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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated A Christmas Horror Story (2015) in Movies
Dec 24, 2020
As far as anthology horrors go, A Christmas Horror Story is so-so. It tells four seperate tales, all connected to each other in someway, not to dissimilar to Trick R' Treat in terms of structure.
They vary in quality of course. One of them is a ghost story, as three students go about exploring the abandoned crime scene of two people murdered in ritual sacrifice on Christmas the year before. This one was plain boring. It was creepy in places, and is presented occasionally in a found footage style. The characters here are pretty unlikable, and doesn't really offer much to the overall film bar a couple of predictable jump scares.
Another revolves around a couple who's child goes missing whilst chopping down a Christmas tree for their home. They find the child, but eventually find out that he is in fact a shapeshifting troll. Chaos ensues. This one was ok, some good performances by Adrian Holmes and Olunike Adeliyi certainly help it carry more gravitas.
A third story revolves around Krampus preying on a family trying to make amends with some long lost relatives. Again, this one was ok. It's quite visually pleasing in its setting, but it's a pretty standard short revolving around a story we've already heard a hundred times. Krampus looks good enough considering it's a dude in make up.
And the the fourth story is easily the best of the bunch. It revolves around Santa fending off his elves in Christmas Eve when they succumb to a zombie style virus. Santa stomping around decapitating zombie elves by the bucket load is exactly what I signed up for. It also has the films best twist, which is pretty damn bleak, and features a Santa vs Krampus showdown. The film's worth watching for this segment alone!
Overall, A Christmas Horror Story is entertaining enough to justify a Yuletide watch. It has half decent production values (if you ignore the occasional piss poor CGI), some passable gore, and all the stories are inter cut by mother fucking William Shatner of all people, who actually seems to be having a good time here. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece and I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy.
They vary in quality of course. One of them is a ghost story, as three students go about exploring the abandoned crime scene of two people murdered in ritual sacrifice on Christmas the year before. This one was plain boring. It was creepy in places, and is presented occasionally in a found footage style. The characters here are pretty unlikable, and doesn't really offer much to the overall film bar a couple of predictable jump scares.
Another revolves around a couple who's child goes missing whilst chopping down a Christmas tree for their home. They find the child, but eventually find out that he is in fact a shapeshifting troll. Chaos ensues. This one was ok, some good performances by Adrian Holmes and Olunike Adeliyi certainly help it carry more gravitas.
A third story revolves around Krampus preying on a family trying to make amends with some long lost relatives. Again, this one was ok. It's quite visually pleasing in its setting, but it's a pretty standard short revolving around a story we've already heard a hundred times. Krampus looks good enough considering it's a dude in make up.
And the the fourth story is easily the best of the bunch. It revolves around Santa fending off his elves in Christmas Eve when they succumb to a zombie style virus. Santa stomping around decapitating zombie elves by the bucket load is exactly what I signed up for. It also has the films best twist, which is pretty damn bleak, and features a Santa vs Krampus showdown. The film's worth watching for this segment alone!
Overall, A Christmas Horror Story is entertaining enough to justify a Yuletide watch. It has half decent production values (if you ignore the occasional piss poor CGI), some passable gore, and all the stories are inter cut by mother fucking William Shatner of all people, who actually seems to be having a good time here. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece and I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy.
The Wit and Wisdom of P.G. Wodehouse
Book
This is the 'Wit and Wisdom of the Master' - all compacted into 128 pithy pages! Tony Ring, the...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Toto's Tale in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Everyone knows the story of The Wizard of Oz... but since Toto couldn't talk, he never got his chance to tell the story. Now Toto tells what really happened in Oz after the windstorm that changed magical history. Toto becomes the main character in this story, and his mission is to save his pet girl and get her back to Kansas.
Toto's Tale was absolutely adorable. I fell in love with Toto right away. He has a wonderful personality and is very intelligent. Hays and Weidman did a very good job capturing the interior monologue of a dog who could not talk until this point. He was funny and a little quirky, and thought himself a lot bigger than he really was. But it only added to his charm.
Hilariously, Toto has a much better language than humans, and some of their words don't translate to dog-talk, so some of the human's dialogue is replaced with funny words that rhyme, or just the word "something." Along the way, they meet a straw man who says he needs some "trains," a Metal Man who needs a "cart," and a Big Cat who needs some "Porridge". They swallow the jello brick road to find the Lizard who will send them home.
The illustrations were adorable too. They were basic pen and ink drawings, one ever few chapters, displaying a lot of character. The supporting characters in the story like Happy the evil-turned-good Wolf, the bugs that Toto talks to, the Not-really-a-wizard, and the flying monkeys were quickly established and fun to read. As mentioned earlier, some of the dialogue of humans doesn't' translate to dog-talk, and the "something something"s got a little annoying after a while, but all in all I greatly enjoyed reading Toto's tale.
