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Snuggle with the Shadows: 8 Strange Stories (The Snuggle Series #2)
Snuggle with the Shadows: 8 Strange Stories (The Snuggle Series #2)
Liane Carter | 2021 | Horror, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
After loving the first book in The Snuggle Series, I was really looking forward to reading Snuggle with the Shadows by Liane Carter. Just like with the first book in the series, I was not left disappointed.

I found Snuggle with the Shadows to be a little different than Snuggle with the Strange (the first book in the series). In this book, there were a couple of feel good stories unlike the first book in the series. Even though there were some supernatural/paranormal stories, those elements weren't as present in Snuggle with the Shadows. That wasn't a bad thing though! Although the pacing was slower for some stories in this book, I still found myself not wanting to put this book down. The world building was still done fantastically, and I found myself instantly transported to the setting of each story. There were even some plot twists in many of the stories. Even though there are no real cliff hangers with each story, some are open to speculation such as Raisha's Reason. I loved that The Tragedy of the Tides and I was Bought at a Garage Sale were feel good stories which changed up the tone of the series a little. My favorite stories in Snuggle with the Shadows were I was Bought at a Garage Sale and A Bump in the Night. Both of these stories really held my attention, and I was enthralled throughout trying to figure out what would happen. Just like with the first book in the series, Snuggle with the Shadows has a mixture of realistic stories as well as paranormal/supernatural stories.

Liane Carter kills it again with how great her characters are! They are all well written and feel like they could actually be real life people instead of a character in a book. I had no problems picturing each and every character in my mind. I actually found myself wanting to be friends with some of the characters in Snuggle with the Shadows.

Snuggle with the Shadows is a dark adult horror book, so there are quite a few heavy triggers. These include mentions of drug use, profanity, sexual comments, sexual situations, human (child) trafficking, implied child rape and molestation, death, murder, mentions of suicide, and gun violence.

All in all, Snuggle with the Shadows is an interesting read full of entertaining characters and plots. I really believe all horror lovers (and even non-horror lovers) will enjoy all the stories in this book. I would definitely recommend Snuggle with the Shadows by Liane Carter to those aged 16+ who like all sub-genres of horror. This book will not disappoint!
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(A special thank you to Liane Carter and Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with a paperback of Snuggle with the Shadows: 8 Strange Stories in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
  
Enola Holmes (2020)
Enola Holmes (2020)
2020 | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A Winning (enough) combination
I'm a sucker for Sherlock Holmes. I grew up watching the fantastic black and white Holmes films from the 1940's starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I checked out '70's Holmes flicks like MURDER BY DECREE and the 7 PERCENT SOLUTION and then re-fell-in-love with Holmes with the Jeremy Brett BBC SHERLOCK HOLMES TV series of the 1980's and, of course, Benedict Cumberbatch's modern take on the master sleuth in the 2000's was "must see TV" for me. I was even on-board with Robert Downey Jr's. "take" on this iconic sleuth and was thrilled when Sir Ian McKellen portrayed an elderly Sherlock Holmes in MR. HOLMES.

So...I eagerly awaited the Netflix treatment of the "younger" sister of Sherlock Holmes in ENOLA HOLMES -and, I gotta say, I wasn't disappointed.

Based on the Young Adult series of novels by Nancy Springer, ENOLA HOLMES introduces us to the (heretofore unknown) younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Raised by a fiercely independent mother in the late 1880's, Enola goes searching for her when she goes missing and gets mixed up in the "The Case of the Missing Marquess" along the way.

Millie Bobbie Brown (STRANGER THINGS) is a winning, charismatic (enough) performer as Enola. She is a steady and sure hand at the helm of this ship throughout the course of this 2 hour and 3 minute adventure. While I would have liked her to command the screen more with her presence, she does enough to make it a good, solid, effort.

The supporting cast is just as good. Helena Bonham Carter (FIGHT CLUB) is perfectly cast as Enola's (and Sherlock's and Mycroft's) mother - she has that fierce streak of independence and "don't mess with me" energy while carving her own path. She is the type of character that one would go looking for if she went missing. Sam Claflin (HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE) is finely unrecognizable (at least to me) as Mycroft - written in this piece as the more "traditional" of the Holmes family and Henry Cavill (MAN OF STEEL) brings a strong arrogance to his portrayal of Sherlock. He also brings something else - heart - to this character, a character trait that has "traditional" fans of this character up in arms. For me, it works well in the context of this film.

As for the film itself - it is good (enough). I found myself enjoying the mystery and the characters and enjoyed my time in this world. It's not anything new, but it's like putting on a pair of old shoes - comforting to wear.

