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Kevin Phillipson (9973 KP) rated Leviathan (1989) in Movies
Jan 21, 2021
Peter Weller (1 more)
Amanda pays
Just watched on YouTube havent seen this since vhs back in the day basically it's a cross between alien and the thing set underwater which is similar to a another movie which came out the same year but this film is slightly better than deep star six the creature effects are the best part of the movie even if it looks out of date and coulda been cgied if the movie was made today overall not bad movie
Dean (6925 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Aug 28, 2019
Good cast (1 more)
Good sets & SFX
Short snappy thriller
After seeing the trailer I was looking forward to this creature feature. Especially as it's produced by Sam Raimi. It really is a bitesize treat. Under 90 minutes long but it's very intense as a Father and Daughter are trapped in their home during a big hurricane, surrounded by hungry Aligators. The acting is good, the sets impressive and the 'gators look realistic. Much better than many other bigger budget films on a similar theme.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Void (2016) in Movies
Aug 10, 2020
I watched The Void with absolutely no prior knowledge of what it was, and what it is, is certainly...something.
The Void felt to me like a series of homages to other horror classics. The overall plot seems like an obvious nod to Prince of Darkness. The creature designs are reminiscent of The Thing, albeit with a sprinkling of Guillermo Del Toro. The climax reminded me sometimes of Hellraiser. One of the villains gave me Re-Animator vibes. All the while, there's a distinct Lovecraftian undercurrent from start to finish.
All of this is a good thing though. The Void never feels like it's ripping off any of these movies, but rather wearing it's heart on it's sleeve.
As mentioned above, the creature designs reminded me of The Thing. This is further bolstered by their nightmarish aesthetic, and the fantastic use of practical effects. In fact, there's very minimal use of CGI at all, something you don't see too often these days.
My only criticisms are aimed at the plot. It's starts off well enough, and evokes a feeling of tension and uncertainty, well realised by a decent cast. Before long however, it's clear that a lot is left open to audience interpretation. The fever dream approach to the filming style leaves you questioning what is real and what's not, a plot technique that I'm usually all for, although The Void is a film that I feel could have benefited from a little more explanation and resolve.
Overall though, it's a gory, entertaining horror creature-feature, that I would recommend watching, even if it's just the once.
The Void felt to me like a series of homages to other horror classics. The overall plot seems like an obvious nod to Prince of Darkness. The creature designs are reminiscent of The Thing, albeit with a sprinkling of Guillermo Del Toro. The climax reminded me sometimes of Hellraiser. One of the villains gave me Re-Animator vibes. All the while, there's a distinct Lovecraftian undercurrent from start to finish.
All of this is a good thing though. The Void never feels like it's ripping off any of these movies, but rather wearing it's heart on it's sleeve.
As mentioned above, the creature designs reminded me of The Thing. This is further bolstered by their nightmarish aesthetic, and the fantastic use of practical effects. In fact, there's very minimal use of CGI at all, something you don't see too often these days.
My only criticisms are aimed at the plot. It's starts off well enough, and evokes a feeling of tension and uncertainty, well realised by a decent cast. Before long however, it's clear that a lot is left open to audience interpretation. The fever dream approach to the filming style leaves you questioning what is real and what's not, a plot technique that I'm usually all for, although The Void is a film that I feel could have benefited from a little more explanation and resolve.
Overall though, it's a gory, entertaining horror creature-feature, that I would recommend watching, even if it's just the once.
Jason Kimbro (105 KP) rated Splinter (2008) in Movies
Apr 23, 2019
How to do low-budget horror the right way
Adding this movie to Smashbomb for the first time, the following is the quick synopsis from IMDB.com.
Trapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still-living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.
Trapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still-living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.
Dean (6925 KP) rated Outlander (2009) in Movies
Feb 22, 2018
I wasn't expecting much from this, apparently straight to DVD film. So I was pleasantly surprised that the budget seemed to be quite grand, the effects were very good, especially for the creature design (Some cool art work of which can be seen in the special features!) and a strong cast. A simple story yes, not too sure about the medieval setting but it works. Quite bloody during the battle scenes too. Deserves a wider audience and makes fine use of a surround sound system!!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Thing (2011) in Movies
Jul 28, 2018
An unnecessary prequel
The problem with most prequels is they feel the need to overexplain things that aren't necessary. A certain amount of ambiguity is good for a film, and often allows the watcher to come up with their own theories. And this is the main problem with this prequel - did we need to know exactly what happened to the Norwegian team? No not really, as we saw enough in the original to use our imagination. So this prequel for me was entirely unnecessary.
