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Awix (3310 KP) rated The Associates of Sherlock Holmes in Books

Jan 23, 2020

A mixed bag of Sherlockian pastiches, each focusing on a different member of the supporting cast: these range from the very well-known to the rather obscure (e.g. Holmes' rival Barker, here recast as a Dorrington-esque chancer). Holmes himself is central to some of the stories, but almost entirely absent from others - so we get a range of different kinds of story. Holmes and Lestrade hunt for a Ripper-like serial killer; Irene Adler seeks revenge on the man she believes destroyed her life; Sebastian Moran sets out to hunt down a quarry with surprisingly large feet. Most of these are relatively 'straight', but some of the contributions enter the realms of horror and the paranormal.

Mostly fun and readable stuff, though, with nothing too shockingly revisionist (it's amusing to note that the authors here can't decide amongst themselves where exactly Dr Watson was shot). None of the stories is really outstanding, but there are no absolute stinkers either (although the one which attempts to 'fix' some of the absurder features of The Speckled Band by recourse to the introduction of Tibetan thought-projection techniques probably comes closest). Proof of the endless fun to be gained from playing around with this set of characters.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated Underwater (2020) in Movies

Feb 9, 2020

Underwater (2020)

2020 | Horror, Sci-Fi

6.5

(26 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Solid (if slightly derivative) horror-SF movie with extra added treats for fans of classic weird fiction. Following a disaster at a deep-sea drilling site, the survivors must try to make their way to safety, contending with the collapsing installation and grotesque and hostile marine creatures. Who or what exactly have they woken up...? One of those movies where you can have fun spotting all the things it's ripping off (Alien, Gravity, The Abyss, numerous others) but none the worse for that: the movie plays with genre tropes intelligently even if some of the storytelling could have been tighter.

That said, I probably wouldn't have bothered to see this movie if a member of my RPG group hadn't spotted that it contains a fairly sizable easter egg of particular interest to us, so we trooped down en masse and mostly had a very enjoyable time. Fans of Providence's most famous writer of horror stories will probably also get a kick out of Underwater, although I would imagine this works equally well for the uninitiated. Solid production values, decent direction and performances from a good cast; I imagine this film will find a natural home in the 9pm slot on the Horror Channel and do very well for itself there.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Uncanny (1977) in Movies

Mar 7, 2020 (Updated Mar 7, 2020)

The Uncanny (1977)

1977 | Horror

5.8

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

So-so horror anthology would almost certainly be totally unwatchable without the presence of fine actors like Peter Cushing, Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence doing their damnedest to lift some rather dubious material. The frame story concerns a conspiracy by cats to secretly run the world, but the different segments are all about vengeance-by-cat: various people get their comeuppances at the paws of our whiskered friends.

First story (maid murders her employer over an amended will) is okay but nothing special; second one (orphan with witchy tendencies finds her cat is not welcome in her new home) is let down by iffy special effects and iffier child acting; third (rum goings-on in 30s Hollywood) is the best, being a rather tongue-in-cheek look at the horror film industry (the suspiciously-named company 'Hemorrhage Films' is involved). None of them are honestly what you'd call great, though, and there is perhaps too much reliance on actors standing around while stage-hands throw stuffed cats at them. A bit more graphic and nasty than you tend to find in films from this genre, but only relatively speaking. Passes the time decently enough if low-budget horror portmanteaus from the 70s are your thing.

Kudos

Phil Maxwell (25 KP) rated Seinfeld - Season 1 in TV

Apr 9, 2020 (Updated Apr 9, 2020)

Likeable main characters, but not given enough time to shine (0 more)

Painfully short (2 more)

Hadn't really found it's way in the beginning

Seemed like a Pilot in 5 parts

Slow To Start

So... I have recently started binging Seinfeld from the beginning, after not having watched it for years.
I probably should've started from Season 2, though really, as, had I been watching it on television when it first aired, I'd have probably not paid Seinfeld too much mind.
Aside from being painfully short (with a run of only 5 episodes), I find in retrospect that the storylines were incredibly banal and didn't really serve to make any of the characters have any lasting affect on the viewer.
Jerry, his ex Elaine, his friend George and Cosmo Kramer, the quirky presumptuous neighbour, all had an opportunity to make an impression in Season 1, yet none of them really hit the nail on the head.
It seemed, to me at least, like all 5 episodes were basically a Pilot broken up into pieces, and it really showed. I am thankful I stayed with it, though, as when the show progressed past that everyone seemed to find their niche that little bit more, and the storylines became more rich with it.