Aniara (2019)

"Poetic Science Fiction"

The iconic science fiction poem by Swedish Nobel laureate Harry Martinson gets adapted for the screen in this new Blu-ray release from Arrow Films.

Not far into the future. Climate change has rendered the earth unliveable. What is left of humanity that can afford it is travelling to Mars aboard giant luxury space cruise liners. The journey is intended to take three weeks.

Unfortunately for those aboard the Aniara, the ship encounters space debris that knocks out the engines and sets them off course. Drifting in space, their only chance is to encounter a planet they can use the gravity of to help correct their course. The problem is that space is vast and the closest celestial body is going to take a very long time to reach.

Very much feeling like a prequel to such classic SF novels as Brian Aldiss' Non Stop and Robert Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky, ANIARA takes as its viewpoint character a woman known as the Mimaroben (Emelie Johnson). She assists the passengers in using the onboard MIMA, a device that can tap into an individual's memories to help them relive more pleasant times on earth. When the ship goes off course and those onboard become desperate, MIMA becomes overloaded and its fate reflects the societal breakdown that is taking place on board.

Epic in scope while remaining very much a human piece, ANIARA goes against the popular TV adventure series concept of space, reminding us that it is vast and empty and the chances of randomly coming across anything is pretty much zero. The movie isn't exactly grim but don't expect a happy ending.

Arrow's Blu-ray comes with a commentary track from co-directors Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, who also take part in a separate interview where they talk about how most of the movie was shot in locations like shopping centres and on ferries. If that's true, Sweden has some of the nicest shiniest shopping centres and ferries I have ever seen.

There are also interviews with the production designer, sound designer and VFX supervisor. Also on the disc is the directors' award-winning 'short' (well, it's thirty minutes) THE UNLIVING about how humanity is trying to rebuild itself after a zombie apocalypse. Finally, if you get the first pressing there's also a booklet with new writing on the film from Anne Billson.

ANIARA is out on Blu-ray from Arrow Films on 

Monday 21st October 2019

Videoman (2018)

"Endearing Tale for the VHS Generation"

After premiering at last year's festival, Kristian A Södertröm's VIDEOMAN gets a VOD and DVD release on the FrightFest Presents label from Signature Entertainment.

Stefan Sauk is Ennio, a man obsessed with two things: drinking, and collecting VHS tapes. When he comes across a cardboard box containing the ultra-rare 'Zombie' (from the cover it looks like Lucio Fulci's CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) it may be the answer to his money problems. Unfortunately, after he makes a deal with a shady voice on the telephone, one that may belong to someone who has been killing tape collectors, giallo-style, the tape goes missing...

A hit at FrightFest, VIDEOMAN is going to appeal most to those who grew up with, and were consumed by, the VHS boom of the 1980s. Director Söderström is presumably a VHS obsessive himself, or if he isn't he's quite brilliant at depicting the mindset of VHS collectors, and he also knows his movies, so part of the fun is seeing if you can catch him out.

The press notes describe VIDEOMAN as 'Mike Leigh meets Dario Argento'. There's certainly more of Leigh in the grim Swedish tower block settings and bleak wintry weather, and don't go expecting any bold flashes of colour or over the top artistic set pieces. Do expect, however, for the warmth of the director's love for his characters to shine through. 

Low budget and certainly promising of greater things for its director, VIDEOMAN is the perfect film for those who fancy a bit of subtitled Swedish social realism set in the world of movie obsessives. Signature's VOD copy was provided for review & as far as I'm aware the DVD contains no extras. 

Kristian A Södertröm's VIDEOMAN is out on VOD and DVD on Signature Entertainment's FrightFest Presents label now. 

Evil Ed (1995)

“Swedish Splattery Silliness”

         Some right old gory amateur daftness gets a dual format release from Arrow as EVIL ED finds its way to disc. Despite its Scandinavian origins it’s in English by the way, in case the thought of subtitles puts you off. Be warned, though, that the dubbing is as endearingly home made as the rest of the film.

Our mild mannered hero!

         Ed (Johan Rudebeck) is a mild-mannered editor who spends his days cutting art films (we get to see one at the start of this and for some it will be a spot-on piss take of a certain type of Scandinavian cinema). He gets transferred to the studio’s ‘Splatter and Gore Department’ where he discovers his new assignment is to edit the ‘Loose Limbs’ franchise of horror films. 

There's a bloody gremlin in the fridge!

         His sleazy producer puts Ed up in a house outside town so he can work undisturbed. Traumatised by the endless scenes of sex and violence he has to run through the moviola, Ed soon starts to hallucinate, seeing an interesting collection of monsters and characters from 1980s movies, including a fat gremlin in the fridge and the big red chap with the enormous horns from Ridley Scott’s LEGEND (1985). It’s not long before anyone who comes to the house ends up messily dead. 

...and a head in the bin!

         Ed is eventually apprehended and carted off to the local hospital, where he escapes and embarks on another killing spree before the movie ends on an appropriately silly note.

Another of Ed's hallucinations - or is it?

         Directed and acted with gusto (that’s probably the kindest way to describe it), EVIL ED feels like a mashup of the styles of Peter Jackson’s BAD TASTE (1987) and Alex Chandon’s similarly enthusiastic semi-professional effort CRADLE OF FEAR (2001). There’s little in the way of plot, which takes second place to splattery deaths, ludicrous hallucination scenes, and as many horror film posters as you can possibly cram into a single film. It’s difficult to be hard on EVIL ED because it is so obviously a labour of love, and that single factor shines through every drop of ketchup and bloodstained bit of bandage.

Possibly the real editor of this film

         Arrow’s three disc set kicks off with a specially filmed introduction where two of the film-makers have difficulty keeping a straight face and suffer repeated attacks of the giggles. It’s actually the perfect way to be led into a film of this sort so make sure you pick that option. EVIL ED itself is presented in a specially extended edition that’s a bit longer than the standard run time of 93 minutes. You also get a making of, deleted scenes, details on the crew’s achievements past and present, material about the preparation of this new version, and the usual trailers and stills.
         Discs one and two are Blu-ray and DVD. Disc 3 is a Blu-ray with the original cut of the film and an extended version (by an extra two hours!) of the making of documentary. Plus (it says here as it wasn’t provided for review) other surprises - actually the press release has it in capitals so I should really say OTHER SURPRISES!
         Could they include a sequel called EVIL EDNA? Probably not but it’s good to dream. 

EVIL ED is coming out in a three disc set from Arrow Films on Monday 29th May 2017 - Bank Holiday fun for everyone!