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Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Welcome Home (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
The holiday from hell
We’ve all had holidays that didn’t go according to plan, but George Ratliff’s new thriller takes this idea to a whole new level. Welcome Home follows couple Cassie and Bryan as they travel to Italy together. They’ve rented a secluded, spacious home for a few days, so they can spend some quality time together. So far, so simple. However, it’s soon revealed that they’ve been having relationship problems due to Cassie having a drunken one night stand. It’s clear that this isn’t going to be an easy trip for them, and that’s before we meet the real threat.
Aaron Paul and Emily Ratajkowski are great in the lead roles. They feel like your everyday, plausible couple who are simply trying to repair their relationship. I found myself rooting for them and hoping they could reconnect throughout. Despite the slow pacing in places, I did genuinely care about them as characters. Without the strength of their acting, I think this film might have struggled in places as some of it seemed to drag or could’ve easily been cut out. Welcome Home does have similarities to the 2008 film The Strangers, in which see a strained relationship set within a secluded summer home, with the couple being terrorised by masked murderers.
This film’s antagonist, Frederico, is less ambiguous than that, and instead spends time with the couple and tries to befriend them in order to gain their trust. Cassie is a lot more receptive to this than Bryan, who is distrustful of Frederico after he brought Cassie back to the house when she sprained her ankle whilst running. He believes something else is going on, based on the one night stand. At first they believe he’s a neighbour, so nothing really seems out of the ordinary. Then, it starts to get weird. He says some strange things and starts showing up uninvited, even running into them on the street and deciding to turn up to the house to cook dinner.
Every second that Frederico’s on the screen is an uncomfortable one, and you know he’s not the innocent person he’s pretending to be. It’s only a matter of time before his true intentions are revealed to the couple, putting them both in danger. Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio really blew me away in this film and I’m excited to see more from him.
Although it takes a while to get going, the second and third act of Welcome Home is a tense and unnerving experience. Frederico goes from friendly, helpful neighbour to a creepy psychopath very quickly, and it turns out he has very dark intentions for the couple. He spends the film manipulating them and turning them against each other. I won’t spoil it for you, but it turns this couple’s holiday into a complete nightmare. I did quite like the big reveal at the end, though it seems a little far-fetched it’s not beyond the realms of possibility given the digital age that we live in. This fact is emphasised by the voyeuristic nature of the camera, how we’re always peeking around doors or watching things we shouldn’t be.
I have seen stronger thrillers with better pacing, but Welcome Home is certainly an entertaining watch if you’re looking for a new, exciting story with a strong cast list. It puts a fun twist on your classic home invasion horror, with a charming, magnetic antagonist to really lure you in. I’d recommend giving it a go if you get the opportunity, as it’s worth it for the characters and the ending.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/11/13/the-holiday-from-hell-a-review-of-welcome-home/
Aaron Paul and Emily Ratajkowski are great in the lead roles. They feel like your everyday, plausible couple who are simply trying to repair their relationship. I found myself rooting for them and hoping they could reconnect throughout. Despite the slow pacing in places, I did genuinely care about them as characters. Without the strength of their acting, I think this film might have struggled in places as some of it seemed to drag or could’ve easily been cut out. Welcome Home does have similarities to the 2008 film The Strangers, in which see a strained relationship set within a secluded summer home, with the couple being terrorised by masked murderers.
This film’s antagonist, Frederico, is less ambiguous than that, and instead spends time with the couple and tries to befriend them in order to gain their trust. Cassie is a lot more receptive to this than Bryan, who is distrustful of Frederico after he brought Cassie back to the house when she sprained her ankle whilst running. He believes something else is going on, based on the one night stand. At first they believe he’s a neighbour, so nothing really seems out of the ordinary. Then, it starts to get weird. He says some strange things and starts showing up uninvited, even running into them on the street and deciding to turn up to the house to cook dinner.
