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Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Outland Exile: Book 1 of Old Men and Infidels in Books
Jan 9, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Contains spoilers, click to show
Outland Exile Book 1: Old Men and Infidels by W. Clark Boutwell was very enjoyable to read after I got into it a bit. The book was somewhat confusing to start out but the author unfolds the story layer by layer to slowly explain the world that the main character lives in. The vocabulary in this book made me consult a dictionary a few different times to check words that were strange to me, an unusual occurrence for someone who reads frequently.
The main reason that it was hard for me to initially enjoy the book was because of the authors use of short phrases. These phrases made the reading feel choppy and prevented a nice even flow. I believe this was mainly a problem because it frequently took the immersion away from the story, and jarringly forced me back into the real world as I re-read a section to see if it made more sense. I feel that many readers enjoy the immersion in a fictional world when reading a good book, so this may be a bit of an issue for some.
W. Clark Boutwell also appears to have a very good education, possibly with a large focus on the English language. The reason that I think this might be the case is because of the vocabulary found in the book, some of which seemed unnecessary. Words such as “metaphoric” “adroitly” and “remonstrations” were used, much to my initial confusion. Then there was also “pantomimed”, “sere”, and “realpolitik” that had me searching for a dictionary. On top of the strange wording at times the author also used terms such as “snakelike” and “warlike” with frequency. The amount these words were used make them almost feel overused or like errors.
The amazing plot-line of the story also offers a few different lessons that many people will have to learn in their lives. The first of these lessons is the fact that not everyone, including the government, is not always operating in your best interest. It shows that often the people who are considered to be higher-ups are more worried about themselves and their advancement than the ‘little people’ that they hurt along the way. The book also shows that a simple life is often happier than a technology-filled one, proving that the technology that is supposed to be bringing us together is also causing us to lose touch with other people at the same time. Finally, it brings to light an idea that some might find difficult to accept. That fact would be that not everything you grow up believing is necessarily the truth and that history is almost always written by the winners and the loser’s voice gets lost.
During the course of the story Malila, a Lieutenant for the Unity is sent out to Sunprairie Station with a group of bodyguards in order to repair the station. She then finds herself in the hands of Jesse Johnstone and making her way to Kentucky and stopping at a village across the Ohio River. It is here that she starts to learn just how lacking her life in the Unity was. She also learns just how much of a captive she was in her “free” Unity and how much of her supposed life there was all just an illusion.
What I liked best was watching Malila expand and grow as an individual. The author’s writing made me feel like I actually knew the characters. When tragedy struck I felt real worry and concern for them and did not want to stop reading until I knew what happened to them. On the other side, I least liked the fact that I almost gave up on reading the book early because of how slow and choppy the writing felt. The use of the obscure words made me believe there were multiple misspellings only to find that the words were just typically unused.
The target readers for this story would be young adults, starting at about high school aged and older. Concepts of pleasure sex and a few mentions of rape make this book unsuitable for most younger readers. With all of this being said I would give this book the rating 3 out of 4 because even with it being hard to get into the story was very enjoyable. The plot-line is strong and the life lessons the Malila learns are things that most people should probably learn at some point in their lives. I look forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out.
The main reason that it was hard for me to initially enjoy the book was because of the authors use of short phrases. These phrases made the reading feel choppy and prevented a nice even flow. I believe this was mainly a problem because it frequently took the immersion away from the story, and jarringly forced me back into the real world as I re-read a section to see if it made more sense. I feel that many readers enjoy the immersion in a fictional world when reading a good book, so this may be a bit of an issue for some.
W. Clark Boutwell also appears to have a very good education, possibly with a large focus on the English language. The reason that I think this might be the case is because of the vocabulary found in the book, some of which seemed unnecessary. Words such as “metaphoric” “adroitly” and “remonstrations” were used, much to my initial confusion. Then there was also “pantomimed”, “sere”, and “realpolitik” that had me searching for a dictionary. On top of the strange wording at times the author also used terms such as “snakelike” and “warlike” with frequency. The amount these words were used make them almost feel overused or like errors.
