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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Doctor Sleep (2019) in Movies
Nov 9, 2019
A return to Room 237
***MINOR SPOILERS ONLY***
After the events which ruined his childhood at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has not had a profound life. He does drugs and has become addicted to alcohol. He decides to move to a small town where he tries to get his act together. He is still haunted by those events so long ago even seeing the ghost of long deceased Overlook cook Dick Hallorann who also possessed the ability to "shine". Dan always knew or assumed other in the world had the ability as well; however, had tried to lead a normal existence.
Meanwhile, a cult of soul swallowing degenerates emerges and preys on those who have the ability. Some not knowing their minor gifts are easy prey, but those who have remarkable abilities present more of a challenge. One of these such wunderkinds is 13 year old Abra Stone. Like Danny, she has had abilities all her life, her parents chose to ignore them, but now events are intensifying so profound she cannot ignore them. The cult leader, Rose The Hat, seeks out more victims for her flock to feed upon having an eventual confrontation with Abra.
***I don't want to say more so I don't ruin for anyone.***
I have decided when writing a review of a sequel of any kind, I will never refer to it as "unnecessary". I have read many recent critiques of movies like Zombieland: Double Tap or Maleficent: Mistress of Evil when this word is used and I don't agree with that as a criticism. People are only using that word if the sequel is a disappointment. Someone would never say The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight were unnecessary because they were great films. Even mediocre sequels will get tagged with unnecessary and I guess I feel you should rate the film which was made on its own merits and not try to decide if it was worth making or not.
Much like the way 2010 tried to explain the monolith and the mystery from Kubrick's masterpiece and my favorite film of all time 2001: A Space Odyssey, Doctor Sleep explores and expands the "shining" universe and gives audiences another look into that world. I was reminded when watching for some reason the sequence in Ready Player One where the characters go back to the Overlook and interact with the unique setting and art direction the film possessed. The homages and settings in Doctor Sleep feel both modernized and a fond look back of what everyone loved from The Shining. I could tell writer/director Mike Flanagan loved this universe so intensely, he decided to adapt the Stephen King sequel novel and it is well done.
Most main characters from the original Shining film make an appearance here as well, most with smaller cameo type roles which I don't want to spoil here. The new characters of both Abra Stone and Rose The Hat are great additions and acting by Rebecca Ferguson (who is quickly becoming one of my faves) and young Kyliegh Curran really bring them to life. Other than the obvious Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor usually plays such happy and likable characters that it was interesting to see him in a darker light, especially at the beginning of the film.
The musical score felt much like The Shining at times (the best parts), but also foraged new ground and was truly haunting and beautiful throughout. The cinematography and art direction were beautiful when showing the dark forest and suburban landscapes as well as the recreation of some of the more familiar elements.
Doctor Sleep is the ceiling threshold of how good a sequel to a Kubrick classic iconic perfection piece of movie artwork onscreen. The feeling and fun of seeing new interpretations of classic characters was fine with me as the screenplay does them justice. Comparing it to The Shining is moot since Kubrick was the master and his films should be studied indefinitely by film students worldwide and Doctor Sleep is an admirable compliment to that.
I tried to find an instance where Kubrick made comment about the film 2010, but I could not other than he said he wished the director well with it. I would imagine he would have the same reaction here. I think he would feel his work stands on its own without need for further explanation or additional narrative, but that is not a criticism, just an observation.
After the events which ruined his childhood at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance has not had a profound life. He does drugs and has become addicted to alcohol. He decides to move to a small town where he tries to get his act together. He is still haunted by those events so long ago even seeing the ghost of long deceased Overlook cook Dick Hallorann who also possessed the ability to "shine". Dan always knew or assumed other in the world had the ability as well; however, had tried to lead a normal existence.
Meanwhile, a cult of soul swallowing degenerates emerges and preys on those who have the ability. Some not knowing their minor gifts are easy prey, but those who have remarkable abilities present more of a challenge. One of these such wunderkinds is 13 year old Abra Stone. Like Danny, she has had abilities all her life, her parents chose to ignore them, but now events are intensifying so profound she cannot ignore them. The cult leader, Rose The Hat, seeks out more victims for her flock to feed upon having an eventual confrontation with Abra.
