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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Lost Graves (Boyle & Keneally #2) [Audiobook] in Books
Feb 6, 2022
![Lost Graves (Boyle & Keneally #2) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/317/9e668096-6135-4694-b257-30976a5be317.jpg?m=1644157499)
I am always a bit wary of joining a new series without having read at least the first book however, I needn't have worried because this really works as a standalone and I am now hooked and eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
What we have here is a great story that mixes crime, mystery, serial killer, police procedural with Irish folklore, the supernatural, the travelling community and shady military operations. Now, you might think that's a lot and whilst it is, S.A. Dunphy brings it all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
A mass grave is found in Derrada Woods and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations Team are sent in to investigate; made up of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn, they are definitely a team not to be messed with and they quickly recognise the local police have the wrong man.
The ensuing investigation is full of twists and turns with plenty of action and suspense all written at a great pace. With short chapters, this is one of those books that have you thinking you can mange 'just one more chapter before bed' but before you know it, another hour has gone by ... you just get drawn in and it's hard to tear yourself away.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely absorbed by the narration done by Shelley Atkinson; her soft Irish tone really brought the characters to life and the subtle changes she made in order to make the different characters distinguishable was perfect.
Overall, a great 'listen' and I will definitely be looking out for the next in this enthralling series and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What we have here is a great story that mixes crime, mystery, serial killer, police procedural with Irish folklore, the supernatural, the travelling community and shady military operations. Now, you might think that's a lot and whilst it is, S.A. Dunphy brings it all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
A mass grave is found in Derrada Woods and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations Team are sent in to investigate; made up of Jessie, Seamus, Terri and Dawn, they are definitely a team not to be messed with and they quickly recognise the local police have the wrong man.
The ensuing investigation is full of twists and turns with plenty of action and suspense all written at a great pace. With short chapters, this is one of those books that have you thinking you can mange 'just one more chapter before bed' but before you know it, another hour has gone by ... you just get drawn in and it's hard to tear yourself away.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely absorbed by the narration done by Shelley Atkinson; her soft Irish tone really brought the characters to life and the subtle changes she made in order to make the different characters distinguishable was perfect.
Overall, a great 'listen' and I will definitely be looking out for the next in this enthralling series and my thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated New Nebraska Lessons in Books
Nov 6, 2023
NEW NEBRASKA LESSONS is the first book in a series of standalones, all set in the same world. Even knowing they are standalones, I really hope we catch up with Ceci and her group of men.
She is the janitor at a University, getting lessons and lodging in return for her work, whilst also looking after her ailing mother. She is also the only human there, which means fun times. One by one, she attracts the attention of four different breeds - a bear shifter, a wolf shifter, a fae prince, and a vampire. Her mother disappears and a serial killer is on the loose. Talk about it all going on!
What I loved about it is that however hard the story got, with the concern over her mum, and the grisly murders, the one thing that Ceci didn't have to worry about was the devotion of her men. I LOVED THAT!!! No unnecessary arguments or miscommunications. It was effortless and flowed perfectly. Even with the complications Osric had, it still worked. He wasn't left out and his voice was as strong as the others.
Usually when reading a RH/why choose romance, I have my own personal favourite. Not this time. I love each and every one of them, which is why I'm hoping for a sneaky cameo here or there.
Lots of different characters that I want stories for now, first and foremost being Vesta and Finnian. A brilliant book that I couldn't put down. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 6, 2023
She is the janitor at a University, getting lessons and lodging in return for her work, whilst also looking after her ailing mother. She is also the only human there, which means fun times. One by one, she attracts the attention of four different breeds - a bear shifter, a wolf shifter, a fae prince, and a vampire. Her mother disappears and a serial killer is on the loose. Talk about it all going on!
What I loved about it is that however hard the story got, with the concern over her mum, and the grisly murders, the one thing that Ceci didn't have to worry about was the devotion of her men. I LOVED THAT!!! No unnecessary arguments or miscommunications. It was effortless and flowed perfectly. Even with the complications Osric had, it still worked. He wasn't left out and his voice was as strong as the others.
Usually when reading a RH/why choose romance, I have my own personal favourite. Not this time. I love each and every one of them, which is why I'm hoping for a sneaky cameo here or there.
