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Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
1988 | Horror
Slightly discombobulating horror sequel. Following the events of the first movie Kirsty Cotton unsurprisingly ends up in a loony bin run by brain surgeon and keen puzzle-box fan Dr Channard (Kenneth Cranham tries mightily to bring a touch of Peter Cushing-style class to an underwritten part). As Channard is a lunatic, he resurrects Kirsty's evil stepmother, and because he is clearly either very forgetful or slow off the mark, together they give a puzzle box (which he already had) to a traumatised patient who's good at puzzles (who he likewise already had about the place) and together they begin to explore the realm of the box.

Meanwhile... oh, does it really matter? As you can perhaps begin to discern, the plot of Hellraiser II Makes No Sense Whatsoever (the Cotton house appears to have teleported from London to New York City in the gap between films, and this is only a minor issue), and there is something baffling and miraculous about the fact the film is as coherent and watchable as it is. Then again, it's not actually about logic, plot, or the motivation of the characters, just a succession of grisly, visceral, nightmarish, surreal images. In this respect at least the film is an astonishing success. Doesn't stop the story from being nonsense, though. Manages to be a very bad movie but also a terrific one, frequently at exactly the same time. Like I say, discombobulating.
  
The Queen Con (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 2)
The Queen Con (The Golden Arrow Mysteries Book 2)
Meghan Scott Molin | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Overly complicated
I wasn't keen on the first book in this series, but it got me just about intrigued enough to want to read the second. And sadly I liked this one even less than the first.

Fortunately MG was a much more bearable character in this book, although still fairly irritating - her actions and emotions are very childlike and not fitting for a grown adult. Calling her car the "Millennium Turd" drove me crazy. But at least her relationship with Matteo wasnt quite as prominent and frustrating. The problem with this book though is the plot. It's just ridiculous and overly complicated. I felt so confused trying to figure out what was going on and to me it was an entirely unnecessary sequel. A standalone story in the same setting would have been a much better idea rather than trying to link it too much into the plot from the first book.

Also the reveal about who the Golden Arrow is comes right at the end of the book and to be frank, I saw this coming from early on in the first book and I was aghast at how the characters in the book didnt see it coming. I've also already spotted the twist that any future books will throw up about this reveal, so it was rather a let down overall. I only bothered to read it as it was free on Kindle Unlimited!
  
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Drama, Horror
47 Meters Down: Uncaged is pretty much what you would expect from a low budget shark-horror-sequel. It has ok moments, insufferable characters, dodgy CGI, buckets of nonsense - the whole package.

In all honesty, the first 25 minutes or so are actually half decent. The plot revolves around four friends getting stuck in an underwater Mayan ruin whilst cave diving. This setting is effective, providing a claustrophobic backdrop for the characters to be stalked by a great white shark. There are countless shots of sheer blackness, and it's relatively unsettling now and again.
Of course there's a hastily introduced plot kicker not long after - the shark is in fact blind, and hunts using sound, and here is where the movies big gaping issues lie....
The ladies figure this detail out immediately, but then proceed to constantly scream and shout for the test of the runtime. Not only can they hear each other talking clear as day UNDERWATER, but their incessant warbling had me rooting for the shark before long. What starts as a fairly tense underwater thriller, devolves into Hollywood silliness in a matter of minutes, complete with a set of characters that lack any relatability or likable qualities.

The sharks themselves look ok when shrouded in darkness (there are a few creepy shots, and a few fairly good jump scares), but up close, the poor CGI is easily exposed.

It's not a terrible, but you're not missing out if you give this one a pass.
  
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Charlotte (184 KP) rated Have You Seen Me? in Books

Oct 5, 2021 (Updated Oct 5, 2021)  
Have You Seen Me?
Have You Seen Me?
Alexandrea Weis | 2021 | Horror, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A suspense filled hit!

A quality, young adult, read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
     I had my suspicions on who commited the crimes, I second guessed myself......then third guessed and then decided my first choice was right. The clues are well placed and you can't help but try to solve the mystery before the end.
    Speaking of the ending, I'm spying the possibility of, at the very least, a cheeky novella for a sequel. Why? Because there's a kind of cliff hanger/question left unanswered and I NEED to get the answer!! So pretty please Alexandra Weis.......

As far as characters go I really like Aubrey LaRoux, she's our main female and is a pleasure to get to know. She's been where her students are and has that first hand experience to help guide them.
    Her students are an unlikely group of misfits, each with their own quirks and oddities. Generally they are fairly likeable, mainly as you get to know them more.
    Sheriff Mason Dubois is a hot, strong and capable man. He has southern charm and a stubborn streak that pairs well with the headmistress' blunt, uncooperative and rude personality.
    
As far as I'm concerned, Have You Seen Me? is a gripping horror/thriller that will have you hooked from the start. It is a young adult plus read, ideal for keeping your imagination going.


 @Merissa