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Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Smiley (2012) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
The ending couldn't save the rest of the movie (3 more)
Cliche plot you have seen before
Bad acting
Annoying characters
The internet's bloody mary
This was a terrible movie
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.
Jonathan Donahue recommended Tales Of Witches, Ghosts and Goblins by Vincent Price in Music (curated)
TheFiend13420 (21 KP) rated Where The Scary Things Are (2022) in Movies
Jun 28, 2022 (Updated Jun 28, 2022)
Excellent performances by virtually unknown cast (2 more)
Well written, fun and flows well
Beauty make-up job on the creature
The Loser's Club these kids are NOT
I have been waiting for this film to come out for months now. And it was totally worth the wait.
A group of friends, led by angry disruptive Ayla, venture out to the closed down Field of Screams Halloween Haunt in search of a local urban legend. Prompted by one of their teachers, They are asked to make up their own Legend and try to bring it to life to prove how false facts can create a sort of mass hysteria. And eventually. They become real... Like local urban legend, Lockjaw.
First off... These fucking kids
None of them are likable. They all have something that makes them horrible. There's no smiles and laughs while walking down the fucking train tracks in this not so feel good movie. The performances by these kids. Even the youngest one... Who you kind of want to kick in the face... puts in a stellar showing. The lead girl. With her serial killer like lack of emotion and empathy. If there were Oscars for horror. She would most definitely be nominated. Even the one kid who shows some form of common sense. Has not one real redeeming quality. These kids are just plain horrid. You literally wish death upon these teenagers
Second. The originality of the whole thing. I know it will probably garner some comparisons to Psycho Goreman. But... Believe me when i tell you... There is no similarity. These are two completely seperate entities.
The idea of Urban Legends coming true. And not being projected by some killer in a parka. makes me extremely happy. Not a slight against the series of Urban Legend movies... I love them... But...
Third. I love the pace of the film. It keeps going, doesn't let up in the slightest. Just when you think you've seen it all. The little bastards just break down the morality wall a little bit more. Such a fun ride to be on.
Was it worth the wait. Absolutely.
Would I recommend it to my friends.... 100%.
Will it be something I'd watch again... I'm actually watching it again... Right now... While I do this review.
Mr. Smith, you've done it again.
You have kept my interest and left me utterly satisfied with an hour and a half of pure horrific pleasure.
Not one stitch of disappointment here...
A group of friends, led by angry disruptive Ayla, venture out to the closed down Field of Screams Halloween Haunt in search of a local urban legend. Prompted by one of their teachers, They are asked to make up their own Legend and try to bring it to life to prove how false facts can create a sort of mass hysteria. And eventually. They become real... Like local urban legend, Lockjaw.
First off... These fucking kids
None of them are likable. They all have something that makes them horrible. There's no smiles and laughs while walking down the fucking train tracks in this not so feel good movie. The performances by these kids. Even the youngest one... Who you kind of want to kick in the face... puts in a stellar showing. The lead girl. With her serial killer like lack of emotion and empathy. If there were Oscars for horror. She would most definitely be nominated. Even the one kid who shows some form of common sense. Has not one real redeeming quality. These kids are just plain horrid. You literally wish death upon these teenagers
Second. The originality of the whole thing. I know it will probably garner some comparisons to Psycho Goreman. But... Believe me when i tell you... There is no similarity. These are two completely seperate entities.
The idea of Urban Legends coming true. And not being projected by some killer in a parka. makes me extremely happy. Not a slight against the series of Urban Legend movies... I love them... But...
Third. I love the pace of the film. It keeps going, doesn't let up in the slightest. Just when you think you've seen it all. The little bastards just break down the morality wall a little bit more. Such a fun ride to be on.
Was it worth the wait. Absolutely.
Would I recommend it to my friends.... 100%.
Will it be something I'd watch again... I'm actually watching it again... Right now... While I do this review.
Mr. Smith, you've done it again.
You have kept my interest and left me utterly satisfied with an hour and a half of pure horrific pleasure.
Not one stitch of disappointment here...
Kevin Phillipson (9943 KP) rated Urban Legend (1998) in Movies
Aug 15, 2018 (Updated Apr 22, 2021)
Plot (1 more)
Gore
I remember this film about the time of the scream movies and i know what u did last summer and liking it alot especally the plot centering a killer who was using urban legends to commit murders plenty of cameos and red herrings to keep u guessing who the killer is.
