pohl-68-843774 This is definitely a context film. In the context of great works of film and Oscar performances - not so much. In the context of how I imagine my adventure travel in my 70's - spot on. I will recommend this to two of my buddies whom I hope to make similar trips with in our later years. Mitch and Collin are two characters who I can see myself alluding too for many years to come on various tourist trips into parts unknown.I watched this on an international flight and the woman in front of me asked what I was watching because she kept hearing me giggle in my seat.

Turfseer Land Ho! is the end product of a collaboration between indie co-directors Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz. It's a road movie about two ex-brothers-in-law who travel to Iceland on vacation in order to reinvigorate their lives after retirement. Mitch (Earl Lynn Nelson), a Kentucky surgeon, re-connects with Colin (Paul Eenhoorn), who long ago played French horn in an orchestra but later became a bank manager as well as internet entrepreneur with his ex-wife.The back story as to their mild estrangement is not important, but one gets the impression that it's Mitch (who pays for the trip) is attempting to cheer Colin up, following his divorce from his second wife. As it turns out, however, we later discover that Mitch has ulterior motives—that in fact, he too needs cheering up, as he's also having trouble dealing with retirement.Of the two characters, Mitch is the aggressive one, with Colin playing the passive 'straight man'. Some viewers may find Mitch's personality a bit grating as his comments are often fraught with crude sexual allusions (sometimes directly made toward women). When Colin mentions that he'd like to see an Icelandic lighthouse, Mitch remarks that lighthouses remind him of an erect 'cock' without the 'balls'. Colin, on the other hand, comes off as shy and perhaps slightly depressed. Nonetheless there's good chemistry between the two and Mitch, despite the intermittent vulgarity, has a kind side as well.After Mitch and Colin arrive in Iceland, they drive around in a rented Humvee and see the sights. Occasionally, outside characters intrude breaking up the monotony of their often long-winded but occasionally charming conversations (Mitch sticks to his emphasis on sex; for Colin it's more about the movies he likes). Early on, the two meet up with Mitch's cousin (once removed) and her friend, two Ph.D. students, who just happen to be traveling to Reykjavík , following a stopover in Greenland. The meeting culminates in Mitch's cousin ending up passing out after drinking too much at a local disco.There isn't much more to tell about 'Land ho!' The high point of any conflict between the principals occurs after Mitch convinces Colin to join him taking a midnight stroll on the barren tundra without flashlights, with Colin ending up expressing his frustration with Mitch, who he regards as pushy and self-absorbed. There is very little developed here in terms of a plot that has any tension or characters with any developed or discernible arcs. While both Mitch and Colin are in Iceland to get their "groove back," aside from that, the stakes aren't high enough to suggest anything more than a pleasant, road movie, where nothing leads to any kind of memorable climax. Perhaps the real star of 'Land Ho!' is the beautiful, Icelandic countryside, filmed in high relief, on two expensive digital Red One cameras!

runamokprods Two aging ex-brothers in law - the extroverted, lovable and slightly embarrassing Mitch, and the more introverted, sad-sack Colin take off for a getaway to Iceland. Their adventures are low key and episodic, but the comic rapport between the two men makes it hard to stop smiling. There's no big catharsis or lesson learned, no moment when the smiles turn to tears, nothing that screams 'important movie'. Just an enjoyable hour and a half spent with two eccentric old guys finding themselves and each other on the road in a strange place. The film looks very nice for it's tiny budget, and the two lead performances by Earl Lynn Nelson (a surgeon in real life) and Paul Eenhoorn (an accomplished Australian actor) create a fun naturalism that feels as authentic as if it was all improvised, with us just listening in on these two quite lovable older men.

jmarki-902-981042 Was lucky enough to have seen the premier at Sundance. Since it does not feel like the kind of flick that will find mass distribution, there is no telling where or when you might get the opportunity to see this movie, but if indeed you get that chance - do not miss it! A straightforward theme with a nominal plot made up of a number of nearly free-standing scenes and only a couple where chronology is all that important. The cast, sound, cinematography, direction, writing and featuring the magnificent scenery of Iceland were all wonderful and Earl Lynn Nelson is a treasure. The scene in the museum (ad libbed according to members of the cast) alone is worth the price of admission. Four of us 50-somethings saw it together and it was a long time after we left the theater before any of us could stop smiling. That's entertainment!