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Grumpy Goblin (123 KP) rated Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening in Books
Jul 25, 2019
The artwork is just breathtaking (3 more)
A complex, yet enjoyable storyline
Brilliant layout
Great quality paper and printing
I could not get enough of this.. Absolutely amazing.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I enjoy reading GNs that aren't necessarily classed as mainstream and this kept popping up on adverts. I found a copy for £4.99 on world books and figured why not give it a try.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
Leigh J (71 KP) rated The Chill Factor (1973) in Movies
Nov 9, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
A group of friends are out Snowmobile racing when one has a critical accident. Out in the middle of nowhere in freezing conditions, 2 of the friends go to find help and stumble across a Cabin. The Cabin looks like it was once a Religious Camp but seems abandoned; it has an upside down cross of the mantle and is just very creepy in general. They ignore this and move their friend into the Cabin. Whilst looking around the Cabin they find a picture of some kids in the 1950's who attended when the place was a Camp. Below their picture there is a scroll that says "keep the beast in the field", which one of the friends alludes to the fact that "the beast" often references the Devil. They also discover a "Devil's Eye" board, similar to a Ouija Board and decide to use it. During this, one of the friends that went out for help is killed, one has a seizure and one woman is convinced they've let something evil in; further strengthened by the fact that one of friends finds an article about a Satanic Killer murdering people around that area. Soon enough the friends are getting picked off one by one by supernatural forces, yet the critically injured man is thriving. Could the Killer have returned to the Cabin? Or could this be the work of the Devil's Eye Board?
Chill Factor is one of those typically terrible 80's Horrors (made in 1989). It's slow burning and not in a good way, it feels more like a cheesy TV drama and the murders are substandard and really nothing at all that us Horror fans haven't seen a million times over. Also, it ends in a ridiculous Snowmobile race between Woman and evil... ludicrous.
Chill Factor is one of those typically terrible 80's Horrors (made in 1989). It's slow burning and not in a good way, it feels more like a cheesy TV drama and the murders are substandard and really nothing at all that us Horror fans haven't seen a million times over. Also, it ends in a ridiculous Snowmobile race between Woman and evil... ludicrous.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Babysitter (2017) in Movies
Dec 5, 2019 (Updated Jan 22, 2020)
On the surface, The Babysitter looks like a by the numbers comedy horror, but thanks in no small part to Samara Weaving, it's actually a bit more than that.
Samara Weaving plays Bee, the titular babysitter, who watches over (a not so convincing)12 year old Cole (Judah Lewis) when his parents head off on vacation.
After Cole has gone to bed, he secretly stays up to see what Bee gets up to after hours, and things take a bloody turn when it become apparent that Bee and her friends are part of a Satan worshipping murder cult.
It's a simple and silly premise, but it works pretty well in this instance.
The opening 20 minutes is all out silly comedy. The chemistry between the two leads is clearly strong and a huge highlight. It's obvious that the two of them were having a blast filming this.
When the Satan worshipping murder cult part comes into play, the gore comes thick and fast (there are some genuinely nasty moments), but it continues to be funny.
The Babysitter made me laugh quite a bit, with some ridiculous dialogue and self awareness, especially from Robbie Amell.
Director McG makes a lot of Scott Pilgrim-esque style choices, but never goes too overboard, making sure they land for the most part.
The rest of the characters are portrayed as cliché annoying millennial types, obviously written as characters that we want to die, but the joke wears thin pretty quickly, especially in the case of Bella Thorne's character.
The movie is also guilty of the often seen try-hard pop culture discussion sequences, which are a little cringey, but these kind of complaints are minimal.
With an 85 minute runtime, The Babysitter is a swift and fun horror comedy romp that has a decent lead. A solid 7/10.
Samara Weaving plays Bee, the titular babysitter, who watches over (a not so convincing)12 year old Cole (Judah Lewis) when his parents head off on vacation.
After Cole has gone to bed, he secretly stays up to see what Bee gets up to after hours, and things take a bloody turn when it become apparent that Bee and her friends are part of a Satan worshipping murder cult.
It's a simple and silly premise, but it works pretty well in this instance.
The opening 20 minutes is all out silly comedy. The chemistry between the two leads is clearly strong and a huge highlight. It's obvious that the two of them were having a blast filming this.
When the Satan worshipping murder cult part comes into play, the gore comes thick and fast (there are some genuinely nasty moments), but it continues to be funny.
The Babysitter made me laugh quite a bit, with some ridiculous dialogue and self awareness, especially from Robbie Amell.
