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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)  
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
1993 | Horror
4
5.6 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Jason Voorhees is believed to be dead, but his murderous rampage lives on. He's able to transfer from body to body, but each host deteriorates at an incredible rate and he has to switch frequently. Meanwhile, Steven goes to meet Diana one night, who happens to be his ex-wife's mother. She has something very important to tell Steven. You see, Diana is the sister of Jason Voorhees and Jessica, Steven's ex, is his niece. Steven and Jessica have a baby named Stephanie, as well.

According to Creighton Duke, a bounty hunter, the only way anyone can kill Jason is by destroying his heart and it has to be done by a blood relative. Not only that, but he can also be reborn by transferring into the body of another Voorhees. So after Diana is killed in a scuffle with "Jason," that only leaves Jessica and Stephanie. Steven has no choice, but to protect his family even though he's believed to be the one who killed Diana and has the police hot on his trail every step of the way.


For a Friday the 13th film, the acting in this is surprisingly good. It still has a few actors that make you groan, but the actors who get the most face time are decent and get the job done. In fact, I probably would've rated this a few points higher if it wasn't for a few factors. The main one being that Jason is a worm. Not only that, but he's like this demonic worm thing that the sphincter-blasting worms in Dreamcatcher would probably find attractive. If they hadn't tried to give Jason this supernatural explanation and had something else in its place, this would have been a lot better.

Jason, like the actual Jason with the hockey mask, is really only in the film for maybe ten to fifteen minutes tops. So that hurts the film, in my eyes. They also made Jason make all these weird noises this time around. He was wheezing, breathing heavily, groaning, and grunting. It didn't fit the character. He was generally silent up until this film and is again in Jason X. So...what the hell? It's a disappointing sendoff overall for a film labeled as The Final Friday. I guess it wasn't completely pointless. We did get the Freddy Vs Jason tease at the end, which wasn't really followed up on for ten years. But I digress...
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Shamed in Books

Jun 21, 2019  
Shamed
Shamed
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Painters Mill Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is back, in the eleventh book in the series from Linda Castillo. This time, she's investigating the brutal murder of an Amish grandmother. One of the woman's granddaughters is also missing--nothing left behind but a trail of blood. The girl's family is understandably devastated, and Kate recognizes that they are racing against time: the longer young Elsie is missing, the less chance they have of finding her. But as Kate plunges into the case, the more she delves into a world of secrets--and the more she realizes someone is going to great lengths to keep those secrets hidden.

I really enjoy the Kate Burkholder series, and I was very excited to receive a copy of this book, as I've missed a few of the latest books. It was incredibly easy to pick back up with Kate, and this book would work easily as a stand-alone, as well. It's a quick read; I read it in about a day. It's told mainly from Kate's point of view, with just a few tiny snippets inserted from a few of the other characters. It's tense, as it counts the hours Elsie has been missing, and you can easily feel Kate's panic and the sensation that the team is working against the clock.

As always, I am amazed that there is anyone left in Painters Mill; I always jokingly compare this town to "Murder She Wrote" and Cabot Cove, with Jessica Fletcher. Murder and violence seem incredibly attracted to Kate Burkholder and Painters Mill. Sheesh. But, that aside, I love the character of Kate, and the easy, familiar way Castillo portrays her. It takes no time at all to fall back into stride with her.

The mystery itself kept me guessing and interested, trying to put together the pieces along with Kate. As she often does in her books, through Kate, Castillo does a good job of highlighting the pressures of being Amish, along with the lengths they go to protect each other. The supporting cast is strong, although there isn't much further development in the Kate and Tomasetti (her partner in both love and work) relationship.

Overall, this is an easy, engaging read. Kate's a great character, and the story will draw you immediately and keep you guessing. 4 stars.
  
The Host (Gwoemul) (2007)
The Host (Gwoemul) (2007)
2007 | Action, Horror, International
Darn formaldehyde!
Guess what happens when a scientist orders a large amount of formaldehyde dumped down the drain? It makes its way through the sewer system and into the Han River in Korea. Several years later, it is revealed the substance has caused the mutated formation of a large sea monster creature which reveals itself when it emerges and begins an onslaught of carnage.

A local family which runs a food stand near the location of the attack races to get to safety, but, unfortunately a man grabs the hand of the wrong child instead of his daughter by mistake. The creature procures the young child and escapes with her back into the water. Further chaos ensues when it is revealed the creature is not only a menace, but also the source of a horrible infectious disease now rampant among the population.

Somehow, the child survives her journey back in the sewers with the creature who deposits her in a secluded location. Her father now has to get past government quarantine and survive battling the creature in order to try and save his child.



Director Bong Joon-ho, who has also given us the fantastic Snowpiercer and the current critic favorite Parasite, crafts a well made film which has many exciting elements.

