Bent Mejding Movies

The tail of a dinosaur is excavated from the frozen tundra in Lapland and shipped to the Danish Aquarium in Copenhagen for safekeeping in this hilarious sci-fi mess. Someone turns off the refrigeration, alas, and the tail thaws. Regeneration sets in with alarming dispatch and soon the serpent-like monster, named "Reptilicus" by the learned paleontologist in charge, is devouring a paper mache Copenhagen. Written in Hollywood by Danish-American Ib Melchior (the son of Wagnerian opera star Lauritz Melchior) and produced in Denmark by Saga Films and American Sid Pink Productions, Reptilicus contains filmdom's perhaps least convincing monster and some of the worst performances imaginable from a hard-working Danish stock company. Carl Ottosen stars as the American General Grayson, angrily shouting his every line for unexplained reasons. Ottosen's wooden performance is second only to that of Bodil Miller, a former Universal starlet who appears here for no apparent reason other than to accompany Ottosen's general on a pleasant night out at the Tivoli amusement park. (A low point of the film is pop star Birthe Wilke's rendition of a ditty, "Tivoli Nights", to a visibly dazed audience.) The monster, meanwhile, fights his battles in what appears to be a child's model train landscape while hundreds of extras do their utmost to look sufficiently frightened. Considering that Reptilicus himself is never in the same frame as any humans, what causes the good citizens of Copenhagen to flee in such panic must be the strange sight of Carl Ottosen brandishing a bazooka while barking orders at the fashionably gowned Miller. Reptilicus was such a financial bomb that employees at the Danish production company, Saga Films, were prohibited from speaking the name for several years. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

A prominent member of the Danish Parliament is murdered during a house debate on nuclear energy, and the police investigative unit is all too zealous in their pursuit of suspects. Bent Christensen's crime drama -- based on a popular novel by Paul-Henrik Trampe -- works fairly well as a mainstream thriller but fails as the powerful statement against police corruption it was obviously meant to be. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The final film in the original series of 13 Danish comedy-capers, Olsen Banden Over Alle Bjerge was a direct sequel to Olsen Bandens Flugt Over Plankeværket and maintains the same high level of comedic farce and zany satire that distinguished its predecessors. The gigantic insurance company "High Northern" (the series was of course produced by Great Northern!) is again the target of the three swindlers, who this time travel all the way to Paris to get the goods on master-villain Bang-Johansen (Bjøern Watt-Boolsen). Although the series thus ended on a high note, this film proved a sad farewell to Kirsten Walther), whose ditzy Yvonne had become synonymous with "Olsen Gang" humor. The incomparable redhead, whose heartfelt bits of nonsense never failed to evoke sidesplitting laughter, died in 1987. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The Dogma 95 movement has seen some searing looks into the human condition but rarely a romantic comedy -- until now. Veteran Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig spins this deadpan look at a group of lovelorn outsiders living in a grey corner of Copenhagen. After the perennially foul-tempered minister of a local church is fired after doing great injury to the organist, Andreas moves to the area to take over the parish. Staying in a hotel until his predecessor can be wrested from the rectory, Andreas befriends the establishment's scatter-brained manager, Jørgen, who is utterly in love with a beautiful Italian barmaid working at a nearby pub run by Hal-Finn. When the irascible Hal-Finn is chastised by the bar's owner for his unkempt appearance, he goes to a local salon where he meets Karen, a comely hairdresser harried by her grasping mom. Meanwhile, Andreas falls for a lethally klutzy pastry shop assistant named Olympia. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Two brothers unwittingly exchange roles under the fog of war in this powerful drama. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) and Jannick (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are two brothers who have always meshed as well as oil and water. Michael is a caring husband and father who risen to the rank of major in the Danish Army, while Jannick is an alcoholic with a violent streak who has been in and out of prison much of his life. Jannick has just been released after serving time for armed robbery when Michael learns he's being sent to Afghanistan; Jannick quarrels with both Michael and his parents at a going-away dinner, which does nothing to endear him to Michael's wife, Sarah (Connie Nielsen). However, when Sarah receives word that Michael's helicopter has been shot down and the crew has gone missing, Jannick tries to assume some degree of familial responsibility, helping Sarah with the children and helping to keep the house in repair. As the months roll on, Jannick finds that family life agrees with him; he cuts back on his drinking, gets a job, and grows increasingly fond of Sarah, who also takes a liking to her brother-in-law's new style. However, as Jannick finally grows into a responsible adult, he and Sarah learn that Michael has been released from an Afghan military prison and is being sent home. As Sarah and Jannick come to terms with their feelings for one another, they are disturbed by Michael's new presence; after several hellish months in captivity, he's become an angry and emotionally broken man, who is haunted by ugly memories and suspects his wife and brother of betrayal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Nightwatch director Ole Bornedal returns to quicken the pulse of thriller fans with this genre-bending tale of a crime scene photographer and family man who is violently shaken out of his suburban malaise following a fateful car accident. Jonas makes his living by capturing gruesome crime scenes in all of their lurid detail, yet lately the beleaguered shutterbug has grown increasingly despondent in both his career and his personal life. One day, while driving through the city, Jonas is involved in a car accident with a young woman named Julia. Unconscious due to the impact of the crash, Julia is rushed to the hospital. Later, a concerned Jonas makes a special trip to check in on Julia, and finds her comatose in her hospital bed and surrounded by loved ones. Having never actually met her boyfriend Sebastian, Julia's family immediately assumes that Jonas is the man they've all heard so much about as of late. While Jonas is all too willing to step into the role for the time being, his ruse grows complicated when Julia awakens with amnesia, and the real Sebastian begins to grow curious about the intruder that has stolen his identity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide