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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine (1981) in Movies

Feb 14, 2020 (Updated Feb 14, 2020)  
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
1981 | Horror
6
6.9 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Happy Valentine's Day
My Bloody Valentine- is a underrated horror jem. It also takes place on a holiday. Yes its one of those horror movies. A horror surrounding around a major holiday.

The plot tells about a group of young adults who decide to throw a Valentine's Day party, only to incur the vengeful wrath of an assailant in mining gear who begins a killing spree.

My Bloody Valentine faced notable censorship, having a total of nine minutes cut by the Motion Picture Association of America due to the amount of violence and gore. Though co-producer Dunning confirmed that the excised footage still existed, attempts to release it proved difficult as Paramount Pictures refused to offer an uncut version. In 2009, Lionsgate subsequently acquired home media rights to the film and released Blu-ray and DVD editions with three minutes of additional footage restored. The same year, Lionsgate released a remake of the film.

Oh yea their is a remake of this film. And that i will be reviewing next.

So overall this movie is a slasher horror movie revolving around a major holiday. That is both underrated and a horror jem. Love hurts doesnt it.


Happy Valentine's Day everybody.
  
Shtum
Shtum
Jem Lester | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The cover of this book has statements such as "Ten-year-old Jonah can't speak, but it is time his family listened," and "Jonah has never spoken, yet somehow he communicates better than all of the adults in his life." While Jem Lester's debut novel is about Jonah, a child with severe Autism, it is also about a whole lot more than that. This is why I entitled my review of this book, "The Volumes of Silence" despite the cliché. You'll understand better what I mean, from my review of this wonderful novel here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/05/27/the-volumes-of-silence/
  
Oculus (2014)
Oculus (2014)
2014 | Drama, Horror
8
6.9 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Mirror of misfortune
Oculus- a underrated horror jem that more people should watch.

It is spooky, thrilling, chilling, horrorfying, terrorfying, twisting, suspenseful, and overall a great horror film.

The plot: Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror's evil spell.

A highly reecordmend horror film.
  
The High Season
The High Season
Judy Blundell | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Terrific Beach Read
(Note: I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

You can practically feel the sunlight pouring off the pages of The High Season, which, thanks to National Book Award Winner Judy Blundell's lyrical and painterly prose, is as picturesque as the summery Long Island beach house where the novel's action is set.

Told from the points-of-view of multiple characters, the instantly compelling book introduces us to the local residents and seasonal visitors of a beautiful beach community that's big enough to enjoy but small enough that secrets don't stay that way for long as its inhabitants soon find out.

Although it's made fiscal sense, renting their gorgeous home every summer in order to afford to live in it during the rest of the year has begun to wear on our main protagonist, museum director Ruthie Dutton and her fifteen-year-old daughter Jem.

Renovating a perfect beach house only to need to leave it during its peak season has been a leading cause of the breakdown of her marriage to Mike, with whom she's still on excellent terms, and even though the mature Jem puts up a good front, Ruthie hates the idea of uprooting her each summer.

And when her latest renter makes herself home a little too quickly – setting her sights on Mike, her friends, and possibly a permanent place in North Fork – Ruthie finds herself at war, especially after the renter's college aged stepson takes an interest in Jem, and nonprofit art world politics threaten her livelihood.

Breaking down the action on several fronts, we're also introduced to Ruthie's enigmatic young coworker Doe who's perfected the art of blending in anywhere and with anyone and it's in Doe's chapters that Blundell and the reader has the most fun as she gently satirizes the rich.

The first book the author has penned exclusively for adults, admittedly there are times when The High Season's older characters (especially Ruthie) act more immature than their younger counterparts do in incongruous scenes that hinders their relatability.

A gifted stylist, however, Blundell doesn't lose us for long. As high stakes subplots begin to collide, the book rebounds from a slightly muddled middle act – delivering a final hundred pages you'll fly right through just as fast as this entertaining read flies off shelves this summer.
  
Jem and the Holograms (2015)
Jem and the Holograms (2015)
2015 | Action, Musical, Sci-Fi
3
3.2 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Being a teenager is a confusing time, we want to be accepted, popular, and, at times, invisible. In a world where you feel overlooked and ignored, it is gratifying to have a voice, an identity, some special aspect that is going to make you stand out and be accepted. Jem and the Holograms attempts to make this a theme. Creating your identity and having the ability to shape and form it into a way that it becomes your own shield against the ills of the world. It is a very promising concept and idea when attempting to update the series for today’s audience. Unfortunately there isn’t much substance to the film. The substance that is apparent is quite shallow and undeveloped.

