HIDDEN AGENDA (Marc S. Grenier, 2001)

[Jox]

Just a post about this movie after almost 15 years since I first viewed it on my French edition dvd at the time. I didn't recon anything of it except some fugace flashes. So let's say it, I was a bit excited when my German blu ray was delivered to me (and yes I waited on purpose to get the standard case with original cover and not media book version ) and knowing this was the first time ever releasing in HD added more fuel to my expectations.

First I'd like to give a little thumb up to the good folks of NSM for the quality of the overall edition ! The image is clean and beautifully remastered on HD yet still highly natural ! I was really impressed and didn't expect this level of exigency. I watched it on my 4K blu ray player with upscaling on my OLED TV and it was really stunning. Did NSM usually have this level of minuteness on the titles they own ?

Quick words about the movie, even if it is not the best Dolph's DTV and of course far from the standard-quality of his various directing efforts, it is highly superior to the usual bad level of movies we got from him at the time. So I think it must be re-place in the context of this particular dark times for Dolph fan.
Even if the movie obviously suffers from this Canadian TV production looks and have at some occasions low production value, there are still some nice moments with artsy vibes (the goodbyes with Sonny in the blizzard) and original one yet a bit bizarre (Dolph fantasm colorful moment) plus special mention for the cozy atmosphere you can feel on Jason Price's restaurant. And last but not least: good old real huge explosion with big blast and not bad CGI like nowadays.
So yes the pitch seems a lot more smarter than it really is with the complex-looking tech-geek sentences Dolph and his team throwing to the audience and the body-count is surprisingly low compare to the usual Dolph standard but I take it for what it is a good old DTV from a revolute era and from a hard career time for Dolph yet with a surprisingly good HD treatment for making it desirable for any Dolph's fan.

A last confidence, the cold frozen atmosphere of HIDDEN AGENDA made me think a lot about JILL RIPS at some moments (one of my fav Dolph-DtV ever) and the opening Men of War sequence too. We should debate one day about our favorite Swedish actor and his connection with winter he got in many of his movies

Thanks, lhz, and welcome back.



Maxim Roy from HA is currently in Roland Emmerich's MOONFALL...

[lhz]

Thanks Jox, Dolph Ultimate always feels like home whatever the time you are away

Maxim Roy from HA is currently in Roland Emmerich's MOONFALL...

Good info, I just checked it and she didn't change that much in almost 20 years !

About my quick reviews of HA and my sincere appreciation of watching it again, I can add to my arguments a more simple one : the fact that DtV nowadays are not the DtVs I loved and appreciated in the 90s, 00s and seeing movies like HA in this current period add a natural sympathy to the vehicle cause, well, I feel like simple, standard DtV like this, considered mediocre at the time, today got something fresh and sincere regarding the actual period plus the new productions and exigency standards.
The way this is done feels like it almost extinct (not totally thanks to Dolph directing effort or some minor guys who still care for doing DtV in the old fashioned way).
Maybe this is just inaccurate nostalgia thoughts ( ) but I really feels that way more and more over the years.

[Jox]

Thanks Jox, Dolph Ultimate always feels like home whatever the time you are away

Good to know, thanks! I like to keep it in familiar grounds.

About my quick reviews of HA and my sincere appreciation of watching it again, I can add to my arguments a more simple one : the fact that DtV nowadays are not the DtVs I loved and appreciated in the 90s, 00s and seeing movies like HA in this current period add a natural sympathy to the vehicle cause, well, I feel like simple, standard DtV like this, considered mediocre at the time, today got something fresh and sincere regarding the actual period plus the new productions and exigency standards.
The way this is done feels like it almost extinct (not totally thanks to Dolph directing effort or some minor guys who still care for doing DtV in the old fashioned way).
Maybe this is just inaccurate nostalgia thoughts ( ) but I really feels that way more and more over the years.

For sure, we've covered some of that and could continue to, as there is a lot to say. Sadly these are the days we live in and it's probably gonna continue to "morph". Soon we'll remember those movies like our elders used to remember the old westerns...

[lhz]

Soon we'll remember those movies like our elders used to remember the old westerns...

Word. Couldn't say better.

[Jox]

Greek VHS

[Jox]

So now we'll have to suffer these horrible AI-generated covers? Not only it has nothing to do with the film but it looks like a parody of parody of what some people must imagine what a Dolph Lundgren flick is...
https://www.microsoft.com/fr-fr/p/hidde ... verviewtab