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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Unrest (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
For many medical school students the most daunting class they face early in their studies is that of Gross Anatomy. The class which introduces aspiring doctors to their first bodies, as well as the reality and complexity of the human anatomy is often seen as a make or break moment for the challenging studies that lay ahead.
In the film Unrest Writer/Director/Producer Jason Todd Ipson follows a group of new students in a Gross Anatomy class. At first the students are shocked by the disfigured cadaver in front of them, but soon begin the dissection they are required to do.
The appearance of the corpse they are working on becomes a source of fixation for one of the students named Allison (Corri English), who becomes convinced that something is not right with the body they are working on, as something tells her that things are not as they seem.
Allison’s concerns are dismissed as her being overwhelmed by her first encounter with a body, and she is told that her concerns will soon pass. Soon after, one of the dissection group is affected by a freak accident, and Allison becomes convinced that there are evil forces at work, and that nobody will be safe until the mystery behind the corpse is settled.
As the body count rises, Allison and her friend Brian (Scot Davis), face a race against the clock and the supernatural to find the cause of the unrest and make things right, before they end up the next victims of a vengeful specter.
Unrest is a very impressive debut for Ipson, who himself was a promising surgeon before turning his talents to directing. The film is well paced and has plenty of tension and suspense without resorting to the clichéd horror staples that have become all too common.
The plot is refreshingly original and deeper than most films in this genre attempt to achieve, as its complexity is deceiving simply. The film can be taken as a simple scare fest, but for those willing to look beneath the surface, there are deeper layers to the film that tackle areas such as the afterlife, intuition, possession, second sight, and the supernatural. While all of those have been covered before in various films, few have ever combined them in such an intelligent fashion that allows the audience to reach their own conclusions on the topics the film introduces.
The cast is solid especially Davis and English who take what could easily be stock characters and infuse a sense of purpose which helps the audience relate to them and their situation.
While the film might have what appears to some to be plot holes, the film is actually a clever examination of the spirit and afterlife, and delivers the goods. While much has been made about the alleged use of real body parts in the film, Ipson is careful not to let his film become a gratuitous gore fest and uses blood and carnage only in the amounts necessary to propel the story.
Unrest is a very solid effort that marks the emergence of a talent to be watched and will delight fans of the genre who want some intelligence with their horror.
In the film Unrest Writer/Director/Producer Jason Todd Ipson follows a group of new students in a Gross Anatomy class. At first the students are shocked by the disfigured cadaver in front of them, but soon begin the dissection they are required to do.
The appearance of the corpse they are working on becomes a source of fixation for one of the students named Allison (Corri English), who becomes convinced that something is not right with the body they are working on, as something tells her that things are not as they seem.
Allison’s concerns are dismissed as her being overwhelmed by her first encounter with a body, and she is told that her concerns will soon pass. Soon after, one of the dissection group is affected by a freak accident, and Allison becomes convinced that there are evil forces at work, and that nobody will be safe until the mystery behind the corpse is settled.
As the body count rises, Allison and her friend Brian (Scot Davis), face a race against the clock and the supernatural to find the cause of the unrest and make things right, before they end up the next victims of a vengeful specter.
Unrest is a very impressive debut for Ipson, who himself was a promising surgeon before turning his talents to directing. The film is well paced and has plenty of tension and suspense without resorting to the clichéd horror staples that have become all too common.
The plot is refreshingly original and deeper than most films in this genre attempt to achieve, as its complexity is deceiving simply. The film can be taken as a simple scare fest, but for those willing to look beneath the surface, there are deeper layers to the film that tackle areas such as the afterlife, intuition, possession, second sight, and the supernatural. While all of those have been covered before in various films, few have ever combined them in such an intelligent fashion that allows the audience to reach their own conclusions on the topics the film introduces.
The cast is solid especially Davis and English who take what could easily be stock characters and infuse a sense of purpose which helps the audience relate to them and their situation.
While the film might have what appears to some to be plot holes, the film is actually a clever examination of the spirit and afterlife, and delivers the goods. While much has been made about the alleged use of real body parts in the film, Ipson is careful not to let his film become a gratuitous gore fest and uses blood and carnage only in the amounts necessary to propel the story.
Unrest is a very solid effort that marks the emergence of a talent to be watched and will delight fans of the genre who want some intelligence with their horror.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Shantallow in Books
Aug 31, 2019
Supernatural horror is one of my favorite genres. Through the blogging universe, I came across Shantallow by Cara Martin. After reading the synopsis, I was hooked. When the opportunity arose to review Shantallow, I couldn't turn it down. Luckily, I enjoyed it!