Instead of sticking with the original premise and backstory of the popular cartoon series of the 1980s, it tries to modernize itself in a way that holds onto little of its origin other than the name of some of the characters. There is no heart with this film, there is no feeling driving the movie that makes you want to cheer for the characters to become successful. This is mainly due to the film not giving audiences a chance to like the characters or even learn who they really are. The film makes everything look so easy within the music industry. The basic understanding is that if you post a video online, you might be discovered and are immediately offered a recording contract. This storyline will resonate with many of the “Generation Me” and “Kardashian Culture” crowd that is filled dreams of becoming famous for doing little to nothing.

The story is beyond far-fetched in that it every problem, riddle, issue, and negative moment is resolved in the next scene. There is no struggle for any of the characters other than the possibility that their aunt and foster mother may lose their house, but even this is solved within two minutes.

The one shining light in the film is Juliette Lewis as Erica Raymond, CEO of Starlight Records who gives Jem and her sisters the opportunity to take over the spotlight. She is not only the comic relief, but serves the role as a conniving, manipulative recording manager. This is pretty much the only similarity that exists between this film and the original series. Erica prompts older audiences to think of the Misfits (the nemesis to the Holograms) who were continuously trying to sabotage their careers. The rest of the cast, leaves one not feeling connected to them or their storylines. There is no development for any of the people throughout the film. It almost seems as though when making the film, the production team sat around thinking, “It’s Jem, the music will carry the story.” Unfortunately, the music that is included goes no further than being the typical pop music similar to that which is on every station today. There is nothing that stands out about the music, as catchy as it is, that makes you feel as though you should become invested in who these girls are or even that they have something that makes them stand out. With the time that has passed since the cartoon appeared on television, there should have been more investment in who these girls are and why we should care about them. Audiences don’t have that opportunity, as they become famous, seemingly overnight. It almost makes one want to root against them.

There is a real opportunity missed with this film to combine the original show, catering to older audiences who watched the show as children, and update it for a newer generation. The film would have been much better served with inclusion of many of the elements that made the series have such appeal. The approach is very juvenile and rushed. The original show was more than music, it was about the relationships formed by many of the characters and the various adventures that they would pursue. There were stories with depth and continuity which reinforced the aspects of working hard and achievement of goals. The whole movie looks like a diary entry of what an American tween would see as their life in entertainment. The one positive note about the film is the way that it incorporates social media in the development of the story. It demonstrates the connection that is and can be made through music and pop culture.

Sadly, in contrast to the original series, the film demeans and belittles women. Its approach is short-sighted and does not deal with any aspect of reality that one would expect. Jem is nothing more than a manufactured pop music story. There is little that audiences could relate to. In a sense, it is anti-music, and anti-intellectual. The film itself, is filler and a corruption of the origin story and the time that has passed since it first debuted. Audiences of Jem the TV series may be appalled at what they witness, if they do decide to actually watch the film. For younger audiences, this film reinforces the belief that all kids should get participation trophies because they tried. There is the sense that if you just show up, the opportunity will be handed to you. There is no real work on the screen and it seems as though there was no real work or effort put into creating this film. Younger audiences will tout the music and friendship displayed. Older audiences who were fans of the television show will be soundly disappointed in what they witness on the screen. It is a bastardization of what Jem should be in a modern age. There is no soul to this film. Every note that it hits is flat.

http://sknr.net/2015/10/23/jem-and-the-holograms/
  
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
1962 | Classics, Drama
10
8.8 (24 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Incredible depiction of book (1 more)
Gregory Peck at his finest
Incredibly moving, beautiful film
Very rarely does a film do absolute justice to its original book, but To Kill A Mockingbird exceeds expectations. Gregory Peck was so brilliantly casted as Atticus Finch, the moral figure of society, that you can only envision him while reading the book. The film, set after the Great Depression, is shot in black and white and is beautifully crafted.

The characters of Scout, Jem and Dill are fundamental to the storyline, showing how innocence is lost after being exposed to the discrimination of adults - in this case, an innocent black man accused of raping a young white girl, and a man with mental health issues being stigmatised by his community. A true classic in every sense.
  
This book is different then others I have read. For the format is in Diary setting. Though I understood the story behind it. This was great read. It told more of the history of the Trail. It about a girl that goes though the some hardships and adjustments.

Florrie and her family travel from Arrow Rock, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Florrie and her brother Jem need to adjust to having a stepfather named Mr. Ryder. You learn a lot about the daily life of being on the Santa Fe Trail back in 1848.

Most of this dairy tell you the History of America during that time. Most of the dairy is down on the trail of The Santa Fe Trail. Though that like to learn about America History, this is good for young readers.
  
Dark City (1998)
Dark City (1998)
1998 | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A underrated horror jem
Contains spoilers, click to show
Dark city- has myserty, science, horror, twist and turns throughout the plot.

John Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. The problem is that he can't remember whether he committed the murders or not. For one brief moment, he is convinced that he has gone completely mad. Murdoch seeks to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity. As he edges closer to solving the mystery, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of ominous beings collectively known as the Strangers.

Its a really intresting movie and will make you keep guesting until the end. With its suspense, thrills and a great cast.

Dark city is a great sci-fi horror movie, that more people should watch because it is very underrated.
  
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee | 1989 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.6 (96 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, February is definitely the month for discovering classics I’ve missed! For some reason, I’d always classed To Kill a Mockingbird in amongst the Agatha Christie genre of murder mysteries – not that I’ve read those either – and didn’t know enough about it for it to have piqued my interest. Now I’ve read it though, I can see what all the fuss is about, and it’s not surprising that, despite being published in 1960, it was still the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/aug/09/best-selling-books-all-time-fifty-shades-grey-compare">65th best-selling book of all time</a> in 2012. Beware of spoilers!

The story is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, and is written from the perspective of Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, who is between six and eight years old as the story progresses. The start of the book does an effective job of introducing us to all the characters. Scout lives with her widowed father, Atticus, a lawyer, her brother Jem (who is 4 years older than her) and Calpurnia, a black woman who acts as a type of mother figure. A friend, Dill, also joins them in the summer. The three children are intrigued by Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley, who lives in the house on the corner but is never seen outside. I really enjoyed this part of the story; it set the scene brilliantly, as well as helping me reminisce about my own childhood. Even if there is no ‘haunted’ house, children will always make one – at least, my brother and I did! With the limitless amounts of imagination children have, there will always be adventures to be had and ‘monsters’ to escape from. There was one particular house, when we were around the same age as Jem and Scout, where they had a doorbell you pulled, like a cord. My brother Josh said it was a doorbell that made you scream every time you pulled it, so we obviously had great fun in pulling it, screaming, and running away. If by some fluke the person living there is reading this, I’m really sorry, but it still makes me laugh! There was also every Christmas, when we went carol singing. We had decided that the houses beyond the wood were richer than the others, and every year would link arms, lighting matches to try and find our way in the dark and telling ghost stories the whole time.

Once everything has been established, the book moves on to a case Atticus is defending. A black man, Tom, has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, part of a trashy white family with very poor education and even less money. This is where the casual prejudice of the time is evident – Jem and Scout have to put up with people calling their family a “nigger-lover” (sorry if that language offends, it is a direct quote and I mean no harm); Atticus faces repercussions for his whole-hearted attempt to save Tom; and many of the Maycomb women look down on the black community. However, there’s still a touch of hope – the way Atticus defends Tom’s case makes everybody think, a great feat in the setting where black and white people are in completely different classes. In this part of the story, I really looked up to Atticus, in his seemingly-infinite wisdom.

In the final part of the story, Jem and Scout finally get to meet Boo Radley, and it is here that the title of the book becomes apparent. In the middle of the book, after Jem and Scout get air-rifles, it is said:

<blockquote>When he gave us our air-rifles Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack instructed us in the rudiments thereof; he said Atticus wasn’t interested in guns. Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.

“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”</blockquote>

Obviously, not knowing what was coming, I thought the story must eventually be about the children shooting a mockingbird. The last page of the book, though, I realised that it was a lot more subtle and symbolic than that. The mockingjay is Boo Radley, the man who gives when he can and causes no harm.

I really wish I’d read this story as a child, to see what sort of perspective I’d have had back then. Reading as an adult means that, while Scout was a brilliant perspective, I was almost reading as an outsider. I could see her maturing, slowly fitting the pieces together to start acting like an adult, but at the same time it was an undeniably adult reading. I really really enjoyed the book, but I have a feeling it’s one of those multi-faceted ones where you read something different every time. I can’t help thinking that reading it as a child would have been a lot more powerful.

This review is also on my <a href="http://awowords.wordpress.com">blog</a>; - if you liked it, please check it out!
  
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
1999 | Horror, Mystery, Romance
Sleepy Johnny
Contains spoilers, click to show
I like sleepy hollow dont get me wrong, its a good movie. But their are many problems with it.

Johnny depp in this movie, he seemed like he was tired, drunk, mysterious, and overall wired. Its always when him and tim burton collbrate.

The plot: police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp) sent from New York City to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow by a mysterious Headless Horseman.

If you look on the back of the dvd cover it spoils that christohper walken is the headless horseman. His name is not at the beginning of the credits because of tim didnt want you to know he was in the film.

It has a great supporting cast : Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon, Jeffery Jones, Christopher Lee and Michael Gough.

I think overall sleepy hollow is a underrated horror jem directed by Tim Burton.