I loved Toto's tale and am going to get my little brother to read it when I go home for Christmas. It was a fast fun read.
Recommended for ages 6-14, and fun-loving teens and adults as well! A great Christmas gift for dog-lovers or Oz-lovers.
Review by Haley Mathiot, copyright 2010. Do not copy without permission. See policy, disclosure, and source at my blog (http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com) and full review here: (http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-and-tour-toto-tale.html)
Toto's Tale was absolutely adorable. I fell in love with Toto right away. He has a wonderful personality and is very intelligent. Hays and Weidman did a very good job capturing the interior monologue of a dog who could not talk until this point. He was funny and a little quirky, and thought himself a lot bigger than he really was. But it only added to his charm.
Hilariously, Toto has a much better language than humans, and some of their words don't translate to dog-talk, so some of the human's dialogue is replaced with funny words that rhyme, or just the word "something." Along the way, they meet a straw man who says he needs some "trains," a Metal Man who needs a "cart," and a Big Cat who needs some "Porridge". They swallow the jello brick road to find the Lizard who will send them home.
The illustrations were adorable too. They were basic pen and ink drawings, one ever few chapters, displaying a lot of character. The supporting characters in the story like Happy the evil-turned-good Wolf, the bugs that Toto talks to, the Not-really-a-wizard, and the flying monkeys were quickly established and fun to read. As mentioned earlier, some of the dialogue of humans doesn't' translate to dog-talk, and the "something something"s got a little annoying after a while, but all in all I greatly enjoyed reading Toto's tale.
I loved Toto's tale and am going to get my little brother to read it when I go home for Christmas. It was a fast fun read.
Recommended for ages 6-14, and fun-loving teens and adults as well! A great Christmas gift for dog-lovers or Oz-lovers.
Review by Haley Mathiot, copyright 2010. Do not copy without permission. See policy, disclosure, and source at my blog (http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com) and full review here: (http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-and-tour-toto-tale.html)
Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow!
8.0
Rate It
Book
'Tis the season for sleuthing in Donna Andrews' cheery new addition to the New York Times...
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) in Movies
Oct 29, 2019
Classic
Everything about this movie i love. The amimated, the visuals, the story, the songs, the charcters and so much more. It is both a halloween and christmas movie. It is not just one, but its both. Thats what i love. So lets talk about it...
The Plot: The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score, and provided the singing voice of Jack.
The charcters are so memorable, you remember what their look like, what lines their say, who their are.
Even though Henry selick directed this film, it is Tim Burton's film. Everything about this movie is a Tim Burton film- the charcters, the setting, the story, the darkness and so much more. Makes this film a tim burton film. Its also called Tim Burtons: The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It is a classic animated fantasy stop motion horror film, that is loved by all. A must see film.
Lastly shout out to @LeftSideCut for getting the hints/clues for this review right.
The Plot: The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score, and provided the singing voice of Jack.
The charcters are so memorable, you remember what their look like, what lines their say, who their are.
Even though Henry selick directed this film, it is Tim Burton's film. Everything about this movie is a Tim Burton film- the charcters, the setting, the story, the darkness and so much more. Makes this film a tim burton film. Its also called Tim Burtons: The Nightmare Before Christmas.
It is a classic animated fantasy stop motion horror film, that is loved by all. A must see film.
Lastly shout out to @LeftSideCut for getting the hints/clues for this review right.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Governess of Highland Hall (Edwardian Brides, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
I have finally made some time to read a few books on my TBR list that have been taunting me with their sweet descriptions. And oh gosh, I can NOT believe that it has taken me so long to read this book! The Governess of Highland Hall was perfect for satisfying the Downton Abbey fan in me. And Carrie Turansky's descriptions and attention to detail drew me into Edwardian England and I got lost wandering down the road alongside Julia...my husband didn't see me for days. Because it is the same era as Downton Abbey I was tempted to think of the characters in relation to the show, but boy are they different! Let's just say the housekeeper, is no Mrs. Hughes. However, she definitely adds a very interesting twist on the story. Throughout this book you will see the storyline unfold through multiple perspectives. It was easy to follow along and added a lot of depth and insight to our supporting characters. I LOVE Sir William's sister Sarah! And I just giggled with delight to find out that Sir William's cousin (and dependent) Katherine Ramsey is our leading lady in the next book. SO excited to read her story. One of the things mentioned in this book are Christmas crackers...And let me tell you, if you have never had these at Christmas you are missing out! We started our own tradition last year with these, and they were a HUGE hit! No one else in the family knew what they were, but the immediately put on their paper crown, and we all wore them throughout dinner. You can order them on Amazon. This isn't the first book I have read about a governess. Not a servant, not a part of the family...But they pour so much into the children. Love them, raise them, and they are so easily cast aside. It can be a sad lot from what I have seen. However, we are reminded throughout the story, that we must walk on God's path for our lives. We may not understand His purpose or His ways, but we must trust that He loves us, His children, and wants the best for us. I encourage you, as this book encouraged me, to keep your heart tender toward the Lord's voice and follow where He leads. Now, bring me book two!
