries to blackmail the group instead and it ends...poorly.

With him now dead and the assassin also dead (at his own hands), the group focuses in fully on Lisbeth.

They want her locked away again, which will make any evidence she might present against them moot.

Thankfully, they have the Doctor who abused her as a kid under State 'care' (and Kelsey Grammer's Swedish Twin) to help with just that.

Thankfully, she has help.

Michael is planning a big issue to expose the bad men and gets help from a special group of Police.

It's a good thing too, since his refusal to cancel the planned issue has led Section to send men to kill him (after a plan to frame him fails).

Elsewhere, Lisbeth's creepy half-Brother is hiding out, using money he stole from his former companions in the Biker Gang.
This will matter later.

While recovering, Lisbeth has been communicating with her allies like Michael and her Hacker buddy Plague.

The time has come for her Trial, so she dresses the part (and finally pays off the DVD's Cover).

Plague does well when he manages to hack into the evil Psychologist's Computer.  Not only does it reveal all of the communication between him and Section, but, well, he's worse than Gary Glitter.

That's all I can say here without running into content guidelines.

The whole case unravels- especially after the video of Lisbeth's assault is played- and the Police move in to arrest all of Section, as well as the Psychologist.

Lisbeth learns that she's inheriting her Father's land (and learning about her twin Sister- but only in the Book version) and suspects that this is where her Brother is hiding out.

She's correct and she manages to nail his feet to the floor (remember that he feels no pain)...and leave him for the Gang to take care of.

In the aftermath of all that, Michael has reunited with his lady at Millennium and gives Lisbeth the news about her Brother (likely knowing that she's already aware).

She thanks him for his help and...yeah, that's it.

Were you expecting romance?
The End.

A fitting, if oddly paced finale.

The Plot here is strong, so I really don't get the general gripes I've seen.  This one is all about finally revealing the people behind the Scenes.

They enact their schemes and our Heroes fight against them.

For me, the Film really picked up when the Trial started.  For better or worse, Lisbeth is fairly silent and stoic in the first half of the Film.

This is paid off well, in my opinion, when she finally speaks up at the Trial and defends herself.

This is the Film that finally makes Plague truly important to the Story.  Yea.

Michael gets a nice bit of build here, as he refuses to back down from the danger to do the right thing.
Lisbeth as well, finally showing some vulnerability.

The Ending makes sense, but will certainly be more sedate than American audiences might expect.

Now it is all settled...well, except for WWE's Gunther still being on the loose!

Next up, a chance to revisit a Film that I covered a Decade ago.  Will it bite me back this time?  Stay tuned...

Import/Export: The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)

 The Sequel that we never got in America!

This is The Girl Who Played with Fire, the 2009 Sequel to, well, the 2009 Film.  They rushed these ones out in quick succession for whatever reason.

It is at least better than the time that Ringu (aka The Ring) and Rasen were in Theaters simultaneously!

This time, Lisbeth is the one in trouble and Michael is trying to save her.  Of course, she's all about saving herself, so it is more of a team effort...even if they don't meet for most the Movie.

She's framed for murder, while the Millenium group (not from the Fox Show, mind you) are also working a case involving sex workers.
Are they related?  Nah!  Surely not!

To see how the Story continues on Film away from American shores, read on...

The Plot involves the return of Mr. Burman, aka the guy put in charge of Lisbeth who, well, you know what happened.

Who is this giant man?
Why isn't he Dolph Lundgren (which nearly happened)?

Lisbeth has been jotting around the World with the money she stole from the bad guys.

In a bit that sort of showed up in the Remake, she confronts Burman about seeking to have his tattoo removed.

Her holding this gun, as you can imagine, proves to be a bad idea.

She also reunites with her sort-of girlfriend, who you may remember from that one Scene in the last Film where she's woken up in bed by the arrival of Michael.

She has a name, a backstory and...she's in trouble, isn't she?

