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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!
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!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Conjuring (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
It’s quite easy to think you have a ghost haunting your home. The creeks and cracks of settling foundation, leaky pipes, drafty windows or appliances can sound aerie. Why is it that our imaginations jump to that conclusion and not simply the truth. In some cases this causes people to essentially “cry wolf”, making it hard for us to believe in the true hauntings that have plagued families for generations. The Perron family was one of the many that had been terrorized by a malevolent spirit in their recently purchased farmhouse.
The story follows Ed and Lorraine Warren who’s lives have spent dealing with hundreds of cases of hauntings all around the US. From small hauntings to haunted items and more importantly exorcisms. The film begins with one of their possession cases that involves two young woman who were under the impression that they were being haunted by a little girl who took a likening to their Annabelle doll. They invited the girl to live inside of the doll not knowing that the entity was a daemon. (I do want to interject that the real Annabelle doll was a raggedy Anne doll but for the films sake they made the doll look like it was related to Chucky).
Annabelle is just an introduction to the audience of what Ed and Lorraine Warren do. One of their bigger cases is that of the Perron family. Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and their five daughters move to an old farmhouse in a remote area not knowing the past of the land or the home itself. Ed and Lorraine agree to help the family exorcise their home, not realizing that the case was more dangerous than they had originally thought.
This film is by far the best true ghost story film that I have seen to date. Granted it has somewhat of a slow beginning, once the scares start happening it gets better and better. The acting was not the best nor the dialogue, however if you pay close attention to the story, those weaknesses of the film are easily forgotten. It is extremely refreshing to not see any CGI in a film like this and knowing that it can be as equally scary if not more with simple camera angles and excellent concepts. I also like the absence of blood and gore that has seen to be quite overdone with most horror films lately. The way that practical makeup was used to create such scary characters is only a small part of how much thought was put into this.
This film is scary and when I say that I really mean it. When I screened this, I was sitting in the middle of two big burley men who also jumped at every surprise. If you have been waiting for a film to scare you, this my friends will do it. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.
The story follows Ed and Lorraine Warren who’s lives have spent dealing with hundreds of cases of hauntings all around the US. From small hauntings to haunted items and more importantly exorcisms. The film begins with one of their possession cases that involves two young woman who were under the impression that they were being haunted by a little girl who took a likening to their Annabelle doll. They invited the girl to live inside of the doll not knowing that the entity was a daemon. (I do want to interject that the real Annabelle doll was a raggedy Anne doll but for the films sake they made the doll look like it was related to Chucky).
Annabelle is just an introduction to the audience of what Ed and Lorraine Warren do. One of their bigger cases is that of the Perron family. Roger (Ron Livingston), his wife Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and their five daughters move to an old farmhouse in a remote area not knowing the past of the land or the home itself. Ed and Lorraine agree to help the family exorcise their home, not realizing that the case was more dangerous than they had originally thought.
This film is by far the best true ghost story film that I have seen to date. Granted it has somewhat of a slow beginning, once the scares start happening it gets better and better. The acting was not the best nor the dialogue, however if you pay close attention to the story, those weaknesses of the film are easily forgotten. It is extremely refreshing to not see any CGI in a film like this and knowing that it can be as equally scary if not more with simple camera angles and excellent concepts. I also like the absence of blood and gore that has seen to be quite overdone with most horror films lately. The way that practical makeup was used to create such scary characters is only a small part of how much thought was put into this.
This film is scary and when I say that I really mean it. When I screened this, I was sitting in the middle of two big burley men who also jumped at every surprise. If you have been waiting for a film to scare you, this my friends will do it. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Oct 21, 2018
Good but not enough scares or horror
I’ve really struggled rating this show. On the one hand it is a truly fantastic and enthralling character study, but on the other it’s a horror show that has one major flaw; there’s not enough horror.
I’ll start with stating that I’ve never read the book or seen any other films about Hill House (except the 1999 film House on Haunted Hill which I’m pretty sure doesn’t count), so I went into this with a fairly open mind. From a character point of view, this show is truly marvellous. The development and the depth that has gone into each and every member of the Crain family is impressive and choosing to have each episode mainly based around one member of the family was a smart move. Each of these episodes goes into the back story of each character and helps explain how the became who they are, whilst also slowly revealing what happened at Hill House during their childhood. There are some great performances from the cast here, notably Carla Gugino and Michiel Huisman - I’d love to see more of him after this and his turn as Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones. It is this character driven story that kept me watching for the entire series, and also to find out what happened to the family. There was also some very good effects throughout.
The main issue I have with this show is that it’s meant to be a horror show, but for me there just wasn’t enough horror. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few creepy and slightly scary moments but sadly these were few and far between. Whilst I’m glad it didn’t go OTT on the jump scares, it needed a lot more horror. I love scary shows and films, so for me it was a huge disappointment that there wasn’t enough scares and I probably would’ve marked this a lot higher (a 9 maybe?) if they had just thrown a little more horror in.
