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Mothergamer (1536 KP) rated Chapelwaite in TV

Sep 30, 2021  
Chapelwaite
Chapelwaite
2021 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
6
7.3 (3 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
It's not a bad show, but it definitely could be better. It's based on the short story by Stephen King from his Night Shift anthology setting up a prequel to Salem's Lot. The premise is good, but the execution is lacking. It's meant to be a horror show, but sometimes it feels very dull with one or two jump scares. It takes far too long to get to the point and reveal with what is going on in the town and with Charles and his family. The cast is uneven too. Adrien Brody does a great job and some of the other cast are great too, but then you have some of the cast that don't deliver lines well, in a stilted robotic manner. If you're going to do a horror show, then do a horror show that is actually scary rather than boring and hardly any horror.
  
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Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated No One Gets Out Alive in Books

Nov 10, 2021 (Updated Nov 10, 2021)  
No One Gets Out Alive
No One Gets Out Alive
Adam Nevill | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
7
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The reviews sounded promising and I do enjoy a good haunted house yarn. What starts as a ghost story veers towards the running of an illegal brothel by two sick low-lifes. When a cash-strapped girl moves in she finds that, not only is there strange things that go bump in the night, but these two landlords are extremely dangerous. Could the hauntings and these men be linked?
A compelling read at times but certainly not scary. Or at least to me. Well written with a couple of amusing surreal moments but it was difficult to feel much for our leading lady. She really does make some questionable decisions. Also, it is a book of two halves. The second half (3 Years Later) is enjoyable enough but possibly unnecessary/unneeded?
Overall a very good read but not one I would feel the urge to read again.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated It (2017) in Movies

Sep 11, 2017  
It (2017)
It (2017)
2017 | Drama, Horror
8
7.9 (355 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The kids are amazing (1 more)
So is Pennywise!
If you're of a certain age you'll probably remember the 'It' TV mini series of 1990, based on Stephen Kings classic novel. And you'll also have lasting memories of Tim Curry as Pennywise, the demonic clown who terrorises the town of Derry, Maine. His was the definitive evil clown, the benchmark for all scary movie clowns to come. This big screen version remake had a lot to live up to.

We meet the new Pennywise pretty early on in the movie as young Georgie ventures out into the heavy rain to play with the paper boat that he and older brother Bill just made. Anyone familiar with the story, or the trailer for the movie, knows exactly what's coming, so it's no surprise when Pennywise appears in the drain where Georgie loses his boat. Calmly menacing, and excellently played by Bill Skarsgård, but sounding strangely like Scooby-Doo as he chats away to Georgie, which kind of made him more funny than scary. It's not until he bites off Georgie's arm and drags him down into the sewer that you know he means business.

From there, Pennywise takes a bit of a backseat as we're introduced to our core cast of kids. It's been a while since Georgie disappeared and kids are still going missing around town, meaning there's now a 7pm curfew in effect. Bill is still mourning the loss of younger brother Georgie and his group of friends all have their own personal issues and demons too. These are gradually explored throughout the movie and are in some ways more sad and disturbing than Pennywise. On top of that, the local bully and his gang like to make their lives hell too and all of this is just hugely enjoyable, giving off a wonderful Stand By Me/The Goonies/Stranger Things feel, even more so as the movie is set in the 80s. The kids swear, make jokes together and at the expense of each other. They ride their bikes around town, have rock fights with the bullies and the entire cast is just a joy to watch.

Eventually, Pennywise steps things up a notch as he begins appearing to each of the kids, playing on their fears as he tries to lure them to their deaths. His appearances tend to involve a creepy, chilling build up, followed by a surprisingly effective jump scare (certainly some of the women in nearby seats to me seemed to be constantly on the brink of having a heart attack!). The scares become increasingly inventive and enjoyable as the movie progresses and while not as scary and gory as some might like, they still manage to work well within the whole movie.

I had a lot of fun watching It. And this is only Chapter One of a two part series, with Chapter Two set to focus on the part of the story where the kids are all adults. I can't wait to see what comes next!