Elsewhere, Michael and the Millenium team are investigating a sex trafficking ring, which is somehow not the darkest part of this Film.

Their young Reporter/Researcher and his girlfriend are killed at home, however, and the murder weapon is Burman's gun.

Did he do it?  Yeah...no.

Instead, Lisbeth is framed for the murders, since her prints are on the gun.

Of course, there's zero motive for her to kill the reporters and the Cops know it.  They also don't care, since they're Cops.

Lisbeth- who had a hidden apartment bought with stolen money- works the case, even stopping to do her best Dead Presidents cosplay to interrogate this guy.

Dead Presidents?  Anyone?

This guy named Paolo is approached by Michael, since he used to be friends with Lisbeth.  He asks her to keep an eye on the girlfriend and his timing is impeccable.

She's kidnapped and he follows.

He fights the giant guy- since he's a Boxer- but loses when the guy won't go down.  He narrowly escapes the burning building with Lisbeth's lady.

Michael keeps working the case, but he gets a lead when Lisbeth accidentally leaves a key when she visits her girlfriend.

He finds her place- since he's a researcher- and she lets him stay.

He finds out about her past with Burman and just who the bad guy behind this whole thing is.

It's Lisbeth's Dad aka the guy she burned (apparently) not to death when she was a kid.

Burman approached him- not knowing his identity- about killing Lisbeth and things fell into place.

The dude looks like old Biff Tannen and is actually more evil!

He has captured Lisbeth- as his henchman literally feels no pain- and buries her alive after shooting her.

It doesn't stick.

She nearly dies, but also maims him as Michael finally arrives.
The (oh, that's it) End.

A solid, intense Film that takes a while to eventually tie together.

Taking the Plot in this direction is an interesting one, as it becomes a personal tale this early.  You wonder what inspired Larsson to go this direction.

Obviously, we won't ever know.

This Story really fleshes out Lisbeth's backstory and makes it more interesting.  It's a risk doing this, as we've seen with The Joker and other Origin Stories for iconic characters surrounded by mystery.

It's also risky to make the villain end up being her Father.  It's easy to make it feel like a Soap Opera.

It works here with her backstory and the guy playing the Father does a good, subtle job at being evil.  He's not full on 'stroking a cat in a spinning chair' evil, but he's clearly a bad guy!

Rapace does a great job with limited screentime here, maximizing every minute.  Nyquist as Michael is also great here, getting more to do and getting into his personal life as well.

I'd say that this one is on par with the first one.  The difference- the first Film surprised everyone and this one has to live up to that.

Remember that Paolo guy? 
He is a real Boxer playing a fictional version of himself...and he apparently didn't know that 'he' was in the Book until he was approached to be in this Film!

Next up, the final Film in the Trilogy.  Will it come to a major head...or leave you wondering why the Story is so well-regarded?  Stay tuned...

Import/Export : The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

 3 Books.  4 Films.  1 dead Author.

This is The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, specifically the Original Film from Sweden.  It got remade quite famously in 2011 by David Fincher.

That Remake, however, didn't get a Sequel to finish the Story. 
Hell, America officially only got Fincher's version of the 1st Book and then a lone Film based on a Book not written by Stieg Larsson.

He had a good excuse.

If you don't know, the Plot involves a defamed Reporter named Michael (in English) being hired to solve a decades-old Mystery for a rich family.  He teams up with Lisbeth Salander and they discover just how crazy things are.

This Original version was made for $13 million, as opposed to the alleged $100 million for Fincher's version.  Is it (does Math) one 7th as good?

To find out, read on...

Michael Blomkvist (played by Michael Nyqvist) is a Reporter who just lost a big case of defamation to a rich guy.

His punishment is a big fine and 6 months in jail.

Lisbeth Salander (played by Noomi Rapace) is a Hacker with a dark past and is not exactly loved by the law.

She does research for some rich folks and looks up Michael.

He's hired by a rich, old guy who wants him to solve the disappearance (and likely murder) of his Niece...in 1966.

