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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Cult Of Chucky (2017) in Movies

Jan 7, 2020 (Updated Jan 22, 2020)

Honestly - I genuinely enjoyed Cult of Chucky. Is it a guilty pleasure? Perhaps, but not as much as some of the other films in the franchise.

There are a few thing that set it apart from the others though - the way the whole thing is shot for a start. Don Mancini captures multiple great and memorable shots throughout (even verging on arty sometimes!) and his use of minimal colours and clinical white settings give it a very stand-out look when compared to the rest of the series. It also makes for some striking visuals when all the violence kicks off in the second half of the movie.
Here's another way it stands out - Cult of Chucky is easily the most gory Child's Play entry, making use of both great practical effects and questionable CGI to get the job done, but it ultimately achieves what it sets out to do.
That gore factor carries an element of horror with it, and Mancini is keen to prove that Chucky is way past the hammier Bride and Seed days.

The main human cast are pretty run of the mill, with exception of Fiona Dourif, once again, a really likable protagonist who is easy to root for.
In terms of pacing, Cult has a pretty slow building first half, but it's not much of a problem, as the closing half is just flat out ridiculous, to the point where it's hugely entertaining.
Throw in some solid links to characters from the original trilogy (with the same damn actors no less!) and you have a mostly decent slice of silly horror fun.

If the original Child's Play franchise indeed comes to a close with Cult, then it can be comfortable in the fact that's it bowed out nicely, although I do hope there's more to come.
I can just about found a handful of things to like about every film in the series (except Child's Play 3, fuck that film) so it would be a damn shame to.not see where the story goes.

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated What Kind of Girl in Books

Mar 19, 2020

What Kind of Girl

Alyssa B. Sheinmel | 2020 | Crime, Young Adult (YA)

8.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The rumors spread quickly at North Bay Academy. Popular track star Mike Parker's girlfriend has accused him of hitting her. She even told the principal. But, they wonder, why not the police? Why did she wait so long to tell? Why hasn't Mike been expelled? Some students at the school want to hold a rally--to expel Mike. But others aren't so quick to believe his girlfriend.

"But (of course), by lunchtime everyone at school knows, as easily and quickly as if they'd announced it over the loudspeaker: Sad Girl accuses Golden Boy of abuse."

This was an interesting book. It tackles a lot of heavy subjects within its pages. It also presents an intriguing format. The beginning of the book is told via archetypes: think popular girl; nerd; sad girl; the girlfriend, etc. It's a strange, almost gimmicky, format and meant it took some time for me to warm to any of the characters (especially since you don't know their names). Over time, the book grew on me, but it was hard to overcome that slow start.

There's so much going on in this one. Abuse, self-harm, drug use, mental health, eating disorders, and more. Please keep this in mind in terms of trigger warnings. I applaud Sheinmel and all she takes on. It's a very brave book, and the characters have a lot of depth. I think it might have had even more if the book maybe shortened its focus on just a few issues, versus trying to take on so many. Still, it's a very relevant story, and you can't help but appreciate how it tackles such big themes and emotions. I can see how it would be helpful to young adults. Even I found myself identifying with one of the characters and growing to root for all of them. 3.5 stars; rounded to four here for the powerful topics and messaging.