The amazing plot-line of the story also offers a few different lessons that many people will have to learn in their lives. The first of these lessons is the fact that not everyone, including the government, is not always operating in your best interest. It shows that often the people who are considered to be higher-ups are more worried about themselves and their advancement than the ‘little people’ that they hurt along the way. The book also shows that a simple life is often happier than a technology-filled one, proving that the technology that is supposed to be bringing us together is also causing us to lose touch with other people at the same time. Finally, it brings to light an idea that some might find difficult to accept. That fact would be that not everything you grow up believing is necessarily the truth and that history is almost always written by the winners and the loser’s voice gets lost.
During the course of the story Malila, a Lieutenant for the Unity is sent out to Sunprairie Station with a group of bodyguards in order to repair the station. She then finds herself in the hands of Jesse Johnstone and making her way to Kentucky and stopping at a village across the Ohio River. It is here that she starts to learn just how lacking her life in the Unity was. She also learns just how much of a captive she was in her “free” Unity and how much of her supposed life there was all just an illusion.
What I liked best was watching Malila expand and grow as an individual. The author’s writing made me feel like I actually knew the characters. When tragedy struck I felt real worry and concern for them and did not want to stop reading until I knew what happened to them. On the other side, I least liked the fact that I almost gave up on reading the book early because of how slow and choppy the writing felt. The use of the obscure words made me believe there were multiple misspellings only to find that the words were just typically unused.
The target readers for this story would be young adults, starting at about high school aged and older. Concepts of pleasure sex and a few mentions of rape make this book unsuitable for most younger readers. With all of this being said I would give this book the rating 3 out of 4 because even with it being hard to get into the story was very enjoyable. The plot-line is strong and the life lessons the Malila learns are things that most people should probably learn at some point in their lives. I look forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out.
James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) in Movies
Aug 1, 2019
A surprisingly pleasant thrill-ride!
The Fast & The Furious franchise paused to allow two of it's most memorable, larger-than-life characters to branch out on their own with this action-packed offering of explosions and humour.
I have to admit, I had my reservations about this one. Firstly, it's basically a F&F movie... we all know what they are and what to expect, which is why we love them. Except it's not a proper F&F movie, and I was worried labelling it as part of that story universe would burden it with unrealistic expectations. Secondly, I've spent the last few months trying to avoid trailers for it, when I realised they were basically showing the entire film in them. After the first three or four, I was left genuinely concerned they had nothing left to show me. I thought there was no way they could have any eye candy that I hadn't at least seen a snapshot of.
So, I entered the cinema expecting very little. Which is probably why I left the cinema feeling very happy and satisfied.
Saying this is a F&F movie is like saying Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy are Marvel movies. Yes, they technically are, but they are two hugely different types of movie. The similarities are obviously more prevalent here, along with the formulaic and predictable buddy-cop routine, but this film manages to confidently and successfully stand on its own two feet, and not in the shadow of Vin Diesel as I first feared.
And yes, the trailers showed snippets of pretty much every major action sequence, but weirdly, they didn't give away as much you would think. There are also some nice surprises in there. I won't spoil them, but let's just say I'm very impressed at how they managed to keep the cameos under wraps!
Okay, let's get into it. The plot (such as it is) revolves around a mysterious tech firm trying to get a hold of a deadly virus, using Idris Elba's enjoyable villain, Brixton to track it down. It takes all of five minutes for things to go sideways, leaving Hattie Shaw on the run from the bad guys. The Powers That Be (the CIA and MI6) decide they need the best bad guy trackers in the business to hunt down Brixton and retrieve this virus, and the girl... thus saving the world. The former recruits Mr. Johnson; the latter, Mr. Statham. As we know from the trailers, Vanessa Kirby portrays Shaw's sister - it becomes a family affair and we're off to the races.
The on-screen chemistry between Statham and Johnson is clear to see. The comedic dialogue they have lands a lot more than it misses. There's perhaps a bit too much gung-ho stereotyping and fan-service catchphrases, but again, you have to expect that kind of thing from a film like this.