Thought tonight i would update my review since the last time. tonight I've been rewatching the film as part of the four disc blu ray boxset which includes both sequels which I will get round to reviewing next week.
On two the film I remember seeing the film when it first came and I really liked it it ticked all the boxes came out in the nineties after the success of both scream and I know what u did last summer there are enough red herrings including Robert Englund who would obviously be the killer but isn't and there's a plot twist which I didn't see at first but I won't give it away here. But why give the rating a nine thats where we move unto disc two thanks to 88 films they have put together 2 and half hour documentary reuniting both cast and crew to talk about there memories of the making of the film. Good film then still is today
Thought tonight i would update my review since the last time. tonight I've been rewatching the film as part of the four disc blu ray boxset which includes both sequels which I will get round to reviewing next week.
On two the film I remember seeing the film when it first came and I really liked it it ticked all the boxes came out in the nineties after the success of both scream and I know what u did last summer there are enough red herrings including Robert Englund who would obviously be the killer but isn't and there's a plot twist which I didn't see at first but I won't give it away here. But why give the rating a nine thats where we move unto disc two thanks to 88 films they have put together 2 and half hour documentary reuniting both cast and crew to talk about there memories of the making of the film. Good film then still is today
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated We Drink and We Know Things in Podcasts
Oct 18, 2020 (Updated Oct 26, 2020)
The hosts: Andrea and Tom. (6 more)
The variety of topics.
Keeps my interests throughout.
The humor.
The coolness factor.
Not over-produced or over-commercialized.
Homegrown in Kentucky
Doused in alcohol and lit with knowledge.
I am an avid podcast listener. We're talking up to 12 hours a day, sometimes more, so I'm always looking for something good to feed my ears. I heard a We Drink and We Know Things promo on one of the podcasts in my usual rotation and was so taken by the hosts' personalities and rapport that I paused my usual podcast and went to WDAWKT and immediately dove into their latest podcast. It was so much fun, so interesting, and intriguing that I had to hear more! So for the next three days, I binged their podcast.
To say it's delightful may seem weird to some, considering the topics they cover, but nonetheless, it's true. It made me very happy to hear that they are from my home state of Kentucky because we have such interesting stories from here that need to be told, though that is not the focus of the podcast. Married hosts, Andrea and Tom, are charming, funny, authentic, and real, and their thirst for knowledge cannot be quenched. For that, I am grateful as it means they will never run out of material for their podcast and I'll get to listen to them every week.
Some of the topics they've covered are true crime, ghosts, haunted locations, paranormal, aliens, UFOs, cryptids, urban legends, conspiracies, weird science, strange historical events, and more, and regular episodes Florida Man Friday, Let's Not Meet stories, and Creepypastas.
I have several paranormal stories to share with them so maybe one day, you'll hear my story on one of their episodes.
If these kinds of topics interest you, give this podcast a try. I think you'll like it.
To say it's delightful may seem weird to some, considering the topics they cover, but nonetheless, it's true. It made me very happy to hear that they are from my home state of Kentucky because we have such interesting stories from here that need to be told, though that is not the focus of the podcast. Married hosts, Andrea and Tom, are charming, funny, authentic, and real, and their thirst for knowledge cannot be quenched. For that, I am grateful as it means they will never run out of material for their podcast and I'll get to listen to them every week.
Some of the topics they've covered are true crime, ghosts, haunted locations, paranormal, aliens, UFOs, cryptids, urban legends, conspiracies, weird science, strange historical events, and more, and regular episodes Florida Man Friday, Let's Not Meet stories, and Creepypastas.
I have several paranormal stories to share with them so maybe one day, you'll hear my story on one of their episodes.
If these kinds of topics interest you, give this podcast a try. I think you'll like it.
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in Books
Jul 30, 2017
Extremely clever (2 more)
Slow-burn terror
Ambiguous and open to interpretation
Indirect and slow plot (1 more)
Dense with metaphor
Is Hill House haunted or is it madness?
Hill House is suffocating in its isolation–the house is buried in hills far away from the nearest town. The house’s architecture is imperfect, the crookedness throwing one’s balance just a little bit off. The urban legends of the house’s tragic history are dark and ripe for a haunted house story. But is the house actually haunted? Is there some supernatural force that drives the inhabitants to madness? Or perhaps the hauntings are the product of a disturbed mind?
This book is absolutely brilliant in its ambiguity. I loved that things aren’t very direct, leaving the reader to decide how to interpret the story for themselves. A reader’s imagination is a writer’s best tool.
