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JT (287 KP) rated Ready or Not (2019) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Original story (1 more)
Solid tension
White wedding goes full bloodshed
Grace (Samara Weaving) is about to marry the man of her dreams, Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien). But her new in-laws, as it turns out, are going to be a real nightmare.
After a long sweeping shot through a gothic house 30-years earlier which sets up the back story to what is going to unfold, Grace is tasked with drawing a card from a mysterious mechanical box.
The premise is simple, whatever game is on the card she has to play in order to be accepted into the family – a tradition which must be accepted.
Innocently believing that it is just a harmless game of Hide-and-Seek Grace sets off to hide. The family, however, arming themselves with a variety of antique weaponry, must kill poor Grace before sunrise or they will all perish.
The family is an eclectic mix of batshit crazed parents, eccentric grandparents, troublesome daughters and drunken sons. When merged they come across as a psychopath’s answer to the Keystone Cops, all flair but no clue whatsoever.
Ready or Not manages to balance horror and comedy nicely. It is gory when it needs to be with several grotesque and humorous scenes that will leave viewers squirming in their seats.
The remainder of the film is a tense game of cat and mouse with Grace now realising what the real motives of the family are. She must hold her nerve to see out the night and make it to morning.
The setting is perfect for this type of caper and the gothic mansion provides plenty of twists and turns; from secret doors and passages to outhouses filled with decaying corpses.
Grace turns from the bride in white to the bride in blood as she battles the family – the tension rarely lets up for a second. Ready or Not gets just about everything spot on and it never suffers from horror cliches or boredom.
Weaving gives a good account of herself as a modern-day scream queen turned badass, running around in a torn wedding dress and trainers dispelling the myth ‘till death do us part‘.
After a long sweeping shot through a gothic house 30-years earlier which sets up the back story to what is going to unfold, Grace is tasked with drawing a card from a mysterious mechanical box.
The premise is simple, whatever game is on the card she has to play in order to be accepted into the family – a tradition which must be accepted.
Innocently believing that it is just a harmless game of Hide-and-Seek Grace sets off to hide. The family, however, arming themselves with a variety of antique weaponry, must kill poor Grace before sunrise or they will all perish.
The family is an eclectic mix of batshit crazed parents, eccentric grandparents, troublesome daughters and drunken sons. When merged they come across as a psychopath’s answer to the Keystone Cops, all flair but no clue whatsoever.
Ready or Not manages to balance horror and comedy nicely. It is gory when it needs to be with several grotesque and humorous scenes that will leave viewers squirming in their seats.
The remainder of the film is a tense game of cat and mouse with Grace now realising what the real motives of the family are. She must hold her nerve to see out the night and make it to morning.
The setting is perfect for this type of caper and the gothic mansion provides plenty of twists and turns; from secret doors and passages to outhouses filled with decaying corpses.
Grace turns from the bride in white to the bride in blood as she battles the family – the tension rarely lets up for a second. Ready or Not gets just about everything spot on and it never suffers from horror cliches or boredom.
Weaving gives a good account of herself as a modern-day scream queen turned badass, running around in a torn wedding dress and trainers dispelling the myth ‘till death do us part‘.
The Woman in White
8.1
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Book
The Penguin English Library Edition of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 'In one moment, every...
Northanger Abbey
8.1
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Book
The Penguin English Library Edition of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 'To look almost pretty, is an...
Jane, Unlimited
9.0
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Jane has lived a mostly ordinary life, raised by her recently deceased aunt Magnolia, whom she...
Otway93 (567 KP) rated the Playstation 5 version of Resident Evil: Village in Video Games
Dec 29, 2021
Gameplay (3 more)
Style
Character Design
Style
Basically flawless!
Contains spoilers, click to show
While at first I was dubious after the teaser trailers showing what appeared to be more classic horror creatures, they pulled it off perfectly!
The gameplay, while mostly unchanged in style from RE7, is still superb fun, and gives us a slightly more open-world to explore compared to the previous Ethan Winters adventure, as well as a more traditional gothic feel.
The various characters and bosses are all very different and for the most part original, each having their own look, combat style and personality.
My only criticism is not with the game itself, but with advertising. Most people will have noticed that Lady Dimitrescu, the pale, 9ft tall queen of RE memes features more than almost anybody in posters. The thing is, she has a surprisingly small part in the game. Advertising would have you believe she is the main antagonist of the game, where in fact she is in fact the very first main boss. That is as much as I will tell you in that regard!
Altogether, an outstanding game!
The gameplay, while mostly unchanged in style from RE7, is still superb fun, and gives us a slightly more open-world to explore compared to the previous Ethan Winters adventure, as well as a more traditional gothic feel.