I felt like the plot of Shantallow was a little confused to begin with. It started out as a teen love story between to high school kids gone wrong thanks to jealousy. However, after about thirty percent through the book, it quickly became a supernatural horror story about an evil haunted house. I thought this would focus on the nightmare that the main character, Misha, has about Tanvi. The nightmare, to me, only seems brushed upon. This didn't take away my enjoyment from the story though. I will admit that the whole love story in the beginning was a bit slow, and I did find myself wondering if I should continue. I'm really glad I persevered because after the love story, this book really takes off. It was as if Shantallow sank it's teeth into my attention span and didn't let go. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in the evil house known as Shantallow. The creepy factor was definitely there throughout!
The ending of Shantallow felt a little as if the author didn't know how to end the book. It seemed rushed and too quick to end without being explained. Although Shantallow didn't end in any cliffhangers, I was still left with unanswered questions. Perhaps Shantallow will end up being a series, and my questions about the house will be answered.
The diversity of characters in Shantallow was done fantastically. I also enjoyed each of the characters once this book got going. Tanvi was an interesting character throughout the book. Although I could picture all the characters in my mind, Tanvi was the easiest one to bring alive in my head. She felt so realistic and like she could be someone I know. Misha comes across as really selfish, jealous, and controlling to being with. However, he redeems himself during his time in the Shantallow house with how protective he is over everyone. Lauren was my favorite character. I loved scenes that she was in. She seemed like such a sweet innocent kid.
Trigger warnings for Shantallow include violence, jealousy, murder, death, attempted murder, profanity, sex between teens (although not graphic), evil spirits, and underage drinking.
Despite the hurried ending, Shantallow really is a good read. It's got a very spooky plot and great characters once you get past the love story. I would recommend Shantallow by Cara Martin to older teens and adults aged 17+. If you love scary stories that will keep you up late at night reading with the lights on, Shantallow is the book for you! It definitely made my nights scarier (but I enjoy being scared)!
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(A special thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Shantallow by Cara Martin in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I felt like the plot of Shantallow was a little confused to begin with. It started out as a teen love story between to high school kids gone wrong thanks to jealousy. However, after about thirty percent through the book, it quickly became a supernatural horror story about an evil haunted house. I thought this would focus on the nightmare that the main character, Misha, has about Tanvi. The nightmare, to me, only seems brushed upon. This didn't take away my enjoyment from the story though. I will admit that the whole love story in the beginning was a bit slow, and I did find myself wondering if I should continue. I'm really glad I persevered because after the love story, this book really takes off. It was as if Shantallow sank it's teeth into my attention span and didn't let go. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in the evil house known as Shantallow. The creepy factor was definitely there throughout!
The ending of Shantallow felt a little as if the author didn't know how to end the book. It seemed rushed and too quick to end without being explained. Although Shantallow didn't end in any cliffhangers, I was still left with unanswered questions. Perhaps Shantallow will end up being a series, and my questions about the house will be answered.
The diversity of characters in Shantallow was done fantastically. I also enjoyed each of the characters once this book got going. Tanvi was an interesting character throughout the book. Although I could picture all the characters in my mind, Tanvi was the easiest one to bring alive in my head. She felt so realistic and like she could be someone I know. Misha comes across as really selfish, jealous, and controlling to being with. However, he redeems himself during his time in the Shantallow house with how protective he is over everyone. Lauren was my favorite character. I loved scenes that she was in. She seemed like such a sweet innocent kid.
Trigger warnings for Shantallow include violence, jealousy, murder, death, attempted murder, profanity, sex between teens (although not graphic), evil spirits, and underage drinking.
Despite the hurried ending, Shantallow really is a good read. It's got a very spooky plot and great characters once you get past the love story. I would recommend Shantallow by Cara Martin to older teens and adults aged 17+. If you love scary stories that will keep you up late at night reading with the lights on, Shantallow is the book for you! It definitely made my nights scarier (but I enjoy being scared)!
--
(A special thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of Shantallow by Cara Martin in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Ghosts of War (2020) in Movies
Nov 9, 2020
The ending is worth it
Ghosts of War follows a group of American soldiers as they make their way to take up post at a French chateau towards the end of the Second World War, and encounter much more than they bargained for in this slightly above average B movie.
Right from the start, this opens with your usual cliched group of soldiers that you’d find in any war film. Brenton Thwaites is Chris, the boss and leader, you have Skylar Astin as Eugene, the brains/intellectual, Kyle Gallner as the odd and trouble sniper Tappert, Alan Ritchson as a typical macho man and finally Theo Rossi as the filler. So far, so generic, and other than Tappert who gets a decent bit of creepy character development later on, the rest of the main group are virtually one dimensional. Which is a shame as the cast are a decent group of actors that have been let down by the poor writing. Although I did enjoy Billy Zane popping up with a intentionally cheesy blink and you’ll miss it cameo as a Nazi with horrific German accent.
The film begins like your typical war movie; a group of soldiers working their way across country to reach their destination. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. However what helps lift this is a rather moving and poignant opening quote, and a score that accompanies this very well. The score in this would be at home on any dramatic war film, and almost seems out of place in a horror film. It gives this a feeling that it’s a lot more epic and grand than it actually turns out to be.