Lots of different characters that I want stories for now, first and foremost being Vesta and Finnian. A brilliant book that I couldn't put down. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 6, 2023
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Mongrel in Books
Nov 24, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
MONGREL is a standalone story that I really need to be a series! It features Andras, otherwise known by the majority of his pack as Mongrel, and Bowie, a vampire. It also features Erzsébet Báthory, a real-life historical serial killer, who did horrible things to young girls in a possible attempt to stay young (or maybe she was just psycho), and is a vampire of legend second only to Dracula.
Although this involves the kidnapping and torture of young girls, the book doesn't go into too much detail. In fact, hardly any, so don't worry about that. It is more of a slow-burn romance between Andras and Bowie, who are so sweet they should have given me toothache but managed not to.
We are introduced to a host of characters and species in a way that enables the reader to comprehend who they are without being overrun by information. But, for me, the stars were Andras and Bowie. It couldn't be anyone else. They are so protective about each other, jealous and possessive in a somehow good way!
I was wavering between a 4 or 5-star review, simply because there were parts of the story I wanted more of, but then I decided to give it 5-stars simply because of the warm fuzzies I got reading it. This is a standalone but I really hope the author returns to these characters in the future.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 24, 2021
Although this involves the kidnapping and torture of young girls, the book doesn't go into too much detail. In fact, hardly any, so don't worry about that. It is more of a slow-burn romance between Andras and Bowie, who are so sweet they should have given me toothache but managed not to.
We are introduced to a host of characters and species in a way that enables the reader to comprehend who they are without being overrun by information. But, for me, the stars were Andras and Bowie. It couldn't be anyone else. They are so protective about each other, jealous and possessive in a somehow good way!
I was wavering between a 4 or 5-star review, simply because there were parts of the story I wanted more of, but then I decided to give it 5-stars simply because of the warm fuzzies I got reading it. This is a standalone but I really hope the author returns to these characters in the future.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 24, 2021
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Last Cabin Girl in Books
Aug 28, 2023
114 of 235
Kindle
The Last Cabin Girl
By
Tom Swyers
⭐️⭐️
As the pandemic begins, Josie Thompson is a struggling waitress, mom of two great kids. She wants a fresh start far from her abusive husband, the confining small town she calls home, and a long-held secret her family refuses to disclose.
But Josie isn’t going anywhere. After murder victims turn up floating in the river near her isolated cabin, the FBI quickly charges her in one of the killings. Thankfully, she’s freed on bond, but charges for the other deaths loom. The FBI thinks she’s a serial killer.
If convicted, she faces life in prison and a future forever apart from her children. Josie can’t let that happen. She must venture out of her comfort zone to prove her innocence, even if it means confronting her issues, including a growing fear of COVID-19.
Can she trust anyone to help? A friendly detective and former police officer? Her estranged lawyer-brother, David Thompson? Her cryptic parents? A wealthy bachelor who has eyes for her?
In a town where things are not what they seem and not everyone can be trusted, can Josie clear her name, or will her own dark secrets be her undoing?
I honestly don’t know what I just read. I hate giving 2 star reviews but I just don’t know what I feel about this book. It started well but I think there were to many ideas thrown into it I found it became completely bizarre towards the end I mean I can see what the author wanted to to do was twist , turn and shock but all it did for me was twist, turn and confuse. We have the covid 19 virus, conspiracy, incest and espionage that didn’t gel well in my opinion. So sorry 🙈
Kindle
The Last Cabin Girl
By
Tom Swyers
⭐️⭐️
As the pandemic begins, Josie Thompson is a struggling waitress, mom of two great kids. She wants a fresh start far from her abusive husband, the confining small town she calls home, and a long-held secret her family refuses to disclose.
But Josie isn’t going anywhere. After murder victims turn up floating in the river near her isolated cabin, the FBI quickly charges her in one of the killings. Thankfully, she’s freed on bond, but charges for the other deaths loom. The FBI thinks she’s a serial killer.
If convicted, she faces life in prison and a future forever apart from her children. Josie can’t let that happen. She must venture out of her comfort zone to prove her innocence, even if it means confronting her issues, including a growing fear of COVID-19.
Can she trust anyone to help? A friendly detective and former police officer? Her estranged lawyer-brother, David Thompson? Her cryptic parents? A wealthy bachelor who has eyes for her?
