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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
I got chills
#halloween? while at times extremely #silly is a very enjoyable & fitting tribute to the #johncarpenter original. I must confess I hadn't seen the #original Halloween until a few weeks ago (its 4k release) & found it to be incredibly tense, dripping in dread, unnerving & extremely #creepy with an awesome soundtrack. #Halloween2018 manages to lovingly recreate everything people love about the first one but doesn't manage to do it quite as well. While I did enjoy this film a heck of a lot it does have a lot of problems - first of all the first half fails to create a chilling atmosphere & any tension for that matter, there's just far to many silly jokes/bad humour & the pacing is far to fast with scenes rushing by quicker than a #michaelbay movie. This leaves no time for dread, tension or the #chills the creepy lingering shots the first film brought us & I really hoped it would slow down at some point & thankfully it does. Approaching the second half things take a real turn & the movie really starts to have #fun feeling less like a tv movie & more like a #horror film, there are some great stationary camera shots, cool cinematography moments, great imagery, messy deaths & some really suspenseful stalking scenes with genuinely scary reveals/brutal attacks. Soundtrack wise it also switches it up a bit while still feeling #nostalgic too & there's an amazing garden scene where it really heightens the fear & dread. Themes of #depression & how it can make us feel cast out/alone & how our mental burdens can be passed down & effect our our children are handled well while metaphors for fighting our demons together as a family also feel refreshing & current. Overall its opening 10 minutes are brilliant then the film makes some really bad choices but recovers itself well enough to make it a film that's so worth seeing at the cinema. A big #nostalgia trip done right & with all its flaws looking at the film now as a whole I think it works well & is a great #love letter to #80s #slasher films & to #terminator2 haha. #odeon #odeonlimitless #jamieleecurtis #michaelmyers #killer #gore #horror #scary #retro #fridayfeeling #filmbuff #filmcritic #mask #frightnight
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Hereditary (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Its all in the family
#Hereditary is a strange/uncomfortable visual bombardment & for a directorial debut its almost stunningly perfect too.For those of you looking for jump scares, a scary #nun or a haunted doll you may want to avoid Hereditary as this is a different kind of horror film & its all the better for it. Sitting comfortably in between #thewitch & #itcomesatnight this is a multi layered film about loss, grieving, mental heath & loneliness & how they slowly bring about the destruction of a #family. Shot flawlessly the film sinks its teeth into your nerves instantly with #beautiful slow camera pans & rotations mixed with eerie lingering shots & overlapping scene fades. It really is a work of #art visually & every location feels like a character its self. Sound design is perfect too with great use of silence to build dread/tension, a fantastic & beautifuly somber score & great use of clicking, chopping, cracking & snapping sounds that constantly keep you feeling #anxious & on edge. Acting is also flawless with #ToniCollette absolutely knocking it out of the park as Annie a character Toni plays so well you cant help but get lost in the intricacy of her personality. While containing horror elements Hereditary plays out more along the lines of a #psychological drama with a plot so multi layered, intricate & intelligent multiple viewings will be necessary to fully understand all of what its truly about & what it really has to say (that's not to say its an easy watch however, at times the film created a tension & atmosphere so unpleasant & unnerving this accompanied by some startling & #dark imagery I found myself feeling very uncomfortable at times). My only gripe stopping it being a 10 is the strange comedy surrounding some scenes which I found immersion breaking (this may be intentional but for me it didnt work). Hereditary really is something special/unique & although not for everyone its certainly destined to win an award or become a #cultclassic. With a fresh take on its subject matter & truly #disturbing imagery this is a must for film #fans. #odeon #odeonlimitless #horror #scary #gore #terror #anxiety #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #filmcritic #filmbuff #filmreview
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
A New Take On Classic Story Horror
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is a 2019 horror movie directed by Andre Ovredal, with screenplay adapted by Dan and Kevin Hageman, from a screen story by producer Guillermo Del Toro, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It's based on the children's book series by Alvin Schwartz and produced by CBS Films, Entertainment One, 1212 Entertainment, Double Dare You Productions and Sean Daniel Company, and distributed by Lionsgate. The film stars Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Zajur and Natalie Ganzhorn.
Three teenagers in the small town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, Stella (Zoe Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush) and Chuck (Austin Zajur) incur the wrath of school bully Tommy Millner after playing a prank. They are chased by him and saved by a drifter named Ramon (Michael Garza) who let's them into his car. The group including Ramon explore a haunted house belonging to the Bellows, founders of the town, Inside of a secret room belonging to the Bellows' daughter Sarah, they find a book of scary stories written by her. After taking the book with them, they start to believe that there is more to the rumors about the house being haunted when stories in the book appear to happen in real life.