It also didn't help that the plot was for the most part very similar to the original, which begs the question why make something so similar? The creature designs etc were very good, creepy and pretty scary and very in keeping with the original, but they completely ruined it with the horrendous cgi. Why they didn't stick with physical effects I'll never know, as it made the creature just look shoddy. The ending is potentially also a bit of a plot hole as it then doesn't tie in to the original.
There are a few things in this that could've been improved, but even with that, it'd still be an unnecessary prequel.
It also didn't help that the plot was for the most part very similar to the original, which begs the question why make something so similar? The creature designs etc were very good, creepy and pretty scary and very in keeping with the original, but they completely ruined it with the horrendous cgi. Why they didn't stick with physical effects I'll never know, as it made the creature just look shoddy. The ending is potentially also a bit of a plot hole as it then doesn't tie in to the original.
There are a few things in this that could've been improved, but even with that, it'd still be an unnecessary prequel.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Pip Bartlett's Guide to Unicorn Training in Books
Mar 11, 2021
This is the second book in the amazing Pip Bartlett series. This time, Pip and her best friend, Tomas, find themselves at a magical creature show, which includes an unicorn exhibition. And things are personal, as one of the unicorns being shown is their beloved Regent Maximus, who is, of course, terrified of performing.
I've been reading these stories to my daughters, eight-year-old twins, and they are some of our all-time favorites. They love spunky Pip, who can talk to magical creatures; Tomas, who is allergic to all magical creatures; Pip's aunt and cousin; and all the adventures they go on. Every book has illustrations from Jeffrey Higgleston's Guide to Magical Creatures--Pip's bible, so to speak, which she adds to every time she encounters a new creature. They love the pictures and all the amazing imaginary creatures--even creating their own entries. I enjoy how the book brings out their creativity and that it's one that holds all of our attention. The stories are sweet and funny, focusing on family and friendship, but with lots of fascinating creatures and escapades too. What's not to love?
I've been reading these stories to my daughters, eight-year-old twins, and they are some of our all-time favorites. They love spunky Pip, who can talk to magical creatures; Tomas, who is allergic to all magical creatures; Pip's aunt and cousin; and all the adventures they go on. Every book has illustrations from Jeffrey Higgleston's Guide to Magical Creatures--Pip's bible, so to speak, which she adds to every time she encounters a new creature. They love the pictures and all the amazing imaginary creatures--even creating their own entries. I enjoy how the book brings out their creativity and that it's one that holds all of our attention. The stories are sweet and funny, focusing on family and friendship, but with lots of fascinating creatures and escapades too. What's not to love?
Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated Seduced by Santa (Paranormal Protection Agency, #4) in Books
Jan 29, 2018
Read this as part of the PPA volume one anthology
I loved it. A well written and thought out story. I don't like to give out spoilers and so I won't, but I will say that it was a fantastic read. Compared to the others this one was a bit more unique. Less run of the mill creature but santa? I loved it still though. Woman saved by man, man protects and cares for woman. It was great.
Definitely suggest this to anyone who loves steamy romance.
Go... Buy... Read. You won't regret it
I loved it. A well written and thought out story. I don't like to give out spoilers and so I won't, but I will say that it was a fantastic read. Compared to the others this one was a bit more unique. Less run of the mill creature but santa? I loved it still though. Woman saved by man, man protects and cares for woman. It was great.
Definitely suggest this to anyone who loves steamy romance.
Go... Buy... Read. You won't regret it
Ruth Frampton (577 KP) rated Inside Out Sharks in Books
Mar 11, 2018
Inside Out...
With beautiful illustrations and interesting subject matter, this book is a win-win with curious children. and although it is quite short, it fills a child with wonder and lets them take in what they want before progressing to more challenging reading material. Welcome to the deep ocean and explore the life and surroundings of this fearsome creature.
I am reviewing this book for Luann Columbo, Quarto Publishing, and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
I am reviewing this book for Luann Columbo, Quarto Publishing, and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated The Silence (2019) in Movies
Aug 31, 2019
Stanley Tucci deserves so much better then this Quiet Place knock off.
So when a cave system is breached and ends up releasing a breed of creature that attacks in a way similar to bats and any noise and they kill.
It starts promising but the main characters make stupid decisions and you start to loose interest.
The ending is very disappointing and it just fails to deliver a satisfactory end in its 90 min runtime.
Also the scene with the woodchipper is so annoying.
Watch a Quiet Place instead.
So when a cave system is breached and ends up releasing a breed of creature that attacks in a way similar to bats and any noise and they kill.
It starts promising but the main characters make stupid decisions and you start to loose interest.
The ending is very disappointing and it just fails to deliver a satisfactory end in its 90 min runtime.
Also the scene with the woodchipper is so annoying.
Watch a Quiet Place instead.