In a town where things are not what they seem and not everyone can be trusted, can Josie clear her name, or will her own dark secrets be her undoing?
I honestly don’t know what I just read. I hate giving 2 star reviews but I just don’t know what I feel about this book. It started well but I think there were to many ideas thrown into it I found it became completely bizarre towards the end I mean I can see what the author wanted to to do was twist , turn and shock but all it did for me was twist, turn and confuse. We have the covid 19 virus, conspiracy, incest and espionage that didn’t gel well in my opinion. So sorry 🙈
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The One in Books
Dec 21, 2023
202 of 235
Kindle
The One
By John Marrs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How far would you go to find The One?
A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.
That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.
Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…
Brilliant the only word for it! We follow a group of people that have put faith in a DNA test that matches you with that one true love that biological match that makes you perfect for each other. We see different lives and how they are affected. We even follow a serial killer who finds his match with a police woman in the middle of a 30 women killing spree! Yea victim 27 is heartbreaking. I couldn’t put this down I even spent 20mins talking about it to my husband. So would you? Would you give up everything to have that One person? Do you believe there is one person for everyone? Do you think science should pick our mates?
Kindle
The One
By John Marrs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How far would you go to find The One?
A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.
That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.
Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…
Brilliant the only word for it! We follow a group of people that have put faith in a DNA test that matches you with that one true love that biological match that makes you perfect for each other. We see different lives and how they are affected. We even follow a serial killer who finds his match with a police woman in the middle of a 30 women killing spree! Yea victim 27 is heartbreaking. I couldn’t put this down I even spent 20mins talking about it to my husband. So would you? Would you give up everything to have that One person? Do you believe there is one person for everyone? Do you think science should pick our mates?
Jamie (131 KP) rated Dangerous Behavior in Books
May 24, 2017
Extremely slow start (1 more)
Heavy focus on the romance can be off-putting
Killer Couples
I could almost tag this book as a straight up romance given how much time is dedicated to Sam and Jules’ love story. While the romance could be a good hook for some I personally just found it distracting and kind of eye roll worthy. Sam and Jules were high school sweethearts, Sam cheats, and after getting dumped Jules finds her way into the arms of his brother, who took care of her through her family troubles. The book spends an inordinate amount of time on Sam’s miserable love life and how he never got over his first love despite a plethora of women throwing themselves at him. This made the earlier parts of the novel slow down to a crawl as the narrative focus was more about the romance than the actual murder.
It got worse when Jules started getting her memory back and remembers nothing of the love she shared with her husband and instead keeps thinking about Sam and all the great sex they had. Days after her husband is murdered. I groaned. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised and it’s predictable, it’s just so distasteful and was just sort of a big middle finger to Sam’s brother Joe. I couldn’t get behind the romance in the story at all and it really decreased my enjoyment. So much that I actually was really struggling to like the book and had been thinking about rating it lower until I got to the second half of the book.
Thank goodness for the second half, when the mystery really started to come together. The thrill killers were an interesting pair that bring to mind several serial killer couples. It was a confusing twist on an otherwise average murder mystery and at first I had been wondering why they were even in the story at all. As I dug deeper into the story, however, things pulled together nicely and I actually found these characters to be pretty interesting.
This was the part of the book that was actually good, and the ending alone convinced me to push my rating just a little bit higher. It was worth slogging through the romance to get to the good stuff. While I found certain parts predictable and had figured out the dastardly duo immediately when they were introduced I still enjoyed unraveling the mystery and finding a few surprises along the way.
It got worse when Jules started getting her memory back and remembers nothing of the love she shared with her husband and instead keeps thinking about Sam and all the great sex they had. Days after her husband is murdered. I groaned. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised and it’s predictable, it’s just so distasteful and was just sort of a big middle finger to Sam’s brother Joe. I couldn’t get behind the romance in the story at all and it really decreased my enjoyment. So much that I actually was really struggling to like the book and had been thinking about rating it lower until I got to the second half of the book.
Thank goodness for the second half, when the mystery really started to come together. The thrill killers were an interesting pair that bring to mind several serial killer couples. It was a confusing twist on an otherwise average murder mystery and at first I had been wondering why they were even in the story at all. As I dug deeper into the story, however, things pulled together nicely and I actually found these characters to be pretty interesting.
