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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Rape Van in Books
Jun 9, 2018
It's what you think
Contains spoilers, click to show
THE VAN (RAPE VAN? I'm unsure what the title of this book officially is) is about a group of idiots who get into a car crash, get picked up by a group of serial killers, who get picked up by another group of serial killers. Even the book points out how ridiculous this premise is, so I'm inclined to give it a pass. Miller has a solid, no-frills kind of style that appeals to me, and he's never short on the gore. Of the extreme horror authors that are swarming Amazon, he's probably my favorite because he's the least pretentious (Matt Shaw, looking at you) and unflinching.
THE VAN is a quick read--a bit of junk food for your brain. You probably won't remember it a few days after you read it. One thing I wish authors would stop doing is letting the bad guy win and acting like the audience should be shocked. Some authors can pull that off as social commentary or whatever, but if you're churning these out month after month on Amazon, you probably can't. There's nothing wrong with writing something just for entertainment. Not everything needs to have a message.
THE VAN is a quick read--a bit of junk food for your brain. You probably won't remember it a few days after you read it. One thing I wish authors would stop doing is letting the bad guy win and acting like the audience should be shocked. Some authors can pull that off as social commentary or whatever, but if you're churning these out month after month on Amazon, you probably can't. There's nothing wrong with writing something just for entertainment. Not everything needs to have a message.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Llamageddon (2015) in Movies
Oct 3, 2020
I am here for llama based horror/sci-fi films, I never thought I'd say that but here we are. My only quibble with this film is that there was too much human, not enough llama.
There are so many bad and awkward things about this film when you watch it, but Louie makes up for every single one of them... the extreme close-ups, the horrendous acknowledgement of puns, the dubious montages accompanied by loud music, Floyd's transformation.
But here are all the good things. Louie's laser eyes, his green spit that transforms humans, Louie's understanding of electricity and opening doors, the use of tin foil, the 70s/80s effects, the animation (it's just a shame it's included in the film and not just the titles), eggs, the over-enthusiastic practical effects person with the super soaker of goop, Louie's boxing ability, his always cool attitude, and a father's wisdom. Oh, and the end credit song.
It would be wrong of me to say that everyone got what they deserved... but...
You know what? That's my review. Quite frankly this is the worst and best film I've ever seen and I would watch it again.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/10/llamageddon-movie-review.html
There are so many bad and awkward things about this film when you watch it, but Louie makes up for every single one of them... the extreme close-ups, the horrendous acknowledgement of puns, the dubious montages accompanied by loud music, Floyd's transformation.
But here are all the good things. Louie's laser eyes, his green spit that transforms humans, Louie's understanding of electricity and opening doors, the use of tin foil, the 70s/80s effects, the animation (it's just a shame it's included in the film and not just the titles), eggs, the over-enthusiastic practical effects person with the super soaker of goop, Louie's boxing ability, his always cool attitude, and a father's wisdom. Oh, and the end credit song.
It would be wrong of me to say that everyone got what they deserved... but...
You know what? That's my review. Quite frankly this is the worst and best film I've ever seen and I would watch it again.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/10/llamageddon-movie-review.html
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Overrated
Out of all of the old school horror films, Friday the 13th is probably the one I like the least. Whilst it’s a great concept being set in a camp by a lake, I think it’s rather poorly and cheesily executed. I’ve seen the original many times, but this is the first time I’ve seen any of the ‘original’ sequels and I’m afraid I didn’t think much of this either.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Sadness (2021) in Movies
May 12, 2022
Let's get the obvious out of the way, The Sadness is pretty damn gory. This aspect is both a positive and negative. Most of (if not all) the gore is achieved in a practical manner, and as such is undeniably impressive. It goes for the jugular, with the intention of shocking. There are multiple moments where everything is just caked in blood and viscera, but to be honest, it does come across as gore for the sake of gore. There's little else on offer, which is a great shame. There are some solid enough performances from Berant Zhu, Regina Lei, and Tzu-Chiang Wang, and the general look of the infected people is genuinely quite unsettling, but everything else feels a bit empty. It's hard to care about any of the characters trying to survive, and the attempt at an emotional ending falls flat as a result.
