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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Scary Stories to tell in the dark is a film based on a series of children’s books famed for its terrifying art work. The film tells of what happens when a group of children discover the story book of Sarah Bellows, the town’s urban legend who is supposed to have poisoned and killed the children who heard her stories.
Scary Stories is one of those films that takes a mix of different horror elements, put’s them through a blender and sees what comes out; it is part Slasher, as a number of the children get attacked and killed in a variety of different ways, part J-Horror as the children have to find out what it will take to stop Sarah (in a similar style to the Ring or The Grudge), and part monster movie as a variety of creatures are set out after the children.
The one thing Scary Stories isn’t is a children’s film, the monsters are heavily based upon the art work from the original books and, after a slow beginning the tension and atmosphere are ramped up. There are a few jump scares but the film does not rely solely on these and the ones there are, are well crafted, you know something is going to happen but not when. Some of the children do died, although not in bloody ways.
For a film based on a series of stories ‘Scary Stories to tell in the dark’ doesn’t quite become an anthology movie which is a bit surprising, each monster has its own back story however, these back stories quickly become secondary as the hunt for the truth about Sarah takes over.
I think, at its heart, Scary Stories is mostly a classic ghost story, the book is a classic cursed item like the video tape in the ring or the mirror in mirror mirror (the horror film not the Disney one) which is fuelled by Sarah’s anger at the injustices she suffered when she was alive and which can be negated when something is put right. Of course anyone who has seen more than a few horror movies knows that a bad spirit can’t be kept down for long and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark does leave the way open for a sequel.
Scary Stories is one of those films that takes a mix of different horror elements, put’s them through a blender and sees what comes out; it is part Slasher, as a number of the children get attacked and killed in a variety of different ways, part J-Horror as the children have to find out what it will take to stop Sarah (in a similar style to the Ring or The Grudge), and part monster movie as a variety of creatures are set out after the children.
The one thing Scary Stories isn’t is a children’s film, the monsters are heavily based upon the art work from the original books and, after a slow beginning the tension and atmosphere are ramped up. There are a few jump scares but the film does not rely solely on these and the ones there are, are well crafted, you know something is going to happen but not when. Some of the children do died, although not in bloody ways.
For a film based on a series of stories ‘Scary Stories to tell in the dark’ doesn’t quite become an anthology movie which is a bit surprising, each monster has its own back story however, these back stories quickly become secondary as the hunt for the truth about Sarah takes over.
I think, at its heart, Scary Stories is mostly a classic ghost story, the book is a classic cursed item like the video tape in the ring or the mirror in mirror mirror (the horror film not the Disney one) which is fuelled by Sarah’s anger at the injustices she suffered when she was alive and which can be negated when something is put right. Of course anyone who has seen more than a few horror movies knows that a bad spirit can’t be kept down for long and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark does leave the way open for a sequel.
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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Robo Vampire (1988) in Movies
Aug 11, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Drug baron Mr Young is fed up with Narcotics agent Tom Wilde interfering with his plans so he hires a Taoist monk to train a vampire to kill him. After his death Tom is rebuilt as an Android Robot and sent on a mission to help rescue a captured officer.
The cover/poster art would have us believe that this is a Robocop vs vampire movie and I suppose that it is in the looses possible sense. First off this is low budget Hong Kong Jiangshi (rotting corpse) movie with added cyborg (Sorry Android Robot) so the vampires are of the hopping type not the western 'gentleman'.
I've given this film a 6 on the basis that it's so bad it's good. Most of the vampires are ok and look like the standard hopping type but the lead vampire seems to be wearing a gorilla mask to make it look rotten. No one bleeds when shot and it's obvious when dummies are used instead of stun doubles . Even taking this into account I would have given Robo Vampire a higher rating but it gets hard to follow. There are two story-lines to follow, the rescue of Sophie, an undercover agent that has been kidnapped and the Tom-robot vs the vampire's and ghost. And this is the first confusing part of the plot. Tom's creators say that he is to be sent on the rescue mission but he is never with the rescue party. Instead he goes off to fight the vampire. So the film switches between the rescue and Tom vs the vampires. Even this wouldn't be a problem except that the story-lines seem to continue even when we're not watching. For example, the rescue party are heading towards the camp with baddies jumping out at them from all directions. The we switch to Robo and when we switch back to the rescue two of the party are swimming in a lake with no sign of any of the others and end up getting captured, then back to Robo, then back the rest of the rescue party who don't even acknowledged that two of their party are missing but aren't surprised when they see them as prisoners. This sort of thing happens a lot, it's almost as if some one just cut out random scenes. Characters also just seem to appear with no introduction and switch sides with no seeming reason.
