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Stephen Merchant recommended Play It Again, Sam (1972) in Movies (curated)
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The Dream Weavers in Books
Apr 25, 2021
The Dream Weavers is an historical fiction novel, with one foot in Saxon Mercia and the other in modern day Hereford. There’s a touch of the supernatural as well - all the better to see the past with. And I loved reading it.
Simon is writing a book of Anglo-Saxon history, and starts to hear a woman calling a name outside his rented cottage. When he goes out to look, no one is there.
The cottage owner brings in her local spiritual advisor, Bea, who hopes to put the ghost outside to rest. This is only the beginning.
The timelines alternate between King Offa’s daughter, Eadburh, and Bea’s life in Hereford with her husband who is a priest at the cathedral.
I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this - but I really did! It uses religion without being overly religious, and the same goes for the more Pagan elements. It was a a really interesting, highly readable book. I haven’t read much about the history around King Offa’s time, so I enjoyed the opportunity to do that. It was a book that was difficult to put down - except that was done for me, as I read a stave a day on The Pigeonhole! It’s a big book, but it really didn’t feel that way. It sent me off on little internet searches as well - namely Anchorites, and what types of dogs Anglo-Saxons kept as pets (and whether they did or not!). I like a book that interests me enough to read around it!
This is definitely one for the historical fiction fans, especially those that like a bit of the magical element as well. I loved reading it!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, and to HarperCollins for giving me access via NetGalley for an honest review.
Simon is writing a book of Anglo-Saxon history, and starts to hear a woman calling a name outside his rented cottage. When he goes out to look, no one is there.
The cottage owner brings in her local spiritual advisor, Bea, who hopes to put the ghost outside to rest. This is only the beginning.
The timelines alternate between King Offa’s daughter, Eadburh, and Bea’s life in Hereford with her husband who is a priest at the cathedral.
I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy this - but I really did! It uses religion without being overly religious, and the same goes for the more Pagan elements. It was a a really interesting, highly readable book. I haven’t read much about the history around King Offa’s time, so I enjoyed the opportunity to do that. It was a book that was difficult to put down - except that was done for me, as I read a stave a day on The Pigeonhole! It’s a big book, but it really didn’t feel that way. It sent me off on little internet searches as well - namely Anchorites, and what types of dogs Anglo-Saxons kept as pets (and whether they did or not!). I like a book that interests me enough to read around it!
This is definitely one for the historical fiction fans, especially those that like a bit of the magical element as well. I loved reading it!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, and to HarperCollins for giving me access via NetGalley for an honest review.
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Wakenhyrst in Books
Apr 5, 2021
Wakenhyrst had me gripped from the first page - well, technically I listened to it, so lets say in the first five minutes.
There’s an underlying feeling of menace and claustrophobia running through this. Partly because of the restraints on Maud because of the fact that she’s female, young and upper class in the Edwardian period; partly because of the ever-present Fen and the mysterious atmosphere surrounding it; partly because we know from the first chapter what is going to happen - and we are heading to that end.
Themes of obsession, superstition and madness run throughout, and it’s not just the uneducated working class fenland men and women who are preoccupied with witchcraft and demonic possession.
Maud’s father Edmund, is translating and researching the book of Alice Pyett, a woman who lived four hundred years before the book is set. She was supposed to have heard the voice of God, but if you ask me, she longed for chastity because she had had a ridiculous amount of children and needed a break.
The deeper Edmund gets in to the translation, the stranger his diary entries become. ANd when he stumbles across a painting in the graveyard of his church, his behaviour becomes even more unhinged. To be honest, the descriptions were such that I thought I was seeing the demons along with him!
This book has been sat on my kindle for quite a while now, and I decided to use my Audible credit and listen to it - which was a cracking idea. The narrator, Juanita McMahon, really brings this story to life - and makes it all the more haunting.
This isn’t a ghost story, at least it didn’t seem like one all the way through, but it certainly gave me the chills! I loved it. If you like a chilling, gothic tale, this will suit you down to the ground.
There’s an underlying feeling of menace and claustrophobia running through this. Partly because of the restraints on Maud because of the fact that she’s female, young and upper class in the Edwardian period; partly because of the ever-present Fen and the mysterious atmosphere surrounding it; partly because we know from the first chapter what is going to happen - and we are heading to that end.
Themes of obsession, superstition and madness run throughout, and it’s not just the uneducated working class fenland men and women who are preoccupied with witchcraft and demonic possession.
Maud’s father Edmund, is translating and researching the book of Alice Pyett, a woman who lived four hundred years before the book is set. She was supposed to have heard the voice of God, but if you ask me, she longed for chastity because she had had a ridiculous amount of children and needed a break.
The deeper Edmund gets in to the translation, the stranger his diary entries become. ANd when he stumbles across a painting in the graveyard of his church, his behaviour becomes even more unhinged. To be honest, the descriptions were such that I thought I was seeing the demons along with him!
This book has been sat on my kindle for quite a while now, and I decided to use my Audible credit and listen to it - which was a cracking idea. The narrator, Juanita McMahon, really brings this story to life - and makes it all the more haunting.
This isn’t a ghost story, at least it didn’t seem like one all the way through, but it certainly gave me the chills! I loved it. If you like a chilling, gothic tale, this will suit you down to the ground.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020) in Movies
Oct 12, 2020 (Updated Oct 12, 2020)
Starting with the positives for this one...
The three young leads are pretty likable, one of them wears a Ghost shirt at one point which was cool. Method Man plays a priest which is always going to be a good time. It has a diverse cast and deals with the issue of gentrification which you don't see often in movies.
But that was about it for me, everything else is just kind of shoddy. Although the whole cast seem to gel nicely, aside from a few moments that made me smile, none of the humour really landed.
