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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Alice in Zombieland - White Rabbit Chronicles in Books
Feb 1, 2018
This was an interesting re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. In Alice in Zombieland, Alice Bell's life has always been curtailed by her father's insistence that monsters exist. The family cannot leave the house after dark, she's been taught how to fight hand-to-hand and with a couple of weapons, and they never - NEVER - drive past the graveyard. All of this changes in one night - when Alice "falls down the rabbit hole" as it were - and discovers her father wasn't insane after all.
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Now, living with her grandparents, haunted by visions of her little sister and glimpses of monsters in the dark, Alice - or Ali, as she insists on being called - finds herself being called on to fight the monsters alongside the roughest crowd in her high school. Falling in love with the leader of the bad boys doesn't help her social life, but might help her stay alive.
I enjoyed this book and will probably pick up the sequel, Through the Zombie Glass, if I can find it at the library. The writing flowed well most of the time, and while Alice began a little whiny, by the end of the book she was pretty bad ass. It felt.... a little more "young adult" than some young adult books I've read; the emotions seemed detached or damped down a bit. While she was dealing with grief over the loss of her family, and possible death at the hands of zombies, it just didn't feel as raw as I think those emotions should have felt. And the notion of a bunch of high school kids fighting zombies - with the support of adults, including the high school principal - was a little weird. Still an interesting book, and not a waste of time, but it felt a lot like "teenagers are special snowflakes!"
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) in Movies
Sep 7, 2018
Some good tension ramping (1 more)
Jump Scares are on point
The 'Baddies' in this lack the pure sinister power of the demon from the first. (1 more)
Its a little 'straightforward haunted house movie' for my tastes
Decent Tension, but disappointingly predictable
Contains spoilers, click to show
Straight off the bat, if you liked the first Insidious, you will likely like the second.
Following straight on from the end of the first film, we are straight back with Wan's favourite boy Patrick Wilson and family, and the plot is a solid continuation of the themes explored in the first movie.
The camerawork in this movie, the framing of some of the shots etc is phenomenal and genuinely half of the tension of this film is generated by clever angles, and the lurching movement of the camera itself.
But where Insidious always began to struggle for me was in the mythos and the 'spirit realm' where it went a bit 'poltergeist' and took me out of the tension build in both films, though some of the ideas were interesting.
This film's antagonists never reach the same level of intimidation and fear as represented by the brilliant 'Darth Maul' Demon of the initial flick, but there are some interesting dynamics introduced using a serial killer and his relationship with his mother.
The biggest disappointment is probably just that Insidious 2 doesn't really ever expand on the first, leaving us with a nicely wrapped up story, but without really expanding our understanding or excitement for what a 3rd installment could offer.
That being said, it does enough right to make it an enjoyable watch, and the class of Wan and Whannell is evident throughout.
A polished, decent scare fest with plenty of strengths, but lacking in a truly memorable antagonist.
Following straight on from the end of the first film, we are straight back with Wan's favourite boy Patrick Wilson and family, and the plot is a solid continuation of the themes explored in the first movie.
The camerawork in this movie, the framing of some of the shots etc is phenomenal and genuinely half of the tension of this film is generated by clever angles, and the lurching movement of the camera itself.
But where Insidious always began to struggle for me was in the mythos and the 'spirit realm' where it went a bit 'poltergeist' and took me out of the tension build in both films, though some of the ideas were interesting.
This film's antagonists never reach the same level of intimidation and fear as represented by the brilliant 'Darth Maul' Demon of the initial flick, but there are some interesting dynamics introduced using a serial killer and his relationship with his mother.
The biggest disappointment is probably just that Insidious 2 doesn't really ever expand on the first, leaving us with a nicely wrapped up story, but without really expanding our understanding or excitement for what a 3rd installment could offer.
That being said, it does enough right to make it an enjoyable watch, and the class of Wan and Whannell is evident throughout.
A polished, decent scare fest with plenty of strengths, but lacking in a truly memorable antagonist.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Paranormal Cornwall in Books
Nov 14, 2018
<b>3 Stars</b>
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/sXx2zjN.gif"; width="200" height="160"/>
There is just so much information packed into this gem, I was entertained, I was interested and I was definitely fascinated...to an extent.
I love to read about the paranormal, especially when it's to do with where I'm from and have lived all of my life; Cornwall really is a beautiful and mysterious place.
This book features many different locations in Cornwall which are thought to be haunted as well as different types of myths and legends. One of the locations I have visited myself, which is Pengersick Castle, is where I have personally experienced some paranormal activity. I would definitely like to return for a second visit so if you get the chance to go it is definitely worth it.
