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Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Grimm Curse (Grimm Tales #3) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Janna Jennings’ latest book, <i>A Grimm Curse</i>, is set long before the previous two novellas in <i>A Grimm Tales</i> series. Rather than focusing on Andi, a girl from the “real” world, this is a story about the characters in the fairytales – most importantly Cynthia or, whom readers may know her better as, Cinderella.
As in the traditional tale, Cynthia works as a slave for her horrible stepmother and stepsisters – a fate she succumbed to after the death of her father. There is also an upcoming ball at the palace for the prince who is seeking a bride. This, however, is where the similarities end. As well as <i>Cinderella</i>, other fairytales make their appearance, particularly <i>The Frog Prince </i>and <i>Rapunzel</i>. But something is unsettling the characters; they are experiencing bad dreams. Or are they memories?
Cynthia is a much more admirable character than the original Cinderella. She is clever, determined and independent – she does not need a fairy godmother for a start! Neither has she any interest in the prince. If she is going to escape from servitude it will be by her own dexterity, rather than her reliance on someone else to save her.
<i>A Grimm Curse</i> can work as a prequel to the first in the series as it sets the scene that Andi will come across. It can also survive as a stand alone as there is no reference to the events of the other books, however knowledge of these will help the ending make more sense.
Personally I preferred <i>A Grimm Curse</i> to the stories that Jennings’ previously wrote. I had misgivings about the author’s use of fairytales that were not one of those collected by the <i>Brothers Grimm</i>. The tales in this book were, however, so therefore fit better with the title.
I strongly recommend this story to readers – adult and adolescent – who are still in love with fairytales or retellings. It is as though it is written with feminism in mind as the heroine does not need a man to rescue her, thus is in keeping with modern times rather than the time period of the originals.
Janna Jennings’ latest book, <i>A Grimm Curse</i>, is set long before the previous two novellas in <i>A Grimm Tales</i> series. Rather than focusing on Andi, a girl from the “real” world, this is a story about the characters in the fairytales – most importantly Cynthia or, whom readers may know her better as, Cinderella.
As in the traditional tale, Cynthia works as a slave for her horrible stepmother and stepsisters – a fate she succumbed to after the death of her father. There is also an upcoming ball at the palace for the prince who is seeking a bride. This, however, is where the similarities end. As well as <i>Cinderella</i>, other fairytales make their appearance, particularly <i>The Frog Prince </i>and <i>Rapunzel</i>. But something is unsettling the characters; they are experiencing bad dreams. Or are they memories?
Cynthia is a much more admirable character than the original Cinderella. She is clever, determined and independent – she does not need a fairy godmother for a start! Neither has she any interest in the prince. If she is going to escape from servitude it will be by her own dexterity, rather than her reliance on someone else to save her.
<i>A Grimm Curse</i> can work as a prequel to the first in the series as it sets the scene that Andi will come across. It can also survive as a stand alone as there is no reference to the events of the other books, however knowledge of these will help the ending make more sense.
Personally I preferred <i>A Grimm Curse</i> to the stories that Jennings’ previously wrote. I had misgivings about the author’s use of fairytales that were not one of those collected by the <i>Brothers Grimm</i>. The tales in this book were, however, so therefore fit better with the title.
I strongly recommend this story to readers – adult and adolescent – who are still in love with fairytales or retellings. It is as though it is written with feminism in mind as the heroine does not need a man to rescue her, thus is in keeping with modern times rather than the time period of the originals.
The Gospel in Brief
Book
Written in 1883, 'The Gospel in brief' is Tolstoy's harmonization of the four Christian gospels into...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019 (Updated Jun 27, 2019)
This one's for 2Pac
Contains spoilers, click to show
Child's Play is really a film of two halves - the first being the better half and here's why:
The film starts off introducing us to Buddi (this remakes version of the originals Good Guys), and briefly explains that what will eventually end up as Chucky, is a defective product - a robot that connect to any device to your home, with all his safety protocols switched off.
