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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Finding Steve McQueen (2019) in Movies

Oct 29, 2021 (Updated Nov 2, 2021)  
Finding Steve McQueen (2019)
Finding Steve McQueen (2019)
2019 | Crime, Romance
The film stars Travis Fimmel (Raised by Wolves), Rachael Taylor (Jessica Jones), William Fichtner (Armageddon) and Academy Award winner, Forest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland) and is directed by Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Ghost Rider).

Based on the true story of the Youngstown mob, President Richard Nixon, the FBI, and the biggest bank heist in US history! In 1972, a gang of like-minded thieves plan a heist to steal $30 million in illegal campaign contributions from the President’s secret fund.

When it comes to a heist movie Finding Steve McQueen is undoubtedly one that is fun to watch, the true comedy element comes from Travis Fimmel’s Harry Barber character who was obsessed with McQueen hence his look and name change, the film takes on the journey of the heist as series of flashbacks as Harry tells Molly (Rachel Taylor) “the truth”, this is how we get introduced to Enzo Rotella (William Fichtner) the boss of the heist, I have to say that when it comes to Fitchner he always pulls off a great performance and he plays the character great as he tries to hold the mismatch of a team together.
  
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Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Cherry Robbers in Books

May 10, 2022  
Cherry Robbers
Cherry Robbers
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have already read the book Diet Land and was obsessed so I had to get my hands on this read. Looking at the cover I thought I would be reading a western and turns out this is more of a cursed ghost story about a family who made there legacy selling firearms. All the women in the family are curse and can't get married without death in the family. The book is set in the 1950s so the only way to escape their curse home is through marriage, so do the ladies have much of a choice? There are five sister in the book and after the first one gets married she dies and never gets to live life aftr escaping their mentally ill mother and alcoholic father. The mother is haunted by the souls of the people killed by the Chapel's firearm fortune and the sister's are close to one another since they didn't have parents who were able to care for them or keep them company. Will the sister's find a way to escape their haunted past?! So difficult to not give all the spoilers!!
  
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ClareR (6134 KP) rated The Whistling in Books

Aug 3, 2023  
The Whistling
The Whistling
Rebecca Netley | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Elspeth Swansome is escaping her past in Edinburgh and taking up a post as a nanny on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea (it’s fictional, but I would really want to visit it if it was real!).

Elspeth is going to nanny Mary, a child who is clearly suffering from trauma. Her twin, William, is dead and her former nanny has disappeared. Elspeth is told that if she can’t get Mary to talk, she will be institutionalised.

I loved this - it’s the right kind of spooky, and you can’t beat a haunted house: lullabies are sung by someone who isn’t there, poppets keep appearing in random rooms, and whistling can be heard at night. It all added up to a book that sent shivers down my spine!

The characters were sometimes likeable, menacing, disconcerting and some most definitely had something to hide!

I listened to this on Audible, and the narrator, Lois Chimimba, kept me glued to my headphones. Her different accents were all spot on, and helped me to tell the different characters apart. I was never confused as to ‘who’ was speaking.

The tension built and built to the climactic ending - a truly delicious ghost story!
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2534 KP) rated Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket in Books

Jul 11, 2024 (Updated Jul 11, 2024)  
Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket
Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket
Laura Levine | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Your One-Way Ticket to Fun
Freelance writer Jaine Austen’s latest client is gym owner Chip Miller. Chip has hired Jaine to ghost write a book on exercise, and she’s been invited to join Chip’s family on a train trip to Santa Barbara and back. While on the train, Jaine learns what a bully Chip is, so it is hardly a surprise when someone kills him. Meanwhile, Lance is trying to join a club in West Hollywood, and enlists Jaine. And her father has decided he’s related to Elvis, and is planning an appearance at a costume party to honor his cousin. Where will it all lead?

Fans of the series (and there are plenty after twenty books) will know what to expect here. And they’ll love Jaine’s latest adventures. I did figure out a key part of the mystery early, but there were other things I wanted to see filled in, and I enjoyed the journey. The characters are more caricature, but they fit the story. That’s because this is an over-the-top comedic mystery. I laughed plenty along the way. When you want a light mystery, this is a series to pick up.
  
The Charnel House (2016)
The Charnel House (2016)
2016 | Mystery
5
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – Alex Reaves is the man behind the refurbishment of the building, he sees this as a fresh start for his family which will give them financial support for life, he starts having visions which will bring the connection back to the previous owner. Charlotte is the artist and designer (I think she did this too) who has help turn the building into the apartments and soon becomes the one that needs to fight to keep her family together. Mia is the daughter of the couple who starts seeing the little boy haunting the building, treated like the imaginary friend for the most part, she has behavioural problems and follows in her mother’s artistic nature. Devin Pyles is the man that has a connection to the previous use of the building, he is here to investigate just what happened here and knows about the darker side of the building.

Performances – Callum Blue in the leading role is fine without ever standing out in the leading role, which is going to be a theme when looking at the performances, nobody does anything to make themselves feel stand out in the film.

Story – The story here follows the re-opening of an old slaughterhouse as luxury apartments, but the ghosts of the old building are still there haunting the people that move in. this does give us the limited characters as the building isn’t officially opened, but will let people move into the property they have purchased early, this helps the story because an over crowded building would have only dragged the film down. The story is trying to be clever with certain connections only to fall mostly short with this side of the story telling. Once you do work out where the story wants to go you will work out the ending pretty easily which again disappoints and as for the supporting characters they seem to have no connection to the actual hauntings and are here just to give us a body count.

Horror – The horror in the film comes from the ghost visits and the technology not following the rules it should be, again simple scares which don’t give us anything to be frightened off.

Settings – The film is set in one house, we have an apartment building with history which gives us the haunting side of the film. it works well for the most part too.

Special Effects – The effects are not over used, they are simple when needed but nothing that becomes clear to what is happening in the film.


Scene of the Movie – Butch the Yorkie.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pointless disposable supporting residents.

Final Thoughts – This is a very simple horror, it does the basics right without ever being put in the position of being anything special or standout, nothing is terrible, it is just average throughout.

 

Overall: Average horror.