Movies
Hellhole may be super basic and simple, but it's also a very capable and impressive genre film that left me wanting more once the credits started descending from the screen. The ending is fabulous, which (ironically) may be the main reason keeping me from giving this an even higher score. The setting is majestic, the presentation is moody and the score is fitting. The first 60 minutes or so are a bit slow though. The build-up is good, but looking at the finale it's clear there was the potential to do ever more with this film. The styling of the demon and the final scenes are exemplary, let's hope for a sequel.Read all
Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight 2
An expected sequel, after the first one turned quite a few heads, and not just because it was the first-ever Polish slasher flick. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight was gleefully self-aware, a trait that this sequel inherited. Don't expect another slasher pastiche though, Kowalski was smart enough to add some new twists and turns. The gore is pretty brutal, the characters are pleasantly daft and Kowalski proves he's not just a slasher nut, but he knows about other horror niches too. The film becomes pretty unhinged in the second half, just adds to the appeal if you ask me. A worthy sequel, bring on part three.Read all
A typical film from a fanboy director whose country isn't know for producing horror films. I'm willing to bet Poland hasn't seen too many backwoods horror/slasher films yet, Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight is a conventional ode with just enough of a personal touch to keep it from turning into a lazy copy. A camp for kids who need to detox from their online presence, a trek in the woods, a mutant boy who escapes from his hideout. You've seen it all before, Kowalski adds a couple of minor twists (mostly in the origin story), but in the end it doesn't change much to the core of the film. A fat Polish hillbilly is stalking the woods and killing whoever comes near his home. The film is happy to throw around references to other horror films, but often in a smart way (like the slasher sounds that are mixed into a romantic soundtrack). Kowalski shows a keen awareness of the kind of film he's making and expects the same from his audience. Performances are fine, characters are goofy, the kills are pleasantly brutal and the presentation is slick. A very entertaining film indeed.Read all