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Overlord (2018)
Overlord (2018)
2018 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
As someone who isn’t much of a war film fan, I was apprehensive about Overlord. I often find war films quite repetitive in nature, and they’ve never really appealed to me. So when I was kindly invited to a press screening on behalf of JUMPCUT, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I tried not to set my expectations too high, but as a J.J. Abrams fan, I was interested to see what he’d brought to the table as a producer. Maybe a blend of war and horror is exactly what I needed.

Straight away, the thing that stood out to me was the quality of the sound, especially in a cinema setting. If you’re able to, I would absolutely recommend you catch Overlord on the big screen because of it. The film opens with soldiers on a plane, and the deafening booms of bombs combined with the roar of the plane really puts you right in the middle of the action. This sequence is one of the most immersive experiences I’ve ever had. You’re forced to witness the horrors of war straight off the bat and identify with the soldiers’ point of view. Later on in the film, this excellent use of sound really adds to the suspense and makes for a truly uncomfortable experience.

After loving Wyatt Russell in Black Mirror, I was looking forward to his performance in particular, but the whole cast really delivered. Each solider is believable, flawed, and different in their personality to the point where you feel like you’re there with them. The character development throughout is excellent, and no one feels two-dimensional or glossed over. This is one of the problems I have with war films, that sometimes everyone seems to blend into one group and no one is easily distinguishable. With Overlord, every character has both purpose and a personality; something I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters that the soldiers encounter along the way are treated exactly the same too, and it’s nice to see secondary characters being treated with respect.

If you’re a fan of gory special effects, this is one to watch for sure. When it finally becomes clear to us what’s going on, and dark secrets are revealed, it is a terrifying experience. It’s best you go into it not knowing any more than that, as it would be a shame to have it spoiled. What I can say, is that the effects are nightmare inducing and reminiscent of many body horror films. The rest you need to witness for yourself. I’ve seen my fair share of gruesome stuff, but this really stood out to me. Overlord deserves recognition for its visual effects alone, they are a welcome addition to the horror genre.

Overall, Overlord is a smart film that blends war and horror together effortlessly, resulting in a truly terrifying experience. I’m unsure how it’ll translate on my TV after experiencing it on such a large-scale, but I am certainly up for watching it again to see what it’s like. It’s a very entertaining couple of hours that are action-packed and gruesome throughout.

https://jumpcutonline.co.uk/review-overlord-2018/
  
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
1939 | Classics, Horror
Boris Karloff (3 more)
Bela Lugosi
Basil Rathbone
Lionel Atwill
Boris Karloff last time as Frankenstien. (0 more)
The Monster's Alive Once More
Son of Frankenstein- is a great continuation of the frankenstein franchise. Boris Karloff os back as the monster but this would be the last time he would play the monster in the universal monster universe. Its sad cause when you think of frankenstein, you think of Boris.

The plot: Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone) is determined to prove the legitimacy of his father's scientific work, thus rescuing the family name from disgrace. With the help of Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a grave robber, Wolf successfully reanimates the monster (Boris Karloff) his father originally brought back from the dead. But when several villagers are killed mysteriously, Wolf must find the culprit in order to vindicate his creation, or face the possibility that he may be responsible.

Universal's declining horror output was revitalized with the enormously successful Son of Frankenstein, in which the studio cast both stars.

After the ousting of the Laemmles from Universal and the British embargo on American horror films in 1936, Karloff and Lugosi found themselves in a career slump. For two years, horror films were out of favor at Universal Studios. On April 5, 1938, a nearly bankrupt theater in Los Angeles staged a desperate stunt by showing Frankenstein, Dracula and King Kong as a triple feature. The impressive box office results led to similarly successful revivals nationwide. Universal soon decided to make a big-budget Frankenstein sequel.

Son of Frankenstein marks changes in the Monster's character from Bride of Frankenstein. The Monster is duller and no longer speaks, explained by being injured by a lightning strike. The monster also wore a giant fur vest, not seen in the first two Frankenstein films, perhaps to add color to his appearance when the film was planned to be shot in color. He is fond of Ygor and obeys his orders. The Monster shows humanity in three scenes: first when he is disturbed by his image in a mirror, especially when compared to the Baron. Next, when he discovers Ygor's body, letting out a powerful scream, and later when he contemplates killing Peter but changes his mind. While the first two films were clearly set in the 1900s, this film appears to take place in the 1930s, judging by the appearance of a modern automobile.

Peter Lorre was originally cast as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, but he had to leave the production when he became ill. Replacing Lorre was Basil Rathbone, who had scored a major triumph as Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood, released the previous year.

According to the documentary Universal Horror (1998), the film was intended to be shot in color and some Technicolor test footage was filmed, but for artistic or budgetary reasons the plan was abandoned. No color test footage is known to survive, but a clip from a Kodachrome color home movie filmed at the studio and showing Boris Karloff in the green monster makeup, clowning around with makeup artist Jack Pierce, is included in the same documentary.

Its a excellent universal monster film.
  
Predator (1987)
Predator (1987)
1987 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
CGI Effects (they're so bad they're good) (1 more)
EXPLOSIONS! I swear, 80s action movies really went all out.
The Predator dies (was I the only one rooting for that alien asshole? I mean come on, he's a highly skilled alien hunter, it hardly seems likely he's going to die...) (1 more)
Covering yourself in mud does not kill your heat signature. It does briefly, but only for like two minutes before your body temp heats it up. Dutch would not have been 'invisible' to Preds for that long. This annoyed me so bad lol
A Cult Classic
It's been a looong time since I've watched the Predator/Alien movies over and they never disappoint me. The perfect mix of action, sci fi and horror elements, this is a gritty movie you can really sink your teeth into (and hell - Arnie in the 80s was some serious eye candy). I love how terrible the CGI is (though back in 87 it would've been on point), it really gives you that 'look how far we've come in technology' feel. It's got explosions, cursing, eye candy, an original alien concept (for the 80s), blood, guts, and gore. I mean, when you're looking for an old school action/sci fi that satisfies your need for grunge, go no further, this is the movie. It's still one of my favourites to this day :)
  
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Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Ararat in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
Ararat
Ararat
Christopher Golden | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Thriller
10
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Popcorn" books can be a lot of fun no matter what time of year it is, but they seem especially appropriate in the Summer time, and this latest horror offering from Christopher Golden is a pretty perfect Summer book. Engaged, moutain-climbing authors / documentary filmmakers Adam and Meryam are in a race to be first up Mt. Ararat into a cavern that has opened up as the result of an earthquake, possibly revealing Noah's Ark. Unsurprisingly they make it and discover that the cavern appears to actually be the ark itself, and it contains a rather disturbing discovery inside. Nevertheless, they assemble a team of international archaeologists, religious experts, mountain guides, and government representatives and get to work studying their findings. As a blizzard approaches, effectively trapping them inside the Ark, things begin to take a turn for the worse at the site as the body count begins piling up, and the tone of the book switches from adventure mixed with some mystery to a straight-up frightfest. This is one of the scarier books I've read in a while, using some pretty shocking violence to really up the fear factor. As a result, while not likely to win any literary rewards, Mr. Golden has created one of the year's most entertaining books, and written a story that would make a great Summer blockbuster.