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JT (287 KP) rated Into The Abyss (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Every now and again I like to leave the fictional world of film and take a trip into reality. I did so with Into the Abyss. A film by Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn) it looks at the always controversial capital punishment, and focuses on one particular triple murder in the state of Texas.
Using actual footage of the crime scenes which is disturbing enough, Herzog also draws on the real life interviews of those involved and how it has affected their lives. It also explains to us what causes a person to commit murder, and if taking a life for a life really is worth it in the long run.
What is the most shocking with this film is the complete lack of remorse both inmates have. Michael Perry the condemned, man is courteous and polite in his responses as he sits looking through the perspex glass that separates him from Herzog.
As Herzog states at their first meeting he doesn’t particularly like him but he has respect for him, more than likely due in part to the honestly of his answers and how he’s dealing with certain death. The other is Jason Burkett, sentenced to life for his part in the crime, he won’t get out until much past sixty-five, a terrifying prospect when you’re only in your twenties.
Burkett still tries to command a normal life, married to someone on the outside who he rarely gets to touch physically they have a child on the way, although the conception is kept a closely guarded secret, despite advances to find out by Herzog. Both men have always blamed the other and both claimed their innocence.
The film is broken down into chapters, opening with a somber account of life and death from The Reverend Richard Lopez, the man that holds the hand of those sent to death, for their final walk into the unknown. It then quickly moves to an in-depth look at the murders, the how, the why and the where? This all makes for an impactul watch.
Using actual footage of the crime scenes which is disturbing enough, Herzog also draws on the real life interviews of those involved and how it has affected their lives. It also explains to us what causes a person to commit murder, and if taking a life for a life really is worth it in the long run.
What is the most shocking with this film is the complete lack of remorse both inmates have. Michael Perry the condemned, man is courteous and polite in his responses as he sits looking through the perspex glass that separates him from Herzog.
As Herzog states at their first meeting he doesn’t particularly like him but he has respect for him, more than likely due in part to the honestly of his answers and how he’s dealing with certain death. The other is Jason Burkett, sentenced to life for his part in the crime, he won’t get out until much past sixty-five, a terrifying prospect when you’re only in your twenties.
Burkett still tries to command a normal life, married to someone on the outside who he rarely gets to touch physically they have a child on the way, although the conception is kept a closely guarded secret, despite advances to find out by Herzog. Both men have always blamed the other and both claimed their innocence.
The film is broken down into chapters, opening with a somber account of life and death from The Reverend Richard Lopez, the man that holds the hand of those sent to death, for their final walk into the unknown. It then quickly moves to an in-depth look at the murders, the how, the why and the where? This all makes for an impactul watch.
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
5.0
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New York Times Bestseller Edgar Award winner for Best Fact Crime The Day of the Locust meets The...
Where Memories Go: Why Dementia Changes Everything
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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER - AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'The tenuous but vital...
TP
The Painted Man
Peter V. Brett and Dominik Broniek
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The stunning debut fantasy novel from author Peter V. Brett. The Painted Man, book one of the Demon...
The Painted Man (the Demon Cycle, Book 1)
7.4
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The stunning debut fantasy novel from author Peter V. Brett. The Painted Man, book one of the Demon...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Bloody Good Fun
Ready Or Not is a 2019 black comedy/horror movie directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olphin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay by Gus Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. Producers on the film included Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, Willem Sherak, and Bradley J. Fischer. It was produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Mythology Entertainment, Vinson Films and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell.
Grace couldn't be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family's luxurious estate. There's just one catch -- at midnight on the wedding night, the wealthy Le Domas family hosts a generations long tradition of playing a game with each new addition to the family. Tony, her new father-in-law explains that Grace must participate in a session where she must draw a card from a mysterious wooden box and play the game to be a full-fledged member of the family. She must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down with guns, crossbows, and other weapons s she desperately tries to survive the night,
This movie was great. I liked it quite a bit. It was a fresh take on one of my favorite genres. The movie was also pretty funny and had a good way of mixing the horror with comedy. The acting was also really good with Samara Weaving doing a great job and a solid performance from Adam Brody too. The script and plot could have been a little more solid but it's a enjoyable ride. There were some inconsistencies with the plot and some humor that fell flat but overall a good mashup of genres and fresh take on some stereotypes and cliches. I give this movie a 8/10. Not necessarily a horror movie but more aligned with survival horror, I recommend it for people who like movies like that.
Grace couldn't be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family's luxurious estate. There's just one catch -- at midnight on the wedding night, the wealthy Le Domas family hosts a generations long tradition of playing a game with each new addition to the family. Tony, her new father-in-law explains that Grace must participate in a session where she must draw a card from a mysterious wooden box and play the game to be a full-fledged member of the family. She must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her down with guns, crossbows, and other weapons s she desperately tries to survive the night,
This movie was great. I liked it quite a bit. It was a fresh take on one of my favorite genres. The movie was also pretty funny and had a good way of mixing the horror with comedy. The acting was also really good with Samara Weaving doing a great job and a solid performance from Adam Brody too. The script and plot could have been a little more solid but it's a enjoyable ride. There were some inconsistencies with the plot and some humor that fell flat but overall a good mashup of genres and fresh take on some stereotypes and cliches. I give this movie a 8/10. Not necessarily a horror movie but more aligned with survival horror, I recommend it for people who like movies like that.