This is an adaptation of the first book of the series, and I, for one, hope that there are more. It's a winning combination that was pleasant to watch.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Bad Santa 2 (2016)
Bad Santa 2 (2016)
2016 | Comedy
The last time we heard from Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) he was recovering in jail after being shot eight times. We catch up with him today in maybe worse shape. He is out of jail but finds himself unable to hold a job and drinking to extreme excess. Th only visitor he has is a delusional, simple minded and well intentioned Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly). On the verge of ending it all he receives an invitation from his old partner, Marcus Skidmore (Tony Cox), to make a big score by robbing a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Wary, mostly because Marcus double crossed and shot him on their last job, Willie decides he needs the money and it’s a chance to double cross Marcus. So, he takes the job and heads to Chicago. When he arrives, he finds that Marcus has not told him everything. The job was put together by his arch nemesis. Someone who is more vile, crude and despicable than he is…his mother Sunny (Kathy Bates). Driven by greed and with the agreement that Marcus and him will cut his mother out at the end of the job Willie agrees to go forward with the robbery. The unlikely trio set out to infiltrate and rob the charity.

It is surprising to say but this sequel to 2003s Bad Santa is even more outrageous and raunchy than the original. Billy Bob Thornton is perfect in this role as a sex crazed and barely functioning alcoholic. Willie is truly the Anti-Santa Claus. But with Thurman having faith in him and in his very out of the box way of trying to do good, you can’t help but root for him to succeed. Kathy Bates performance as a crude as can be equal to Thornton’s character was fun and unexpected. The full cast of characters are all unique and all bring something to the film. The story however is very familiar and not that far off from the first film. There were definitely jokes and plot lines that followed too closely, in my opinion, to the original film. This is definitely not a film for young audiences, as most of the film is profanity laced and full of sexual situations and innuendos. But for the adult audience there are a lot of laughs to be had. For me this was a perfect film to shut off for an hour and a half and just enjoy the craziness happening on screen. It is not an overthought or over complicated film. They took things from the original film that were successful changed them up a little, not enough at some points, and made everything a little more over the top.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend paying movie theater prices for this film but it is definitely worth a watch for the right audiences.
  
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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Us (2019) in Movies

Sep 28, 2021  
Us (2019)
Us (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
A film with dodgy voices.
Catching up here with a review of a film I saw a couple of weeks ago.

What a great film “Get Out” was. Jordan Peele’s classic which unpeeled (sic) race relations in a wholly novel and horrifying way. Yes, the story was a bit ‘out there’ and unbelievable, but he pulled it off with great chutzpah.

With his follow-up film – “Us”…. sorry but, for me, it just didn’t work.

From great beginnings
It all starts so promisingly. Young Adelaide Wilson (a fine debut performance by Madison Curry) is on a seaside holiday with her mother and careless father when she wanders onto the deserted Santa Cruz beach at night. There sits, like some gothic horror ghost train, the Hall of Mirrors. “Find Yourself” it taunts. She makes the mistake of entering and changes her life forever.

Spin forwards 30 years and Adelaide, now a married mother of two, is back in Santa Cruz with a terrifying feeling that things are about to go pear-shaped. And of course they do!

Why oh why oh why those voices?
This film had me gripped until a particular point. Having people stand still and silent at the end of your drive is an incredibly spooky thing to show. But then, for me, the wheels came off big time. The “reveal” of who these people were I could take. But the manner of their behaviour and – particularly – how they talked was horrifying; and not in a good way. When “Red” started speaking I couldn’t believe my ears: Joe Pasquale after swallowing Donald Duck.

From there, the film became farcical for me, descending in progressive stages to a tunnel-based apocalypse: a plot element that was just so paper thin it bore no scrutiny at all.

This was, no doubt, an attempt at a satirical dig at the class structure of America (“We are Americans” adding a double meaning to the name of the film). If it had been played as a deliberate comedy farce it might have worked. But otherwise no.

Flashes of Peele brilliance
This is not to say that there are not positives in the film. The excellent Lupita Nyong’o gives the whacky material her all, and the other adult female lead – Elisabeth Moss (from TV’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”) – is good value as Kitty Tyler: a diabolical incarnation in either form!

Peele also delivers flashes of directorial brilliance. The “hands across America”, disappearing into the sea, is a sight that stays with you. I also liked the twist at the end, although in retrospect it’s difficult to relate it to the rest of the story and strikes of desperation in the storytelling.

