Search
Search results
Leigh J (71 KP) rated The Chill Factor (1973) in Movies
Nov 9, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
A group of friends are out Snowmobile racing when one has a critical accident. Out in the middle of nowhere in freezing conditions, 2 of the friends go to find help and stumble across a Cabin. The Cabin looks like it was once a Religious Camp but seems abandoned; it has an upside down cross of the mantle and is just very creepy in general. They ignore this and move their friend into the Cabin. Whilst looking around the Cabin they find a picture of some kids in the 1950's who attended when the place was a Camp. Below their picture there is a scroll that says "keep the beast in the field", which one of the friends alludes to the fact that "the beast" often references the Devil. They also discover a "Devil's Eye" board, similar to a Ouija Board and decide to use it. During this, one of the friends that went out for help is killed, one has a seizure and one woman is convinced they've let something evil in; further strengthened by the fact that one of friends finds an article about a Satanic Killer murdering people around that area. Soon enough the friends are getting picked off one by one by supernatural forces, yet the critically injured man is thriving. Could the Killer have returned to the Cabin? Or could this be the work of the Devil's Eye Board?
Chill Factor is one of those typically terrible 80's Horrors (made in 1989). It's slow burning and not in a good way, it feels more like a cheesy TV drama and the murders are substandard and really nothing at all that us Horror fans haven't seen a million times over. Also, it ends in a ridiculous Snowmobile race between Woman and evil... ludicrous.
Chill Factor is one of those typically terrible 80's Horrors (made in 1989). It's slow burning and not in a good way, it feels more like a cheesy TV drama and the murders are substandard and really nothing at all that us Horror fans haven't seen a million times over. Also, it ends in a ridiculous Snowmobile race between Woman and evil... ludicrous.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Life and Times of William Boule in Books
Nov 19, 2019
It took me a long time to get around to reading a Max China book and I had heard a lot of good things about his work. I was not disappointed.
This novel forms a sequel to The Sister but I didn't feel I needed to read that to enjoy this as the characters are introduced and explained well. Carla Black is a journalist who wants to flush out the titular serial killer from his hideaway in Morocco. Meanwhile Miller, a missing persons investigator and former lover of Carla, suspects she may run into trouble and follows on to help her. When Boule runs into Carla unexpectedly, she and Miller end up in a race to safety with the serial killer in determined pursuit.
There are so many things that make this book stand out. China's descriptions of the dusty streets of Morocco, full of colours and smells are extremely immersive. His characters are all very solid and well-drawn. I particularly liked the local police chief who turns out to be a very shrewd and resourceful operator in his own right at working out what is going on. Boule is suitably amoral and nasty, a real sociopath but when the narrative is from his point of view the reader finds out his self-justification for his actions.
China keeps the reader guessing with the direction the plot is going to take next and the pace is frantic, the chase scenes desperate and nerve wracking and the pauses in action claustrophobic with menace. Everything gathers pace and momentum neatly until the final showdown which is perfectly pitched in terms of drama.
I really was impressed by this book and China is an outstanding writer.
(Contains violence and sexual scenes and references)
This novel forms a sequel to The Sister but I didn't feel I needed to read that to enjoy this as the characters are introduced and explained well. Carla Black is a journalist who wants to flush out the titular serial killer from his hideaway in Morocco. Meanwhile Miller, a missing persons investigator and former lover of Carla, suspects she may run into trouble and follows on to help her. When Boule runs into Carla unexpectedly, she and Miller end up in a race to safety with the serial killer in determined pursuit.
There are so many things that make this book stand out. China's descriptions of the dusty streets of Morocco, full of colours and smells are extremely immersive. His characters are all very solid and well-drawn. I particularly liked the local police chief who turns out to be a very shrewd and resourceful operator in his own right at working out what is going on. Boule is suitably amoral and nasty, a real sociopath but when the narrative is from his point of view the reader finds out his self-justification for his actions.
China keeps the reader guessing with the direction the plot is going to take next and the pace is frantic, the chase scenes desperate and nerve wracking and the pauses in action claustrophobic with menace. Everything gathers pace and momentum neatly until the final showdown which is perfectly pitched in terms of drama.
