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Blown Away
Blown Away
Tate Clover | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emmy Adler is living her dream, opening a kite shop called Strings Attached in Rock Point, Oregon, and living with her best friend Avery right on the beach. However, the morning her shop is due to open, Emmy discovers a dead body, that of Avery’s ex on the beach. With the police certain that Avery is the killer and the evidence mounting against her, Emmy jumps in to find the real killer. Can she do it?

I fell in love with the setting in the first chapter even with the discovery of the dead body by the end of it. The pace was off a couple of times, but everything did come together for the climax, and we got some good twists along the way. Emmy seemed to get angry easily, sometimes I understood and sometimes it seemed over the top. The other characters were a varied bunch and I enjoyed them. Overall, this was a good debut, and I look forward to visiting again soon.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-blown-away-by-clover-tate.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Working Stiff
Working Stiff
Rachel Caine | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bryn Davis knows working at Fairview Mortuary isn't the most glamorous career choice, but at least it offers stable employment--until she discovers her bosses using a drug that resurrects the clientele as part of an extortion racket. Now, Bryn faces being terminated--literally, and with extreme prejudice.

Wit the help of corporate double-agent Patrick McCallister, Bryn has a chance to take down the bigger problem--pharmaceutical company Pharmadene, which treats death as the ultimate corporate loyalty program. She'd better do it fast, before she becomes a zombie slave--a real working stiff. She'd be better off dead...




A new spin on the idea of zombie or living dead. This is a reread for me and I love the series. Rachel Caine is definitely one of my favourite Authors. This has strong female lead with a good storyline.
  
Show all 4 comments.
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AJaneClark (3962 KP) Oct 2, 2019

I have read the Morganville series, that’s what encouraged me to look for more of her writing. I loved how Morganville was written.

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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) Oct 5, 2019

I've just started stillhouse Lake it's really good

Tim Burton&#039;s Corpse Bride (2005)
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005)
2005 | Action, Animation, Comedy
8
7.7 (29 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Boy Meets Dead Girl
When a young man named Victor Van Dort is engaged to a young woman named Victoria Everglot (Victor, Victoria, get it?) due to Victor's family, the Van Dorts wanting to get Victor to marry Victoria because they want to be in high society; while Victoria's parents, the Everglots, want Victoria to marry Victor in order to get more money from the Van Dorts, Victor ends up messing up his wedding rehearsals to Victoria and ends up going into the woods to practice his wedding vows. Unfortunately, Victor accidentally places his wedding ring on a bony finger that was embedded in the ground and he ends up being engaged to Emily, the Corpse Bride. Meanwhile, in the living world, a sly and diabolical gentlemen named Lord Barkis Bittern wants to take Victoria's hand in marriage in case Victor does not come back to the living world.

Can Victor get back to the world of the living and who will he choose: Victoria or Emily?

I have been watching many of Tim Burton's animated films and "Corpse Bride" happens to be one of his most ingenious works yet! I loved the fact that this movie was based off an ancient folktale about a man accidentally marrying a corpse as I love reading about folktales in general and this movie definitely has the ancient folktale feel to it. I also enjoyed seeing the two different worlds between the living world and the world of the dead as they contrast each other in a very unique way. In this case, the world of the living is seen as a dreary black and white world while the world of the dead is shown in a loud and colorful manner, which is surprising since you would expect to see the world of the dead as a dreary place while the world of the living is a colorful place. I also enjoyed the relationship shared between Victor and Emily, even though Victor at first didn't want to be in the world of the dead. Even though the idea of even communicating with a talking corpse is horrifying at best, this film managed to make the interactions between Emily and Victor be as charming as can be and I was able to really enjoy their innocent bantering with each other! I really loved the way that each voice actor portrayed the characters as they made them come to life, especially with the performance of Johnny Depp as Victor as he made Victor sound timid yet friendly at the same time. I really loved Helena Bonham Carter's performance as Emily the Corpse Bride as she was probably the most interesting character in the entire movie and I loved the way that Emily is so innocent and yet can be pretty frightening when she wants to be!

The only issue I had with this film was that I felt that the songs in this movie were not as memorable as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and they didn't really get me to feel so much for the characters' situations since they weren't catchy or emotional enough. I also wished that the movie actually explored the characters a bit more like explain how Victoria's family got into financial troubles in the first place and what was Lord Barkis Bittern like as a character before he is introduced into this film.

Overall, "Corpse Bride" is a great film for anyone who is a huge fan of Tim Burton's dark comedy films and who loves watching films starring dead characters in general!

Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/movie-review-corpse-bride-2005.html
  
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Dead Man Walking ( Death in a Northern Town book 3)
By Pete McKeirnon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My name is John Diant. Tortured father to a missing teenage girl, friend to a retro 1980s music obsessed Scouse smart arse and brother to Runcorn’s answer to Chuck Norris, only with less hair and a shitter beard. It has been several days since the zombie apocalypse came to Runcorn and now my home town, is nothing more than a dead town.This is my journal…The comedy horror trilogy continues with Death in a Northern Town 3: Dead Man Walking. Follow John, 80s Dave, Butty and Emily on their journey through zombie infested Runcorn, trying their best to survive against both the dead and the living.


