Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings is quite different from the other two entries about the modest, intellectual and clever Tang Dynasty investigator. While the first movie relies on its mysterious atmosphere and investigative techniques and the second film explores the detective's early career, the third movie is set between the two and is best described as an intrigue with supernatural elements. This is a very entertaining fantasy movie with dynamic martial arts elements and colourful costumes and settings but it doesn't have much depth, doesn't feature a surprising plot and doesn't rely on investigative techniques. Some people might therefore consider this the weakest entry in the franchise thus far. However, I have a different opinion. If you are ready to accept this movie as a wu xia fantasy film inspired by classic Hongkong cinema of the late eighties with contemporary images and sounds, you will experience a most entertaining blockbuster that doesn't only equal contemporary Hollywood fantasy movies but also beats most of those thanks to its intriguing historical references.

The title of the movie is somewhat misleading. The four heavenly kings are only statues that are referenced in a note and then shown in one scene mid-way through the plot that lasts for about five minutes. They are never mentioned again afterwards and have no significant influence on the story. Detective Dee and the Dragon Taming Mace would have been a much more appropriate title.

The story is set between Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon and Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame. Emperor Gaozong appoints Di Renjie to head the Department of Justice and gives him the mysterious, powerful and prestigious Dragon Taming Mace. Empress Wu disapproves of this as she realizes that Detective Dee might be her biggest obstacle on her ambitious quest for ultimate authority. She orders Di Renjie's sworn brother Yuchi Zhenjin to steal the mace and discredit her opponent. She hires a group of sorcerers to see the plan through and promises to not assassinate Di Renjie and his family. Di Renjie has however realized that the Empress wants to steal the mace from him and starts to investigate her motivations. He quickly realizes that she is manipulated by a group of discredited Indian sorcerers who want to take revenge for having been used and abused by Tang Dynasty officials. Di Renjie has to rely on his colleagues, a renegade criminal and a Buddhist monk to save the empire.

The movie convinces with a steady pace and introduces the main plot right from the first scene. The film keeps this pace from start to finish and remains highly entertaining despite a running time over two hours. The most important characters are introduced quickly and coherently. The settings in old Tang Dynasty look incredible even though they appear to be a little bit too extravagant, polished and shiny. The visual special effects are astonishing and show a fascinating world between fantasy and history. The martial arts sequences are creative, dynamic and inspiring. The intrigues at the court are interesting to follow even though they don't offer anything new to the formula. The film's showdown is quite intense and of epic proportions in the key of something you would expect from The Lord of the Rings and the likes.

On the negative side, the plot is somewhat predictable and lacks the wit, precision and creativity of previous installments. The investigative techniques that characterized the first two films of the franchise are certainly lacking in this movie. Still, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings is such a colorful, dynamic and imaginative movie that these minor flaws don't drag the film down.

Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings might be a cinematic blockbuster that is lacking depth and precision from time to time but it's the perfect film to escape your everyday life and explore a fascinating world between fantasy and history. You might feel disappointed if you are looking for a profound drama or clever thriller but you will explore a dreamy martial movie and an entertaining fantasy flick for sure. If you take this film for what it is without comparing it too much to the style of the previous two installments, you will get your money's worth while watching this Chinese blockbuster at your local cinema or at home.

Christmas time is coming closer!

Even though I'm not a particularly religious person, I have always cherished the diversified winter sports, the snowy weather, spending quality time with my family and friends, the harmonious music, the peaceful messes, the wonderful gifts, the magic atmosphere of Christmas markets and the delicious drinks and meals. I feel sad for those who have grown up in families that don't celebrate the holidays in such or a similar way since they have never known the magic of this time of the year. Since the month of December has just started, I would like to present you ten diversified classic Christmas songs from pop music over hip hop to punk rock. Some songs make statements against war in the world, others raise awareness about problems in our world and some criticize the commercial side of the holiday season. Let's come together with those who are dear to us. The greatest gift of all is to have Christmas in your heart. The purpose is to love and be loved. Take good care and enjoy this upcoming holiday season!

''We All Need Christmas'' by Def Leppard (2018)

''The Season's Upon Us'' by Dropkick Murphys (2012)

''Mistletoe'' by Justin Bieber (2011)

''Chrsitmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)'' by The Darkness (2003)

''Weihnachstmann vom Dach'' by Die roten Rosen (1998)

''All I Want for Christmas Is You'' by Mariah Carey (1994)

''Christmas in Hollis'' by Run-D.M.C. (1987)

''Last Christmas'' by Wham! (1984)

''Do They Know It's Christmas?'' by Band Aid (1984)

''Stop the Cavalry'' by Jona Lewie (1980)

Seventh Army's The Artificial God is one of the worst records I have heard in a very long time. The Chinese trio tries to mix industrial rock, black metal and electronic music in a way that doesn't please any fan group.