But Bottom line, "You have bewitched me body and soul."
But Bottom line, "You have bewitched me body and soul."
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Frankenweenie (2012) in Movies
Oct 31, 2020
Black & White (3 more)
Dark
Tim Burton
Stop Motion
A Boys Best Friend
Frankenweenie- is a halloween classic. Ive wanted to watch this film for couple of years now and it was not disappointed.
The plot: Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a science nerd and outsider at school, but he does have one good friend: his dog, Sparky. But then, tragedy strikes, and Sparky shuffles off this mortal coil. Victor is heartbroken, but his science teacher (Martin Landau) gives him an idea of how to jolt old Sparky back to life. The experiment is successful, and all goes well, until Victor's fellow students steal his secret and use it to resurrect other dead animals -- with monstrous consequences.
It is a feature-length remake of Burton's 1984 short film of the same name and is also both a parody of and homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley's book of the same name.
This is the final horror film released under the Disney banner until Ready Or Not on August 21, 2019 from Fox Searchlight Pictures, which was bought by Disney in 2019.
The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands); Martin Short (Mars Attacks!); Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas); and Martin Landau (Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow), along with some new voice actors, such as Charlie Tahan and Atticus Shaffer.
Its a dark humor twisted film.
The plot: Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a science nerd and outsider at school, but he does have one good friend: his dog, Sparky. But then, tragedy strikes, and Sparky shuffles off this mortal coil. Victor is heartbroken, but his science teacher (Martin Landau) gives him an idea of how to jolt old Sparky back to life. The experiment is successful, and all goes well, until Victor's fellow students steal his secret and use it to resurrect other dead animals -- with monstrous consequences.
It is a feature-length remake of Burton's 1984 short film of the same name and is also both a parody of and homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley's book of the same name.
This is the final horror film released under the Disney banner until Ready Or Not on August 21, 2019 from Fox Searchlight Pictures, which was bought by Disney in 2019.
The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands); Martin Short (Mars Attacks!); Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas); and Martin Landau (Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow), along with some new voice actors, such as Charlie Tahan and Atticus Shaffer.
Its a dark humor twisted film.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated A Tale of Two Hearts (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas, #2) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Innkeeper’s daughter Mina Scott will do anything to escape the drudgery of her life. She saves every penny to attend a finishing school, dreaming of the day she’ll become a real lady—and catch the eye of William Barlow, a frequent guest at the inn. William is a gentleman’s son, a charming rogue but penniless. However, his bachelor uncle will soon name an heir—either him or his puritanical cousin. In an effort to secure the inheritance, William gives his uncle the impression he’s married, which works until he’s invited to bring his wife for a visit. William asks Mina to be his pretend bride, only until his uncle names an heir on Christmas Day. Mina is flattered and frustrated by the offer, for she wants a true relationship with William. Yet, she agrees. . .then wishes she hadn’t as she comes to love the old man. And when the truth is finally discovered, more than just money is lost. Can two hearts survive such a deception?
My Thoughts: Mina has had her eye on Will since the first time she served him at her father's inn; so when Will asks her to help him by pretending to be his bride, she jumps at the chance. But as Mina and Will find out, deception brings on worries and more deception. They soon learn that as the Bible says that truth will set you free. There are many lessons in this novel. One is to not lie, to be truthful in all things. It's never good to keep secrets. It's never a good thing to play with another's affections. It is also a story of forgiveness and second chances.
This was a fun book to read. This is the second book in the series "Once Upon a Dickens Christmas" and even though I haven't read the first one, it was easy to read and follow along. The characters were fun, Mina being the main character is a sweet young woman who loves to read. The readers are instantly drawn to her. Then there are Will's cousins, which I found to be very comical and in some ways true to life.
Michelle Griep is a wonderful writer, who holds the reader's attention and adds a little whimsy to the characters and story-line.
I truly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading more from Michelle Griep.