What really drags this film down is when the group arrive at the aforementioned chateau and begin to experience all of the supernatural going’s on. Aside from a a couple of potentially creepy scenes, the jump scares are tired and predictable and the ghosts look like every other spook that’s been in a modern day horror film recently. It reeks of a below average, typical ghost film with some hit and miss special effects (albeit with an respectable amount of blood and gore) and had it continued on like this, it would’ve been completely forgettable. However throughout the scenes in the chateau there are hints that there is something deeper and more sinister going on, and it starts to pick up again when the group encounter a party of Nazi soldiers trying to enter the building. Things start to get a little weird and confusing and then a big reveal in the last 20 minutes completely shifts this film into something you never expected. I didn’t see this particular twist coming and for me, this made this movie more than just a sub par horror film. The reveal has been met with mixed reviews from critics and reviews alike, but I think it injects some much needed enjoyment and intrigue – it’s just a shame we have to wait over an hour to get there. The entire twist and ending is rather disturbing and also quite moving and emotional, and the final scene, whilst one we’ve seen done many times before, did make this a satisfying and darkly entertaining end.
Ghosts of War starts off as a below average clichéd war horror film, however it you can get through the first hour, the ending packs a decent, enjoyable and rather surprising punch. It’s just a shame the first two acts don’t match up to the ending.
Right from the start, this opens with your usual cliched group of soldiers that you’d find in any war film. Brenton Thwaites is Chris, the boss and leader, you have Skylar Astin as Eugene, the brains/intellectual, Kyle Gallner as the odd and trouble sniper Tappert, Alan Ritchson as a typical macho man and finally Theo Rossi as the filler. So far, so generic, and other than Tappert who gets a decent bit of creepy character development later on, the rest of the main group are virtually one dimensional. Which is a shame as the cast are a decent group of actors that have been let down by the poor writing. Although I did enjoy Billy Zane popping up with a intentionally cheesy blink and you’ll miss it cameo as a Nazi with horrific German accent.
The film begins like your typical war movie; a group of soldiers working their way across country to reach their destination. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. However what helps lift this is a rather moving and poignant opening quote, and a score that accompanies this very well. The score in this would be at home on any dramatic war film, and almost seems out of place in a horror film. It gives this a feeling that it’s a lot more epic and grand than it actually turns out to be.
What really drags this film down is when the group arrive at the aforementioned chateau and begin to experience all of the supernatural going’s on. Aside from a a couple of potentially creepy scenes, the jump scares are tired and predictable and the ghosts look like every other spook that’s been in a modern day horror film recently. It reeks of a below average, typical ghost film with some hit and miss special effects (albeit with an respectable amount of blood and gore) and had it continued on like this, it would’ve been completely forgettable. However throughout the scenes in the chateau there are hints that there is something deeper and more sinister going on, and it starts to pick up again when the group encounter a party of Nazi soldiers trying to enter the building. Things start to get a little weird and confusing and then a big reveal in the last 20 minutes completely shifts this film into something you never expected. I didn’t see this particular twist coming and for me, this made this movie more than just a sub par horror film. The reveal has been met with mixed reviews from critics and reviews alike, but I think it injects some much needed enjoyment and intrigue – it’s just a shame we have to wait over an hour to get there. The entire twist and ending is rather disturbing and also quite moving and emotional, and the final scene, whilst one we’ve seen done many times before, did make this a satisfying and darkly entertaining end.
Ghosts of War starts off as a below average clichéd war horror film, however it you can get through the first hour, the ending packs a decent, enjoyable and rather surprising punch. It’s just a shame the first two acts don’t match up to the ending.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Pet Sematary (2019) in Movies
Apr 9, 2019
A Boston doctor moves his family to what is believed to be a quiet town in Maine. He soon discovers that the town has a secret past and supernatural powers. A good horror movie requires an atmosphere and a good movie based on the book makes you want to read the book to see what was left out. Neither requirement is met in this version of "Pet Sematary." The setting of the atmosphere I may have missed due to longer credits attached to "Shazam" that my gig required me to view. When I entered the theater, the family was already in their Maine house. In the short time I was not there, two things were established, the gas trucks that constantly careen through the town, a ominous sign of accidents to come and the family move to Maine to get away from the hustle of the city. The shadow of death could not have come until I was already in the theater. This aspect of the family dynamic was firmly established later when Ellie sees an animal dead on the road. The titular pet cemetary was also introduced while I was in attendance. The directors did not set up any foreboding specters for the cemetary or the family past, a sign of people in need of paying attention to their own creation. Throughout the film, there should be moments that terrify you from Church to the zombie child to Judd's mysteriously dead wife. None of these approach master level suspense.
Kristin (149 KP) rated All The Dead Things (Deathling Chronicles #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
"Groundhog's Day" meets "Supernatural" in this exciting tale of Death and his minions!
