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Becs (244 KP) rated Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) in Books
Aug 23, 2019
Captivating story that leaves you enthralled
You can also find this review along with others on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: violence, manipulation, death, blood, absent of parent(s), emotional abuse, anger issues, anxiety – panic attacks, talk of hallucinations
Review:
Firstly, I did not realize that Shadow and Bone was set in Russia or should I say – based on Russia and spun into a fantasy filled folklore novel. It starts off strong in the prologue and holds that captivating appeal throughout. I was enthralled with the whole basis of the story.
The one thing that knocked half of a star off of this review is the extremely overused trope of “the main character is ordinary and then finds out that they are extraordinary.” In Leigh Bardugo’s doing, this trope works perfectly well with the plot line of this story. But it made me really dislike the main character, Alina, quite a lot. Behind that awful trope, lies a girl who is not only strong, but shows intelligence and loyalty. Alina was also extremely relatable through her sarcastic perceptiveness but there was something else about her that I couldn’t put my finger on and found rather annoying.
The Darkling on the other hand was this morally gray character that fascinated me. For example: how he is willing to be ruthless just to pursue his goal of freeing Ravka from the Shadow Fold. His sarcasm that outwits Alina’s. His good looks and charms. I love to hate him! Plus that one scene had me heated from head to toe. If only The Darkling were real…
Overall, all of the characters were multidimensional and extremely interesting! The pacing of Shadow and Bone was done excruciating well and I was absorbed in this fantastical world of magic and war, love and mystery. Finding out more of who the Grisha truly were, kept me turning page after page. The chemistry between characters was even amazing! There was a bit of a love triangle style of trope, yet it wasn’t quite that exactly. All in all, Leigh did an excellent job with giving Alina more than one love interest but showing how vastly different feelings she feels for each.
The plot was extremely engaging and continued on, even after the climax. It enthralled the reader, calling them with a whisper that is interwoven with a dark energy, seeking to break your heart. I did not notice any spelling and/ or grammatical errors that took away from the story. I do however want to know more of not only Alina’s and Ravkas fate, but The Darklings as well.
Leigh Bardugo, why do you do cruel things to me…
“What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men.”
TRIGGER WARNINGS: violence, manipulation, death, blood, absent of parent(s), emotional abuse, anger issues, anxiety – panic attacks, talk of hallucinations
Review:
Firstly, I did not realize that Shadow and Bone was set in Russia or should I say – based on Russia and spun into a fantasy filled folklore novel. It starts off strong in the prologue and holds that captivating appeal throughout. I was enthralled with the whole basis of the story.
The one thing that knocked half of a star off of this review is the extremely overused trope of “the main character is ordinary and then finds out that they are extraordinary.” In Leigh Bardugo’s doing, this trope works perfectly well with the plot line of this story. But it made me really dislike the main character, Alina, quite a lot. Behind that awful trope, lies a girl who is not only strong, but shows intelligence and loyalty. Alina was also extremely relatable through her sarcastic perceptiveness but there was something else about her that I couldn’t put my finger on and found rather annoying.
The Darkling on the other hand was this morally gray character that fascinated me. For example: how he is willing to be ruthless just to pursue his goal of freeing Ravka from the Shadow Fold. His sarcasm that outwits Alina’s. His good looks and charms. I love to hate him! Plus that one scene had me heated from head to toe. If only The Darkling were real…
Overall, all of the characters were multidimensional and extremely interesting! The pacing of Shadow and Bone was done excruciating well and I was absorbed in this fantastical world of magic and war, love and mystery. Finding out more of who the Grisha truly were, kept me turning page after page. The chemistry between characters was even amazing! There was a bit of a love triangle style of trope, yet it wasn’t quite that exactly. All in all, Leigh did an excellent job with giving Alina more than one love interest but showing how vastly different feelings she feels for each.
The plot was extremely engaging and continued on, even after the climax. It enthralled the reader, calling them with a whisper that is interwoven with a dark energy, seeking to break your heart. I did not notice any spelling and/ or grammatical errors that took away from the story. I do however want to know more of not only Alina’s and Ravkas fate, but The Darklings as well.
Leigh Bardugo, why do you do cruel things to me…
“What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men.”
Radio HQ (lite version)
Music and Entertainment
App
"Radio HQ (lite version)" is a modern internet radio receiver that enables you to listen lots of...
Atlas of the Great Irish Famine
John Crowley, William J. Smyth and Mike Murphy
Book
The Great Famine is possibly the most pivotal event/experience in modern Irish history. Its global...
