Cold Prey

New on R1 DVD. Sequel recently released to theatres in EU. Even a casual reader will easily find 2 major memes about this in its reviews - 1. "Hey this is great! Sure is lots of snow in Norway!" 2. "Nothing new here. Sure is lots of snow tho!" Actually both are on the mark. It probably has been over-hyped a bit, especially in Scandinavia. Understandable local pride. The basic isolated-teens-stalked-by-unknown-maniac script has been frozen in aspic for over 2 decades, at least since Jason Voorhees 3rd or 4th romp thru Camp Crystal Lake. Yet I found myself paying considerably more attention to this than usual. I realized about half-way thru, its primarily because the movie is populated by real actors, or at least by young people who can act. I liked the characters and cared what happened to them, because I know people who look and act like them. As opposed to at least 80 percent of similar fare of recent vintage here in the US of A, which has become a junky dumping ground for - 1. Trust fund babies with no discernible wit or talent taking a week off from partying/rehab/custody hearings/jail. ("Hey acting isn't so hard!") 2. Models who just know they deserve to be movie stars. 3. Pole dancers. 4. Girlfriends of A list rap stars. 5. C list rap artists. 6. Special appearances by former B movie actors/hit TV series stars fresh from detox for the 5th time and eager to tell OK! magazine they're on the comeback trail. All of the above playing 'characters' that are only to be found in bad horror movies, episodes of WHO WANTS TO DEGRADE THEMSELVES FOR A MILLION, or sitting in judgement on American Idol. What a revelation! Good acting makes a real difference, even in B genre pictures.

It's midwinter.Five youngsters are heading for the Jotunheimen mountain area to go snowboarding.On the slope,one of them has a bad fall and breaks a leg.There is no sign of any other people around and their mobile phones are out of range.They catch sight of a mountain hotel in the distance and decide to find shelter there.The hotel lies emtpy and silent,obviously closed down years ago.The phone lines are dead and the youngsters realize they have to spend the night in the hotel.Unbeknownst for them there is somebody else in the building-somebody thirsty for their blood...Pretty eerie Norwegian slasher with truly creepy looking killer.The director Roar Uthaug manages to create few moments of suspense and terror.There is very little gore and the motivation of the killer is fairly silly,but if you want to be scared give "Cold Prey" a look.

It was a movie that started in the style of a classic horror movie. It wasn't a very excited movie except for the chase scenes. It was cliché with the characters and everything.

I first saw this in 2007 on a dvd which I own.

This movie raised my curiosity since it was part of FrightFest n there were n are many glowing reviews.

Revisited it recently.

Most of us do love horror films set in a snowy backdrop n this movie managed to capture the beautiful mountains of Norway splendidly.

The disappointment is that the kills are few, too quick n they are not gory or gruesome enough but still somehow I enjoyed the movie.

The killer's story is revealed in the end and it is a very poignant one.

In the movie Blood Runs Cold I have complained how the killer is able to see thru those glasses n costume was beyond me. In this movie too I am surprised how the killer manges to see n out run the victims.

The lead actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal reminded me of Charlize Theron.

(... though you might jump in your chair a couple of times). Set in the snowy landscape of Jotunheimen, Norway, a group of young adventure-seeking boys and girls ends up trapped in a mysteriously abandoned mountain hotel. They try to enjoy their stay in spite of the circumstances, but after a while they realize that something horrible haunts this else-how so charming (?) old building.

As with most horror movies, don't expect anything new, it's just the same old spooky murders in another setting. The setting isn't that badly created though, and with some improved dialog and acting skills among the actors, and some elements of unexpectedness, this could have become a classic like good old' "De dødes tjern". Unfortunelately, this is not the case. An OK thriller/horror-movie, you will probably be able to enjoy it, but there's nothing extraordinary about it.