Stan can see monsters. He's been able to do it since he was a toddler, and he saw one kill his father right in front of him. His mom doesn't believe him, of course, and he's been seeing a shrink ever since. That hasn't stopped him from seeing them, though; he's just learned how to ignore them and act "normal" over the years. That is, until this one day where he just snaps after seeing one at the end of the road. He screams at it, and it vanishes; Stan feels like he's accomplished something, after all this time. However, he wakes up the next day to find it's not ACTUALLY the next day; he's stuck in a time loop, and nobody else seems to realize it. How did this happen? And better yet, how does he fix it?
This was such a great story that I read it all in one sitting! I couldn't put it down; I had to know what was going to happen next. It's such an interesting take on the idea of the Grim Reaper, and it had all sorts of wonderful aspects: humor, love, loss, a little horror, members of the kinda-dead, and more. I really hope to read more from this author very soon, and I will be sure to pass along this title to all my friends.
5 stars =)
"Groundhog's Day" meets "Supernatural" in this exciting tale of Death and his minions!
Stan can see monsters. He's been able to do it since he was a toddler, and he saw one kill his father right in front of him. His mom doesn't believe him, of course, and he's been seeing a shrink ever since. That hasn't stopped him from seeing them, though; he's just learned how to ignore them and act "normal" over the years. That is, until this one day where he just snaps after seeing one at the end of the road. He screams at it, and it vanishes; Stan feels like he's accomplished something, after all this time. However, he wakes up the next day to find it's not ACTUALLY the next day; he's stuck in a time loop, and nobody else seems to realize it. How did this happen? And better yet, how does he fix it?
This was such a great story that I read it all in one sitting! I couldn't put it down; I had to know what was going to happen next. It's such an interesting take on the idea of the Grim Reaper, and it had all sorts of wonderful aspects: humor, love, loss, a little horror, members of the kinda-dead, and more. I really hope to read more from this author very soon, and I will be sure to pass along this title to all my friends.
5 stars =)
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Meddling Kids: A Novel in Books
Jul 26, 2017
Ever wonder what happened to the Scooby Doo gang when they grew up? It wasn't exactly a question I ever thought I needed an answer to until Edgar Cantero decided he needed to give his unique twist on what that adulthood could have looked like. In his beautifully bizarre (bizarrely beautiful?) novel, Cantero introduces us to the Blyton Summer Detective Club, a group of 4 teenagers and their dog who spend their summer vacations solving mysteries in idyllic Blyton Hills. We're familiar with the team: there's Peter, the jock; Nate, the nerdy outsider; Andy, the tomboy; Kerri, the smart one; and Sean, the faithful Weimaraner. After their final case in the summer of 77, involving a masked fortune hunter trying to find the buried treasure of Deboën Mansion, the kids suddenly hang up their spy gear and retire from mystery solving.
Jump ahead thirteen years, and those same crime solving sleuths of young are now disillusioned 20-somethings trying to make their way thru life, not really understanding where their lives went wrong. Peter is dead (even tho Nate still talks to him), Nate is institutionalized (he talks to a dead guy, after all), Andy is a wanderer with a somewhat criminal past, and Kerri is a bartender in a seedy bar, who is also taking care of Tim, Sean's descendant. There was something about that last case, the one they all can't stop thinking about, that wasn't quite right, that is at the root of their problems. When Andy finally decides that enough is enough and they need to go back to Blyton Hills to face these demons and reopen that last case, the group gets together one last time to try to bring sense and closure to that final, haunting case.
Of course, it's not as easy as just a guy in a mask, and as they face down eco-villainous corporations, primordial monsters, ecological disasters, and something that defies description, they begin to come to terms with what has been haunting them over the years. This sounds wildly simplistic as I type it out, and I'm leaving it that way. It's not simplistic in the slightest, but the joy in this book is in the details and following along with the BSDC as they uncover one clue after the next, taking them on a whirlwind ride that makes you unable to put the book down until the very last page.
Much like his previous novel The Supernatural Enhancements (which I am a huge fan of as well), Cantero takes his time with the story, creating a slow build that eventually spirals into this wild adventure, making unexpected twists and turns in the narrative so you never really are sure that you know what's going on. His characters are exactly who they appear to be, rifs of the Scooby gang, but he doesn't make clichés of them. These characters are all their own and as individual as can be. Eagle-eyed readers will also notice fun callbacks to the Scooby cartoons.
So, if you're looking for something with a little mystery, a little horror, with some supernatural hijinx thrown in for fun, you can't go wrong with Meddling Kids. And if you like this, be sure to check out Cantero's The Supernatural Enhancements as well.
Jump ahead thirteen years, and those same crime solving sleuths of young are now disillusioned 20-somethings trying to make their way thru life, not really understanding where their lives went wrong. Peter is dead (even tho Nate still talks to him), Nate is institutionalized (he talks to a dead guy, after all), Andy is a wanderer with a somewhat criminal past, and Kerri is a bartender in a seedy bar, who is also taking care of Tim, Sean's descendant. There was something about that last case, the one they all can't stop thinking about, that wasn't quite right, that is at the root of their problems. When Andy finally decides that enough is enough and they need to go back to Blyton Hills to face these demons and reopen that last case, the group gets together one last time to try to bring sense and closure to that final, haunting case.