Kate Nash recommended track Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Hair by Christy Moore in Live in Dublin by Christy Moore in Music (curated)
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Yours Everlasting (Enchanted Folklore #2) in Books
Apr 14, 2022
sometimes, you need to be made to wait, and the result is such a sweet, sweet thing.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Enchanted Folklore series. While it can be read as a stand alone book, to get the full impact of this book, you should read Yours Forever After first. It will give you a better view of Evrard, and just what he means to this world.
As the Guardian of Secrets, he is called Evander. Banished for wanting to keep people safe from power hungry sorcerers, he becomes Rhys, and then Evrard, the King of the Unicorns. Marcos watched from afar for so long, so VERY long but now things have changed and they both need to reveal themselves, and quite possibly save the world from those who were tasked with keeping it safe.
In book one, he is Evrard and then Rhys. Here, we get Evander, as he was in the beginning. And it is very important, that beginning, and it shapes him, for all those years to come.
What I especially loved about this book was the time involved! I mean, Evander has been on the surface for a thousand years, and Marcos has loved for that long, longer in fact. Marcos watched Evander when Evander didn't even see Marcos, from before his banishment. That Evander, as Guardian of Secrets, didn't know that, was surprising!
There is a huge amount of emotion in this book. Evander has been alone for a long time. Gray and Rory helped but Evander is lonely. Marcos is patient, has been a long time wanting Evander, but now things need to move forward, so he makes himself known to Evander.
As things move along, Evander joins the dots, putting it all together, and is surprised by Marcos, many times. Marcos is also surprised when Evander reveals some things he had not noticed after all this time.
There is love, even if Evander doesn't think himself capable of such feeling. Betrayal too, and Evander has to deal with the aftermath of that.
Gray and Rory from book 1 play a huge part, and it was fun to catch up with them and their own surprise at the end.
It's beautifully written, from Evander and Marcos point of view. It takes a long time for everything to come together, including Marcos and Evander, and I love that I had to wait. Because sometimes, you need to be made to wait, and the result is such a sweet, sweet thing.
Are there more? Will there be? I'd love to catch up with Evander, Marcos, Gray and Rory but also, there was clearly something between two other Guardians, and I'd like more on that.
I gave book 1 four stars but I found this a much more engaging read, so beautifully told, a story of everlasting love.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Enchanted Folklore series. While it can be read as a stand alone book, to get the full impact of this book, you should read Yours Forever After first. It will give you a better view of Evrard, and just what he means to this world.
As the Guardian of Secrets, he is called Evander. Banished for wanting to keep people safe from power hungry sorcerers, he becomes Rhys, and then Evrard, the King of the Unicorns. Marcos watched from afar for so long, so VERY long but now things have changed and they both need to reveal themselves, and quite possibly save the world from those who were tasked with keeping it safe.
In book one, he is Evrard and then Rhys. Here, we get Evander, as he was in the beginning. And it is very important, that beginning, and it shapes him, for all those years to come.
What I especially loved about this book was the time involved! I mean, Evander has been on the surface for a thousand years, and Marcos has loved for that long, longer in fact. Marcos watched Evander when Evander didn't even see Marcos, from before his banishment. That Evander, as Guardian of Secrets, didn't know that, was surprising!
There is a huge amount of emotion in this book. Evander has been alone for a long time. Gray and Rory helped but Evander is lonely. Marcos is patient, has been a long time wanting Evander, but now things need to move forward, so he makes himself known to Evander.
As things move along, Evander joins the dots, putting it all together, and is surprised by Marcos, many times. Marcos is also surprised when Evander reveals some things he had not noticed after all this time.
There is love, even if Evander doesn't think himself capable of such feeling. Betrayal too, and Evander has to deal with the aftermath of that.
Gray and Rory from book 1 play a huge part, and it was fun to catch up with them and their own surprise at the end.
It's beautifully written, from Evander and Marcos point of view. It takes a long time for everything to come together, including Marcos and Evander, and I love that I had to wait. Because sometimes, you need to be made to wait, and the result is such a sweet, sweet thing.
Are there more? Will there be? I'd love to catch up with Evander, Marcos, Gray and Rory but also, there was clearly something between two other Guardians, and I'd like more on that.
I gave book 1 four stars but I found this a much more engaging read, so beautifully told, a story of everlasting love.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Krampus (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Full of festive chills and thrills
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or in the case of one typical US family, it’s not, as they face off against a whole host of festive monsters and ghouls, all serving their evil overlord, Krampus.