Director McG makes a lot of Scott Pilgrim-esque style choices, but never goes too overboard, making sure they land for the most part.
The rest of the characters are portrayed as cliché annoying millennial types, obviously written as characters that we want to die, but the joke wears thin pretty quickly, especially in the case of Bella Thorne's character.
The movie is also guilty of the often seen try-hard pop culture discussion sequences, which are a little cringey, but these kind of complaints are minimal.
With an 85 minute runtime, The Babysitter is a swift and fun horror comedy romp that has a decent lead. A solid 7/10.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Black Christmas (2019) in Movies
Dec 19, 2019
Horrendous
There are a lot of films that are so bad they're good, but unfortunately Black Christmas is so bad it's terrible. There is nothing redeemable about this film at all. I came out of the cinema after watching this feeling frustrated, exasperated and bored as hell.
This is the worst example of a horror film I've seen in a long time. The scares arent scary and despite the fact that it's a 15 certificate there's no blood or gore either. There's no tension, no suspense - there is literally nothing in this film that makes it an even halfway decent horror. It starts off slowly and doesn't get any better, and the acting and script are truly awful. Even Imogen Poots who I've previously thought was good in other films is terrible in this too. 30 minutes into this film I would've happily walked out and not cared about the outcome. And the worst thing about this is the plot and the completely irrational actions of the characters. The men vs women plot is trying to be modern and relevant, but actually comes across as preachy and beyond stupid. And some of the actions and decisions by characters in this film had me nearly shouting at the screen in exasperation.
This film was only 100 minutes long but it felt more like 100 hours. I went to see this purely because I was intrigued as to whether it turns out exactly like the trailer, and sadly I wasn't wrong. Don't waste a couple of hours of your life watching this, just watch the 2 minute trailer instead - it sums up the entire thing and is actually a lot more exciting! This is without a doubt the worst film I've seen at the cinema all year.
This is the worst example of a horror film I've seen in a long time. The scares arent scary and despite the fact that it's a 15 certificate there's no blood or gore either. There's no tension, no suspense - there is literally nothing in this film that makes it an even halfway decent horror. It starts off slowly and doesn't get any better, and the acting and script are truly awful. Even Imogen Poots who I've previously thought was good in other films is terrible in this too. 30 minutes into this film I would've happily walked out and not cared about the outcome. And the worst thing about this is the plot and the completely irrational actions of the characters. The men vs women plot is trying to be modern and relevant, but actually comes across as preachy and beyond stupid. And some of the actions and decisions by characters in this film had me nearly shouting at the screen in exasperation.
This film was only 100 minutes long but it felt more like 100 hours. I went to see this purely because I was intrigued as to whether it turns out exactly like the trailer, and sadly I wasn't wrong. Don't waste a couple of hours of your life watching this, just watch the 2 minute trailer instead - it sums up the entire thing and is actually a lot more exciting! This is without a doubt the worst film I've seen at the cinema all year.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Rambo: Last Blood (2019) in Movies
Mar 25, 2020
Honestly, I'm not a massive fan of the Rambo franchise. I don't hate them...the first movie is enjoyable enough, but anything else I can give or take.
Rambo: Last Blood, the fifth and (apparently) last chapter in this "saga" is no different.
The plot takes a fair while to really kick into gear. The set up heavily focuses on sex trafficking. It's not a pleasant subject by any means, and to Last Blood's credit, it doesn't glamourise this horrible avenue of humanity, much like the previous film doesn't glamourise war in Burma. It's gritty and horrible, and the film pulls no punches in what's it's willing to put on camera.
John Rambo is old, and still haunted by everything he's seen over the years, a plot point that the movie likes to beat us over the head with, and when his adopted daughter is abducted into the aforementioned sex trafficking nastiness, it's up to Rambo to get her back.
Sylvester Stallone looks damn tired at this point. He's still weirdly stacked, and it's still hard work trying to understand what the hell he is saying, but that's all part of the fun, I guess?
The second half is where it becomes 'business as usual'. A load of dudes come to fuck up Rambo, and gratuitous violence takes places. The ensuing carnage relishes in how over the top it is, and is undeniably fun to watch. It's difficult at times to look past the sub par CGI gore, but there's still enough moments to make you wince. Carrying the torch of Rambo 4 then...
Rambo: Last Blood is absolute nonsense, and I say that with enthusiastic certainty, but if you're willing to switch off abit, then there's enough to enjoy for a one off watch.
Rambo: Last Blood, the fifth and (apparently) last chapter in this "saga" is no different.