The various characters and bosses are all very different and for the most part original, each having their own look, combat style and personality.
My only criticism is not with the game itself, but with advertising. Most people will have noticed that Lady Dimitrescu, the pale, 9ft tall queen of RE memes features more than almost anybody in posters. The thing is, she has a surprisingly small part in the game. Advertising would have you believe she is the main antagonist of the game, where in fact she is in fact the very first main boss. That is as much as I will tell you in that regard!
Altogether, an outstanding game!
The Resurrectionist
Book
It's 1820, and the physicians of London are on fire to unlock the secrets of human anatomy, some...
Historical Fiction Gothic Horror
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
What's In A Name?
One of the big three British folk-horror movies (along with Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man) and the only one to go for an explicitly supernatural storyline: in 18th century England, a ploughman unearths a deformed skull, which mysteriously disappears soon after. Insanity, mutation and violence begin to spread amongst the young people of the area, forcing the local judge to take extreme measures in the cause of virtue.
On one level this does sound like the broadest kind of exploitative schlock, and it's true that the monster suit at the end is utterly crapulous, but this does not take into account the disturbingly dreamy atmosphere conjured up by director Haggard and Marc Wilkinson's score. There's a touch of the genuine gothic in the way something ancient and disturbing erupts into a quietly bucolic world.
Plus, there is a hard edge of gleeful nastiness to this film which is wholly lacking from the movies being made by Tigon's better-known rivals at Hammer and Amicus during the same period. There's a sense in which most Hammer movies feel like costume dramas with a little blood included as a contractual obligation, but Blood on Satan's Claw goes all-out to mess the viewer up - it's not especially frightening as such, but it's a very unsettling, creepy movie that's a worthy successor to an ancient English tradition of supernatural horror stories.
On one level this does sound like the broadest kind of exploitative schlock, and it's true that the monster suit at the end is utterly crapulous, but this does not take into account the disturbingly dreamy atmosphere conjured up by director Haggard and Marc Wilkinson's score. There's a touch of the genuine gothic in the way something ancient and disturbing erupts into a quietly bucolic world.
Plus, there is a hard edge of gleeful nastiness to this film which is wholly lacking from the movies being made by Tigon's better-known rivals at Hammer and Amicus during the same period. There's a sense in which most Hammer movies feel like costume dramas with a little blood included as a contractual obligation, but Blood on Satan's Claw goes all-out to mess the viewer up - it's not especially frightening as such, but it's a very unsettling, creepy movie that's a worthy successor to an ancient English tradition of supernatural horror stories.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Gideon the Ninth in Books
Jul 15, 2020
Descriptions (2 more)
characters
Kept me guessing
Necromancers in Space
Before reading Gideon the Ninth all I knew about it was: Necromancers in space and lesbians. Everyone who recommended it to me said it was "Amazing" and I "had to read it." Why the lesbian thing was a thing, I'm not sure? representation? Yeah, I'll go with that.
Anyway,
They were right. It is amazing, interesting read. I admit I had some difficulty getting into the first couple of chapters, however I think that was a me problem not from the narrative. Which is gothic and dark, everything that you'd expect from wizards who raise the dead and fight with skeletons would be, and so much more.
It is an interesting concept, although it read more of a mystery to me than a horror, (horror isn't really my genre, I don't have much to base it on. but most of the critics agree that it is in that genre.) and you're in space for maybe 15 pages of the book, if that much. I think there will be more space in the sequel.
The characters interacted with each other well, the tension between them all are great and I had a clear picture of each. Tamsyn kept me guessing on who was or wasn't trustworthy, and the palace that they explore was beautifully described.
Highly recommend if you want something different. This adventure isn't something you'd forget.
Anyway,
They were right. It is amazing, interesting read. I admit I had some difficulty getting into the first couple of chapters, however I think that was a me problem not from the narrative. Which is gothic and dark, everything that you'd expect from wizards who raise the dead and fight with skeletons would be, and so much more.
It is an interesting concept, although it read more of a mystery to me than a horror, (horror isn't really my genre, I don't have much to base it on. but most of the critics agree that it is in that genre.) and you're in space for maybe 15 pages of the book, if that much. I think there will be more space in the sequel.
The characters interacted with each other well, the tension between them all are great and I had a clear picture of each. Tamsyn kept me guessing on who was or wasn't trustworthy, and the palace that they explore was beautifully described.
Highly recommend if you want something different. This adventure isn't something you'd forget.
Monster, She Wrote
Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
6.0
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Book
Meet the women writers who defied convention to craft some of literature’s strangest tales, from...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Rebecca (2020) in Movies
Nov 1, 2020
A dull adaptation
Rebecca is an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s 1938 novel of the same name, following a young woman’s whirlwind romance and her battle to rid her new marriage and home of the shadow of her husband’s first wife.