Of course, it's not as easy as just a guy in a mask, and as they face down eco-villainous corporations, primordial monsters, ecological disasters, and something that defies description, they begin to come to terms with what has been haunting them over the years. This sounds wildly simplistic as I type it out, and I'm leaving it that way. It's not simplistic in the slightest, but the joy in this book is in the details and following along with the BSDC as they uncover one clue after the next, taking them on a whirlwind ride that makes you unable to put the book down until the very last page.
Much like his previous novel The Supernatural Enhancements (which I am a huge fan of as well), Cantero takes his time with the story, creating a slow build that eventually spirals into this wild adventure, making unexpected twists and turns in the narrative so you never really are sure that you know what's going on. His characters are exactly who they appear to be, rifs of the Scooby gang, but he doesn't make clichés of them. These characters are all their own and as individual as can be. Eagle-eyed readers will also notice fun callbacks to the Scooby cartoons.
So, if you're looking for something with a little mystery, a little horror, with some supernatural hijinx thrown in for fun, you can't go wrong with Meddling Kids. And if you like this, be sure to check out Cantero's The Supernatural Enhancements as well.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Until Dawn in Video Games
Jul 21, 2017
Cast (1 more)
Graphics
A Bloody Good Time
This game by all accounts, should have been a flop. The fact that it was a cliché teen horror story, the fact that it started out as a move game for the ps3 and has had a long, unsteady development cycle and the fact that it was coming out in August, a time of year that is known as the stealth zone, as it is after the summer blockbuster season, but before the big fall line up drops. Yet, Supermassive games have managed to produce an engaging, genuinely scary story that plays on your expectations of this genre and succeeds in keeping the player engaged for a 10-12 hour story that follows the teens trying to survive through a horrific night of terror. I have been a gamer for the vast majority of my time on this earth and while I am very proud of that fact, I do realise that it may cloud my judgement somewhat and I could lose sight somewhat of what really makes a game special, which is why I will always greatly value an outsider’s opinion. I have been with my girlfriend for the past 3 years and before meeting me she was a casual gamer at best, playing Wii games and mobile games, I do believe she owned a PS1 when she was young but she definitely isn’t a gamer like I am. So, when I get a game and she watches me playing it and has a reaction more than just, ‘is this all you do?’ I know that it is something a bit more special than any old game. It happened with season 1 of Telltale’s Walking Dead, it happened with The Last Of Us and it happened a few nights ago with Until Dawn. As soon as I put the disc in and we played the first chapter, we were both hooked and dying to find out what happens next. This game is very well written, with an intriguing, engaging narrative coupled with purposefully written bad cheesy dialogue creating many memorable moments. The cast is very talented also, the facial capture in this game is very good and when playing you can see each tiny expression of fear or anger on the actor’s faces and the VO work is also pretty impeccable. Hayden Pannietre and Rami Malek stand out, as does Peter Stromare and the actor who plays Mike. The first quarter of the game is full of ‘mock’ scares that the group are seen pranking each other with, however not to an annoying extent. The scares that follow are very real with the next part of the game being reminiscent of a 70’s slasher movie. The atmosphere is built very well, with well timed audio cues and the use of a fixed camera working both as a homage to classic ps1 era horror games and as to give the player a feeling they are constantly being watched. Some camera angles are unsettling and the tracking shots can be particularly creepy, especially when you could have sworn that you saw something move in the far corner of the screen. The game then delves more into supernatural horror, which I will talk about more in the spoiler section of the review. Really though, there isn’t anything to spoil in this game in the respect that you can beat the game with everyone alive, or everybody dead. The only thing to spoil is how the characters die, which can be in a few different but increasingly gruesome ways which I won’t spoil here.
That’s not to say that everything that this game has to offer is positive, several of the big twists can be seen coming from a mile away, for example my better half guessed who the killer was going to be within the first hour of our playthrough, but other than that I am struggling to find any real criticisms in this game. It is just a fun experience that I would recommend to anyone, whether you are a horror fan or not.
Okay, spoiler time.
The twists in the game are fairly obvious. From very early on in the game it is clear that the ‘therapy’ sessions with Peter Stromare are a hallucination, probably a hallucination of the psycho in the clown mask and that psycho is probably Josh. All of these things come to pass, which means when they are revealed to be true the shock value is pretty much lost. It is also fairly obvious that there is something after the group besides the psycho, something that is more than likely to be supernatural. The only twist is finding out what that is and when it’s revealed to be the Gollum-like Wendigos, I was somewhat disappointed. The creatures are pretty cool in how they move, as they very twitchy and quick, but they are fairly generic and not all that scary once you know what they look like. The character deaths are quite well done, but half of the characters have fake ‘deaths,’ before their actual death scenes which makes the actual death scenes less impactful and somewhat fall flat.
