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Darren (1599 KP) rated ABCs of Death 2 (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Favourite Letters – A – Amateur I liked this because it pokes fun at the slick nature people believe hitmen going through vents can be showing the truth about what you will find.
D – Deloused this is a delightfully twists animated tale that is everything from disturbing to disgusting.
L – Legacy, I liked this one because it is bold, bloody and entertaining.
N – Nexus, this is a well built up moment where we follow all the people involved before the final moment.
O – Ochlocracy, this short gives us a fresh look at the zombie genre.
S – Split, this is a story that could be run of the mill but clearly has the best twist of any of the short stories here.
T- Torture Porn, this is one that went in a direction you didn’t see coming which adds shock value to it.
U – Utopia, this sums up modern society nicely for shocking effect.
Y – Youth, this is plain weird but also feels heart breaking throughout the story.
Z – Zygote, well this is a short story that is seriously twisted and delightful ending to these horror tales.
Hardest to Watch – H – Head Games, I think this is because it is bigger than expected because you could read into it the most.
K – Knell, I have this one here because I didn’t understand the end it at all.
Worst Letters – G – Grandad, this one just didn’t click and felt like filler.
P – P-P-P-P – Scary, this just felt like it was part comedy to full weird and not the type I like.
Biggest Disappointments – B – Badger, most because this felt like there was still five minutes to go which could have been the blood bath we got teased for.
I – Invincible, this is here much like B as it is a film you would like to have seen more from.
Ones That I Would Like to See a Full Feature – F – Falling, this story feels like it could be a brilliant thriller that over a 90 minute could build characters up nicely for the climax.
Q – Questionnaire, this is an interesting one and could be turned into a very interesting horror film.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – V – Vacation, one because it is shot badly and two because the guys assholes.
Final Thoughts – In all fairness this has a lot of good chapters which are fun, bloody, gore and everything you like, if you like short horror stories go and enjoy.
Overall: Full fun horror chapter.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/10/01/a-z-halloween-horror-a-abcs-of-death-2-2014/
D – Deloused this is a delightfully twists animated tale that is everything from disturbing to disgusting.
L – Legacy, I liked this one because it is bold, bloody and entertaining.
N – Nexus, this is a well built up moment where we follow all the people involved before the final moment.
O – Ochlocracy, this short gives us a fresh look at the zombie genre.
S – Split, this is a story that could be run of the mill but clearly has the best twist of any of the short stories here.
T- Torture Porn, this is one that went in a direction you didn’t see coming which adds shock value to it.
U – Utopia, this sums up modern society nicely for shocking effect.
Y – Youth, this is plain weird but also feels heart breaking throughout the story.
Z – Zygote, well this is a short story that is seriously twisted and delightful ending to these horror tales.
Hardest to Watch – H – Head Games, I think this is because it is bigger than expected because you could read into it the most.
K – Knell, I have this one here because I didn’t understand the end it at all.
Worst Letters – G – Grandad, this one just didn’t click and felt like filler.
P – P-P-P-P – Scary, this just felt like it was part comedy to full weird and not the type I like.
Biggest Disappointments – B – Badger, most because this felt like there was still five minutes to go which could have been the blood bath we got teased for.
I – Invincible, this is here much like B as it is a film you would like to have seen more from.
Ones That I Would Like to See a Full Feature – F – Falling, this story feels like it could be a brilliant thriller that over a 90 minute could build characters up nicely for the climax.
Q – Questionnaire, this is an interesting one and could be turned into a very interesting horror film.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – V – Vacation, one because it is shot badly and two because the guys assholes.
Final Thoughts – In all fairness this has a lot of good chapters which are fun, bloody, gore and everything you like, if you like short horror stories go and enjoy.
Overall: Full fun horror chapter.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/10/01/a-z-halloween-horror-a-abcs-of-death-2-2014/
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Lockdown (Escape from Furnace, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
<b> My summary: </b> Alex was like any other boy. Go to school, hang out with his group, and control the monkey bars. But when he started stealing, his life changed for the worse. Out of nowhere, his best friend is murdered, and he is framed for it. he is sent to the child prison: a Hell hole. Worse than Hell. Furnace. When he’s there, he is disgusted with the way people live. Kids do hard labor like chipping rock. Gangs kill kids. and he isn’t the only innocent person who was framed. But there’s no hope of escape. Nobody can escape furnace. Or at least, that’s what they all say. <i> But that’s only because nobody ever has… </i>
<b> What I felt: </b> Personally, the first time I looked at the cover, I found it just a little disturbing. I thought “eh, I doubt very seriously I’ll like that book. But hey—they want to send me a free book? I’ll take a free book.” So no, I didn’t really like the cover. They could have done much better, either artistically or graphically or even with the colors. But that’s just me as an artist and a girl :D so I did judge it. boy was that a mistake.
The first sentence of this book seemed to grab me by the neck: “If I stopped running, I was dead.” From there, the entire book held me and wouldn’t let me go, from that first sentence to the very end. In fact, it held me after the end, too. I distinctly remember my blood racing, heart beating, sweating, adrenalin searing through my veins while I read this book! It was breathtaking and riveting to the last word. And even after the last word. I sat there, staring at the blank page, gasping and panting like a dog from lack of oxygen from reading a book. (that doesn’t happen very often, people.)
