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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Chalk Man in Books
May 16, 2018
It’s hard to believe that The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a debut; it’s even harder to believe that it’s not considered horror. Though the book focuses primarily on a whodunnit sort of plot, it borrows heavily from my favorite genre. Certain elements of The Chalk Man are downright grisly, which is a welcoming change from many of the mystery books I tend to read. Then again, I love gore and that’s no secret.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.
Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.
The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Ghost Stories (2018) in Movies
Apr 19, 2018
More horror films should be like this
Most modern horror films nowadays I think are usually rubbish. They're full of obvious jump scares and unnecessary gore, without really instilling any real fear into the watcher. Ghost Stories however is different.
It's a straightforward, simple premise with the paranormal debunker and the 3 unexplained cases. It starts off well but it's only when it starts detailing each of the 3 cases that this film really gets going. The three stories are bizarre, creepy and actually pretty scary. They do have some of the obligatory jump scares, but for me these weren't as obvious and predictable as other horror films. As the stories progress and it all starts to get a bit weird, there are a number of WTF moments which really start to make you feel uneasy. There's also a few moments of dark humour thrown in, to be expected from Jeremy Dyson.
The final act however seems to halt some of the momentum the film has gained. There's a reveal that I saw coming a mile off, and then a good 15 mins or so of complete bizarreness before culminating in a very satisfying final ending. This little dip right at the end annoyed me slightly as it gets a little too weird, although it is explained away with the great final twist ending. For me it's just a shame that this slight dip into weirdness right at the end has lost a bit of what could have been a fantastic horror film.
I personally think the best horror films are those that don't rely too heavily on obvious jump scares, and instead use more subtle methods. True fear comes from the unknown, from the confusion and strange goings on in the background, and this is where Ghost Stories does very well.
It's a straightforward, simple premise with the paranormal debunker and the 3 unexplained cases. It starts off well but it's only when it starts detailing each of the 3 cases that this film really gets going. The three stories are bizarre, creepy and actually pretty scary. They do have some of the obligatory jump scares, but for me these weren't as obvious and predictable as other horror films. As the stories progress and it all starts to get a bit weird, there are a number of WTF moments which really start to make you feel uneasy. There's also a few moments of dark humour thrown in, to be expected from Jeremy Dyson.
The final act however seems to halt some of the momentum the film has gained. There's a reveal that I saw coming a mile off, and then a good 15 mins or so of complete bizarreness before culminating in a very satisfying final ending. This little dip right at the end annoyed me slightly as it gets a little too weird, although it is explained away with the great final twist ending. For me it's just a shame that this slight dip into weirdness right at the end has lost a bit of what could have been a fantastic horror film.
I personally think the best horror films are those that don't rely too heavily on obvious jump scares, and instead use more subtle methods. True fear comes from the unknown, from the confusion and strange goings on in the background, and this is where Ghost Stories does very well.
BeRad89 (48 KP) rated The War Nurses in Books
Apr 5, 2018
“... a flying ambulance corps made up of a naturist, a pianist, a journalist, a lady and a widowed mother...and a non smoking schoolgirl.” This is the description of the ambulance corp of Elsie Knockers and Mairi Chisholm during World War I. Will these brave ladies' friendship and sisterhood survive the war as they live in close quarters and dodge bullets as front line nurses in a cellar?
I started this book without much hope. To me, the cover is cheap-looking, and I admit this colored my judgement. How wrong I was!!! The War Nurses ended up being a very good read. Mairi is shown in such a real light. I was amazed at what both women did during the war. To see the human side of such a brave woman was interesting. I didn't personally like Elsie, but her character was amusing and kept surprising me.
While it didn't particularly bother me, some people will not like the amount of gore and yucky stuff in this book. While I know you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover to this book is very cheap looking.
The War Nurses by Lizzie Page is a work of historical fiction. It will be published April 17, 2018 by Bookouture.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It ending up being a very pleasant surprise, as I judged this book by the cover and wasn't expecting much from it. It is an inspiring and eye-opening book. I recommend to anyone who loves powerful women, coming of age stories, WWI, medical stories, and/or historical fiction.
I was given a free copy from Net Galley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review.
I started this book without much hope. To me, the cover is cheap-looking, and I admit this colored my judgement. How wrong I was!!! The War Nurses ended up being a very good read. Mairi is shown in such a real light. I was amazed at what both women did during the war. To see the human side of such a brave woman was interesting. I didn't personally like Elsie, but her character was amusing and kept surprising me.
