Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (867)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Pan's Labyrinth (2006) in Movies

Oct 12, 2020  
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
2006 | Fantasy
10
8.1 (91 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
I honestly can't think of a single thing I don't like about Pan's Labyrinth. From start to finish, it's arguably one of the most captivating pieces of cinema ever put to screen.

Guillermo del Toro once again proves his visionary status, with some superbly well realised creature designs. The dark fantasy element of Pan's Labyrinth is vividly otherworldly, and visually unique. Doug Jones portrays both Fauno and The Pale Man, two creatures that immediately earned a place in iconic movie monsters standing. The Pale Man in particular is utterly terrifying.
Ofelia is the young girl who embarks on this fantasy adventure, and actor Ivana Baquero is a delightful presence throughout the movie.

Of course, a bigger chunk of the runtime is taken up by what's happening in the real world. Set in Spain, in the early years of the Francoist period, it's a gritty narrative that touches upon war and dictatorship.
The dictator in this case is Captain Vidal, Ofelia's new stepfather and soon to be biological father of her unborn brother. His contempt towards Ofelia is unpleasant, and he has little regard for anyone's life but his own and his unborn son (nothing like a case of family lineage and mantle carrying to get the misogynistic juices flowing eh?).
He's played with despicabe glee by Sergi López, an actor who I believe was more known in Spain for his comedic work prior to this, so hats off to him. Vidal is one of the most easy-to-hate characters I've ever seen!
The collision of these two opposing world's and cinema styles is fantastic, and is paced perfectly, the fantasy sequences being a brilliant burst of magic, within a compelling and tense war story, all complimented by a beautiful music score.

Pan's Labyrinth is full of wonder and emotion, both fantastical and harrowing. It's a straight up masterpiece that easily makes my top 20 films of all time, maybe even top 10!
  
40x40

postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Hazel Wood in Books

Feb 28, 2018  
The Hazel Wood
The Hazel Wood
Melissa Albert | 2017 | Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.4 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
Review of The Hazel Wood
"Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice's life on the road, always a step ahead of the strange bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice's grandmother, the reclusive author of a book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate - the Hazel Wood - Alice learns how bad her luck can really get. Her mother is stolen away - by a figure who claims to come from the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD.

To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began . . ."

I'm not to sure how to start with this review. I found The Hazel Wood a real book of 2 halves, one half was very contemporary and not what I would have traditionally expected from a fantasy whereas the other was dark, twisted and incredibly chilling to read at times. I found that not only did I feel this way with the story but also with the characters too. I struggled immensely with the main protagonist Alice, I really couldn't warm to her at all and given her character arc perhaps there is good reason for her being written that way. Whilst she has clearly had to build up walls from the nomadic existence she has had with her mother, I just found her very frustrating in her manner. Juxtaposed with Ellery Finch, her partner in crime of sorts, it really brings out her brattish qualities. Ellery is fabulous though and despite his privilege and flaws I just really enjoyed his character. His fanboy status in relation to the book written by Alice's grandmother also gives us an insight into a few of the dark stories themselves, as he re-tells them to Alice in his own words.

For me the contemporary element was a bit too overwhelming, the breadcrumbs had to be laid and followed in true Hansel and Gretel style but I felt that it took a bit too long to get to where it needed to go. However, when it reached that point I really started to enjoy it more, the pace picked up and I got a sense of both excitement and dread as I was reading. The story telling becomes darker and you know you are very much in the Grimm fairy tale camp rather than Disney. Tricks and twists are plenty as Alice tries to fulfil an almost prophetic course to an ending which isn't quite what you may be expecting.

Whilst I enjoyed it immensely in places, at times I found it a bit of a slog - I need more fantasy in my fantasy. I think it would have been lovely as well to actually have more of the "Tales from the Hinterland" stories within the book as I feel that could have really added an extra dimension to the latter part of the story. From me, The Hazel Wood gets 3*
  
40x40

Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Girl on the Train in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins | 2016 | Mystery, Thriller
10
7.6 (173 Ratings)
Book Rating
2015 has only just begun, and already we may have one of the year's best suspense novels on our hands. This book follows Rachel, an alcoholic who has developed a fantasy life in her head for an attractive couple she sees in their home from her commuter train every day. When the wife of said couple goes missing, she can't help but involve herself in the mystery, which rather unsurprisingly winds up further complicating her life. The story moves back and forth in time, and is told from the perspectives of Rachel, her ex-husband's new wife Anna, and the missing woman Megan (who Rachel initially refers to as Jess in her fantasy). No one in the story seems to be trustworthy, as they all hide information and/or outright lie to each other in order to achieve their goals, which makes getting to the bottom of things that much more challenging for everyone, including the reader. Despite all the characters being heavily flawed, most of them come across sympathetically, which helps one actually care about their fates. Rachel in particular is well fleshed out, and comes the closest to being outright likable, which is quite a feat considering how unbalanced she is. The plot moves along at a very brisk pace and builds up to such a suspenseful conclusion that it is a hard book to put down. It may be a little dark for some people's tastes, but I found it to be one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time.