CurtHerzstark
Joined Nov 2011
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CurtHerzstark's rating
Had not been for video website Youtube, danish singer/songwriter Tommy Seebach might been only known in his homecountry Denmark. On Youtube there are some videos featuring his music and performances but the most famous(or rather infamous)is Seebachs funky disco cover of the old instrumental classic "Apache"(Apache was first released by the British group The Shadows in 1960).
But in Seebachs hands it becomes a disco song featuring Seebach himself dressed up in yellow colored western outfit, sporting a huge mullet, and a mustache bigger then 1970's pornstar Harry Reems. And with a smile bigger then any actor in a toothpaste commercial.
The video becomes funnier after that, but I'm not going to spoil the fun...
But who was Tommy Seebach?
Born in Denmark, he quickly became interested in music and started playing in bands in 1960's. When he st-rated going solo in 1970's he would become one of the most beloved musical solo acts in Denmark during the 1970's-80's.
But what happens to an artist when he stops being trendy?
And how to handle a setback in one's career?
These and others questions is discussed in this documentary and more troublesome aspects of Seebachs life that would become more and more tragic as time went on.
There are some great moments, and sad moments when his family, especially his children tells his life story. Seebach comes across a nice guy who unfortunately went out of fashion.
Luckily he has regained some fame (even though some of it, is in tongue in cheek) mainly thanks to his cover of "Apache". And the fact that his son Rasmus Seebach makes music, but a different style of music.
So anyone interested in the strange, but happy man that made the funky disco version of apache and wants to know more, this is a perfect film to start with.
But in Seebachs hands it becomes a disco song featuring Seebach himself dressed up in yellow colored western outfit, sporting a huge mullet, and a mustache bigger then 1970's pornstar Harry Reems. And with a smile bigger then any actor in a toothpaste commercial.
The video becomes funnier after that, but I'm not going to spoil the fun...
But who was Tommy Seebach?
Born in Denmark, he quickly became interested in music and started playing in bands in 1960's. When he st-rated going solo in 1970's he would become one of the most beloved musical solo acts in Denmark during the 1970's-80's.
But what happens to an artist when he stops being trendy?
And how to handle a setback in one's career?
These and others questions is discussed in this documentary and more troublesome aspects of Seebachs life that would become more and more tragic as time went on.
There are some great moments, and sad moments when his family, especially his children tells his life story. Seebach comes across a nice guy who unfortunately went out of fashion.
Luckily he has regained some fame (even though some of it, is in tongue in cheek) mainly thanks to his cover of "Apache". And the fact that his son Rasmus Seebach makes music, but a different style of music.
So anyone interested in the strange, but happy man that made the funky disco version of apache and wants to know more, this is a perfect film to start with.
This film is based on a very popular series of children's books written by novelist Martha Sandwall-Bergström. There have been a couple of adaptations of Bergströms books, but Kulla-Gulla is her most famous and revered work.
In the 80's Swedish public service(SVT) made a TV-series based on the same books.
Its fairly simple story about lonely orphan girl Gunilla(Kulla-Gulla) who gets placed as an housemaid with a sharecropper, and then gets attention from squire Sylvester who asks strange questions. But why?
This film is utterly predictable in its Dickensian attempts to tell the story about a orphan with secretive past. But no wonder, since it is aimed at children and not adults.
The acting is fairly good, with Malou Fredén in the main lead as Kulla-Gulla. Fredén has only a handful of credits on IMDb and this film seems to be her last film. Whatever happened to her? Fredén does good job, and brings that kind of bright eyed optimism that this type of film needs.
Märta Dorff as the comic relief role as Mamsell Modigh, one of the maids working at the Sylvester household. She makes a lot out of one smaller part.
Margaretha Bergström does a great performance as an upperclass girl, Regina Sylvester. This is one the few great performances in this film. There are nuances, emotions, that Bergström carefully plays out to the audience. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
Other then some few great performances this film is very bland, predictable. I would be surprised if even kids liked it. Disney massproduces these type of stories every year, so a kid today might be too sophisticated for this type of film.
Luckily for director Håkan Bergström he made better films then this, like the noir crime drama Farligt löfte (1955). Future viewers should watch that film instead of this.
In the 80's Swedish public service(SVT) made a TV-series based on the same books.
