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The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House
2018 | Horror
Good, dislikable characters (1 more)
So fun to try and spot the background ghosts
The ending was a bit weak. (1 more)
The dad's contact lenses
Tense and has lots of Easter eggs.
I haven't read the book, so sadly I can't compare (though I'm just going to assume the book is better.)

The show is less about scaring you with cheap jumpscares and more a character analysis and what their fears look like, what their own ghosts look like.
It's slow and patient, showing each characters best and worst qualities, making them dislikable in a very good way. Plus the great acting helps you construct your own opinion on each family member.

There are some things I didn't enjoy so much, the ending didn't feel the same as the rest of the show and the fact the younger version of the dad has really, really bad contact lenses threw me off Every time he was on scenes.
  
When You Disappeared
When You Disappeared
John Marrs | 2017 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A very good thriller
I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of John Marrs books and couldn’t resist reading this when I spotted it on Kindle Unlimited, and I’m glad I did as it’s a rather enjoyable thriller.

As with all of John Marrs books, it’s definitely well written and as you get into this it’s very difficult to put down. The characters are well developed and interesting, even though neither of them are particularly likeable. Simon especially is rather a conflicted character and I developed a rather intense dislike of him by the end of the book, and I do love when a story can make you really feel something for the characters. There is a slightly unpredictable twist in this, but I couldn’t say it’s a massive surprise and it doesn’t really matter as this book is all about the journey to find out what happened to the characters over the 28 years. The ending is just a good resolution to a rather intriguing story.
  
The Land That Time Forgot  (1975)
The Land That Time Forgot (1975)
1975 | Adventure, Fantasy
First of the Amicus-Kevin Connor-Doug McClure fantasy adventure films is an unexpectedly classy genre movie. A U-boat carrying a mix of British and German sailors (it's 1916, so tensions abound), led by a beefy American (McClure), pitches up in a lost world inhabited by the usual rubber dinosaurs and ape men.

Pulp, but superior pulp: good production values and unexpectedly thoughtful in places. Even the dinosaurs are a cut above (the pterodactyls still leave a bit to be desired). The look and feel of the thing is very good indeed, but the plot is a touch underpowered and linear. The book's ideas about the strange way evolution works in the lost world are faithfully reproduced, but not really explored enough, and don't contribute anything significant to the plot. The film's weaknesses are those of the source material, but its fidelity to Burroughs is commendable; its strengths are all its own.
  
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Nick Beaty (70 KP) rated Green Book (2018) in Movies

Jan 10, 2020 (Updated Jan 10, 2020)  
Green Book (2018)
Green Book (2018)
2018 | Drama
Worthy best picture winner...
Green Book is the incredible true story of an Italian American bouncer Tony 'Lip', who is paid to drive and protect an African American pianist Dr. Donald Shirley, through the American deep south in 1962 when racial tension was very high.

Let's start off by saying this was definitely a worthy best picture winner at the 2019 Oscars ceremony. You can follow that up with an excellent Oscar nominated performance from Viggo Mortensen and an absolutely superb Oscar winning turn from the brilliant Mahershala Ali.

The beautiful thing about this movie is the chemistry between the two lead actors. Mortensen and Ali bounce off each other for the whole two hours, they will make you laugh, cry and generally their performances just make you feel good inside.

To wrap things up, superb acting, a beautiful story and very good directing from Peter Farrelly who is better known for his controversial comedies, really make this a must see movie for any true film fan.
  
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
1998 | Comedy

"Easily The Big Lebowski is one of them — it’s a little cliche, but it’s a great movie. Sam Elliot’s voice: warm and inviting. From square one, you’ve got an inviting narrator, which is hard to find these days. If nothing else, [Jeff] Bridges is one of the most incredible performers, and I never would have assumed that he had similarities to that character. I hadn’t seen anything like that that he had done up until that point, and it feels like the more I get to know him — not personally, but through his work and since Lebowski until now — he has a very Buddhist, easygoing, “everybody needs to chill out” vibe to him that’s awesome, and it totally reinforces my love of the movie. John Goodman is always great, but I feel like he really got to show his aggressive side — he’s so good. And Buscemi. And the nihilists. I’m not good at explaining movies."

Source
  
Wildling (2018)
Wildling (2018)
2018 | Fantasy, Horror
A child who has been protected from the Wildlings by her Daddy finds out that her life isn't what she thought it was.



Not quite as horror as I was expecting, the fantasy nature of this one made it much more enjoyable.

A good story with a nice progression to it. It was nice to see Liv Tyler in something after what seems like such a long time. I was also pleased to see Brad Dourif, he's the face you always see in things, and he's always just a little creepy.

The audio effects were good in this one, the extra little grumbles and noises as she's becoming less human, and the enhanced hearing. Each bit comes together to add something to the scenes. I didn't feel like the visual effects quite met up to their standards though.

Still though, this was an enjoyable watch, and although there were some predictable bits everything was genuinely entertaining.
  
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated VFW (2019) in Movies

Jul 31, 2020  
VFW (2019)
VFW (2019)
2019 | Action, Horror
6
6.4 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Gorily average
You can't beat a good old B movie, and VFW certainly has the makings of one, however it's a shame that it's nothing we haven't seen before.

This has a great B movie feel throughout, from the atmospheric soundtrack to the retro and dark cinematography, as well as the ridiculous over the top gore (which is by far the best thing about this film). It has a seriously good old school cast and watching them in action is a lot of fun. This has such a Hobo with a Shotgun vibe that I'm surprised that it hasn't been made by the same people. The biggest problem with this is the plot and the whole idea in general. Films like this have been done so many times before and even with all the gore thrown in it's nothing original. But I suppose overall it is still a fairly entertaining romp with some laugh out loud deaths.
  
Jakob's Wife (2021)
Jakob's Wife (2021)
2021 | Horror
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Let's be honest, a low budget vampire flick lead by Barbara Crampton and Larry Fessenden was always going to be right up my street.
Jakob's Wife has a lot going for it. It has a well paced and intriguing premise, snappy dialogue, sympathetic characters, over the top and hard hitting gore (seriously springs out of nowhere and caught me off guard), decent creature designs, a good soundtrack, and the aforentioned lead actors (although, Crampton expectedly and completely steals the show)
My main criticisms mainly come from what feels like a confused identity. There's some good humour sprinkled throughout, and some genuinely funny moments, but it does feel at odds with otherwise serious tone on display. A minor gripe, but one that's noticeable (a statement that also applies to the awful cgi rats in that one scene)

Overall, Jakob's Wife is an entertaining splatter fest that should appeal to any horror fan - don't sleep on it!