McBuff

Clichéd, tiresome psychological thriller/horror movie with a one-note central performance by Liv Corfixen, whose titular feline is accidentally possessed by a demon, when it happens to gate-crash an occult seance by the upstairs neighbours. Eventually it turns into a panther-like monster, attacking targets of its owner's jealous rage, like her two-timing boyfriend (a miscast Martin Brygmann) and her ditto roommate (Charlotte Munck). Only Pilmark as the cop on the case manages to rise above the material and emerge unscathed from this incoherent and unintentionally funny piece of dreck. After the risible teen-horrors "Sidste Time", "Mørkeleg" and now this, the time seems ripe for director/horror buff Martin Schmidt to try his hand out at other genres.

Based on an autobiographical novel by Erling Jepsen, this drama/black comedy of a dysfunctional family takes place in southern Denmark close to the German border in the early 70'es. Jesper Asholt plays the family patriarch, a whining grocer, who has a hard time coping with changing times and family patterns. As a result, he constantly threatens his wife and kids that he'll commit suicide. While his wife escapes reality with sedatives, his young son Allan is determined to keep his father from killing himself. As his dad is only truly happy when he gets to deliver tearful speeches at local funerals, Allan sees no other option than to make sure there are plenty of funerals for his father to attend... If you think you know where this is going, watch this movie anyway, as it's got plenty of surprises and twists, changing from black comedy to heartbreaking drama, with some shattering, almost unbearably intense, albeit discreet, scenes of child abuse. Made with care, a genuine feel for time and place and destined to become a modern classic. Truly unforgettable, and an impressive feature debut for director Peter S. Fog.

Nicolas Bennetzen is an amateur filmmaker, whose debut feature GLIMPSE, shot for only 25,000 DKK, premiered on cable channel DK4 in October '06. Bennetzen, well aware of his budgetary limitations, has wisely decided to avoid major special effects and large set pieces. The object was admittedly to use the filming process as a learning experience and prove that amateurs can complete a feature film on a low budget. The film is obviously inspired by Japanese horror movie hits of the late '90es like RINGU, DARK WATER and JU-ON, replete with shots of dark long-haired Japanese chicks appearing out of nowhere. Director Bennetzen knows the genre conventions, which results in a moderately entertaining, but overlong attempt at a Danish psychological horror movie. Some judicious cuts might have resulted in a tighter and more effective film. Lead actor Eliot does a fine job, but the performances of the supporting actors are highly variable. For horror buffs, the film offers nothing new. Anyone who's ever seen a Japanese horror film will see the twists coming a mile ahead, but on its own terms, a worthy and respectful amateur effort that Bennetzen can take pride in and use as a guiding tool for future projects. Hopefully he'll come up with something a bit more original next time.