Overall, a big disappointment
I know there are some who really like this movie. Each to their own, but I was not one of them. After “Get Out” I was hoping for something much better. I hope that was just Jordan Peele’s “difficult second album”.
  
Pig (2021)
Pig (2021)
2021 | Drama, Thriller
9
7.8 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A new Nicolas Cage film that's not below three stars on IMDb?! Who had "Earth sliding into the Twilight Zone" on their 2021 bingo card?

Rob must delve into his past when his only companion, a truffle-hunting pig, is pignapped in the dead of night.

I'm genuinely at a loss as to what I can say about the plot of Pig... I mean, it's basically Taken with a pig. I'm not sure I want to say much more about it at the moment because A] it mostly defies explanation, and B] bits of the detail will unfold as we go.

Nicolas Cage does some actual serious acting, and not the slightly ridiculous serious acting that happens in most of his other recent releases. Robin is basically a recluse out in the woods selling truffles and living off the land. I initially thought that we were going to get another non-speaking role with Pig, but his character evolves throughout in such a wonderful way.

Alex Wolff plays Amir, Robin's "food mover", it took me a moment to realise it was him. In my head he's still a "child", as I only really know him from the Jumanjis and Old. Seeing him playing an adult threw me. That did colour my opinion a little early on, but he started to grow on me as we got deeper into the film.

Their partnership starts off as one of necessity, but once the pignapping happens their bond transforms and you get to see how loss has affected both of them. They balance out the gaps in each other's lives, and the journey they take together works as a great way to further the background information and keep everything moving along.

The beginning did feel a little sparse, it wasn't quite a bored feeling, but I was fidgety and waiting for things to happen. That feeling carried on, and though that worried me a bit, I actually found it to be a rather calming tone that carried through the whole film. Robin's laid back attitude even flowed through the more actiony bits.

Robin's deep and insightful nature seeps into everyone around him and leaves them changes, it left me changed, and I enjoyed watching it all unfold throughout the story. There were some wonderful moments in the script and they left me thinking about the film on several different levels after I finished it.

There's something about this film, it hits you in so many ways. It's all stunning earthly tones that contrast well with the urban landscapes. My senses were going wild, I could smell the damp earth, and Robin, I could smell the food from all the sounds of cooking and the pouring of wine. It all led to some incredibly powerful moments.

I don't know how Pig managed to create such a feast for the senses, but it left me contented and oddly zen.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/09/pig-movie-review.html
  
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone (2022)
2022 | Horror, Thriller
8
7.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Tense and Suspenseful
Part STRANGER THINGS and Part IT, the new Blumhouse film, THE BLACK PHONE, is a surprisingly effective horror/thriller that is reminiscent of the better Stephen King stories - and that just might be because the short story for which this film is based on is written by Joe Hill - Stephen King’s son.

Wisely set in a time before cell phones (like both Stranger Things and It), THE BLACK PHONE tells the tale of a small town in Colorado that suddenly falls victim to “THE GRABBER” - an individual who grabs young teenage boys and kills them.

Smartly Directed by Scott Derrickson (the first DOCTOR STRANGE film), THE BLACK PHONE is effective for it focuses on the isolation of being in captivity, the anxiety of not knowing when someone is going to come through the door of the cell and the relationships of the young teens caught in “The Grabber’s” web. Credit for this, of course, goes to Derrickson who dropped out of Directing DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (over “creative differences”) and chose this passion project as his salve - and the passion shows. It must also be pointed out that Derrickson, wisely, opts to up the tension of this film, rather than the gore, so this movie becomes a suspense flick and not torture-porn.

Derrickson also draws very good performances from the young actors playing the main roles of this film - Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen), Tristan Pravong (Bruce), Jacob Moran (Billy) and Miguel Cazarez Mora (Robin). All are believable in their well written roles bringing more than just one-dimension to their characters.

These kids are more than ably joined by adult actors like James Ransone (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Jeremy Davies (TV’s LOST) and E. Roger Mitchell (OUTER BANKS). All of these folks bring gravitas and reality to a story that does drift into the un-reality at times.

And then there is the performance of the always good Ethan Hawke as the villain of this piece - THE GRABBER. It is a masterful performance by Hawke who brings humanity to this monster. Almost every actor that plays a villain say that they try to see the film from the villain’s point of view and Hawke brings that to this character in spades and (almost) makes one want to root for him. It is one of the better villains realized on film in the last few years.

One quibble with The Black Phone, is that it does have a tendency to sag a bit (especially in the middle). It is in the middle of the film that one can tell that this movie was based on a SHORT story and so, by necessity, there is some padding.

But that is picking a nit in what is a smart and tense film, one that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)