Search

Search only in certain items:

Viy (Spirit of Evil) (1967)
Viy (Spirit of Evil) (1967)
1967 | Horror
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Soviet horror movie from the 1960s rather unexpectedly turns out to be a close spiritual cousin of the kind of films that Hammer et al were making in the west at the same time. A trainee priest finds himself compelled to spend three nights reading prayers over the body of (supposedly) a wealthy landowner's daughter - but the corpse bears a striking resemblance to that of a witch he earlier killed...

Not the longest of films, which is just as well as the pacing may require patience on the part of the viewer; after a very eerie sequence early on, there's a long wait until the stuff with the protagonist's vigil in the second half. Nevertheless, it's worth it, mainly because the special effects are remarkably good, well up to the standard of equivalent western films of the same period (and probably better). Not particularly scary or graphic by modern standards, but the climax has a creepy sort of power to it and the overall impression is of a classy and well-made film; if there's a political subtext to it, it's very well-hidden.
  
    Secret (2009)

    Secret (2009)

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Movie

    Sung-ryeol is a detective in charge of violent crimes. He is an upright man, but is having an affair...

Knot on Her Life
Knot on Her Life
Mary Marks | 2019 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Is There Danger in the Neighborhood?
Martha Rose’s efforts on her first granddaughter’s quilt is interrupted by her neighbor Sonia’s new foster daughter, Poppy. Poppy thinks something is wrong with Sonia, and Martha quickly confirms it. While Sonia recovers in the hospital, Martha gets to know Poppy better, and learns that Poppy’s parents were both killed a few months ago and the killer hasn’t been caught. Martha tries to get someone from Poppy’s family to give her a permanent home, but she also begins to wonder if Poppy knows more about her parents’ death than she realizes. Might she be in danger?

This is a unique premise for a mystery, and I enjoyed seeing how it unfolded. There was plenty going on here, and it kept me engaged the entire way through. Unfortunately, there is a pretty big why that is never explained, and another aspect of the ending felt a little needlessly harsh to me. It was great to see all the characters again and find out exactly what is going on with them, and the new characters were interesting as well. Fans new and old will be kept turning pages with delight until they reach the end.
  
Kingdom of Souls
Kingdom of Souls
Rena Barron | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I completely invested myself in the world that Kingdom of Souls was set in: a young girl, Arrah, is the daughter of two powerful Witch Doctors, who themselves come from a long line of Witch Doctors. But when Arrah comes of age, her powers do not come with it. She’s incapable of even the simplest acts of magic. So when children start disappearing, one of them being a friend of hers, Arrah decides to buy magic from a Charlatan. The cost is years from her life for every magical act. But in borrowing her powers, Arrah discovers a terrible secret. That all Witch Doctors, all people, are in grave danger.

I really enjoyed this - it’s completely immersive, and every detail needed to build an alternate world is thought of. The end could have been a bit more succinct and to the point, and I’m always a bit sad when a previously strong female character seems to lose it over a man, but on the whole, I really enjoyed this and will look out for the next in the series on audible (I really enjoyed the audiobook)