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Awix (3310 KP) rated Raw (2017) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
A Rare Treat
French language horror-drama with a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me premise that turned out to be one of the smartest and subtlest films of the year. It's the same old story we've seen a thousand times before - lifelong vegetarian goes off to vet school, is force-fed rabbit kidney, discovers an insatiable hunger for human flesh.
Ah yes, but as well as a degree of gore (weirdly, the most disturbing part of the film for me was watching someone receive a rather inept bikini wax), the film also has interesting and thoughtful things to say about peer pressure and the social demands placed on young women by the modern world - whether they don't even try to fit in or just try too hard, the results are often harsh.
The ending almost seems to be trying to reposition the film as a black comedy, but most of the way through this is ferociously intelligent and self-assured film helped a lot by Garance Marillier's remarkable performance. If you only watch one feminist cannibal allegory this year...
Ah yes, but as well as a degree of gore (weirdly, the most disturbing part of the film for me was watching someone receive a rather inept bikini wax), the film also has interesting and thoughtful things to say about peer pressure and the social demands placed on young women by the modern world - whether they don't even try to fit in or just try too hard, the results are often harsh.
The ending almost seems to be trying to reposition the film as a black comedy, but most of the way through this is ferociously intelligent and self-assured film helped a lot by Garance Marillier's remarkable performance. If you only watch one feminist cannibal allegory this year...
Charlotte (210 KP) rated American Psycho: Picador Classic in Books
Jan 21, 2018
this novel is majorly complex and detailed and offers a commentary on materialism, money, power, capitalism, and the mind that is still incredibly relevant today (4 more)
a startling question you have to ask yourself once you approach the end is if any of the narrative was reliable, and this is a question that remains unresolved even after completing the novel
the book goes into monotonous & excruciating detail, not only in its gore but also in its everyday: this can become tedious to read but this is the point as it its pointless, mundane nature that emphasises the futile, self absorbed lifestyle Bateman lives
unnerving character development with elements of the unreliable narrator making you want to reread the whole novel again, but the disturbing nature of the novel's content seems to prevent me from doing so
a book to be disgusted by, but mainly in terms of being disgusted at yourself for finding the whole thing so intriguing
"THIS IS NOT AN EXIT"
Scott Tostik (389 KP) rated Victor Crowley (2017) in Movies
Feb 6, 2018 (Updated Jan 10, 2019)
One more time for George and Wes
So ten years after making the famed indie film Hatchet, Adam Green unleashes slasher icon Kane Hodder in full killer costume as Victor Crowley.
Made in secret by Green and his crew from Ariescope Pictures, the film picks up ten years after the final movie(Hatchet 3).
I am not a spoiler, not in the true spoiler sense, but what follows is 83 minutes of pure slasher gore and some pretty decent comedy.
ONCE more people have seen it I will go more into detail for my review. All I can tell you is Victor Crowley is a movie made purely and soley for fans of the slasher genre. The kils are quick and undoubtedly painful. And along the way a few of Victors favorite tools come out to play.
So... In closing I have to say buy this film. Support the indie genre. Don't stream it or download it. Actually pay for it. It's worth its weight in blood.
Made in secret by Green and his crew from Ariescope Pictures, the film picks up ten years after the final movie(Hatchet 3).
I am not a spoiler, not in the true spoiler sense, but what follows is 83 minutes of pure slasher gore and some pretty decent comedy.
ONCE more people have seen it I will go more into detail for my review. All I can tell you is Victor Crowley is a movie made purely and soley for fans of the slasher genre. The kils are quick and undoubtedly painful. And along the way a few of Victors favorite tools come out to play.
So... In closing I have to say buy this film. Support the indie genre. Don't stream it or download it. Actually pay for it. It's worth its weight in blood.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated The Scarlet Gospels in Books
Mar 15, 2018
It has been a long time since Clive Barker published a book of the sort that made him famous, and it's nice to see him return with this one. Following 2 of his most well-known characters, investigator Harry D'Amour and Cenobite "Pinhead", in a tale in which the very fate of Hell itself will be determined, this really is a return to form for the author. It is filled with fantastic prose, well drawn-out personalities, and many memorably nightmarish set-pieces and scenarios. As per usual, Barker doesn't shy away from gore and sexuality, so the easily-offended should stay away. For fans of his previous work however, this will be a treat, even if it seems like it is missing a certain something that made some of his earlier books so special. The scenes of Hell are especially interesting, and make this come off somewhat like his answer to "Dante's Inferno"; and the ending is very satisfying and suitably epic. Not his best book, but it's nice to have him back.
