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Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
Apr 26, 2018
Tense and interesting
I'm going to be frankly honest now and say this film is a little overrated. One of the best horrors I've seen in a long time, but still a tad overrated.
The premise is a very interesting and truly terrifying take on the usual end of the world scenario. And this for me is the best and scariest thing about the film, never before has silence been so scary. John Krasinski does a great job both acting, directing and writing and i think it's a shame he doesn't do a lot more acting wise. The creatures themselves are horrific and strange, but not too weird looking to be laughable (like Life). They potentially look a little too CGI but it's acceptable for the most part. The film in general starts off a little slow paced but then soon picks up speed, to the point where when it finished, I couldn't believe it had been on for 90 minutes. I'm also grateful that they don't try and spend much time over explaining this apocalypse, instead relying on a few choice newspaper cutouts.
I do have a few issues with this film though. It relies a little too heavily on jump scares, which although they're very effective in such a quiet film, for me they're a bit much. Also, some of the film beggars belief - a woman in labour making barely any noise? Hmm not too sure about that. And my final criticism is the fact that the opening scene is prominently featured in the trailer, meaning any shock or fear we would have had at this is long gone.
Overall a very good horror film, and one I'd love to see in silence in my own home.
The premise is a very interesting and truly terrifying take on the usual end of the world scenario. And this for me is the best and scariest thing about the film, never before has silence been so scary. John Krasinski does a great job both acting, directing and writing and i think it's a shame he doesn't do a lot more acting wise. The creatures themselves are horrific and strange, but not too weird looking to be laughable (like Life). They potentially look a little too CGI but it's acceptable for the most part. The film in general starts off a little slow paced but then soon picks up speed, to the point where when it finished, I couldn't believe it had been on for 90 minutes. I'm also grateful that they don't try and spend much time over explaining this apocalypse, instead relying on a few choice newspaper cutouts.
I do have a few issues with this film though. It relies a little too heavily on jump scares, which although they're very effective in such a quiet film, for me they're a bit much. Also, some of the film beggars belief - a woman in labour making barely any noise? Hmm not too sure about that. And my final criticism is the fact that the opening scene is prominently featured in the trailer, meaning any shock or fear we would have had at this is long gone.
Overall a very good horror film, and one I'd love to see in silence in my own home.
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated The Strangers (2008) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019
The suspense is off the charts. Bryan Bertino creates tension like very few can. You can't even breathe at times, especially on a first viewing. (5 more)
The Strangers themselves are crafted to perfection from the iconic masks to their mannerisms to their lack of a true motive.
The symbolism is heavy throughout. It takes multiple viewings to catch it all. Look at the busted windshield at the end for one example.
The use of music as another character is absolutely brilliant. Each tune was used to perfection.
The camerawork and set design are off the charts given the budget Bertino had to work with.
The ending. Not every horror story has a happy ending. This one was a beautiful and glorious gut punch.
The very last scene. If Bertino had been allowed to keep the exact ending he wanted this would've been 1000 times more impactful. (1 more)
The sound. When things are quiet you can hear a pin drop, but when a noise comes it blows out your eardrum.
Why are you doing this to us?
Because you were home.
This is my favorite film of all time. To me, this film is literally horror nirvana. This remains to this day the only film to ever truly scare me. This isn't some fake supernatural hocus pocus. This is reality. While the film may only be INSPIRED by true events, and not something that actually happened, it could happen, and it does happen...every day, whether you want to come to terms with it or not. The crazy thing is that if Bertino had been able to do this his way without any studio intervention, this film would've been 10 times darker and 10 times better. I don't care what anyone says, this film is a horror heavyweight that pays true homage to the birth era of horror.
Because you were home.
This is my favorite film of all time. To me, this film is literally horror nirvana. This remains to this day the only film to ever truly scare me. This isn't some fake supernatural hocus pocus. This is reality. While the film may only be INSPIRED by true events, and not something that actually happened, it could happen, and it does happen...every day, whether you want to come to terms with it or not. The crazy thing is that if Bertino had been able to do this his way without any studio intervention, this film would've been 10 times darker and 10 times better. I don't care what anyone says, this film is a horror heavyweight that pays true homage to the birth era of horror.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Secrets of the Weird in Books
Jun 5, 2018
Chad Stroup’s novel, Secrets of the Weird is a piece of bizarro fiction that leaves me with more questions than answers. That’s not to say the book is bad by any means; I just feel that it does not live up to its full potential. Sweetville is a decidedly dark setting, with its own underground that we as readers get a brief glimpse of and nothing more. It’s as if Stroup teases us.
What I loved: the dynamic cast of characters Stroup creates. His ability to write lifelike and engaging characters is astounding. The main character, Trixie, is so real in her struggles that I imagine she’s quite relatable for several people. Her trek to being a woman is filled with bump after bump, and yet she still finds a reason to carry on, to seek her own happiness. In fact, much of this book focuses on her journey to self-acceptance, culminating in a beautiful metamorphosis. Other characters are equally fleshed out, but in ways that make my stomach turn. For instance, Cypress and the Angelghoul are despicable. Were either character to perish, I’d be fine. But its these anti-heroes that open up a lot of unanswered questions – if they can be called that.
First, there’s the Withering Wyldes. A creature whose purpose is to convert others into joining their cult like organization. Their history is explained, and they consistently show up throughout the book, but after a few chapters in which a linguist tries to understand their method of communication, they become background noise. The Angelghoul’s quest for enlightenment goes uncompleted. Trixie’s boyfriend fades away into nothing. And finally, Cypress’s threats seem to… well, not come to fruition.
The book is most definitely a fun read, but with those plot issues it falls short of a five skull rating for me. I’ll have to give it three.
What I loved: the dynamic cast of characters Stroup creates. His ability to write lifelike and engaging characters is astounding. The main character, Trixie, is so real in her struggles that I imagine she’s quite relatable for several people. Her trek to being a woman is filled with bump after bump, and yet she still finds a reason to carry on, to seek her own happiness. In fact, much of this book focuses on her journey to self-acceptance, culminating in a beautiful metamorphosis. Other characters are equally fleshed out, but in ways that make my stomach turn. For instance, Cypress and the Angelghoul are despicable. Were either character to perish, I’d be fine. But its these anti-heroes that open up a lot of unanswered questions – if they can be called that.
First, there’s the Withering Wyldes. A creature whose purpose is to convert others into joining their cult like organization. Their history is explained, and they consistently show up throughout the book, but after a few chapters in which a linguist tries to understand their method of communication, they become background noise. The Angelghoul’s quest for enlightenment goes uncompleted. Trixie’s boyfriend fades away into nothing. And finally, Cypress’s threats seem to… well, not come to fruition.
The book is most definitely a fun read, but with those plot issues it falls short of a five skull rating for me. I’ll have to give it three.
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