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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Session 9 (2001) in Movies
Sep 29, 2020
Fear is a Place
Session 9- is a scary movie. Setting with inside an abandoned insane asylum. Its creepy, the atmosphere of the abandoned insane asylum is creepy, chilling, scary and horrorfying.
The Plot: A tale of terror when a group of asbestos removal workers start work in an abandoned insane asylum. The complex of buildings looms up out of the woods like a dormant beast. Grand, imposing ... abandoned, deteriorating. The residents of Danvers, Massachusetts steer well clear of the place. But Danvers State Mental Hospital, closed down for 15 years, is about to receive five new visitors...
Its creepy, horrorfyng and scay. Also the twist at the ending is good as well.
The Plot: A tale of terror when a group of asbestos removal workers start work in an abandoned insane asylum. The complex of buildings looms up out of the woods like a dormant beast. Grand, imposing ... abandoned, deteriorating. The residents of Danvers, Massachusetts steer well clear of the place. But Danvers State Mental Hospital, closed down for 15 years, is about to receive five new visitors...
Its creepy, horrorfyng and scay. Also the twist at the ending is good as well.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Out of the Shadows (2017) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Story: Out of the Shadows starts as we follow a paranormal investigation team looking to recruit the only known survivor Carter (Kellogg) to join them as they search the answers about what happened on his famous activity tape.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
With the team in place the teams sets up the cameras around the asylum with team member Cynthia (Morrison) getting the first does of activity in a communication from her father, whom went missing in asylum with Carter’s team. Using her as bait the team record her time inside the asylum as they look to explain the unexplainable.
Thoughts on Out of the Shadows
Characters – Carter is the lone survivor from a previous encounter inside the asylum, he goes back but could have his own motivation for this. Cynthia is searching for her father who went missing but the rest of the characters are just another mix of the crew you would expect on a paranormal investigation team.
Performances – The performances across the board are not the best, the crew does feel like it could be a real documentary crew at times but then other times its just a group of actors trying to overreact to everything going on.
Story – The story does have a good twist, which is the only interesting part of the story, it is nearly 90 minutes investigating the shadows with too many characters to follow, it gets difficult to follow the characters in the dark for the most part and as for the reasoning behind everything well, it doesn’t seem to have one.
Horror – The horror is a lot of jumping at the camera or activity happening behind the camera, it isn’t scary but will give you a forced jump.
Settings – The film could easily have only had one setting, the asylum but going back to the motel makes it feel like the evil could escape which does try to make it stand out from just a haunted asylum movie.
Special Effects – The effects are what you would expect for a found footage film, they work without being ground breaking.
Scene of the Movie – Welcome to the Devil’s Toy Box.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The scares were too random.
Final Thoughts –This is a disappointing and mostly dull horror movie, the jumps are too random, the characters don’t make smart decisions and found footage only works in places.
Overall: Horror film to skip by the end.
Dana (24 KP) rated Batman: Arkham Asylum in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I have not read too many of the DC Comics, but this one was really good. Batman is one of the few DC heroes that I like, so it was cool to see this side of him through the Joker's eyes.
Okay, so in this comic, the Joker is trying to turn Batman crazy by exposing him to all kinds of horrifying things, namely the villains he has put away.
We get Arkham Asylum's backstory. We learn that the owner, a man who had lived in the house before turning it into an asylum after his mother had died after going insane herself. After many years of trying to help those admitted into the asylum, he ended up going crazy as well and locked himself inside one of the rooms scratching a story into the ground with his fingernails. Gruesome, right?
I really enjoyed getting to see the patients in their natural state and seeing them trying to fight Batman and make him feel as they felt was strange, but really interesting.
The artwork is what really set this comic apart. It set the mood perfectly, capturing the creepy, haunted, and ominous tone of the asylum while still keeping a sense of beauty to it. All in all, it was absolutely stunning, if not unnerving.
I enjoyed the story, even if I was a little confused at first, but it all comes together in the end.
There will be some spoilers in this next bit. This comic comes full circle in the fact that it, the comic, the asylum, and the old Doctor Arkham, all foreshadow Batman's involvement in the asylum itself. He is the one to bring people in, deeming them insane, and bats are what drew Old Arkham insane. It was very well thought out.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic book and I want to see if there are more that are told in this style!
Okay, so in this comic, the Joker is trying to turn Batman crazy by exposing him to all kinds of horrifying things, namely the villains he has put away.
We get Arkham Asylum's backstory. We learn that the owner, a man who had lived in the house before turning it into an asylum after his mother had died after going insane herself. After many years of trying to help those admitted into the asylum, he ended up going crazy as well and locked himself inside one of the rooms scratching a story into the ground with his fingernails. Gruesome, right?
