TOP 5 FOREIGN VAMPIRE MOVIES

1: FROSTBITE
Before the huge success of “let the right one in”, came “frostbite” (frostbitten). Another astonishing Swedish vampire film that is just as dark as “let the right one in” but would remind you of the american horror “30 days of night”(but released before). Simply because the vampires target a town where is no sunlight, but apart from that there is no similarities.
The film is also a black comedy and its very cleverly done. The gore is really good and vampires are Brilliant, and its not very often that you get a decent horror comedy.

2: THIRST
The story of a well loved catholic priest who agrees to try a new drug to help find a vaccine for a virus. The priest immediately responds with unbelievable results. The town think that he is the saviour and he has been blessed. Well I thinks it’s safe to say that the drug didn’t actually work, and it ain’t long before we see our servant of god showing the effects of vampirism.
Guaranteed to be unlike any vampire film you’ll ever see. A very unusual and different film but wonderfully written, acted, shot, and directed.
From the director of “oldboy”, “I am cyborg”, and “stoker”.

3: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
This film has not only earned its place as One of the best foreign vampire movies, but it has earned it’s place as one of the greatest horror films of our times. This film received such good reviews form every single part of the world. If you haven’t already seen this one , then you are probably one of the only people on the planet.
The story a young teenage boy called “Oskar” in the early 1980’s, who befriends his new next door neighbour, who also happens to be a 200yr old vampire stuck in a kids body.This is how a vampire film should be.
An American remake was released in 2010 called “let me in” and it was the first title to released under the “hammer horror” name in years.
I think the only reason that this remake was so good, is that they stayed really close to the original. They never changed anything apart form the names of the characters, and I think that the eerie feeling of the first movie was just transferred for an audience who can’t be fucking bothered to read subtitles. It was the best American horror remake I can think of, with yet again, two more brilliant performances from the two lead roles.
Also written was a book called “let the old dreams die”. Written by the same man who wrote the novel . This book is a continuation of “Oskar” and his new found vampire friend “Eli” which takes place immediately after the first book ends.
A lot of people don’t know this fact about the film, and I can’t remember completely, but they seemed to have left it out of the American remake “let me in”.
The scene where “Oskar” is looking at “Eli” getting changed and he notices a huge scar on “Eli”.
Well here it is folks. “Eli” isn’t actually a girl at all. Not only has poor little “Oskar” fell for a blood sucking hound from hell. He has also fell for a 200 yr old castrated boy.
This proves the fact that “Eli” never seen anything in “Oskar” and all she wants is for him to be his/her servant until he gets old and can’t serve anymore. Then it’s time to start all over again.
That fact completely changed my view of the film. I left the film feeing it was sort of a romantic vampire love story (and they can be done well), then when I found out that “Eli” was actually castrated and it automatically gave the film a more darker premise.

4: CRONOS
Helmed as one of the finest horror films to have come out of the 1990’s. “cronos” is the first feature from director “Guillermo del Toro” and everyone knows that this man has went on to make, and continues to make some of the finest and most visually striking films of our time.
The story of an elderly antique dealer who discovers a device called “the cronos”. This device has the power to grant him eternal life, but at the same same time gives him a craving for blood.
A really different vampire movie that took everybody by surprise. Replacing fangs and the usual stereotype that comes with vampires, with a very unusual and unique type of vampire film that is truly original and is still way above the rest to this very day.

5: STRIGOI
When “vlad” returns home from Italy and finds out that one of the resident of his village has been murdered,and the rest of the villagers are acting very strange. Vald takes it upon himself to find the killer, and find out what is wrong with the rest of the village.
Not your typical vampire film, and that’s the reason I loved it so much.
A low budget horror comedy from Romania, written and directed by “Faye Jackson”.
“strigoi” never seemed to get the praise that it deserved, and its a pity as well as its such a good film.

SIX FEET UNDER ( IRISH SHORT)

What if you had to make a short film that can not be longer than 6 mins, have no more than six lines of dialogue?. I don’t know about you, but I think that’ sounds extremely hard. A beginning, a middle, and a end all in such a short time.
I found this short to be better than 80% of the segments from “the abcs of death” which was 26 shorts from 26 different directors, the only difference was that these directors are all established and well known.
Written for a competition (shortcuts to hell) which is still running , these guys done a fantastic job at telling a complete story in 3 minutes. I have total respect for that. The only downside to the film was that you will want more at the end. I hope that its only the start of something on a much more bigger scale.
Please check out the movie, like it , share it, and show some appreciation.SIX FEET UNDER SHORT IRISH HORROR MOVIE