Gore hounds and horror fans will no doubt find things to love about The Sadness. It's bleak, nihilistic, and doesn't shy away from its depravity. I certainly didn't dislike it, but the overall experience left me very unmoved. It's ultimately a movie that is just an extreme splatter flick, and it could have been so much more.
Gore hounds and horror fans will no doubt find things to love about The Sadness. It's bleak, nihilistic, and doesn't shy away from its depravity. I certainly didn't dislike it, but the overall experience left me very unmoved. It's ultimately a movie that is just an extreme splatter flick, and it could have been so much more.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Something Violent in Books
May 16, 2018
If you're looking for something with a unique take on classic 80's slasher horror, Kristopher Rufty's Something Violent is a must read. Imagine a social media site like Facebook, but with a targeted demographic of murderers and you have Something Violent, a site dedicated to the worst of the darkest, most disturbed minds roaming the world. Here, people come together to share the grisly details and even video footage of their feats - even going so far as to trade off partners in a grotesque version of swinging.
In Something Violent, the main characters aren't victims struggling to save their own hides, but rather a couple that is aptly named Satan's Sweethearts. Together they wreak havoc, slaughtering those that cross them. When their marriage seems at risk of falling apart, they kidnap a famous marriage counselor and recount the events that brought them together in grisly detail.
I think what I liked most about this book was its perspective - I couldn't help but feel disgusted with myself for feeling any amount of sympathy for a pair of murderers, but I suppose in this case, the saying that "anything is possible" rings true. While the book wasn't quite as gory as I would have liked, it certainly kept my interest.
On the other hand, it felt a little too sexualized. Of course, being a fan of the horror genre, this is an aspect of my taste in fiction that I have become accustomed to. Any true horror buff knows that the couple having sex will be one of the first to die after all. While it makes sense for one character to be sexually attracted to another, and go into detail about how and why, there are a few areas where I felt the sexual notes to be a bit too extreme and out of place. For instance, there's a moment where Jody Covington, one of the main characters, thinks to herself about how slick her thighs are with sweat.
Aside from that, Something Violent offers an entertaining insight into the lives of killers and is definitely worth the read. I have to give Rufty kudos for pulling off the normalization of serial killers.
Thanks to NetGalley, DarkFuse, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy for the purpose of review.
In Something Violent, the main characters aren't victims struggling to save their own hides, but rather a couple that is aptly named Satan's Sweethearts. Together they wreak havoc, slaughtering those that cross them. When their marriage seems at risk of falling apart, they kidnap a famous marriage counselor and recount the events that brought them together in grisly detail.
I think what I liked most about this book was its perspective - I couldn't help but feel disgusted with myself for feeling any amount of sympathy for a pair of murderers, but I suppose in this case, the saying that "anything is possible" rings true. While the book wasn't quite as gory as I would have liked, it certainly kept my interest.
On the other hand, it felt a little too sexualized. Of course, being a fan of the horror genre, this is an aspect of my taste in fiction that I have become accustomed to. Any true horror buff knows that the couple having sex will be one of the first to die after all. While it makes sense for one character to be sexually attracted to another, and go into detail about how and why, there are a few areas where I felt the sexual notes to be a bit too extreme and out of place. For instance, there's a moment where Jody Covington, one of the main characters, thinks to herself about how slick her thighs are with sweat.
Aside from that, Something Violent offers an entertaining insight into the lives of killers and is definitely worth the read. I have to give Rufty kudos for pulling off the normalization of serial killers.
Thanks to NetGalley, DarkFuse, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy for the purpose of review.
Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated The Creeping in Books
Jan 24, 2018
Loved the thrill and mystery, not the characters
***Spoilers ahead you have been warned***
What really got me turning the pages in this book was the horror and mystery aspect. It set the mood and the setting perfectly. It certainly gave you the necessary thrills and chills to keep you interested in the book. There’s some supernatural element to the story but as you progress into the finale well, answers will be revealed in time. :)
I loved the plot, the setting and the mood. There was no stalling. No dry bits. It was perfect flow throughout the book. This was so excellently written that I completely bypassed my extreme dislike for the characters. (Yes the plot was that good.)