<b> Characters: </b> The characters in this book were very relatable. They weren’t super people, they were real. They handled the horrific experiences of Furnace the same way I would have—screaming in their sleep, crying, throwing up from the horrors.
<b> Writing: </b> the writing was very good—not one of those books where the author just says what he wants to say. Alexander Gordon Smith followed my creative writing teachers’ first rule: Show, don’t tell. It was an amazing thing to read, the language was very full in vocabulary, and it had good prose. There wasn’t any really bad foul language either, like some of the other teen books I’ve been reading lately.
Recommendation: this book is a thriller, not a horror book, even though it’s mildly graphic (mildly. Not really that bad. Descriptive enough to be kinda gross at times… but hey, it could be just because I’m a girl.). It’s not the most horrific book I’ve ever read, but it’s certainly not for an eight-year-old. Personally I’d recommend it for anyone fourteen and up (but that’s just me).
Here is a link for a giveaway for this book! http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-lockdown.html
<b> What I felt: </b> Personally, the first time I looked at the cover, I found it just a little disturbing. I thought “eh, I doubt very seriously I’ll like that book. But hey—they want to send me a free book? I’ll take a free book.” So no, I didn’t really like the cover. They could have done much better, either artistically or graphically or even with the colors. But that’s just me as an artist and a girl :D so I did judge it. boy was that a mistake.
The first sentence of this book seemed to grab me by the neck: “If I stopped running, I was dead.” From there, the entire book held me and wouldn’t let me go, from that first sentence to the very end. In fact, it held me after the end, too. I distinctly remember my blood racing, heart beating, sweating, adrenalin searing through my veins while I read this book! It was breathtaking and riveting to the last word. And even after the last word. I sat there, staring at the blank page, gasping and panting like a dog from lack of oxygen from reading a book. (that doesn’t happen very often, people.)
<b> Characters: </b> The characters in this book were very relatable. They weren’t super people, they were real. They handled the horrific experiences of Furnace the same way I would have—screaming in their sleep, crying, throwing up from the horrors.
<b> Writing: </b> the writing was very good—not one of those books where the author just says what he wants to say. Alexander Gordon Smith followed my creative writing teachers’ first rule: Show, don’t tell. It was an amazing thing to read, the language was very full in vocabulary, and it had good prose. There wasn’t any really bad foul language either, like some of the other teen books I’ve been reading lately.
Recommendation: this book is a thriller, not a horror book, even though it’s mildly graphic (mildly. Not really that bad. Descriptive enough to be kinda gross at times… but hey, it could be just because I’m a girl.). It’s not the most horrific book I’ve ever read, but it’s certainly not for an eight-year-old. Personally I’d recommend it for anyone fourteen and up (but that’s just me).
Here is a link for a giveaway for this book! http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-lockdown.html
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Vanishing of Katharina Linden in Books
Feb 15, 2019
One word to describe <b><i>The Vanishing of Katharina Linden</i></b>: Engrossing.
My interest in this book was <i>piqued</i> when I saw it described as a "charming horror novel," and while that isn't totally accurate, charming it is, horror it isn't, I very much enjoyed the book. Helen Grant has such an ease about her writing that I find it hard to believe this is her first novel. Her descriptions of Bad Münstereifel and its inhabitants are key to the book and provided most of the atmosphere; I could quite easily visualize everything and everyone in this little town. Pia was a realistic and relatable narrator who kept the story going at a fairly brisk pace. Sometimes she used words that I don't think an eleven-year-old would, but since the book is told by adult Pia reminiscing back, I'm willing to let that pass. The legends of this small town are wonderfully interwoven through the story and add an extra element of childhood innocence to the book. Some may find the mystery obvious or weak, but I don't think the mystery is reason for this book, it's Pia at a major point in her life, with major events happening that affect her and in turn, how she deals with them. Parts of the book are chilling, light, quiet, humorous, thoughtful, predictable, surprising, absorbing, and more, but altogether it is a book that impressed me.
4.5 stars
Received for review through the Amazon Vine program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_M%C3%BCnstereifel
My interest in this book was <i>piqued</i> when I saw it described as a "charming horror novel," and while that isn't totally accurate, charming it is, horror it isn't, I very much enjoyed the book. Helen Grant has such an ease about her writing that I find it hard to believe this is her first novel. Her descriptions of Bad Münstereifel and its inhabitants are key to the book and provided most of the atmosphere; I could quite easily visualize everything and everyone in this little town. Pia was a realistic and relatable narrator who kept the story going at a fairly brisk pace. Sometimes she used words that I don't think an eleven-year-old would, but since the book is told by adult Pia reminiscing back, I'm willing to let that pass. The legends of this small town are wonderfully interwoven through the story and add an extra element of childhood innocence to the book. Some may find the mystery obvious or weak, but I don't think the mystery is reason for this book, it's Pia at a major point in her life, with major events happening that affect her and in turn, how she deals with them. Parts of the book are chilling, light, quiet, humorous, thoughtful, predictable, surprising, absorbing, and more, but altogether it is a book that impressed me.
