+++
title = "Ramaskrik 2018"
lang = "en"
[taxonomies]
authors = ["harald"]
tags = ["Ramaskrik", "horror", "film", "festival"]
[extra]
+++
{% figure(img="one-cut-of-the-dead.jpg") %}
Still from _One Cut of the Dead_.
{% end %}
Ramaskrik 2018 was held Oct 19 - 22 of that year. This post is based on the
reviews I did on my [social network
profile](https://hub.volse.no/channel/harald?f=&cat=Ramaskrik) during the
festival.
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## Day 1: Thursday
_One Cut of the Dead_ (2018, Japan): Interesting and well executed. The premise
is quite different than what you expect from the first 40 min of the movie.
Original and refreshing. A bit unlucky with the version we got as the subtitles
did not sync with the audio and was by the end leading with several minutes.
I'm sure it will be even better when you can actually follow the dialogue.
{% figure(img="framed.jpg") %}
Still from _Framed_.
{% end %}
_Framed_ (2018, Spain): Another social media critique/exploitation film.
Probably misses the mark as any sensible critique, but is a well executed
violent home invasion film. Quite worth watching imo.
_Halloween_ (2018, USA): This is a movie for the fans of the first movie, but
has little to offer anybody else. Not that it's a bad movie, just not very
interesting either.
{% figure(img="satans-slaves-2017.jpg") %}
Still from _Satan's Slaves_.
{% end %}
_Satan's Slaves_ (2017, Indonesia): A charming and rather creepy take on a
ghost story set in a secular muslim setting. It's a tad longwinded at times,
but otherwise well executed. The unfamiliar (to me) setting and cultural frame
helps the film imo.
## Day 2: Friday
Another really great day at the Ramaskrik Horror Film Festival yesterday.
Managed six films, so was pretty baked by the end of the day.
{% figure(img="what-keeps-you-alive-poster.jpg") %}
_What Keeps You Alive_ poster.
{% end %}
_What Keeps You Alive_ (2018, Canada): Very beautiful, and quite surprising
plot. A tad long, but highly recommended!
_Killungard_ (2018, Norway): Some of the key people behind _O'Hellige Jul_ has
made a traditional ghost story. It is an amateur production, but a very good
one at that! Refreshing to see a pure ghost story in this setting.
{% figure(img="the-dark.jpg") %}
Still from _The Dark_.
{% end %}
_The Dark_ (2018, Austria/Canada): Refreshing and very different take on what falls a
bit between a zombie and monster film, but in the end is neither. I liked this
a lot, highly recommended!
{% figure(img="you-shall-not-sleep.jpg") %}
Still from _You Shall Not Sleep_.
{% end %}
_You Shall not Sleep_ (2018, Spain/Argentine/Uruguay): Another film that goes
it's own ways. A tad slow to begin with, but it really picks up as it
progresses. Original and again a rather surprising story.
_Terrified_ (2017, Argentina): Well executed ghost/monster/haunted house film that
still end up being a bit too traditional for my taste. It's far from a bad
film, but I think it hits better for a slightly younger audience.
_Ghost Stories_ (2017, UK): An antology film that I feel did not deliver on it's
premise. Again, not a bad film, quite entertaining at times, but a bit shallow
and simplistic compared to what it promised. Some others liked this one very
much though, so depends on your tastes.
# Day 3: Saturday
Saturday, third day of Ramaskrik Horror Film Festival!
{% figure(img="ill-take-your-dead.jpg") %}
_I'll Take Your Dead_
{% end %}
I started the day with _I'll Take Your Dead_ (2018, Canada). A big surprise for
my part, a film that's both sweet and somewhat brutal at the same time. More of
a thriller with horror elements than a pure horror film, but a very good one at
that. Highly recommended!
{% figure(img="puppet-master.jpg") %}
Still from _Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich_.
{% end %}
_Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich_ (2018, USA). A horror/splatter complete
with comic geeks, nazi puppets, collectors and a mad scientist. What could
possibly go wrong? A very entertaining movie with a great number of fantastic
splats!
{% figure(img="mandy-2018.jpg") %}
Still from _Mandy_.
{% end %}
_Mandy_ (2018, USA) was a film that didn't quite catch me. Nicholas Cage plays
Nicholas Cage as usual, the scenography, the cinematography, the sound and the
music is all very beautiful, but it lacks the actual movie.
{% figure(img="the-cleaning-lady-2018.jpg") %}
Still from _The Cleaning Lady_.
{% end %}
_The Cleaning Lady_ (2018, USA) on the other hand, was a fantastic movie which
managed to surprise and captivate on many levels. A great flick that will keep
you thinking for quite a while afterwards. Highly recommended!
{% figure(img="anna-and-the-apocalypse-2017.jpg") %}
Still from _Anna and the Apocalypse_.
{% end %}
_Anna and the Apocalypse_ (2017, UK). Ending the day with a wee bit of singing
and dancing seemed like the obvios choice. While I usually enjoy musicals,
especially the horror kind, this one failed to rock me. The songs are too
forgettable, and the story is too traditional to captivate. It's not that it's
a bad movie, it has it's moments, but falls short of being the partystarter I
was hoping for. Others loved it though...
# Day 4: Sunday
Sunday was the fourth and last day of the Ramaskrik Horror film festival. Only
two more films on my programme until the festival was over, and there was time
to catch the train back home.
{% figure(img="the-house-that-jack-built-2018.jpg") %}
From _The House That Jack Built_.
{% end %}
_The House That Jack Built_ (2018, Denmark): Lars von Trier is an artist, and
has always been one of my favourite directors. So I was quite excited about
this one. The film does not disappoint. This is probably the most lighthearted
film he has made since _The Idiots_ (1998, Denmark), but as always there's a
dark shadow the underlines everything. Humorous, philosophical, dark. Well
worth the two and a half hour of your life!
{% figure(img="videomannen-2018.jpg") %}
From _Videomannen_.
{% end %}
_Videomannen_ (_The Videoman_, 2018, Sweden): A trip down nostalgia lane for
those of us who grew up with VHS, 80's horror films and video rental shops. As
director Kristian Söderström said himself when introducing the film, this is
not a horror film, but a film about horror and VHS fans. A great film and a
great ending of the festival on my part.
Then it's all over. The big empty sets in, and it's time to look forward to
Ramaskrik 2019! Which according to unconfirmed rumors is to happen at Oct 17 -
20, 2019. Hope to see you there!