This is the first thing that I imagine will piss off Chucky purists but it's a change that I thought was fine.
When the plot gets going and 13-year old Andy is acquainted with his new toy, is where the movie really shines. Chucky learns from Andy and just wants to make his new best friend happy, to the point that it paints Chucky as sympathetic. It's actually quite upsetting when he begs not to be shut in a dark closet, after not understanding why his violent tendencies have upset his friend.
The design of the doll itself, I thought was pretty good. He looks creepy as hell, and the way his eyes change colour just add to the whole set up... Plus Mark Hamill is clearly having a ball voicing Chucky - inspired casting right there.
The main problem I have with the cast was Aubrey Plaza, who's great in Parks and Rec, Scott Pilgrim, Legion etc, but here usual wide eye, psycho, sarcastic act doesn't really fit in with her role as mother to Andy.
Then there's the second half of the film, which to me felt very rushed, where Chucky goes full blown crazy, and starts controlling other Buddi dolls - an idea which is absolutely fine (and probably what will happen in the sequel), but the movie skirts by it pretty quickly. After building up for over an hour, a lot of explanations are left out, to make way for a violent show down finale between Chucky and Andy, that almost feels a bit unearned.
Overall though, Child's Play is a pretty fun horror trip, that sets itself apart from the original pretty nicely. I sincerely hope it's not just a one off, and we get more in the future.
The film starts off introducing us to Buddi (this remakes version of the originals Good Guys), and briefly explains that what will eventually end up as Chucky, is a defective product - a robot that connect to any device to your home, with all his safety protocols switched off.
This is the first thing that I imagine will piss off Chucky purists but it's a change that I thought was fine.
When the plot gets going and 13-year old Andy is acquainted with his new toy, is where the movie really shines. Chucky learns from Andy and just wants to make his new best friend happy, to the point that it paints Chucky as sympathetic. It's actually quite upsetting when he begs not to be shut in a dark closet, after not understanding why his violent tendencies have upset his friend.
The design of the doll itself, I thought was pretty good. He looks creepy as hell, and the way his eyes change colour just add to the whole set up... Plus Mark Hamill is clearly having a ball voicing Chucky - inspired casting right there.
The main problem I have with the cast was Aubrey Plaza, who's great in Parks and Rec, Scott Pilgrim, Legion etc, but here usual wide eye, psycho, sarcastic act doesn't really fit in with her role as mother to Andy.
Then there's the second half of the film, which to me felt very rushed, where Chucky goes full blown crazy, and starts controlling other Buddi dolls - an idea which is absolutely fine (and probably what will happen in the sequel), but the movie skirts by it pretty quickly. After building up for over an hour, a lot of explanations are left out, to make way for a violent show down finale between Chucky and Andy, that almost feels a bit unearned.
Overall though, Child's Play is a pretty fun horror trip, that sets itself apart from the original pretty nicely. I sincerely hope it's not just a one off, and we get more in the future.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) in Movies
Feb 23, 2022
The very concept of Leatherface not taking kindly to artisan bakeries and influencer inspired sushi bars is one that is absurdly tantalising, but it arrives at a point in this up-and-down franchise where no-one involved seems to be sure what they're trying to achieve.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a film that has been advertised as a true sequel to Tobe Hoopers groundbreaking original, ignoring all other sequels, prequels, and remakes that have come and gone over the years, similar to Halloween (2018) and Candyman (2021).
The main issue is then, of course, that it couldn't be further away from the original in terms of general tone if it tried. The claustrophobia, the implication of unspeakable violence that is never shown, the overall arthouse style, essential ingredients of '74, are nowhere to be found. Instead, we're presented with an unsubtle splatter flick that reeks of the unpleasantness of most mid-00s slashers. It's a far cry from what a lot of '74 fans love, but once this fact is accepted, there's a fair amount of fun to be found in what we've been given.
