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Dean (6927 KP) rated Halloween (2007) in Movies
Feb 21, 2018
Great update
I thought this was a very good film and a great remake. It's not entirely scene for scene like some and gives a lot more time to Michael as a young boy and reasons for him to turn evil. Rather than just a madman on the run from the asylum. Although some key scenes are kept and a few are changed slightly for the update, why change what worked so well in the original. Some people will just rate down remakes just for the sake of it, but seriously Halloween might have been scary if you saw it in your teens but today? This builds on what was a great horror classic and adds a few touches, more of a back story, a bit more violent and sexed up a little for todays audience. Whether you have seen the original or not you should check this out.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Like "Black Mirror" does "Cocoon"
This film sees Chris visiting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, on what turns out to be their annual get-together with friends and neighbours. Chris is somewhat taken aback by everyone's positive, curious reaction to his African-American heritage and becomes increasingly unnerved by the odd behaviour of the family's black servants.
I have to admit, I saw the twist coming from very early on but this didn't ruin the journey for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere building throughout the film and Chris' increasingly awkward interactions with his few fellow people of colour at the party.
This is not a normal horror film, except for the final half hour, instead it is an intense psychological thriller with the added social awkwardness around people's inherent racism and need to talk/not talk about it.
An excellent film with a brilliant cast.
I have to admit, I saw the twist coming from very early on but this didn't ruin the journey for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere building throughout the film and Chris' increasingly awkward interactions with his few fellow people of colour at the party.
This is not a normal horror film, except for the final half hour, instead it is an intense psychological thriller with the added social awkwardness around people's inherent racism and need to talk/not talk about it.
An excellent film with a brilliant cast.
Chelsea (166 KP) rated Crazy Rich Asians in Books
Sep 29, 2018
I picked this up after I saw the movie because I liked it so much, and I’m very glad I did.
Rachel Chu is thrust into the lifestyle of the crazy rich in Singapore when she and her boyfriend Nick travel to attend a wedding of Nick’s best friend. She is treated horribly by Nick’s traditional family and their friends, who are trying their best to get her out of the picture. We follow as Rachel learns about Nick’s past and family, secrets of her own past, and see her struggle to figure out who she is or what she should do.
The book changes perspective every chapter, so you really get the back story on and thoughts of all the main characters. You learn about this lifestyle that is so extravagant I couldn’t even dream that big. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to pick up the next book!
Rachel Chu is thrust into the lifestyle of the crazy rich in Singapore when she and her boyfriend Nick travel to attend a wedding of Nick’s best friend. She is treated horribly by Nick’s traditional family and their friends, who are trying their best to get her out of the picture. We follow as Rachel learns about Nick’s past and family, secrets of her own past, and see her struggle to figure out who she is or what she should do.
The book changes perspective every chapter, so you really get the back story on and thoughts of all the main characters. You learn about this lifestyle that is so extravagant I couldn’t even dream that big. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to pick up the next book!
Vegas (725 KP) rated Friday the 13th (1980) in Movies
Oct 25, 2018
The suspense (2 more)
Violent deaths
Not too much splatter
Classic Slasher
It has been a very long time since I watched this, back in the day I always preferred The Nightmare on Elm Street series. So I went into it almost with fresh eyes, not really remembering too much.
I now wonder why I didn’t like it more at the time, the gory deaths were not over done as in some modern films (eg. Saw series) there was the right amount of suspense and anticipation was cleverly filmed... some of the later scenes once the killer is shown especially the close ups and later struggles remind me for some reason of the style of Hitchcock in psycho.
This is how horror should be done. Maybe some of today’s excessive gore fest films (which I don’t actually dislike) should learn from it - sometimes less is more.
I now wonder why I didn’t like it more at the time, the gory deaths were not over done as in some modern films (eg. Saw series) there was the right amount of suspense and anticipation was cleverly filmed... some of the later scenes once the killer is shown especially the close ups and later struggles remind me for some reason of the style of Hitchcock in psycho.
This is how horror should be done. Maybe some of today’s excessive gore fest films (which I don’t actually dislike) should learn from it - sometimes less is more.
Andy K (10823 KP) created a poll
Nov 3, 2018
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated Hansel and Gretel (1988) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
A great telling of an old tale
Contains spoilers, click to show
Saw this on Netflix and decided to give it a try, honestly wasn't a bad movie.
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987
Cheesy Old school graphics help tell this tale very well and I praise the effort.