Lexi (8 KP) rated The Death of Downton Tabby in Books
Aug 15, 2018
Definitely unique (2 more)
Good murder mystery
So many puns
So this book aims to be a comedy take on a murder mystery. This is achieved by making all the characters names (including the famous author Downton Tabby) puns on real life characters. So many puns in fact it would give Dad's a run for their money.
I spent a good half of the book just trying to figure out the logistics in my mind of how cats could ride motorcycles or have a profession like a Baker. After getting through that, it was time for the murders to start.
I will say, for a slapstick take on a murder mystery it was a lot more gory than I had predicted. So if you don't like descriptions of gore then this is not the book for you.
Although I read it to the end, it was more because I had gotten this far rather than enjoying it. It was good. I really enjoyed the puns scattered through the book but I didn't really enjoy the plot. However, it is an entertaining summer read.
I spent a good half of the book just trying to figure out the logistics in my mind of how cats could ride motorcycles or have a profession like a Baker. After getting through that, it was time for the murders to start.
I will say, for a slapstick take on a murder mystery it was a lot more gory than I had predicted. So if you don't like descriptions of gore then this is not the book for you.
Although I read it to the end, it was more because I had gotten this far rather than enjoying it. It was good. I really enjoyed the puns scattered through the book but I didn't really enjoy the plot. However, it is an entertaining summer read.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Fortitude - Season 3 in TV
Dec 22, 2018
Good but a little unsatisfying
4 episodes to wrap up the entire events of the first two series of Fortitude is a little ambitious, but for the most part it actually succeeds. I'm glad that they didn't decide to drag this out across another 10 episodes, as that would've been completely unnecessary.
Instead they manage to wrap up quite a few loose ends - including finding out who was behind Khatri's work, and giving some comeuppance to some of the more unlikable characters for the first 2 series. As is standard with Fortitude, there's a fair amount of dark humour and gore. There's also some decent development for some of the characters that have been sidelined in the past (Eric and Ingrid especially).
They've done a fairly decent job in wrapping this series up, but my biggest issue is that the final ending for me was unsatisfying. It wasn't bad, but it just left me feeling a little disappointed. They could easily have added an extra 15 minutes onto this episode just to make it a little neater.
Instead they manage to wrap up quite a few loose ends - including finding out who was behind Khatri's work, and giving some comeuppance to some of the more unlikable characters for the first 2 series. As is standard with Fortitude, there's a fair amount of dark humour and gore. There's also some decent development for some of the characters that have been sidelined in the past (Eric and Ingrid especially).
They've done a fairly decent job in wrapping this series up, but my biggest issue is that the final ending for me was unsatisfying. It wasn't bad, but it just left me feeling a little disappointed. They could easily have added an extra 15 minutes onto this episode just to make it a little neater.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Saw: The Final Chapter (2010) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018
They just get worse
I’ve always hated what they did to the Saw films. The first one was fantastic, the second one quite good and then the rest have gone downhill at an alarming rate.
This ‘final chapter’, which actually isn’t as they’ve started making Jigsaw films now, is the worst of the bunch. Not only are the traps actually quite dull and boring (they obviously outdid themselves with the traps in the first film), the special effects and gore look really bad too. Did nobody notice that the blood didn’t look even slightly real? In some scenes it was verging on fuschia. The plot itself is just convoluted as always and they’ve been trying to tie up loose ends with little success. They should’ve just left the original as a stand alone film instead of messing it up with all of Jigsaw’s accomplices in these 6 sequels. And the final twist reveal at the end? Come on, I predicted that from the second film onwards, and I’m sure many other people did too. Such a lame ending.
