Trollhunter (2010)

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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Trollhunter (2010)

To re-establish the rules of It Came From IFC, I have to have seen the film we are discussing on one of the non-mainstream movie channels such as IFC or Sundance Channel.  No HBO or Encore except for the strange variations like Encore Arts or Encore Extreme (In the past a great source for Japanese Action movies).  Usually the criteria for the films are foreign or fringe mainstream at the best.  My first ICFIFC may be pushing the rules a bit since I am pretty sure this may be a well known film.
What can I say about the Norwegian Movie Industry besides the amount of ass they kick?  Over the years I have developed a taste for import horror and science fiction mostly because of the the lack of a cookie-cutter style that seems to be present in American horror movies.  Explain to me the real differences between Saw, Hostel and Turistas?  It seems to me that film companies in other countries seem more willing to take a chance and explore their own local mythology and superstitions and throw a new coat of paint on them.
When bears are found dead in Norway, the students of the Volda University Thomas, Johanna and  the cameraman Kalle decide to investigate. They stalk the trailer of the mysterious hunter Hans expecting to find an explanation for the killings. The reluctant Hans tries to flee from the youngsters, but he agrees that they film him in action provided they follow his orders. Soon the trio of students learns that Hans is actually a troll hunter that works for a secret government agency. Further, several dangerous trolls have escaped from their territory and Hans is assigned to eliminate them.  --IMDB

Now if there was one type of horror film that I think it’s time to stop doing is the whole “found footage” thing, which this film is.  But it is handled better than I have seen in other films like “Diary of the Dead.”  The first time I saw this movie it was in it’s original Norwegian audio so I had to hunt down some subtitles but IMDB assures me it is now available with an English audio track on the DVD.  Are the special effects amazing?  Well in a world of Michael Bays and Jerry Bruckheimers the answer is no they aren’t over the top CG extravaganzas but they are good enough for the story being told.  And it is that story that makes the whole movie worth watching.  You start out thinking Hans is a complete asshat but by the end of the movie you actually care about what happens to him and even cheer him on as he battles the trolls. 
If you get the opportunity to see this movie I would recommend that you sit down and give the 103 minutes your full attention.

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