Rebecca as a novel is a classic and a book I very much enjoyed, and whilst I’ve never seen the Hitchcock adaptation, it’s often referred to as a fairly legendary classic too. However I’m afraid to say the same cannot be said about this new version. The basic plot and story is present, although rather frustratingly the ending has been extended unnecessarily, but it has not been executed very well.
The trailer made this look quite sinister and spooky, which is quite right when the original novel is a gothic horror with aspects of a ghost story thrown in. However this film turns out to be nothing of the sort. It’s more of a romantic drama with a hint of thriller thrown in – the gothic horror ghost story is nowhere to be seen and neither is any form of intrigue or suspense. In fact I’d be so bold as to say this is just outright dull, and even the campy over the top sinister vibes from Kristin Scott Thomas’s housekeeper Mrs Danvers are laughable at best. The most interesting part of this was the opening scene with it’s sinister score but this just didn’t carry through to the rest of the film.
Sadly the cast don’t fare very well in this either. Lily James is a great actor, but her version of the new wife is too mousy and timid and you wonder what on earth Maxim ever sees in her. The character herself is very frustrating and irksome as she’s far too naïve and sweet. And Armie Hammer is miscast as Maxim De Winter himself. He looks the part, dashing and handsome, but he’s lacking in the intrigue, charm and secrecy that you’d expect this character to have. He’s also missing the age gap that is rather notable in the book.
The cinematography in this is rather concerning. The scenes in Monte Carlo are far too colourful and garish and they just look out of place, even more so for something that is meant to be a gothic horror. I’m unsure of why this has been done, other than to show a striking difference between Monte Carlo and Maxim’s Cornish home of Manderley. In fact what is most concerning about this film is why Ben Wheatley wanted to direct it. By far the biggest shock of this film was finding out Wheatley, of Kill List and Sightseers fame, had directed it. Wheatley is known for psychological dark (and often funny) thrillers and there is nothing of his style to be seen in this film at all. Which is a shame, as I think a little more of his dark style would’ve propelled this film into more than just a sub-par drama.
Overall this a very disappointing and long winded adaptation of a classic novel. Whilst there are a few decent scenes and a good, if not out of character, performance from Lily James, these are nowhere near enough to save this from being a bit of a bore.
Rebecca as a novel is a classic and a book I very much enjoyed, and whilst I’ve never seen the Hitchcock adaptation, it’s often referred to as a fairly legendary classic too. However I’m afraid to say the same cannot be said about this new version. The basic plot and story is present, although rather frustratingly the ending has been extended unnecessarily, but it has not been executed very well.
The trailer made this look quite sinister and spooky, which is quite right when the original novel is a gothic horror with aspects of a ghost story thrown in. However this film turns out to be nothing of the sort. It’s more of a romantic drama with a hint of thriller thrown in – the gothic horror ghost story is nowhere to be seen and neither is any form of intrigue or suspense. In fact I’d be so bold as to say this is just outright dull, and even the campy over the top sinister vibes from Kristin Scott Thomas’s housekeeper Mrs Danvers are laughable at best. The most interesting part of this was the opening scene with it’s sinister score but this just didn’t carry through to the rest of the film.
Sadly the cast don’t fare very well in this either. Lily James is a great actor, but her version of the new wife is too mousy and timid and you wonder what on earth Maxim ever sees in her. The character herself is very frustrating and irksome as she’s far too naïve and sweet. And Armie Hammer is miscast as Maxim De Winter himself. He looks the part, dashing and handsome, but he’s lacking in the intrigue, charm and secrecy that you’d expect this character to have. He’s also missing the age gap that is rather notable in the book.
The cinematography in this is rather concerning. The scenes in Monte Carlo are far too colourful and garish and they just look out of place, even more so for something that is meant to be a gothic horror. I’m unsure of why this has been done, other than to show a striking difference between Monte Carlo and Maxim’s Cornish home of Manderley. In fact what is most concerning about this film is why Ben Wheatley wanted to direct it. By far the biggest shock of this film was finding out Wheatley, of Kill List and Sightseers fame, had directed it. Wheatley is known for psychological dark (and often funny) thrillers and there is nothing of his style to be seen in this film at all. Which is a shame, as I think a little more of his dark style would’ve propelled this film into more than just a sub-par drama.
Overall this a very disappointing and long winded adaptation of a classic novel. Whilst there are a few decent scenes and a good, if not out of character, performance from Lily James, these are nowhere near enough to save this from being a bit of a bore.