I really enjoyed getting to see the patients in their natural state and seeing them trying to fight Batman and make him feel as they felt was strange, but really interesting.
The artwork is what really set this comic apart. It set the mood perfectly, capturing the creepy, haunted, and ominous tone of the asylum while still keeping a sense of beauty to it. All in all, it was absolutely stunning, if not unnerving.
I enjoyed the story, even if I was a little confused at first, but it all comes together in the end.
There will be some spoilers in this next bit. This comic comes full circle in the fact that it, the comic, the asylum, and the old Doctor Arkham, all foreshadow Batman's involvement in the asylum itself. He is the one to bring people in, deeming them insane, and bats are what drew Old Arkham insane. It was very well thought out.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic book and I want to see if there are more that are told in this style!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Outlast in Video Games
Nov 7, 2020
Survivor The Asylum
Outlast- is a excellent survival first person horror game set inside a asylum.
The game revolves around a freelance investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum, located deep in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado.
Outlast, the player assumes the role of investigative journalist Miles Upshur, as he navigates a dilapidated psychiatric hospital in Leadville, Colorado that is overrun by homicidal patients. The game is played from a first-person perspective and features some stealth gameplay mechanics. The player can walk, run, crouch, jump, climb ladders and vault over objects. Unlike most games, however, the player doesn't have a visible health bar on the screen and is unable to attack enemies. The player must instead rely on stealth tactics such as hiding in lockers, sneaking past enemies, staying in the shadows and hiding behind or under things in order to survive. Alternatively, the player can attempt to outrun their pursuer. If the player dies, the game will reset to the most recent checkpoint.
Most of the hospital is unlit, and the only way for the player to see while in the dark is through the lens of a camcorder equipped with night vision. Using the night vision mode will slowly consume batteries, forcing the player to scavenge for additional batteries found throughout the asylum. Outlast makes heavy use of traditional jump scares and audio cues, which alert the player if an enemy has seen them.
GameSpot gave the game a positive review as well stating that "Outlast isn't really a game of skill, and as it turns out, that makes sense. You're not a cop or a soldier or a genetically enhanced superhero. You're just a reporter. And as a reporter, you don't possess many skills with which you can fend off the hulking brutes, knife-wielding stalkers, and other homicidal maniacs who lurk in the halls of the dilapidated Mount Massive Asylum. You can't shoot them, or punch them, or rip pipes from the walls to clobber them with. You can only run and hide".
The aslyum setting is creepy, horrorfying, scary and terrorfying.
Its a excellent survival horror game.
The game revolves around a freelance investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum, located deep in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado.
Outlast, the player assumes the role of investigative journalist Miles Upshur, as he navigates a dilapidated psychiatric hospital in Leadville, Colorado that is overrun by homicidal patients. The game is played from a first-person perspective and features some stealth gameplay mechanics. The player can walk, run, crouch, jump, climb ladders and vault over objects. Unlike most games, however, the player doesn't have a visible health bar on the screen and is unable to attack enemies. The player must instead rely on stealth tactics such as hiding in lockers, sneaking past enemies, staying in the shadows and hiding behind or under things in order to survive. Alternatively, the player can attempt to outrun their pursuer. If the player dies, the game will reset to the most recent checkpoint.
Most of the hospital is unlit, and the only way for the player to see while in the dark is through the lens of a camcorder equipped with night vision. Using the night vision mode will slowly consume batteries, forcing the player to scavenge for additional batteries found throughout the asylum. Outlast makes heavy use of traditional jump scares and audio cues, which alert the player if an enemy has seen them.
GameSpot gave the game a positive review as well stating that "Outlast isn't really a game of skill, and as it turns out, that makes sense. You're not a cop or a soldier or a genetically enhanced superhero. You're just a reporter. And as a reporter, you don't possess many skills with which you can fend off the hulking brutes, knife-wielding stalkers, and other homicidal maniacs who lurk in the halls of the dilapidated Mount Massive Asylum. You can't shoot them, or punch them, or rip pipes from the walls to clobber them with. You can only run and hide".
The aslyum setting is creepy, horrorfying, scary and terrorfying.
Its a excellent survival horror game.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of Batman: Arkham Asylum in Video Games
Nov 4, 2019 (Updated Nov 4, 2019)
Welcome to the Madness
Arkham Asylum- is one, if not the best batman video game or all time. It is a excellent game, that gamers shouls play. If you want to feel the experience of being batman, this game does that.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Lets talk about it:
In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
The game is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets that can be used in combat and exploration.
