Category Archives: Bloody scenes

2015, Australian, Australian Aborigine, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Corny at times, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Fantasy, Gay theme, Love Story, Made For TV, Medical Theme, Mediocre, Motorcycles, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Police Culture, Revenge, Sci-Fi, Sex Scenes, Small Town, Sometimes seems silly, Violent, War, War Veterans, WWI

Glitch (2015)

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From Netflix:

James and Elishia keep the Risen under wraps while they try to make sense of what’s happening, and James makes a second shocking discovery.

From Netflix you can stream the 6 episodes of season 1 of this Netflix original.

At least 6 people climb out of their graves and interact with the living for 6 episodes. Mostly this is a mystery story which tries to solve not only how this resurrection is possible but also how each person died. It takes a character as many as 6 episodes to make that self-discovery, often to their great unhappiness. Curiosity kept me watching this mediocre, maudlin, barely acceptable piece of trash.

Surprisingly, this new production offers the audio and subtitles in many languages. Because the dialog is simple and basic, this is a good opportunity to use languages other than English. HOWEVER, the written scripts do not match the spoken scripts, which has been a flaw prevalent in many films for many years.

WARNING: Episode 6 ends with a huge cliff hanger. Just when you think you will learn the answers, the season ends.  Wait, I suppose, for a second season.

2016, Abduction, Anti-Arab, Arab Culture, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abduction and murder, Child Molestation, Could Be Hard To Watch, Danish, Danish Detectives, Dark, Disturbing Image, Explicit sex, Grim, Netflix Streaming, Orphans in Foster Care, Philosophic Discussions, Police Politics, Religious Theme, Sadism, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Sociopath, Suspense, Uncategorized, Violent

Department Q (2016)

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From Denmark comes this TV detective series in which each episode lasts most of 2 hours. In other words, each episode is a feature-length film. From Netflix you can stream each episode.  Each episode has its own title. You should watch them in order. One of the reviewers called the series a “top box-office film in Denmark.”   Spoken Danish with English subtitles.

From Decider we learn that there are six books in the series, but that only three have been made into films.

WARNING: Generally speaking, these episodes are grim, violent, and peopled with vindictive, cruel, sadistic, psychopathic villains.  Strong stomachs are advised.

Episode 1: The Keeper of Lost Causes

From Decider:

Precisely. Nikolaj Lie Kaas stars as Carl Morck, a brilliant homicide detective who gets demoted to Department Q. His partner in solving crime? Another detective named Assad (played by actor Fares Fares). Together they delve into the crimes no one wants solved.

Episode 1 introduces us to the two detectives mentioned above. In episode 2 a third member is added to Department Q, which we would call the “Collection of Unsolved Crimes or Cold Cases”.

In this episode a young woman politician in on a ferry with her emotionally disturbed brother when she is abducted and held captive in a barometric chamber. You were warned it could get ugly!

Episode 2: The Absent One

In this episode the detectives uncover a series of brutal crimes planned and perpetrated by students at a posh private high school that caters to the ruling class. Their outrageous behavior continues throughout their wealthy lives as they are protected by a former classmate who is now an extremely powerful lawyer. More Ugly!

Episode 3: A Conspiracy of Faith

Yet another psychopath, this time kidnapping children of fundamentalist Christians and using a type of religious blackmail against the parents.  As we often seen in such films, the sociopath does his damage calmly and with a bland or smiling countenance. But still ugly!

One characteristic of all three stories is the suspenseful and action filled final scene in which our heroes confront the villain. You might even hold your breath in all the (did I mention “ugly”?) excitement. Take a tranquilizer and enjoy.

 

 

2016, Abduction, Abortion, Addiction, Amnesia, Arson, Belgian Detectives, Bloody scenes, Boxing, Complicated, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crime, Dark, Drama, Drugs, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, French, Grisly, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Small Town Atmosphere, Soap Opera, Soccer, Sociopath, Suspense, Teenagers, Violent, Vulgar

The Break (2016)

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From Netflix:

Soon after arriving in Heiderfeld, Inspector Yoann Peeters is called to the scene of a suspected suicide and begins uncovering troubling details.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this compelling detective story in French with subtitles. According to Wikepedia The Break (French: La Trêve, “The Truce”) is a French-language Belgian crime drama television series

Actually this series is a soap opera with many characters,  quite a bit of sex and violence, and many surprises. In fact I would estimate that each episode has at least 3 or so unexpected  plot revelations. Not until the very, very end will you discover “who done it”. If you truly guess the answer before episode 10, then let me know.