This was the part of the book that was actually good, and the ending alone convinced me to push my rating just a little bit higher. It was worth slogging through the romance to get to the good stuff. While I found certain parts predictable and had figured out the dastardly duo immediately when they were introduced I still enjoyed unraveling the mystery and finding a few surprises along the way.
TheFiend13420 (21 KP) rated Where The Scary Things Are (2022) in Movies
Jun 28, 2022 (Updated Jun 28, 2022)
Excellent performances by virtually unknown cast (2 more)
Well written, fun and flows well
Beauty make-up job on the creature
The Loser's Club these kids are NOT
I have been waiting for this film to come out for months now. And it was totally worth the wait.
A group of friends, led by angry disruptive Ayla, venture out to the closed down Field of Screams Halloween Haunt in search of a local urban legend. Prompted by one of their teachers, They are asked to make up their own Legend and try to bring it to life to prove how false facts can create a sort of mass hysteria. And eventually. They become real... Like local urban legend, Lockjaw.
First off... These fucking kids
None of them are likable. They all have something that makes them horrible. There's no smiles and laughs while walking down the fucking train tracks in this not so feel good movie. The performances by these kids. Even the youngest one... Who you kind of want to kick in the face... puts in a stellar showing. The lead girl. With her serial killer like lack of emotion and empathy. If there were Oscars for horror. She would most definitely be nominated. Even the one kid who shows some form of common sense. Has not one real redeeming quality. These kids are just plain horrid. You literally wish death upon these teenagers
Second. The originality of the whole thing. I know it will probably garner some comparisons to Psycho Goreman. But... Believe me when i tell you... There is no similarity. These are two completely seperate entities.
The idea of Urban Legends coming true. And not being projected by some killer in a parka. makes me extremely happy. Not a slight against the series of Urban Legend movies... I love them... But...
Third. I love the pace of the film. It keeps going, doesn't let up in the slightest. Just when you think you've seen it all. The little bastards just break down the morality wall a little bit more. Such a fun ride to be on.
Was it worth the wait. Absolutely.
Would I recommend it to my friends.... 100%.
Will it be something I'd watch again... I'm actually watching it again... Right now... While I do this review.
Mr. Smith, you've done it again.
You have kept my interest and left me utterly satisfied with an hour and a half of pure horrific pleasure.
Not one stitch of disappointment here...
A group of friends, led by angry disruptive Ayla, venture out to the closed down Field of Screams Halloween Haunt in search of a local urban legend. Prompted by one of their teachers, They are asked to make up their own Legend and try to bring it to life to prove how false facts can create a sort of mass hysteria. And eventually. They become real... Like local urban legend, Lockjaw.
First off... These fucking kids
None of them are likable. They all have something that makes them horrible. There's no smiles and laughs while walking down the fucking train tracks in this not so feel good movie. The performances by these kids. Even the youngest one... Who you kind of want to kick in the face... puts in a stellar showing. The lead girl. With her serial killer like lack of emotion and empathy. If there were Oscars for horror. She would most definitely be nominated. Even the one kid who shows some form of common sense. Has not one real redeeming quality. These kids are just plain horrid. You literally wish death upon these teenagers
Second. The originality of the whole thing. I know it will probably garner some comparisons to Psycho Goreman. But... Believe me when i tell you... There is no similarity. These are two completely seperate entities.
The idea of Urban Legends coming true. And not being projected by some killer in a parka. makes me extremely happy. Not a slight against the series of Urban Legend movies... I love them... But...
Third. I love the pace of the film. It keeps going, doesn't let up in the slightest. Just when you think you've seen it all. The little bastards just break down the morality wall a little bit more. Such a fun ride to be on.
Was it worth the wait. Absolutely.
Would I recommend it to my friends.... 100%.
Will it be something I'd watch again... I'm actually watching it again... Right now... While I do this review.
Mr. Smith, you've done it again.
You have kept my interest and left me utterly satisfied with an hour and a half of pure horrific pleasure.
Not one stitch of disappointment here...
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Scream (2022) in Movies
Jan 29, 2022
Ghostface (up until the reveal) (2 more)
The kills
Chemistry between Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox
Terrible killer reveal (2 more)
Rehashes everything from the original film.