Overall, Until Dawn is an engaging, entertaining experience that doesn’t really have any major flaws. For the most part the humour and the scares are well executed and while not all of the characters are likeable, they are all well written horror stereotypes that are played very well by their real life counterparts. This game was unexpectedly great by a number of people, and is seen as a surprise hit and likewise for me, it exceeded my expectations and served as a very pleasant and welcome addition to the modern horror genre.
That’s not to say that everything that this game has to offer is positive, several of the big twists can be seen coming from a mile away, for example my better half guessed who the killer was going to be within the first hour of our playthrough, but other than that I am struggling to find any real criticisms in this game. It is just a fun experience that I would recommend to anyone, whether you are a horror fan or not.
Okay, spoiler time.
The twists in the game are fairly obvious. From very early on in the game it is clear that the ‘therapy’ sessions with Peter Stromare are a hallucination, probably a hallucination of the psycho in the clown mask and that psycho is probably Josh. All of these things come to pass, which means when they are revealed to be true the shock value is pretty much lost. It is also fairly obvious that there is something after the group besides the psycho, something that is more than likely to be supernatural. The only twist is finding out what that is and when it’s revealed to be the Gollum-like Wendigos, I was somewhat disappointed. The creatures are pretty cool in how they move, as they very twitchy and quick, but they are fairly generic and not all that scary once you know what they look like. The character deaths are quite well done, but half of the characters have fake ‘deaths,’ before their actual death scenes which makes the actual death scenes less impactful and somewhat fall flat.
Overall, Until Dawn is an engaging, entertaining experience that doesn’t really have any major flaws. For the most part the humour and the scares are well executed and while not all of the characters are likeable, they are all well written horror stereotypes that are played very well by their real life counterparts. This game was unexpectedly great by a number of people, and is seen as a surprise hit and likewise for me, it exceeded my expectations and served as a very pleasant and welcome addition to the modern horror genre.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Characters – Megan Reed is a former cop that has been through rehab after struggling after her own experience in the field, cleaned up, she looks to get back into work on a graveyard shift at the morgue. Megan does start to have strange visits while on duty and becomes convinced strange things are going on, she is left to wonder whether she is having a bad experience from her drugs or is something supernatural going on. Andrew is the ex-boyfriend and fellow cop of Megan, he was left no choice, but to leave her, but will support her through her struggles. Hannah Grace is the young woman that went through the exorcism, she hasn’t remained dead though, searching for more victims in her afterlife. Randy is the friendly paramedic that offers support for Megan because of his own past.
Performances – Shay Mitchell does everything she can with her leading role without being terrible, just not getting much to do from it. Grey Damon doesn’t have much to do, neither does Nick Thune, though he does make the most of his limited time. Kirby Johnson does get extra praise for her ability to try and make her character creepy throughout.
Story – The story here follows a cop fresh out of rehab that takes a graveyard shift in a morgue only to find her night become a nightmare when a corpse comes back to life to haunt them. The story is a true disappointment because we have one side of Megan’s story being that she might be falling off the wagon again, which would make everything going on great, only we get plenty of disposable characters that offer the corpse a chance to kill instead of building the tension of Megan losing her mind. This story does feel like a complete rip off The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from how the haunting figure is searching for the latest victim, only it never reaches the true level it could do. The mystery is meant to be around why the corpse isn’t remaining dead, only for it to end up feeling like it is the back burner.
Settings – The film is set inside the city morgue, we do have the lights that only come on when you are in their sensors go off, though it does feel too large to get the most out of the environment.
Special Effects – The effects are a mixed bag because the physical movement is great, but the CGI covers up too much in this film and it is weak.
Scene of the Movie – The first discovery.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We just doesn’t seem to get the smart enough decisions in writing here.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor horror that just copies The Autopsy of Jane Doe, only to lose all the atmosphere in the film.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
Performances – Shay Mitchell does everything she can with her leading role without being terrible, just not getting much to do from it. Grey Damon doesn’t have much to do, neither does Nick Thune, though he does make the most of his limited time. Kirby Johnson does get extra praise for her ability to try and make her character creepy throughout.
Story – The story here follows a cop fresh out of rehab that takes a graveyard shift in a morgue only to find her night become a nightmare when a corpse comes back to life to haunt them. The story is a true disappointment because we have one side of Megan’s story being that she might be falling off the wagon again, which would make everything going on great, only we get plenty of disposable characters that offer the corpse a chance to kill instead of building the tension of Megan losing her mind. This story does feel like a complete rip off The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Horror/Mystery – The horror in this film comes from how the haunting figure is searching for the latest victim, only it never reaches the true level it could do. The mystery is meant to be around why the corpse isn’t remaining dead, only for it to end up feeling like it is the back burner.
Settings – The film is set inside the city morgue, we do have the lights that only come on when you are in their sensors go off, though it does feel too large to get the most out of the environment.