What I liked about it was that whilst they didn't re-invent the wheel, it didn't feel like a carbon-copy of every other action film, like so many others do. It had heart. It had character. Yes, some of the stunts were silly. Yes, the bad guy being genetically-enhanced was a bit weird - blending sci-fi with real-world action whilst never actually acknowledging it took some getting used to. But the film just kinda worked. It was very good without being great. It was predictable but still managed to be enjoyable. It's a good two-hour investment of your time for an afternoon/evening out with the family.
Hobbs and Shaw is proof that whatever your criticisms, whatever your reservations, anything Dwayne Johnson touches turns to gold right now. It's also what a potential future Expendables reboot will probably look like.
Meanwhile F&F9 is now filming (sans Statham and Johnson, apparently) and with an inevitable H&S sequel surely not too far away, you can't help but wonder if they're gearing this all up to be a super-charged, car-based competitor to the MCU. The ending, two mid-credits and one post-credits scene in this film clearly set up another outing and tease a sinister, overarching enemy with ties to the character's pasts... could this be a way to link it all back to Vin Diesel and Co? Could a crossover Summer blockbuster be the only way to tell this story? If early box office figures are anything to go by here, the smart money would say yes.
Go, enjoy, eat popcorn and leave your brain and the real world in the car.
I have to admit, I had my reservations about this one. Firstly, it's basically a F&F movie... we all know what they are and what to expect, which is why we love them. Except it's not a proper F&F movie, and I was worried labelling it as part of that story universe would burden it with unrealistic expectations. Secondly, I've spent the last few months trying to avoid trailers for it, when I realised they were basically showing the entire film in them. After the first three or four, I was left genuinely concerned they had nothing left to show me. I thought there was no way they could have any eye candy that I hadn't at least seen a snapshot of.
So, I entered the cinema expecting very little. Which is probably why I left the cinema feeling very happy and satisfied.
Saying this is a F&F movie is like saying Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy are Marvel movies. Yes, they technically are, but they are two hugely different types of movie. The similarities are obviously more prevalent here, along with the formulaic and predictable buddy-cop routine, but this film manages to confidently and successfully stand on its own two feet, and not in the shadow of Vin Diesel as I first feared.
And yes, the trailers showed snippets of pretty much every major action sequence, but weirdly, they didn't give away as much you would think. There are also some nice surprises in there. I won't spoil them, but let's just say I'm very impressed at how they managed to keep the cameos under wraps!
Okay, let's get into it. The plot (such as it is) revolves around a mysterious tech firm trying to get a hold of a deadly virus, using Idris Elba's enjoyable villain, Brixton to track it down. It takes all of five minutes for things to go sideways, leaving Hattie Shaw on the run from the bad guys. The Powers That Be (the CIA and MI6) decide they need the best bad guy trackers in the business to hunt down Brixton and retrieve this virus, and the girl... thus saving the world. The former recruits Mr. Johnson; the latter, Mr. Statham. As we know from the trailers, Vanessa Kirby portrays Shaw's sister - it becomes a family affair and we're off to the races.
The on-screen chemistry between Statham and Johnson is clear to see. The comedic dialogue they have lands a lot more than it misses. There's perhaps a bit too much gung-ho stereotyping and fan-service catchphrases, but again, you have to expect that kind of thing from a film like this.
What I liked about it was that whilst they didn't re-invent the wheel, it didn't feel like a carbon-copy of every other action film, like so many others do. It had heart. It had character. Yes, some of the stunts were silly. Yes, the bad guy being genetically-enhanced was a bit weird - blending sci-fi with real-world action whilst never actually acknowledging it took some getting used to. But the film just kinda worked. It was very good without being great. It was predictable but still managed to be enjoyable. It's a good two-hour investment of your time for an afternoon/evening out with the family.
