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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies
Feb 25, 2021
Probably the most interesting of the three here by some way, Upgrade comes at the angle of cybernetic amendments to human capability in an almost, but not quite, original way. It postures and ponders a lot of pseudo-science and cod philosophy before getting to the bits people are going mad for: the fight scenes, which are indeed jaw dropping, feel new and are brutally graphic enough to amuse even the most hardcore gamer. Trouble isโฆ this makes it almost a torture-porn movie, because the only real thrills are in the grossness of the violence. The acting is of negligible importance, because character and plot are not that important to the success of Upgrade as a spectacle. It feels cheap and B movie grade in places, which of course it is. If you enjoy seeing impressive things done with less than a premium budget then this could be worth watching. Butโฆ there is a nastiness and a somewhat teenage / pothead vibe to it that ruins anything remotely good. It is also shamelessly derivative. Not bad then, but by no means good, or properly recommended.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Sleeping Beauty, #1) in Books
Nov 14, 2018
One day I was just looking online through random books that I could read and I came across this trilogy and it sparked my interest. I thought I would give this book a go. All I knew about it was that it was an erotic twist on a fairytale, I thought it might even be quite sweet...wow! One word comes to mind after reading this book...HARSH! To sum it up I would say 'torture-porn', and how tortured these characters indeed were. Although the story was well written it went beyond enjoyment and straight to 'I don't think I can even finish this book, it's pretty horrendous!'. But I stuck it out and finished it with a gob-smacked expression on my face. This isn't a sweet, fluffy and easy-to-read novel, its hard-core and sadistic. This review sounds like I didn't like the book yet I gave it 3 stars...this is because I really liked the challenge of getting through this book and it left me in shock, so many books i finish with a shrug then move on but this book is definitely something to remember. I am now reading a comedy inbetween carrying on with the series as even I feel like the characters need a break.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Untraceable (2008) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
๐๐ฏ๐ธ๐ข๐ต๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ. Wants to be a ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ด x Saw hybrid, ends up being ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฐ๐ฎ with most of the fun stuff subtracted, and if it were a piece of tacky CBS cybercrime dross. There's some real heat to the torture porn here but it's undercut by the fact that they consciously choose to rarely show it at all and overedit it to hell and back when they do (both fronts offended even worse than ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ: ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐๐) - instead opting to be a rote procedural where everyone dumps heavy bouts of cheesy exposition about things that it's clear no one actually knows what they're talking about, until its final moments where it takes a dumbass pivot where it decides to be a preachy, hypocritical, defanged commentary about technology which is about as non-knowledgeable as your average "Black Mirror" episode. Diane Lane gives it an honest try but it saves absolutely nothing from this lifeless white noise. One of the only positives is that it's unpredictable, but only in the sense that there's nothing to predict. At least it's one of the precious few of these things to make realistic online comments - and Lane very seriously repeats the full acronym for 'rofl' during a live snuff film. Still sucks though.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Apocalypto (2006) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
*"Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses plays aggressively, on loop*
Oh yeah, still rules - fucking *brutal*, much like most of Gibson's other films it's really nothing more than over two hours of good-looking torture porn. But unlike something such as ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ต, this doesn't pretend to be more than just that; and when it does, it hardly shows it. A textured, ferocious, teeth-bearing splatterfest - real wrath of God shit. Arrows constantly flying inches past people's heads, armor made out of human jawbones, *multiple* hearts ripped clean out of chests whilst still beating, countless heads on stakes, copious amounts of blood flying everywhere, so on and so forth. A bit too heavy on the motion blur at times, and a disappointing amount of the shots are way too close - it's a jungle for God's sake, use some scale - sometimes looks like a fullscreen film stretched to widescreen. Otherwise Gibson is totally elemental, utilizing every element of space not only with the staggering, all-timer production - but even within the closed quarters of the jungle itself. We never know what could lie just beneath some brush, or behind a tree - or what could be used as a weapon. An even better instance of formulating a jungle into a warzone than ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ. Ending is sudden, but it's for the best.
Oh yeah, still rules - fucking *brutal*, much like most of Gibson's other films it's really nothing more than over two hours of good-looking torture porn. But unlike something such as ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ต, this doesn't pretend to be more than just that; and when it does, it hardly shows it. A textured, ferocious, teeth-bearing splatterfest - real wrath of God shit. Arrows constantly flying inches past people's heads, armor made out of human jawbones, *multiple* hearts ripped clean out of chests whilst still beating, countless heads on stakes, copious amounts of blood flying everywhere, so on and so forth. A bit too heavy on the motion blur at times, and a disappointing amount of the shots are way too close - it's a jungle for God's sake, use some scale - sometimes looks like a fullscreen film stretched to widescreen. Otherwise Gibson is totally elemental, utilizing every element of space not only with the staggering, all-timer production - but even within the closed quarters of the jungle itself. We never know what could lie just beneath some brush, or behind a tree - or what could be used as a weapon. An even better instance of formulating a jungle into a warzone than ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ. Ending is sudden, but it's for the best.