So onto the characters. I just don’t like Stella. Not only is she particularly nasty to Sam, but her attitude and personality just stinks all around. She’s your typical mean girl (or should I say, the Queen Bee’s lackey?). I hated her treatment towards Sam, and Sam being your typical nice guy takes it like a doormat. Oh and he gets walked on not one, not twice but more than enough times to count. You know what this smells like? This smells like a dysfunctional relationship heading towards some horrible form of co-dependency. It’s horrible to read and if this is some sort of messed up way of redeeming Stella for all the things she’s done, I hardly think this qualifies.
True, Stella had a pretty traumatizing event happened to her. But I can’t sympathize with her behaviour. Zoey is just as bad and just as spiteful but one thing she had going for her was her extreme loyalty. I had to admit that was something you need in a best friend. Minus the Queen Bee behaviour of course.
This is one of the few books where I disliked the characters, but the plot just kept me reading. The elements of mystery was so well done that I enjoyed reading this one. I would recommend this one for the plot, but don’t expect to like the characters much. But thankfully they don’t make a negative impact on the plot at all.
What really got me turning the pages in this book was the horror and mystery aspect. It set the mood and the setting perfectly. It certainly gave you the necessary thrills and chills to keep you interested in the book. There’s some supernatural element to the story but as you progress into the finale well, answers will be revealed in time. :)
I loved the plot, the setting and the mood. There was no stalling. No dry bits. It was perfect flow throughout the book. This was so excellently written that I completely bypassed my extreme dislike for the characters. (Yes the plot was that good.)
So onto the characters. I just don’t like Stella. Not only is she particularly nasty to Sam, but her attitude and personality just stinks all around. She’s your typical mean girl (or should I say, the Queen Bee’s lackey?). I hated her treatment towards Sam, and Sam being your typical nice guy takes it like a doormat. Oh and he gets walked on not one, not twice but more than enough times to count. You know what this smells like? This smells like a dysfunctional relationship heading towards some horrible form of co-dependency. It’s horrible to read and if this is some sort of messed up way of redeeming Stella for all the things she’s done, I hardly think this qualifies.
True, Stella had a pretty traumatizing event happened to her. But I can’t sympathize with her behaviour. Zoey is just as bad and just as spiteful but one thing she had going for her was her extreme loyalty. I had to admit that was something you need in a best friend. Minus the Queen Bee behaviour of course.
This is one of the few books where I disliked the characters, but the plot just kept me reading. The elements of mystery was so well done that I enjoyed reading this one. I would recommend this one for the plot, but don’t expect to like the characters much. But thankfully they don’t make a negative impact on the plot at all.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated American Horror Story - Season 7 in TV
Mar 8, 2020
Season 7 of American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, is a weird one. Instead of focusing on the supernatural, ghosts, witches, haunted houses, Cult is a trip through the delicacy of the human mind. It instead looks at fears, real world issues, and of course, the presence of an all too familiar cult like family.
This makes for some of the best and worst aspects of AHS Cult. The plot leans heavily into politics this time around, originally airing not long Donald Trump was sworn in. I personally like that this season takes this real world event, and explores the horror that some people experienced during this time. Others would argue that it's very on-the-nose, which is somewhat true. Some of the political leanings carry all the subtlety of a stampeding cattle herd, andnat times can feel heavy handed.
Underneath all of the IRL shit that's going on, we also have a plot of intrigue and mystery, as the main character Ally (Sarah Paulson) is being apparently being stalked and pursued by clowns - her worst fear. We are given reason to believe that perhaps Ally is losing her mind, off her meds, upset with the election result, but as the season continues, you find yourself questioning whether she is in fact being gaslighted. Manipulation of what you believe to be true or false is a terrible horror all on its own, and a big reason why I rate this season highly.
