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The Outsiders
The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton | 1988 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.7 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great read about a kid in Oklahoma who is just trying to understand life. Written in 1967 it follows Ponyboy, yes that's his real name, his two brothers, and thier 'gang' of greasers as they try to navigate a world where they are labeled little better than hoods and have to avoid getting jumped by the socs from the rich side of town.
It's a coming of age story that I have mixed feelings about waiting so long to have read. It talks about class structure and how the way you present yourself to the world isn't always a reflection of self.

There is a lot of heavy stuff in it that translates well even decades later. And yeah, there will be people who say there's a little more than friendship between a few of the characters and whether or not that's true is up to the reader.

The book is told by a 14 year olds pov. An old (kind of) soul. But even if he thinks he's in the know he's still 14.
There is triggering things with violence, abuse, alcohol, and smoking, it's worth the discussion (in my opinion).
  
The Devil's Own (1997)
The Devil's Own (1997)
1997 | Action, Drama, Mystery
I don't know what's worse: a film that's underwritten and knows it, or a film which sets up such thought-provoking themes only to immediately ditch them by the wayside (which this one is). It's so frustrating how this had most of the elements just on principle alone to be really, really good and it still wasn't. Seemingly intentionally unexciting, so much so that Brad Pitt's middle-schooler-impression-of-Daniel-Day-Lewis-from-๐˜๐˜ฏ-๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ-๐˜•๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ-๐˜ฐ๐˜ง-๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ-๐˜๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ accent is actually the best part of it. Gets semi-engaging in the last 45 minutes if only because it finally gets some of the right look + feel for what this wants to be, but even then it's got no bite and is disgustingly pro-cop (a cop who shot dead an unarmed victim multiple times then tried to force everyone to cover it up and doesn't regret it can be redeemed without doing anything!). Poises itself to go over issues of oppression, nationalism, trauma, violence, and what happens when they all intersect - but never does. Harrison Ford is so bland here, too. Doesn't even care about its own story, what a fucking shame. This really coulda been something.
  
The Netherwell Horror
The Netherwell Horror
Lee Mountford | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
62 of 250
Kindle
The Netherwell Horror
By Lee Mountford

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

After receiving a worrying message from her estranged brother, Beth Davis sets out to find and help him, ending up in the strange, coastal town of Netherwell Bay.

There, she begins to witness terrifying and unexplainable things, and reports of ritualistic murders have the town panicked.

A sinister cult soon makes its presence known, and the dark history of Netherwell Bay is unveiled. Beth then finds herself in a race against time to stop a doorway to Hell from openingโ€ฆ permanently.

The Netherwell Horror is a Lovecraftian mystery that quickly descends into madness, sickening violence, and chaos. Fans of Silent Hill will love this nightmarish tale, but those of a squeamish disposition need not applyโ€ฆ

This was a perfect joining of cult and creature feature horror! Very Lovecraftian feel about the monsters too! Descriptions were full on gruesome and brilliantly done! Iโ€™m impressed with the ending too there was no saving the day and it all being perfect. Definitely for lovers of Lovecraft and well written horrors.
  
Spies in Disguise (2019)
Spies in Disguise (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Animation
Slick and energetic but has the exact same plot as at least 80% of all the children's animated movies from the last 40 years (and not even a good version of it, I'll forget most of this by the end of the week, tops). This isn't even an hour/45 but it feels like a century when you know all (and I do mean *all*) the beats it's going to take, verbatim. Try to picture ๐˜‹๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜”๐˜ฆ without the charm or visual imagination. Will Smith plays himself yet again, shocker - and Holland is relegated to the irritating 'soft boi sidekick' role and everyone learns life lessons about how violence is never the answer. Are you fucking kidding me with this shit lmfao. Actually half watchable when it leans into its surreal kinetic energy, has a few laughs - otherwise hardly tries enough to be awful but it's still quite smug. I also loathe these crushingly uninspired character/set designs, and there's a lot more anus and crotch jokes than I was initially expecting. If this were a bit more experimental it'd at least be a curio, but there's almost nothing to it.
  
