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The Snowman (2017)
The Snowman (2017)
2017 | Crime, Drama, Horror
How could this go so wrong?
I've finally come to the realisation that, apart from a few rare exceptions, filmmakers really have no clue what they're doing with book adaptations. I appreciate you cant include absolutely everything from a book, but it should still be fairly easy to adapt an already well received novel into a film. Well apparently with The Snowman it isn't.

They appear to have picked out some of the very basic plot points and loose character identities from the book, and decided to completely rewrite the rest of the story. This'd be fine if it works,but it really doesn't - the book is barely recognisable within this mess.


The characters are underdeveloped and completely changed. Harry, despite being an alcoholic and a bit of an ass, is meant to still be loveable. In this, you couldn't care less about him. Oleg is portrayed as a petulant teenager, Rakel is sidelined and the rest appear to be similar to their book counterparts in name only.


They've missed so many key plot lines out that I could barely understand what was going on, and due to this, there was no intrigue, no tension or suspense. Even a very good cast are given nothing to work with here.


It's unusual for me to be able to find nothing good to say about a film. And it's even rarer for me to want to walk out of a film less than an hour in. The trailer made this film look very good, but it failed miserably.
  
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Maddie (37 KP) Nov 16, 2017

I read the original novel and have yet to see the movie due to so many reviews such as these. However, to be fair to the filmmakers in this case, the people pulling the financial strings for this film gave the director and crew very little time to shoot. I think Tomas Alfredson, the director, said they were so short on time 20% of the script didn't get shot. This meant they had to try to fix everything in the editing room - a situation no filmmaker ever wants to be in.

I'm 100% sure this is a bad film, especially since the director himself said it wasn't what he wanted (and I had such high hopes for this after seeing what he did with Let The Right One In). However, I wouldn't go so far as to blame the situation on the cast and crew, but rather on the studio and the ones writing paychecks. Sounds like they shot this one into the ground, not the artists.

    Olaf's Adventures

    Olaf's Adventures

    Entertainment and Book

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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    Now you can save Anna's Birthday cake from a parade of hungry snowgies in the all-new "Frozen Fever"...

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Andrew Thomas (363 KP) rated Santa's Slay (2004) in Movies

Aug 12, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2020)  
Santa's Slay (2004)
Santa's Slay (2004)
2004 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
6
5.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Probably the funniest Christmas horror movie ever. (0 more)
The overall quality stinks. (0 more)
Santa Claus is a slasher villain...nuff said!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Santa's Slay was a direct to video selection on the shelf at my local video store that I normally would have walked right by...yet I was compelled to check it out. I was expecting it to be terrible, but it turned out to be in the category of "so bad but fun"

First you have wrestler Bill Goldberg as Santa and oddly enough...he's perfect in this particular interpretation of the character. He plays Santa as an unrepentant badass who loves death and destruction...and he does it with such relish.

Second, while this particular approach to making an evil version of Santa Claus is pretty silly, it is an interesting backstory nonetheless and they give the obligatory exposition scene a touch of nostalgia by using stop motion animation that's on par with holiday classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Frosty the Snowman.

Third, the wholesale carnage that Santa perpetrates is nothing if inventive. In the opening scene he completely annihilates an entire family of aholes...using everything on the dinner table. Not even the local strip club is safe from Santa's wrath as he turns a stripper pole into a weapon.

Santa's Slay is not the kind of movie you watch for an engaging story or great acting. It's a movie that you can laugh at and forget your worries for an hour or so.
  
Goosebumps (2015)
Goosebumps (2015)
2015 | Family, Horror, Mystery
A mother and son move into their new home. Upon arrival Zack notices someone watching him but thinks nothing of it. He soon meets the person watching him and her dad who tells him to stay away from her.
One evening after hanging out with Hannah (the girl next door), Zack hears her screaming and her dad shouting at her. Worried, Zack calls the police but when they investigate hannahs dad claims that hannah had gone back to her mother's and the screaming was from the TV. Zack, however, is not buying this so he seeks help from a school mate and goes searching hannahs house. There they find a basement full of bear traps, a bookshelf full of locked Goosebumps books and of course Hannah. They unlock one of the books and an abominable snowman comes out of it jumanji style. After it's recaptured back into the book we learn that hannahs dad is R. L Stine, the author of Goosebumps and he explains about the books.
His most evil creation slappy opens all the books unleashing every monster he's ever created. It is now upto Stine and the teens to return them to their rightful place.
As a teen I loved Goosebumps and owned many of the books. I was really looking forward to this movie. Its definitely not one to take seriously and is very silly and cringy in places, and the CGI isn't the best but it is entertaining nonetheless. It gives you all the nostalgia from the books, though I was disappointed they didn't take the opportunity to use the theme tune from the show.
  
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Merissa (13154 KP) rated Cupcakes & Christmas in Books

Nov 27, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2023)  
Cupcakes & Christmas
Cupcakes & Christmas
RJ Scott | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
CUPCAKES & CHRISTMAS is a sweet, seasonal romance that actually takes place for the most part in October. Stick with me, it does make sense, I promise.

Justin and Brody are both chefs and have been asked to take part in a charity show that is featuring six season's winners. Justin won season one and although he still bakes, most of his time now is being an 'influencer'. He has imposter syndrome and doesn't think he'll be able to stay past week one. Oh, and he also had a crush on Brody when he watched season four. Brody is, as you may have guessed, the winner from season four. He has had his self-confidence severely knocked by his ex-husband and doesn't feel like he should be there, even though he desperately wants to win. Oh, and he had a crush on Justin from season one!

These two connect in an adorably sweet and awkward way. I loved how Justin stood up for himself against Erin. Both of them need to find themselves and they both help the other with that. Along with the aid of a magical snowman called Jeremy!

The pace is fast but both our guys know what they want. There are flies in the ointment but nothing is going to come in between Brody and Justin. I have never watched GBBO or been to Banff but this book made me want to do both.

A book guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies in time for the Yuletide season, CUPCAKES & CHRISTMAS is a story I definitely recommend.

* 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 27, 2020