The star of Cult for me though was of course Evan Peters. Playing a deranged political candidate called Kai Anderson, it's not long before his extreme right views Garner him a following, and the titular cult is created. To say anymore would be considered spoilers, but rest assured that all of these plot strands weave together by the time the story climaxes.
Evan Peters role in Cult is my favourite performance if his to date. His character is simultaneously charming, terrifying, smart, and unhinged, and he does a fantastic job in bringing him to life.
The plot also touches upon other real world figures, such as Charles Manson. Those parts were pretty interesting, but when the show flashes back and focuses on Valerie Solanis (Lena Dunham), it lost me a bit. I like when AHS includes real life characters, and it's always fun to see how they are interpreted in this kind of media, but it goes a bit overboard with it's hammy stuff (again) at times - the whole Andy Warhol plot was a massive eye roll in my book - and the Solanis stuff is just plain unenjoyable to watch.
This whole side plot really drags down the quality of cult to me, but the strong performances by Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters is enough to keep it in a higher placing for me.
Certainly not my favourite, and certainly not my least, Cult sits somewhere in the middle, and I can only praise the writers for trying something new with the horror element. Good stuff.
This makes for some of the best and worst aspects of AHS Cult. The plot leans heavily into politics this time around, originally airing not long Donald Trump was sworn in. I personally like that this season takes this real world event, and explores the horror that some people experienced during this time. Others would argue that it's very on-the-nose, which is somewhat true. Some of the political leanings carry all the subtlety of a stampeding cattle herd, andnat times can feel heavy handed.
Underneath all of the IRL shit that's going on, we also have a plot of intrigue and mystery, as the main character Ally (Sarah Paulson) is being apparently being stalked and pursued by clowns - her worst fear. We are given reason to believe that perhaps Ally is losing her mind, off her meds, upset with the election result, but as the season continues, you find yourself questioning whether she is in fact being gaslighted. Manipulation of what you believe to be true or false is a terrible horror all on its own, and a big reason why I rate this season highly.
The star of Cult for me though was of course Evan Peters. Playing a deranged political candidate called Kai Anderson, it's not long before his extreme right views Garner him a following, and the titular cult is created. To say anymore would be considered spoilers, but rest assured that all of these plot strands weave together by the time the story climaxes.
Evan Peters role in Cult is my favourite performance if his to date. His character is simultaneously charming, terrifying, smart, and unhinged, and he does a fantastic job in bringing him to life.
The plot also touches upon other real world figures, such as Charles Manson. Those parts were pretty interesting, but when the show flashes back and focuses on Valerie Solanis (Lena Dunham), it lost me a bit. I like when AHS includes real life characters, and it's always fun to see how they are interpreted in this kind of media, but it goes a bit overboard with it's hammy stuff (again) at times - the whole Andy Warhol plot was a massive eye roll in my book - and the Solanis stuff is just plain unenjoyable to watch.
This whole side plot really drags down the quality of cult to me, but the strong performances by Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters is enough to keep it in a higher placing for me.
Certainly not my favourite, and certainly not my least, Cult sits somewhere in the middle, and I can only praise the writers for trying something new with the horror element. Good stuff.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Detroit (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
“Detroit” tells the story of the Algiers Motel incident that took place during the massive 12th Street Riot in 1967 Detroit, Michigan. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal have created a stunning film that will suck the audience into a historical moment of horror.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, “Detroit” brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
The film, based on what is known about true events, takes viewers into a world of absolute terror as the streets of Detroit become a warzone filled with racial hatred and violence. After a police raid, looters took to the streets vandalizing and robbing local storefronts.
Rapidly, the police response grew into extreme reactionary violence and fueled the fire of the riot. The national guard is called in and rather than getting the situation under control, the city devolves into what looks like a warzone in a foreign land.
The film has a great build up and the characters are developed quite well by the time the thick of the plot gets started around the Algiers Motel Incident, an event that resulted in the deaths of three black men and the torture of nine other people.
