Orni86

Käenpesä is a drama bout young people sharing a big apartment somewhere in Helsinki. We find twenty-something couple Jussi and Kaisa, baby-faced art director Julia, teacher and sometimes a poet Pirjo, siblings Pete and Luukas and Jussi's psychiatrist friend Traian still struggling with their pasts and waiting for life to give them a sign to start. Good sense of humor, great characterization and interesting subplots result the best Finnish night-time drama of the last five years. The writing is smart and witty and reflects the modern world with all its confusement. Though it has continuity and the story lines evolve, every episode has it own separate story. The issues include racism, religion and human rights. This is also the reason why the characterization in this show is so important. Due to the different backgrounds these people have, they see things differently. That's why Käenpesä doesn't preach, it suggests...

Kotikatu is the longest running drama series on Finnish television. Its popularity is not based on dead people brought back to life, conspiracies, people cheating each other or any other controversial elements, but it has a realistic and down to earth approach that pleases especially those, who prefer realism. It's not really a soap-opera. It presents the life of a finnish citizen as it is for most.

The story is centered around Mäkimaa,Luotola and Partanen families and their friends. Mäkimaa's are the upper middle class family and the most stable out of the three fictional families. Family Luotola have always had a lot of dysfunctionality. The father Hannes had an alcohol problem and he's had relationships with several other women during the shows run. Partanen's are the working class family who moved to town to get a fresh start.

"Salatut Elämät" is a high-rated finish soap opera about a bunch of young and older people sharing house in Helsinki, Finland. Over the years the show has changed a lot. Many of the original cast members have left the series to become film stars in their country. From the critical point of view the subjects here are formulaic, but due to the lack of competitors it has gained its success over the years. In the early days of the show it dealed with such controversial issues like homo-sexuality, drugs and teen-pregnancy, but during the last couple of years it has become more of a traditional drama concentrating on human relationships.

Slumber Party Massacre 2 must be, if not THE worst, one of the worst so-called horrormovies to ever get a release. Where the original had almost likable characters, good horror-thriller atmosphere and a spooky soundtrack, this consists of stupid bimbo's, ugly photography and a soundtrack of bad rock-songs. We have a new driller-killer too and he could win a lot of money if he went to a contest where people vote for the worst killer of all time. Where Russ Thorn from part 1 was at least a decent mass-murderer this new dude (Elvis-wannabe) only appears in Courtney's dreams, 'cos Courtney's a little wacked out now. By the way, what happened to a real Courtney from part 1? Crystal Bernard displays the role of Jennifer Meyers, but her delivery is quite bad. In part 1 Courtney was the most cynical of that bunch of teens and had the right kind of bad ass attitude, now she's just a typical heroine, scream-queen of a typical horror-movie. Sad. Not any of the actors from SPM 1 makes a cameo. That's too bad.

A very bad movie indeed. ½ out of 5 points.

The cover of the VHS says it all: "Without doubt, the most powerful movie of its kind since the Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I'm a huge fan of 70's and 80's slashers and I have to say, I agree 100 %. The characters are believable, the actors have an excellent charm (especially George Kennedy as the forest-ranger). There's the twisted atmosphere, that only TCM has, an astounding soundtrack to reflect the emotions and the filming locations that are the most beautiful in the history of horror. This has to be one of the most beautifully shot horror films of all time! Jeff Lieberman as a director of this 1981 low budget film does and excellent job and with his other works (Blue Sunshine, Wrong Turn) added, he must be one of the most underrated directors in the filmindustry today.