This horror comedy takes the genre to a whole new level, throwing in a nice dose of cheesy festive calamity for good measure. But will you be wishing for it on this year’s Christmas list?
Krampus follows the story of a family, who after getting together for the holiday; forget the spirit of Christmas and what it means to hope for a better future and for the well-being of those around you.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any visits from Santa on the cards for this unlucky group, as their continuous bickering summons Krampus, St. Nicholas’ shadow. Krampus is a popular piece of German folklore, a hooded anthropomorphic figure who punishes naughty children in the run up to Christmas.
Naturally, the legend of Krampus gets an American makeover but surprisingly the end result is one of the best horror comedy films in years with some well-time scares and just the right amount of laughs. The family, known only by their first names, is a well-acted group featuring talent like Toni Collette, Adam Scott and the ever-popular David Koechner.
The family unit has just the right amount of chemistry to make their relationships feel believable with Krista Stadler providing an eerie performance as the film’s eldest character.
What sets Krampus apart from its peers is the ingenious plot and fascinating story, with one particular scene featuring some crazed gingerbread men and demonic toys proving to be the film’s highlight. The constant shifts in tone ensure it never settles into a rut, and unusually for the genre, Krampus manages to steamroll itself to a genuinely pleasing climax that’ll have you talking long after you’ve walked out of the cinema.
There’s also a beautifully animated backstory explaining the origins of our antagonist that just proves how above average this film truly is. Only Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 managed to do such a tasteful cut to animation and it works fantastically well here too.
The titular character is a menacing figure in a long cloak, with dangling chains and large hooves, and despite his lack of screen time, he makes his presence felt. There’ll be no chance of bickering around the Christmas dinner table if there’s the possibility of Krampus showing up.
If there’s one criticism to be directed towards Krampus, it’s the lack of actual horror. Yes, there are scares but the majority of them are of the jump variety and there’s only so much terror that can be inflicted by maniacal biscuits.
Overall, Krampus is a highly entertaining romp with one of the best endings ever seen in the horror comedy genre. This frighteningly funny festive treat should most definitely be on your must watch list – it’s a delight.
Just remember, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Krampus is coming to town.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/12/06/full-of-festive-thrills-and-chills-krampus-review/
This horror comedy takes the genre to a whole new level, throwing in a nice dose of cheesy festive calamity for good measure. But will you be wishing for it on this year’s Christmas list?
Krampus follows the story of a family, who after getting together for the holiday; forget the spirit of Christmas and what it means to hope for a better future and for the well-being of those around you.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any visits from Santa on the cards for this unlucky group, as their continuous bickering summons Krampus, St. Nicholas’ shadow. Krampus is a popular piece of German folklore, a hooded anthropomorphic figure who punishes naughty children in the run up to Christmas.
Naturally, the legend of Krampus gets an American makeover but surprisingly the end result is one of the best horror comedy films in years with some well-time scares and just the right amount of laughs. The family, known only by their first names, is a well-acted group featuring talent like Toni Collette, Adam Scott and the ever-popular David Koechner.
The family unit has just the right amount of chemistry to make their relationships feel believable with Krista Stadler providing an eerie performance as the film’s eldest character.
What sets Krampus apart from its peers is the ingenious plot and fascinating story, with one particular scene featuring some crazed gingerbread men and demonic toys proving to be the film’s highlight. The constant shifts in tone ensure it never settles into a rut, and unusually for the genre, Krampus manages to steamroll itself to a genuinely pleasing climax that’ll have you talking long after you’ve walked out of the cinema.
There’s also a beautifully animated backstory explaining the origins of our antagonist that just proves how above average this film truly is. Only Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 managed to do such a tasteful cut to animation and it works fantastically well here too.
The titular character is a menacing figure in a long cloak, with dangling chains and large hooves, and despite his lack of screen time, he makes his presence felt. There’ll be no chance of bickering around the Christmas dinner table if there’s the possibility of Krampus showing up.
If there’s one criticism to be directed towards Krampus, it’s the lack of actual horror. Yes, there are scares but the majority of them are of the jump variety and there’s only so much terror that can be inflicted by maniacal biscuits.
Overall, Krampus is a highly entertaining romp with one of the best endings ever seen in the horror comedy genre. This frighteningly funny festive treat should most definitely be on your must watch list – it’s a delight.