Too meta for its own good
Movies Make Psychos More Imitative
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Scream franchise has always been this love letter to the horror genre while simultaneously embracing this self-deprecating demeanor that was meta long before it was the trendy thing for movies to do. All of the films would lay out the rules of a slasher or horror sequel while sometimes following a familiar formula, but often broke the boundaries of the stabby, blood-soaked mold it was proud to pretend to stay within the lines of.
Now, 11 years after Scream 4, Scream not only references its roots it drowns itself in the accomplishments of the previous films. The film is a huge nostalgic throwback to the first films, especially the original and Scream 4. But nearly every new character introduced in the new film is related to someone in a previous Scream film.
The film opens with Ghostface calling and playing a horror trivia game over the phone with some unsuspecting high school girl, the killer is narrowed down to once again be one of a close-knit group of friends, and the finale literally takes place in the house of one of the characters from the first film.
It’s established within Scream’s dialogue that the film isn’t a reboot or a sequel, but a requel. It brings back legacy characters to make way for new blood while staying within a formula that is almost a carbon copy of the original film. The kills are a little different, the technology is modern, and Sidney, Gale, and Dewey are all older, but this all feels too familiar to feel like a refreshing entry in the franchise.
The highlight of the film is obviously Ghostface. Roger L. Jackson, the voice of Ghostface, is the unsung and unseen hero (or villain) of the franchise. He has not only been the voice of Ghostface for all five films, but was also the voice of Ghostface in season three of the television series. We’ll ignore the fact that who the killer turns out to be has a serious height difference in comparison to whoever is running around the rest of the film, but there are some pretty brutal moments here; his leg stomp to Tara in the film’s opening, the knife through the neck scene where we see the blade go through the victim’s throat and out the side to surprisingly satisfactory results, and even a kill on the sidewalk in front of someone’s house in broad daylight.
Ghostface has his most memorable kill while using two knives in the hall of a private floor of a hospital and it’s fantastic. The original film is a personal favorite, but there are several scenes where you can see another and seemingly cheaper and less detailed mask is used (the opening scene where Drew Barrymore gets stabbed on the front lawn comes to mind). There’s none of that in the new film as Ghostface shines in absolutely every sequence until he’s unmasked.
Characters from previous films that were stabbed or shot or both, but were never shown dying on screen were rumored to appear in this film. The most notable being Hayden Penettiere’s Kirby Reed from Scream 4 and Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher from the original. Unfortunately, the return of either character would have been more interesting than what we ended up with.
Sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) have an interesting character connection that results in a repeating Tell-Tale Heart motivation that could finally trigger Sam losing her sanity. The twins, Mindy and Chad (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding) are arguably the most useful. Next to Jack Quaid’s performance as Richie, Jasmin Savoy Brown may deliver the best performance from the new cast members.
The aspects that make the Scream franchise scary and suspenseful is the fact that Ghostface is just a horror obsessed human much like the people watching the film from the other side of the screen. Before the killer or killers are revealed, everyone is a suspect and Ghostface can be anyone behind the mask. That sense of dread that lies within never feeling safe even around your family and best friends while simultaneously watching them get slaughtered one by one while you helplessly sit on the sidelines are terrifying concepts that would drive anyone crazy in real life.
The killer(s) in Scream are trying to claim the same kind of legacy Billy Loomis and Stu Macher received; the movie franchise based on their killings, the fame, and the notoriety. Scream is a movie formulated around another movie (the 1996 Scream) that has a movie franchise within the movie franchise (Stab) that is constantly referencing itself and other films in the genre all while trying to erase its ugliest moments. It’s exhausting and disappointing at the same time.
Ghostface is my favorite cinematic serial killer and I love the first four films (yes, even Scream 3 and Gale’s terrible bangs) despite their flaws and fluctuating factors of entertainment. I’ll see and support any new Scream film or TV series that comes along because of it. I know this new installment was successful and some enjoyed it, but it is honestly my least favorite in the franchise.
This new film feels like it’s trying too hard to be one of the original Scream films when it should have just been more of its own thing. This is something the film addresses, but originality should always triumph over retreading familiar territory; especially when it seems like its kills are being plunged into the same stab wounds.
Now, 11 years after Scream 4, Scream not only references its roots it drowns itself in the accomplishments of the previous films. The film is a huge nostalgic throwback to the first films, especially the original and Scream 4. But nearly every new character introduced in the new film is related to someone in a previous Scream film.