I’ve said it after every book I bloody love this series!! This one was a just as good as the first two. I actually nearly wet myself laughing (or could be I’m getting old and after having 4 kids things get that way 😂😂😂) and also woke my husband at 1am at 80s Daves dream. The Tina Turner nut bush started it but Freddie Kruger and the mayonnaise spoon just had me in bits. I absolutely love this writers style and I still think it’s one of the best zombie books I’ve read. I urge everyone to read it. Also yay for zombie geese and ducks!!
  
Night of the Comet (1984)
Night of the Comet (1984)
1984 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Not as good as I remember
I was hoping this film held up over the years like Breakfast Club, Fright Night or even Night of the Living Dead, but not really.

Two teenage are among the few who survive an encounter with a comet that leaves most of the world's population dead turned into orange ash or mutated zombies. Instead of being overly concerned about their situation, they decide to go shopping and do makeovers on themselves with all the latest 80s fashions and make up trends. A few scientist types who also survived are harvesting some other normal people to collect their blood to ease in prolonged exposure.

Seeing all the 80s clothing, hairstyles and musical score was fun, but there were not many laughs. I can forgive low budget if the camp factor is entertaining enough; however, last night when I watched it mostly fell flat.

Kind of disappointed.

  
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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) Apr 1, 2019

This is one of my favorite bad movies! ?

Emma and Granny have traveled to Las Vegas to investigate a ghost haunting a lightbulb. What they discover leads to a murder and a kidnapping. Can they stop this new chain of events?

As always, the plot is strong with some nice work from the characters and plenty of great twists before it is all over. The characters, new and old, living and dead, are strong, and I enjoyed spending time with them. All told, a great trip to Vegas that won't leave you broke from gambling.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-ghost-of-gamble-by-sue-ann.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
2003 | Horror

"And then I’d probably say, to round it out, probably The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. First time going to see that — I remember going to see that. Or Rocky Horror Picture Show, we can make those tied. Finally when I got some wheels and could drive out of town, I would drive for hours and days to go see a movie. I would go to great lengths to see movies. One time I rode my bicycle for seven hours just to see Night of the Living Dead. I did it in the rain, like, “I’m going to see this f—ing movie if it’s the last thing I do!"

Source
  
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
1968 | Horror
All these years later, and Night of the Living Dead still stands up so well. It has wonderful cinematography for a start. Multiple shots really stuck in my head when I was a kid, and still get me now. This is also down to the films horror. NOTLD is raw horror through and through. The half eaten face at the top of the stairs still incites such a visceral reaction in me. It's gives me unpleasant tingles every time it hits the screen. I hate it (and love it). The death-by-trowel scene is still unpleasant and uncomfortable to watch. Tom and Judy in the exploding truck is still gut wrenching. The ending is so depressingly nihilistic. The film itself may be dated, sure, but these moments and more are examples of pure horror, and are a huge part of why Night is such a pillar of the genre. It still makes me feel the same terror that I felt as a kid, and that's really something.
All of this is bolstered by a fantastic lead performance from Duane Jones, taking charge of a small cast of well written characters, backed up by a rousing music score.

Night of the Living Dead is an all timer, that saw George Romero lay the ground rules and set the tone for one of the most popular horror sub genres of all time. Long live the king.
  
The Walking Dead  - Season 3
The Walking Dead - Season 3
2012 | Drama
Character Development (4 more)
Setting
Zombie Makeup
Exciting Storyline
Surprising Twists
Keeps Getting Better
Although I'm not the biggest fan of The Govenor even as a villian, I have a certain appreciation for his skill at lying and manipulation. In this season we find our favorite characters confronted with a whole new set of problems, trying to establish a steady homestead and learning how to live alongside neighbors. Much to say everything goes sideways and then some as war breaks out, not between the living and the dead, but between two struggling parties of survivors. This is a wonderful new twist to an already amazing, established show. My second time watching and I'm still in love with it!
  
No Rest for the Living (Death in a Northern Town #2)
No Rest for the Living (Death in a Northern Town #2)
Peter McKeirnon | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Humor & Comedy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
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Kindle
No Rest for the Living ( Death in a Northern Town book 2)
By Peter McKeirnon

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

"My name is John Diant. Father, brother, head of the anti-mayonnaise society and slayer of the living dead. It’s now over a day since I last updated this journal. Over a day since my daughter Emily, her boyfriend Jonathon and my retro friend 80s Dave and I made it to my brother's house. After fighting the undead population of Runcorn to get here, we thought we'd be safe but nothing could have prepared us for what came next."

Death in a Northern Town continues with No Rest for the Living. Journal entries from survivor John Diant bring you the zombie apocalypse from his perspective whilst chapters bring you tales from the town and the struggles that survivors continue to face.

Absolutely brilliant again! I had to stop myself laughing my head off at 3am in case I woke my husband. These books are so funny,gory and well written. This one was a bit more serious than the first poor Jonathan being killed that way to was not good I’m sad to see him go but I do love an author that doesn’t hold back when finishing characters off not matter the length of time in the book.
I’m really looking forward to the next book.