Let me be clear, I absolutely did not hate TCM. The writing is atrocious, the characters are almost exclusively unbearable, the return of the original films final girl is poorly handled and ultimately wasted, and it half arses attempts to tackle serious subjects such as gun violence and gentrification, but, some truly gorgeous cinematography, air tight pacing, and copious amounts of gore go someway in making up for its negatives.
Seriously, there is an ungodly amount of gore. As mentioned, it's light-years away from the originals subtlety, but I can respect it's ambition to go for the jugular. I mean, there is an actual, literal, chainsaw massacre, during a scene that made me say "Jesus Christ" out loud a couple of times.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is far different to what I, and I imagine plenty of other '74 fans, expected and wanted, but at the end of the day, it's an easy to watch, super gory, and fun slasher that is what it is. Leave your thinking cap at the door, and I'm sure you'll find it entertaining at the very least, and remember, the original still exists!
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a film that has been advertised as a true sequel to Tobe Hoopers groundbreaking original, ignoring all other sequels, prequels, and remakes that have come and gone over the years, similar to Halloween (2018) and Candyman (2021).
The main issue is then, of course, that it couldn't be further away from the original in terms of general tone if it tried. The claustrophobia, the implication of unspeakable violence that is never shown, the overall arthouse style, essential ingredients of '74, are nowhere to be found. Instead, we're presented with an unsubtle splatter flick that reeks of the unpleasantness of most mid-00s slashers. It's a far cry from what a lot of '74 fans love, but once this fact is accepted, there's a fair amount of fun to be found in what we've been given.
Let me be clear, I absolutely did not hate TCM. The writing is atrocious, the characters are almost exclusively unbearable, the return of the original films final girl is poorly handled and ultimately wasted, and it half arses attempts to tackle serious subjects such as gun violence and gentrification, but, some truly gorgeous cinematography, air tight pacing, and copious amounts of gore go someway in making up for its negatives.
Seriously, there is an ungodly amount of gore. As mentioned, it's light-years away from the originals subtlety, but I can respect it's ambition to go for the jugular. I mean, there is an actual, literal, chainsaw massacre, during a scene that made me say "Jesus Christ" out loud a couple of times.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is far different to what I, and I imagine plenty of other '74 fans, expected and wanted, but at the end of the day, it's an easy to watch, super gory, and fun slasher that is what it is. Leave your thinking cap at the door, and I'm sure you'll find it entertaining at the very least, and remember, the original still exists!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 3 in TV
Aug 10, 2019
Almost perfect
I toyed between giving this an 8 or 9, and in the end I’ve decided to be generous although I’m still not entirely sure. I was worried I’d hate this series as I’ve heard some say it’s not great, but I actually enjoyed this much more than series 2 and possibly even slightly more than the first series.
My first negative is the story. The whole Russian thing is a little bit ridiculous and far fetched (even for this show), which is a shame as the rest of the plot is intriguing and really rather good. The horror and gore aspects of this are brilliant. I thought this was by far the scariest of the seasons as the Mind Flayer is truly terrifying and beyond creepy. The mixture of retro references, humour and horror works so well and makes it really enjoyable to watch. All of the characters shine, even the new ones like Robin or new-ish ones like Erica, are well developed and fit in well with the rest of the originals. I of course still have a soft spot for Hopper who is just marvellous yet again in this, often rather sinister and darkly hilarious. And the pairing yet again of Steve and Dustin is such fun. The childhood romance thing is a little bit cheesy and sickly sweet, but fortunately bearable for the most part as it takes a backseat to the rest of the action.