The film opens with Ghostface calling and playing a horror trivia game over the phone with some unsuspecting high school girl, the killer is narrowed down to once again be one of a close-knit group of friends, and the finale literally takes place in the house of one of the characters from the first film.
It’s established within Scream’s dialogue that the film isn’t a reboot or a sequel, but a requel. It brings back legacy characters to make way for new blood while staying within a formula that is almost a carbon copy of the original film. The kills are a little different, the technology is modern, and Sidney, Gale, and Dewey are all older, but this all feels too familiar to feel like a refreshing entry in the franchise.
The highlight of the film is obviously Ghostface. Roger L. Jackson, the voice of Ghostface, is the unsung and unseen hero (or villain) of the franchise. He has not only been the voice of Ghostface for all five films, but was also the voice of Ghostface in season three of the television series. We’ll ignore the fact that who the killer turns out to be has a serious height difference in comparison to whoever is running around the rest of the film, but there are some pretty brutal moments here; his leg stomp to Tara in the film’s opening, the knife through the neck scene where we see the blade go through the victim’s throat and out the side to surprisingly satisfactory results, and even a kill on the sidewalk in front of someone’s house in broad daylight.
Ghostface has his most memorable kill while using two knives in the hall of a private floor of a hospital and it’s fantastic. The original film is a personal favorite, but there are several scenes where you can see another and seemingly cheaper and less detailed mask is used (the opening scene where Drew Barrymore gets stabbed on the front lawn comes to mind). There’s none of that in the new film as Ghostface shines in absolutely every sequence until he’s unmasked.
Characters from previous films that were stabbed or shot or both, but were never shown dying on screen were rumored to appear in this film. The most notable being Hayden Penettiere’s Kirby Reed from Scream 4 and Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher from the original. Unfortunately, the return of either character would have been more interesting than what we ended up with.
Sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (played by Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) have an interesting character connection that results in a repeating Tell-Tale Heart motivation that could finally trigger Sam losing her sanity. The twins, Mindy and Chad (played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding) are arguably the most useful. Next to Jack Quaid’s performance as Richie, Jasmin Savoy Brown may deliver the best performance from the new cast members.
The aspects that make the Scream franchise scary and suspenseful is the fact that Ghostface is just a horror obsessed human much like the people watching the film from the other side of the screen. Before the killer or killers are revealed, everyone is a suspect and Ghostface can be anyone behind the mask. That sense of dread that lies within never feeling safe even around your family and best friends while simultaneously watching them get slaughtered one by one while you helplessly sit on the sidelines are terrifying concepts that would drive anyone crazy in real life.
The killer(s) in Scream are trying to claim the same kind of legacy Billy Loomis and Stu Macher received; the movie franchise based on their killings, the fame, and the notoriety. Scream is a movie formulated around another movie (the 1996 Scream) that has a movie franchise within the movie franchise (Stab) that is constantly referencing itself and other films in the genre all while trying to erase its ugliest moments. It’s exhausting and disappointing at the same time.
Ghostface is my favorite cinematic serial killer and I love the first four films (yes, even Scream 3 and Gale’s terrible bangs) despite their flaws and fluctuating factors of entertainment. I’ll see and support any new Scream film or TV series that comes along because of it. I know this new installment was successful and some enjoyed it, but it is honestly my least favorite in the franchise.
This new film feels like it’s trying too hard to be one of the original Scream films when it should have just been more of its own thing. This is something the film addresses, but originality should always triumph over retreading familiar territory; especially when it seems like its kills are being plunged into the same stab wounds.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Thoughts on Child’s Play
Characters – Andy is a young teenager that has just moved to a new city with his mother, he hasn’t made any friends, turning to his phone to keep him busy, he does have a hearing aid, but it is never clear how bad his hearing is, he gets a Buddi doll that will keep him company as he starts to become friends with the doll. Once he learns of the evil inside the doll, he does all he can to make sure his loved ones are safe, as he starts to make friends away from the doll, he never seems to go to school though. Karen is the single mother that is working double shifts to keep Andy happy, she starts dating a new man, which doesn’t please Andy and does all she can to put Andy first when things start getting out of hand. Chucky is the Buddi doll that has been unleashed from his safety restrictions, he is constantly learning from watching people, which brings out his violent side, which will see him going on a killing spree targeting anyone that hurts or tries to replace him as a friend to Andy. Detective Norris visits the apartment building where his mother lives for dinner once a week, he does notice Andy around the apartment building making sure he is safe.