The entire cast is amazing. Heart strings are pulled by the characters portraying Larry Reed (Algee Smith) and Fred (Jacob Latimore), two musicians that are caught in a horrific nightmare simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John Boyega also delivers a heart wrenching performance as Melvin Dismukes, a black man who tries at great length to stay safe and keep the peace. His character is portrayed as caught in the cross fires of morality and necessity.
Will Poulter plays a real-life villain as blood thirsty and racist police officer, Phillip Krauss. His portrayal of Krauss is terrifying.
The film as a film, is gripping, an amazing cinematic feat. But, the story is painful to watch. Scarier than any horror film, “Detroit” brings to light one of the darkest sides of the human species and a bloody stain on American history.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
Feb 6, 2019 (Updated Feb 6, 2019)
War Is Hell
Overlord is yet another movie released in late 2018 that I am just getting around to seeing and I am glad that I got to check this one out. I have been looking forward to seeing this one ever since seeing the trailers last year as I am a huge fan of the Wolfenstein series, which the trailers for this really reminded me of.
The movie opens with a fantastically shot plane crash sequence that manages to convey a sense of extreme intensity as Private Boyce jumps out the exploding plane that was carrying his squad and plummets to the ground below. This sequence also does a brilliant job of setting the tone of the movie that the audience can expect going forward.
Surprisingly, the Nazi zombie stuff doesn't actually make an appearance until about 1/3 into the movie and the first act is spent telling a more traditional and realistic war story and setting up the relationships between the characters that we are following. Even when we do start to see some of the weirder stuff taking place, it is fairly reserved in comparison to what you might be expecting. This isn't Dead Snow or Wolfenstein. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's underwhelming, the few amount of monstrosities that we actually get to see are impactful and feel genuinely threatening.
The cast are serviceable in their roles, even if they are fairly stereotypical. The stand out is Pilou Asbaek, who may know as the evil Euron Greyjoy from Game Of Thrones. Here, he plays the dastardly, villainous Nazi with a venomous snarl that really tells you everything that you need to know about his character and his intent.
The one negative I had with the movie were the few telegraphed jump-scares that the filmmakers threw in to remind us that this is supposed to be a horror movie, but thankfully there aren't too many of these present throughout the film.
Overall, this is a fun action/horror movie set against the backdrop of the Second World War that is a blast to sit through. There is plenty of cringe-inducing violence and gore created by mostly practical means that will scratch the horror itch that some audience members may be looking for and although this wasn't quite the movie that I was expecting going in based on the trailers, I can't say that I came away disappointed.
The movie opens with a fantastically shot plane crash sequence that manages to convey a sense of extreme intensity as Private Boyce jumps out the exploding plane that was carrying his squad and plummets to the ground below. This sequence also does a brilliant job of setting the tone of the movie that the audience can expect going forward.
Surprisingly, the Nazi zombie stuff doesn't actually make an appearance until about 1/3 into the movie and the first act is spent telling a more traditional and realistic war story and setting up the relationships between the characters that we are following. Even when we do start to see some of the weirder stuff taking place, it is fairly reserved in comparison to what you might be expecting. This isn't Dead Snow or Wolfenstein. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's underwhelming, the few amount of monstrosities that we actually get to see are impactful and feel genuinely threatening.
The cast are serviceable in their roles, even if they are fairly stereotypical. The stand out is Pilou Asbaek, who may know as the evil Euron Greyjoy from Game Of Thrones. Here, he plays the dastardly, villainous Nazi with a venomous snarl that really tells you everything that you need to know about his character and his intent.
The one negative I had with the movie were the few telegraphed jump-scares that the filmmakers threw in to remind us that this is supposed to be a horror movie, but thankfully there aren't too many of these present throughout the film.
Overall, this is a fun action/horror movie set against the backdrop of the Second World War that is a blast to sit through. There is plenty of cringe-inducing violence and gore created by mostly practical means that will scratch the horror itch that some audience members may be looking for and although this wasn't quite the movie that I was expecting going in based on the trailers, I can't say that I came away disappointed.