On first glance this book is beautifully presented with a thought provoking front cover and glossy pages which are a pleasure to read.
<b>Then why 3 stars you ask?</b>
When I was reading this book I came across many spelling and grammar errors, I know that's probably really fussy of me but when you encounter these errors constantly then it does effect the enjoyment of a book. The layout didn't turn out too great either in my opinion. On one hand the photographs are great, however, they weren't very well positioned within the book...I was reading about one location but underneath there was a photo about something completely different, this became quite confusing after a while.
I removed 2 stars instead of 1 as due to errors and image misplacement I ended up not enjoying this book, however, I believe it's worth reading for some of the information.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/sXx2zjN.gif"; width="200" height="160"/>
There is just so much information packed into this gem, I was entertained, I was interested and I was definitely fascinated...to an extent.
I love to read about the paranormal, especially when it's to do with where I'm from and have lived all of my life; Cornwall really is a beautiful and mysterious place.
This book features many different locations in Cornwall which are thought to be haunted as well as different types of myths and legends. One of the locations I have visited myself, which is Pengersick Castle, is where I have personally experienced some paranormal activity. I would definitely like to return for a second visit so if you get the chance to go it is definitely worth it.
On first glance this book is beautifully presented with a thought provoking front cover and glossy pages which are a pleasure to read.
<b>Then why 3 stars you ask?</b>
When I was reading this book I came across many spelling and grammar errors, I know that's probably really fussy of me but when you encounter these errors constantly then it does effect the enjoyment of a book. The layout didn't turn out too great either in my opinion. On one hand the photographs are great, however, they weren't very well positioned within the book...I was reading about one location but underneath there was a photo about something completely different, this became quite confusing after a while.
I removed 2 stars instead of 1 as due to errors and image misplacement I ended up not enjoying this book, however, I believe it's worth reading for some of the information.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Friend Request (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Social media has come to play a vital role in our lives. Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or any other service, we cannot seem to escape the hashtags or trending topics. Social media has us feeling more and more connected with each day that passes. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for all who have access to the internet.
In Friend Request audiences are introduced to Laura, a popular college student, who befriends a lonely girl, Marina, when a friend request comes through her social media feed. She recognizes something unique about the young girl and feels the need to at least reach a hand out to her. This move proves to be a mistake as Marina becomes very clingy and eventually prompts Laura to push her away and back to her lonely existence. Laura and her friends are quickly thrown into a world where they are haunted and pursued by demonic beings.
The film is ambitious in trying to be more layered than a film with the similar premise of having the internet play an important role in terrorizing the characters. Sadly, the Friend Request becomes to complex. There are several aspects of the story that are inconsistent and raise eyebrows as it makes one question where the story is going. It disappoints in not investing enough time in making the audience actually fear the demon that Marina eventually becomes. The opportunity for a building of tension, paranoia, and claustrophobia is completely missed because of a lack of depth with the characters and a running tally on screen to demonstrate how Laura is continuously losing friends due to the meddling of Marina’s spirit hacking her interfering with her Facebook account.
Friend Request misses the mark in trying to be a truly inventive horror film as it finds itself without an identity.
http://sknr.net/2017/09/22/friend-request/
In Friend Request audiences are introduced to Laura, a popular college student, who befriends a lonely girl, Marina, when a friend request comes through her social media feed. She recognizes something unique about the young girl and feels the need to at least reach a hand out to her. This move proves to be a mistake as Marina becomes very clingy and eventually prompts Laura to push her away and back to her lonely existence. Laura and her friends are quickly thrown into a world where they are haunted and pursued by demonic beings.
The film is ambitious in trying to be more layered than a film with the similar premise of having the internet play an important role in terrorizing the characters. Sadly, the Friend Request becomes to complex. There are several aspects of the story that are inconsistent and raise eyebrows as it makes one question where the story is going. It disappoints in not investing enough time in making the audience actually fear the demon that Marina eventually becomes. The opportunity for a building of tension, paranoia, and claustrophobia is completely missed because of a lack of depth with the characters and a running tally on screen to demonstrate how Laura is continuously losing friends due to the meddling of Marina’s spirit hacking her interfering with her Facebook account.
Friend Request misses the mark in trying to be a truly inventive horror film as it finds itself without an identity.
http://sknr.net/2017/09/22/friend-request/
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
Tommy Jarvis has grown up, but killing a psychopath at twelve years old really takes a toll on your psyche. Tommy is enrolled in a mental institution in hopes of moving past the events in the last film. The same day he arrives, a fellow inmate is killed by somebody else enrolled in the institution and things only seem to get worse from there. Tommy is haunted by the image of Jason and sees him behind every corner, but when the inmates start disappearing Tommy realizes that his worst fear may have finally become a reality.