Just remember, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Krampus is coming to town.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/12/06/full-of-festive-thrills-and-chills-krampus-review/
Louise (64 KP) rated A Thousand Nights in Books
Jul 2, 2018
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Lo – Melkhiin is the king of the desert and has had 300 wives that have lived for no longer than a month – he has a reputation and all girls and women that are at a marriageable age are worried they will be the next one. No one is safe! No one knows what happens to these women and how they see their death it just happens.
The king now roams the villages for a new wife, a nameless young woman beautifies herself so that the king chooses her over her sister and the other women in her village and other towns across the desert.
Our nameless heroine is determined to live for more than a day, with her fearless courage and bravery she tells the king stories of the love she has for her family and the way of life.
First of all the cover for this book is beautiful, with a purple ribbon which is referenced in the story. It is one of the most beautiful books that I own.
So to the actual story itself, I have not read the original version of A thousand and one nights so unfortunately I cannot compare. The book is set in the desert, which you get a feel for but I don’t think it’s described at it’s best. In this book the female protagonist doesn’t have a name, actually pretty much everyone has no name apart from 3 people who included Lo-Melkhiin himself, which is annoying, I like to be able to have a name and then I can imagine what they look like.
The female protagonist is brave, courageous, stong and wise despite her upbringing, her and her sister have this indestructible bond between them, even though they are half sisters they are like twins and do anything for one another without question… its unconditional love.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel any connection with the characters in this book, it could be that they had no names or personalities whatsoever! It lacked in character development.
There wasn’t any romance in this book at all so if you’re not really a fan of lovey dovey this is the book for you. There wasn’t much action apart from the last 20 pages or so, if you’re expecting wars and fighting it’s not going to happen
The names that were used to describe her stepmum so to speak and grandfather was tiresome e.g. my sisters mother and my fathers fathers father got really annoying, I was literally rolling my eyes every time I read it (enough already) It took the enjoyment out of reading it for me, even if it is the way they speak.
I haven’t read a persian story folklore book before, so it was a new experience, the writing is very beautiful and the relationship with the sisters is done well. This was an enjoyable read but could have been done better.
I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
Lo – Melkhiin is the king of the desert and has had 300 wives that have lived for no longer than a month – he has a reputation and all girls and women that are at a marriageable age are worried they will be the next one. No one is safe! No one knows what happens to these women and how they see their death it just happens.
The king now roams the villages for a new wife, a nameless young woman beautifies herself so that the king chooses her over her sister and the other women in her village and other towns across the desert.
Our nameless heroine is determined to live for more than a day, with her fearless courage and bravery she tells the king stories of the love she has for her family and the way of life.
First of all the cover for this book is beautiful, with a purple ribbon which is referenced in the story. It is one of the most beautiful books that I own.
So to the actual story itself, I have not read the original version of A thousand and one nights so unfortunately I cannot compare. The book is set in the desert, which you get a feel for but I don’t think it’s described at it’s best. In this book the female protagonist doesn’t have a name, actually pretty much everyone has no name apart from 3 people who included Lo-Melkhiin himself, which is annoying, I like to be able to have a name and then I can imagine what they look like.
The female protagonist is brave, courageous, stong and wise despite her upbringing, her and her sister have this indestructible bond between them, even though they are half sisters they are like twins and do anything for one another without question… its unconditional love.
Unfortunately I didn’t feel any connection with the characters in this book, it could be that they had no names or personalities whatsoever! It lacked in character development.
There wasn’t any romance in this book at all so if you’re not really a fan of lovey dovey this is the book for you. There wasn’t much action apart from the last 20 pages or so, if you’re expecting wars and fighting it’s not going to happen
The names that were used to describe her stepmum so to speak and grandfather was tiresome e.g. my sisters mother and my fathers fathers father got really annoying, I was literally rolling my eyes every time I read it (enough already) It took the enjoyment out of reading it for me, even if it is the way they speak.
I haven’t read a persian story folklore book before, so it was a new experience, the writing is very beautiful and the relationship with the sisters is done well. This was an enjoyable read but could have been done better.
I rated this 3.5 out of 5 stars
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Curse of La Llorona (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
The Mexican Legend
The Curse of La Llorona is a 2019 supernatura/horror movie directed by Michael Chaves and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis. The film was produced by James Wan through his Atomic Monster Productions. It is based on the Mexican folklore, is Chaves directorial debut, and is set in "The Conjuring" Universe. It stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velasquez.
While playing with his family in 1673 Mexico, a young boy closes his eyes only to re-open them and find his family missing. While searching for them he witnesses his mother drowning his brother in a stream. Frightened, he runs away but is caught and suffers the same fate.