Every second that Frederico’s on the screen is an uncomfortable one, and you know he’s not the innocent person he’s pretending to be. It’s only a matter of time before his true intentions are revealed to the couple, putting them both in danger. Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio really blew me away in this film and I’m excited to see more from him.
Although it takes a while to get going, the second and third act of Welcome Home is a tense and unnerving experience. Frederico goes from friendly, helpful neighbour to a creepy psychopath very quickly, and it turns out he has very dark intentions for the couple. He spends the film manipulating them and turning them against each other. I won’t spoil it for you, but it turns this couple’s holiday into a complete nightmare. I did quite like the big reveal at the end, though it seems a little far-fetched it’s not beyond the realms of possibility given the digital age that we live in. This fact is emphasised by the voyeuristic nature of the camera, how we’re always peeking around doors or watching things we shouldn’t be.
I have seen stronger thrillers with better pacing, but Welcome Home is certainly an entertaining watch if you’re looking for a new, exciting story with a strong cast list. It puts a fun twist on your classic home invasion horror, with a charming, magnetic antagonist to really lure you in. I’d recommend giving it a go if you get the opportunity, as it’s worth it for the characters and the ending.
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/11/13/the-holiday-from-hell-a-review-of-welcome-home/
Merissa (13792 KP) rated Copycat in Books
Dec 14, 2017
Copycat by Alex Lake
Copycat is a great insight into just how things can go wrong in this technological world - fake Facebook accounts, fake email addresses - so easy to do. Unfortunately for Sarah, this happens to her and her life changes completely. She has no idea what will happen next, but she knows how much of an impact it is having on her and those she loves. Her marriage is on the rocks, she is worried about her children, her mental and physical health suffers.
This book was extremely well written with you hearing from both Sarah and the 'big bad'. You also get snippets from ten years ago, which will eventually tie in with the rest of the story. I was engrossed all the way, right until the last couple of chapters. There were a couple of aspects which didn't seem to add up to me, but perhaps I was reading too much into them. On the whole, this book was a very good read that I would recommend.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book was extremely well written with you hearing from both Sarah and the 'big bad'. You also get snippets from ten years ago, which will eventually tie in with the rest of the story. I was engrossed all the way, right until the last couple of chapters. There were a couple of aspects which didn't seem to add up to me, but perhaps I was reading too much into them. On the whole, this book was a very good read that I would recommend.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dutch (59 KP) rated The Ice Lands in Books
Feb 20, 2019
Great character development (3 more)
Good group dynamic
Good use of flashbacks to flesh out the characters
Great location
Baby it's cold outside
I had heard about The Ice Lands a while back but forgot all about it until I came across it in my local Waterstones. The story follows a group of friends who are taking a camping trip into Icelands volcanic hinterlands to escape from the busy city and to try and reconnect with each other. A crash forces them to abandon their jeep and seek refuge in the house of an increasingly mysterious elderly couple. The bulk of the story deals with the fracturing dynamic of the group as old tensions rise to the fore and petty squabbles break out amongst them as they find their every attempt at escape blocked.
What secrets are the old couple hiding?, why are they seemingly afraid of the night?, what is the story behind the abandoned village nearby? and who (or what) has been slaughtering animals near the old couples house?.
I really recommend this to anyone with a love of horror and the patience to let a story develop at a slower pace and the translation to English has been very well handled as well.
What secrets are the old couple hiding?, why are they seemingly afraid of the night?, what is the story behind the abandoned village nearby? and who (or what) has been slaughtering animals near the old couples house?.
I really recommend this to anyone with a love of horror and the patience to let a story develop at a slower pace and the translation to English has been very well handled as well.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated Good Day to Buy in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Sarah is helping the Spencers downsize their possession before a planned move, but things take a tragic turn when Sarah finds them lying on the garage floor in the middle of the sale. Then, that afternoon, Sarah’s estranged brother Luke shows up asking for help is hiding out for a couple of days. Luke disappears just as the police being looking for him on connection with what happened at the Spencer’s. Can Sarah figure out what Luke is doing and clear his name?