Its fairly simple story about lonely orphan girl Gunilla(Kulla-Gulla) who gets placed as an housemaid with a sharecropper, and then gets attention from squire Sylvester who asks strange questions. But why?
This film is utterly predictable in its Dickensian attempts to tell the story about a orphan with secretive past. But no wonder, since it is aimed at children and not adults.
The acting is fairly good, with Malou Fredén in the main lead as Kulla-Gulla. Fredén has only a handful of credits on IMDb and this film seems to be her last film. Whatever happened to her? Fredén does good job, and brings that kind of bright eyed optimism that this type of film needs.
Märta Dorff as the comic relief role as Mamsell Modigh, one of the maids working at the Sylvester household. She makes a lot out of one smaller part.
Margaretha Bergström does a great performance as an upperclass girl, Regina Sylvester. This is one the few great performances in this film. There are nuances, emotions, that Bergström carefully plays out to the audience. Reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
Other then some few great performances this film is very bland, predictable. I would be surprised if even kids liked it. Disney massproduces these type of stories every year, so a kid today might be too sophisticated for this type of film.
Luckily for director Håkan Bergström he made better films then this, like the noir crime drama Farligt löfte (1955). Future viewers should watch that film instead of this.
This film is based on an popular series of crime novels written by Folke Mellvig. Mellvig was also one of the screenwriters to this film, and this film was also the first of the so called Hillman detective films.
Just like in Sherlock Holmes, The Thin Man, the Hillman couple would solve crimes together. This one has a generic storyline but have an eerie, darker feel, which sometimes borders on Gothic horror.
The story is simple about a girl that disappears and Hillman and his wife, together with a stuttering, bumbling assistant Freddy tries to solve the case. But it proves to be very hard....
Two main actors Annalisa Ericson(Kajsa Hillman)and Karl-Arne Holmsten(John Hillman) had great chemistry on screen. The same kind of banter, and razorsharp wit that William Powell, Myrna Loy had in The Thin Man (1934).
I don't think this film and its sequels could have been that successful without them. And with supporting comedic relief from Nils Hallberg(Freddy Sjöström) they carry this film with excellence.
Director Arne Mattsson did a great job creating suspense and also adding a very creepy, Gothic horror style to this film. Using a great musical score, and a talented cinematographer Sven Nykvist(who would work with Bergman, Woody Allen among others) he makes a top notch thriller from the 50's.
The problem with film is the very generic storyline, and the problem of clichés that are prevalent in this film. Sometimes it feels like watching any episode of the Scooby Doo series.
But as always it is better then most Swedish crimethrillers made today, this film creates far better atmosphere then Strandvaskaren (2004). Future Swedish genre filmmakers should watch this film for that reason only.
Even though Mattsson did a better thriller later on in his career, Yngsjömordet (1966), this one isn't bad. Anyone interested in Swedish crimethrillers should check this one out.
Just like in Sherlock Holmes, The Thin Man, the Hillman couple would solve crimes together. This one has a generic storyline but have an eerie, darker feel, which sometimes borders on Gothic horror.
The story is simple about a girl that disappears and Hillman and his wife, together with a stuttering, bumbling assistant Freddy tries to solve the case. But it proves to be very hard....
Two main actors Annalisa Ericson(Kajsa Hillman)and Karl-Arne Holmsten(John Hillman) had great chemistry on screen. The same kind of banter, and razorsharp wit that William Powell, Myrna Loy had in The Thin Man (1934).
I don't think this film and its sequels could have been that successful without them. And with supporting comedic relief from Nils Hallberg(Freddy Sjöström) they carry this film with excellence.
Director Arne Mattsson did a great job creating suspense and also adding a very creepy, Gothic horror style to this film. Using a great musical score, and a talented cinematographer Sven Nykvist(who would work with Bergman, Woody Allen among others) he makes a top notch thriller from the 50's.
The problem with film is the very generic storyline, and the problem of clichés that are prevalent in this film. Sometimes it feels like watching any episode of the Scooby Doo series.
But as always it is better then most Swedish crimethrillers made today, this film creates far better atmosphere then Strandvaskaren (2004). Future Swedish genre filmmakers should watch this film for that reason only.
Even though Mattsson did a better thriller later on in his career, Yngsjömordet (1966), this one isn't bad. Anyone interested in Swedish crimethrillers should check this one out.