Performances – Aubrey Plaza as the single mother is strong in her role, she does bring added character to a character that could have come off plain. Gabriel Bateman is great too because he shows us the isolation that he is going through during the film. Mark Hamill does voice the character of Chucky well giving us an entertaining character that get plenty of laughs. Brian Tyree Henry does bring comedy to his role, which is usually a more uptight figure in the film.
Story – The story here follows a boy that given a Buddi doll which soon starts to go on a killing rampage after learning from the technology around him. I do have conflicting feelings about this story, on one side I am disappointed we have scrapped the serial killer trying to get his soul into another body, which I feel is the main part of the franchise. On the positive side we do get to dive into the world where people are letting themselves are being controlled by technology, connecting everything to one source where an error could break everything. seeing Chucky learn is interesting to see too because we see how he processing each clip, line and environmental side of the world. it does borrow from a lot of different films from the past which can be picked up on. This des come off very fun, only it could have been its own new doll instead of just using Chucky showing the lack of originality coming out of the Hollywood.
Horror – The horror in the film is mostly slasher material, we see Chucky getting kills with plenty of blood splatter, with some original kills along the way.
Settings – The film keeps the settings looking very similar with the apartment building showing how hard up the family is, the department store does bring us a great showdown location too.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong with the Chucky doll being both creepy and moving in a robotic motion which seems nature.
Scene of the Movie – Chucky has a present for Andy.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – No Serial Killer side.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that does get laughs and blood splatter, it does frustrate though by having to use the Chucky doll for what is a completely original idea.
Overall: Blood Splattering fun.
Characters – Andy is a young teenager that has just moved to a new city with his mother, he hasn’t made any friends, turning to his phone to keep him busy, he does have a hearing aid, but it is never clear how bad his hearing is, he gets a Buddi doll that will keep him company as he starts to become friends with the doll. Once he learns of the evil inside the doll, he does all he can to make sure his loved ones are safe, as he starts to make friends away from the doll, he never seems to go to school though. Karen is the single mother that is working double shifts to keep Andy happy, she starts dating a new man, which doesn’t please Andy and does all she can to put Andy first when things start getting out of hand. Chucky is the Buddi doll that has been unleashed from his safety restrictions, he is constantly learning from watching people, which brings out his violent side, which will see him going on a killing spree targeting anyone that hurts or tries to replace him as a friend to Andy. Detective Norris visits the apartment building where his mother lives for dinner once a week, he does notice Andy around the apartment building making sure he is safe.
Performances – Aubrey Plaza as the single mother is strong in her role, she does bring added character to a character that could have come off plain. Gabriel Bateman is great too because he shows us the isolation that he is going through during the film. Mark Hamill does voice the character of Chucky well giving us an entertaining character that get plenty of laughs. Brian Tyree Henry does bring comedy to his role, which is usually a more uptight figure in the film.
Story – The story here follows a boy that given a Buddi doll which soon starts to go on a killing rampage after learning from the technology around him. I do have conflicting feelings about this story, on one side I am disappointed we have scrapped the serial killer trying to get his soul into another body, which I feel is the main part of the franchise. On the positive side we do get to dive into the world where people are letting themselves are being controlled by technology, connecting everything to one source where an error could break everything. seeing Chucky learn is interesting to see too because we see how he processing each clip, line and environmental side of the world. it does borrow from a lot of different films from the past which can be picked up on. This des come off very fun, only it could have been its own new doll instead of just using Chucky showing the lack of originality coming out of the Hollywood.
Horror – The horror in the film is mostly slasher material, we see Chucky getting kills with plenty of blood splatter, with some original kills along the way.
Settings – The film keeps the settings looking very similar with the apartment building showing how hard up the family is, the department store does bring us a great showdown location too.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong with the Chucky doll being both creepy and moving in a robotic motion which seems nature.
Scene of the Movie – Chucky has a present for Andy.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – No Serial Killer side.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that does get laughs and blood splatter, it does frustrate though by having to use the Chucky doll for what is a completely original idea.