Luke adds an interesting element to this addition to the series. The plot is fast paced and kept me so engaged I had a hard time putting the book down. I did have a couple of niggle with the ending, but they are very minor. I love the characters in this series, and it was fantastic to see all of them again. While the love triangle may be over, we did see both of the men in Sarah’s life in this book. Fans will delight in this book and it will hook new readers on the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-good-day-to-buy-by-sherry.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Luke adds an interesting element to this addition to the series. The plot is fast paced and kept me so engaged I had a hard time putting the book down. I did have a couple of niggle with the ending, but they are very minor. I love the characters in this series, and it was fantastic to see all of them again. While the love triangle may be over, we did see both of the men in Sarah’s life in this book. Fans will delight in this book and it will hook new readers on the series.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-good-day-to-buy-by-sherry.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Resident Evil: Damnation (2012) in Movies
Jul 30, 2018
Good voice cast (3 more)
CGI was terrific
Great adaption to the video games
You don't need to know about resident evil
I prefer the more regular zombies in my opinion (1 more)
I only liked a couple of characters, rest were kinda boring
One of the best video game movie adaptions
This was a lot of fun. 1 of the best adaptions if a video game and also 1 of the best resident evil movies too.
The CGI was great and I'd love the next reboot of the movie franchise to be done like this rather than live action. For a CGI movie the shots were great, I loved the little parts where it felt like a first person view.
The action was great and the acting was good but I only liked a couple of the characters and I do prefer regular zombies to the parasites type sadly.
I can see myself watching this again. I heard this was a prequel to resident evil 6 so I do like this ties into the video games more than the live action does. It feels like a standalone movie so you don't necessarily need to have watched other movies or played the games before which is good.
The CGI was great and I'd love the next reboot of the movie franchise to be done like this rather than live action. For a CGI movie the shots were great, I loved the little parts where it felt like a first person view.
The action was great and the acting was good but I only liked a couple of the characters and I do prefer regular zombies to the parasites type sadly.
I can see myself watching this again. I heard this was a prequel to resident evil 6 so I do like this ties into the video games more than the live action does. It feels like a standalone movie so you don't necessarily need to have watched other movies or played the games before which is good.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated Midnight Snacks are Murder in Books
Aug 3, 2018
Was the Murder the Result of a Snack Attack?
When someone starts breaking into houses in the neighborhood taking nick knacks and sweets, Poppy McAlister is shocked to discover that it is her aunt Ginny sleepwalking under the power of some new medication. However, when a murder takes place a couple of blocks away, the police zero in on Aunt Ginny as the culprit. The victim, unknown to both Poppy and Aunt Ginny, seems like he could have been a nice guy or a complete jerk. Which was true?
This book spent quite a bit of time setting up the premise, but once the murder took place, things really picked up. I enjoyed needing to learn what kind of guy the victim was since it added a nice twist to the mystery. The suspects were strong, and I could have seen any of them as the killer before we reached the climax. The love triangle is just heating up; I know which guy I am rooting for, but I could see myself happy with either of them at this point. I did find a couple of the characters annoying, especially Poppy’s mother-in-law. Aunt Ginny provides lots of laughs, and the gluten-free, paleo friendly recipes at the end sound delicious.
This book spent quite a bit of time setting up the premise, but once the murder took place, things really picked up. I enjoyed needing to learn what kind of guy the victim was since it added a nice twist to the mystery. The suspects were strong, and I could have seen any of them as the killer before we reached the climax. The love triangle is just heating up; I know which guy I am rooting for, but I could see myself happy with either of them at this point. I did find a couple of the characters annoying, especially Poppy’s mother-in-law. Aunt Ginny provides lots of laughs, and the gluten-free, paleo friendly recipes at the end sound delicious.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2488 KP) rated Lost Luggage in Books
Aug 28, 2018
Cyd’s Dream Vacation Turns Into a Nightmare
Despite working as a travel agent, Cyd Redondo has barely traveled herself. That’s why she is so excited to finally win a promotional trip that sends her to Africa. And if she can check in with some of her clients while she is there, so much the better. At least, that’s what she thinks until she lands and discovers that one couple has been arrest. And there seems to be a rash of lost luggage. What is really going on?
