Kingdom Hospital (series) – Stephen King (2004)

For a long time I have known about this Stephen King version of Lars von Trier’s wonderful series “Riget” (a.k.a. “Kingdom”). In doubt if a remake would add anything to the original series, for a long time the idea of watching “Kingdom Hospital” remained slumbering in the back of my head. A while ago I ran into the box so cheaply that I decided that it was time to watch it after all.

“Kingdom Hospital” can be best regarded a series with references to “Riget” instead of being a remake. From the first episode it is clear that Stephen King does not follow Von Trier’s story. He added elements and left things out. Some characters return, but usually the names have been changed. Sigrid Drusse became Sally Druse; Jørgen Krogshøj, Dr. Hook; Stig Helmer, Dr. Stegman; Mona Jensen, Mona Klingerman. This immediately says something about the story-lines that found their way into King’s story. The weirdest things have been left out though!

Again the hospital is built on a place where a catastrophe took place in swampy conditions. The dead of these days still haunt the hospital, in King’s version causing earthquakes. Druse finds the little girl Mary and tries to help her in her typical spiritualistic way and her annoying personality, forcing her son to help her. King turned the story more in a fight between good and evil which brings a larger role to some elements, but also introduces new characters. Most notably “Antubis”, a boy trying to run amok and an artist patient who is chosen to save the hospital. Other notable elements are left out, such as Lillebror (the baby) and Age Krüger (perhaps he has been exchanged for the boy). Other things have been changed, such as the secret society of doctors, the sleep research facility and . Other amusing elements have been added, such as King’s own part as Johnny B. Goode.

You may get the point, “Kingdom Hospital” should be approached with no expectations of what is to come. It is an entirely new story with elements and characters known to people who know “Riget”. I think the series are more amusing when you indeed know “Riget”, especially because a few things make more sense. There is no need to know “Riget” to enjoy “Kingdom Hospital” though. The series make a slightly weird horror soap (more horror than “Riget” I might add) which has been worked more into a coherent story than “Riget”. What is too bad is that the “finale” is pretty weak and the end pretty horrible… That may be a reference to “Riget”s sudden end?

All in all amusing series which are probably even more amusing when you know the series made by Lars von Trier who produced Stephen King’s version.

Elvis & Nixon – Liza Johnson (2016)

Elvis Presley gets the idea that he could do something for his country when he can work against society-undermining groups such as criminal organisations, drug dealers, communists and the like. In order to do that he wants to work as an undercover federal agent. He tries to set up a meeting with Nixon to arrange that.

The film indeed is about that very meeting, but much more about what lead to it. We see Elvis as a person with sometimes quirky ways of thinking, but oftentimes as an intelligent person. He tries to use his fame to get what he wants, but he is quite patient in his efforts. On the other side, two young people from the presidential staff try to arrange the meeting, but Nixon initially does not want to hear about it.

This results in an amusing film in which Michael Shannon plays Elvis and Kevin Spacey Nixon. Both do not look too much like the persons they play, but they perform their roles wonderfully.

Bone Tomahawk – S. Craig Zahler (2015)

A fairly raw Western in which a group of brutal Indians kidnap people from a small town. A party lead by the sheriff played by Kurt Russell sets out to find the inhabitants.

The largest part of the film is the ride towards the area where the Indians can be found. When the party starts to close in, the Indians (of course) defend their territory.

The film has a good atmosphere and the story unfolds perhaps not surprisingly, but well.

Green Room – Jeremy Saulnier (2015)

A punk group has a concert gone wrong, almost nobody showed up. The organiser sets up another concert, so the band drives to the other location. This appears to be a remote location with a different audience, more skinheads. The band brilliantly opens with the Dead Kennedy’s song against a certain kind of punks. The audience likes the rest of the set better.

After the show one of the members sees something that he had better not, so the band is directed back to the dressing room waiting for the police. The people of the venue have other ideas with the band than they hoped though.

“Green Room” has an alright story, but overall is a not too strong thriller that tries to lean towards horror.

Liberty Stands Still – Kari Skogland (2002)

Wesley Snipes is a sniper whose daughter was shot dead by a schoolmate. He decides to make a stand by taking an influential young woman from the arms industry hostage and making a media spectacle of that.

The film opens with fast montage and good music, but when “Joe”‘s plan starts to unfold, slows down and becomes a “stand still” film with the woman chained to a place and Joe performing his scheme from another. Most of the film takes place in two places in the city.

The atmosphere of the film is fairly good, the message crystal clear: the rights of the Americans have gone too far where they concern the right to bear arms.

Kraftidioten – Hans Petter Moland (2014)

The international title “In Order Of Disappearance” is a bit dull compared to the original, which would compare to something like ‘power idiots’. However, the international title does refer to the story.

In the “Fargo”-like snowy landscape of Northern Norway plays a story in which a young man is found dead and his father goes after the men responsible for that. The atmosphere of “Kraftidioten” reminds of “Fargo” with similar black humor. There are long shots and slow scenes that remind a bit of “True Detective“.

The story may have little surprises, but Stellan Skarsgård is great as the father going after the cocaine traffickers that killed his son.

A very good film I do not know what to say more about.

Le Cinquième Élément – Luc Besson (1997)

So why had I not seen this film? A nice over-the-top sci-fi action comedy.

“The Fifth Element” begins as a somewhat corny mix between “Indiana Jones” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy“. Then we go fast forward to a weird future which could have come from the pen of Terry Gilliam. Well, the film is not as good as the “Hitchhiker’s Guide” or “Zero Theorem“, but it sure is entertaining.

Bruce Willis is amusing as taxi-driver Korben Dallas who literally catches a girl called Leeloo and then has to save her in order to save the world. Of course some bad guys are after her as well (Gary Oldman as Zorg) which results in space chases through weird cities and with odd characters.

The Maltese Falcon – John Huston (1941)

It does not work out too well, looking for old “noire” films…

“The Maltese Falcon” is an alright detective / crime film from a long time ago, but I did not find it really much better than alright. The story is well enough though. A private detective is hired by a young woman who soon proves to have other plans than the one she gave the detective. But so does he! And everybody else in the film. The plots twists and turns nicely.

Not bad, but not really what I hoped for.

The Watcher – Joe Charbanic (2000)

A descent serial-killer-thriller in which Keanu Reeves is the bad guy playing his sick game with FBI agent Campbell (James Spader).

The story may not be too surprising, but it is worked out well and the predictability adds to the tension in some scenes. The film contains some tense scenes and some action. The acting is good, the ending perhaps a bit too sudden.

Missisippi Burning – Alan Parker (1988)

I am not sure how this film came on my watchlist, but I may have been looking for films with Frances MacDormand. Besides her, we also have Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman.

Dafoe is a young FBI agent who is sent to Mississippi with his senior partner Hackman to investigate the disappearance of three young activists. They come to a small community in which the Ku Klux Klan reigns supreme and the FBI stirring up the status quo leads to a massive increase of violence against the black half of the population.

Parker shows the hatred of the whites towards the black and the powerlessness of the blacks in a disturbing way. Unbelievable that there are people who think and act in such a way. Of course towards the end all major clan-members are put to trial and convicted, but this was not exactly an easy process.

A very good film about a very black page in American history.