Hobbs and Shaw is proof that whatever your criticisms, whatever your reservations, anything Dwayne Johnson touches turns to gold right now. It's also what a potential future Expendables reboot will probably look like.
Meanwhile F&F9 is now filming (sans Statham and Johnson, apparently) and with an inevitable H&S sequel surely not too far away, you can't help but wonder if they're gearing this all up to be a super-charged, car-based competitor to the MCU. The ending, two mid-credits and one post-credits scene in this film clearly set up another outing and tease a sinister, overarching enemy with ties to the character's pasts... could this be a way to link it all back to Vin Diesel and Co? Could a crossover Summer blockbuster be the only way to tell this story? If early box office figures are anything to go by here, the smart money would say yes.
Go, enjoy, eat popcorn and leave your brain and the real world in the car.
pheebs (3 KP) rated Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in Books
Nov 23, 2017
The plot is progressive and thoroughly entertaining. (1 more)
The main character is a big fan of musical theatre, stars in Oliver (a play that I love)
Hands down the best biscuit is an oreo
Synopsis:Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is – and what hes looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal.
‘The love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell’ – Teen Vogue
“The best kind of love story.”—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends
This book is a whirlwind of emotions, as soon as I finished scouring its pages I felt as if I had to read the book all over again, I did then abruptly lent it to a friend who found it just as amazing as I did. It’s a heartfelt story which really seems to capture the essence of being a teen in modern-day society, dealing with our problems, our worries, our trials and tribulations.
The main character is Simon, a boy who is finding life hard, with an overly happy family who like to be very involved and love to talk openly about their feelings, something that Simon is finding increasingly hard more specifically with his sexual preferences. The protagonist of the story is an unlikely fellow who creates dilemmas in Simon’s mind as he wishes to save his previous ‘Blue’. Simon is surrounded by bountiful characters that link smoothly into to his life an thoughts in a normal manner. We learn about his family through his fond memories and thoughts as well as the conversations they exchange in the book, the same can be said for his closest friends. He has three friends that stand out as more prominent characters, the book also focuses on how his relations with them change and how it affects them.
The book is written in a subjective narrative, it tells us only the information that Simon knows so that we know no more or less than him, equating to us having a possibly bias view towards certain characters, thus once again making it more realistic. It deals with problems that teens struggling with their sexuality in day-to-day life face both in the real world and the cyber one. It reveals to us just how hard it is to control information that gets leaked out onto the internet, how fast it can spread and change your life in the ‘real’ world. Your life can be drastically altered by a few words and a persons malicious intentions and this book helps prove just how down heartening it can be as well as focusing on the light at the other end of the tunnel.
All of the characters play great roles in Simon’s life, he lives in a very open family so he feels as if he is keeping something terrible from them especially with of hand comments that his fathers sometimes makes. We read about different things in his life that he loves such as drama, as he attends school play rehearsals often.he deals with the struggles of maintaining friendships under pressure.
I would recommend this book to anyone no matter their age, race, gender or sexual preference. It’s a romantic coming of age comedy that warms me to my toes making me wanting to keep reading over and over again (as I have done many a time). If you liked ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson’ by John Green and David Levithan then you will most definitely enjoy this book.
‘The love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell’ – Teen Vogue
“The best kind of love story.”—Alex Sanchez, Lambda Award-winning author of Rainbow Boys and Boyfriends with Girlfriends
This book is a whirlwind of emotions, as soon as I finished scouring its pages I felt as if I had to read the book all over again, I did then abruptly lent it to a friend who found it just as amazing as I did. It’s a heartfelt story which really seems to capture the essence of being a teen in modern-day society, dealing with our problems, our worries, our trials and tribulations.
The main character is Simon, a boy who is finding life hard, with an overly happy family who like to be very involved and love to talk openly about their feelings, something that Simon is finding increasingly hard more specifically with his sexual preferences. The protagonist of the story is an unlikely fellow who creates dilemmas in Simon’s mind as he wishes to save his previous ‘Blue’. Simon is surrounded by bountiful characters that link smoothly into to his life an thoughts in a normal manner. We learn about his family through his fond memories and thoughts as well as the conversations they exchange in the book, the same can be said for his closest friends. He has three friends that stand out as more prominent characters, the book also focuses on how his relations with them change and how it affects them.