The House of a Hundred Whispers
The House of a Hundred Whispers
Graham Masterton | 2020 | Horror, Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Creepy and atmospheric
I have been a fan of Mr Masterton's books for more years than I care to remember but I have to admit though that I do find his books can be hit or miss with me but this one was definitely a hit.

This is a creepy, atmospheric story that starts off quite slowly but soon develops into a fast paced spine-tingling read with ghosts, demons, witches, wizards and a secret priest hole that isn't all as it seems. The characters are well developed and the setting is absolutely perfect and this adds to the mystery and tension that runs throughout.

This is a horror book but not an all out blood-and-guts horror book - there are a couple of gruesome scenes but they are definitely in the minority and I would recommend to those who like a bit of a scare but who are not into gratuitous violence or a lot of gore unless of course you live in a creepy, old house in which case I would leave it!

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Taken in Books

Oct 18, 2020  
Taken
Taken
Lisa Stone | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having previously read and enjoyed "Stalker" by Lisa Stone, I certainly wasn't going to pass the opportunity to read this one and I wasn't disappointed.

What we have in "Taken" is a complex and gripping story of the abduction of 8 year Leila whose life is far from perfect being the daughter of a mother (Kelsey) prostituting herself and fighting addiction who has already had her older children taken from her.

Told from multiple points of view, we get a real insight into all the main characters which is not as confusing as it sounds believe me ... it works really well and, I believe, it makes the characters more believable and memorable.

The pace is perfect, the plot is absorbing, despite it being a little unrealistic in parts, and I did get the twist fairly early on but it was such that I continued to question myself until it was revealed.

Overall, a thought-provoking and enjoyable read which deals with some difficult subjects that, sadly, are prevalent within today's society but without the usual gratuitous violence which made a refreshing change.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK / HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
  
Honest Thief (2020)
Honest Thief (2020)
2020 | Action, Crime, Drama
Decent crime thriller. Liam Neeson plays the In-and-Out Bandit (snigger), who has nicked $9 million out of some obscure principle, and also because he enjoys it. When he wants to settle down with his new lady friend, he tries to negotiate his surrender, but comes up against corruption in the FBI and finds himself framed for murder...

Looks like another one of those movies where some bad guys really tick off Neeson, leading up to the moment where he gets on the phone to them and does his 'I'm coming for you!' speech. And this one is a bit like that, but the violence is employed sparingly and it has a rather neat plot, too. The characters have a bit more depth than you might expect, too - Neeson is giving the same performance as usual, but not an actual bad one, while everyone else manages to find something interesting to work with: Jai Courtney is actually really impressive as his character gradually loses it. It's still a fairly modest genre movie, but it's better than the usual Neeson vehicle and genuinely involving and enjoyable.
  
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Lost Boys (1987) in Movies

Jan 15, 2021 (Updated Jan 15, 2021)  
The Lost Boys (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
1987 | Comedy, Horror
There's is just straight up nothing I don't like about The Lost Boys.

Corey Feldman's decision to put on a deep voice for the whole runtime, Kiefer Sutherland's mullet, the absolutely banging soundtrack (oiled up beefcake saxophone guy and all)
The whole movie is dripping with atmosphere from the opening shot, it's extremely 80s vibe being constantly undercut with a darker edge, and buzzing with the excitement of youth and freedom.
It's always stuck in my mind as a horror that kids could watch, but every time I revisit The Lost Boys, I'm always taken aback by the sudden bursts of violence. It brings it own additions to the vampire horror genre, being that sure, it's gets bloody here and there, but the adolescent story that's woven throughout, and it's frequently funny and warming screenplay gives it a unique touch that is hard to successfully imitate.

The Lost Boys is Joel Schumacher's finest work (followed by Falling Down of course) and is a film that is so of its era, but still manages to feel fresh. Absolutely love it. Now excuse me whilst I go and listen to Cry Little Sister on repeat.