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Halloween (2018)
Halloween (2018)
2018 | Horror
Michael’s back, back again
Happy Halloween everyone! What better way to celebrate than with my review of the latest in the Halloween franchise?

40 years after John Carpenter’s iconic horror film, we are greeted with a brand new instalment in Michael Myers’ saga. It feels like a really special moment for horror fans, as we reflect on the original decades later. The opening credits pay homage to the 1978 and provide some nostalgia for long time fans by using the same text and soundtrack that audiences would’ve seen on the big screen back then. This was a great stylistic choice as it really gets you feeling pumped for what’s to come.

The film opens with Myers in a high security facility, where two true crime podcasters attempt to communicate with him in order to learn more about him and the murders he committed. Unsurprisingly, Michael refuses to say anything, providing a seriously uncomfortable moment for the audience. Throughout the film, we don’t see or hear him, and shots of him without the mask are always the back of his head. I would have been very disappointed if they’d decided to show his face throughout, as this sense of facelessness is something that’s always scared me about him. He’s a silent killer, never jumping out and screaming, but hiding in the shadows waiting to strike at any point. Most interactions with Myers are tense, uncomfortable and nail biting. His presence alone has that effect on you.

As ever, it was a joy to see Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her role as original Myers’ victim, Laurie Strode. Throughout the film, Strode’s paranoia is hard to brush off, and actually makes you feel more on edge. It was great seeing how she’d aged, yet refused to move on, and Curtis really brought her to life once again. She was the highlight of the film for me, as she was far from a cowering victim, and someone who wanted Myers dead for good. Having said that, you can tell how much she still fears him and how she’s suffering with long-term PTSD after almost being murdered. Let’s face it, anyone would feel the same way.

Unfortunately, I did find some of the acting a bit cringeworthy and it took away from the overall experience. I know that horror films have a bit of a reputation for terrible acting and dialogue, but I felt like such an important franchise deserved better than that. In my screening there were a few laugh out loud moments, and I don’t think all of them were intentional. One thing I will say is that child actor Jibrail Nantambu is one to watch because he was such a character and brought some genuine humour to the scenes he was in. I hope he goes far. Michael’s handler Dr. Ranbir Sartain is also an interesting character that I won’t say much about, but his development throughout is particularly great.

Admittedly I would’ve preferred less focus on teenagers, families and their dramas, and more on Michael and the actual kills. The film was meant to be about him and Laurie, after all. Whilst I was mostly satisfied by the brutality and some really gruesome moments, I felt it had been hyped up to the point where I expected more. Is that bad? Have I just become desensitised to bloody moments? I’m not quite sure. Having said that, one scene in particular did have me on the edge of my seat so it was still able to provide that adrenaline rush despite all its flaws. I’m still really bloody scared of Michael Myers.

Overall, Halloween is certainly watchable and a great visit to the cinema, especially this evening. Whilst I’m not the world’s biggest Halloween fan and there are certain films in the franchise I haven’t even seen, I still enjoyed this and understood what was going on. If you’re a big horror fan, particularly of the classics, give this a go. It might give you some welcome nostalgia and scares, and maybe that’s enough.

https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2018/10/31/halloween-2018-michaels-back-back-again/
  
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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated The Staircase in TV

Feb 25, 2021  
The Staircase
The Staircase
2018 | Crime, Documentary
8
8.0 (25 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
The massive red writing on the promotional image says it all: Did he do it? In 2001, Michael Peterson was accused of murdering his wife, who was found dead at the bottom of their staircase covered in blood the prosecution said was too much for an accidental fall. But Peterson, supported by most (but not all) of his family maintains his innocence throughout, and the show follows his attempt to prove it. The first 8 episodes of this incredible story were first shown in 2004, before True Crime docs were really a thing, followed by two updates of several episodes in 2013 and then 2018 as the case updated and new evidence came to light.

Of all the docs on this list, this is the one that had me most gripped by the back and forth of the case. I changed my mind so much, almost several times an episode at points, because Peterson himself is both very likeable and very suspicious. There is an opportunity to weigh the evidence for yourself here that a lot of crime series ignore. The balance feels fair, and the case itself is so very fascinating, both from a personal and legal point of view. It plays like a real life soap opera at times, complete with cliff-hangers and teases, as Making a Murderer proved was so effective. To this day, I am not certain of Peterson’s guilt. The only thing I can say is that it was he himself who commissioned the series and allowed the filming of the case. Is that something a guilty man would do to manipulate what we see, or what an innocent man would do when unafraid of the truth? You decide! This would be the one I would recommend to anyone new to the genre, uncertain if this kind of thing is for them.
  