The book is written in a subjective narrative, it tells us only the information that Simon knows so that we know no more or less than him, equating to us having a possibly bias view towards certain characters, thus once again making it more realistic. It deals with problems that teens struggling with their sexuality in day-to-day life face both in the real world and the cyber one. It reveals to us just how hard it is to control information that gets leaked out onto the internet, how fast it can spread and change your life in the ‘real’ world. Your life can be drastically altered by a few words and a persons malicious intentions and this book helps prove just how down heartening it can be as well as focusing on the light at the other end of the tunnel.
All of the characters play great roles in Simon’s life, he lives in a very open family so he feels as if he is keeping something terrible from them especially with of hand comments that his fathers sometimes makes. We read about different things in his life that he loves such as drama, as he attends school play rehearsals often.he deals with the struggles of maintaining friendships under pressure.
I would recommend this book to anyone no matter their age, race, gender or sexual preference. It’s a romantic coming of age comedy that warms me to my toes making me wanting to keep reading over and over again (as I have done many a time). If you liked ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson’ by John Green and David Levithan then you will most definitely enjoy this book.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The true story of the last days of NAZI Germany, focusing on Hitler and his cohorts as they sought refuge on his Berlin Bunker and is chronicled here with such honesty.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
BackToTheMovies (56 KP) rated Fear Clinic (2014) in Movies
Jun 12, 2019 (Updated Jun 12, 2019)
A Horror Movie That Makes You Think!
The film revolves around a shooting that takes place in a diner that traumatizes a group of survivors who check themselves into the Fear Clinic, a clinic run by Dr.Andover a man who has created a unique way of treating phobia's using a revolutionary new technology called the fear chamber. The fear chamber works by re-animating your worst fears into hallucinations so you can combat your fear face to face. However within the story the fears start manifesting themselves in the real world and this new technology that Dr.Andover has created is slowly opening up a doorway to allow fear incarnate to wreak havoc on the patients of the clinic.
Fear Clinic has an incredibly strong cast line up with Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) reprising his role as Dr.Andover, Thomas Dekker (Heroes) as Blake, Fiona Dourif (Curse of Chucky) as Sara a survivor of the diner shooting, Angelina Armani (Chromeskull 2) as another survivor Caylee and Corey Taylor in his first ever acting role as Bauer a porter at the clinic. Joining this stellar cast are a whole host of other amazing talent including Brandon Beemer, Cleopatra Coleman, Kevin Gage and Felisha Tirrell.
The movie as a whole was incredibly strong, what started off as an incredibly slow build up actually built the story up rather nicely and gave us some in depth character building and information, it is rare to see a good character build in indy horrors but Fear Clinic did it maybe even too much at times. Either way the second half of the movie eclipses the first by a long shot, once the story is set the action begins and with Bob Kurtzman and Steve Johnson behind the SPFX team the excitement and effects do not disappoint. As fear incarnate slowly starts to develop in the real world the SPFX team has amazingly brought this character to life taking on a persona that was unsettling to watch (Minus the visible bald cap on Robert Englund's head). The intro to the movie however slow always had a creepy and uncomfortable vibe, almost putting you in the clinic itself, testing your nerves, straining your ability to relax and always putting you on edge for what is about to come. It was a great touch and full credit to the team for drawing it out over the films duration without letting go of that emotion.
The film contains deep undertones and emotional depth in terms of people's fears and phobia's but there are some points within the movie that need to be tightened up a bit. Certain scenes need explaining more and as fear incarnate starts to manifest itself the build up and gore is lacking within the story so even thou the creature looks amazing, it doesn't strike fear into the audience which is a shame as now the audience is isolated from the story. Never the less the movie flows nicely and as it stands its a great introduction to a franchise but it does feels quite rushed in places and action is scarce in places as the build up is painstakingly drawn out, hopefully this is tightened up for the DVD release version or Director's cut.