***I don't want to say more so I don't ruin for anyone.***
I have decided when writing a review of a sequel of any kind, I will never refer to it as "unnecessary". I have read many recent critiques of movies like Zombieland: Double Tap or Maleficent: Mistress of Evil when this word is used and I don't agree with that as a criticism. People are only using that word if the sequel is a disappointment. Someone would never say The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight were unnecessary because they were great films. Even mediocre sequels will get tagged with unnecessary and I guess I feel you should rate the film which was made on its own merits and not try to decide if it was worth making or not.
Much like the way 2010 tried to explain the monolith and the mystery from Kubrick's masterpiece and my favorite film of all time 2001: A Space Odyssey, Doctor Sleep explores and expands the "shining" universe and gives audiences another look into that world. I was reminded when watching for some reason the sequence in Ready Player One where the characters go back to the Overlook and interact with the unique setting and art direction the film possessed. The homages and settings in Doctor Sleep feel both modernized and a fond look back of what everyone loved from The Shining. I could tell writer/director Mike Flanagan loved this universe so intensely, he decided to adapt the Stephen King sequel novel and it is well done.
Most main characters from the original Shining film make an appearance here as well, most with smaller cameo type roles which I don't want to spoil here. The new characters of both Abra Stone and Rose The Hat are great additions and acting by Rebecca Ferguson (who is quickly becoming one of my faves) and young Kyliegh Curran really bring them to life. Other than the obvious Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor usually plays such happy and likable characters that it was interesting to see him in a darker light, especially at the beginning of the film.
The musical score felt much like The Shining at times (the best parts), but also foraged new ground and was truly haunting and beautiful throughout. The cinematography and art direction were beautiful when showing the dark forest and suburban landscapes as well as the recreation of some of the more familiar elements.
Doctor Sleep is the ceiling threshold of how good a sequel to a Kubrick classic iconic perfection piece of movie artwork onscreen. The feeling and fun of seeing new interpretations of classic characters was fine with me as the screenplay does them justice. Comparing it to The Shining is moot since Kubrick was the master and his films should be studied indefinitely by film students worldwide and Doctor Sleep is an admirable compliment to that.
I tried to find an instance where Kubrick made comment about the film 2010, but I could not other than he said he wished the director well with it. I would imagine he would have the same reaction here. I think he would feel his work stands on its own without need for further explanation or additional narrative, but that is not a criticism, just an observation.
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Laura T (4 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 2 in TV
Nov 4, 2017 (Updated Nov 4, 2017)
Steve And Dustins bromance. (3 more)
Eleven and Hopper as a family.
Lucas’s little sister (she needs a bigger part next time)
Ghostbusters!
Love letter to the 80s
I don’t normally review stuff but I ADORE this show. I love anything geeky anyway but this just combines it with the awesomeness that was the 80s. A fantastic show that you can’t help be sucked into and want to watch them all in one go (who needs sleep?!?) I wasn’t sure whether I’d watch it when I first saw it advertised, but I’m so glad I did. They’ve got it down to a t. Bad hair, crap fashion, awesome music, and fantastic homages to some great 80s films. It’s just one big love letter to some of the best things about that decade. Wasn’t sure if S2 would be as good, but i think it’s just as good if not better. And we know how rare that can be. I’m not gonna go into everything about the show as I think you just need to clear a big chunk of space in your free time and binge them all. S3 and 4 cant come soon enough!!
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Tom's Inheritance in Books
May 22, 2019
King Arthur is destined to return and Tom is destined to wake him.
When the Lady of the Lake summons Tom to the Other, she tells him he has to wake King Arthur from his long sleep on Avalon.
Tom starts a journey that will change his life forever.
He finds a world where magic still exists, and mythical creatures walk among fey. And he finds that the legends he thought were myth are very real.
So are ancient enemies.
If hes to survive, he must learn to fight, and find courage he never knew he had.
Hes about to become part of a legend.
If you love magic, mystery, and Arthurian legend, youll love Toms Inheritance.
I have always enjoyed Arthurian tales but this beats the lot.
The characters are delightfully complex and intriguing, and all so different.
This is such a fun and magical adventure.
So beautifully written and descriptive.
I really, really enjoyed this story.
I am looking forward to getting started on the next book in the series Twice Born, which is about Merlin.
Can't wait to see where all the series leads.
When the Lady of the Lake summons Tom to the Other, she tells him he has to wake King Arthur from his long sleep on Avalon.
Tom starts a journey that will change his life forever.
He finds a world where magic still exists, and mythical creatures walk among fey. And he finds that the legends he thought were myth are very real.