I really was impressed by this book and China is an outstanding writer.
(Contains violence and sexual scenes and references)
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Jigsaw (2017) in Movies
Jan 28, 2020
The Disappointment
Saw - The Start
Saw II - The Clock
Saw III - The Consquence's
Saw IV - The Games
Saw V - The Detective
Saw VI - The Legacy
Saw VII - The Finale
This one - The Disappointment
Let Me Explain- so it toke seven whole years for the studio to come up with a good enough story, so that it can be released to theaters. I mean thats good, isnt. Not in this case. Seven years for a overall disappointing movie, Seven whole years and what did come up with as the result/outcome, this movie. This movie was weird, it was strange, to me it didnt feel like a saw movie, i mean it had some of the elements of a saw movie, but overall to me it didnt seem like one. More of lets try our best to make a reboot of the saw franchise and see how that works out. It didnt work. Now have to wait until May of all months for the next instellment of the saw franchise.
The Plot: After a series of murders bearing all the markings of the Jigsaw killer, law enforcement officials find themselves chasing the ghost of a man who has been dead for over a decade, and they become embroiled in a new game that's only just begun. Is John Kramer back from the dead to remind the world to be grateful for the gift of life? Or is this a trap set by a killer with designs of his own?
The only good thing about this movie was the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw.
Hopefully Chris Rock of all people can save the Saw Franchise and Darren Lynn Bousman returns which is a plus. Well have to wait until May to find out.
Saw II - The Clock
Saw III - The Consquence's
Saw IV - The Games
Saw V - The Detective
Saw VI - The Legacy
Saw VII - The Finale
This one - The Disappointment
Let Me Explain- so it toke seven whole years for the studio to come up with a good enough story, so that it can be released to theaters. I mean thats good, isnt. Not in this case. Seven years for a overall disappointing movie, Seven whole years and what did come up with as the result/outcome, this movie. This movie was weird, it was strange, to me it didnt feel like a saw movie, i mean it had some of the elements of a saw movie, but overall to me it didnt seem like one. More of lets try our best to make a reboot of the saw franchise and see how that works out. It didnt work. Now have to wait until May of all months for the next instellment of the saw franchise.
The Plot: After a series of murders bearing all the markings of the Jigsaw killer, law enforcement officials find themselves chasing the ghost of a man who has been dead for over a decade, and they become embroiled in a new game that's only just begun. Is John Kramer back from the dead to remind the world to be grateful for the gift of life? Or is this a trap set by a killer with designs of his own?
The only good thing about this movie was the return of Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw.
Hopefully Chris Rock of all people can save the Saw Franchise and Darren Lynn Bousman returns which is a plus. Well have to wait until May to find out.
Captive: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero
Ashley Smith and Stacy Mattingly
Book
Now a stirring movie from Paramount Pictures-starring Kate Mara (House of Cards and Fantastic Four)...
Army Sniper Rifle Shooting 3D: A Lone Survivor Assassin Game
Games and Entertainment
App
Ultimate assassin is recruited as marine sniper on contract to takeout enemy soldiers at border...
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Season 15
6.0
Rate It
TV Season
Finlay finds her car rigged to explode ("The CSI Effect") as Sara and Greg are quarantined ("Bad...
The Yard: Book 1
8.0
Rate It
Book
A gripping debut from Alex Grecian, The Yard evokes London in the wake of Jack the Ripper. Victorian...