In Another Light
In Another Light
A.J. Banner | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Phoebe Glassman's life has been on hold for three years, ever since her husband Logan died in a car accident. Phoebe continues to work at the funeral home they co-owned, where she restores dead bodies. Then one day a deceased woman comes in who bares a startling resemblance to Phoebe. Her name is Pauline Steele, and she has a tattoo that Phoebe finds familiar: she once saw it on her late husband's phone. As she investigates further, Phoebe finds a photo of herself in Pauline's belongings, and her world stops. Who is this woman--what is her tie to Phoebe, and to Logan?

"She prefers to remain in limbo, to act as if she too, has died. She walks the earth, but she might as well be a phantom flitting through her life unnoticed, disturbing the air but barely registering her presence."

This excellent read is not quite what I expected--at times it's more emotional and character driven than pure thriller, but it does not matter: it's quite good. I tore through it, and I'm quickly realizing that I really enjoy A.J. Banner's books. They are reliable page turners and typically quite mesmerizing.

IN ANOTHER LIGHT kept me guessing from the beginning. Is Phoebe crazy from grief and simply obsessed with this lookalike woman? Or is there more to it--as she delves into Pauline's life, we truly wonder if we can trust Phoebe, yet you cannot help but root for this broken and grief struck woman. While she does not always make the best decisions, she's a fascinating character. The book balances touching moments with mysterious ones, and there are plenty of twists along the way. I appreciated Banner's deft touch and something different from the usual thriller. 4+ stars.
  
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Susanne Bier recommended 1917 (2020) in Movies (curated)

 
1917 (2020)
1917 (2020)
2020 | Drama, War

"Virtuosic camera movements and demonstrations of technical originality, while impressive, can often do just as much to pull the viewer out of the experience as into it. One becomes absorbed by the mechanics on display, rather than gripped by the characters and their fates. In the case of “1917,” however, it is exactly the virtuosity of the filmmaking that makes the movie so exceptionally gripping. All of the cinematic elements, from the unique visuals to the rousing score, come together to give the audience a monumental, visceral sense of participation in the protagonists’ mission. As a viewer, I am intensely bound to the characters throughout the film. Their story is a relentless, brutal and violent experience — we’re in the foxholes, in the mud, with the corpses in the waterholes, running across rotting horse carcasses ­— and it all feels so real that you can smell the dead horses and burning houses. But amidst all the violence, there are small moments of kindness that moved me more than anything; moments that encapsulate humanity at its finest. The two soldiers in “1917” are far from classical heroes. They are afraid, confused and insecure. But their innocence, their love and their willingness to do the right thing, make them the most touching heroes I’ve seen in a long time. Watching “1917” is a weirdly humbling experience not because of its incredibly cinematic qualities, but because its portrayal of human dignity is so profound and moving. It keeps playing in the back of one’s mind, long after the projector turns off."

Source
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Something Wicked in Books

May 23, 2021 (Updated May 23, 2021)  
Something Wicked
Something Wicked
Carolyn G. Hart | 1988 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not all the Dead Bodies on Set are Fake
Annie Lawrence and her finance, Max Darling, have landed parts in the local theater’s summer production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Annie loves the play, so she wants to be enjoying it more, but a series of pranks, growing more serious, have dampened her enthusiasm. Just days before the curtain is supposed to open, one of her fellow actors is killed backstage during the rehearsal. When Max becomes the only suspect in the eyes of the law, Annie jumps in to try to figure out what happened. Can she free Max?

As a fan of Arsenic and Old Lace (the play, which is better than the movie), I really got a kick out of the scenes involving the play. While I did enjoy the book, I’m of two minds about it. The plot is complex, yet everything makes sense when Annie confronts the villain. Yet I felt like the pacing was off. The characters are fun and provide some laughs, but instead of growing over the course of the story, they slip into caricature. The plans for Annie and Max’s wedding provide a funny sub-plot that makes me wonder just what their wedding winds up looking like. This book originally came out in 1988, so it and some of the authors name-dropped are dated, but as long as you know that going in, you’ll be fine. This is another case where the flaws are easy to spot, but I still enjoyed the book overall.