300 years later, in 1973 Los Angeles, Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) works as a social worker and is investigating a well known client of hers, Patrica Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez) whose children have gone missing. Demanding to check on her children's well being, Anna goes to Patricia's home with a police of. She searches for the children and finds them locked in a room. Patricia attacks her as she locates the children and is dragged away by the officer while screaming for her not to open the door. Anna takes the boys, Carlos and Tomas out of the room, ignoring their request to stay in the room where they are safe. That night, two boys are found drowned in a nearby river and Anna is called in to investigate their deaths. At the scene Anna hears Patricia screaming that it was Anna's fault for their deaths. This draws Anna and her family into the frightening supernatural realm of "La Llorona" and her deadly wrath.
I felt like this movie was a tough mix of somewhat silly but still creepy. It was good but had too many jump scares that you could see coming from a mile a way. The acting was generally good with Linda Cardellini really selling the terror of fighting off the evil presence. The children's performances were kind of hit or miss for me.. The tone and atmosphere of the film was great but for me "La Llorona" was scarier when she had her face veiled rather than the highly CGI-ed one they gave her when it was removed. The opening was downright silly to me. I didn't find it scary/creepy at all but a little disturbing. Also for some reason I think they went for too many scares in daylight. I know everything scary doesn't have to be at night, but I felt like it undersold them or didn't do them justice. One aspect that I really liked was how they brought in a faith healer or shaman, in Spanish "Curandero" to the Conjuring Universe. He was an interesting original character addition. Astwo different critics put it, "convincing premise, sufficient drama, decent twists, and enough scares make it worth the watch", but "predictable jump scare treatment and dragging exposition take out the potential from this film despite decent performance Orverall I'd give this movie a 6/10.
While playing with his family in 1673 Mexico, a young boy closes his eyes only to re-open them and find his family missing. While searching for them he witnesses his mother drowning his brother in a stream. Frightened, he runs away but is caught and suffers the same fate.
300 years later, in 1973 Los Angeles, Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) works as a social worker and is investigating a well known client of hers, Patrica Alvarez (Patricia Velasquez) whose children have gone missing. Demanding to check on her children's well being, Anna goes to Patricia's home with a police of. She searches for the children and finds them locked in a room. Patricia attacks her as she locates the children and is dragged away by the officer while screaming for her not to open the door. Anna takes the boys, Carlos and Tomas out of the room, ignoring their request to stay in the room where they are safe. That night, two boys are found drowned in a nearby river and Anna is called in to investigate their deaths. At the scene Anna hears Patricia screaming that it was Anna's fault for their deaths. This draws Anna and her family into the frightening supernatural realm of "La Llorona" and her deadly wrath.
I felt like this movie was a tough mix of somewhat silly but still creepy. It was good but had too many jump scares that you could see coming from a mile a way. The acting was generally good with Linda Cardellini really selling the terror of fighting off the evil presence. The children's performances were kind of hit or miss for me.. The tone and atmosphere of the film was great but for me "La Llorona" was scarier when she had her face veiled rather than the highly CGI-ed one they gave her when it was removed. The opening was downright silly to me. I didn't find it scary/creepy at all but a little disturbing. Also for some reason I think they went for too many scares in daylight. I know everything scary doesn't have to be at night, but I felt like it undersold them or didn't do them justice. One aspect that I really liked was how they brought in a faith healer or shaman, in Spanish "Curandero" to the Conjuring Universe. He was an interesting original character addition. Astwo different critics put it, "convincing premise, sufficient drama, decent twists, and enough scares make it worth the watch", but "predictable jump scare treatment and dragging exposition take out the potential from this film despite decent performance Orverall I'd give this movie a 6/10.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Wolfwalkers (2020) in Movies
Oct 12, 2020
Wolfwalkers is the latest animated offering from Irish based studio, Cartoon Saloon. I’m actually ashamed to say that before watching Wolfwalkers, I was pretty unfamiliar with their previous Irish folklore offerings - The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014) - but having seen this latest animated feature, it’s a mistake that I will be looking to correct as quickly as possible.
Wolfwalkers is set in Kilkenny, Ireland (which is also the home of Cartoon Saloon!) during the 17th century. Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) has moved from Yorkshire with her father, Bill (Sean Bean) to the walled town, where Bill has been tasked by the rather menacing Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to clear the surrounding forest of wolves. Once the forest is clear, the woodsmen can fell the trees and the farmers can start working the land.