4.5 stars
Received for review through the Amazon Vine program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_M%C3%BCnstereifel
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Witches in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-witches-by-roald-dahl
<b><i>The most important thing you should know about REAL WITCHES is this. Listen very carefully. Never forget what is coming next.
REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ORDINARY JOBS.
That is why they are so hard to catch.</b></i>
Truth be told, I never read this book as a child. I got about 40 pages in and it scared the living daylights out of me. Now, as an adult, I can still understand why. I can now also truly appreciate how terrifying it is! I mean, this book contains subjects such as a car accident killing our narrator's parents, adults murdering and eating their own children, children being led away by claw handed women, maids threatening to drown pets… it’s all so horrifying!
The imagery in this book is the stuff of nightmares. Grandma really doesn't hold back on the horror and gore in her stories, they are deliciously dark and disturbing. Honestly, one of the worst parts of this book, for me, is when we first encounter a witch from the narrator's eyes - <b><i>She was looking up at me and smiling in the most peculiar way… this woman’s lips went upwards and downwards, showing all her front teeth and gums. The gums were like raw meat.</b></i> Gah, horrifying!
<i>Fun fact:</i> This book terrified (and terrifies) me so much that I'm still affected by it today (no thanks to my mum!!) Each and every night I <i>still</i> tuck my thumbs into my fists, to stop the witches coming and taking them away, like they did with Grandma’s.
While I am still scared by this book, I can also now appreciate the comedic aspects of it too. Grandma is an absolute hoot! Some of the conversations between grandson and narrator are hilarious.
Why this book is for kids I'll never know, so as a children's book, it gets 2 stars, but in general terms I think this is one of the best horror novels I've ever and will ever read so it gets a full 5 out of 5 from me!
<b><i>The most important thing you should know about REAL WITCHES is this. Listen very carefully. Never forget what is coming next.
REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ORDINARY JOBS.
That is why they are so hard to catch.</b></i>
Truth be told, I never read this book as a child. I got about 40 pages in and it scared the living daylights out of me. Now, as an adult, I can still understand why. I can now also truly appreciate how terrifying it is! I mean, this book contains subjects such as a car accident killing our narrator's parents, adults murdering and eating their own children, children being led away by claw handed women, maids threatening to drown pets… it’s all so horrifying!
The imagery in this book is the stuff of nightmares. Grandma really doesn't hold back on the horror and gore in her stories, they are deliciously dark and disturbing. Honestly, one of the worst parts of this book, for me, is when we first encounter a witch from the narrator's eyes - <b><i>She was looking up at me and smiling in the most peculiar way… this woman’s lips went upwards and downwards, showing all her front teeth and gums. The gums were like raw meat.</b></i> Gah, horrifying!
<i>Fun fact:</i> This book terrified (and terrifies) me so much that I'm still affected by it today (no thanks to my mum!!) Each and every night I <i>still</i> tuck my thumbs into my fists, to stop the witches coming and taking them away, like they did with Grandma’s.
While I am still scared by this book, I can also now appreciate the comedic aspects of it too. Grandma is an absolute hoot! Some of the conversations between grandson and narrator are hilarious.
Why this book is for kids I'll never know, so as a children's book, it gets 2 stars, but in general terms I think this is one of the best horror novels I've ever and will ever read so it gets a full 5 out of 5 from me!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Nightmare Man in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b><i>Like usual, I feel the nightmare man before I see him, before he pulls himself through.</i></b>
This was a superb and creepy short horror story! At only 70, or so, pages, this was a really well thought out novel that rounded itself up perfectly at the end.
I didnt like to read this before I went to sleep because the imagery of the Nightmare Man was so vivid and terrifying that I was worried I was going to start experiencing a creature pulling itself out of a shadowy hole in the corner of my room. Ryker was really good at the nightmarish imagery in this novel, there were certainly some really creepy moments.
This story starts out as a scary story about a man with night terrors but it progresses to be much more meaningful than just that. This novel teaches us that we cant blame others for failures in our lives, that could easily be rectified and that there is an enemy inside us all that we should try to overcome, to become the best person that we can possibly be.
This was a superb and creepy short horror story! At only 70, or so, pages, this was a really well thought out novel that rounded itself up perfectly at the end.
I didnt like to read this before I went to sleep because the imagery of the Nightmare Man was so vivid and terrifying that I was worried I was going to start experiencing a creature pulling itself out of a shadowy hole in the corner of my room. Ryker was really good at the nightmarish imagery in this novel, there were certainly some really creepy moments.
This story starts out as a scary story about a man with night terrors but it progresses to be much more meaningful than just that. This novel teaches us that we cant blame others for failures in our lives, that could easily be rectified and that there is an enemy inside us all that we should try to overcome, to become the best person that we can possibly be.
Zombies: A Cultural History
Book
The zombie has shuffled with dead-eyed, remorseless menace from its beginnings in obscure folklore...