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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated The Ghost of Christmas Past (Molly Murphy #17) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
December of 1906 finds Molly Murphy Sullivan hoping that the new year will bring some changes and good news. When she, her husband Daniel, and their son Liam get invited to a house party for Christmas on the Hudson, Molly thinks this might help take her mind off everything going on in her life. However, she finds the household has a weird tension to it, with relationships she can’t quite read. Then she learns that a child disappeared from this house 10 years before right before Christmas. Molly is determined to figure out what happened, but has it been too long?
As is often the case, we start out with some updates on the series regulars before Molly fully plunges into the mystery, but once she does, I was hooked. In fact, as soon as I got off work, I sat down to finish. While I don’t feel like Daniel has grown, I love the rest of the cast, and the new characters are very strong. There is a more serious tone than you might expect from a Christmas mystery, but the contrast works well in this case.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-ghost-of-christmas-past-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As is often the case, we start out with some updates on the series regulars before Molly fully plunges into the mystery, but once she does, I was hooked. In fact, as soon as I got off work, I sat down to finish. While I don’t feel like Daniel has grown, I love the rest of the cast, and the new characters are very strong. There is a more serious tone than you might expect from a Christmas mystery, but the contrast works well in this case.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-ghost-of-christmas-past-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Amityville: The Awakening (2017) in Movies
Jan 27, 2019
Not much (2 more)
Stays within the Amityville realm
Shows footage from DeFeo's crimes and mentions the Amityville history/"haunting"
Slow and drags on (8 more)
Boring
Tense in a teen angst way
Poor character relationships
One-dimensional characters
Vague plotlines
Visually too dark to see most action
Unoriginal
Flat acting
Drags on and on and on and blah.
If you expect a family to move into the Amityville house where DeFeo murdered his family in the 1970s and be haunted or possessed by a ghost, demon, poltergeist, etc., you are 100% correct. That premise could be interesting but unfortunately, this film falls short. It is tense because of the relationships between the characters and not from suspense. It's pretty boring and relies on a few jump scares and flashes of horror. The storyline is unoriginal and poorly done. The lighting is so dark that it's difficult to see the last 30 minutes of the action. You might as well be listening to an old-fashioned radio show or horror podcast instead. This movie is problematic from beginning to end. There are much better films out there with a similar premise so unless you're extremely bored and like to torture yourself, avoid this one.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated The Devil's Backbone (2001) in Movies
Jul 19, 2019
Who knew Pan's Labyrinth had a companion film?
Early film from Guillermo del Toro is similar to Pan's Labyrinth in a lot of ways. In watching an interview after viewing the film, del Toro actually says this is a companion film since they have a lot of the same themes and cinematic elements most notably a child being introduced to a foreign hostile environment and the element of the supernatural influencing the actions of other characters.
I can see how others might complain about the slow pacing of certain scenes or the noticeable subplots that don't all have conclusions, but I guess those didn't bother me as I was engaged in the story. The kids eventually learn of the existence of the "ghost" in the basement and try and figure out its motives and reason for existence.
I enjoyed the look of the film immensely and thought all the acting was solid. The film had a haunting soundtrack which supplemented the spooky scenes very well.
I could even see some scenes which could've been out of The Shape of Water as del Toro's films all seem to have the director's signature look which isn't a complaint; only an observation.
I enjoyed it a lot.
I can see how others might complain about the slow pacing of certain scenes or the noticeable subplots that don't all have conclusions, but I guess those didn't bother me as I was engaged in the story. The kids eventually learn of the existence of the "ghost" in the basement and try and figure out its motives and reason for existence.
I enjoyed the look of the film immensely and thought all the acting was solid. The film had a haunting soundtrack which supplemented the spooky scenes very well.
I could even see some scenes which could've been out of The Shape of Water as del Toro's films all seem to have the director's signature look which isn't a complaint; only an observation.
I enjoyed it a lot.
Mothergamer (1589 KP) rated Nancy Drew in TV
Feb 5, 2020
I read the Nancy Drew books when I was a kid and loved them, so I was pretty interested in checking out the show. I am really enjoying it so far. The characters are interesting each with their own strengths and skills that they bring to the group. Nancy herself is very smart, but I like that she's also not perfect. She makes mistakes and her friends aren't afraid to call her out on it and eventually she does own up to it and tries to make it right. It makes her feel like a fully developed character. The main mystery is great with a few extra side mysteries thrown in. I am enjoying the spooky ghost story elements to it too and there have been a couple episodes where the show scared me with it. Sometimes the pacing feels a little slow with the writing and it can feel very drawn out at times, but it doesn't detract too much from how good the show is. The cast is really good and they bring the characters to life. I'm enjoying it and always looking forward to the next episode to see where the story goes.
BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 4, 2020
Genuinely terrifying...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I've always thought thrillers were scarier than horrors. They can do anything in a horror movie, making it as fantastical as they want. Killer clowns from space? Check. Mirrors to the other side? Check. They've got it all... but thrillers are so intense and believable that it scares you to your core. For real. This movie was so well made that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, well except that one bit with the needle but that's because I hate needles... This movie could have been made so badly based on other 'invisible' characters we have seen before. But the acting in this film was just. Perfect *finger kiss*. I can't remember the last time a movie made me jump out my seat, it had the whole cinema audience biting their nails and gripping their seats. I was in awe the whole time. Not once did I think that a part could have been changed. Everything was so well done, I could honestly say, I would be more afraid of an invisible stalker, than a ghost haunting me.
Side note: me and my stepdad who watched it with me both agree that the suit itself, whether Adrian, his brother or anyone else wears it, would make an amazing Super Villain movie!
Side note: me and my stepdad who watched it with me both agree that the suit itself, whether Adrian, his brother or anyone else wears it, would make an amazing Super Villain movie!
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