I’ll start with stating that I’ve never read the book or seen any other films about Hill House (except the 1999 film House on Haunted Hill which I’m pretty sure doesn’t count), so I went into this with a fairly open mind. From a character point of view, this show is truly marvellous. The development and the depth that has gone into each and every member of the Crain family is impressive and choosing to have each episode mainly based around one member of the family was a smart move. Each of these episodes goes into the back story of each character and helps explain how the became who they are, whilst also slowly revealing what happened at Hill House during their childhood. There are some great performances from the cast here, notably Carla Gugino and Michiel Huisman - I’d love to see more of him after this and his turn as Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones. It is this character driven story that kept me watching for the entire series, and also to find out what happened to the family. There was also some very good effects throughout.
The main issue I have with this show is that it’s meant to be a horror show, but for me there just wasn’t enough horror. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few creepy and slightly scary moments but sadly these were few and far between. Whilst I’m glad it didn’t go OTT on the jump scares, it needed a lot more horror. I love scary shows and films, so for me it was a huge disappointment that there wasn’t enough scares and I probably would’ve marked this a lot higher (a 9 maybe?) if they had just thrown a little more horror in.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Paranormal Activity (2007) in Movies
Oct 28, 2019 (Updated Jan 27, 2020)
The Found-Footage Rebirth
After the huge sucess of the blair witch project, Paramount pitcures and blumhouse decided many years later to rebirth the found-footage movies. And this result was this and so many god damn sequels later.
Here's how confusing the timeline is and how many sequels this movie has...
The film is the first (chronologically, the third) entry in the Paranormal Activity film series. A parallel sequel and prequel, Paranormal Activity 2, was released in 2010. The success of the first two films would spawn additional films in the series: the prequel Paranormal Activity 3 in 2011, and Paranormal Activity 4 (the sequel to the second installment) in 2012. The fifth installment, The Marked Ones, was released in 2014, and the sixth installment, The Ghost Dimension, was released in 2015.
So really this is the third movie in the franchise, but it came out first, than a prequel/sequel with the 2nd one, than the prequel with the 3d one, than the sequel to the 2nd one which is actually the 4th movie. Makes any sense, no!!!!! Confusing fuck yes!!!!!
Anyways the plot: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural presence. Hoping to capture evidence of it on film, they set up video cameras in the house but are not prepared for the terrifying events that follow.
Its very slow, its not that scary, nothing really happens, just people watching footage on a computer, repeat that couple of times, make sure who ever is holding the camera make it shake and out of focus. Also Cameras!!!!! So Many Cameras.
This movie was so overhyped and in the end that was its downfall. That and not being actaully really scary. Makes this film, really not good.
Lastly shout out to @Sarah for getting the hints/clues for this movie correct.
Here's how confusing the timeline is and how many sequels this movie has...
The film is the first (chronologically, the third) entry in the Paranormal Activity film series. A parallel sequel and prequel, Paranormal Activity 2, was released in 2010. The success of the first two films would spawn additional films in the series: the prequel Paranormal Activity 3 in 2011, and Paranormal Activity 4 (the sequel to the second installment) in 2012. The fifth installment, The Marked Ones, was released in 2014, and the sixth installment, The Ghost Dimension, was released in 2015.
So really this is the third movie in the franchise, but it came out first, than a prequel/sequel with the 2nd one, than the prequel with the 3d one, than the sequel to the 2nd one which is actually the 4th movie. Makes any sense, no!!!!! Confusing fuck yes!!!!!
Anyways the plot: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural presence. Hoping to capture evidence of it on film, they set up video cameras in the house but are not prepared for the terrifying events that follow.
Its very slow, its not that scary, nothing really happens, just people watching footage on a computer, repeat that couple of times, make sure who ever is holding the camera make it shake and out of focus. Also Cameras!!!!! So Many Cameras.
This movie was so overhyped and in the end that was its downfall. That and not being actaully really scary. Makes this film, really not good.
Lastly shout out to @Sarah for getting the hints/clues for this movie correct.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 18, 2020
Terrifying
Don't you just love it when you go and see a film you know little to nothing about, and end up being pleasantly surprised at how good it is? Yesterday was my last chance to catch a film due to closure because of the coronavirus, and I'm very glad I chose to watch The Invisible Man.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Red Riding Hood (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
In a small village a wolf has been killing villagers who wander out alone. Yet for rule-breaking Valerie the desire to venture out and spend time with her true love overpowers all logic. However, drama sets in when Valerie finds she has been betrothed to a wealthy villager around the same time that that the big bad wolf returns.
Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.
The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.
The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.
The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.
Amanda Seyfried stars as Valerie in Red Riding Hood a reworking of the classic fairytale of the same name. The film also stars Shiloh Fernandez as Peter, Valerie’s childhood best friend turned love interest, and Max Irons as Henry, the wealthy suitor who has been selected to wed Valerie. The supporting cast includes some additional familiar faces such as Michael Hogan (The Reeve) best known for his work as Colonel Tigh in the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica and Michael Shanks, known for his work on the hit television series Stargate SG-1 , who plays Adrien Lazer.