The cover/poster art would have us believe that this is a Robocop vs vampire movie and I suppose that it is in the looses possible sense. First off this is low budget Hong Kong Jiangshi (rotting corpse) movie with added cyborg (Sorry Android Robot) so the vampires are of the hopping type not the western 'gentleman'.
I've given this film a 6 on the basis that it's so bad it's good. Most of the vampires are ok and look like the standard hopping type but the lead vampire seems to be wearing a gorilla mask to make it look rotten. No one bleeds when shot and it's obvious when dummies are used instead of stun doubles . Even taking this into account I would have given Robo Vampire a higher rating but it gets hard to follow. There are two story-lines to follow, the rescue of Sophie, an undercover agent that has been kidnapped and the Tom-robot vs the vampire's and ghost. And this is the first confusing part of the plot. Tom's creators say that he is to be sent on the rescue mission but he is never with the rescue party. Instead he goes off to fight the vampire. So the film switches between the rescue and Tom vs the vampires. Even this wouldn't be a problem except that the story-lines seem to continue even when we're not watching. For example, the rescue party are heading towards the camp with baddies jumping out at them from all directions. The we switch to Robo and when we switch back to the rescue two of the party are swimming in a lake with no sign of any of the others and end up getting captured, then back to Robo, then back the rest of the rescue party who don't even acknowledged that two of their party are missing but aren't surprised when they see them as prisoners. This sort of thing happens a lot, it's almost as if some one just cut out random scenes. Characters also just seem to appear with no introduction and switch sides with no seeming reason.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan in Video Games
May 29, 2020
A thrilling play
Games like this dont appeal to everyone. It's not full of action, beating people up or a massive open world full of free play. It also doesnt drag on for 40+ hours. However for people like me who struggle with those type of games, Man of Medan is a breath of fresh air.
I'd previously played and rather enjoyed Until Dawn, and I'm pleased to say this follows much in the same vein although it's probably a much shorter story. Graphically this is very impressive looking and like Until Dawn, they've thrown in yet another recognisable face (this time it's Shawn Ashmore aka Bobby from X-Men). The characters look amazing and the setting too. The story too is a good and interesting one, although it does feel a little similar to other stories (like Ghost Ship) and may be a tad predictable. We worked out what was going on well before the third act. That said, I still found it to be absolutely terrifying. Playing a game like this is a lot scarier than watching any horror film!
The gameplay works really well. The fact that you can play this with friends, either online or couch co-op, adds another fun dimension to it all. The decision making also means that there are so many different endings and outcomes (I believe there's over 60 possible ways for the characters to die) that the replayability is surprisingly better than you'd expect. Admittedly it would probably get a bit tedious trying to uncover absolutely everything and all possible outcomes, but playing a few times over is still enjoyable.
The only downsides are the lag and load issues. Most likely due to the decision making process and actions, there is a noticeable lag in some of the cut scenes and movements which is bearable but can noticeably affect the smooth running of the game. There's also the characters themselves. They look great, but they're very cliched and have very little personality or interest too them. And the script is a little cheesy at times which only further impacts with a slight dislike of the characters. Part of me actually wanted to kill them all off...
Overall a great story and an interesting game to play, if you're looking for something a little different.
I'd previously played and rather enjoyed Until Dawn, and I'm pleased to say this follows much in the same vein although it's probably a much shorter story. Graphically this is very impressive looking and like Until Dawn, they've thrown in yet another recognisable face (this time it's Shawn Ashmore aka Bobby from X-Men). The characters look amazing and the setting too. The story too is a good and interesting one, although it does feel a little similar to other stories (like Ghost Ship) and may be a tad predictable. We worked out what was going on well before the third act. That said, I still found it to be absolutely terrifying. Playing a game like this is a lot scarier than watching any horror film!