My Thoughts: Mina has had her eye on Will since the first time she served him at her father's inn; so when Will asks her to help him by pretending to be his bride, she jumps at the chance. But as Mina and Will find out, deception brings on worries and more deception. They soon learn that as the Bible says that truth will set you free. There are many lessons in this novel. One is to not lie, to be truthful in all things. It's never good to keep secrets. It's never a good thing to play with another's affections. It is also a story of forgiveness and second chances.
This was a fun book to read. This is the second book in the series "Once Upon a Dickens Christmas" and even though I haven't read the first one, it was easy to read and follow along. The characters were fun, Mina being the main character is a sweet young woman who loves to read. The readers are instantly drawn to her. Then there are Will's cousins, which I found to be very comical and in some ways true to life.
Michelle Griep is a wonderful writer, who holds the reader's attention and adds a little whimsy to the characters and story-line.
I truly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading more from Michelle Griep.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated What Light in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Almost a decade after Jay Asher wowed readers with his debut novel, he returns to the literary scene with a brand new young adult romance. <i>What Light</i> focuses on the life of a good-natured girl living a complicated life. It is almost as if the teenaged Sierra is living two lives: eleven months on a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, followed by a month selling them in California. Due to the struggling business, this year may be the last time Sierra spends Christmas in California; however it is also the first year she meets the boy of her dreams.
Knowing that a romantic relationship is unlikely to survive the long distance between the two states, Sierra cannot help her developing feelings towards the handsome Caleb. Using his own money to purchase Christmas trees for families who cannot afford them, Caleb seems like the perfect guy; however rumours suggest he has a rather dubious history. Struggling to convince everyone that Caleb is a good person, Sierra suffers the consequences of strained relationships with her friends back home. The big issue is: should she continue to support Caleb even though in a couple of weeks she may never see him again?
As young adult romance novels go, <i>What Light</i> is fairly typical. Girl and boy meet; there are various issues to resolve; but things turn out all right in the end. If you are into those types of stories then this is the book for you, sadly, Asher does not bring anything new to the genre.
After reading several of these types of predictable novels, it becomes noticeable how unrealistic they are. The amount of youngsters in committed relationships is rather suspicious, especially the ones that seems to happen as if by accident or fate – although, from the readers perspective, are so obvious from the very beginning.
There is nothing deep or meaningful within this narrative – not a criticism of <i>What Light</i>, rather an observation of the genre – but it is sufficient for a quick read to pass the time, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period. There is nothing to disappoint the reader in terms of conclusion – it could be described as what some would call a “fluffy read”.
Overall, <i>What Light</i> is a novel that maintains the status quo of young adult romance, providing brief entertainment for those seeking a happy love story. With beautiful (in terms of personality) characters and settings, Jay Asher is likely to win back all the fans that had given up waiting for his next book to be written.
Almost a decade after Jay Asher wowed readers with his debut novel, he returns to the literary scene with a brand new young adult romance. <i>What Light</i> focuses on the life of a good-natured girl living a complicated life. It is almost as if the teenaged Sierra is living two lives: eleven months on a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, followed by a month selling them in California. Due to the struggling business, this year may be the last time Sierra spends Christmas in California; however it is also the first year she meets the boy of her dreams.
Knowing that a romantic relationship is unlikely to survive the long distance between the two states, Sierra cannot help her developing feelings towards the handsome Caleb. Using his own money to purchase Christmas trees for families who cannot afford them, Caleb seems like the perfect guy; however rumours suggest he has a rather dubious history. Struggling to convince everyone that Caleb is a good person, Sierra suffers the consequences of strained relationships with her friends back home. The big issue is: should she continue to support Caleb even though in a couple of weeks she may never see him again?
As young adult romance novels go, <i>What Light</i> is fairly typical. Girl and boy meet; there are various issues to resolve; but things turn out all right in the end. If you are into those types of stories then this is the book for you, sadly, Asher does not bring anything new to the genre.
After reading several of these types of predictable novels, it becomes noticeable how unrealistic they are. The amount of youngsters in committed relationships is rather suspicious, especially the ones that seems to happen as if by accident or fate – although, from the readers perspective, are so obvious from the very beginning.
There is nothing deep or meaningful within this narrative – not a criticism of <i>What Light</i>, rather an observation of the genre – but it is sufficient for a quick read to pass the time, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period. There is nothing to disappoint the reader in terms of conclusion – it could be described as what some would call a “fluffy read”.
Overall, <i>What Light</i> is a novel that maintains the status quo of young adult romance, providing brief entertainment for those seeking a happy love story. With beautiful (in terms of personality) characters and settings, Jay Asher is likely to win back all the fans that had given up waiting for his next book to be written.