A dystopian medical thriller in a short format for young viewers. 12 girls are trapped in a mansion, but why are they there, and is it for real? (Please note, this review may contain spoilers.) Scandinavian public broadcasters are required by law to offer programming for children and teens, including drama series. This is something…
In Norwegian cinemas now, the sequel fantasy blockbuster The Ash Lad 2. Do you know your Norwegian folk tales? Try to spot as many as you can in the film! Following the successfull original big budget mainstream Ash Lad from 2017 (original title; Askeladden), the sequel In Soria Moria Castle see Espen and Kristin embark…
The first proper Swedish science fiction film in many years is coming to cinemas today. Alone in Space is a sci-fi adventure for children but also a hommage to genre classics their parents grew up with. Directed by Ted Kjellsson, Alone is Space (original title: Ensamma i rymden) started shooting in July 2017 and is…
Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s biggest literary exports, world famous for his Harry Hole crime novels. On the side he is also a children’s book author, and two feature films have been adapted from his Doctor Proctor series. This is the first one. Having sold more than 30 million crime novels in over 40…
The Norwegian Christmas countdown calendar The Christmas King was well received when it aired on NRK in 2012. Does it still hold up? Written by Bjørn-Åge Borger Kevin is 9 years old and lives in a village called Silverwood. Dad is an accountant who works for Randi Krohn (practically “Randi Coyn”), who rules the community. Mum…
For years, the Norwegian Blue Mountain franchise has entertained children of all ages in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This is the first feature film. Written by Bjørn-Åge Borger Magic Silver is based on the TV series Christmas on Blue Mountain (original title: Jul i Blåfjell) and Christmas on Moon Peak (original title: Jul…
Today, TV channels across the Nordic region launch the annual highlight for many children; the TV calendars. The tradition has become a spearhead for fantasy based children’s entertainment. For almost 60 years, televised advent calendars in the form of short 24-episode drama series for children have aired in the Nordic region between December 1st and…
Twice each day, Hollywood producers are accused of having no imagination and threading the water with countless sequels and remakes. That trend is slightly less strong in the Nordic region, and has now reached a popular 1950s franchise; Stompa. But why is Stompa a topic in these pages? Most Norwegians of a certain age know…
In a few days, the Nordic public broadcasters unleash some of their biggest efforts throughout the year; the Christmas Calendars, aimed mostly at children and airing every day from December 1st to 24th. The Nordic region has a long tradition of Christmas countdown TV drama for children, so-called Christmas calendars, which are the TV equivalent of…
Right in time for Christmas comes The Christmas King: In Full Armor, a feature film sequel to the 2012 TV drama The Christmas King. Norway has a long tradition of Christmas countdown TV drama for children, so-called Christmas calendars, which are the TV equivalent of the daily opening of a tiny present or a candy…
Not sure what to wait for? Too long between premieres? Forgotten that Scandinavia actually has some genre movies? Here’s a quick overview of what to expect this fall. This list is not necessarily complete, as new premieres can still be added over the next few weeks and months, but it does give you a fairly good overview…
In 2013, Ragnarok was the big adventure film for children and tweens in Norway. In this rare adventure, science and fantasy is mixed with action and thrills rooted in Viking mythology. From the director of Cold Prey 3 came Ragnarok, based on something most Scandinavians can related to; Vikings! To be specific, their runes, which were their alphabet,…
In this rare adventure, science and fantasy is crossed and action is mixed with thrills to create an exciting ride for the entire family. From the director of Cold Prey 3 comes this family oriented fantasy adventure, based on an original script by John Kåre Raake. Not a popular franchise, not a previously known game,…
Local big budget fantasy adaptions are slowly making its way into Nordic cinemas; The Shamer’s Daughter has done well in Denmark and is opening in two days in Norway. Following the Norwegian Journey to the Christmas Star remake in 2012, the 6.7 million euro Danish fantasy film The Shamer’s Daughter is the next big budget…
Currently rerunning on Swedish television is Energina, a superhero action series for children. The titular character is a little girl whose arch-enemy Doctor Dominator tries to take over the city where they both live. Originally broadcast on Swedish national television SVT in 2013, Energina is a 10-part TV series about Gina (Sara Månberg), who gets…
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