Inspector Peeters has left Brussels with his daughter after the death of his wife and has returned to his hometown Heiderfeld in the hopes of a fresh start. He goes to work for the local police force populated by 6 or so characters whose own stories and involvements with one another are an integral part of the plot. Peeters’  daughter makes a friend and in order to fit in socially makes mistakes. There are teen friends, a soccer team and its managers, a woman mayor scheming to buy the area’s farms to make way for a dam, and subplots galore. Most of all, running through the entire story is the fact that Peeters is eventually confined to a mental hospital and is in every episode being interviewed by a woman psychiatrist of the institution, who must evaluate Peeters’ mental health. Flashbacks are a principal tool in the story telling.

Oddly enough Yoann Peeters is played by a Belgian actor Yoann Blanc whose performance (as well as his somewhat strange face with his deep set brooding, unemotional eyes that seem to stare all the time) is remarkable.

Getting to the story’s conclusion was so compelling for me that once again I binged, which is definitely not a good habit. But once you start this thriller my guess is that you too will fall under its spell.

 

2013, Abduction, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Child abuse, Computer geeks, Crime thriller, Detective, Disturbing Image, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Forensics, French, French Detective Series, Grim, Mental Illness, Missing Person, Murder Investigation, Psychiatrists, Psychological Thriller, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Lanester (2013)

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From Amazon Prime:

In the west of Paris, three strange murders are committed. Each time, the victim is eviscerated before being arranged in a macabre display. While discovering one of these, police commander Eric Lanester loses his sight. With the help of Gabrielle, a young woman taxi driver, the cop nevertheless continues his investigation, which soon awakens demons he considered buried forever.

Originally, as far as I can tell, “Lanester” was just a French film that told only one story. But now from Amazon Prime you can download three episodes of Season 1. Each episode (with English subtitles) last about 1 hour 30 minutes. Moreover each episode is dated December 31, 2013. Running through all three episodes is a strongly unifying theme involving Police Commander Lanester and his mentally ill brother. All of which seems to suggest that the original film was re-packaged into three episodes.

In any case, the story is compelling enough to recommend. Just beware that there are depicted grisly murders.

2016, Abduction, Acorn TV, Australian, Based on true facts, Bloody scenes, Corruption, Detective, DNA, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Emotional child abuse, Forensics, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Homophobia, Made For TV, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Police Culture, Serial Killer, Surfing, Torture, Violent

Deep Water (2016)

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From Acorn TV:

This “addictive” (Daily Review, Australia) Aussie drama inspired by real events follows Detectives Tori Lustigman (Yael Stone, Orange is the New Black) and Nick Manning (Noah Taylor, And Then There Were None) as they investigate the murder of a young man in a beachfront apartment in Bondi. Is this brutal murder a domestic, a robbery gone wrong, or a hate crime?

Acorn TV offered one episode each week until finally you can stream all 4 episodes of Series 1 (the only series, so far) whenever you wish.

Although most detective series have become so formulaic and clichéd,  “Deep Water” is an exception.  Soon you realize that the central theme is gay bashing in homophobic Australia, or at least in Bondi Beach, which is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. What helps make the plot interesting is that as the episodes proceed, most of the important characters are revealed to be more and more involved in the killings.  Expect bloodshed and violence.

Definitely worth the time spent watching.

2015, Action Film, Action Hero, Amputee, B-movie, Barely Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Car Chase, Confusing Plot, Drugs, Frenetic, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Motorcycles, Not Recommended, Nudity, Revenge, Ridiculous plot, Satirical ultra-violence, Sci-Fi, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Somewhat trashy, Unusual, Violent, Vulgar

Hardcore Harry (2015)

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From IMDB:

Henry is resurrected from death with no memory, and he must save his wife from a telekinetic warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.

Seriously in the running for “Most Mindless Film Ever Made”,  there is not a single non-violent scene (more exactly, moment) in all hour and a half of this bizarre form of entertainment. Only because of one unique feature  does this film deserve a review: You never see Harry. Instead you watch the entire sequence of (did I mention “violent”?) events through Harry’s bionic eyes. In fact, just about everything of Harry is bionic. So naturally he is physically super-capable, never misses a shot, is amazing at fist fighting. leaps over tall objects, escapes burning vehicles, and just never gives up. When the film started with a chase sequence I thought “Oh, the usual gimmick to get my attention at the beginning”. But the chase sequence NEVER ENDS.

Possibly there is a plot in there somewhere, but darn if I could figure out just exactly what was happening.

You do get the opportunity to put yourself in Harry’s place and be surrounded for possibly 10 minutes by  voluptuous, ample breasted,  naked women. Probably not a film for children.

You should have some time to waste before watching Harry (who cannot speak) do his thing. Isn’t it great to be a retired film watcher!

2016, Abduction, Acceptable Trash, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Cancer theme, Frenetic, Grisly, Horror, Made For TV, Middle school students, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Occasional gore, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Teenagers, TV Series, Violent

Stranger Things (2016)

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From IMDB:

When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

Holy Middle School Nerds!