Jamie (131 KP) rated Naja (volumes 1-5) in Books
Jun 4, 2017
An underwhelming and strange assassin mystery
What a shame. The comic had an interesting concept and started off pretty well but in the end was really lacking. Naja is a badass to be certain, but she has almost no personality. She was the stereotypical ruthless femme fatale and not much more than that. The other assassins from Zeroโs organization were genuinely interesting and the fights were memorable. I just wish I could have cared more about Naja. The plot drags for the first few volumes and I had wished for a little more from the story.
I ended up regretting that wish.
The more that was revealed, the more it just seemed like torture porn. The sad part is, even after some traumatic experiences from Najaโs past was revealed, I didnโt find myself feeling much more for her character.
The comic crashed and burned spectacularly with the final volume honestly leaving me feeling rather angry and disgusted. It seemed to me that the story was almost like a twisted retelling of Romeo and Juliet, tragic star crossed lovers each hailing from rival families with a sprinkling of incest. It was disturbing in the worst way possible and I honestly wish I hadnโt finished the series off.
On the bright side, the art style is modern and edgy and very easily one of the best aspects of the comic. The action sequences are fast and bloody and were fun to read. Overall I canโt recommend this one given the weak story, but Bengalโs art is definitely something to admire.
I ended up regretting that wish.
The more that was revealed, the more it just seemed like torture porn. The sad part is, even after some traumatic experiences from Najaโs past was revealed, I didnโt find myself feeling much more for her character.
The comic crashed and burned spectacularly with the final volume honestly leaving me feeling rather angry and disgusted. It seemed to me that the story was almost like a twisted retelling of Romeo and Juliet, tragic star crossed lovers each hailing from rival families with a sprinkling of incest. It was disturbing in the worst way possible and I honestly wish I hadnโt finished the series off.
On the bright side, the art style is modern and edgy and very easily one of the best aspects of the comic. The action sequences are fast and bloody and were fun to read. Overall I canโt recommend this one given the weak story, but Bengalโs art is definitely something to admire.
Andrew Kennedy (199 KP) rated Cube (1997) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
The puzzles (1 more)
Original concept
Before Saw and Hostel conjured up the term "torture porn" and it was rammed home with each sequel, a little Canadian film called Cube came out to little fanfare in 1997.
Made for a mere $400,000 dollars and with a lot of the special effects provided by local Canadian companies for free.
It is a simple yet ingenious premise, six strangers awaken in series of cube like rooms no recollection of how they got there or even why they are there. It also seems some of the rooms contain traps.
The tense and almost claustrophobic surroundings force both friendships and mistrust in equal measure.
The characters are well rounded and deliver believable performances of people trapped against their will, for the most part. There is a one point I disliked that felt too preachy but I did like the character.
The other thing I enjoyed was the forced interaction between the main protagonists because while there are traps this isn't some Saw film, the traps are present but just to provide the threat of one false move. I would even argue that at times the traps don't provide much of a threat but the "silent cube" really rings every drop of tension out of that scene.
The most interesting thing I found was that some people criticized the ending. Yes by the end not everything is explained, there is a lot of questions left unanswered and this is a good thing.
Why must we have everything explained? Leave thinking and wondering. Director Vincenzo Natali did film a longer ending and it was the first thing he cut.
Made for a mere $400,000 dollars and with a lot of the special effects provided by local Canadian companies for free.
It is a simple yet ingenious premise, six strangers awaken in series of cube like rooms no recollection of how they got there or even why they are there. It also seems some of the rooms contain traps.
The tense and almost claustrophobic surroundings force both friendships and mistrust in equal measure.
The characters are well rounded and deliver believable performances of people trapped against their will, for the most part. There is a one point I disliked that felt too preachy but I did like the character.
The other thing I enjoyed was the forced interaction between the main protagonists because while there are traps this isn't some Saw film, the traps are present but just to provide the threat of one false move. I would even argue that at times the traps don't provide much of a threat but the "silent cube" really rings every drop of tension out of that scene.
The most interesting thing I found was that some people criticized the ending. Yes by the end not everything is explained, there is a lot of questions left unanswered and this is a good thing.