This movie was actually pretty good. I thought it could have been scarier but I think it was done well for being rated PG-13. Of course, I'm old enough to remember the books and they were really creepy, especially the illustrations. The movie was good at building suspense, and being creepy. I really liked the characters and felt that they were likeable and had a little something for everyone in how they were relatable. The character development could have been better for sure but the creature effects were spot on. The Monsters were definitely awesome and I like the way the made it an anthology movie without it actually being an anthology. It was pretty unique in that way and I can see how a sequel could work if it's financially successful enough to warrant one. I give this movie a 7/10.
Three teenagers in the small town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, Stella (Zoe Colletti), Auggie (Gabriel Rush) and Chuck (Austin Zajur) incur the wrath of school bully Tommy Millner after playing a prank. They are chased by him and saved by a drifter named Ramon (Michael Garza) who let's them into his car. The group including Ramon explore a haunted house belonging to the Bellows, founders of the town, Inside of a secret room belonging to the Bellows' daughter Sarah, they find a book of scary stories written by her. After taking the book with them, they start to believe that there is more to the rumors about the house being haunted when stories in the book appear to happen in real life.
This movie was actually pretty good. I thought it could have been scarier but I think it was done well for being rated PG-13. Of course, I'm old enough to remember the books and they were really creepy, especially the illustrations. The movie was good at building suspense, and being creepy. I really liked the characters and felt that they were likeable and had a little something for everyone in how they were relatable. The character development could have been better for sure but the creature effects were spot on. The Monsters were definitely awesome and I like the way the made it an anthology movie without it actually being an anthology. It was pretty unique in that way and I can see how a sequel could work if it's financially successful enough to warrant one. I give this movie a 7/10.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated 28 Days Later (2002) in Movies
Nov 27, 2017
Majority of performances are great (2 more)
Solid direction from Boyle
Decent SFX for its era
Scary Good
Re-watched this recently and it's just as visceral and as brilliant as it was fifteen years ago. Danny Boyle is one hell of a filmmaker and this is one of the best zombie movies ever made.
It's a unique take on a now tired genre, with just as much fleshed out characterisation as there is brutality and gore. There's a few edge of your seat moments towards the movie's climax and the movie feels like a journey with all of the ups and downs that you would expect in a zombie chase movie across England.
Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Naomi Harris and Christopher Eccleston are all great in the movie and the only weak link in the cast is the actress playing Hannah, but that can be forgiven as the rest of the cast around her are so good.
Brilliant direction, really good SFX for its time and definitely worth a watch if you have never seen it.
It's a unique take on a now tired genre, with just as much fleshed out characterisation as there is brutality and gore. There's a few edge of your seat moments towards the movie's climax and the movie feels like a journey with all of the ups and downs that you would expect in a zombie chase movie across England.
Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Naomi Harris and Christopher Eccleston are all great in the movie and the only weak link in the cast is the actress playing Hannah, but that can be forgiven as the rest of the cast around her are so good.
Brilliant direction, really good SFX for its time and definitely worth a watch if you have never seen it.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Stephen King's It in TV
Dec 11, 2017 (Updated Dec 11, 2017)
A good adaptation but now looks dated
As Stephen King adaptations go, this isn't half bad. It manages to stick fairly faithfully to the book and keeps at least most of the major characters and plot points mostly intact. Which considering the length of the book is fairly impressive.
Tim Curry steals the show as Pennywise although i wouldnt say hes particularly scary. He's the best thing about every scene he's in. Shame the same can't be said about the rest of the cast, whose acting ranges from just okay to downright awful. The child actors seem to be much better than their adult counterparts! There's also the fact that it now looks very dated being nearly 30 years old and it really shows it's age in the effects. And for some reason despite this being rated a 15, there's barely any gore or bloody injuries which is a shame as King's books are known for this.
In all honesty having watched this back recently, I think the new version might be better.
Tim Curry steals the show as Pennywise although i wouldnt say hes particularly scary. He's the best thing about every scene he's in. Shame the same can't be said about the rest of the cast, whose acting ranges from just okay to downright awful. The child actors seem to be much better than their adult counterparts! There's also the fact that it now looks very dated being nearly 30 years old and it really shows it's age in the effects. And for some reason despite this being rated a 15, there's barely any gore or bloody injuries which is a shame as King's books are known for this.
In all honesty having watched this back recently, I think the new version might be better.
Rachel (48 KP) rated The Bell Witch in Books
May 27, 2017
Too Predictable
This is an interesting, yet already done, version of the well known 'Bell Witch' story. The landscape and setting for the tale is well defined. You get a good feel of the land, of the house and the atmosphere.
The characters, at times, feel very thin. It would have been nice to know them more before the witch makes her, surprisingly early, appearance. It is the character of the witch that we get to see the most, despite her being cast as the most mysterious.
No time was really given to creating tension or mystery - in this tale the witch appears quickly and makes her intentions and the source of her creation obvious almost immediately.
The author's explanation for the witch is one that is the most bandied about. This was a shame, I was rather hoping for a new take on it.