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
The book took a little bit of time with set up before the story really took off, but once it did, it was a fantastic trip. There were so many twists, I had a hard time putting it down. Cyd is a remarkable, resourceful main character, and it was easy to root for her to overcome the many obstacles in her path. There is plenty of humor to keep things going, as well. There is enough language, sex, and violence (especially against animals done by the bad guys in a couple of scenes) to keep this from being one of the cozies I normally read, but if you know that going in, you’ll be just fine.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Murder Mystery (2019) in Movies
Jun 18, 2019
Who Knew High School Latin Would Come In Handy?
Does anyone remember the movie "Manhattan Murder Mystery," the Woody Allen movie where Woody Allen and Dane Keaton play a older married couple who try to solve the murder of their neighbor in an homage to Rear Window? "Murder Mystery" is a Happy Madison production that pays homage to Agatha Christie and Blake Edwards and several Hitchcock films. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston play Nick and Nora (I mean Audrey) Spitz, a NYPD Sergeant and hairdresser, celebrating 15 years of marriage. In an attempt to save his failing marriage, Nick buys the trip to Europe he promised Audrey at their wedding. On the plane to France, they meet a rich debonair rake Charles Cavendish who invites them to his family yacht. During an elaborate ceremony, the family patriarch is murdered and the sole heir seemingly commits suicide. Nick and Audrey become the prime suspects and as bodies of the other family members start to pile up while being questioned by the couple the list of suspects shrinks.
The movie has some light moments to balance the thrills. But overall for a movie that is fond of pointing out that cliches of the genre are fictitious it contains many of those cliches.
The movie has some light moments to balance the thrills. But overall for a movie that is fond of pointing out that cliches of the genre are fictitious it contains many of those cliches.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated The Mummy Returns (2001) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019
Brendan Fraser (6 more)
Rachel Weiss
John Hannah
Oded Fehr
Arnold Vosloo
Continuity of cast
Not as good as the first one, but still better than the next....
Introduction of concepts and elements that weren't present in the first - reincarnation, Rick's tattoo and it's significance, etc (1 more)
The Scorpion King's introduction looks like a PS2 cutscene.
A solid sequel
This is a solid sequel, even if it falls short of the mark set by it's predecessor. The entire (surviving) cast returns, which I appreciate in a franchise, and the story mostly delivers. There are a few frustrating elements, such as all of a sudden adding concepts such as reincarnation (especially given that the concurring reveal would have been relevant to the story of the first film) or Rick's tattoo that he's had since his childhood, except that he didn't have it in the first movie. Where this film really falls short, though, is a couple bad animation moments. Mostly the film is a lot like the first in terms of effects - decent animation for 2002, if occasionally dated, but a couple of sequences are jarringly bad, especially the Rock's entrance as the Scorpion King. Is it enough to keep me from watching? No. But I still cringe at that point every time.
Kelly Rettie (748 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Feb 16, 2020
Simple musical romance
So I was lucky enough to win this from Smashbomb to watch and review. First reading the description on the back is not something I would normally pick myself but stuck it on. The story being that a guy has a bike accident and when he comes round is the only person in the world to remember the Beatles. He uses this to his advantage and passes Beatles songs off as his own. The love story that goes along with this is pretty much the standard cliched romcom predictability which I was a bit bored with. All is going well until he meets a couple of folks who also remember the beatles but they are just happy to be hearing this music again. They then send him somewhere to speak to someone else that can help alleviate his guilt of ripping them off, this provided a surprise ending that even I was not expecting and would never have thought would happen....I wont spoilt it for anyone reading this. Ultimately, you dont need to be a beatles fan to enjoy this. The music is good, the story is simplistic and it's a good easy film to pass a couple of hours on a lazy sunday afternoon.