COLDFISH

COLDFISH
if you’re Looking for something thats a little different than the rest, Something that’s a little batshit crazy. Then we can always trust in the Japanese to deliver us something so insane, it takes the most demented of minds to even watch the stuff.
Coldfish is a unusual story about a owner of a tropical fish store who gets befriended by another fish store owner and his wife, who just so happen to be deranged serial killers.
The film is trippy and even though I wasn’t high when watching it, I still felt I had dropped acid or some sort of hallucinogenic . Loosely based on actual events in which a husband and wife who owned a pet store killed up to 4 people.
The acting is brilliant throughout the film but the husband killer is by far the best. The amount of energy that he had was freighting, and extremely fun too watch.
A great serial killer film that would be for fans of films like “chaser”, “I saw the devil”,”ichi the killer”. A lovely blend of extreme violence, gore, and laugh out loud black comedy.
10/10 for being so insane.

ANOTHER TOP 10 FOREIGN THRILLERS

1: PARADISE NOW
I know a lot of people would read what this movie is about and not give it the time of day. I couldn’t recommend a film like this high enough, it’s should be viewed by absolutely everyone.
The story of two best friends who have grown up together, who get selected to carry out suicide bomb attacks. This film is a seriously intense and gut wrenching piece of cinema and a film that Is done from such a different point of view. Showing every aspect of the main characters , their freinds, family, and the close relationship between the two and the constant fear of “are we doing the right thing, or is this all lies?”. The two best friends are sucked into this world of lies and betrayal, and they are both heading in a direction that there is no turning back from
Sad, moving, intense, intelligent, tragic, and one brilliant film. This movie will open your eyes and change your view on a subject or fear, that we feed with with our own ignorance.
The film ran into serious trouble during shooting. Including one of the crew being kidnapped, a bomb attack on the set. The director said ” if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do it again”. HOLLYWOOD DON’T KNOW HOW LUCKY THEY HAVE IT.
11/10

2: ROMANZO CRIMINALE

The story of a group of childhood friends who grew up in “Rome”, eventually becoming well respected figures in organised crime. This film has all the right ingredients, beautiful woman, the guns, the drugs, the drug induced paranoia, the money , the fame , the power.
The look and feel of the film is absolutely brilliant, it looks and feels like you are in Rome in the 70’s. everything from the clothes, the moustaches, the buildings, the cars, right down to the lens on the directors camera . A film that reminded me (just the look) of “Munich”.
A brilliant, stylish. and really well made Italian mafia film.
There are two versions of this film available. I would highly recommend the cut version as the extended cut is over 3 hrs long and can get slow in some bits.

3: HIDDEN
When a family start receiving strange video tapes to their home. The tapes show someone filming the outside of their home. The wife thinks nothing of it but the husband immediately suspects something more sinister at hand, and his fears are confirmed when they receive another tape. This time the tapes shows someone filming the inside of their home. The husband sets out to find who is behind the videos but also finds out that he must confront a past that he had long forgotten about
A fantastic cast with some of France’s finest actors and written and directed by the wonderful “Michael Hanake” who gave films like “funny games”, “Amour”, “the piano teacher”, and “the white ribbon”.

4: GOMORRAH
Italian cinema at its best, based on a best selling novel with the same name. “Gomorrah” is a unique type of mafia film. It focusses on 5 different characters, and each one has a vital role in how the story is played out. Set in a huge run down, crumbling housing estate and using rundown apartment blocks as their empire.
Based on a true story,It can be a little slow at times but without a doubt this is mafia film unlike the rest you have seen. It’s has received world wide acclaim since its release, and there hasn’t been another film that has came close to its genius.

5: THE YELLOW SEA
I was a big fan of “chaser”. I consider that to be one of the best serial killer movies about , it was dark , bleak , violent, and really depressing but in a really good way ( if that makes any sense).
Soooo when I heard of “the yellow sea” ( same guys behind chaser) , I knew it would be one hell of a film .The very first scene in this movie sets the mood for the next couple of hours, You know within 2 minutes that it has the same genius feel as other Korean masterpieces such as ” oldboy” ,”chaser” and of course ” I saw the devil” and “memories of murder” and “man from nowhere”.
Even though Korea is a beautiful country, the directors and stars of these films do a fucking really good job at making me never wanting to go there . Every one of these films sets a really desperate and depressing sense of defeat and “the Yellow Sea ” takes it even further.
The story follows a cab driver who is from a border town called “yanji” He has a $60.000 debt and hasn’t seen or heard from his wife in over 6 months. All he knows is that she has been smuggled to Across the border just like thousands of others so she can live illegally, and try and earn a living.
When our main character is offered a job by the local pimp/dealer/crime boss to be smuggled across “the Yellow Sea” murder one man without asking any questions, cut off his thumb, bring the thumb back with him as proof that the job has been completed.
This film is soaked in history, the smuggling scenes are absolutely fantastic and very authentic, although its only about 10 minutes of the film you understand the lengths that these poor fuckers are willing to go to , just so they can make an honest buck and feed their families
So, as you can imagine once things get going in this film, things get out of control really fast and just like all the other Korean movies it has fantastic acting , a well written and eerily shot story and its so fast paced that even “Liam Neeson” couldn’t keep up .
For fans of real films .