Rocksteady began developing ideas for a sequel months before Arkham Asylum's completion, hiding hints to the sequel within the game.
The player can use "Detective Vision"—a visual mode which provides contextual information, tinting the game world blue and highlighting interactive objects like destructible walls and removable grates, the number of enemies in an area and their status—such as their awareness of Batman's presence—and shows civilians and corpses.
The game world has 240 collectable items, such as Riddler trophies, chattering Joker teeth, interview tapes with some of Arkham's inmates, and cryptic messages left in the asylum by its founder Amadeus Arkham that discuss the facility's bleak history.
The player can use predatory tactics through stealth—including silent takedowns, dropping from overhead perches and snatching enemies away, or using the explosive gel to knock foes off their feet—to tilt the odds in their favor.
I love this game, i can go on and on about how i love this game.
If you havent played it yet, i would reccordmend playing it.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Tormented in Books
Apr 7, 2021
49 of 250
Kindle
Tormented
By Lee Mountford
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Insidious experiments are being carried out at Arlington Asylum, and the only way the inmates ever leave is inside a body bag.
Adrian is a prisoner here. And he is next on the list to receive the strange medicine that is being administered. Medicine that causes certain... changes... to those who take it.
If he is to survive, Adrian must find his self-worth and start fighting for his life while chaos erupts in the asylum around him.
Because these experiments open up a gateway to a place worse than hell. And the nightmarish inhabitants of that place break through and intend to tear our world apart.
Can Adrian stand against impossible odds and end this threat before it's too late?
Buy Tormented now, because you will love this violent and gruesome tale filled with horror, monsters, and buckets of gore. Not for the faint of heart.
I bloody loved it! This was some crazy bloody violent creature feature!! It would make a really good gory film! The monsters are so vividly written you can actually visualise them clearly! It isn’t normally my type of horror I usually get a little bored but this left no prisoners and gave no happy ending which is why I loved it!
Kindle
Tormented
By Lee Mountford
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Insidious experiments are being carried out at Arlington Asylum, and the only way the inmates ever leave is inside a body bag.
Adrian is a prisoner here. And he is next on the list to receive the strange medicine that is being administered. Medicine that causes certain... changes... to those who take it.
If he is to survive, Adrian must find his self-worth and start fighting for his life while chaos erupts in the asylum around him.
Because these experiments open up a gateway to a place worse than hell. And the nightmarish inhabitants of that place break through and intend to tear our world apart.
Can Adrian stand against impossible odds and end this threat before it's too late?
Buy Tormented now, because you will love this violent and gruesome tale filled with horror, monsters, and buckets of gore. Not for the faint of heart.
I bloody loved it! This was some crazy bloody violent creature feature!! It would make a really good gory film! The monsters are so vividly written you can actually visualise them clearly! It isn’t normally my type of horror I usually get a little bored but this left no prisoners and gave no happy ending which is why I loved it!
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Out of the Shadows (2017) in Movies
Oct 8, 2017
Lots of jumping out of your seat
So the story is flimsy and it seems like a seriously low budget production, plus the documentary style horror has been done to death (excuse the pun) - so expect a lot of cheap thrills.
The premise of this film begins with a ghost hunter who was haunted by his mistake of leaving his friend inside of an asylum after being chased by ghosts. He is then approached again some years later to return to the scene of the crime to find out what happened there.
No doubt, I did keep having to distract myself with my phone in order to avoid keep jumping out of my seat. The main poltergeist /demon in question is more than slightly creepy but there was too much of a mish mash of horror stories. From Blair Witch, The Grudge to The Quiet Ones, all of which did a lot better with the genre. So if you want to see a life-changing film, this isn't it.
The premise of this film begins with a ghost hunter who was haunted by his mistake of leaving his friend inside of an asylum after being chased by ghosts. He is then approached again some years later to return to the scene of the crime to find out what happened there.
No doubt, I did keep having to distract myself with my phone in order to avoid keep jumping out of my seat. The main poltergeist /demon in question is more than slightly creepy but there was too much of a mish mash of horror stories. From Blair Witch, The Grudge to The Quiet Ones, all of which did a lot better with the genre. So if you want to see a life-changing film, this isn't it.
Fred (860 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019
It's an origin story
Can we just talk about James McAvoy for a minute here. We've already seen his performance in "Split", so we already knew what we were getting here. Or were we? He is off the hook here! Just plain amazing. Every second of him on the screen is pure magic. His ability to switch between personalities is amazing & shows he's one of the greatest actors out there.