While it didn't particularly bother me, some people will not like the amount of gore and yucky stuff in this book. While I know you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover to this book is very cheap looking.
The War Nurses by Lizzie Page is a work of historical fiction. It will be published April 17, 2018 by Bookouture.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It ending up being a very pleasant surprise, as I judged this book by the cover and wasn't expecting much from it. It is an inspiring and eye-opening book. I recommend to anyone who loves powerful women, coming of age stories, WWI, medical stories, and/or historical fiction.
I was given a free copy from Net Galley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Reapers are the Angels (Reapers, #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
If you're going into this book thinking you'll find an action-packed, zombie-mauling good-time, you're in for a surprise. THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS is literary zombie fiction (yes, you read that right), although it's not too literary it feels pretentious and stuffy, but it's not a totally light read either. There's violence chock full of blood and gore, a semi-solitary road trip, and God. Does it work? Yeah, in a way. The book was serious but there wasn't much depth and it didn't impact me as much as it probably should have. The plot is basically an odyssey, in which many diverse characters appear and we see how the main character, Temple, relates with them. One of these struck me as odd and took me out of the story. Before, the book showed realism and grit, then it came to giant mutants and turned into a sci-fi horror show. Frankly, it was just weird and didn't correlate with the rest of the story. Temple was an interesting character who told the tale well but was a contradiction; she's illiterate but knows words that few people do. Since she's always lived with "meatskins" and has never known the world before, her background doesn't support this and I found it didn't fit with her character at all. I got her but didn't care about her.
Honestly, I don't have much feeling for this book, I liked it but that's all, and while it's a good read, it's not great. If you like a thinking zombie story with philosophy and a stream of Christianity running through it, although it's not too deep, than you just might enjoy this book.
Honestly, I don't have much feeling for this book, I liked it but that's all, and while it's a good read, it's not great. If you like a thinking zombie story with philosophy and a stream of Christianity running through it, although it's not too deep, than you just might enjoy this book.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV
Mar 6, 2019
Deserving of the hype
I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with this show. It's not every day when you watch something that meets all of the hype surrounding it, and I was quite sceptical to begin with.
The show manages to brilliantly blend action, the supernatural and dark humour to form an intriguing and interesting adult plot, with just enough twists to keep you hooked without going too OTT (Lost style). It also has some brilliant fight scenes (with a decent amount of blood and gore) that are paired with a truly killer soundtrack. And it has fortunately gone down the adult route rather than making this suitable for kids like some of the Marvel type shows/films.
The characters too for the most part are witty, deep and well thought out, from the family members to the villains Hazel and Cha-Cha. My favourites are by far Five and Klaus. Robert Sheehan is a great actor, I've loved him since Misfits and he's really perfect for Klaus. And Aidan Gallagher is brilliant as the old man in a child's body Five, there's something very humorous seeing a thirteen year old outsmarting and killing people. He's a true delight whenever he's on screen. My only real issue with the characters is with Vanya. For me I found her very dull to begin with and I thought her entire storyline was a teeny bit predictable. She does pick up and get more interesting towards the end, it's just a shame she puts a downer on the earlier episodes. Luckily the rest of the show more than makes up for it.
I can't begin to say how devastated I was at the end of the final episode. I could've quite happily watched more, so I really hope they renew this for another season.
The show manages to brilliantly blend action, the supernatural and dark humour to form an intriguing and interesting adult plot, with just enough twists to keep you hooked without going too OTT (Lost style). It also has some brilliant fight scenes (with a decent amount of blood and gore) that are paired with a truly killer soundtrack. And it has fortunately gone down the adult route rather than making this suitable for kids like some of the Marvel type shows/films.
The characters too for the most part are witty, deep and well thought out, from the family members to the villains Hazel and Cha-Cha. My favourites are by far Five and Klaus. Robert Sheehan is a great actor, I've loved him since Misfits and he's really perfect for Klaus. And Aidan Gallagher is brilliant as the old man in a child's body Five, there's something very humorous seeing a thirteen year old outsmarting and killing people. He's a true delight whenever he's on screen. My only real issue with the characters is with Vanya. For me I found her very dull to begin with and I thought her entire storyline was a teeny bit predictable. She does pick up and get more interesting towards the end, it's just a shame she puts a downer on the earlier episodes. Luckily the rest of the show more than makes up for it.
