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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Descent (2005) in Movies
Nov 23, 2019 (Updated Nov 23, 2019)
I remember first watching The Descent not long after it came out. I was in my late teens and it was smack bang in the middle of a weird time for horror, where there was just a lot of dross being fired out every other week.
The Descent was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The set up hooks you in almost immediately, with an familiar yet effective tragedy strikes Sarah, one of our heroines. A while later, a group of friends manage convince Sarah to join them on a vacation in North Carolina, where they plan to explore an underground cave system.
You know how these things go by now - everything goes wrong and before long, the group are fighting to survive.
The thing is, it takes a while for the Descent to show it's true hand when it comes to anything other worldly. It's effectively scary before any monsters show up, using extreme claustrophobia, and low visibility to throw the viewer into the tense unknown.
The first time you see a monster made me jump out of my seat, and jump scares don't get me very often. From there in out, the movie shifts from subtle horror, to all out terror and panic. It's all pretty thrilling.
The all female cast are great. They feel real and relatable, and sell the situation perfectly.
It's Neil Marshall showing that he does know what he's doing in his otherwise mixed bag of a back catalogue.
Some of the effects used are looking pretty dated by this point, but it's not enough to detract from an otherwise positive horror experience, and of course, that ending... (I believe it was changed for US audiences). It's bleak and ballsy and adds a cherry on top. Definitely worth seeking out the unchanged version if you like horror!
The Descent was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The set up hooks you in almost immediately, with an familiar yet effective tragedy strikes Sarah, one of our heroines. A while later, a group of friends manage convince Sarah to join them on a vacation in North Carolina, where they plan to explore an underground cave system.
You know how these things go by now - everything goes wrong and before long, the group are fighting to survive.
The thing is, it takes a while for the Descent to show it's true hand when it comes to anything other worldly. It's effectively scary before any monsters show up, using extreme claustrophobia, and low visibility to throw the viewer into the tense unknown.
The first time you see a monster made me jump out of my seat, and jump scares don't get me very often. From there in out, the movie shifts from subtle horror, to all out terror and panic. It's all pretty thrilling.
The all female cast are great. They feel real and relatable, and sell the situation perfectly.
It's Neil Marshall showing that he does know what he's doing in his otherwise mixed bag of a back catalogue.
Some of the effects used are looking pretty dated by this point, but it's not enough to detract from an otherwise positive horror experience, and of course, that ending... (I believe it was changed for US audiences). It's bleak and ballsy and adds a cherry on top. Definitely worth seeking out the unchanged version if you like horror!
Merissa (12771 KP) rated Hunt the Dragon Within (The Journals of Ravier #2) in Books
Apr 10, 2020
HUNT THE DRAGON WITHIN is the second book in The Journals of Muraine series and we continue where book one left off. Soren is causing chaos, Talok is stuck with a bracelet he doesn't want, and Tyler is just trying to make sense of it all AND cope with the powers he appears to have now.
Now, if you've read my review for book one, you will know I found the constant use of numbers confusing. (Numbers are a foreign language, after all!) I'm pleased to say this isn't such an issue here as the author concentrates more on things that are happening. I do love the 'Thirteen, Done' part of it though!
There is a love-triangle forming which I hope is sorted out soon! I know they are popular with a lot of people but I just find them irritating. 😁 This only takes up a small part of the story though. Mainly it is about what is going on around them and what they need to do to stop Talok turning into a monster.
I have to say - this is one heckuva ride! There are more twists and turns than you would find at a theme park and I loved every part of it. It certainly kept my interest from beginning to end. Because of this I would say you need to set aside a good amount of time to be able to read it. I don't think just spot-reading here and there would do you any favours.
Book one was very good, this one is great. I can't wait to read book three and see if the trend continues. I have high hopes! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Now, if you've read my review for book one, you will know I found the constant use of numbers confusing. (Numbers are a foreign language, after all!) I'm pleased to say this isn't such an issue here as the author concentrates more on things that are happening. I do love the 'Thirteen, Done' part of it though!
There is a love-triangle forming which I hope is sorted out soon! I know they are popular with a lot of people but I just find them irritating. 😁 This only takes up a small part of the story though. Mainly it is about what is going on around them and what they need to do to stop Talok turning into a monster.
