Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie

This Oscar winning documentary tells the story of Klaus Barbie through many interviews, some very emotional, a few level headed (which carry just as much weight simply by being factual). At a running time of about 4,5 hours this is not only a massive undertaking in itself, but also quite challenging to sit through. Obviously, this is not easy viewing.

The name Barbie itself does not necessarily spring to mind right away when one considers the biggest names in the Nazi organisation. It is telling, that a man known as the Butcher of Lyon easily faded from public memory.

I believe the first time I came across that name when he was the punchline of a joke in the film Rat Race (the Barbie museum turning out something very different than the family expected), which is astounding, really. Especially for someone who grew up in a country that used to be part of the German Reich. Barbie was simply never much of a topic. This was probably in part of his involvement (and protection that comes with that) with the US government.

As this was made during a time when documentaries did not have the aspirations of entertaining people, it may feel a little dated today. Documentaries have for the longest time been made for the sake of information. Sensationalism and bite sized conversation bits are a rather recent developments, I believe. So, sadly, however interesting and important, this will probably remain little seen.

Well worth it, though.

7/10

Child's Play

When criminal Charles Lee Ray gets shot while running from cop Mike Norris he transfers his spirit into a popular children's toy.

The toy is a doll from the Good Guys TV show. Ray now goes by the name of Chucky (Ray's nick name).

Little Andy wants nothing more than one of those dolls. His mother gets him one and the doll proceeds to wreak havoc on the boy and his family while at the same time trying to take revenge on everyone that has done him wrong in his lifetime.

This is cult!

6/10

Scrooged

I love this film. I watch it every year at Christmas. Every! Year!

Yes, it exploits every Christmas sentiment and it features run-of-the-mill jokes. But it has the power to reduce me to a crying mess. The scene when little Calvin starts to talk again at the end gets me every single time.

The story is the standard one. Francis Cross (Bill Murray) is a heartless network president that makes people work on a live show on Christmas Eve and has no quarrels about firing people around Christmas and giving a cheap towel to his little brother as a present.

As Ebeneezer Scrooge, Cross gets visited by three ghosts.

The ghost of Christmas past is a taxi driver that takes him back to his childhood days and the initial meeting and subsequent loss of the potential love of his life, Claire, who is everything Cross is not - kind, selfless and bighearted.

The ghost of Christmas present takes a more direct approach, in as much that she keeps hurting him - head butts, kicks in the balls and on the chin. She shows him that not everyone is as fortunate and cynical as he is. The ghost is played by Carol Kane, who is absolutely hilarious in this role.

The ghost of Christmas future is a rather frightful creature showing him a bleak future for him and all the people close to him. This one, of course, makes Cross realize that he needs to change his ways.

The grand finale features the new and improved Cross giving a heartfelt speech about the real meaning of Christmas, the reunion with Claire and everyone breaking into song, doing a group rendition of Put a Little Love in Your Heart.

Watched it. I will have my presents now!

8/10

Sleepaway Camp 1+2

Today you get two reviews for the price of one: Sleepaway Camp 1 + 2. Why bother splitting them up when the bad guy is the same one in both?

I'll tell you right away: Angela is the killer.

Sleepaway Camp

Ah, good old trash-y camp horror!

In the the final scene, when the killer's identity is revealed - it turns out to be little Angela. You can see it from a mile and the big surprise is not who the killer is but what the killer is.

Angela and her overly protective cousin are sent to camp by the weirdest aunt (to Angela) in horror film history. Angela is very, very shy and spends her days just staring at people, refusing to swim (hint!) and generally freaking people out by her mere presence.

So, anyway, kids die. And in the end we learn that Angela is a boy! See, back at the beginning of the film, a father is in the water with his son and daughter and gets killed in a freak boating accident. We were then led to believe that the girl survived, but really it was the boy.

Yes, it's bad.

Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers

Angela (played by Pamela Springsteen, as in "sister of...") is back at camp (another camp, but near enough to the original camp for kids to tell the grisly story of the previous murders by the campfire) - this time she works there. For some reason, the kids here are older than in the first part. Back then, the average age appeared to be 12, 13 years, now we have young adults with chesthair and breasts (that classy girls don't have to flaunt, mind you).

This time there is not even the slightest attempt to keep the killer's identity secret. Angela is now an actual woman, after having spent time in an institution and having had a sex change. Yes, I know...

Apparently, she just loves the camp life, crappy songs about happy campers and all. People die in various grisly ways, they get stabbed and cut with knives/Freddy Krueger gloves/drills, burned alive or even drowned in the outhouse (eww!).

In the end, she has killed off everyone and gets away scott free.

There are several more films in the series...
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland
Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor
Sleepaway Camp V: The Return (aka Return to Sleepaway Camp)
Memorial Valley Desaster (aka Son of Sleepaway Camp)
...and why not? The options are endless, apparently.

Angela's run lasts until part IV.

Sleepaway Camp: 1/10
Sleepaway Camp II: 1/10