I can't begin to say how devastated I was at the end of the final episode. I could've quite happily watched more, so I really hope they renew this for another season.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated One Cut of the Dead (Kamera o Tomeru na!) (2017) in Movies
May 13, 2019
A cut above
#onecutofthedead is an extremely #fun and stressful look into the #art of #lowbudget #filmmaking. #Zombie films have literally been done to #death now so when i got the chance to catch this one i was sceptical but still the zombie #fan in me decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. I have to say one cut is possibly the most refreshing and unique take on the genre ive seen in quite some time. Essentially 2 films the first half is an impressive little low budget zombie movie creatively shot in one long take while the second half is a look into the film making process itself. Its essentially one big love letter to the art of film making (especially on a low budget) full of #nostalgia and nods to films we all grew up enjoying. We are shown all the passion, team work, #stress, mistakes, cost cutting, disasters, preparation, energy and #emotional investment and above all fun that goes into the making a movie which is extremely refreshing to see. Acting is full of life especially since most of the cast are unknowns and each of them manage to bring great #comedy, realisum and likability to the characters. Themes of #bullying and social awkwardness are touched on here too and the film touches on how a directors can sometimes go to far ending up pushing actors over the brink not only physicall but mentally. Fancy something #gory, #funny, different and quirky? one cut is a film about inspiration, passion, motivation and comitment that pleasantly surprised me and has successfully reanimated the art of zombie movie making. #gore #horror #friyay #scary #silly #movie #filmbuff #filmcritic #beautiful #oldschool #classic #georgeromero #dawnofthedead #throwback #walkingdead
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Overlord (2018) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Overbored
#overlord is overlong, #boring, repetitive dross with no #soul of its own.
I was looking forward to this #film walking in, it looked like a throw back to 2002 #action horror films like #DogSoldiers, #Deathwatch & #28dayslater but it couldnt be any further from any of them if it tried. When Overlord is a #war film its passable enough (mainly because it outright steals all the best bits from #savingprivateryan & #bandofbrothers) but its when it tries its hand at horror it becomes down right #embarrassing. We know whats lurking in the basement going into the film but for some reason it keeps it a mystery for far to long instead feeding us this dull recycled generic plot we've seen a million times before we get to 'what we came to see'. Once the horror hits its done extremely poorly, lacking in suspense, quality & grittiness. I get they were going for a kid of #grindhouse sort of style but it takes itself far to seriously losing the fun of such a film. Acting is as painful as the dialog which is delivered by most of the cast as if you gave a script to someone on the street & asked them to read it. Not one character is likable & they all seem to be un phased by wounds or the horrors they witness. #Creature design is unimaginative, cgi is #poor & set pieces are dull however there are some great tracking shots at times & a bit of nice imagery but its to few & far between. Its nice to see an 18 certificate film like this for a change but I found Overlord to be a huge let down & a big wasted opportunity. Pitty. #odeon #odeonlimitless #horror #gore #scary #natzi #war #worldwar #thursdaythoughts #filmbuff #filmcritic #ww2 #nasty #zombies #halloween #callofduty
I was looking forward to this #film walking in, it looked like a throw back to 2002 #action horror films like #DogSoldiers, #Deathwatch & #28dayslater but it couldnt be any further from any of them if it tried. When Overlord is a #war film its passable enough (mainly because it outright steals all the best bits from #savingprivateryan & #bandofbrothers) but its when it tries its hand at horror it becomes down right #embarrassing. We know whats lurking in the basement going into the film but for some reason it keeps it a mystery for far to long instead feeding us this dull recycled generic plot we've seen a million times before we get to 'what we came to see'. Once the horror hits its done extremely poorly, lacking in suspense, quality & grittiness. I get they were going for a kid of #grindhouse sort of style but it takes itself far to seriously losing the fun of such a film. Acting is as painful as the dialog which is delivered by most of the cast as if you gave a script to someone on the street & asked them to read it. Not one character is likable & they all seem to be un phased by wounds or the horrors they witness. #Creature design is unimaginative, cgi is #poor & set pieces are dull however there are some great tracking shots at times & a bit of nice imagery but its to few & far between. Its nice to see an 18 certificate film like this for a change but I found Overlord to be a huge let down & a big wasted opportunity. Pitty. #odeon #odeonlimitless #horror #gore #scary #natzi #war #worldwar #thursdaythoughts #filmbuff #filmcritic #ww2 #nasty #zombies #halloween #callofduty