The gameplay works really well. The fact that you can play this with friends, either online or couch co-op, adds another fun dimension to it all. The decision making also means that there are so many different endings and outcomes (I believe there's over 60 possible ways for the characters to die) that the replayability is surprisingly better than you'd expect. Admittedly it would probably get a bit tedious trying to uncover absolutely everything and all possible outcomes, but playing a few times over is still enjoyable.
The only downsides are the lag and load issues. Most likely due to the decision making process and actions, there is a noticeable lag in some of the cut scenes and movements which is bearable but can noticeably affect the smooth running of the game. There's also the characters themselves. They look great, but they're very cliched and have very little personality or interest too them. And the script is a little cheesy at times which only further impacts with a slight dislike of the characters. Part of me actually wanted to kill them all off...
Overall a great story and an interesting game to play, if you're looking for something a little different.
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Gypsy Freak (All the Pretty Monsters #2) in Books
Nov 4, 2021
183 of 250
Kindle
Gypsy Freak ( All the Pretty Monsters book 2)
By Kristy Cunning
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
What's it like to be a monster in a town full of monsters, who don't know you're a monster?
Complicated and a little scary, but doable.
What's it like to be the girl who can't die...that everyone seems to always want to kill?
Frustrating as hell.
What's it like to accidentally raise psychotic alpha vampire everyone fears, who drops a lot of bodies on his first day out as a 'gift' for your troubles?
Terrifying, if I'm being honest.
What's it like when that crazed vampire tells you he wants you to be the happy little intermission, during an ongoing ancient story, and expects you to use your vagina to draw in a werewolf alpha, a Van Helsing alpha, and a sexual deviant alpha, so he can have his old friends back?
That's when a girl has to stop, look around, and question her life choices.
I really don't know how this stuff keeps happening to me. Life was simpler when it was just me accidentally blowing myself up while trying to create potions and shampoo.
I've lived my life in such secrecy that I've spent most of it lonely. So lonely, in fact, that my best friend is a delusional ghost. I'd rather focus on her than all the crazy things happening in my life at current. Ever since coming to this town, I've had my throat slit by vampires, attracted way too much attention from some powerful alphas, and did a lot of regrettably stupid things because...I'm too gullible for shady monsters.
To them, I'm the fool.
To them, I'm the naive girl in over my head.
To them, I'm the pawn on a worn chessboard, while the seasoned players knock me around.
Meanwhile, I'm still left to figure it all out on my own, because, just like me, no one wants to share their secrets.
I’m really liking this series. It’s a shame to lose Anna d at o soon I absolutely loved her character. The story is good and it’s written so well! We see Violet learning more about herself and the alphas surrounding her.
Kindle
Gypsy Freak ( All the Pretty Monsters book 2)
By Kristy Cunning
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
What's it like to be a monster in a town full of monsters, who don't know you're a monster?
Complicated and a little scary, but doable.
What's it like to be the girl who can't die...that everyone seems to always want to kill?
Frustrating as hell.
What's it like to accidentally raise psychotic alpha vampire everyone fears, who drops a lot of bodies on his first day out as a 'gift' for your troubles?
Terrifying, if I'm being honest.
What's it like when that crazed vampire tells you he wants you to be the happy little intermission, during an ongoing ancient story, and expects you to use your vagina to draw in a werewolf alpha, a Van Helsing alpha, and a sexual deviant alpha, so he can have his old friends back?
That's when a girl has to stop, look around, and question her life choices.
I really don't know how this stuff keeps happening to me. Life was simpler when it was just me accidentally blowing myself up while trying to create potions and shampoo.
I've lived my life in such secrecy that I've spent most of it lonely. So lonely, in fact, that my best friend is a delusional ghost. I'd rather focus on her than all the crazy things happening in my life at current. Ever since coming to this town, I've had my throat slit by vampires, attracted way too much attention from some powerful alphas, and did a lot of regrettably stupid things because...I'm too gullible for shady monsters.
To them, I'm the fool.
To them, I'm the naive girl in over my head.
To them, I'm the pawn on a worn chessboard, while the seasoned players knock me around.
Meanwhile, I'm still left to figure it all out on my own, because, just like me, no one wants to share their secrets.
I’m really liking this series. It’s a shame to lose Anna d at o soon I absolutely loved her character. The story is good and it’s written so well! We see Violet learning more about herself and the alphas surrounding her.