I have to say - this is one heckuva ride! There are more twists and turns than you would find at a theme park and I loved every part of it. It certainly kept my interest from beginning to end. Because of this I would say you need to set aside a good amount of time to be able to read it. I don't think just spot-reading here and there would do you any favours.
Book one was very good, this one is great. I can't wait to read book three and see if the trend continues. I have high hopes! Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Cold Skin (2017) in Movies
Apr 20, 2020
Movie Monster Fun
421. Cold Skin. A pretty kick ass creature feature. Strange and bizarre, I loved it. Welcome to a tiny island located in the Antarctic Circle, and today arrives the new Weather Observer, I guess it's exactly as it sounds. He's supposed to be replacing the old Weather Observer, but he's nowhere to be found, so he heads on over to the light house to meet the islands only other inhabitant, Gruner, the light house keeper, he's like 'he went out one night, never saw him again'. No help there, so Friend heads to his new place, oh yea that's how Gruner refers to the Weather Observer. His sets up his cottage to his liking, and then night comes, and with it comes a scratching at the door, a banging at the window, someones on the roof, and a webbed hand reaching under the door! Friend dives into a cellar protecting himself for the night. Once daylight hits, Friend heads over to Gruner's and he fills him in, yea that happens most nights, and he seems to be ok with it, after all he is played by The Punisher, Ray Stevenson! The two come to work together in a very uneasy alliance, after all it turns out Gruner has a roommate, one of the local inhabitants, only this one is female, and they're close... Friend comes to the conclusion of, maybe the creatures are coming for her, Gruner is like, there's the door. So each night, creatures from the deep come and attack the lighthouse for... reasons? Probably not a movie for everyone, however, if you like them on the oddball side check it out!! Filmbufftim on FB.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Feb 16, 2020
Crawl is silly. Like a lot of these types of horrors, it's really silly.
In short, hurricane season hits Florida, and when Haley sets of to find her father, they both end up stuck in the crawlspace under his house, trapped in by large alligators, and rapidly rising flood water.
It's straightforward, no messing around, and gets right to the characters being in peril. For the most part, it's a neat little thriller, that actually has the odd moment in tension, paired with decent performances from Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper.
The relationship between their two characters carry the film pretty well, and the actors resolve to stay muddy and soaked throughout is admirable.
The CGI effects are pretty terrible. Nowhere near Sharknado levels of embarrassing, but the small budget of Crawl really shows it's ugly head when it comes to the alligators. When they're in water, it doesn't look so awful, but out of water, they look ripped from a PlayStation 3 cutscenes. This includes the first time we see one, which significantly reduces the impact it could have had, especially after it comes immediately after a pretty good jump scare.
In terms of horror, Crawl isn't scary. As mentioned above, it's more a jump scare type of deal, but they're actually quite effective, and just about reigned in enough to not overdo it. The scariest thing about the movie is mother nature, with all too real stormy conditions on display.
Crawl is mostly enjoyable, buts it's not as fun as The Meg for example (5/10) and not quite as good as The Shallows (6/10) so it sits nicely somewhere in between. Worth a watch if you enjoy a silly monster horror now and again.
In short, hurricane season hits Florida, and when Haley sets of to find her father, they both end up stuck in the crawlspace under his house, trapped in by large alligators, and rapidly rising flood water.
It's straightforward, no messing around, and gets right to the characters being in peril. For the most part, it's a neat little thriller, that actually has the odd moment in tension, paired with decent performances from Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper.
The relationship between their two characters carry the film pretty well, and the actors resolve to stay muddy and soaked throughout is admirable.
The CGI effects are pretty terrible. Nowhere near Sharknado levels of embarrassing, but the small budget of Crawl really shows it's ugly head when it comes to the alligators. When they're in water, it doesn't look so awful, but out of water, they look ripped from a PlayStation 3 cutscenes. This includes the first time we see one, which significantly reduces the impact it could have had, especially after it comes immediately after a pretty good jump scare.
In terms of horror, Crawl isn't scary. As mentioned above, it's more a jump scare type of deal, but they're actually quite effective, and just about reigned in enough to not overdo it. The scariest thing about the movie is mother nature, with all too real stormy conditions on display.
Crawl is mostly enjoyable, buts it's not as fun as The Meg for example (5/10) and not quite as good as The Shallows (6/10) so it sits nicely somewhere in between. Worth a watch if you enjoy a silly monster horror now and again.
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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) Nov 24, 2019
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