One of the first things that struck me was the unusual dialogue between characters, particularly Eleanor. At times it felt like characters were talking at the other person rather than with them. This behavior is a sign of a person that is unable to relate or empathize with other people.
It becomes clear not long after this that there’s something not quite right about Eleanor. She’s lonely and depressed, she lies constantly about her life and desperately seeks approval. She reassures herself constantly that she belongs at Hill House with the other people there and struggles with her attempts to make connections with the other guests. As the story goes on Eleanor perceives everyone else as being both loving and cruel. She sneers at Theo for trying to steal attention away from her out of some conceived notion of jealousy. Eleanor can only view relationships as being built on dependency, she is a textbook definition of an unreliable narrator.
I won’t go into too much more of my thoughts because I don’t want to spoil the plot. It’s definitely not an average ghost story and those looking for more visceral horror will probably be disappointed. The plot is thick with metaphor and the slow-burn while it worked for me may be too slow for others. Regardless, I loved this book and completely understand why it is held in such high regard and the more I think about it, the more my love for it grows. There were points where my gut was in knots with anxiety and anticipation and I just have to admire Jackson’s master craft with her prose.
This book is absolutely brilliant in its ambiguity. I loved that things aren’t very direct, leaving the reader to decide how to interpret the story for themselves. A reader’s imagination is a writer’s best tool.
One of the first things that struck me was the unusual dialogue between characters, particularly Eleanor. At times it felt like characters were talking at the other person rather than with them. This behavior is a sign of a person that is unable to relate or empathize with other people.
It becomes clear not long after this that there’s something not quite right about Eleanor. She’s lonely and depressed, she lies constantly about her life and desperately seeks approval. She reassures herself constantly that she belongs at Hill House with the other people there and struggles with her attempts to make connections with the other guests. As the story goes on Eleanor perceives everyone else as being both loving and cruel. She sneers at Theo for trying to steal attention away from her out of some conceived notion of jealousy. Eleanor can only view relationships as being built on dependency, she is a textbook definition of an unreliable narrator.
I won’t go into too much more of my thoughts because I don’t want to spoil the plot. It’s definitely not an average ghost story and those looking for more visceral horror will probably be disappointed. The plot is thick with metaphor and the slow-burn while it worked for me may be too slow for others. Regardless, I loved this book and completely understand why it is held in such high regard and the more I think about it, the more my love for it grows. There were points where my gut was in knots with anxiety and anticipation and I just have to admire Jackson’s master craft with her prose.
Those who know me know that I love the paranormal, mainly ghosts. When a chance came up to read Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider came about, I couldn't say no. As a Texas girl myself and a fan of all places ghostly, this seemed like the perfect book for me. I wasn't wrong!
Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a fantastic guidebook for those looking to chase ghosts in the great state of Texas, more specifically, towns and cities near Dallas and Fort Worth. I don't live near Dallas or Fort Worth, but I've been on vacation in and around there, and I will be taking future vacations in and around that area. In fact, I've been to two of the haunted locations featured in this book! I never even knew they were supposedly haunted at the time.
Tui Snider does a fantastic job of keeping readers interested in Paranormal Texas. She gives information about each place as well as local lore and/or personal encounters with each place. Tui also has a few urban legends in her book which are great for approaching locals with as long as they're into that sort of thing. Sometimes she gives the history behind each place which was my favorite thing. Personally, I would have liked to read more history about each place, but I was still happy nonetheless. What I really enjoyed was each place Tui mentioned wasn't a wall of text. It was concise and to the point. She also included photos of each place. These aren't photos of evidence though. The photos are just of the actual place itself which was a tad bit disappointing. I would have liked to see some photos of alleged evidence. However, Tui does have a website where you can look at paranormal photos, EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), and more. (I'll go into detail about her website a little later.) All the photos are in black and white in my copy of Paranormal Texas. Mine is an ARC, so maybe the actual copies will have some colored photos.
One thing I really enjoyed about Paranormal Texas is that Tui Snider lists the address of each place, so you don't have to bother searching for it yourself. If it's a harder place to get to, Tui gives you directions of how best to get there. I thought this was a fantastic touch because when you want to look for ghosts, the last thing you want to do is waste time trying to find an address.
Another thing I am grateful for is how the book has each city listed alphabetically at the beginning and then each haunted location is listed for that city. This makes it a lot easier to find what city you're interested in to do some ghost exploring!
