María (2023)

(MAR.IA) 
Premiere: June 13, 2024 (Argentina)
Country of origin: Argentina
Directed by: Gabriel Grieco and Nicanor Loreti
Written by: Nicanor Loreti
Distributed by: Black Mandela, Camauer, Crep Films, Lahaye Media
Genre: Horror, Scifi, Thriller
Runtime: 1 h 21 min
Starring: Sofia Gala Castiglione, Malena Sanchez, Sergio Boris

 

Screener version
This sci-fi thriller is, to my surprise, not the first work of art from directors Gabriel Grieco and Nicanor Loreti. They have been directors for quite some time now. What surprised me is that the film does feel cheap. Their ambitions do not feel cheap, however, but the low production value still hurts the film. Here’s the plot.

Maria Black was once one of the world’s most important erotic actors—until the accident that took her life. Years go by. Sound engineer Ali is called to the set of a new erotic film, and everyone is surprised to discover that Maria Black is alive and well! The shoot gets out of hand and turns into a dramatic event involving blood, guns, and curious people wearing devil masks. 
 

As the title suggests, nothing is what it seems with Maria Black. In fact, the film highlights early on that she appears to be some kind of robot. And while the film doesn’t shy away from hinting at the obvious, it certainly takes a long time getting there.

The first problem is the strange ADR. The added dialogue made me wonder if the film is dubbed. It appears the movie was made in Argentina, however, so it doesn’t distract me that much. By the end of the day, I do get used to it—like watching an old kung-fu movie. It adds to the charm.

 The pacing is really off. It’s sad that the film is so slow, and once we get to the action, it has no energy. Whenever Maria shows up as a killer robot, the movie starts to feel even slower, as these scenes never really do anything for me. This is strange, as it should be the main thing I’m looking for here.

The cast is doing a good job, including the actress who plays Maria—Daria Panchenko. They show and give each other the kind of energy this movie needs. It is a wonderfully shot film! The lighting and different color palettes really work for me, and I think that is the film’s strongest point. I could live without the static flicker in the camera once Maria goes in for a kill. It looks distracting and takes me out of the movie.

5/10
All in all, it’s a decent effort, but nothing to write home about. I think the film holds up with a serious tone and a topic that doesn’t lose my interest, but I wasn’t that excited or entertained by the final result.

 

 

Links: 
www.black-mandala.com
IMDB

/Robin

 

 

 

 

 

Comic: Heavy Metal Magazine #003 (2025)

Release Date: October 8, 2025
Publisher: Heavy Metal International
Length: 232 pages  

I preordered this issue from eBay from user hudscomicshop and gosh, I have never ever received a package packed so perfectly. Just look at this photo, it arrived in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap and sleeved with a backplate. Super perfect quality. Opening it felt like unwrapping a treasure. Just like last time, picking it up it really has some weight to it. 

 

This is Cover 3A by Louis Royo. Louis Royo’s artwork is amazing and not really new to Heavy Metal. He has made some covers before so this one was a clear pick for me.

We drop right into a rich editorial by Frank Forte, this one is all about the origin of horror stories in publication, he talks about Penny Dreadfuls, Tales from the Crypt,Mario Bava and more. Lovely read.

 

Valentina - Part 3 - Sergio Gerasi

Valentina’s story comes last in the magazine, but for this review, I’m pushing her to the front.

Valentina is a character created by Guido Crepax in 1965. She’s a young photographer whose adventures take her all over the world blending elegance, mystery and surreal dreamlike experiences. Her stories often explore psychological depth and push boundaries including themes of sexual freedom which was groundbreaking in European comics at the time. The combination of personal exploration, adventure and dreamlike imagery makes her stories immersive and uniquely compelling.

For me, Valentina is especially special because I’m a photographer myself, like in her life, adventures do happen to me to, sometimes comic worthy. I’m fascinated by the world Crepax created for her, the elegance of her character, the surreal quality of her adventures and the black & white settings set a perfect tone. Reading her stories feels like stepping into a mysterious dreamlike world that draws me in and sparks my imagination.