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
Kristina (502 KP) rated Sanctum (Asylum, #2) in Books
Dec 7, 2020
3.5 stars
Once again, Madeleine has kept me up way past my bedtime, scared to go to sleep with the lights off. It worries me that I felt so compelled to read Sanctum, the second book in the Asylum series, considering how much I hate being scared. But I did feel compelled and I did read the book - with the lights on, I might add. Of course, to help relieve some of my fear, I did my best to read the whole book in one sitting instead of trying to sleep with unanswered questions scrambling around inside my head. The pictures provided in Sanctum, thankfully, were a lot less creepy than those in Aslyum, though the plot left the same fearful chill. It was pretty amazing to watch everything come together and grow into something so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. Even if I hadn't been aware beforehand that there is a third book, I would immediately know that Dan's story is not over - not when he still possesses that red stone. I don't claim to be a fortune teller, but I foresee more trouble heading Dan's way and I have a feeling that stone is at the center of it. It'll be interesting to see how Madeleine intertwines more into this already complex story. I look forward to unraveling more of Daniel Crawford's mysteries.
Once again, Madeleine has kept me up way past my bedtime, scared to go to sleep with the lights off. It worries me that I felt so compelled to read Sanctum, the second book in the Asylum series, considering how much I hate being scared. But I did feel compelled and I did read the book - with the lights on, I might add. Of course, to help relieve some of my fear, I did my best to read the whole book in one sitting instead of trying to sleep with unanswered questions scrambling around inside my head. The pictures provided in Sanctum, thankfully, were a lot less creepy than those in Aslyum, though the plot left the same fearful chill. It was pretty amazing to watch everything come together and grow into something so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. Even if I hadn't been aware beforehand that there is a third book, I would immediately know that Dan's story is not over - not when he still possesses that red stone. I don't claim to be a fortune teller, but I foresee more trouble heading Dan's way and I have a feeling that stone is at the center of it. It'll be interesting to see how Madeleine intertwines more into this already complex story. I look forward to unraveling more of Daniel Crawford's mysteries.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Halloween (1978) in Movies
Sep 5, 2018 (Updated Sep 5, 2018)
John Carpenter's Slasher still stands tallest
Contains spoilers, click to show
That theme song starts.
You feel it somewhere deep inside, that feeling that something special is going to happen.
Halloween is THE Slasher, with a silent antagonist, an over-the-top performance from Donald Pleasance, the introduction of Jamie Lee Curtis, and the establishment of John Carpenter as one of the foremost purveyors of horror.
Patiently paced, with little time given to explanation of exposition, we are taken on the slow build up of tension as we go from the legendary intro sequence, to a breakout at the asylum, through to the stalking of teenagers by the man in the William Shatner mask.
Lots of shots of Myers just watching, waiting, judging, which could be interpreted as boring on paper, but it is just the right side of unnerving, and it is this constant threat which means the viewer is constantly scanning the edges of the screen, looking for our antagonist.
It contrasts beautifully with the naivety and innocence of his victims, who are just trying to enjoy Halloween as most teenagers are wont to do.
Yes this film is relatively tame compared to the films that have come after, but few can touch the pure sinister feel and atmosphere that Carpenter creates, and it is a simply iconic entry in cinema history.
Watch it for what it is, a genre changing horror film, that changed all that followed it.
No Myers, No Friday 13th, No Scream, No Nightmare On Elm Street.
Its that important.
You feel it somewhere deep inside, that feeling that something special is going to happen.
Halloween is THE Slasher, with a silent antagonist, an over-the-top performance from Donald Pleasance, the introduction of Jamie Lee Curtis, and the establishment of John Carpenter as one of the foremost purveyors of horror.
Patiently paced, with little time given to explanation of exposition, we are taken on the slow build up of tension as we go from the legendary intro sequence, to a breakout at the asylum, through to the stalking of teenagers by the man in the William Shatner mask.
Lots of shots of Myers just watching, waiting, judging, which could be interpreted as boring on paper, but it is just the right side of unnerving, and it is this constant threat which means the viewer is constantly scanning the edges of the screen, looking for our antagonist.
It contrasts beautifully with the naivety and innocence of his victims, who are just trying to enjoy Halloween as most teenagers are wont to do.
Yes this film is relatively tame compared to the films that have come after, but few can touch the pure sinister feel and atmosphere that Carpenter creates, and it is a simply iconic entry in cinema history.
Watch it for what it is, a genre changing horror film, that changed all that followed it.
No Myers, No Friday 13th, No Scream, No Nightmare On Elm Street.
Its that important.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) Sep 30, 2020
AJaneClark (3962 KP) Sep 30, 2020