Why must we have everything explained? Leave thinking and wondering. Director Vincenzo Natali did film a longer ending and it was the first thing he cut.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Death Wish (2018) in Movies
Mar 13, 2018
Bruce Willis killing bad guys
5 minutes before DEATH WISH started there was just 2 of us in the movie theater (by the time the film started, there was probably around 20). I turned to the only gentleman sitting there (about 2 seats down) and asked him if he'd like break into a "discussion group" after the film. "I'm just here to see Bruce Willis kill bad guys.", he said.
He did not walk away disappointed.
Directed by Eli Roth, DEATH WISH is a remake of the early 1970's film starring Charles Bronson about a "normal, family man" who snaps after his wife and daughter are assaulted. The Police' hands are tied, so he decides to take matters in his own hands and starts committing "vigilante justice".
Bruce Willis stars in this remake - and he is perfectly fine as the Doctor turned vigilante. Joining him is Vincent D'Onofrio as his brother, Elisabth Shue as his wife and BREAKING BAD'S Dean Norris as the cop who is chasing him. All of these actors do a perfectly fine job with what they are given to work with, but (let's be honest), fine acting - or intricate plot developments - are not what you are looking for in this film.
As my new friend put it - "I'm just here to see Bruce Willis kill bad guys".
And "kill bad guys" he does. But...not as often as I though he would. And...not nearly as graphically as I was expecting. Director Roth is known as a Director of Horror "splatter" films, "torture porn" fare like the HOSTEL films and CABIN FEVER. I was pleasantly surprised by the restraint that Roth has shown in the graphic violence in this film - I was expecting it to be a lot worse, almost stomach churning - but it just wasn't (except for 1 torture seen involving a car). It was "basic" violent fare - and well done.
To be honest, I thought they spent too much time of the film setting up Willis' character turn to "the dark side", at one point wondering "get to killing the bad guys already". But, when the film gets there, it is entertaining, indeed.
As I walked past my "new friend" after the film was over, I asked him what he thought:
"I saw Bruce Willis killing bad guys, I'm good."
And that about sums it up.
Letter Grade B- (just know what you're getting into)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
He did not walk away disappointed.
Directed by Eli Roth, DEATH WISH is a remake of the early 1970's film starring Charles Bronson about a "normal, family man" who snaps after his wife and daughter are assaulted. The Police' hands are tied, so he decides to take matters in his own hands and starts committing "vigilante justice".
Bruce Willis stars in this remake - and he is perfectly fine as the Doctor turned vigilante. Joining him is Vincent D'Onofrio as his brother, Elisabth Shue as his wife and BREAKING BAD'S Dean Norris as the cop who is chasing him. All of these actors do a perfectly fine job with what they are given to work with, but (let's be honest), fine acting - or intricate plot developments - are not what you are looking for in this film.
As my new friend put it - "I'm just here to see Bruce Willis kill bad guys".
And "kill bad guys" he does. But...not as often as I though he would. And...not nearly as graphically as I was expecting. Director Roth is known as a Director of Horror "splatter" films, "torture porn" fare like the HOSTEL films and CABIN FEVER. I was pleasantly surprised by the restraint that Roth has shown in the graphic violence in this film - I was expecting it to be a lot worse, almost stomach churning - but it just wasn't (except for 1 torture seen involving a car). It was "basic" violent fare - and well done.
To be honest, I thought they spent too much time of the film setting up Willis' character turn to "the dark side", at one point wondering "get to killing the bad guys already". But, when the film gets there, it is entertaining, indeed.
As I walked past my "new friend" after the film was over, I asked him what he thought:
"I saw Bruce Willis killing bad guys, I'm good."
And that about sums it up.
Letter Grade B- (just know what you're getting into)
6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated The Last House on the Left (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In 1972, horror icon Wes Craven made a name for himself by writing and directing a film called โThe Last House on the Left.โ The film was very controversial and helped launch a new genre of terror and suspense films that pushed the limits of the times. The film was notorious for its content which included rape, torture, humiliation, and violence and contains to this day some of the most disturbing images ever captured on film. In this age of remakes, prequels, and sequels, Wes Craven has stepped aside to produce a new version of his classic and this remake is sure to be as controversial and disturbing as the original was.
The film centers around 17 year old Mari Collingwood (Sara Paxton), who is taking time off from her competitive swimming and school to spend the summer with her parents Emma and John (Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn), at their remote cabin in the woods. The family is coming to grips with the loss of their son, and Mari is anxious to spend some time with her friend Paige (Martha MacIssac), whom she has not seen in a while.