Cue the evidence wall.

Meanwhile, Lisbeth's new Ward takes over and he's abusive.

He strikes her, ties her to the bed and, well, you can figure it out.

After she recovers, she gets her revenge.

She gives him what he gave her (again- you can figure it out) and then forcibly tattoos a message on his chest about what he did as a permanent reminder.

(The Remake has a follow-up Scene with him being chastised for considering having his tattoo removed.  This doesn't)

Lisbeth works the case on her own and makes a big discovery in the case.

She makes it so that he can find and recruit her, which he does.

Their relationship is...complicated.

The whole case ends up being about an abusive cycle of a killer raising his own killers.

One of the Uncles knows that they are close and tries to kill Michael.

Lisbeth saves the day and then makes sure that the man dies in a car fire, triggering memories of how she burned her abusive father to death in his car (making her a 'ward of the state').

They also find out that the girl was NOT one of her victims.

More digging reveals that the girl- Harriet- has been hiding out in Australia all of this time and sending him the flowers to 'let him know that she's alive.'

She has a tearful reunion and confesses that the Uncle abused her so badly that she had to get away.

She was helped off of the island by her Sister and hid out.

Michael finally goes to jail- minimum security- but is then given enough evidence to take down the bad guy who wronged him by Lisbeth.

He is vindicated and the man dies (how he does varies by which version you watch) and he figures out that Lisbeth stole lots of money from him.

The End.

A Film that hits as hard as the American one, although I can't speak for the Book.

Maybe I'll finish the 25 other Books I've bought with intention to read and get back to this Series.  For now, it's just the Film(s).

What this version does really well is balance the 2 Leads and the focus on them.  The American one tends to focus a bit more on Michael, whereas this one gives them more of an equal focus.

Lisbeth objectively has the more interesting and complicated backstory. 
Plus, the Book is named after her!

Noomi Rapace is so good here too. I can't wait to see her in the next 2 Films.

There are many odd little tweaks between the 2 versions.  For instance, the yearlong story is explained as 6 months on the case and 6 months in jail here.  In the American version, it is just a year to work the case.

The Swedish Film is actually more subdued with the graphic stuff.  Then again, it isn't by the guy who made Seven, so...that tracks.

If you only know the Remake, watch the Original.  I watched it subbed, which is what they actually filmed and it does force you to pay attention.

It might not be better- that's 100% subjective- but it absolutely stands on its own merits.

The odd thing- the quirky Production Company Logo for a Film involving such dark themes and murder...

It does have a visible dragon tattoo as well.

Next up, the 2nd Book becomes a Film too- just only in Sweden.  Will this follow-up shock and delight as much as the 1st one?  Stay tuned...

Rip-Off Cover Art: Feed (2022)

 A recent search of Films on Tubi (as part of the weekly Review Series), gave me some deja vu.

This is the US Poster for the 2022 Film called Feed.

It is a Swedish Horror Film.

Does this look familiar?
You feel it in your gut, don't you?

Well, if you're a big Horror Fan, there's a reason.

I present to you a DIFFERENT Horror/Slasher Film also released in 2022.

Now you see it.

I get it.  US Distributors wanted to remind you of a bigger Film to boost sales.
It happens.

That said, here's the original (honestly better) Poster...

Simple.  Effective.

Not a rip-off.

As you can also see, they took this Poster and just did the Lazy Slasher Film Poster treatment.

Sigh.

Quick *Holiday* Review: Force Majeure (2014)

This one is a triple whammy.  It is a Film which has a (pointless) U.S. Remake.  It is a Romance Film (of sorts), so it works for Valentine's Day.  Its Remake is opening today.

Could the fates align any more for me than they did for this couple you'll see below?  Read on...

A Swedish Couple are taking a long overdue vacation in the French Alps.  What could go wrong?

The family is close-knit, although tiny cracks are visible if you look close enough.

As an American, this looks odd to me.  Is it just our cultural hang-ups?