The musicianship is so horrible that it isn't even so horrible it's funny anymore. The guitar riffs are as monotonous as they can get. The bass guitar is either inaudible or unspectacular. The drum machine that was used sounds like broken military march percussion on repeat. The strange sound samples sound as if they had been recorded underwater with a cheap cell phone. The occasional brief melodic keyboard sounds offer failed attempts at creating electronic music that don't blend in at all with the rest of the music.

There seem to be two vocalists in the band and both are absolutely terrible. The main vocalist sounds like a hoarse version of Dani Filth from Cradle of Filth. The second singer reminds me of a drunken interpretation of a roaring Dagon from Inquisition. The singers sound awful separately and even worse when they try to cooperate in some tunes.

It's hard to believe that this release seems to have been recorded by an actual band. It rather sounds like a desperate Myspace one-man project recorded in a filthy basement filled with Doritos bags and Cold 45 cans.

The record isn't even twenty-eight minutes long but still manages to be hard to sit through. Listening through this is as pleasant as getting electrocuted. I would like to end my review on a positive note but there just isn't any. The production is below terrible, the lyrics are vapid, the songwriting is all over the place, you name it.

Just stay away from this abomination at all costs. There isn't anything exotic, intriguing or sympathetic about this record. You have been warned.

Final rating: 0%

Tomie: The Final Chapter - Forbidden Fruit was supposed to be the last film in the franchise about the evil girl that cannot die. As we speak, four more movies have been made but it might have been a good idea to actually end the franchise on a solid note with this film. The movie isn't as gripping as Tomie: Replay and as atmospheric as the first Tomie four years earlier but it's clearly an improvement over the unbalanced Tomie: Rebirth or the compilation of low-budget television episodes released under the title Tomie: Another Face.

The story revolves around a high school student called Tomie who is bullied by three other girls. Her mother died ten years ago. Her father seems to be as gloomy, lonesome and unhappy as herself. One day, the high school student meets a girl of her age who is also called Tomie but who is completely different from her. She seems to be courageous, quirky and self-confident. The two quickly become friends and even start developing a romantic interest in one another. However, the extroverted Tomie deceives her friend as she is actually interested in her friend's father and wants to get rid of his daughter. She reveals to the old man that she was in love with him twenty-five years ago but ended up being killed by one of their friends. She wants to rekindle her love for the old man and soon manipulates him and his daughter. The father soon must make the difficult choice to either get rid of his daughter or of the obsessive intruder.

This film is much more a drama with mild horror elements rather than a horror movie with mild drama elements. This movie isn't scary but it convinces with the gloomiest atmosphere in the franchise up to this point. The film starts slowly as most of the other entries but steadily quickens up the pace and ends on a surprising note. There are several memorable scenes like Tomie being nursed as a monstrous baby reminding of Eraserhead and the sinister showdown in the ice factory. The story is quite unpredictable and certainly one of the strongest plots in the franchise. The actresses and actors are more dynamic, emotional and unique than in some of the predecessors. The manipulative nature of the antagonist becomes most obvious in this film. The outcast protagonist however is certainly a character the audience can root for.

I would recommend this movie to fans of the franchise and to anyone who likes supernatural dramas with a gloomy atmosphere. Tomie: The Final Chapter - Forbidden Fruit would have concluded the movie franchise on a solid note. Still, there isn't one single film that fully lives up to the potential of the original manga series.

Bad Times at the El Royale is one of the greatest Hollywood movies released this year. Set in a remote hotel on the California-Nevada border that has seen its best days decades earlier, the movie follows an intriguing set of characters that end up meeting there. We meet an aging Catholic priest who is suffering from an illness, a female black singer, a communicative salesman and a sarcastic young woman who are welcomed by a nervous receptionist. All these characters have secrets to hide and aren't exactly who they pretend to be. Things take a sinister turn when the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a mysterious blackmail organization and a murderous sect get involved. When extortion, kidnapping and murder take place, the remote hotel becomes the setting of an explosive showdown.

Filmed in the key of Quentin Tarantino's movies, Bad Times at the El Royale starts with sluggish but atmospheric pace to introduce all relevant characters and locations. The film gets a grislier turn as more and more secrets about the characters and locations are gradually being revealed. The final thirty minutes are bloody, brutal and intense as the film ends on a particularly high note.

The location of the rundown hotel is quite fascinating as it also reflects the characters whose days of former glory are long behind them. When a storm arises and the characters are stuck in the remote location, the movie gets a quite claustrophobic vibe. The film takes place in a shiny lobby, simple hotel rooms and a few secret locations that are quite surprising to say the least.

The actresses and actors are particularly convincing and play their roles with empathy and precision. The audience quickly sympathizes with some characters and easily scorns others. The fates of the characters won't leave anyone unimpressed.

Bad Times at the El Royale offers relentless action, unique characters, intense dialogues, stunning locations, dramatic moments, creative plot twists and uneasy tension in two and a half particularly entertaining hours. You should definitely watch it at your local movie theatre.