 

Her influence goes beyond comics. The 1973 film Baba Yaga is based on her adventures and the 1989 Italian TV series Valentina follows her as a photographer solving mysteries around the globe.

Sergio Gerasi´s version of her still feels very true to the original. We’re now at the third part and it takes a bit of a sci-fi turn but it works beautifully, the tone is right, the glamorous artwork shines and the mood carries the original spirit while feeling fresh. I sure hope we’ll see more of her in the future Heavy Metal. 

Flipping around in this issue the comics feels just great, it’s filled with magic, fantasy, and erotic. Here are some highlights.

Bug – Part 3 – Enki Bilal

We continue this interesting story. I must say, reading this and looking at the art feels like I am watching someone else’s dream. The artwork is almost foggy and surreal, yet not.

Taarna – The Last Taarakian – Rebirth – Part 3

Taarna, lovely as ever. There is a chill fight in this one as Taarna tries to save a child…

 

Man of Profit – Santullo / Jok

This story felt like a Twilight Zone story. I got really pulled into this well done. 

Cave Man – Tayyar Ozkan

This was wonderful. Wordless stories are nice; there are some words in the last panel, but overall none. Nice coloring also.

Chicken – Luan Tie

Wow, this was a surreal and perverted story with clear inspiration from Junji Ito. Love it.

 

Paid in Advance – Diego Agrimbau, Carina Altonaga

This felt in part like 2001: A Space Odyssey somehow for me. I’m not saying more than that…

Cold Dead War – The Aftermath – Craig Wilson

Even more of this storyline. I’m a bit confused where this is set, or I think it expands a bit on the original short segment from the movie and the comic series that came after, but I’m missing some structure in this one sadly. It worked like a one-shot in #1 as I wrote then. Now it lost me. I will rewatch that segment and re-read the comics, and if there is yet one more story along this line, I will dig down into it more. I do respect the effort, and there are some cool encounters with zombies for sure.

Heresy – Katie Houghton Ward

This Van Helsing story went from cozy to total chaos. I sure need to go check out what more interesting stories have come out of Katie’s brain.

The Ugly Duckling – Matias De Vincenzo

This one really captured my brain cells hard. It felt a bit like I was reading a fantasy game intro. I was feeling like, I wanna play this game. Like the title is telling right away, this is a story about fitting in. We all know this story…but do we know THIS story…

Harry Canyon – Josh Sky, Frank Forte

I could read a full hardcover comic book of this character. He is such a chill character, then we have Frank Forte’s artwork here that is very true to the original. Keep his story flowing. 

 

Deconstructing Manga – Shintaro Kago

This was unusual to see in HM. Not saying it never happened before, but I cannot remember ever seeing any manga in HM. Not bad at all. I talked about Junji Ito a bit earlier; Shintaro Kago is sure dealing in the same style, pushing boundaries with his surreal style. This story kinda messed a bit with my mind.

 

Beacon from Scorpius 4 – Frank Forte, Edu Menna

This space thriller has traces of Alien and it also reminds me of the story Frank had in the Angry Mob Zine 1# – The Transaction. I have made a similar story also that will be released soon here in Sweden, and maybe in the future in HM also.

Sixella – The Last Roots – Part 2 – Janevsky

This is one of my favorite stories. This, Harry Canyon, Valentina and the one-shot comics are my top best so far in HM. This Sixella story just digs itself deeper and deeper inside your bones and you feel like, “Yee, stay here, it is ok.” I will dig a bit more into this comic in next review I think.. Angry Mob Zine #3 just released, in it is a great interview with Janevsky.

These were some comics that stood out to me. There are many more stories and articles in this one. They keep the momentum up. A solid 10/10!

Cinema: Kevlarsjäl (2025)

 (Kevlar Soul)

Premiere: January 29, 2025(Göteborg Film Festival)
Country of origin: Sweden
Directed by: Maria Eriksson Hecht
Written by: Maria Eriksson Hecht, Pelle Rådström
Distributed by: TriArt Film
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1h 41min
Starring:Josef Kersh, Rio Svensson, Adja Sise Stenson, Jonay Pineda Skallak, Torkel Petersson

As with the movie Onkel Jens (2025) , I was consulting this one also, some year ago, through a service the filmmakers used. I do not fully remember every detail of what I said during that process, but I do remember that the story felt deep and powerful. My first thought back then was that it would not work as a regular cinema movie. I felt it belonged in schools where students could talk about it afterward since it has that type of weight.

I missed a few chances to see it during the year. Then the team never replied to my screener request which is completely fair since things get busy. No hard feelings. I still wondered when I would finally get to watch it. Then late night the 18 Nov, while doom scrolling on Facebook I suddenly saw “Kevlarsjäl Free at the cinema tomorrow 19 Nov” in this town. The odds were amazing. So I went.

Before the show, the staff told me that earlier the same day a group of ninth graders had watched it. They said the room had been completely silent because the students were so taken by the movie.

At this later screening it was sadly only five people that showed up. I do not know how it has gone in other regular screenings for it. I know it has won some prices in some festivals though.  From my view I guess I was right in my early feeling. This movie hits harder in a school setting. The weather was also very cold today which might have kept some away.

Kevlarsjäl is a heavy story about two brothers, Alex and Robin, growing up with an alcoholic violent unstable single father. The movie blends raw realism with quiet emotional moments. It carries a deep honesty. Many scenes felt lived in rather than staged which at times gave it a faint documentary feel.

The older brother keeps trying to hold everything together while the younger starts slipping into darker places. Two people also influence their journey in strong ways, Ines with warmth and hope and Dennis who pushes things in a far more dangerous direction.

 

 

 

There were some moments that hit me personally. The dog fight scene was very powerful since it worked so well as a symbol for what that brother was going through. There is a scene in Berlin that I liked a lot. I once did a photo project in Berlin that later became an exhibition. Watching the movie made me miss the city. Some of the violence also gave me flashbacks to my own childhood, since there were moments in my life that had a similar tone, not saying my father was bad, my father was very kind so it was not that same situation exactly. Still the film captured that feeling of your soul slipping out of you. It felt real.

 

 

The acting deserves attention since everyone delivered some excellent strong performances. Josef Kersh and Rio Svensson had believable chemistry as the brothers. Torkel Petersson brought a painful presence as the father. Adja Sise Stenson (Ines) and Jonay Pineda Skallak (Dennis) added important emotional layers.

 

I give this movie a strong 9/10. It has been a long time since I felt this captured and invested in a film. Even though the movie was heavy it felt good watching this. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28301231
https://triart.se/film/kevlarsjal
https://www.instagram.com/kevlarsjal_filmen/

 

Before the movie, there were some discussion questions. This movie was part of a campaign in this town to raise awareness about violence in homes. A slideshow was shown. I think it was used more with the ninth graders earlier during the day.

Since the questions are meant for group talk I wrote down my own thoughts and reflections.

How did the brothers manhood and sense of safety get affected by the fathers violent behavior?
They became unsure about who they were. Their identity was shaken.

What does the movie say about young men growing up with violence at home. How do their feelings affect relationships?
It shows insecurity that builds inside them with sudden angry outbursts. Trust becomes hard.

What role does the missing adult world play. What does it say about responsibility and shame?
It shows how insecurity grows when support is missing. The shame comes from knowing something important should have been there but was not.

This is truly a great movie for schools. It really sets thoughts in motion.