So are ancient enemies.
If hes to survive, he must learn to fight, and find courage he never knew he had.
Hes about to become part of a legend.
If you love magic, mystery, and Arthurian legend, youll love Toms Inheritance.
I have always enjoyed Arthurian tales but this beats the lot.
The characters are delightfully complex and intriguing, and all so different.
This is such a fun and magical adventure.
So beautifully written and descriptive.
I really, really enjoyed this story.
I am looking forward to getting started on the next book in the series Twice Born, which is about Merlin.
Can't wait to see where all the series leads.
Danielle Chaplin (81 KP) rated Guilty Pleasures in Books
Jun 1, 2019
Incredible
I cannot recommend this book enough! I read it when I was around 14 years old and it was one of the first books I've read where the characters and lives are so realistic (obviously the setting is slightly fantastical with supernatural creatures), it was so refreshing to see characters getting injured and that injury lasting more than a couple of pages, for there to be a need to eat and sleep which some stories don't seem to deem necessary, and for the character to struggle with issues more than just a bad guy. It was amazing that the main character wasn't some meek female that grew into someone strong in the space of a story but that she worked her butt off before the setting of the story and was just introduced as this hard as nails vampire executioner that loves penguins.
This was the perfect start to an amazing series that blew the Charlaine Harris books completely out of the water! A must read for any vampire/supernatural fan but do be warned that the later books do get more graphic and sexual so probably not suitable for younger readers.
This was the perfect start to an amazing series that blew the Charlaine Harris books completely out of the water! A must read for any vampire/supernatural fan but do be warned that the later books do get more graphic and sexual so probably not suitable for younger readers.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Nightmare Man in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b><i>Like usual, I feel the nightmare man before I see him, before he pulls himself through.</i></b>
This was a superb and creepy short horror story! At only 70, or so, pages, this was a really well thought out novel that rounded itself up perfectly at the end.
I didnt like to read this before I went to sleep because the imagery of the Nightmare Man was so vivid and terrifying that I was worried I was going to start experiencing a creature pulling itself out of a shadowy hole in the corner of my room. Ryker was really good at the nightmarish imagery in this novel, there were certainly some really creepy moments.
This story starts out as a scary story about a man with night terrors but it progresses to be much more meaningful than just that. This novel teaches us that we cant blame others for failures in our lives, that could easily be rectified and that there is an enemy inside us all that we should try to overcome, to become the best person that we can possibly be.
This was a superb and creepy short horror story! At only 70, or so, pages, this was a really well thought out novel that rounded itself up perfectly at the end.
I didnt like to read this before I went to sleep because the imagery of the Nightmare Man was so vivid and terrifying that I was worried I was going to start experiencing a creature pulling itself out of a shadowy hole in the corner of my room. Ryker was really good at the nightmarish imagery in this novel, there were certainly some really creepy moments.
This story starts out as a scary story about a man with night terrors but it progresses to be much more meaningful than just that. This novel teaches us that we cant blame others for failures in our lives, that could easily be rectified and that there is an enemy inside us all that we should try to overcome, to become the best person that we can possibly be.
https://diaryofdifference.com/2018/04/04/the-canadian-alternative-cartoonists-comics-and-graphic-novels-dominick-grace-editor-eric-hoffman-editor-review/
A huge thanks to the author for sending me this book for an honest review through Netgalley.
I started read this book with no knowledge about the background of comics, especially for Canada. I have always loved comics, but never really read anything that speaks behind the scenes of how it started, what is the philosophy behind it.
I expected this book to teach me a lot of new things, and help me see the world in a different point of view, and I wasn’t disappointing at all. This is not a book that will deprive you from your sleep at night – in fact, it is one of those books where you read to learn, and it might seem boring at times, but that is only because it is full with information at all times. Wonderful read.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="http://innahcrazy.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>; |
A huge thanks to the author for sending me this book for an honest review through Netgalley.
I started read this book with no knowledge about the background of comics, especially for Canada. I have always loved comics, but never really read anything that speaks behind the scenes of how it started, what is the philosophy behind it.
I expected this book to teach me a lot of new things, and help me see the world in a different point of view, and I wasn’t disappointing at all. This is not a book that will deprive you from your sleep at night – in fact, it is one of those books where you read to learn, and it might seem boring at times, but that is only because it is full with information at all times. Wonderful read.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="http://innahcrazy.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>; |