Special Effects – The effects are a mixed bag because the physical movement is great, but the CGI covers up too much in this film and it is weak.
Scene of the Movie – The first discovery.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We just doesn’t seem to get the smart enough decisions in writing here.
Final Thoughts – This is a poor horror that just copies The Autopsy of Jane Doe, only to lose all the atmosphere in the film.
Overall: Disappointing throughout.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated The Black Phone (2022) in Movies
Jun 26, 2022
Ethan Hawke (2 more)
Madeleine McGraw
Leaves much of the horror to the audience's imagination
Writing is a bit silly at times (1 more)
Teases more story elements and horror than it reveals
A Juvenile Curtain Call of Death
Somewhere in North Denver in 1978, The Black Phone sees Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) attempting to survive constant bullying at school and the abuse of an alcoholic father (played by Jeremy Davies). The missing kids in town are said to be a result of The Grabber (Ethan Hawke); a man who drives around in a black van with black balloons kidnapping and eventually killing kids. When Finney is suddenly taken by The Grabber, he’s told that the black phone in his room doesn’t work but then the phone rings.
Based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (the two have been collaborating together on everything Derrickson has done since Sinister). What’s interesting is The Black Phone has mastered the art of subtlety and teasing its audience. The Grabber is introduced in the film similar to the shark in Jaws. You only see glimpses of him for the first third of the film. The black van will come into frame and the screen will immediately fade to black. The Grabber will park and get out of his van to abduct a kid, but he’ll purposely be out of focus. The Grabber lurks in the background like a shark waiting for that first drop of blood, which is essentially when Finney walks by alone.
The unfortunate aspect is that it feels like something is missing. The supernatural horror film keeps building and building that when the finale rolls around it feels like it isn’t a big enough payoff. Most of the violence and kills aren’t seen since the film deals with child and teenager victims. The audience is shown the end result instead; the wounds sustained by the victims that call Finney, The Grabber’s game of Naughty Boy, and Gwen being whipped with a belt by her father (you see him holding the belt and her crying, but we never see the contact). There’s artistry to leaving some things to the viewer’s imagination. In a time where horror has evolved into showing its audience every gruesome detail it’s become a forgotten art. It could also be a personal preference, but it feels like The Black Phone teases more than it reveals.
The writing of the film is as genius as it is ridiculous. Most of it is very good, especially with what Finney is building up to in the basement. The unveiling of the location of The Grabber’s house is silly though, especially since an entire police squad didn’t make the connection. Finney and Gwen’s mom is never seen since she’s passed during the events of the film, but she is mentioned. She apparently heard things and seen things that ended up in a fatal situation for her. Gwen has visions of The Grabber while she sleeps and Finney is able to receive phone calls from The Grabber’s victims because of the relation to their mom. This leads to one of the greatest lines in the film when Finney asks why no one has ever called before. “The phone rang, but no one heard it.”
Ethan Hawke’s performance is so mesmerizing that you wish he had more screen time. Even his motive behind what he intends to do with his victims is hinted at, but not really clarified. With all of the bodies piling up and the amount of phone calls Finney receives, the end result is always the same. The Grabber is slightly flamboyant in his demeanor and particular about how everything should play out. His mask and the fact that it resembles the comedy and tragedy masks that tend to symbolize the theater hint at this all being a performance for him. Things not going his way is like someone fumbling over their lines; it’s unforgivable.
Madeleine McGraw is not so secretly the best part of the film. Her career before The Black Phone has mostly been in voice acting (Cars 3, Toy Story 4, The Mitchells vs The Machines) and playing younger versions of other characters (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Ant-Man and the Wasp). McGraw gets a fair amount of screen time here and Gwen is an incredibly resourceful character and arguably the film’s biggest asset. McGraw’s performance is genuine as you believe every word she says. She’s hilarious as she has the best lines of dialogue in the film. Her portrayal of sadness and anguish is top notch as well as she has the most powerful and emotional sequence in the film that breaks your heart and only makes you sympathize with both her and Finney.
With supernatural dread lifted from the likes of Stir of Echoes and The Sixth Sense, The Black Phone features a breakthrough performance from Madeleine McGraw while Ethan Hawke’s hauntingly memorable turn as The Grabber is felt in a hair-raising sense; like someone who has unknowingly snuck up behind you and waits in your peripheral for that dramatic reveal. The Black Phone is a solid, pulse racing horror film that packs a punch, but seems like the type of film that simply won’t be as delectable on repeat viewings.
Based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (the two have been collaborating together on everything Derrickson has done since Sinister). What’s interesting is The Black Phone has mastered the art of subtlety and teasing its audience. The Grabber is introduced in the film similar to the shark in Jaws. You only see glimpses of him for the first third of the film. The black van will come into frame and the screen will immediately fade to black. The Grabber will park and get out of his van to abduct a kid, but he’ll purposely be out of focus. The Grabber lurks in the background like a shark waiting for that first drop of blood, which is essentially when Finney walks by alone.