//Sonny

Movie: Onkel Jens (2025)

 

(My Uncle Jens)
Premiere: March 10, 2025 (SXSW Film Festival, United States)
Country of origin: Norway
Directed by: Brwa Vahabpour
Written by: Brwa Vahabpour
Distributed by: Tangaj Production ,Filmreaktor
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Runtime: 1h38min
Starring: Peiman Azizpour, Hamza Agooshi, Sarah Francesca Brænne 

 

I actually got involved with Onkel Jens back in 2023, I did get the opportunity to have a sort of consulting role through a service the filmmakers used. I got to hear most of the movie’s ideas, its style and offer my opinions. I’ve done this for a few films over the years. What makes this one, extra interesting, is that it’s the first movie I actually get to see, where I shared my opinion this early on. Too bad I can’t remember my exact input. I do not know if I effected the movie, but I can hope I had some good input.

The movie follows Akam (Peiman Azizpour) a teacher whose life gets unexpectedly turned upside down when his uncle from Kurdistan, whom he hasn’t seen since childhood, shows up at his door, in the middle of the night, in Norway. The uncle Khdr, is played by Hamza Agooshi. Right from the start, I had the feeling something might be off with this uncle, what if this isn’t really his uncle? It made me think of a Swedish movie that plays every Christmas here, Can You Whistle, Johanna? (1994) In that story, a child pretends an elderly man at a Care home is his grandfather. 

Back to Onkel Jens. The filmmakers cleverly keep you questioning things. There are awkward but realistic moments, especially when Akam ends up leaving with two others in a dorm, Pernille and Stian, they are a bit split about what they think of Uncle staying there, transparent communication is important. To them Khdr introduces himself as “Jens”. The film becomes a bittersweet exploration of Akam trying to handle his uncle, who insists on staying with him for just a “few days”. Akam is too nice, trying to manage both love and patience, it comes with a price.

 

All the performances are solid and the story strikes a good balance between drama and comedy. One line early in the movie had me laughing hard: Akam is standing, looking a bit confused at his uncle, who is sitting down and says casually, “Why are you standing there? Sit down, your flagpole!” That was funny. There is also a well crafted side story about a struggling student that I really liked.
 

The music throughout the film is mostly in Kurdish style, but at one point, Kjell Höglund’s Genesarets sjö starts playing, a Swedish melancholic song. It fits surprisingly well, even if it caught me off guard.

The screener I got, came with Norwegian subtitles, that was really good as the characters sometimes speak Kurdish.

Onkel Jens is a bittersweet story about family bonds, full of warmth, awkwardness and heartfelt connections. I give this culturish journey 8/10. 

Homepage:
https://tangajproduction.com/

https://filmreaktor.no/productions/onkel_jens

IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28514971

Written by Sonny 

Documentary: Platser som var animé för mig (2024)

 (Places that were anime to me)
Release: 2024 - Sweden
Directed by: Anders Häger Jönson
Distributed by: Give a Reason Video Entertainment
Genre: Documentary / Experimental
Runtime: 100 min 

What a wonderful poetic work. It was a bit of a slow burner at first, as I went into it without knowing much beyond that it had something to do with anime. It begins as a Swedish documentary seemingly about anime but soon unfolds into something deeper. A very personal journey that the filmmaker, Anders Häger Jönson, has walked through in life. It’s about his love for anime and his love for a woman who was both close and distant in a beautiful, painful way.

At times I almost felt like I shouldn’t be watching, it’s that personal, like reading someone’s diary. The tone is raw, emotional and surreal, with a strong anime-inspired visual rhythm. As an anime fan myself, I could relate deeply to the journey and struggle Anders portrays.

Three moments especially stood out:

The female cosplayer who appears throughout, dressed as characters from the anime being discussed while standing or walking around the real locations tied to Anders’ story, adds a clever, multilayered and deeply moving touch to the storytelling. 

The darkened room with a TV showing fragments from the anime that shaped Anders’ life creates a simple yet powerful and nostalgic image. 

A heartfelt scene at a party serves as the story’s emotional climax, capturing a mix of joy, tension, and a haunted longing that lingers long after the moment ends. 

I truly enjoyed watching it. At times the repeated line “Places that were anime to me” made it feel slightly episodic, as if the original concept might have been planned as a series rather than a single feature. That said, the structure adds to its personality, it’s unconventional and personal, something that demands a bit of mental adjustment but rewards you once you tune in.