The plot takes a fair while to really kick into gear. The set up heavily focuses on sex trafficking. It's not a pleasant subject by any means, and to Last Blood's credit, it doesn't glamourise this horrible avenue of humanity, much like the previous film doesn't glamourise war in Burma. It's gritty and horrible, and the film pulls no punches in what's it's willing to put on camera.
John Rambo is old, and still haunted by everything he's seen over the years, a plot point that the movie likes to beat us over the head with, and when his adopted daughter is abducted into the aforementioned sex trafficking nastiness, it's up to Rambo to get her back.
Sylvester Stallone looks damn tired at this point. He's still weirdly stacked, and it's still hard work trying to understand what the hell he is saying, but that's all part of the fun, I guess?
The second half is where it becomes 'business as usual'. A load of dudes come to fuck up Rambo, and gratuitous violence takes places. The ensuing carnage relishes in how over the top it is, and is undeniably fun to watch. It's difficult at times to look past the sub par CGI gore, but there's still enough moments to make you wince. Carrying the torch of Rambo 4 then...
Rambo: Last Blood is absolute nonsense, and I say that with enthusiastic certainty, but if you're willing to switch off abit, then there's enough to enjoy for a one off watch.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Apr 11, 2020
Creepy but not in the way they intended
Let’s face it, nobody has high hopes when it comes to a reboot of a classic horror and Chucky is one of those characters that has been done to death over the years. Whilst this film wasn’t as terrible as I expected, it was still rather lacking.
To start with there’s the huge elephant in the room, or should I say the huge Buddi doll in the room. I really do not know what they were thinking with the design of the doll. It looks horrendous. It’s creepy, but not in a scary way. It’s creepy because of how awful it looks. The doll from the original looks a lot better (and scarier) than this. It spoilt a lot of the film for me as I spent most of my time cringing or cracking up laughing at how bad it looked.
Which was a shame, as I liked a lot of what they’d done with the rest of the film. It was a great idea to introduce the technology side with the smart devices and makes it a lot more relevant to modern society, and quite scarily realistic. At first I wasn’t keen that they’d changed Andy from a younger child to a teenager, but as the film goes on I started to realise this was actually a good idea. Sadly though Aubrey Plaza was a little underused, but I love that Mark Hamill was the voice of Chucky. There’s also a decent amount of blood and gore in this film which is always appreciated.
There is a slight sadness that this film hasn’t included more references to the original but overall it would’ve been a rather decent and enjoyable horror if it hadn’t been for the damn awful design of the doll.
To start with there’s the huge elephant in the room, or should I say the huge Buddi doll in the room. I really do not know what they were thinking with the design of the doll. It looks horrendous. It’s creepy, but not in a scary way. It’s creepy because of how awful it looks. The doll from the original looks a lot better (and scarier) than this. It spoilt a lot of the film for me as I spent most of my time cringing or cracking up laughing at how bad it looked.
Which was a shame, as I liked a lot of what they’d done with the rest of the film. It was a great idea to introduce the technology side with the smart devices and makes it a lot more relevant to modern society, and quite scarily realistic. At first I wasn’t keen that they’d changed Andy from a younger child to a teenager, but as the film goes on I started to realise this was actually a good idea. Sadly though Aubrey Plaza was a little underused, but I love that Mark Hamill was the voice of Chucky. There’s also a decent amount of blood and gore in this film which is always appreciated.
There is a slight sadness that this film hasn’t included more references to the original but overall it would’ve been a rather decent and enjoyable horror if it hadn’t been for the damn awful design of the doll.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Swamp Thing in TV
Jul 7, 2020
One of DC's Current Bests
Swamp Thing is a 2019 superhero horror/drama tv series developed by Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden with Executive Producers James Wan, Len Wiseman and Michael Clear. It was produced by Big Shoe Productions, Inc., Atomic Monster Productions, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television and distributed by Warner Bros. Entertainment. The show stars Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, Andy Bean, Derek Mears, Jessica Beals, and Will Patton.
Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) returns to her hometown of Marais, Louisiana investigating a deadly swamp-borne virus for the CDC . She develops a bond with Alec Holland (Andy Bean), a disgraced scientist who dies tragically soon after, but Holland may not be dead after all, as Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp transform him into Swamp Thing.