If my neighbors had not recommended the eight episodes of Season One of this sci-fi creeper, I would not have entered the “Upside Down World”. Unfortunately, once inside this semi-adult fantasy it is obsessively difficult to escape. So instead I binged-watched all the horror, high school romance, middle school bullying, and hysterics this TV series (streamable from Netflix) had to offer. To tell you the truth, it was a lot of fun and possibly a waste of time.

Winona Ryder we all know.  David Harbour has many roles to his name, including David Patrick from “State of Affairs” and Elliot Hirsch from “The Newsroom”.  Most of the cast were very young and did quite well. Indeed it seems to me that the middle school gang of four nerds got their literally hysterical parts just right.

If the plot grabs you, you will never escape. Supposedly there is a Season Two.

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Abduction, Acorn TV, Ambiguous Conclusion, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Child custody, Confusing Plot, Could Be Sad, Detective, Divorce, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Forensics, Gritty, Lawyers, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Orphans in Foster Care, Revenge, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, TV Series, Violent

Vera (2011)

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From AcornTV:

Two-time Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn stars as DCI Vera Stanhope a solitary, obsessed, caustic, brilliant investigator, and a bit disheveled; think female Columbo.

From AcornTV you can stream 6 years of this British TV series which first started in 2011 and went on for 7 years through 2017. AcornTV does not offer 2017. Each year, or “set”, consists of 4 episodes. Surely 24 episodes will keep you busy for awhile (binge – anyone ?). Each episode is approximately 1.5 hours.

DCI Vera is as personally distant as her sidekick DS Joe Ashworth (played by David Leon) is personable. An important thread in the series is their relationship. For example, Vera’s refusal in one episode to even consider being the Godmother to Joe’s latest newborn child is really hurtful. But Joe seems to understand her aloofness and accepts it begrudgingly. In one episode Joe insists on taking Vera for a doctor’s visit because of her sudden stress-related faintness.

Just remember that British police procedurals are not for the faint of heart. Could that be why I enjoy them so much?

2000, 2005, Abduction, Acorn TV, Alcoholism, Ambiguous Conclusion, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime thriller, Dark, Detective, Drug Dealers, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Gangs, Grim, Grisly, Gritty, Ian Rankin, Murder, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Prison, Prostitutes, Revenge, Scottish, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Rebus (2000)

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From IMDB:

Set in Edinburgh, the mercurial Detective Inspector John Rebus’s investigations lead him through the city’s ancient beauty and into its more sinister quarters.

From Wikipedia:

Rebus is the title of the detective drama TV series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin set in and around Edinburgh. The series was produced by STV Productions (previously known as “SMG Productions”) for the ITV network.

Four series have been aired; series 1 starred John Hannah and was made for STV by his own production company, Clerkenwell Films. A new cast featuring Ken Stott as DI John Rebus was introduced for the second and subsequent series (which went into production in 2005, made in-house by STV).

From AcornTV:

Adapted from the novels by acclaimed writer Ian Rankin, the Rebus stories have been applauded for their intricate plots, keen characterization, and flawless sense of place. CC Available.

Acorn TV offers all 4 series.

Just be aware that these excellent productions are grim. It seems that a divorced, unhappy, obsessive detective is a standard cliché. But that does not stop the suspenseful, well-acted stories from being a real treat for lovers of the genre.

Never, never expect a happy ending!

2015, Action Film, American Indian culture, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crude Talk, Disturbing Image, Father-son relations, Frontier Life, Grim, Grisly, Gritty, Horses, Hunting, Mother-son relations, Murder, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Rape, Revenge, Suspense, Violent, Wonderful acting

The Revenant (2015)

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From NetFlix:

Set in the 1820s American frontier, this snowy thriller follows fur trapper Hugh Glass as he relentlessly seeks retribution against the companions who left him for dead in the Missouri River’s icy waters after he was mauled by a bear.

Talk about bloody, violent, gruesome, and sometimes just plain disgusting! Are you in the mood to watch Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass survive in a blizzard by hollowing out a dead horse and crawling naked inside to keep warm?

So, why would you watch this two and one-half hour slog through the frontier?  Answer: the story, the action, the ugly realism of frontier life, and the gorgeous photography are worth the trip. Depiction of the native Americans is marvelous. There is not a single handsome or beautiful movie star to be seen, although to be fair, the actors were so superbly made up for their roles as weather beaten survivors that I could only recognize DiCaprio. See if you can spot Tom Hardy without knowing beforehand which role he plays.

Besides, I am always drawn to good guys getting revenge on bad guys.

Michael Punke wrote the original novel.

You have been sufficiently warned about this masterful piece of acting by Leonard DiCaprio who immersed himself to an awe-inspiring degree in his difficult role as a man who just would not give up.