A few enjoyable musical numbers that are actually a little fun to hear.
Brother and sister Hansel (Hugh Pollard) and Gretel (Nicola Stapleton) are careless and leave food out for a donkey to eat. This enrages their mother (Emily Richard) because the family is poor and cannot afford to waste food. She orders the children to go out and pick some berries. Lost in the woods, they eventually find a magical cottage made of gingerbread and meet a nice old woman named Griselda (Cloris Leachman). But Griselda is a witch who imprisons the children and plans to eat them.
Initial release: 1987
Dean (6927 KP) rated Surrogates (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019 (Updated Aug 9, 2019)
I didn't know too much about the story when I saw this. Surprised it doesn't seem to be well known and got some bad reviews? It did feel like a mix of films from the likes of Gamer, Total Recall, Matrix, Blade Runner, irobot and even A.I. In the near future people plug in using their brains to control a robot which effectively they use to live their day to day lives. No danger of disease, accidents, violence and of course you can look like whatever you want to through your surrogate. Until someone found a way of destroying the robot also kills the controller while they are plugged in! This has a good cast, cool effects and was enjoyable to watch. Highly unoriginal though and it did feel like a collection of ideas from the mentioned films. Never the less this is still an entertaining film worth checking out!!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Nomads (1986) in Movies
Aug 11, 2019
Excitable LA-set horror-fantasy. A French anthropologist (Brosnan) becomes obsessed with his discovery that Los Angeles is infested with evil Eskimo spirits, apparently disguised as bikers and punks, one of whom is played by Adam Ant. (Yes, this really is the plot.)
Starts off showing signs of promise but becomes thoroughly unravelled well before the end; the presence of a frame story about a doctor (Down) investigating the French guy's death clutters rather than deepens the story. Stylish in a very mid-80s way: lots of drum machines, synth music, and indiscriminate use of slow motion. Brosnan's allo-ah-ahm-Fronsh performance is, well, interesting; he does the accent about as well as he sings. It just about stays watchable but isn't quite bad enough to be fun. Apparently Arnie saw it and was impressed enough to hire McTiernan to do Predator, which probably justifies its existence.
Starts off showing signs of promise but becomes thoroughly unravelled well before the end; the presence of a frame story about a doctor (Down) investigating the French guy's death clutters rather than deepens the story. Stylish in a very mid-80s way: lots of drum machines, synth music, and indiscriminate use of slow motion. Brosnan's allo-ah-ahm-Fronsh performance is, well, interesting; he does the accent about as well as he sings. It just about stays watchable but isn't quite bad enough to be fun. Apparently Arnie saw it and was impressed enough to hire McTiernan to do Predator, which probably justifies its existence.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated The Rules of Seeing in Books
Nov 7, 2019
I saw and I enjoyed
I have to be honest, this was a book I would never buy from the cover or from reading the back blerb, but it landed in my lap and I picked it up then I couldn't put it down. Never since I was a child have I read something since my childhood, where the characters are so vivid they become real and pictured in your head. They become characters you love like a friend and so route for them. This is a book about live without being a cheesy live story. This is a book about seeing things differently without being pretentious. This is a book about abuse without being focused on it. Joe Heap has written something quite special, a story of two wonderful characters who make you want to turn every page to will them on. I'm so glad I picked up this book.
Terry Whitaker (120 KP) rated Yesterday (2019) in Movies
Nov 8, 2019
For me, this film was OK. Nothing more. There was some good moments and you cannot fault the tunes. But I felt no real connection with the main character Jack and Ellie. Jack seemed very bland with no charisma. Ellie had more a out her and you felt , strangely, she held something for Jack. What his friends saw in him also I dont know.
But, that aside, the film was an ok watch. Yes, some things just weren't explained like how did 2 other people know about the Beatles and to what actually happened with the black out?
But never the less, the film plodded along and keeps you interested to what happens at the end. Other than that...hmm? Music-film wise, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman are far, far superior to this.
As for the Ed Sheeran cameo...luckily his song writing is far better than his acting.
But, that aside, the film was an ok watch. Yes, some things just weren't explained like how did 2 other people know about the Beatles and to what actually happened with the black out?
But never the less, the film plodded along and keeps you interested to what happens at the end. Other than that...hmm? Music-film wise, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman are far, far superior to this.
As for the Ed Sheeran cameo...luckily his song writing is far better than his acting.