This show is really cool. It makes me want to go back and watch the old movies to compare how they hold up. I was amazed with how dark they kept the story with the rating being TV-MA and there being so much blood and gore. The actors are great and there are some amazing performances but I also feel that some characters are not introduced well and just kind of come out of nowhere. They feel kind of unnecessary or just extra but I love the tone and horror vibe the show has going and what feels like a bigger story arc they are trying to setup with "the Green" and "the darkness" in the swamp of Marais. The visual effects are really top notch and Swamp Thing himself looks impressive. I give this show a 9/10 and it also gets my "Must See Seal of Approval".
I just really hope it doesn't stay cancelled and that they get another season, it really deserves it.
Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) returns to her hometown of Marais, Louisiana investigating a deadly swamp-borne virus for the CDC . She develops a bond with Alec Holland (Andy Bean), a disgraced scientist who dies tragically soon after, but Holland may not be dead after all, as Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp transform him into Swamp Thing.
This show is really cool. It makes me want to go back and watch the old movies to compare how they hold up. I was amazed with how dark they kept the story with the rating being TV-MA and there being so much blood and gore. The actors are great and there are some amazing performances but I also feel that some characters are not introduced well and just kind of come out of nowhere. They feel kind of unnecessary or just extra but I love the tone and horror vibe the show has going and what feels like a bigger story arc they are trying to setup with "the Green" and "the darkness" in the swamp of Marais. The visual effects are really top notch and Swamp Thing himself looks impressive. I give this show a 9/10 and it also gets my "Must See Seal of Approval".
I just really hope it doesn't stay cancelled and that they get another season, it really deserves it.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Rim of the World (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Really Good Summer Sci-Fi Movie
Rim Of The World is a sci-fi adventure movie directed by McG from a screenplay by Zach Stentz. It was produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision and Circle of Confusion and distributed by Netflix. The film stars Jack Gore, Miya Cech, Benjamin Flores, Jr., and Alessio Scalzotto.
Alex, a smarter than average 13-year old, is forced to go to the same summer camp that his mother went to when she was a girl. The summer camp is called Rim of the World and while there he meets three other teenagers, Darius the joker, Gabriel the tough guy, and Zhen Zhen the tomboy. They all stick together when suddenly aliens begin to attack the area. A space pod crash lands and an astronaut inside entrusts Alex with the key to stopping the alien invasion. They must now travel 40 miles away on their own through dangerous obstacles but as they do they will begin to bond and become friends.
First off this movie is a perfect summer flick for watching with friends who like sci-fi. It seemed to have a lot of comparisons and similarities to The Goonies, which I believe was the inspiration for it. I liked how each character had very distinct personalities. Alex the main character, has the greatest character growth out of the group but they all change along the journey. The special effects and CGI could have been way better and at times were down right laughable. But the actors performances and the scenes where they are better really sell the film. This movie is definitely not to be taken seriously but still has moments of drama that take it up a notch. I had a fun time watching it. I give it a 7/10.
Alex, a smarter than average 13-year old, is forced to go to the same summer camp that his mother went to when she was a girl. The summer camp is called Rim of the World and while there he meets three other teenagers, Darius the joker, Gabriel the tough guy, and Zhen Zhen the tomboy. They all stick together when suddenly aliens begin to attack the area. A space pod crash lands and an astronaut inside entrusts Alex with the key to stopping the alien invasion. They must now travel 40 miles away on their own through dangerous obstacles but as they do they will begin to bond and become friends.
First off this movie is a perfect summer flick for watching with friends who like sci-fi. It seemed to have a lot of comparisons and similarities to The Goonies, which I believe was the inspiration for it. I liked how each character had very distinct personalities. Alex the main character, has the greatest character growth out of the group but they all change along the journey. The special effects and CGI could have been way better and at times were down right laughable. But the actors performances and the scenes where they are better really sell the film. This movie is definitely not to be taken seriously but still has moments of drama that take it up a notch. I had a fun time watching it. I give it a 7/10.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The People Under the Stairs (1991) in Movies
Jan 2, 2021
Often overlooked by Wes Craven's wider known films, The People Under the Stairs is a gem of an early nineties horror in its own right for a few reasons.
First and foremost, it has a great cast. Brandon Quintin Adams heads up the cast. He's a cute kid who is easy to root for. The supporting cast is strong too, including Ving Rhames, A.J. Langer, and Sean Whalen. But the stars of the show are it's horrendous villains. Twin Peaks alumni Wendy Robie and Everett McGill play the antagonists (simply credited as "woman" and "man") and they just relish in how absolutely vile they are, and are the main source of entertainment throughout the runtime. The Hall of Fame of horror villainy isn't easy to get into, being crammed with popular icons and all, but these two deserve a spot for sure.