However, Paranormal Texas isn't just about haunted places in Texas. Tui Snider also writes about the techinal terms that come with ghost hunting which is great for those that are new to ghost hunting as well as how to be a respectful thrill seeker which has great information for even seasoned ghost hunters. I would advise not skipping the beginning of the book that has all this great advice simply because it will help enrich your reading experience with Paranormal Texas or any paranormal non-fiction book. Heck, it will probably even enrich your experience with even paranormal and supernatural fiction books!
Be sure to check out Tui Snider's online evidence database for Paranormal Texas which she mentions in her book. Like Paranormal Texas, she has each city listed alphabetically for you to listen and see supposed paranormal happenings. This is such a fantastic accompaniment to the book. It really makes the book come alive. It's like you're there! Definitely check out her online database. It will give you the chills. It's still a work in progress as Tui encourages readers to send in their own paranormal evidence as well, but still, it is great nonetheless.
Paranormal Texas is such a great guide for old and new ghost hunters alike. There is such a plethora of information within the pages. Trust me, not only are you learning about new ghost locations, but you are also being schooled on so much more. It's like a bonus lesson in history and ghost hunting, but one that is a lot of fun. I'd recommend leaving the lights on for this book. I'd definitely recommend Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love ghost stories, Texas, or those who just love to be spooked. You won't be disappointed!
--
(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback ARC of Paranormal Texas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a fantastic guidebook for those looking to chase ghosts in the great state of Texas, more specifically, towns and cities near Dallas and Fort Worth. I don't live near Dallas or Fort Worth, but I've been on vacation in and around there, and I will be taking future vacations in and around that area. In fact, I've been to two of the haunted locations featured in this book! I never even knew they were supposedly haunted at the time.
Tui Snider does a fantastic job of keeping readers interested in Paranormal Texas. She gives information about each place as well as local lore and/or personal encounters with each place. Tui also has a few urban legends in her book which are great for approaching locals with as long as they're into that sort of thing. Sometimes she gives the history behind each place which was my favorite thing. Personally, I would have liked to read more history about each place, but I was still happy nonetheless. What I really enjoyed was each place Tui mentioned wasn't a wall of text. It was concise and to the point. She also included photos of each place. These aren't photos of evidence though. The photos are just of the actual place itself which was a tad bit disappointing. I would have liked to see some photos of alleged evidence. However, Tui does have a website where you can look at paranormal photos, EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), and more. (I'll go into detail about her website a little later.) All the photos are in black and white in my copy of Paranormal Texas. Mine is an ARC, so maybe the actual copies will have some colored photos.
One thing I really enjoyed about Paranormal Texas is that Tui Snider lists the address of each place, so you don't have to bother searching for it yourself. If it's a harder place to get to, Tui gives you directions of how best to get there. I thought this was a fantastic touch because when you want to look for ghosts, the last thing you want to do is waste time trying to find an address.
Another thing I am grateful for is how the book has each city listed alphabetically at the beginning and then each haunted location is listed for that city. This makes it a lot easier to find what city you're interested in to do some ghost exploring!
However, Paranormal Texas isn't just about haunted places in Texas. Tui Snider also writes about the techinal terms that come with ghost hunting which is great for those that are new to ghost hunting as well as how to be a respectful thrill seeker which has great information for even seasoned ghost hunters. I would advise not skipping the beginning of the book that has all this great advice simply because it will help enrich your reading experience with Paranormal Texas or any paranormal non-fiction book. Heck, it will probably even enrich your experience with even paranormal and supernatural fiction books!
Be sure to check out Tui Snider's online evidence database for Paranormal Texas which she mentions in her book. Like Paranormal Texas, she has each city listed alphabetically for you to listen and see supposed paranormal happenings. This is such a fantastic accompaniment to the book. It really makes the book come alive. It's like you're there! Definitely check out her online database. It will give you the chills. It's still a work in progress as Tui encourages readers to send in their own paranormal evidence as well, but still, it is great nonetheless.
Paranormal Texas is such a great guide for old and new ghost hunters alike. There is such a plethora of information within the pages. Trust me, not only are you learning about new ghost locations, but you are also being schooled on so much more. It's like a bonus lesson in history and ghost hunting, but one that is a lot of fun. I'd recommend leaving the lights on for this book. I'd definitely recommend Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love ghost stories, Texas, or those who just love to be spooked. You won't be disappointed!
--
(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback ARC of Paranormal Texas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)