The book is well written for the most part, the witch given an extremely strong voice. I would recommend this to those who are looking for an undemanding read, not a scary or fraught one
The characters, at times, feel very thin. It would have been nice to know them more before the witch makes her, surprisingly early, appearance. It is the character of the witch that we get to see the most, despite her being cast as the most mysterious.
No time was really given to creating tension or mystery - in this tale the witch appears quickly and makes her intentions and the source of her creation obvious almost immediately.
The author's explanation for the witch is one that is the most bandied about. This was a shame, I was rather hoping for a new take on it.
The book is well written for the most part, the witch given an extremely strong voice. I would recommend this to those who are looking for an undemanding read, not a scary or fraught one
Kieran Harvey (51 KP) rated Alien: Covenant (2017) in Movies
Jul 18, 2017
Great cast (6 more)
Michael Fassbender
Action
Genuinely scary in some parts
Visuals are amazing
Cinematography
Great twist
A solid Alien Sequel that's more Alien than Prometheus
I love the alien movies and I really liked Prometheus despite mixed reviews so it's fair to say I was excited for this movie, and rightly so. From the start this is clearly going to be a great horror/thriller and a true alien movie and it doesn't disappoint. Michael Fassbender in this movie is amazing as he plays android Walter and David from Prometheus. The action is outstanding and horrific despite not occurring frequently, and there are a couple of great twists in the story. The final twist completely shocked me and I loved it and couldn't stop thinking about it for a long time it's so genius but that's for you to find out and hopefully love as well. Some may have predicted it but I don't care because I try not to predict where a film will go, I just enjoy the ride and this ride is fantastic!
I am not generally a Patterson fan, but I have got to disagree with the many poor reviews I hear about this book because they are completely unfair. The story was plot driven, exciting, scary, and imaginative. I liked it.
It does NOT deserve to be called the "worst novel ever written." I know of PLENTY of books I liked A LOT less than this one. No, this book is not the next literary masterpiece, but that isn't the point. Sure the characters aren't deep, and Oz himself is kind of an idiot despite having figured out what happened, but truthfully, most of the characters acted pretty realistically and served their purpose. Maybe the science wasn't 100%, but I don't think it was impossibly wrong either.
Could it have been better? Yes. Was it awful? No. I happily read this book in three days, and I even watched a little of the series, even though it's completely different. I was actually torn between 6 and 7 stars, but I did kinda wish it ended differently.
It does NOT deserve to be called the "worst novel ever written." I know of PLENTY of books I liked A LOT less than this one. No, this book is not the next literary masterpiece, but that isn't the point. Sure the characters aren't deep, and Oz himself is kind of an idiot despite having figured out what happened, but truthfully, most of the characters acted pretty realistically and served their purpose. Maybe the science wasn't 100%, but I don't think it was impossibly wrong either.
Could it have been better? Yes. Was it awful? No. I happily read this book in three days, and I even watched a little of the series, even though it's completely different. I was actually torn between 6 and 7 stars, but I did kinda wish it ended differently.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated My Heart and Soul in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Randall has done something scary and risky: She has taken her interior monologue, her thoughts, her hopes and dreams, insecurities, fears, loves and hates, and written them out into long picturesque poems for the world to see. I know I could never expose myself the way she has… It was encouraging to read her works, to get inside her head. It was uplifting to see the trust and the security she has in God, and encouraging to know that there are people out there who feel like you do. She wrote about painful subjects like cancer, doubt, death, but also had some more touchy subjects like fear of never being loved again, racism, and sex—though she did it all in a way that doesn't feel uncomfortable.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
I greatly enjoyed these poems, and have found myself flipping through the pages on several occasions, just re-experiencing the things she has to say and the experiences she has to share. My Heart and Soul is well worth the buy.
Dracoria Malfoy (690 KP) rated Sawkill Girls in Books
Mar 28, 2019
so i didn't hate it, that's a start. well, more than didn't hate it, this was actually really good. the writing was genuinely beautiful and incredibly haunting, and the fact that nobody else around me has read this book is incredibly disappointing. anyways, we stan all this rep. an ace character, we're comin thru with the gays, and we got pocs. also, a decent fucking guy, we love. i also luv all the girl power ("no one says that anymore") and all the love and support by girls for girls.
now, things i don't like: the 'hand of light' thing? UTTERLY RIDICULOUS. literally the only reason it was there was to push the story onwards and provide info about the people. that was it. i hated that whole plot point more than i hate a lot of things. also i want marion to become friends w/ horses again pls
anyway,,,,,,, this book was v good, and once i get over my nightmares ((genuinely scary i gotta say) i might even read it again.
now, things i don't like: the 'hand of light' thing? UTTERLY RIDICULOUS. literally the only reason it was there was to push the story onwards and provide info about the people. that was it. i hated that whole plot point more than i hate a lot of things. also i want marion to become friends w/ horses again pls
anyway,,,,,,, this book was v good, and once i get over my nightmares ((genuinely scary i gotta say) i might even read it again.