There are signs everywhere, throughout the town and pinned to trees in the forest, showing a snarling wolf with a red cross drawn over it. A wolf attack on some woodsmen early on shows us just how dangerous the wolves are, and also introduces us to the Wolfwalkers that walk among them. With blazing eyes and fiery red hair, the Wolfwalkers are able to communicate with and control the wolves, calling them off their attacks on the humans. They also appear to possess magical healing abilities, using them to heal a wolf scratch on the chest of one of the men.
Robyn has dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a hunter as she practices her crossbow skills. So rather than work all day in the scullery, she decides to slip past the guards at the outer gate (no children are allowed beyond the town walls) and secretly follow her father out into the forest, watching him as he sets traps for the wolves. When she comes face to face with a wolf, it’s much smaller and a lot cuter than the ones we’ve seen before, and Robyn learns that it is, in fact, a young Wolfwalker named Mebh.
Robyn forms a bond with Mebh and discovers that when the Wolfwalkers sleep, they assume the body of a wolf, leaving their human body to sleep until they return in order to wake it up. Mebh is worried because her mother has been asleep for some time and her wolf form has not yet returned. Robyn learns that the Wolfwalkers are simply trying to defend the animals from the modern world that is encroaching on their forest and Robyn vows to help find her mother. A difficult task when the Lord Protector has given her father 2 days to clear the forest of wolves, and he isn’t listening to his daughter as she pleads with him to stop.
I found Wolfwalkers to be simply wonderful, with a captivating story full of twist and turns for both kids and adults to enjoy. It’s beautiful to look at too, utilising a watercolour style with rough pencil sketches visible in most of the characters and scenery only adding to its visual appeal. I was completely taken by surprise and just couldn’t fault it.
Wolfwalkers is set in Kilkenny, Ireland (which is also the home of Cartoon Saloon!) during the 17th century. Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) has moved from Yorkshire with her father, Bill (Sean Bean) to the walled town, where Bill has been tasked by the rather menacing Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to clear the surrounding forest of wolves. Once the forest is clear, the woodsmen can fell the trees and the farmers can start working the land.
There are signs everywhere, throughout the town and pinned to trees in the forest, showing a snarling wolf with a red cross drawn over it. A wolf attack on some woodsmen early on shows us just how dangerous the wolves are, and also introduces us to the Wolfwalkers that walk among them. With blazing eyes and fiery red hair, the Wolfwalkers are able to communicate with and control the wolves, calling them off their attacks on the humans. They also appear to possess magical healing abilities, using them to heal a wolf scratch on the chest of one of the men.
Robyn has dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a hunter as she practices her crossbow skills. So rather than work all day in the scullery, she decides to slip past the guards at the outer gate (no children are allowed beyond the town walls) and secretly follow her father out into the forest, watching him as he sets traps for the wolves. When she comes face to face with a wolf, it’s much smaller and a lot cuter than the ones we’ve seen before, and Robyn learns that it is, in fact, a young Wolfwalker named Mebh.
Robyn forms a bond with Mebh and discovers that when the Wolfwalkers sleep, they assume the body of a wolf, leaving their human body to sleep until they return in order to wake it up. Mebh is worried because her mother has been asleep for some time and her wolf form has not yet returned. Robyn learns that the Wolfwalkers are simply trying to defend the animals from the modern world that is encroaching on their forest and Robyn vows to help find her mother. A difficult task when the Lord Protector has given her father 2 days to clear the forest of wolves, and he isn’t listening to his daughter as she pleads with him to stop.
I found Wolfwalkers to be simply wonderful, with a captivating story full of twist and turns for both kids and adults to enjoy. It’s beautiful to look at too, utilising a watercolour style with rough pencil sketches visible in most of the characters and scenery only adding to its visual appeal. I was completely taken by surprise and just couldn’t fault it.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Midsommar (2019) in Movies
Jun 26, 2019 (Updated Jul 4, 2019)
When a director like Ari Aster only has two full-length features under his belt, it’s difficult not to compare his works but the truth of the matter is that Hereditary and Midsommar are two incredibly different films. Hereditary seemed to thrive on lurking in the shadows visually to assist in its dark storytelling. Nearly all of Midsommar takes place under blinding sunlight making the horrific events that unfold feel stranger and even more out of place, confusing, and bizarrely unsettling. Based on his two films though, Aster does seem to flock towards a few common themes. Grief, loss, and the inability to cope have plagued the main characters of his films while the importance of family takes a high precedence. Hereditary was more about a specific family attempting to stay together while already being in shambles and Midsommar attempts to create a new family on more than one occasion with the possibility of constant expansion.