This might be my least favorite film in the franchise. I loathe the ending. I mean, they couldn't even get Jason Voorhees for a Friday the 13th film? Are you kidding me? That's beyond weak. Then, on top of all that, they make "Jason" be Roy the ambulance attendant. I'll admit that the "twist" is kind of interesting, but by the time that rolled around I had pretty much already lost interest. Let's pretend Jason was in the film and everything but the ending was the same. It'd still be pretty lame.
The kills are rather mediocre, at best. Ethel and Junior are two of the most annoying characters to ever be featured in a horror film. Both of them give Franklin from Texas Chainsaw Massacre a run for his money for most annoying douchebag in a horror film. Most of the kids in the halfway house are just a-holes and you can't wait for them to die. I can understand going in a new direction for the franchise and I admire the writers and director for having the balls to do something like that, but it wound up falling flat especially when it's sandwiched between two of the greatest films in the franchise.
This might be my least favorite film in the franchise. I loathe the ending. I mean, they couldn't even get Jason Voorhees for a Friday the 13th film? Are you kidding me? That's beyond weak. Then, on top of all that, they make "Jason" be Roy the ambulance attendant. I'll admit that the "twist" is kind of interesting, but by the time that rolled around I had pretty much already lost interest. Let's pretend Jason was in the film and everything but the ending was the same. It'd still be pretty lame.
The kills are rather mediocre, at best. Ethel and Junior are two of the most annoying characters to ever be featured in a horror film. Both of them give Franklin from Texas Chainsaw Massacre a run for his money for most annoying douchebag in a horror film. Most of the kids in the halfway house are just a-holes and you can't wait for them to die. I can understand going in a new direction for the franchise and I admire the writers and director for having the balls to do something like that, but it wound up falling flat especially when it's sandwiched between two of the greatest films in the franchise.
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.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Fun Size (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
While this may be your typical Nickelodeon movie, it will bring you back to those days when the Beasties reigned supreme and Elizabeth Shue was having her Adventures in Babysitting. Wren (Victoria Justice) is your typical, slightly geeky, fairly hot high school student who thinks that going out for Halloween dressed as a Supreme Court justice is cool. Her friend April (Jane Leavy) is more in tune with high school social status and wants them to go to the popular boy’s party. They are actually discussing how this will never happen; when he rolls up and invites them to come. He may even sing a song for Wren.
Wren is getting ready to leave for the party when her mother (Chelsey Handler) tells her she needs to take Albert trick-or-treating. Albert is almost your typical little brother; there is an opening montage of all the sweaters he has destroyed of Wren’s. The small catch: Albert doesn’t talk. Wren takes Albert out and he gets into your usual mischief, but it’s not until they get separated in a haunted house that things really start to go wrong.
Wren realizes she has lost Albert and must find him and various hijinks ensue as Albert is exposed to the adult world of Halloween. Wren and her friends are caught up in all sorts of trouble looking for Albert, including their Volvo having an intimate encounter with a giant mechanized chicken.
Appearances by Kerri Kenney and Ana Gasteyer as the “moms” as well as Johnny Knoxville as the guy everybody can’t stand round out the cast and add some more adult humor to the story. All in all a cute movie, Fun Size will be enjoyed most by the Nickelodeon set, but parents will laugh as well. I laughed throughout the whole thing.
Wren is getting ready to leave for the party when her mother (Chelsey Handler) tells her she needs to take Albert trick-or-treating. Albert is almost your typical little brother; there is an opening montage of all the sweaters he has destroyed of Wren’s. The small catch: Albert doesn’t talk. Wren takes Albert out and he gets into your usual mischief, but it’s not until they get separated in a haunted house that things really start to go wrong.
Wren realizes she has lost Albert and must find him and various hijinks ensue as Albert is exposed to the adult world of Halloween. Wren and her friends are caught up in all sorts of trouble looking for Albert, including their Volvo having an intimate encounter with a giant mechanized chicken.
Appearances by Kerri Kenney and Ana Gasteyer as the “moms” as well as Johnny Knoxville as the guy everybody can’t stand round out the cast and add some more adult humor to the story. All in all a cute movie, Fun Size will be enjoyed most by the Nickelodeon set, but parents will laugh as well. I laughed throughout the whole thing.
EM
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