Convoluted in places but a movie that stands higher than most Horror's that are being released at the present, a new generation of cerebral Horror. A movie that will make you think rather than spaced out watching the screen, a movie that when finished you'll rewind to make the jigsaw pieces fit. A very smart movie.
If you're used to watching Horror movies with a vacant mind then you will be disappointed with Fear Clinic, it's time to engage your brain, the Fear Clinic is open for business.
FEAR ON!
Fear Clinic has an incredibly strong cast line up with Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) reprising his role as Dr.Andover, Thomas Dekker (Heroes) as Blake, Fiona Dourif (Curse of Chucky) as Sara a survivor of the diner shooting, Angelina Armani (Chromeskull 2) as another survivor Caylee and Corey Taylor in his first ever acting role as Bauer a porter at the clinic. Joining this stellar cast are a whole host of other amazing talent including Brandon Beemer, Cleopatra Coleman, Kevin Gage and Felisha Tirrell.
The movie as a whole was incredibly strong, what started off as an incredibly slow build up actually built the story up rather nicely and gave us some in depth character building and information, it is rare to see a good character build in indy horrors but Fear Clinic did it maybe even too much at times. Either way the second half of the movie eclipses the first by a long shot, once the story is set the action begins and with Bob Kurtzman and Steve Johnson behind the SPFX team the excitement and effects do not disappoint. As fear incarnate slowly starts to develop in the real world the SPFX team has amazingly brought this character to life taking on a persona that was unsettling to watch (Minus the visible bald cap on Robert Englund's head). The intro to the movie however slow always had a creepy and uncomfortable vibe, almost putting you in the clinic itself, testing your nerves, straining your ability to relax and always putting you on edge for what is about to come. It was a great touch and full credit to the team for drawing it out over the films duration without letting go of that emotion.
The film contains deep undertones and emotional depth in terms of people's fears and phobia's but there are some points within the movie that need to be tightened up a bit. Certain scenes need explaining more and as fear incarnate starts to manifest itself the build up and gore is lacking within the story so even thou the creature looks amazing, it doesn't strike fear into the audience which is a shame as now the audience is isolated from the story. Never the less the movie flows nicely and as it stands its a great introduction to a franchise but it does feels quite rushed in places and action is scarce in places as the build up is painstakingly drawn out, hopefully this is tightened up for the DVD release version or Director's cut.
Convoluted in places but a movie that stands higher than most Horror's that are being released at the present, a new generation of cerebral Horror. A movie that will make you think rather than spaced out watching the screen, a movie that when finished you'll rewind to make the jigsaw pieces fit. A very smart movie.
If you're used to watching Horror movies with a vacant mind then you will be disappointed with Fear Clinic, it's time to engage your brain, the Fear Clinic is open for business.
FEAR ON!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated When Marnie Was There (2015) in Movies
Apr 2, 2018
So Much Potential...
When Anna's mom sends her to stay with her aunt for the summer, Anna develops a strong friendship with Marnie, a girl that only Anna seems to know.
Acting: 9
Beginning: 1
Gets off to a bland start at best. I found myself tuning out very quickly. I was looking for a reason to get into it but it never grabbed me.
Characters: 8
You immediately sympathize with Anna. She's an introvert with seemingly no place in the world. To make matters worse, she's prone to panic attacks. From the very beginning, she's a character you wish you could reach out to and protect. Learning her history and the source of her pain is the best part of the film. There were a few other characters that were memorable as well, but none so much as Anna.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Another strong suit of the film. Animations were crisp with strong attention to detail. One scene inside of an abandoned silo particularly stands out. The blend of darkness and destructive winds really place you in the moment and breathe life into a film that was otherwise dull.