The concept of building more depth into the Red Riding Hood story is a good idea however the execution in this bland who-done-it comes a crossed as scattered. The film lacks cohesion and fails to build interest in the storyline focusing instead on sweeping landscapes and overly intense one-on-one character interactions.
The wardrobe is impressive with clothing that aptly represents both village life and fairytale ideals. However, much like the rest of the film, the wardrobe seems to be taking cues directly from other movies. Among the numerous familiar scenes is an ending that could have been plucked from The Lord of the Rings.
The film is not missing any major components but the lack of originality is a fatal flaw that impacts the entire tale. The scary moments are not scary. The intrigue lacks potency. And the romantic triangle fails to generate the intended drama.
Moviegoers will see far worse films this spring but Red Riding Hood does not deliver on what could have been a brilliant adaptation.
Good jump scares. (1 more)
Did sleep with the light on.
Does it live up to the hype?
After two years eagerly anticipating the release of this film, (I am a clown hater, but love to be scared) I took myself off to the cinema on opening night (of course) I admit, that in the dark theatre, pennywise' cartooney giggle, was scary, so much so, everybody in the cinema watched me instead of the film! I may be very unpopular with the next bombshell....it didn't live up to the original, and certainly not the book. It was too over-hyped, too Hollywood, and too glossy. If this was a free standing, one of a kind film, I'd have enjoyed it for what it was, but it was not good enough to replace the Tim curry clown I saw when I was 12, and still makes me cry at clown masks on Halloween.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I had heard so much about Beautiful Creatures since it came out, but I really wish I'd skipped this one. It's just another gothic teen romance, authors jumping on the bandwagon that Stephenie Meyer made of the dark scary character and big entrancing eyes and inhuman beauty and absurd chemistry. Nothing happened in the first few chapters, the descriptions were repetitive and strange, the characters were stereotypical, and the dialogue was boring.
The only good thing I had to say was that the small town they described in the book really did sound like a small town (and I can say that because I live in one).
Oh, and the reader of the audiobook was good.
Other than that, honestly, it was just Twilight except Edward Cullen was a girl.
Content/Recommendation: I didn't read enough to be able to say, though honestly if you're going to read a 500-page novel, read Crime and Punishment or The Count of Monte Cristo.
The only good thing I had to say was that the small town they described in the book really did sound like a small town (and I can say that because I live in one).
Oh, and the reader of the audiobook was good.
Other than that, honestly, it was just Twilight except Edward Cullen was a girl.
Content/Recommendation: I didn't read enough to be able to say, though honestly if you're going to read a 500-page novel, read Crime and Punishment or The Count of Monte Cristo.
Joyce Soots Stewart (0 KP) rated The Breakdown in Books
Apr 21, 2018
A brilliantly entertaining psychological thriller
A brilliantly entertaining psychological thriller, I loved , loved , loved this book and got great enjoyment out of reading it !! It is An easy five star rating and of course would whole heartedly recommend that you read it. Well worth the money ! I am keeping my copy and it is going on my shelf of amazing books ! The author delivers a brilliantly crafted intense psychological thriller grabbing you from the first page to the last. Gripping, riveting, and maddening, the author takes readers on a twisty, dark and scary journey. A page-turner which will keep you on the edge of your seat turning into the night. Emotional and addictive and would make a great lifetime movie. Left me wanting more. I would love to see more of Cass and maybe her end up with Janes husband.
Frecklesxoxo (6 KP) rated Silent Weapon (Street Soldier #2) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I received an arc copy from Netgalley of this book for an open and honest review.
I was surprised to find that I really liked this book, more than I expected too. It was well written and interesting. The plot was current and hits home as to just how much work goes on behind the scenes to thwart terrorism and I love how 2 different departments worked together. Its scary and real about radicalisation and I was plesed to see there were no type casts in this story.
There were a few things that made this a 4 star rating- in some areas I felt the story was perhaps a little rushed (near the beginning) and some parts could have been more polished. As I was reading this I felt I had missed something (I didn't know there was a prequel to this) I didn't know the whole background story which threw me off.
But the storyline was greatc and kept me hooked :)
I was surprised to find that I really liked this book, more than I expected too. It was well written and interesting. The plot was current and hits home as to just how much work goes on behind the scenes to thwart terrorism and I love how 2 different departments worked together. Its scary and real about radicalisation and I was plesed to see there were no type casts in this story.
There were a few things that made this a 4 star rating- in some areas I felt the story was perhaps a little rushed (near the beginning) and some parts could have been more polished. As I was reading this I felt I had missed something (I didn't know there was a prequel to this) I didn't know the whole background story which threw me off.
But the storyline was greatc and kept me hooked :)