Cold Prey (2008) @ Fritt Vilt II

"I'm here to shoot all blondes scream queens."

Ingrid lookin like hot prey at the Amanda Awards
where she took Best Actress for this role.
That's the Norwegian Oscars, you philistine.

At a glance:

Easily the strongest in the successful Norwegian horror trilogy, Cold Prey 2 @ Fritt Vilt II trumps the 2006 original in every turn, providin more sympathetic characters and marginally more original scares. In a sequel approach similar to Halloween II (1981), we pick up the hypothermia right where we left off, followin Jannicke (returnin Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) to a local hospital after she has been rescued. Debutin helmer Mats Stenberg replaces director Roar Uthaug and is found stretchin with an iffy resurrection plot, but perhaps his vision (and no doubt, improved budget) is to be credited for makin those shadowy hospital corridors an interestin enough place to be taken to this time.

Bad news on the doorstep:

Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik

Funny this had a theatrical release in Malaysia in 2009 under the now-dormant Cathay-Keris distribution arm, when no Malaysian ever saw the original in the cinemas. However, as Syahida Kamarudin points out, you don't need prior knowledge of the birthmarked butcher to enjoy this one on its own, although she rues the cinema experience in that notoriously scissor-happy territory. Ostensibly a feminist reviewer, the writer notes that Ingrid Bolsø Berdal is not your typical Hollywood hot babe in distress and is believably great to watch. However, myself now with the privilege of havin seen the original, expected more from Ingrid. Due to the immediacy of the continuin events, a more compellin character arc wasn't possible, so we don't get to see more development from her character, despite admittedly bein even more badass with her weopon of choice, the pickaxe. Come to think of it, if both Part I and II were viewed back-to-back, it would've made a resoundingly satisfyin watch.
Perennial wonderment:
Where is Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik now, the actress who played the cute doctor?

Reminds me of:

The time I was trapped in an industrial-sized refrigerator. I ate all the ice-cream while I was in there.

"Bollocks. Why can't you clean his rectum for a change?"

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Three stars is possible if you watched this in a big cinema with lots of excitable women.
Bonus material:

"They're not goin to bring him back to life AGAIN in Part III, are they?"

Cold Prey (2006) @ Fritt Vilt

Ingrid Bolsø Berdal plays Jannicke, a holidaymakin snowboarder turned badass ball-breaker.

At a glance:

In conjunction with the release of Oren Peli's Chernobyl Diaries (2012) in which features Fritt Vitt lead Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, let's revisit this successful Norwegian flick that proved enough to form the basis of a survivor horror trilogy. The official website is still up today! The story? Same old genre retread built around a bunch of attractive young people trapped in an abandoned hotel in the snowy mountains with an unknown killer on the loose.

Ingrid lookin like hot prey at the Amanda Awards
where she took Best Actress for this role.
That's the Norwegian Oscars, you philistine.

Bad news on the doorstep:

We've seen it all before. If you're a horror movie fan that has been numbed by the Hills Have Eyes series, the Halloween series, the Scream series, the I Know What You Did Last Summer series, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, the Wrong Turn series - then jog on because it's painfully predictable, with a slow buildup to boot. This movie got the attention it did perhaps only because it was a Norwegian product that was actually so similar to American slashers in that mould (read: that it was technically on par with them). There isn't much locational detail either, somethin that would've added curio value to it. Even the soundtrack, which was admittedly pretty decent, was in English.

Perennial wonderment:

Will we ever see better ice-set horror movies than The Thing (1982) and The Shining (1980)? Please drop me a comment for recommended viewin. Hmm that reminds me, I still ain't watched my copy of Bikini Girls On Ice (2009).

"Fuck me, there goes my new nails."

Reminds me of:

See long list above. By the way, the region is called Jotunheimen and that makes me think of a painted pussy.

Most memorable line:

None.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Committed performance by the cast but unfortunately nothin terribly compellin here. Watch the sequel - it bears the rare cinematic distinction of bein actually better than the first movie. Must be a Norwegian thing - it sure never happens in Hollywood.

Bonus material:

Director & scribe Roar Uthaug empowers Ingrid Bolsø Berdal.