Despite concerns from her mother, Mari is given the keys to the car by her father and travels into town to see Paige. The two girls meet a boy named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark), and proceed to go back to his room to party. The three of them are having a great time until Justinโs father Krug (Garrett Dillahunt), as well as his uncle and fatherโs girlfriend return unexpectedly. Krug and the group are wanted convicts after a bloody escape that has left two officers dead and Krug and his family the subject of an intense manhunt. The presence of Paige and Mari is an unwanted complication and the two girls are kidnapped and taken deep into the woods. After a failed escape attempt, the unstable group set upon the girls in a series of violent physical and psychological torture and acts before brutally finishing with them and leaving them for dead.
When an unexpected storm arrives, the fugitives take refuge at the only house in the area which happens to be Mariโs home. The Collingwoodโs take the stranded group in and render medical assistance thanks to Johnโs background as a doctor. Unaware of the evil they have let into their home, the Collingwoodโs life is turned upside down when their nearly dead daughter appears on their doorstep and forces the family to do whatever it takes to survive.
What follows is a dark, violent, and intense finale that goes to extreme measures to underscore the brutality and desperation the family has been driven to in order to survive. This may lead to some using the popular phrase โtorture pornโ to describe the film, but that would imply a film that existed in no other context but to titillate an audience with pain and suffering. The film is thin on plot and character development, making it simply a film about revenge and the depths people will go to in order to survive and protect their loved ones. The film is a bit slow at parts but few people will forget some of the more intense moments of the film include the finale. As with โThe Hills Have Eyesโ, Craven created settings where ideal families were driven to extreme measures when confronted with life outside of the safe suburbs in which they dwelled. The film will shock and dismay some, but few will forget the disturbing images anytime soon.
The film centers around 17 year old Mari Collingwood (Sara Paxton), who is taking time off from her competitive swimming and school to spend the summer with her parents Emma and John (Monica Potter and Tony Goldwyn), at their remote cabin in the woods. The family is coming to grips with the loss of their son, and Mari is anxious to spend some time with her friend Paige (Martha MacIssac), whom she has not seen in a while.
Despite concerns from her mother, Mari is given the keys to the car by her father and travels into town to see Paige. The two girls meet a boy named Justin (Spencer Treat Clark), and proceed to go back to his room to party. The three of them are having a great time until Justinโs father Krug (Garrett Dillahunt), as well as his uncle and fatherโs girlfriend return unexpectedly. Krug and the group are wanted convicts after a bloody escape that has left two officers dead and Krug and his family the subject of an intense manhunt. The presence of Paige and Mari is an unwanted complication and the two girls are kidnapped and taken deep into the woods. After a failed escape attempt, the unstable group set upon the girls in a series of violent physical and psychological torture and acts before brutally finishing with them and leaving them for dead.
When an unexpected storm arrives, the fugitives take refuge at the only house in the area which happens to be Mariโs home. The Collingwoodโs take the stranded group in and render medical assistance thanks to Johnโs background as a doctor. Unaware of the evil they have let into their home, the Collingwoodโs life is turned upside down when their nearly dead daughter appears on their doorstep and forces the family to do whatever it takes to survive.
What follows is a dark, violent, and intense finale that goes to extreme measures to underscore the brutality and desperation the family has been driven to in order to survive. This may lead to some using the popular phrase โtorture pornโ to describe the film, but that would imply a film that existed in no other context but to titillate an audience with pain and suffering. The film is thin on plot and character development, making it simply a film about revenge and the depths people will go to in order to survive and protect their loved ones. The film is a bit slow at parts but few people will forget some of the more intense moments of the film include the finale. As with โThe Hills Have Eyesโ, Craven created settings where ideal families were driven to extreme measures when confronted with life outside of the safe suburbs in which they dwelled. The film will shock and dismay some, but few will forget the disturbing images anytime soon.
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated The Descent (2005) in Movies
May 30, 2018
There are some great British films but would this be one of them?
Contains spoilers, click to show
I watched this with my girlfriend Kelly not knowing what to expect. We knew it was a horror, but it was also a British film. There are some great British films but would this be one of them? The film is about a group of women who get together to explore a set of remote caves. During the expedition they encounter strange creatures and end up having to fight for their lives. Staring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring & Nora-Jane No one. All are great in the roles of the six friends, however Natalie Mendoza stands out for me as Juno. There are undertones of something more with her character and her performance is eerie and mysterious. This film is one of the best modern horror films I have seen. While many modern horror films fall under the category of torture porn like Saw and Hostile, this film doesn't rely on gore and gross out moments to shock you. It manages it in traditional ways using subtle camera effects, building tension and good acting. The director is a genius in his ability to scare you. He builds the tension to a point where you feel you will burst. There are no cheesy moments just good old fashioned scares. And what scares they are. There are moments that truly scare and surprise you. This is one of the best horror movies and a very well made film. The intro is just long enough to give you a good background to the friends and then all hell breaks loose! If you like classic horror movies check this one out. Keep the lights on and if you are watching with your girlfriend, watch out for your hands. Kelly was so scared I thought she would break mine when she squeezed it really hard when she jumped!
