SFZ Reviews

Small Town Killers (2017)

A dark quirky comedy

[8/10 · 20 August 2017]

This is a dark quirky comedy taking place in a rural area of Denmark, very much in the style of Blinkende Lygter/Flickering Lights (2000) and Adams Æbler/Adam's Apples (2005).

In many of the scenes we follow either one or the other of two pairs of actors. The husbands pair are two friends and colleagues played Ulrich Thomsen and Nicolas Bro. Their wives played by Mia Lyhne and Lene Maria Christensen make up the other team. They are supported well by Marcin Dorocinski, Søren Malling and Gwen Taylor as well as Elsebeth Steentoft, Birthe Neumann and Ole Thestrup in smaller roles.

At just 86 minutes playing time it has a very fitting length for a comedy and is one of those movies I really can't find any fault with. It turned out to be exactly the kind of movie it advertises to be. I really enjoyed it and was well entertained all the way through and had some really good laughs on the way.

Good job Ole Bornedal, you're almost forgiven for the 1864 TV-series!

8/10

De skrigende halse (1993 TV Movie)

Punk, drugs and a bad stomach

[6/10 · 1 August 1999]

Ronni is a guitarist in "De Skrigende Halse"( The Screaming Necks (!?)) a punk band in the mid-eighties. He´s popularity within the band is dropping because of his recurring stomach problems makes it hard to finish the training sessions. Ronni faints under a concert just to wake up to a lot of angry faces. To calm things down he tells everyone that he´s so weak because he´s dying. His "imminent" dead naturally causes a lot of attention towards him in the local punk scene and things start to happen for the band.

A fairly good comedy flick with a few really memorable scenes and a decent amount of laughs. It might not be to everyone´s taste but what the heck it only lasts about an hour so you don´t risk too much. 6/10

The Misfit Brigade (1987)

The Dirty Dozen goes bratwurst!

[6/10 · 12 July 1999]

Well it isn´t quite Saving Private Ryan, but that is no surprise I guess. However, the fact that I watched Spielbergs masterpiece, only a few weeks before I layed my eyes on this rather unknown WW2 movie, have contributed greatly to my sense of what you have the right to expect. So bear that in mind when you read the rest of this gibberish.

"Wheels of Terror" or "The Misfit Brigade"(The most suitable title if you ask me) is based on the books by Sven Hazel about a group of "criminal elements" in a german penal regiment. The books are entertaining and highly recommendable, so I had high hopes for this movie. It kicks of in 1943 with "our" platoon returning from the battle of Stalingrad, in a tank that is as post-war as the media you are reading this through. Well I can´t avoid mentioning just a few more flaws:

The russians speak russian as they should, however the germans speak english.

Try to picture this: You are a german commander. You have two tank destroyers in a good hulldown position. In your binoculars you see some T34´s approaching your position. What seems to be the right thing to do?

A. Wait until the T34´s are within, a you can´t miss kindda range, and then destroy ´em.

B. Order your tank destroyers to move forward, in an attempt to outmanoeuver the extremely fast and turreted T34´s.

A few minutes into the battle a T34 crushes your command vehicle beneath its tracks. What is your initial reaction?

A. Disbelief.

B. Disbelief and a feeling that maybe you shouldn´t have driven your green american Jeep onto the battlefield anyhow.

Well now try to picture this: You are a general in the german army standing in a german camp in russia. Suddenly eight russian planes start strafing the area. What would you do?

A. Try to find some cover ASAP.

B. Walk over to a slow, unarmed recon-plane and complain that there is no pilot to get you the hell out of there.

If you feel deep in your heart that B,B and B are the right answers, then you will probaly regard this, as one of the most realistic war movies ever made.

Please don´t think that this is an all bad movie. The dialogue and portrayal of the soldiers in the platoon are caught spot on and stays true to the books. Especially the performance of Jay O. Sander as "Tiny", the big dum demolition "expert", is worth mentioning.

Watch this if you liked the books or are a big fan of war movies. 5/10

God Forgives... I Don't! (1967)

Better than most american westerns!

[7/10 · 12 July 1999]

Even though it stars Terence Hill and Bud Spencer don´t expect this to be a light-hearted comedy flick like the Trinity westerns. Realistic clothing, dusty dark intense atmosphere and a downright good script make this one a winner. If you want every grandmothers dream, parading around in his pink shirt and right out of the laundromat jeans shooting baddies by the dozens, don´t even bother watching this one. These characters got personality and flaws just like you and me.

Buy it, Rent it or forget all about it. 8/10