Overall, I’m thankful Anders chose to share something so intimate with us. This film deserves appreciation for its honesty and experimental storytelling. I hope one day we’ll get a follow-up, to see how life continued for him.

It’s also wonderful that this film exists on Blu-ray. My copy is numbered 17/20, a truly limited edition.

I give this personal documentary a strong 8/10. It’s heartfelt, creative and resonates even more if you’re an anime fan like me. Well done, Anders.

Movie: Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (2000)

 Release: August 29, 2000 (USA, direct-to-video)
Directed by: Kathi Castillo (credited as Kermit Miller)
Voices: Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Janice Karman, Maurice LaMarche, Frank Welker, Rob Paulsen, 
June Foray
Produced by: Universal Cartoon Studios
Distributed by: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Before diving into this 2000 gem, it’s worth remembering where the Chipmunks came from. Created back in 1958 by Ross Bagdasarian Sr., Alvin and the Chipmunks didn’t start as cartoons. They began as a music act, built around speeding up human voices to sound like chipmunks. The first hit, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), became a Christmas classic and turned Alvin, Simon, and Theodore into household names.

 Decades later, the legacy was carried on by Ross Bagdasarian Jr., who took over the voices of Alvin, Simon, and Dave Seville. His wife, Janice Karman, joined in to voice all three Chipettes and Theodore. Together, they’ve been the creative force behind nearly every Chipmunk project since the 80s.

By the time Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman came out, the big Chipmunk boom was long past, but this movie somehow caught the old spark again.

I watched the Universal UK DVD, which sadly had no extras. Just the movie, no behind-the-scenes or commentaries. A bit of a letdown since I like seeing how these films are made, but honestly, the movie itself made up for it. It’s got that old-school charm.

The voices are great, the acting feels spot on and the story has a lot more heart than you might expect. Under all the chaos and slapstick, it’s really about pride and loneliness and how people (or chipmunks) deal with fear and change.

The setup centers on a school play of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, where the Chipmunks take part with their usual enthusiasm. The play´s director treats this production like his life’s work, obsessed with making everything perfect. Things start to unravel when strange events begin happening in the neighborhood, especially with Mr. Talbot, the mysterious neighbor with a cane shaped like a wolf’s head.

Mr. Talbot is voiced by Maurice LaMarche, who’s one of the legends of animation. You’ve probably heard him as The Brain in Pinky and the Brain or Kif from Futurama. His performance gives the film that classic monster-movie vibe that fits so perfectly.

There’s also Frank Welker, the same guy who voices Scooby-Doo and Megatronm, here he is handling creature growls and sound effects. It’s a small detail, but you can feel the experience in how the sound design adds perfect tension.

The animation itself was done by Universal Cartoon Studios, the same team that handled The Land Before Time sequels and An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island. Even though it was a direct-to-video release, the animation has solid craftsmanship and that slightly darker, moodier color palette that fits the theme.

 This movie also stands out for how it treats Theodore. He gets one of his best storylines here, going from shy and scared to finding courage when it matters. The transformation scenes, both literal and emotional, make the story surprisingly heartfelt.

The Chipettes play their part too, bringing balance to the chaos and some funny moments that keep it from getting too gloomy.

By the time the credits roll, it’s clear this was more than just another kids’ film, it’s a piece of animation history. In fact, Meet the Wolfman ended up being the last traditionally animated Chipmunks movie before the 2007 live-action reboot. It closed the door on an era that started in the 50s and carried through generations.

 

It’s also worth noting that this movie came right after Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999), which started this little horror crossover trend. Both films are love letters to the old Universal Monsters movies, with that mix of spooky fun and gentle comedy.

I found out there is a glow in the dark slip cover.

 

Photo found on Ebay 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/236110731249 

   

So I give this a perfect 10/10. This month is a horror month after all, so get in on the howling and watch this dark yet heartwarming movie.
//Sonny