Conflict: 4
Genre: 8
The film isn't a favorite by any means and won't hold up against some of my other animated classics that I love. HOWEVER, I appreciate the animation style of the film and I also respected that it attempted to try something different. Even though it was a total miss, I give it the proper credit for daring to be different and take a chance.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 1
The word "snail" comes to mind here. A huge mistake was made here in merely focusing on the day-to-day of Anna. There wasn't a lot of conflict that dictated the pace. I was waiting for something to happen, ANYTHING. Before I knew it, I was begging for it to be over. As the story progresses there is no real momentum building that can give you a reason to keep your attention solely on the film.
Plot: 0
Unique or not, I had a hard time buying it in its entirety. Had this been a real situation, Anna probably would have been put in a nut house 10 minutes into the film. She was given an awful lot of freedom for someone known to not be adjusted to the world. That didn't make sense to me, neither did the fact that Anna couldn't somehow piece the whole situation together a little bit faster. Maybe the whole idea was that she couldn't piece things together because she didn't want to? I don't know. What I do know is that sometimes even the best intentions can yield some bad results. Perfect example.
Resolution: 10
Best part of the film and, no, I'm not being sarcastic. You essentially find out the mystery behind everything going on and I have to say it's a really nice payoff. Extremely touching, it makes the film 100 times better than what it could have been. I won't give anything away but it resolves around finding your place in life and appreciating who you are. While I loved it, it infuriated me at the same time. WHY COULDN'T THE REST OF THE FILM BE LIKE THIS???
Overall: 57
I have seen a number of films that get off to a great start and fizzle out at the end. When Marnie Was There does the opposite and the feeling it leaves you with ends up being far worse. Had the rest of the film hit home like the ending, this would have been a wonderful classic.
Acting: 9
Beginning: 1
Gets off to a bland start at best. I found myself tuning out very quickly. I was looking for a reason to get into it but it never grabbed me.
Characters: 8
You immediately sympathize with Anna. She's an introvert with seemingly no place in the world. To make matters worse, she's prone to panic attacks. From the very beginning, she's a character you wish you could reach out to and protect. Learning her history and the source of her pain is the best part of the film. There were a few other characters that were memorable as well, but none so much as Anna.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Another strong suit of the film. Animations were crisp with strong attention to detail. One scene inside of an abandoned silo particularly stands out. The blend of darkness and destructive winds really place you in the moment and breathe life into a film that was otherwise dull.
Conflict: 4
Genre: 8
The film isn't a favorite by any means and won't hold up against some of my other animated classics that I love. HOWEVER, I appreciate the animation style of the film and I also respected that it attempted to try something different. Even though it was a total miss, I give it the proper credit for daring to be different and take a chance.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 1
The word "snail" comes to mind here. A huge mistake was made here in merely focusing on the day-to-day of Anna. There wasn't a lot of conflict that dictated the pace. I was waiting for something to happen, ANYTHING. Before I knew it, I was begging for it to be over. As the story progresses there is no real momentum building that can give you a reason to keep your attention solely on the film.
Plot: 0
Unique or not, I had a hard time buying it in its entirety. Had this been a real situation, Anna probably would have been put in a nut house 10 minutes into the film. She was given an awful lot of freedom for someone known to not be adjusted to the world. That didn't make sense to me, neither did the fact that Anna couldn't somehow piece the whole situation together a little bit faster. Maybe the whole idea was that she couldn't piece things together because she didn't want to? I don't know. What I do know is that sometimes even the best intentions can yield some bad results. Perfect example.
Resolution: 10
Best part of the film and, no, I'm not being sarcastic. You essentially find out the mystery behind everything going on and I have to say it's a really nice payoff. Extremely touching, it makes the film 100 times better than what it could have been. I won't give anything away but it resolves around finding your place in life and appreciating who you are. While I loved it, it infuriated me at the same time. WHY COULDN'T THE REST OF THE FILM BE LIKE THIS???
Overall: 57
I have seen a number of films that get off to a great start and fizzle out at the end. When Marnie Was There does the opposite and the feeling it leaves you with ends up being far worse. Had the rest of the film hit home like the ending, this would have been a wonderful classic.