The vampire aspect of this movie was just a bit lame. There's a lot of references to Blade, and a nod to The Lost Boys, but all that does is remind the audience that they could be watching a much better vampire film.
I appreciate that this a family friendly film, but I don't recall seeing a single drop of blood, which is weird considering the subject matter.
There aren't really any set pieces until the end, and honestly, the final showdown is woefully shit. The stakes never seem high throughout, and the twist regarding the vampire leader is telegraphed from the first moment they appear on screen.
Living in the UK, I can't comment on how well Vampires vs The Bronx represents The Bronx itself. In that regard, I've heard positive things, and the closing lines of the movie suggest that this is a film made for those who live there, which is a great thing, but it may somewhat explain why I just didn't connect with it in the way that others have.
As a commentary on several relevant social issues, it's not too bad. As a vampire film, it sucks, pun fully intended.
The three young leads are pretty likable, one of them wears a Ghost shirt at one point which was cool. Method Man plays a priest which is always going to be a good time. It has a diverse cast and deals with the issue of gentrification which you don't see often in movies.
But that was about it for me, everything else is just kind of shoddy. Although the whole cast seem to gel nicely, aside from a few moments that made me smile, none of the humour really landed.
The vampire aspect of this movie was just a bit lame. There's a lot of references to Blade, and a nod to The Lost Boys, but all that does is remind the audience that they could be watching a much better vampire film.
I appreciate that this a family friendly film, but I don't recall seeing a single drop of blood, which is weird considering the subject matter.
There aren't really any set pieces until the end, and honestly, the final showdown is woefully shit. The stakes never seem high throughout, and the twist regarding the vampire leader is telegraphed from the first moment they appear on screen.
Living in the UK, I can't comment on how well Vampires vs The Bronx represents The Bronx itself. In that regard, I've heard positive things, and the closing lines of the movie suggest that this is a film made for those who live there, which is a great thing, but it may somewhat explain why I just didn't connect with it in the way that others have.
As a commentary on several relevant social issues, it's not too bad. As a vampire film, it sucks, pun fully intended.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ghost Stories (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'.
Well... when it says the brain sees what it wants to see that really is true. My brain saw a film with some potential in it, but ultimately for me, disappointing.
Like A Quiet Place I hadn't been convinced I wanted to see it. But out of the two this one had looked less worrying from the trailers, and I like supernatural things so I double billed again to see this one.
The audience was about 50/50... those who were screaming and those that were laughing. I was surprisingly in the latter category. There were several amusing bits, and I particularly enjoyed the Sooty and Sweep moment and the car scene, Alex Lawther got some very good parts.
I'm left wondering why film makers like to use pieces designed to make people physically jump. There were plenty of things in the film that would have a more chilling effect, but Ghost Stories seemed littered with a lot of the jumpy moments, most of which were obvious in their appearances.
I might have been able to let that go if it hadn't been for one thing... the ending. I don't think I've been that annoyed with an ending since Lost. Even the cheesiness of A Quiet Place's ending was forgotten. Some many things in the film were right there to be explored in more depth but were ignored for what I was hoping to be a startling ending to make up for incomplete stories... there was no satisfying ending here for me. A twisted set of tales that were cut short. In an effort to add more suspense and expectation? Who knows.
Well... when it says the brain sees what it wants to see that really is true. My brain saw a film with some potential in it, but ultimately for me, disappointing.
Like A Quiet Place I hadn't been convinced I wanted to see it. But out of the two this one had looked less worrying from the trailers, and I like supernatural things so I double billed again to see this one.
The audience was about 50/50... those who were screaming and those that were laughing. I was surprisingly in the latter category. There were several amusing bits, and I particularly enjoyed the Sooty and Sweep moment and the car scene, Alex Lawther got some very good parts.
I'm left wondering why film makers like to use pieces designed to make people physically jump. There were plenty of things in the film that would have a more chilling effect, but Ghost Stories seemed littered with a lot of the jumpy moments, most of which were obvious in their appearances.
I might have been able to let that go if it hadn't been for one thing... the ending. I don't think I've been that annoyed with an ending since Lost. Even the cheesiness of A Quiet Place's ending was forgotten. Some many things in the film were right there to be explored in more depth but were ignored for what I was hoping to be a startling ending to make up for incomplete stories... there was no satisfying ending here for me. A twisted set of tales that were cut short. In an effort to add more suspense and expectation? Who knows.
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated After Earth (2013) in Movies
Aug 22, 2019
Premise is interesting. (1 more)
Keeps you on your toes at times.
It's a bit boring at times. (3 more)
Will Smith's not really a presence as much as he should be.
The character progression is non existent with them all.
I don't mind either Jaiden or Will Smith, but feel like this wasn't suited too them. They felt restricted.
Will Smith
Contains spoilers, click to show
As Will Smith is a household name, more often than not you know him in some kind of comedy role, if not he has more presence on camera to show his true acting range. For a character that is hardly seen, I don't think this role suited him. Jaiden suited the character to an extent but when it came to the ghosting part, he was able to ghost so quickly, he was terrified like 10 minutes ago. He doesn't gradually learn to be brave it just happens which isn't true to his character. I actually don't mind watching this film, it has it's good bits. The relationship between them is clear, the father/son role definitely suits them (sounds obvious but not always the case with father/son actors). They manage to put a strain on their relationship in the film as opposed to in real life they are seriously close. The actual storyline is good, noticed how other films after (and perhaps before but I haven't seen any that came before) about monsters being blind but can sense smell, heat, touch and in this case, fear. It also had an underlying worldwide issue - earth turns on humans. Which I'm not surprised with the way we have treated it. I actually remember saying after watching this in the cinema that we really ought to start being more caring to the world. You never know it might happen!
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