My biggest issue with this show, other than the over the top and strangely stupid Russians, and the reason why I was debating giving it a lower score, is the ending. Or rather the end credits scene that ruined everything. The actual ending to this show is one of the most emotional things I’ve seen in a long time in a tv show, and I’m not ashamed to admit I was virtually in tears at the ending. It was such a heartwarming and fitting way to end the show, and really quite lovely in a sad way. It was a great way to round off a show and finish the entire series on a massive high without the need to make another season. However, the end credits scene is pure ‘sequel baiting’ and whilst Netflix haven’t officially confirmed, it already sounds like season 4 is in the making. And I can’t even begin to describe how angry I am at this, why do they insist on ruining a perfectly good ending?! I really wish they hadn’t done this. But this aside, I enjoyed this series quite a lot.
My first negative is the story. The whole Russian thing is a little bit ridiculous and far fetched (even for this show), which is a shame as the rest of the plot is intriguing and really rather good. The horror and gore aspects of this are brilliant. I thought this was by far the scariest of the seasons as the Mind Flayer is truly terrifying and beyond creepy. The mixture of retro references, humour and horror works so well and makes it really enjoyable to watch. All of the characters shine, even the new ones like Robin or new-ish ones like Erica, are well developed and fit in well with the rest of the originals. I of course still have a soft spot for Hopper who is just marvellous yet again in this, often rather sinister and darkly hilarious. And the pairing yet again of Steve and Dustin is such fun. The childhood romance thing is a little bit cheesy and sickly sweet, but fortunately bearable for the most part as it takes a backseat to the rest of the action.
My biggest issue with this show, other than the over the top and strangely stupid Russians, and the reason why I was debating giving it a lower score, is the ending. Or rather the end credits scene that ruined everything. The actual ending to this show is one of the most emotional things I’ve seen in a long time in a tv show, and I’m not ashamed to admit I was virtually in tears at the ending. It was such a heartwarming and fitting way to end the show, and really quite lovely in a sad way. It was a great way to round off a show and finish the entire series on a massive high without the need to make another season. However, the end credits scene is pure ‘sequel baiting’ and whilst Netflix haven’t officially confirmed, it already sounds like season 4 is in the making. And I can’t even begin to describe how angry I am at this, why do they insist on ruining a perfectly good ending?! I really wish they hadn’t done this. But this aside, I enjoyed this series quite a lot.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
I found Horror Noire, a documentary that focuses on the role and impact of black creators and actors within horror cinema, to be an incredibly insightful watch.
It's covers a wide range of media, from 40s originals like I Walked with a Zombie, all the way up to present day entries like Us, and everything in between. My only criticism stems from this actually - with so many movies to cover, the pacing moves quite quickly, and results in a fairly short feature - I could have happily watched a few more hours!
The documentary features interviews with some genre icons such as Tony Todd, Keith David, Ernest R. Dickerson, Jordan Peele, Rachel True, Tananarive Due, just to name a few!
Listening to them talk about this subject which such fondness is wholesome, but not always comfortable - whereas Horror Noire is of course a celebration of black horror, none of the cast shy away from talking about the difficulties faced by the black community in film, including how they are portrayed, especially in earlier decades.
In 2020, these issues ring truer than ever.
As a white male, the biggest thing I've learned through recent events is that it's not enough to be not racist, - it's important and essential to be actively anti-racist. As a fan of horror for a lot of my life, I, perhaps ignorantly, haven't really attributed these issues to the genre before, so it's refreshing for me to learn about these kind of things and take them on board.
Horror Noire is a truly interesting watch, and has given me some films to add to my watchlist (Ganja & Hess is one I'll be checking out pretty soon). It's eye opening, and certainly deserves attention.
It's covers a wide range of media, from 40s originals like I Walked with a Zombie, all the way up to present day entries like Us, and everything in between. My only criticism stems from this actually - with so many movies to cover, the pacing moves quite quickly, and results in a fairly short feature - I could have happily watched a few more hours!
The documentary features interviews with some genre icons such as Tony Todd, Keith David, Ernest R. Dickerson, Jordan Peele, Rachel True, Tananarive Due, just to name a few!
