4k movies reviews
A Christmas horror from Joe Begos, a very curious young director who does not chase fashion trends, whose creative preferences are clearly not in our time period, but in the 80s, 90s of the last century, and it is very much felt in his films. His latest films can be described by the banal phrase – cheap but angry, and ‘Veterans of Foreign Wars’ is an obvious salute to the era of videotape, with the cast coming straight from there.

And at first it seems that ‘Bloody Christmas’ will continue the director’s set way, especially since the concept is more than suitable. Introductory shots with a commercial for ‘Channel 83’ (the real name of the studio where Begos has shot all his films), remind of a grotesque commercial from ‘RoboCop’, and we are literally described in two words the culprit of further action – Robo-Santa+, with a cursory mention of military developments. In fact, this is the end of the plot description, as it is as straight as a school ruler. But this has never been a problem for such films – the main thing is the action and the atmosphere.

But it is in these aspects that the picture starts to stall unexpectedly. The beginning is incredibly long. The movie has below-average running time, and for the first half-hour there is absolutely nothing going on except for the protracted verbal foreplay of the main characters. And though their dialogues look lively enough, with numerous jokes, references to rock-music and even cinematography, it is perceived all the same as a time lengthening.

But when the very character appears, for whose sake we are all gathered here, it becomes livelier and you get the feeling that the director won’t let us down, as he has repeatedly proved with his past works – bloody carnage is in his element. And at first it seems so, Santa with a fire axe is brutal and ruthless, but the more atrocities he creates, the more noticeable it is that Begos does not use his full texture, everything is filmed mostly from a distance, or even from a corner. Such a villain should be filmed close-up, thanks to a suitable actor. Abraham Benroubi is a charismatic two-meter-long fellow, but the director and the cameraman practically nullify his charisma. Remember the New Year’s Eve thriller ‘Santa Killer’ with wrestler Goldberg? There this aspect of the film was just fine.

Though it is necessary to give proper credit, the carnage itself is technically well done and bloody, all the same, the practical effects in this genre are more appropriate than the computer ones (‘The Terrifying 2’ is the direct proof). And there is no mercy with the characters, even children, even those who are not taken for granted, and nobody gets off easy. Our Robo-Santa, like a tank, simply rushes forward and leaves a bloody trail behind him. The appropriateness of the characters is basically at an acceptable level, with the exception of one obnoxious policeman.

The ending, when our Santa appears already in an iron form, strongly reminds of the showdown between Sarah Connor and the T-800 from the first terminator. And the scene with the attack on the police station, too, refers to the same Terminator. By the way, there is absolutely no humor in the movie, everything is shot in a serious way.

In my opinion, the movie lacked dynamism and focus, for one could squeeze much more out of such a villain. And so we have an average representative of the genre, which, of course, is not bad either, but before watching it I had hopes that Joe Begos and his team of like-minded people would jump higher.

Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (75.7 Mb/s)
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10+
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Subtitles
English SDH, German.

Сообщение Christmas Bloody Christmas 4K 2022 появились сначала на 4К-MOVIES.BIZ.

4k movies reviews
Somehow, fighting veterans gathered in a bar for veterans, and let’s trump each other with their adventures for a glass of another. One, seemingly the most important:

“Yes, about ten years ago I was on a business trip to Pandora, we drove the local blue-skinned Papuans there, and then literally blindly dealt with a gang of housekeepers.

“Also an achievement for me, says the most battered. In due time, I myself kicked the very demon knight night and waved it with a tough nut.

“Tryndi, tryndi, the most business man in a suit wedged in. Is it weak to get into a cage with Bolo Young, or to stretch a shadow hunter in a skyscraper with a blond-haired cyborg? It’s the same.

“And I’ll tell you this, the smallest shot up. Somehow we dealt with one musician patlat, and then he returned with a raven on his shoulder from the other world.

“It’s good to bother, the healthiest interrupted. I once sat, just as it is now with you, in the dashing tavern “Twisted Tits”, nothing portended trouble. And after sunset so much evil spirits that with these very hands they had to fold the bosco. I’m deja vu, as it were, even today something bad happened.

It was as if a veteran had knocked over and a young girl ran into the tavern with a bag at the ready, and behind her there were healthy ambulas, one of whom nearly doubled one of the visitors with an ax. But you won’t take our old men in a snap, they weren’t taken aback, gathered their strength and started crumbling countless hordes of drug addicts …

Another greeting from the era of video shows, or a tribute to the young director of the cinema of his youth. All of us were sent back to that time, and a simple plot where power is opposed to strength, and cool (albeit in the past) heroes, straightforward villains and spectacular villains, grainy shooting, an atmospheric soundtrack akin to Carpenter’s, and familiar faces of that same movie era. If all of the above is close to you, then viewing the “Veterans …” may not be for you a stupid pastime. A low budget picture more than overlaps with the enthusiasm of the director.

Those who are tuned for comedy thrash may be disappointed; there is no black humor as such, except perhaps the elements of irony. The atmosphere is quite disturbing, which is greatly facilitated by the musical accompaniment, which is beyond praise here. The soundtrack is akin to the pulse of a wounded soldier, now it anxiously jumps, then slowly subsides.

In general, the casting is happy, here you are not Danny Trejo with Danny Glover, who have not come out of such paintings in recent years, and not the pensioners’ league from the films of Alexander Kuritsyn. Before us, with the exception of the more demanded Lang, are really rare actors who have contributed to genre films. Sadler, Cove, Patrick Kelly, Fred Williamson, almost unchanged from “From Dusk Till Dawn.” Guys do not fire, but they look harmonious in the frame.

Technically, the film is also made according to old-fashioned patterns. Dark shooting and camera work in general, refer to the previous joint work of the director and cameraman – “Bliss. Instead of computer special effects, a high-quality props that add realism to numerous scenes of violence that are directly relished by the director. Skulls literally crumble into dust, limbs fly around.

There is a certain charm in such films from which you expect nothing and which do not advertise from every pillar, because it is devoid of bias and a burden of unjustified expectations. Not a masterpiece of course, even among category B films, but the elements of nostalgia and the director’s efforts do not cause a desire to spit after watching.

Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish

Сообщение VFW 4K 2019 появились сначала на 4К-MOVIES.BIZ.