Search

Search only in certain items:

Haven’t They Grown
Haven’t They Grown
Sophie Hannah | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A compelling story, with an unguessable ending - well, for me, anyway!
Haven’t They Grown starts off with what can only be described as a bizarre incident. Beth decides to go and see what her rich ex-best friend’s house looks like before she drops her son off at his football match - after all, its kind-of on the way. What she is confronted with though, is unbelievable: her friend, Flora, with her two children. Her two SMALL children. Which sounds perfectly normal, but the children look exactly the same as they did 12 years ago.

Beth becomes obsessed by this conundrum, and is determined to find out what is going on. Honestly, at several points I thought I might have picked up a science fiction novel, and there was going to be some rational, clone-based explanation (of course these kinds of explanations are ALWAYS rational in my world!). But there wasn’t. There is a perfectly TWISTED reason behind all of this (and you’ll have to read it to find out!). I didn’t for one moment guess the reason behind the ageless children.

Beth is a determined woman - luckily she seems to have a husband who backs down, supports her and lets her get on with it. Her daughter seems as persistent and driven as her mother - except for when her GCSE revision is involved. Living with a teenager in his final year at school, I can empathise with Beth here - my son will do anything to avoid his revision as well! But Beth’s daughter is a good sounding board for her, and pushes her to do things and ask people questions that her character probably wouldn’t have done on her own.

I really very much enjoyed this. The big reveal at the end completely floored me, and I most definitely hadn’t seen it coming. This is a great, entertaining story, and had me gripped throughout.

Many thanks to Readers First for my copy of this book to read and honestly review.
  
40x40

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Feb 6, 2021 (Updated Feb 6, 2021)  
Sneak a peek at the science fiction medical thriller FACTOR-7 by J.D. May, and check out the awesome author interview video on my blog. Enter the giveaway to win a signed paperback of the book, a travel mug, a coffee mug, coaster, pen, tote bag, and a bookmark - 5 winners total.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/02/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-factor-7-by.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Dr. Sam Hawkins’s friend and mentor, Dr. William Roberts, has been struck down by an unknown and hideous disease. Roberts’s dying words are cryptic, and Sam is soon confronted by a massive cover up of his friend’s death. He reluctantly partners with Dr. Rainee Arienzo, an Italian infectious disease specialist, and together they uncover the terrifying truth about Factor-7, a bio-weapon with a 98 percent mortality rate.

Roberts’s journal tips them off that a clandestine plot for using the virus is about to be unleashed by a secret society, the Keepers Collegium. The Collegium, an international group of rogue intelligence agents, ex-military, and government officials, has a demonic plan to use the pathogen to destroy anyone who threatens their twisted ideology. Sam and Rainee soon realize that public exposure of the evil plot would be as dangerous to the world’s security as the bio-weapon itself—the fallout could lead to World War III. Therefore, they must not only shut down the plans of the Collegium, but also keep the top- secret information away from the media.

But as they work to stop the plot, Sam and Rainee are kidnapped by the drug cartel. The kingpin, who financed much of the Collegium’s plot, wants them to hand over Roberts’s journal because it lists the names of the major players in the Collegium who had double-crossed him. He plans to carry out his own revenge. In order to survive, Sam and Rainee have no choice—they must play with one of two devils or be burned by both.
     
Videodrome (1983)
Videodrome (1983)
1983 | Horror, Sci-Fi
First It Controls Your Mind Than It Destorys Your Body
Holy shit this movie is good. The effects, the psychological espect, the sci-fi, the horror, the suspense, the mystery and James Woods.

The Plot: As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn (James Woods) is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend (Deborah Harry) auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.

Distributed by Universal Pictures, Videodrome was the first film by Cronenberg to gain backing from any major Hollywood studio. With the highest budget of any of his films to date, the film was a box-office bomb, recouping only $2.1 million from a $5.9 million budget.

Now considered a cult classic, the film has been cited as one of Cronenberg's best, and a key example of the body horror and science fiction horror genres.

The basis for the film came from David Cronenberg's childhood. Cronenberg used to pick up television signals from Buffalo, New York, late at night after Canadian stations had gone off the air, and worry he might see something disturbing not meant for public consumption.

After the box office success of Scanners, Cronenberg turned down the chance of directing Return of the Jedi, having had no desire to direct material produced by other filmmakers.

When it came to casting the character of Max Renn, Cronenberg chose James Woods, who was a fan of Rabid and Scanners and met with the actor in Beverly Hills to offer him the part, and liked the fact that Woods was very articulate in terms of delivery.

Its a excellent movie and a must see, same with david cronenberg's early horror films.
  
    Ticket to Earth

    Ticket to Earth

    Games

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    A distant planet. A dying colony. A deadly conspiracy. Fight a corrupt system in Ticket to Earth,...

Men (2022) (2022)
Men (2022) (2022)
2022 | Drama, Horror
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Men... am I right?

Harper takes some time away in the country, following the death of her husband. But the break isn't quite as restful as she'd hoped.

I had a lot of feelings about Men. The trouble was, every time I started thinking about it, my brain spiralled off into many debates.

With Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, I was fairly certain that the performances would be solid. They didn't disappoint. Kinnear in particular showed immense dedication to his roles, especially considering some of the things he was having to do. But, despite the superb acting, the characters weren't all that easy to get along with... and yes, that's sort of the point, but never mind.

There seems to be a jumble of genres happening, the trailers for the film show some of its creepy horror-esque moments, and the dramatic portion is represented. In the middle of the film, where Harper suffers from phone issues, we get an odd flash of science fiction... it doesn't fit with the rest of the film, it could easily have been removed with no consequences and left us with something much more consistent.

According to writer and director, Alex Garland, the idea of Men is whatever the viewer takes away from it. I've heard plenty of opinions about the meaning behind the film, though mainly from a small demographic.

To me, it felt like a dive into the mind of a woman who had suffered psychological abuse, and how she deals with that trauma. There are certainly a lot of ways this could be taken, and Men could have been a bold statement, but not committing to an explanation was a bit of a cop out.

While I didn't dislike the experience of watching it on the big screen, I don't need to see it again. Ultimately, the inconsistencies left me wanting something more.

Originally posted on: emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/men-movie-review.html