The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
6.5
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From New York Times bestselling author Simon Baatz, the first comprehensive account of the murder...
crime non-fiction
Merissa (14108 KP) rated Wait Until Dawn (Southern Spirits #4) in Books
Apr 19, 2023
So Wait Until Dawn is Rich's story. Like many, I assumed he would be getting together with Matt, but that obviously wasn't the case. What I love about Bailey Bradford's stories, is that she leads you one way before giving you a complete about-turn, but it completely works! Carlin is the perfect mate for Matt, and Chris - the gorgeous, pierced pacifist, who looks tough but is a teddy bear - is perfect for Rich.
Rich has been through hell and the start of this book reflects that. This is not for the faint-hearted as the torture that Rich has been living with is described in gruesome detail. Chris is the one person that refuses to take any c**p from Rich. Now, to be fair, this may well be because he is actually face-to-face with him. It is a lot easier to lie to people over the phone when they can't see you. I would have liked his friends to try to reach Rich on a more personal note over the past year, but then if they had, this story wouldn't have gone the way it did.
The ending for this one felt a bit rushed to me, with the actual fight to get McAllister and Trenton out of Rich glossed over. They have been fighting in his body throughout the whole story, causing him to contemplate suicide, but it's all over and done within a paragraph or two, but I still don't really know how.
Apart from that, I loved this book and am very happy now that Rich can start to heal. I did like how he and Matt sorted things out. Definitely recommended and a good, solid addition to this series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2015
Rich has been through hell and the start of this book reflects that. This is not for the faint-hearted as the torture that Rich has been living with is described in gruesome detail. Chris is the one person that refuses to take any c**p from Rich. Now, to be fair, this may well be because he is actually face-to-face with him. It is a lot easier to lie to people over the phone when they can't see you. I would have liked his friends to try to reach Rich on a more personal note over the past year, but then if they had, this story wouldn't have gone the way it did.
The ending for this one felt a bit rushed to me, with the actual fight to get McAllister and Trenton out of Rich glossed over. They have been fighting in his body throughout the whole story, causing him to contemplate suicide, but it's all over and done within a paragraph or two, but I still don't really know how.
Apart from that, I loved this book and am very happy now that Rich can start to heal. I did like how he and Matt sorted things out. Definitely recommended and a good, solid addition to this series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2015
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by Kelly Gay
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5/5
My Summary: Charlie isn’t your average detective/police officer—she works for the new futuristic law enforcement department called ITF. The world has changed since the other dimensions have been discovered. Aliens (who hate being called aliens) now live on earth with humans, and some humans possess supernatural powers. Charlie and her Siren-partner, Hank, have been working on a disastrous case—trying to track down the source and destroy a new drug that is putting people all over Atlanta in comas. But after they begin digging deeper, they discover a whole new level of their assignment: one that puts Charlie, her ex-husband, her daughter whom she loves more than anyone or anything in the whole world, everyone in Atlanta, and the rest of the world, at stake… and only Charlie Madigan can save them.
The Better Part of Darkness is a fast-paces riveting debut novel that holds you by the neck until the last page. I’ve never enjoyed science fiction so much in my life.
This book had the perfect combination of sci-fi, crime, thriller, and romance to make it an addicting read to lover of any genre. The writing makes it wonderfully plausible and incredibly witty, and the characters were the kinds that you cheered for.
Charlie was my kind of girl—totally kick-butt in every way, shape, and form. She was tough as nails, rock-hard, dedicated to her job, but she had her soft spots for those that she held closest to her.
I will be sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel of this book, titled “The Darkest Edge of Dawn.” 5 stars and two thumbs up to you, Kelly Gay: you just made my bookshelf.
Content: This book is not for the easily offended. There was language and sexual aspects of the book that make it an adult novel, though there were no sex scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 17+ to anyone who wants to read a really exceptional book.
**Thank you to Sarah from pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5/5
My Summary: Charlie isn’t your average detective/police officer—she works for the new futuristic law enforcement department called ITF. The world has changed since the other dimensions have been discovered. Aliens (who hate being called aliens) now live on earth with humans, and some humans possess supernatural powers. Charlie and her Siren-partner, Hank, have been working on a disastrous case—trying to track down the source and destroy a new drug that is putting people all over Atlanta in comas. But after they begin digging deeper, they discover a whole new level of their assignment: one that puts Charlie, her ex-husband, her daughter whom she loves more than anyone or anything in the whole world, everyone in Atlanta, and the rest of the world, at stake… and only Charlie Madigan can save them.
The Better Part of Darkness is a fast-paces riveting debut novel that holds you by the neck until the last page. I’ve never enjoyed science fiction so much in my life.
This book had the perfect combination of sci-fi, crime, thriller, and romance to make it an addicting read to lover of any genre. The writing makes it wonderfully plausible and incredibly witty, and the characters were the kinds that you cheered for.
Charlie was my kind of girl—totally kick-butt in every way, shape, and form. She was tough as nails, rock-hard, dedicated to her job, but she had her soft spots for those that she held closest to her.
I will be sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel of this book, titled “The Darkest Edge of Dawn.” 5 stars and two thumbs up to you, Kelly Gay: you just made my bookshelf.
Content: This book is not for the easily offended. There was language and sexual aspects of the book that make it an adult novel, though there were no sex scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 17+ to anyone who wants to read a really exceptional book.
**Thank you to Sarah from pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
The 5th Wave: Book 1
8.0
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*NOW A MAJOR FILM by Sony Pictures, starring Chloe Grace Moretz* 'Wildly entertaining ...I couldn't...