On Day 2 of the Trip, Lunch is interrupted by an Avalanche.  Not a SPOILER, since, you know, the Poster.

What he does in the face of this peril is what matters- he runs off on his own.

This event traumatizes everyone, the children included.

As time goes on, the Husband refuses to admit what he did.  Is he denying it to her or himself?

With the experience troubling everyone, can the arrival of some friends help them out?

Fun Fact: the last time I watched a Swedish Film being remade in America, it also had the guy from Game of Thrones in it.  Weird.

Can their marriage survive the vacation?  Can they work things out?  Will anything be the same?

To find out, watch the Golden Globe-nominated Film?  I saw it on Tubi, but it is on others too.

A good Film, although it is not an easy watch.  Cringe Comedy is a big thing.  Mainstream Films like Meet the Parents reveled in it and it has never gone away.  This is *close* to that.  It is definitely not a Comedy as its main Genre.  The Film is much more of a Human Drama that has some good Comedy elements in it.  I'm guessing the balance will be off with Downhill, a Film who's Title is just asking for bad Reviews and/or commentary on the Stars' Careers.  It is easy to see why the Film managed to strike a chord with Audiences and receive critical acclaim.  It is well-Acted.  It is well-Written.  It is well-shot.  The Director apparently started out learning how to make Films about Skiing and used that to form the basis of this Film.  It is one of those Films that simmers and comes to a slow boil like a teapot.  The reaction to the Film's key moment isn't a sudden outburst or big fight.  It is an awkward silence.  It is a tentative discussion.  It is rising tensions that finally come to the surface when the Wife wants closure.  The Film asks tough questions and presents very real characters.  It is a nice change of pace from just straight-up watching bad Horror Films with generic Plots.  I'm not a Film Snob by any means, so it is nice to indulge on occasion.  The Film doesn't really need a Remake, especially since a third of the dialogue is in English anyhow!  In the wake of Parasite's big win, can't we get over Foreign Remakes just for the hell of it?  To be honest, the worst thing I can say about this Film is its Swedish Title being far too close to that of a bad Johnny Depp Film's one...

A good, but uncomfortable Film.  If you are married, have been married or know married people, it will make you think...and squirm.

Quick Review: Midsommar (2019)

Alright, I finally get to see the Film that traumatized my Dad back in 2019.  No joke- that happened.  Will I be as disturbed?

A woman goes through some traumatic events (no SPOILERS as to what) and needs some comfort.

Her barely-there boyfriend ends up inviting her on their trip to Sweden.

They end up deep in the Woods with what is obviously a Cult celebrating the Midsummer Festival.

The group is full of interesting customs and feel like they are right of a Jodorowsky Film.

They are probably (definitely) evil, but you have to admire their style.

Can you trust people that won't let you leave, keep giving you LSD and carry big mallets?

As things start to get real (weird), will they finally figure out that they need to get the hell out of there?!?

Is anyone going to survive?  Will you ever feel safe going to Sweden?

To find out, watch the Film.  It's on Streaming, including with Amazon Prime (as I saw it).

A dark, but beautiful Film.  There are two key aspects of the Film to discuss.  First- the visuals.  The Movie looks beautiful.  If it didn't have all of the blood, death and murder, it would be a lovely travelogue for Sweden.  I really want to go now- I just don't want to be alone with any of the people there.  It's a complex emotional balance for sure.  I hope the Cinematographer and Director of Photography get lots of work based on what I saw here.  The other aspect- the dark as hell Plot.  Is it similar to The Wicker Man?  Yes.  It is the same Film?  No.  It has alot of stuff that is exclusive to itself too.  The Film works on its own, which is obviously quite nice.  The Acting is strong.  The Pacing is consistent.  The Film, as noted, looks amazing.  I know it is easy to just go 'It is just The Wicker Man.'  If you want a Film that is *actually* that, it would be this Film and not Midsommar...

A bleak, but gorgeous Film.  If you can stand the big scares and dark story, it is a winner.