Not really a creature feature, but a very good nature-turns-against-humanity thriller set in the eastern Alps, in and around a secluded research station - and if that reminds you of "The Thing", you've already got the most important influence. Two other big influences that come to mind are "Alien", some of Cronenberg and even a bit of "Jaws" (the potential dangers are hushed up, to not disturb the impending visit by the environment minister).
"Blutgletscher" doesn't disown those classics it's modeled on - sometimes it rather revels in them; there's even a face-hugger scene - but ultimately it succeeds in finding its own voice. I liked how it's playing against expectations - the story deviates quite a bit from "The Thing"; there's more than one survivor; and the minister, instead of being the paragon of incompetence usually reserved for politicians, is actually the most competent and capable of the humans.
A note on the actors: The performances are a bit over the map - Janek and Tanja very good and intense, but the three science guys rather stiff and laughable (the lady a bit better); the others are up to their task but not much more.
While the mediocre acting keeps "Blutgletscher" from becoming a classic, there's much here to like - the tight, focused direction; the set and backgrounds - but most of all, the make-up and creature effects and designs, done in reality rather than CGI wherever possible. This is a perfect example of how good a film you can shoot on a more-or-less shoestring budget (less than 3mil US$); in fact this looks a lot better than many productions that cost 10 times as much. Highly recommended!
"Blutgletscher" doesn't disown those classics it's modeled on - sometimes it rather revels in them; there's even a face-hugger scene - but ultimately it succeeds in finding its own voice. I liked how it's playing against expectations - the story deviates quite a bit from "The Thing"; there's more than one survivor; and the minister, instead of being the paragon of incompetence usually reserved for politicians, is actually the most competent and capable of the humans.
A note on the actors: The performances are a bit over the map - Janek and Tanja very good and intense, but the three science guys rather stiff and laughable (the lady a bit better); the others are up to their task but not much more.
While the mediocre acting keeps "Blutgletscher" from becoming a classic, there's much here to like - the tight, focused direction; the set and backgrounds - but most of all, the make-up and creature effects and designs, done in reality rather than CGI wherever possible. This is a perfect example of how good a film you can shoot on a more-or-less shoestring budget (less than 3mil US$); in fact this looks a lot better than many productions that cost 10 times as much. Highly recommended!