6: THE SILENCE
A slow burning suspenseful thriller from Germany about an old cop who comes out of retirement when police discover a missing girls bike at the exact same spot as an old rape and murder case that happened 23 years ago.
This film got great reviews all round and I only had the pleasure of viewing it about 6 months ago , it has been compared by loads to the hit Danish tv show “the killing” so if you like your thrillers slow as with great character development and, storytelling then I advise you to check it out , it won’t disappoint you .

7: CELL 211
A gritty prison drama from Spain . It follows casually dressed prison guard that’s shows up a day early for his new job so he can get the tour of the prison . In the middle of the tour a riot breaks out and separates him from the other guards leaving him to fend for himself and his only option is to blend in with the inmates and pretend to be a prisoner . The rest of the film is very intense and all the way though there seems very little hope for the main character, and you have a constant feeling that he can be found out at any second.
I highly rate this film and if you are into violent prison dramas then this will be be the one for you.
Give it a look

8: EL INFIERNO
The film starts off with “Benny” getting deported back to Mexico from the United States . The border cop says something like ” welcome to Mexico, don’t ever fucking come back”, and from that moment on Benny is thrown back into the world of violence, drugs, guns which he tried to leave 20 years ago. After being mugged several times at gunpoint on his first day back “Benny” is now desperate and sees no other choice but to hook up with old friends who now work for a cartel. He needs to earn money and get his brothers wife and his nephew across the border and back into the United States.
I don’t think this film would work any wonders for the Mexican tourist industry, it really does make Mexico look like a really bad place, hence the name “el infierno” (hell), but in saying that, this film is remarkable, brilliantly written, acted, extremely violent, sad, and has murder and corruption in almost every scene, but the best thing about this film is that although it had all the violence, murder and corruption and is drenched is depressing and shocking realism, they still manage to keep you laughing and entertained right to the end.
Highly recommended

9: KING OF THE HILL
An impressive low budget Spanish thriller about a man (quim) who’s driving through a rural wooded/mountain area somewhere in Spain ( beautiful scenery ) suddenly someone opens fire on him. He gets out of his car and almost immediately he gets shot at again, this time hitting him in the leg. A few seconds later he realises that whoever is shooting at him has released a pack of hounds on his ass and not long after that his car is fucked so he makes a run for the woods and that’s the story set up. A great cat and mouse type thriller with a very interesting ending.

10: TATTOO
When a cop is busted in a underground rave with illegal drugs on him, he is forced to team up with another detective to try and catch a serial killer who is collecting tattooed human skin, when a finger is found in the stomach of one of the victims. The two cops are thrown into much more darker and sinister world. A really good serial killer film and there hasn’t been a lot out since its release in 2002 that can even be compared to it.

FINEST FOREIGN COMEDIES PART 2 – CASTAWAY ON THE MOON

A friend recommended this film to me last year.  He said it’s a romantic comedy but he told me to forget what sort of film it was and just enjoy it. So I did and it was hilarious and a damn fine film. I  have written about this film before but it would be a shame to leave it out of the finest foreign comedies post.Since watching this film I’ve kept the touch burning by recommending this film to as many people as possible. I am on a mission to spread the good word of this film.

The film starts off with the main character on a bridge he is on the phone to his credit card company and they’re telling him that he’s in serious debt. He says “thank you, you’ve just made my mind up for me” and without hesitation he jumps off the bridge. A few moments later he is washed up on a small tiny island that sits just underneath the bridge. He can hear traffic and the city is visible to him (about a mile away) but it’s just that little bit too far he can’t reach it, or reach anyone for help. after what seemed like  endless and tiresome efforts of trying to be rescued he starts to accept the fact that no help is coming and starts to make the most of his time on the island using everything and anything he can.

A very unusual but a  nice feel good comedy with a great message and some hilarious and memorable moments .
A comedy suitable for all.