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Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018)
Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror
Slaughterhouse Rulez is a textbook example of a swing and a miss. It tries to give us a nice slice of comedy horror, but executes it pretty miserably.

A few things I liked...
- The fracking company were moustache twirling type villains, and were fairly amusing in the tiny amount of screentime dedicated to them.
- The CGI for the monsters is pretty decent, and the practical effects for close ups are also good.
- The whole final act when the monsters eventually turned up was effectively entertaining

But....

It takes a painfully long time to get to that bit. The hour plus of runtime preceding the monsters attacking is mostly boring setup, messy pacing and dialogue and a waste of a good cast.
The younger cast are fine, but it's hard not to feel that Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Margot Robbie and Michael Sheen are just severely under utilised, in a sometimes humorous comedy that is trying ball achingly hard to be an Edgar Wright movie.

Slaughterhouse Rulez isn't awful by any means, more accurately frustrating because it feels like a much better movie is buried somewhere beneath the final product.
  
The Boy Who Drew Monsters
The Boy Who Drew Monsters
Keith Donohue | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Boy Who Drew Monsters is a slow-burn of a novel. It never really picks up but it sort of meanders through interpersonal relationships, mental illness and Asperger's, a touch of horror, and plenty of atmosphere. While I wasn't wowed by the book, I liked it well enough and would read another Donohue book.
  
DF
Demon Freaks
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a fun in a campy way, while still being relatable because the main characters are in high school. Some people might find it offensive though because "Jesus Christ" is exclaimed a lot. Plus, at one point the characters question whether God exists or not, since demons and monsters exist in this book.
  
Love and Monsters (2021)
Love and Monsters (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
6
7.8 (20 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The CGI and creativity in terms of the monsters is brilliant. The interpretation of the apocalypse is nothing we haven't seen before but it's well executed and there are some pretty cool locations. (0 more)
The storyline is VERY predictable which makes it an easy watch but you'll have guessed the plot after about 25 mins. (0 more)
  
Strange the Dreamer
Strange the Dreamer
Laini Taylor | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Delicious descriptions (2 more)
Fantastical setting
Well written
Some slow pacing (0 more)
On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky. Her skin was blue, her blood was red.
From the from the opening to the last page this story sucked me in and didn't let me go. Granted it was slow at times but the descriptions were so intoxicating. It could easily have been too poetic or too much but the author always seemed to toe the line just right. Recommended if you're in the mood for a dreamy romantic fantasy.

"'You're a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable,' she pleaded. 'Something beautiful and full of monsters.'
'Beautiful and full of monsters?'
'All the best stories are.'"
  
Show all 3 comments.
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AbmostFiction (32 KP) Jul 25, 2017

Me neither. It completely sucked me in and has not let me go!

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BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) Jul 26, 2017

I read it only a month or so ago and I already want to re-read it!

Bird Box (2018)
Bird Box (2018)
2018 | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Cool concept
Contains spoilers, click to show
I really enjoy monster movies. Not getting to actually SEE the monsters makes for an interesting story. Netflix did a good job with this one. Sandra Bullock delivers another great performance(I'm biased-lol). Anyway the acting was really well done and the cinematography was, too. People keep complaining about the ending but I thought it turned out really interesting. No closure to the monsters or any real explanation of what they were, but it showed that there was hope. Sometimes that's all we have to hold onto. Sure, I would've liked to have seen Tom survive with them, but that would have changed the dynamic of the story and Mallory's driving force. All in all I'd say this one is really worth a watch!
  
Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths
Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths
Darren Naish | 2017 | Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Thoughtful and generous look at the so-called science of cryptozoology and some of its most famous subjects. Unlike (for example) Abominable Science!, which largely focused on demolishing the literalist approach to cryptids, Naish's book is more interested in why people keep thinking that they're seeing monsters, identifying a number of cultural and psychological factors.

That said, the book does include a fairly comprehensive overview of the big-name cryptids (bigfoot, Nessie, sea monsters, etc), although as book is written from a scientific perspective the conclusions should come as no great surprise. Accessibly readable and notably positive; makes a coherent case that cryptozoology as a discipline has genuine scientific value even if all the best-known topics of it are bunkum.