Listening to them talk about this subject which such fondness is wholesome, but not always comfortable - whereas Horror Noire is of course a celebration of black horror, none of the cast shy away from talking about the difficulties faced by the black community in film, including how they are portrayed, especially in earlier decades.
In 2020, these issues ring truer than ever.
As a white male, the biggest thing I've learned through recent events is that it's not enough to be not racist, - it's important and essential to be actively anti-racist. As a fan of horror for a lot of my life, I, perhaps ignorantly, haven't really attributed these issues to the genre before, so it's refreshing for me to learn about these kind of things and take them on board.
Horror Noire is a truly interesting watch, and has given me some films to add to my watchlist (Ganja & Hess is one I'll be checking out pretty soon). It's eye opening, and certainly deserves attention.
Fred (860 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
This is how you ruin a classic
Dumbo is one of my favorite Disney films. The original, not this crap. When told that his film was not long enough to be considered a full-length movie & that he would have to add 10 more minutes or so, Disney said "No. It's perfect the way it is." And he was right. The people who made this live-action remake apparently never heard that story. It's almost 2 hours long. The original story of the first film is done in about the first 20 minutes of this film, then it's an original sequel, basically.
The first & main problem of the film is the most obvious. The focus on the human characters over the animal characters. There are no talking animals in this one. Sure, Dumbo didn't talk, but he had Timothy mouse with him to speak for him. There's no stork, the bully elephants are gone, even the racist, but very entertaining crows are completely gone.
Second problem: Some of the music from the original film is here, but instrumental versions. Only "Baby Mine" is sung. We hear a clip of "Casey Jr." at the beginning. At the very end of the credits, we hear a bit of "When I See a Elephant Fly", but no "Look Out For Mr. Stork". But the biggest mistake was what they did with "Pink Elephants on Parade" In the original film, Dumbo accidentally drinks some champagne & gets drunk. He then blows bubbles & the bubbles take shape & thus begins one of the greatest scenes in Disney history. The bubbles take the shape of dancing, skating & tromping elephants. The scene is a nightmare & probably scared some kids in the day. The song itself is both fun & creepy. This should be perfect Tim Burton stuff, but in this film, it is not. In this film, circus performers are creating giant bubbles & somehow they are taking the shape of the elephants. In fact, they're copies of the elephants (and camel) from the original film. The song plays, but again, no lyrics. It's also not very well directed. Instead of looking like a nightmare, they keep cutting to Dumbo, watching the performers, with a smile.
And that brings me to another problem. Tim Burton. Like most Tim Burton movies, it looks fantastic, but it's just boring. The story is boring & unoriginal (Free Willy anyone?) I didn't get to like any of the human characters to care. They kind of just go through the motions. Dumbo himself lacks character & I never really felt for him.
I know Disney is set on remaking their classics & I haven't seen any before (and probably will not see anymore after this one). It breaks my heart to see Disney reduced to this sort of thing. I'll stick with the originals, thank you.
The first & main problem of the film is the most obvious. The focus on the human characters over the animal characters. There are no talking animals in this one. Sure, Dumbo didn't talk, but he had Timothy mouse with him to speak for him. There's no stork, the bully elephants are gone, even the racist, but very entertaining crows are completely gone.
Second problem: Some of the music from the original film is here, but instrumental versions. Only "Baby Mine" is sung. We hear a clip of "Casey Jr." at the beginning. At the very end of the credits, we hear a bit of "When I See a Elephant Fly", but no "Look Out For Mr. Stork". But the biggest mistake was what they did with "Pink Elephants on Parade" In the original film, Dumbo accidentally drinks some champagne & gets drunk. He then blows bubbles & the bubbles take shape & thus begins one of the greatest scenes in Disney history. The bubbles take the shape of dancing, skating & tromping elephants. The scene is a nightmare & probably scared some kids in the day. The song itself is both fun & creepy. This should be perfect Tim Burton stuff, but in this film, it is not. In this film, circus performers are creating giant bubbles & somehow they are taking the shape of the elephants. In fact, they're copies of the elephants (and camel) from the original film. The song plays, but again, no lyrics. It's also not very well directed. Instead of looking like a nightmare, they keep cutting to Dumbo, watching the performers, with a smile.