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) in Movies
May 17, 2019
Baba Yaga
#keanureeves #johnwick2 #johnwick When i got up out my seat after this had ended my heart was pounding and thats when i realised john wick 2 was something special. Its been a while since an action film has made me feel this excited, engaged and short of breath but this film nailed everything almost flawlessly. From the start this film oozes quality, every shot its perfect and has a gritty kind of beauty to it. Its filmed so well too with none of those stupid jump cuts action films today seem to shove in your face constantly to hide bad cgi or awful choreography, but in john wick 2 every fight, every trigger pull is framed so carefully and perfect that you see EVERYTHING thats going on in one clean swoop. The sound too is outstanding, you hear every cartridge hit the floor during gun fights and the roar of a cars engine you feel it in your chest and even the cinema floor was rumbling too. Id say this is way better than the fist one too as the director has clearly learnt more techniques/styles and take inspiration from older action films and stuntmen. I also can not wait to see this on #4k because the detail and destruction is nuts, mud, water, blood and glass is literally splashed everywhere. Blood fans will be happy also as this film is gratuitously violent (cough cough pencil scene). A definite must see film, its such an explosive rush from start to finish and its a lot smarter/fun and well made than your average action film. So excited for part 3. #film #review #action ##gore #blood #new #rubyrose #violent #style #odeonlimitless #odeon #cinema #2017
b.Young (97 KP) rated Apocalypticon in Books
Jun 1, 2018
Witty dialog (1 more)
Humorous take on apocalypse genre
The most humorous apocalypse book I've ever read
I found this book offered for Kindle and decided to read it based on the fact that it was humorous instead of serious.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Hellraiser (1987) in Movies
Sep 14, 2018
A wonderfully imaginative and creepy Mythos (1 more)
Doug Bradley becomes a horror icon
The Special Effects are a little dated (1 more)
Sometimes seems confused about what sort of film it is...
We have such Cenobites to show you...
Hellraiser is arguably the finest in the series, creating horror icons in Pinhead, Kirsty, Frank and Julia, whilst giving the viewer some of the most extreme horror scenes ever seen.
The mythos of Clive Barker's Hellraiser series is fascinating, and hints at underworlds, other dimensions, hell and all sorts of demonic entities, and although this first entry is mostly set in an indistinct U.S town, the feeling that hell is just under the surface haunts the movie.
What follows is a tale of morality, lust, love and judgement as our characters seek to fulfill their heart's desires, all whilst trying to make sense of the dark forces that seek to envelope their new home.
Our Heroine, Kirtsy, is played by Ashley Laurence, who has more than a dash of Ripley about her at times, as she snarls and fights the forces of evil, showing more courage than most of us watching the film I am sure.
Pinhead (as he was dubbed by fans) is a fairly minor role in the film, and yet Doug Bradley's ominous delivery lingers long on the memory, giving us lines that echo long after the film has finished.
All in all, Hellraiser is a flawed, but imaginative horror tale, that threatens the viewer with a fantastically demonic realm filled with violence, gore and underdogs, and a plot that is easy to follow, but still feels new.
Sadly, like the Cenobites, the following movies would often fall prey to their mantra of pain & pleasure, but certainly this and the immediate sequel should be considered must-see for fans of physical effects and slow burning horror.
The mythos of Clive Barker's Hellraiser series is fascinating, and hints at underworlds, other dimensions, hell and all sorts of demonic entities, and although this first entry is mostly set in an indistinct U.S town, the feeling that hell is just under the surface haunts the movie.
What follows is a tale of morality, lust, love and judgement as our characters seek to fulfill their heart's desires, all whilst trying to make sense of the dark forces that seek to envelope their new home.
Our Heroine, Kirtsy, is played by Ashley Laurence, who has more than a dash of Ripley about her at times, as she snarls and fights the forces of evil, showing more courage than most of us watching the film I am sure.
Pinhead (as he was dubbed by fans) is a fairly minor role in the film, and yet Doug Bradley's ominous delivery lingers long on the memory, giving us lines that echo long after the film has finished.
All in all, Hellraiser is a flawed, but imaginative horror tale, that threatens the viewer with a fantastically demonic realm filled with violence, gore and underdogs, and a plot that is easy to follow, but still feels new.
Sadly, like the Cenobites, the following movies would often fall prey to their mantra of pain & pleasure, but certainly this and the immediate sequel should be considered must-see for fans of physical effects and slow burning horror.