Duff McKagan recommended Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated 3 From Hell (2019) in Movies
Oct 10, 2020 (Updated Oct 10, 2020)
RIP - Sid Haig
I... wanted to like this so badly, it physically hurts me to write this. I revere the first two films in this trilogy and thought it ended contently on the previous one - though I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to seeing more. However, the way this was practically forced out of Zombie when he wanted to make another film instead (after over a decade of swearing off interest in another sequel already) plus the whole thing being plagued with a stifled budget and Sig Haig's failing health on top of that just makes it a sad affair in more ways than one. It starts off okay, begins with a substantial amount of 'martyred killer' psychobabble ("Justice is a fucking knife", "All hail the man behind the grease paint!") and hallmark Zombie sadism, albeit significantly toned down this time around much to its detriment. I still applaud Zombie in his effort to make every entry into this canon a different experience, but there's nothing going on here - it's essentially a diet retread of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭'𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 meets a boring hangout movie that barely even attempts to delve into the tantalizing Manson-era publicized serial killer culture it teases in its opening scenes. Looks like cheap DTV shit too, especially that criminal CGI blood. Just so disappointingly cursory in its storytelling, obviously this would have suffered without Haig anyway but the Richard Brake replacement character stands around and does jack shit. Moon-Zombie and Moseley are intact but to what effect? Their characters come out worse off than they were 15 years ago. Has enough alright moments to escape being too offensively bad but I'm still immeasurably let down. Dee Wallace is great, though. I wonder what Doctor Satan is up to.
I... wanted to like this so badly, it physically hurts me to write this. I revere the first two films in this trilogy and thought it ended contently on the previous one - though I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to seeing more. However, the way this was practically forced out of Zombie when he wanted to make another film instead (after over a decade of swearing off interest in another sequel already) plus the whole thing being plagued with a stifled budget and Sig Haig's failing health on top of that just makes it a sad affair in more ways than one. It starts off okay, begins with a substantial amount of 'martyred killer' psychobabble ("Justice is a fucking knife", "All hail the man behind the grease paint!") and hallmark Zombie sadism, albeit significantly toned down this time around much to its detriment. I still applaud Zombie in his effort to make every entry into this canon a different experience, but there's nothing going on here - it's essentially a diet retread of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭'𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 meets a boring hangout movie that barely even attempts to delve into the tantalizing Manson-era publicized serial killer culture it teases in its opening scenes. Looks like cheap DTV shit too, especially that criminal CGI blood. Just so disappointingly cursory in its storytelling, obviously this would have suffered without Haig anyway but the Richard Brake replacement character stands around and does jack shit. Moon-Zombie and Moseley are intact but to what effect? Their characters come out worse off than they were 15 years ago. Has enough alright moments to escape being too offensively bad but I'm still immeasurably let down. Dee Wallace is great, though. I wonder what Doctor Satan is up to.
Lenard (726 KP) rated The Kitchen (2019) in Movies
Sep 2, 2019
Hell's Kitchen 1977... the Irish mob takes care of the neighborhood, but times are tough these days. The economy created a new term: stagflation where prices rise, unemployment increases, and the economic growth slows. The supply of gas was cut off. There was a serial killer on the loose. The Irish mob had just experience a change in leadership that changed the dynamic of the neighborhood. The old leader was arrested doing a job as well as his associates. The mob could not afford to take care of the "widows." Using the education of one, the street sense of another, and the killer instinct of the third, they begin to operate their own gang in the neighborhood. A gang that will actually protect the neighborhood from street thugs. But going against the Irish mob is never a good idea no matter how weak they are, so a couple of pacts are sealed and Fate is tempted.
"The Kitchen" is based on a graphic novel series. Multiple story threads and divergent schemes are explored. The whole thing is much better suited for a miniseries or limited series than a feature film. Nowadays there is a cinematic quality to certain shows on pay channels so it wouldn't even lose the visual quality Andrea Berloff wants. This is the only problem with the film. The acting is top-notch, especially character actor Bill Camp. The writing is good. The story just needed a lot more space to grow. Ruby is an extremely complex character that would have benefited from character development inherent in a long-form series. A girl from Harlem who had the softness beaten out of her who has a long game which could have been explored in more depth especially considering the co-conspirators she acquires.
"The Kitchen" is based on a graphic novel series. Multiple story threads and divergent schemes are explored. The whole thing is much better suited for a miniseries or limited series than a feature film. Nowadays there is a cinematic quality to certain shows on pay channels so it wouldn't even lose the visual quality Andrea Berloff wants. This is the only problem with the film. The acting is top-notch, especially character actor Bill Camp. The writing is good. The story just needed a lot more space to grow. Ruby is an extremely complex character that would have benefited from character development inherent in a long-form series. A girl from Harlem who had the softness beaten out of her who has a long game which could have been explored in more depth especially considering the co-conspirators she acquires.