And that brings me to another problem. Tim Burton. Like most Tim Burton movies, it looks fantastic, but it's just boring. The story is boring & unoriginal (Free Willy anyone?) I didn't get to like any of the human characters to care. They kind of just go through the motions. Dumbo himself lacks character & I never really felt for him.
I know Disney is set on remaking their classics & I haven't seen any before (and probably will not see anymore after this one). It breaks my heart to see Disney reduced to this sort of thing. I'll stick with the originals, thank you.
ET
Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy
Book
Expelling the Poor examines the origins of immigration restriction in the United States, especially...
JT (287 KP) rated Fractured (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I went into this without expecting much. More often than not Netflix originals fall flat. I can’t understand why, given the amount of money that the streaming service has behind them? While their original TV series’ are bingewatched, their original films just don’t seem to get the high praise – until now.
Ray Monroe (Sam Worthington) and his wife Joanne (Lily Rabe) are driving back from Thanksgiving with Joanne’s parents, by all accounts it didn’t go well as the pair bicker over cold turkey and the dirty looks Ray receives from Joanne’s mother. Oblivious to their low key argument is daughter Peri (Lucy Capri), sat in the back seat. When the trio makes a pit stop at a local gas station Peri is injured in a fall and Ray takes her to the local hospital to get help. What results is a Hitchkoiam style thriller with several clever twists and turns that will leave you constantly second-guessing yourself.
Worthington is a hit and miss actor, but here actually stands up on his own two feet and delivers a solid performance as a desperate father and husband pushed to the edge
Ray has a troubled past. At the gas station, he purchases miniature bottles of alcohol rather than the batteries needed for Peri’s music player. He’s dealing with a number of issues that invlude trying to save his rocky marraige and escape a past that keeps coming back to haunt him. Worthington is a hit and miss actor, but here actually stands up on his own two feet and delivers a solid performance as a desperate father and husband pushed to the edge.
As the drama and tension unfolds we start to wonder whether or not Ray has actually lost it? We are swayed one way to the next, settling on a likely outcome but then changing our minds mid way through. Is the hospital hiding something? To go into any more detail would give it away but it’s safe to say that in my humble opion this is one the best thrillers I have seen for some time.
Ray Monroe (Sam Worthington) and his wife Joanne (Lily Rabe) are driving back from Thanksgiving with Joanne’s parents, by all accounts it didn’t go well as the pair bicker over cold turkey and the dirty looks Ray receives from Joanne’s mother. Oblivious to their low key argument is daughter Peri (Lucy Capri), sat in the back seat. When the trio makes a pit stop at a local gas station Peri is injured in a fall and Ray takes her to the local hospital to get help. What results is a Hitchkoiam style thriller with several clever twists and turns that will leave you constantly second-guessing yourself.
Worthington is a hit and miss actor, but here actually stands up on his own two feet and delivers a solid performance as a desperate father and husband pushed to the edge
Ray has a troubled past. At the gas station, he purchases miniature bottles of alcohol rather than the batteries needed for Peri’s music player. He’s dealing with a number of issues that invlude trying to save his rocky marraige and escape a past that keeps coming back to haunt him. Worthington is a hit and miss actor, but here actually stands up on his own two feet and delivers a solid performance as a desperate father and husband pushed to the edge.
As the drama and tension unfolds we start to wonder whether or not Ray has actually lost it? We are swayed one way to the next, settling on a likely outcome but then changing our minds mid way through. Is the hospital hiding something? To go into any more detail would give it away but it’s safe to say that in my humble opion this is one the best thrillers I have seen for some time.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code comes a book that unlocks the secrets...
psychology