Darren (1599 KP) rated ABCs of Death 2 (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Favourite Letters โ A โ Amateur I liked this because it pokes fun at the slick nature people believe hitmen going through vents can be showing the truth about what you will find.
D โ Deloused this is a delightfully twists animated tale that is everything from disturbing to disgusting.
L โ Legacy, I liked this one because it is bold, bloody and entertaining.
N โ Nexus, this is a well built up moment where we follow all the people involved before the final moment.
O โ Ochlocracy, this short gives us a fresh look at the zombie genre.
S โ Split, this is a story that could be run of the mill but clearly has the best twist of any of the short stories here.
T- Torture Porn, this is one that went in a direction you didnโt see coming which adds shock value to it.
U โ Utopia, this sums up modern society nicely for shocking effect.
Y โ Youth, this is plain weird but also feels heart breaking throughout the story.
Z โ Zygote, well this is a short story that is seriously twisted and delightful ending to these horror tales.
Hardest to Watch โ H โ Head Games, I think this is because it is bigger than expected because you could read into it the most.
K โ Knell, I have this one here because I didnโt understand the end it at all.
Worst Letters โ G โ Grandad, this one just didnโt click and felt like filler.
P โ P-P-P-P โ Scary, this just felt like it was part comedy to full weird and not the type I like.
Biggest Disappointments โ B โ Badger, most because this felt like there was still five minutes to go which could have been the blood bath we got teased for.
I โ Invincible, this is here much like B as it is a film you would like to have seen more from.
Ones That I Would Like to See a Full Feature โ F โ Falling, this story feels like it could be a brilliant thriller that over a 90 minute could build characters up nicely for the climax.
Q โ Questionnaire, this is an interesting one and could be turned into a very interesting horror film.
That Moment That Annoyed Me โ V โ Vacation, one because it is shot badly and two because the guys assholes.
Final Thoughts โ In all fairness this has a lot of good chapters which are fun, bloody, gore and everything you like, if you like short horror stories go and enjoy.
Overall: Full fun horror chapter.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/10/01/a-z-halloween-horror-a-abcs-of-death-2-2014/
D โ Deloused this is a delightfully twists animated tale that is everything from disturbing to disgusting.
L โ Legacy, I liked this one because it is bold, bloody and entertaining.
N โ Nexus, this is a well built up moment where we follow all the people involved before the final moment.
O โ Ochlocracy, this short gives us a fresh look at the zombie genre.
S โ Split, this is a story that could be run of the mill but clearly has the best twist of any of the short stories here.
T- Torture Porn, this is one that went in a direction you didnโt see coming which adds shock value to it.
U โ Utopia, this sums up modern society nicely for shocking effect.
Y โ Youth, this is plain weird but also feels heart breaking throughout the story.
Z โ Zygote, well this is a short story that is seriously twisted and delightful ending to these horror tales.
Hardest to Watch โ H โ Head Games, I think this is because it is bigger than expected because you could read into it the most.
K โ Knell, I have this one here because I didnโt understand the end it at all.
Worst Letters โ G โ Grandad, this one just didnโt click and felt like filler.
P โ P-P-P-P โ Scary, this just felt like it was part comedy to full weird and not the type I like.
Biggest Disappointments โ B โ Badger, most because this felt like there was still five minutes to go which could have been the blood bath we got teased for.
I โ Invincible, this is here much like B as it is a film you would like to have seen more from.
Ones That I Would Like to See a Full Feature โ F โ Falling, this story feels like it could be a brilliant thriller that over a 90 minute could build characters up nicely for the climax.
Q โ Questionnaire, this is an interesting one and could be turned into a very interesting horror film.
That Moment That Annoyed Me โ V โ Vacation, one because it is shot badly and two because the guys assholes.
Final Thoughts โ In all fairness this has a lot of good chapters which are fun, bloody, gore and everything you like, if you like short horror stories go and enjoy.
Overall: Full fun horror chapter.
https://moviesreview101.com/2018/10/01/a-z-halloween-horror-a-abcs-of-death-2-2014/