Dani’s (Florence Pugh) life is turned inside out once a devastating tragedy leaves her dumbstruck. She leans on her boyfriend of four years, Christian (Jack Reynor), for support, but their relationship is obviously strained. Along with their friends Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter), Dani and Christian end up going on vacation to rural Sweden. They travel to a small village where their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) grew up and now serves as their host. A rare nine-day festival that only occurs once every 90 years is being celebrated. Josh is utilizing the trip as a means to bulk up his folklore thesis for college while Mark is more interested in partaking in the Swedish women. Christian is attempting to figure out what his thesis will be while Dani searches for some sort of guidance after such a tragic occurrence. Their trip becomes increasingly more peculiar the longer they stay as they’re forced to witness violent rituals and are encouraged to embrace the ways of a Pagan cult.
The intricate illustrations throughout the film like in the opening shot, the elongated love potion cloth, or the walls of the barn-like structure Dani and her friends sleep in, give Midsommar this dark fairy tale aspect to it that a film like Pan’s Labyrinth would be proud of. The Pagan roots of Pelle’s village and the film’s metaphorical feet being so firmly planted in such rich folklore give Midsommar this cautiously fanciful aesthetic. The film capitalizes on the nostalgic sensation of when fairy tales and children’s books were read to you as a child. There are consistent signs that things aren’t right, paranoia lurks around every corner, and the locals set off every ominous alarm in your body, but there’s that naïve part of us buried deep down that wishes for and hopes for a happy ending because cosmetically we believe that is what resides at the end of every fairy tale not written by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm).
It’s also interesting observing the main and supporting characters of the film or basically all of the “outsider” guests of the festival. Pelle acts as a conduit/guide between his village and the outside world, Josh is a historian/researcher, Mark is a mocker/fool, Dani and Christian are a strained couple, and Connie (Ellora Torchia) and Simon (Archie Madekwe) are a flourishing one. According to Wikipedia, Ari Aster based Dani and Christian’s relationship on a bad breakup. Midsommar is also way funnier than it has any right to be; something Hereditary completely distanced itself from. Midsommar goes out of its way to boast about who Dani’s real family is in the film. The unified chanting, outrageous theatrics, and harmonized moaning may seem like mockery or complete insanity to some. While it is humorous at times, it seems like this is the way the locals can experience everything everyone else does as a cohesive unit. This seems relevant to emotions, hallucinogens, and even sustenance; this cult does everything together.
Midsommar isn’t going to sit right with a lot of people, especially since Ari Aster desired to be confusing when it came to making the film. With all of the drug-taking in the film being so common, Midsommar may leave you feeling as groggy and disoriented as the characters on screen. However, in between the sacrifices, the brutality, the graphic nature of the film, inbred oracles, and plethora of naked mature women moaning in unison there’s something unique and brilliant about Midsommar you can’t find elsewhere. It may draw parallels to films like Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man and may feel like a bleaker version of The Wizard of Oz on a bad acid trip, but Midsommar is unlike any other film you’ll see this year. In a way, Dani and her friends all get exactly what they came for but the end outcome is that the majority of them bit off more than they could chew. Truth be told, you’ll never look at a bear in a film the same way again even if it does remind you of the Tanooki suit Mario wore in Super Mario Bros 3. This is the type of film where you could literally tell someone everything that happens and it wouldn’t really spoil the film for them. The context of these events is important to witness in succession and in their entirety since what each individual takes away from the film will likely differ person to person.
There’s a deliberate pacing of the film many will find too slow and uneventful as the film’s two and a half hour runtime will already feel daunting. Aster has teased that the original cut of the film was three hours and 45 minutes and he has a version of the film that is 25 minutes longer that was difficult to cut down to the theatrical cut currently in theaters. An extended cut of the film or a large amount of deleted scenes on the Blu-ray (how about that levitation sequence from the trailer?) would certainly be intriguing.
If you enjoy ambiguous filmmaking where everything isn’t explained and the film’s imagery can mean more than one specific thing, then Midsommar may be worth checking out. It is an outlandish experiment by Ari Aster that a large quantity will likely deem a failure. Personally speaking though, Midsommar is such an unconventionally different ceremonial fever dream loaded with preposterousness, beautiful cinematography, hilarity, and anxiety-fueled-dread that it’s not only memorable and bold but also the type of one-of-a-kind film experience I crave whenever the lights dim and the quiet hum of a projector accelerates into a dull yet soothing roar.
