Tor Isedal Movies
- 1988
This comedy is the latest in a series featuring the vacation antics of hapless Stig-Helmer (Lasse Aberg) and his pal Ole (Jon Skolen). In this installment the hapless city-dwellers go to an island resort in the north of Sweden and try tio impress the ladies by acting like latterday Viking seamen. Their mishaps are treated with affectionate humor, and there is a good deal of satire at the expense of Sweden and the Swedes. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lasse Aberg, Jon Skolmen, (more)
- 1971
The Danish Dagmar & Co. is better known by its American release title, Dagmar's Hot Pants Ltd. The heroine Dagmar Andersson, played by Diana Kjaer, is a successful prostitute who runs her establishment like a "Fortune 500" business. On the eve of her wedding, Dagmar plans to retire from the profession, but her faithful clients won't let her. Regarded as very steamy stuff back in 1971, Dagmar & Co. would probably be able to get by with an "R" rating today. Of interest is the presence in the cast of Hollywood veteran Robert Strauss, one of the first "name" actors to appear in this sort of exploitational fare. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1970
Director Gustav Wiklund absconded with much of the cast of Kyrkoherden (for which he served as assistant director) for this tawdry exploitation roughie released the same year. Christina Lindberg, the beautiful and perpetually victimized star of Thriller -- en Grym Film and Wiklund's later Saengkamrater, stars as Lena, who hitchhikes home from a party only to find herself abducted by sex-crazed perverts. They rape her and force her to pose for pornographic photos until she finally gets away, leaving the obligatory carnage in her wake. The lurid American ad campaign, which trumpeted that the film was "banned in 27 countries" and had to wait for "the permissive 1970s" to be released, is actually far more entertaining than the film. Janne "Loffe" Carlsson, who plays a sadistic psychopath here, went on to mainstream films like The Battle of Sweden. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- 1969
- G
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Based on the popular children's books by Astrid Lindgren, this lively Swedish adventure begins when Pippi Longstocking receives a message in a bottle that her father, a sea captain, has been captured by South Seas pirates. Along with her best friends and her pet monkey, Pippi steals a hot air balloon and sets off to save him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1966
When a thief attempts to steal one million dollars, the plan backfires and a shoot-out ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1965
This erotic murder mystery finds a wealthy old man despised by his family. When he is murdered, the disinherited family members are the prime suspects. The main focus of the film is Lotte Tarp, who appears in various states of undress and makes love in a few scene that have little to do with the plot. The film seems to suffer from bad editing and dubbing, with the nudity being one of the only redeeming qualities of this disjointed exploitation feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lotte Tarp, Anders Henrikson, (more)
- 1964
An aging butcher marries a very young, pregnant woman in this Nordic drama. The woman really loves the baby's father, a simple farmhand, but unfortunately, he refuses to marry her. Following her wedding, a big banquet is held and much liquor is consumed. As the guests become increasingly inebriated, they begin to share their deepest secrets. Later the remorseful farmhand hangs himself. Meanwhile, the drunken groom lurches home with his bride. Unfortunately he is too drunk to consummate the union. Fortunately, his buddy is close at hand and does the job for him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jarl Kulle, Christina Schollin, (more)
- 1962
This interesting but uneven psychological drama about the slow mental deterioration of a night watchman is helmed by one of Sweden's more noted independent directors, Arne Mattsson. The story is set in a rather rundown house, where the night watchman (Per Oscarsson) lives in a rented room, as do several other residents. He is a lonely individual, and just how lonely is brought home one day when he catches some thieves trying to rob a store while he is on duty. They escape but knock over a display of dolls on their way out. As he is setting the display right again, the watchman takes a fancy to one of the dolls and decides to bring it back to his room. From that point onward, the doll gains in importance in his life until it becomes as real as a female companion -- a substitution that can only lead to tragedy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Per Oscarsson, Gio Petre, (more)
Inspired by a medieval Swedish ballad, Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (Jungfrukallan) begins with a scene of unspeakable brutality and ends with an image of uncommon beauty. 15-year-old Birgitta Peterson, on her way to church to light candles for the Virgin Mary, is raped and murdered by two older men. The men look for shelter at the home of Birgitta's father (Max Von Sydow), who murders the bestial killers in cold blood. When the deed is done, Von Sydow, a deeply religious man, begins to question the efficacy of a God that would allow his daughter's death, then permit so bloody a retribution. Then, a fresh, virgin spring bubbles from the ground where his daughter had been lying a few moments before. Taking this natural phenonenon as a sign from above, Von Sydow vows to erect a church on the spot where Birgitta met her doom. The winner of the "best foreign picture" Academy Award, The Virgin Spring currently exists in several versions of varying lengths; the longest, and most graphic, is the original Swedish cut. Believe it or not, this hauntingly beautiful film served as the basis of The Last House on the Left (1972). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, (more)
