A Book and A Movie: Reviews of I,Sniper and Dead Snow

Just finished both I, Sniper and Dead Snow.

First I, Sniper:

The title dates you culturally - when you first hear I, Sniper did you think I, Robot or iPhone?

Continuing the Bob Lee Swagger series, Stephen Hunter writes a heck of a good book. Someone is killing a bunch of 60s leftists that suspiciously resemble Jane Fonda, Bill Ayers, and Bernadine Dorn and maybe Bill Maher. The blame gets placed on Vietnam-era sniper Carl Hitchcock (a thinly veiled homage to the great Carlos Hathcock) and its up to fellow Sniper legend Bob Lee Swagger to find the truth and restore the honor of his fellow marine sniper. It then gets better from there - excellent realistic gunfights, a plot twist and a subplot twist that you don't see coming.

If you haven't read any of the Bob Lee Swagger series, I'd suggest waiting on reading this book until you do. Recurring characters and a wonderfully interwoven storyline makes the book an excellent continuation of the series, but I'd suggest you start with the first book Point of Impact and work your way forward and enjoy the read. Its a great series and Hunter keeps producing books you can't put down.

Next, Dead Snow:

This movie has got Nazis, it's got Zombies, It's got Nazi Zombies - Brilliant!

This film is the epitome of the Norwegian Zombie Genre. As far as I know it is also the only extant Norwegian Zombie movie but that makes it the epitome now doesn't it?

As many a classic zombie movie begins, a bunch of Norwegian teens go forth in winter and decide to search for lost Nazi gold. Unfortunately the gold does not rest by itself and the undead Nazis rise to protect it and much mayhem ensues.

The only thing that could have made the movie better was if it had Vidkun Quisling reanimated as a zombie alongside his Nazi compatriots and if he then addressed the live Norwegians before beating on them in imitable zombie fashion:

"NO GØLD FOR YOU BËYØTCHES".

Damn fun movie to watch.