The unfortunate aspect is that it feels like something is missing. The supernatural horror film keeps building and building that when the finale rolls around it feels like it isn’t a big enough payoff. Most of the violence and kills aren’t seen since the film deals with child and teenager victims. The audience is shown the end result instead; the wounds sustained by the victims that call Finney, The Grabber’s game of Naughty Boy, and Gwen being whipped with a belt by her father (you see him holding the belt and her crying, but we never see the contact). There’s artistry to leaving some things to the viewer’s imagination. In a time where horror has evolved into showing its audience every gruesome detail it’s become a forgotten art. It could also be a personal preference, but it feels like The Black Phone teases more than it reveals.
The writing of the film is as genius as it is ridiculous. Most of it is very good, especially with what Finney is building up to in the basement. The unveiling of the location of The Grabber’s house is silly though, especially since an entire police squad didn’t make the connection. Finney and Gwen’s mom is never seen since she’s passed during the events of the film, but she is mentioned. She apparently heard things and seen things that ended up in a fatal situation for her. Gwen has visions of The Grabber while she sleeps and Finney is able to receive phone calls from The Grabber’s victims because of the relation to their mom. This leads to one of the greatest lines in the film when Finney asks why no one has ever called before. “The phone rang, but no one heard it.”
Ethan Hawke’s performance is so mesmerizing that you wish he had more screen time. Even his motive behind what he intends to do with his victims is hinted at, but not really clarified. With all of the bodies piling up and the amount of phone calls Finney receives, the end result is always the same. The Grabber is slightly flamboyant in his demeanor and particular about how everything should play out. His mask and the fact that it resembles the comedy and tragedy masks that tend to symbolize the theater hint at this all being a performance for him. Things not going his way is like someone fumbling over their lines; it’s unforgivable.
Madeleine McGraw is not so secretly the best part of the film. Her career before The Black Phone has mostly been in voice acting (Cars 3, Toy Story 4, The Mitchells vs The Machines) and playing younger versions of other characters (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Ant-Man and the Wasp). McGraw gets a fair amount of screen time here and Gwen is an incredibly resourceful character and arguably the film’s biggest asset. McGraw’s performance is genuine as you believe every word she says. She’s hilarious as she has the best lines of dialogue in the film. Her portrayal of sadness and anguish is top notch as well as she has the most powerful and emotional sequence in the film that breaks your heart and only makes you sympathize with both her and Finney.
With supernatural dread lifted from the likes of Stir of Echoes and The Sixth Sense, The Black Phone features a breakthrough performance from Madeleine McGraw while Ethan Hawke’s hauntingly memorable turn as The Grabber is felt in a hair-raising sense; like someone who has unknowingly snuck up behind you and waits in your peripheral for that dramatic reveal. The Black Phone is a solid, pulse racing horror film that packs a punch, but seems like the type of film that simply won’t be as delectable on repeat viewings.
Bethany Fletcher (17 KP) rated Until Dawn in Video Games
Jun 25, 2018
Engrossing (1 more)
Good jump scares
This game is phenomenal! I sat and played the entire thing in one go. In the dark. Alone. If your in it for the scares definitely play it in the dark. If you are a bit more nervous play with the lights on. And a friend.
The spooks were good. They gave you enough time to chill and breathe before you had to react to the situation but not too much, you were still kept on your toes.
The graphics are incredible. They are realistic and engaging. The story was fantastic and took a supernatural twist I was not expecting but it just added a whole other level to the game. It felt like being in a movie.
The game mechanics were also very good. Having to swipe the touch pad on your controller to open the characters phones, having to hold the controller completely still to keep the sensor in the center in order to keep the characters still. All of these things add stress to the gamer but make it way more engaging than just pressing buttons.
The only real downfall for me was the constant recaps. About every 20 minutes there were recaps you couldn’t skip. If you only played for twenty minutes a time that’s great but most people don’t only sit down for 20 minutes to play a game so it is incredibly annoying. Apart from that this game was one of my favourites I played last year and I would absolutely recommend it for those who want a good engaging horror game.
The spooks were good. They gave you enough time to chill and breathe before you had to react to the situation but not too much, you were still kept on your toes.
The graphics are incredible. They are realistic and engaging. The story was fantastic and took a supernatural twist I was not expecting but it just added a whole other level to the game. It felt like being in a movie.
The game mechanics were also very good. Having to swipe the touch pad on your controller to open the characters phones, having to hold the controller completely still to keep the sensor in the center in order to keep the characters still. All of these things add stress to the gamer but make it way more engaging than just pressing buttons.
The only real downfall for me was the constant recaps. About every 20 minutes there were recaps you couldn’t skip. If you only played for twenty minutes a time that’s great but most people don’t only sit down for 20 minutes to play a game so it is incredibly annoying. Apart from that this game was one of my favourites I played last year and I would absolutely recommend it for those who want a good engaging horror game.