That (the headline) is how comedian Jeff Foxworthy defines "redneck", but he might as well be talking about Branbomm Films Overkill.
Have you seen a really bad actionflick lately? You know, the kind where the bad guys can't shoot, where the heroes are dressed in high fashion, where sunglasses are frequent and where the big bad boss is suffering from a case of serious diarrhea of the mouth? I'm pretty sure 28 year old director Henric Brandt has been fed these kinds of films intravenously, and that there somewhere inside of him sits a tiny Michael Bay who longs to break free and direct jetfighters against a beautiful Californian sunset. But hey, what do I know?
Overkill is about a computer-disc containing who-knows-what, it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that it by accident falls into the hands of two trailer-trash lowlifes, Per Värsh and Axel Wadd. They have no idea what to do with it, but soon find themselves the targets of a neverending stream of beige-clad hit men sent out by the president of the corporation B.R.O.T.T. (yes, that's right - it's C.R.I.M.E. in Swedish). The flying bullets and constant death threats doesn't seem to bother Per and Axel, but when the president of B.R.O.T.T. kidnaps Axels sister, Alex, it becomes personal - and the boys go to war!
Director Henric Brandt and photographer Stefan Bommelin are the two halves that is Branbomm Film. They have made a whole bunch of movies together. No-budget movies, the kind where you engage the talents of relatives and friends in something you shoot in your own backyard. The kind of movies that for the most part only amuse the participants and, possibly, their friends. Whether or not Brandt and Bommelin on August 1st, when the shooting of Overkill began, had any thoughts about reaching beyond their own suburb - I don't know. But that is what happened. Four years, four months and fifteen days later, without ever having met any of them, I'm holding the DVD-cover of Overkill in my hand. Bought from one of the biggest DVD-sites in Sweden (Discshop.se).
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Overkill is a splendid piece of film. Because it isn't. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's made with no money at all. Branbomm Films has spent 18.000 Swedish kronor - $2.400 - on it (but then again, that is $2.400 for three years of shooting carcrashes, explosions and manical shootouts...I guess one could consider it as close to no-budget film-making as it is possibly get - and still spend money). I'm not even going to sit here and tell you that Overkill is well-acted, because let's be honest - nepotism is what this kind of movie-making is all about, and everyone and his brother has stepped out to help Branbomm complete their film. Branbomm pays nothing for their talent, and no talent is (usually) what they get...
What I WILL sit here and tell you is that Overkill is fun. Hilarious even! Some of the stiff dialogue is outweighed by conversations that will have you in stitches. Peter Kirs, as professional(?) hit-man Börje, is one of Overkills two biggest assets. Through him the image of Börje becomes that of a man who definitely is a couple of cans short of a six-pack. Marwin Brandt, Henrics little brother, is asset #2. He plays the president of B.R.O.T.T. and does it surprisingly well. It is pretty remarkable to see an amateur-actor be so totally immersed in his character. Eyes, voice, body language - it is all there. He is definitely present in each and every one of his scenes.
The jokes, the bullets, the explosions and the car-crashes are all nicely woven together by Samir El Alaouis funky rockmusic. It feels kind of borrowed, but still stands on it's own.
Branbomm Films Overkill is not great. It's not exciting and it is lightyears away from being a riveting actionmovie... But, like it says on the cover, it is a no-budget tribute to the bad actionflicks of the 80's and 90's. Anyone that has even the tiniest interest in the art of movie-making should see this film. It is a project filled with days, weeks, months and years of hard work, and it is a fascinating look at how far $2.400 will actually take you if you are persistent enough. It's not a diamond in the rough, but it might just be a pretty nice looking piece of rock...in the rough. But any which way you look at it, it provides entertainment and selfdeprecating humour in a brand new (but dirty looking) paper bag. It doesn't try to achieve big-budget Hollywood, but it still delivers more than could be expected.