Overall: Blood Splattering fun.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Body Count (Sophie Anderson, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
After a somewhat rough and slow start, give or take the first 150 pages, BODY COUNT picked up steam with the turn of each page. Told in first-person, present tense narrative, the book introduces Australian transplant, Sophie Anderson, who now works as a profiler for the F.B.I. and is intent on catching the D.C. Slasher before he strikes too close to home.
Sophie is a sympathetic and smart protagonist, and I liked her even though she felt slightly distant to me; although her distance quite fit with her character. While many books feature headstrong females who idiotically go off half-cocked into precarious situations, I am happy to say Sophie was sensible enough that I don't remember her ever doing anything overtly stupid throughout the duration of the book. At first, I thought too much of the book was given to the romance between Sophie and Josh Marco, a fellow profiler, but luckily that trailed off and it became less of a focus. The psychic angle actually doesn't play as much into this series' first outing as I was led to believe from the synopsis, but it works in the book's favor, as it helps set up the characters and background, especially Sophie's.
Some parts of the book I thought unnecessary but they weren't anything big or too distracting to the plot as a whole. While it is easy to figure out who the serial killer is, if you've read enough mysteries, you're bound to determine who's the one; the fun is in how Sophie and the others get to that point. I did like the main motivation behind the killer and found it fresh and interesting. The passages told from the killer's perspective were especially well-done, very chilling and realistic, and they were at the end of most chapters.
Fast, fun, thrilling and full of twists and turns, BODY COUNT kept me riveted and refused to let me put the book down. Yes, it has some faults but they're minor and this book is a pretty darn good starter to the series.
Sophie Anderson series in order:
[b:Body Count|2440333|Body Count (Sophie Anderson, #1)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1215115590s/2440333.jpg|2447527]
[b:The Murderers' Club|2354961|The Murderers' Club (Sophie Anderson, #2)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1215280718s/2354961.jpg|2361686]
[b:Fan Mail|3578656|Fan Mail (Sophie Anderson, #3)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1230869678s/3578656.jpg|3620904]
[b:The Killing Hands|6980016|The Killing Hands (Sophie Anderson, #4)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276308597s/6980016.jpg|6439761]
[b:Kiss of Death|7975977|Kiss of Death (Sophie Anderson, #5)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280898964s/7975977.jpg|9636582]
Sophie is a sympathetic and smart protagonist, and I liked her even though she felt slightly distant to me; although her distance quite fit with her character. While many books feature headstrong females who idiotically go off half-cocked into precarious situations, I am happy to say Sophie was sensible enough that I don't remember her ever doing anything overtly stupid throughout the duration of the book. At first, I thought too much of the book was given to the romance between Sophie and Josh Marco, a fellow profiler, but luckily that trailed off and it became less of a focus. The psychic angle actually doesn't play as much into this series' first outing as I was led to believe from the synopsis, but it works in the book's favor, as it helps set up the characters and background, especially Sophie's.
Some parts of the book I thought unnecessary but they weren't anything big or too distracting to the plot as a whole. While it is easy to figure out who the serial killer is, if you've read enough mysteries, you're bound to determine who's the one; the fun is in how Sophie and the others get to that point. I did like the main motivation behind the killer and found it fresh and interesting. The passages told from the killer's perspective were especially well-done, very chilling and realistic, and they were at the end of most chapters.
Fast, fun, thrilling and full of twists and turns, BODY COUNT kept me riveted and refused to let me put the book down. Yes, it has some faults but they're minor and this book is a pretty darn good starter to the series.
Sophie Anderson series in order:
[b:Body Count|2440333|Body Count (Sophie Anderson, #1)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1215115590s/2440333.jpg|2447527]
[b:The Murderers' Club|2354961|The Murderers' Club (Sophie Anderson, #2)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1215280718s/2354961.jpg|2361686]
[b:Fan Mail|3578656|Fan Mail (Sophie Anderson, #3)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1230869678s/3578656.jpg|3620904]
[b:The Killing Hands|6980016|The Killing Hands (Sophie Anderson, #4)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276308597s/6980016.jpg|6439761]
[b:Kiss of Death|7975977|Kiss of Death (Sophie Anderson, #5)|P.D. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1280898964s/7975977.jpg|9636582]