Dani’s (Florence Pugh) life is turned inside out once a devastating tragedy leaves her dumbstruck. She leans on her boyfriend of four years, Christian (Jack Reynor), for support, but their relationship is obviously strained. Along with their friends Josh (William Jackson Harper) and Mark (Will Poulter), Dani and Christian end up going on vacation to rural Sweden. They travel to a small village where their friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) grew up and now serves as their host. A rare nine-day festival that only occurs once every 90 years is being celebrated. Josh is utilizing the trip as a means to bulk up his folklore thesis for college while Mark is more interested in partaking in the Swedish women. Christian is attempting to figure out what his thesis will be while Dani searches for some sort of guidance after such a tragic occurrence. Their trip becomes increasingly more peculiar the longer they stay as they’re forced to witness violent rituals and are encouraged to embrace the ways of a Pagan cult.
The intricate illustrations throughout the film like in the opening shot, the elongated love potion cloth, or the walls of the barn-like structure Dani and her friends sleep in, give Midsommar this dark fairy tale aspect to it that a film like Pan’s Labyrinth would be proud of. The Pagan roots of Pelle’s village and the film’s metaphorical feet being so firmly planted in such rich folklore give Midsommar this cautiously fanciful aesthetic. The film capitalizes on the nostalgic sensation of when fairy tales and children’s books were read to you as a child. There are consistent signs that things aren’t right, paranoia lurks around every corner, and the locals set off every ominous alarm in your body, but there’s that naïve part of us buried deep down that wishes for and hopes for a happy ending because cosmetically we believe that is what resides at the end of every fairy tale not written by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm).
It’s also interesting observing the main and supporting characters of the film or basically all of the “outsider” guests of the festival. Pelle acts as a conduit/guide between his village and the outside world, Josh is a historian/researcher, Mark is a mocker/fool, Dani and Christian are a strained couple, and Connie (Ellora Torchia) and Simon (Archie Madekwe) are a flourishing one. According to Wikipedia, Ari Aster based Dani and Christian’s relationship on a bad breakup. Midsommar is also way funnier than it has any right to be; something Hereditary completely distanced itself from. Midsommar goes out of its way to boast about who Dani’s real family is in the film. The unified chanting, outrageous theatrics, and harmonized moaning may seem like mockery or complete insanity to some. While it is humorous at times, it seems like this is the way the locals can experience everything everyone else does as a cohesive unit. This seems relevant to emotions, hallucinogens, and even sustenance; this cult does everything together.
Midsommar isn’t going to sit right with a lot of people, especially since Ari Aster desired to be confusing when it came to making the film. With all of the drug-taking in the film being so common, Midsommar may leave you feeling as groggy and disoriented as the characters on screen. However, in between the sacrifices, the brutality, the graphic nature of the film, inbred oracles, and plethora of naked mature women moaning in unison there’s something unique and brilliant about Midsommar you can’t find elsewhere. It may draw parallels to films like Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man and may feel like a bleaker version of The Wizard of Oz on a bad acid trip, but Midsommar is unlike any other film you’ll see this year. In a way, Dani and her friends all get exactly what they came for but the end outcome is that the majority of them bit off more than they could chew. Truth be told, you’ll never look at a bear in a film the same way again even if it does remind you of the Tanooki suit Mario wore in Super Mario Bros 3. This is the type of film where you could literally tell someone everything that happens and it wouldn’t really spoil the film for them. The context of these events is important to witness in succession and in their entirety since what each individual takes away from the film will likely differ person to person.
There’s a deliberate pacing of the film many will find too slow and uneventful as the film’s two and a half hour runtime will already feel daunting. Aster has teased that the original cut of the film was three hours and 45 minutes and he has a version of the film that is 25 minutes longer that was difficult to cut down to the theatrical cut currently in theaters. An extended cut of the film or a large amount of deleted scenes on the Blu-ray (how about that levitation sequence from the trailer?) would certainly be intriguing.
If you enjoy ambiguous filmmaking where everything isn’t explained and the film’s imagery can mean more than one specific thing, then Midsommar may be worth checking out. It is an outlandish experiment by Ari Aster that a large quantity will likely deem a failure. Personally speaking though, Midsommar is such an unconventionally different ceremonial fever dream loaded with preposterousness, beautiful cinematography, hilarity, and anxiety-fueled-dread that it’s not only memorable and bold but also the type of one-of-a-kind film experience I crave whenever the lights dim and the quiet hum of a projector accelerates into a dull yet soothing roar.