Other than these positives, it's also boasts some decent practical gore, a few creepy visuals, some moments of well earned tension, and is socially relevant to this day, touching upon subjects such as class difference, unaffordable healthcare, and racism. It's screenplay is an intelligent one in this respect, as well as having a fun side to it.
My only real issue with The People Under the Stairs is it's pacing. It does take a little too long to get going. When everything starts to get chaotic, it really becomes a good time, but it does get a bit repetitive, no matter how entertaining it is to see Everett McGill running around in a gimp suit.
These are minor gripes though, it's definitely worth a watch. It's another solid piece of work from Wes Craven, and deserves it's cult status wholeheartedly.
First and foremost, it has a great cast. Brandon Quintin Adams heads up the cast. He's a cute kid who is easy to root for. The supporting cast is strong too, including Ving Rhames, A.J. Langer, and Sean Whalen. But the stars of the show are it's horrendous villains. Twin Peaks alumni Wendy Robie and Everett McGill play the antagonists (simply credited as "woman" and "man") and they just relish in how absolutely vile they are, and are the main source of entertainment throughout the runtime. The Hall of Fame of horror villainy isn't easy to get into, being crammed with popular icons and all, but these two deserve a spot for sure.
Other than these positives, it's also boasts some decent practical gore, a few creepy visuals, some moments of well earned tension, and is socially relevant to this day, touching upon subjects such as class difference, unaffordable healthcare, and racism. It's screenplay is an intelligent one in this respect, as well as having a fun side to it.
My only real issue with The People Under the Stairs is it's pacing. It does take a little too long to get going. When everything starts to get chaotic, it really becomes a good time, but it does get a bit repetitive, no matter how entertaining it is to see Everett McGill running around in a gimp suit.
These are minor gripes though, it's definitely worth a watch. It's another solid piece of work from Wes Craven, and deserves it's cult status wholeheartedly.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Species: The Awakening (2007) in Movies
Nov 4, 2020
I can quite comfortably say that Species: The Awakening - the fourth and thankfully last entry in the series to date - is one of the worst films I've ever put myself through.
Cheap horror films can occasionally find salvation in having a sort of charm to them, shitty yet endearing if you will, but unfortunately, there's more charm in my left testicle than in Species 4.
When I say cheap, I mean cheap as in they aren't even trying cheap. The whole film is drenched in a weird green lighting which makes it looks like a discount version of CSI. There's not even any practical gore to write home about. Not only is it seldom, but when things get violent, it looks like the blood was added using Microsoft Paint. It's dreadful.
I don't like to bash actors, they are only following directions after all, but Christ, no one on screen seems remotely invested in what they're doing. The dialogue is lazy, and half of the characters are just creeping around pulling "scary" faces whilst wearing "spooky" contact lenses. You know when a load of people on your Facebook friends-list update their profile pictures at Halloween with whatever costume they've put together, and they're pulling a cringey dead eye scary face just to add to the illusion - this film is basically that but for nearly two hours.
Talking about the runtime - fuck me it's gruelling. I'm pretty sure I drifted off at one point, but everything that's happening is so damn boring that by the time the credits roll, it becomes clear that Species: The Awakening is in fact an edurance test, designed to see how much dogshit the audience will take. At least, it feels that way.
It's abysmal, and I'm now in a bad mood, thanks a lot Species.
Cheap horror films can occasionally find salvation in having a sort of charm to them, shitty yet endearing if you will, but unfortunately, there's more charm in my left testicle than in Species 4.
When I say cheap, I mean cheap as in they aren't even trying cheap. The whole film is drenched in a weird green lighting which makes it looks like a discount version of CSI. There's not even any practical gore to write home about. Not only is it seldom, but when things get violent, it looks like the blood was added using Microsoft Paint. It's dreadful.
I don't like to bash actors, they are only following directions after all, but Christ, no one on screen seems remotely invested in what they're doing. The dialogue is lazy, and half of the characters are just creeping around pulling "scary" faces whilst wearing "spooky" contact lenses. You know when a load of people on your Facebook friends-list update their profile pictures at Halloween with whatever costume they've put together, and they're pulling a cringey dead eye scary face just to add to the illusion - this film is basically that but for nearly two hours.
Talking about the runtime - fuck me it's gruelling. I'm pretty sure I drifted off at one point, but everything that's happening is so damn boring that by the time the credits roll, it becomes clear that Species: The Awakening is in fact an edurance test, designed to see how much dogshit the audience will take. At least, it feels that way.
It's abysmal, and I'm now in a bad mood, thanks a lot Species.