This ‘final chapter’, which actually isn’t as they’ve started making Jigsaw films now, is the worst of the bunch. Not only are the traps actually quite dull and boring (they obviously outdid themselves with the traps in the first film), the special effects and gore look really bad too. Did nobody notice that the blood didn’t look even slightly real? In some scenes it was verging on fuschia. The plot itself is just convoluted as always and they’ve been trying to tie up loose ends with little success. They should’ve just left the original as a stand alone film instead of messing it up with all of Jigsaw’s accomplices in these 6 sequels. And the final twist reveal at the end? Come on, I predicted that from the second film onwards, and I’m sure many other people did too. Such a lame ending.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Ghost Ship (2002) in Movies
Oct 26, 2019
Better than expected
I feel like Ghost Ship is a rather underrated horror film. It may be a little dated now and it definitely shows it in the special effects, but it’s a lot more enjoyable than current modern horrors. It starts off with a bang, and continues with a lot of gore throughout the film. It isn’t the scariest of films which is a shame, but at least it doesn’t rely on cheesy jump scares. It’s got a great cast, and I hadn’t realised Karl Urban was in this which was a nice surprised. The characters may be slightly underdeveloped and there are some characters that come to rather unsatisfying ends, but I found that the twist ending more than makes up for some of these short comings. Whatever you think this film might be, I’d be surprised if you could predict how it turns out. It reminds me a little of Event Horizon at sea, and if it had been a little creepier and satisfying, it’d actually be a very good film.
Gemma (26 KP) rated The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) in Movies
Oct 18, 2019
This movie is odd for me. It's seen as a cult classic and a 'must watch' but when I watched it I found myself extremely disappointed.
It's not that the movie is bad, don't get me wrong it's not... But it's so hyped up that you can't help but feel disappointed when the gore level is low and so is the kill count.
Be that as it may it is a good movie. The acting is decent, the plot is good and the characters are memorable. It's also greatly improved for any serial killer nerds like myself when you see all of the connections to Ed Gein throughout the movie and Leatherface being inspired by him. Not to mention the respect you gain for the cast and crew when you see the filming conditions they had to put up with.
So yeah, this movie is good and any horror fan should watch it at least once but..... Don't get your hopes up for a full on blood bath.
It's not that the movie is bad, don't get me wrong it's not... But it's so hyped up that you can't help but feel disappointed when the gore level is low and so is the kill count.
Be that as it may it is a good movie. The acting is decent, the plot is good and the characters are memorable. It's also greatly improved for any serial killer nerds like myself when you see all of the connections to Ed Gein throughout the movie and Leatherface being inspired by him. Not to mention the respect you gain for the cast and crew when you see the filming conditions they had to put up with.
So yeah, this movie is good and any horror fan should watch it at least once but..... Don't get your hopes up for a full on blood bath.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Event Horizon (1997) in Movies
Dec 17, 2018
A classic
Pretty much everyone I know within my similar generation absolutely loves this film, even one me and my brother both agree on, which is unusual.
This is still one of the best and scariest sci-fi horror films I’ve seen since this was originally released. It’s dark, ominous and full of blood and gore. The effects at the time were very good, although admittedly they haven’t aged as well watching it back now and some of the CGI especially looks a bit dodgy. It has a fantastic cast, it’s one of my all time favourite Sam Neill films and you can’t really go wrong with Jason Isaacs and Sean Pertwee either. The plot is fairly straight forward but very creepy, and this will always be the film that spawned the pencil through paper wormhole explanation (sorry Interstellar).
This film isn’t perfect by any means and has sadly not aged as well as it should, but for me it’s still one of my favourites and a true classic sci-fi horror, not far off the likes of Alien etc.
This is still one of the best and scariest sci-fi horror films I’ve seen since this was originally released. It’s dark, ominous and full of blood and gore. The effects at the time were very good, although admittedly they haven’t aged as well watching it back now and some of the CGI especially looks a bit dodgy. It has a fantastic cast, it’s one of my all time favourite Sam Neill films and you can’t really go wrong with Jason Isaacs and Sean Pertwee either. The plot is fairly straight forward but very creepy, and this will always be the film that spawned the pencil through paper wormhole explanation (sorry Interstellar).
This film isn’t perfect by any means and has sadly not aged as well as it should, but for me it’s still one of my favourites and a true classic sci-fi horror, not far off the likes of Alien etc.
Andy K (10823 KP) Feb 10, 2018