For a movie like this it is only as good as its creature and this one does the job. Despite having a modest budget, the sea creature is well developed, has an interesting personality and does not look like bad CGI. As the audience, you are trying to figure out what the creature wants, what it is doing with the children it kidnaps and stores away while also rooting for the title family to not only survive the disease and run ins with the police to eventually attempt a rescue.

There is a good amount of action including a few intense scenes with the creature and also with one of the family members who also happens to be a famed archer. There is some comedy as well which rounds out the action and provides some down time between scenes.

I really enjoyed The Host much more than I thought I would since I hadn't heard much about it beforehand. Please check it out.

  
The Hangover (2009)
The Hangover (2009)
2009 | Comedy
The road trip gone awry has been a staple of Hollywood comedies for years. Bing Crosby and Bob Hope provided tons of laughs with their “Road To” films which have continued with films ranging from “Road Trip” to the Chevy Chase “Vacation” film series. In the new movie “The Hangover”, Director Todd Phillips follows upon his many successes which include “Old School”, and “Starsky and Hutch” to create one of the funniest films in recent memory.

When Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to be married, his friends Stu (Ed Helms) and Phil (Bradley Cooper) decide to give Doug a bachelor party. With his eccentric future brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifinakis) in tow, the guys hit the town for a night to remember. Or maybe not.

After a rooftop toast overlooking the scenic Las Vegas strip, Stu, Phil, and Alan awaken to find their lavish suite at Ceasar’s Palace destroyed and everything from a tiger to a chicken sharing their room. Henpecked Stu panics, having told his girlfriend they were going to wine country and is at a loss to explain the state of the room as well as his missing tooth. With all three men nursing a severe hangover and Doug nowhere to be found, things take a turn for the worse when a baby is discovered in the closet of their suite. Desperate to get to the bottom of the previous night and locate Doug, the guys try to piece together their lost night.

As the plot unfolds, the guys go from a wedding chapel to a hospital and police station, and trying to stay ahead of new threats and complications that arise. With Doug’s wedding looming in a few hours, the group takes extreme measures to find their friend and get him to the alter on time.

What follows is a hysterical and highly enjoyable comedy that rarely lets up long enough for you to stop laughing before unleashing even more comedy. The ensemble cast is strong and have great camaraderie and chemistry. The film loses some momentum in the final act but rebounds nicely with the final segments. Make sure you stay for the credits for some hysterical stuff and some great celebrity cameos. While some may find the humor crude and sophomoric, if you are not easily offended, you will laugh loud and often at this comedic delight.
  
Sometimes love hurts—and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving. Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island—a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals—and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises. With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.



My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story about how family roles and events mold a person and their life. Welcome to a story that brings a family back together again, where they begin to see each other for who they are and what their abilities or gifting is; how they learn to work together and learn to love one another again. It is also a story about learning to forgive, that people do grow as they live their life; that people do learn from their mistakes. It is a story about being honest with one another.


Suzanne Woods Fisher will does not disappoint in this novel. Once again she has spun a wonderful true to life tale. Living on a small island is quaint. I know, I come from a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay; Smith Island. This novel reminds me so much of where I come from, no police, a small school, etc. and a small population. The author has spun a tale that makes the reader want to come to visit this place and take home some of the distinctiveness it gives the residents and visitors.



Readers will enjoy this new series, I certainly look forward to more from Suzanne Woods Fisher!
  
Bells On Her Toes
Bells On Her Toes
Diana J. Febry | 2014 | Crime
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When a body is discovered in a burnt-out barn, DCI Peter Hatherall and DI Fiona Williams are assigned to investigate. The barn is owned by a racehorse trainer and the two detectives struggle to penetrate the closed and secretive world of horse racing to uncover who the body is and why they were murdered. As the body count rises Hatharall's personal life starts to impact on his professional judgement putting not only the investigation but lives at risk.

The police procedural has a long and distinguished history and Febry does an excellent job in following the formula and adding enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Everything is told from a personal point of view (mostly Williams') and the author does a great job in conveying personality through how events are described. One of the key suspects also provides some of their thoughts between chapters and this very effectively cranks the tension up.

The cast of characters is very convincing. The detective with personal problems has very much become a cliche but Hatherall is drawn in a very realistic and human light and is clearly struggling. Williams has her own relationship issues and their interaction has a ring of authenticity. The cast of suspects is wide and a number of them could easily be guily. What is certain is that it will take time for all the secrets to be uncovered.

The plot has many twists and plenty of red herrings for both the reader and the detectives to fall foul of. The stakes are constantly raised until the final confrontation.

When reading this book I was reminded of one of my favourite detective thriller novelists, Reginald Hill. The characterisation, the plot twists and some of the way Febry plays with the reader's expectations reminded so much of a Dalziel and Pascoe novel. I think that's a very fair comparison and although Peter Hathersall is not at all like Andy Dalziel he is still a detective who works with both facts and instinct

This books is part of a series (and indeed one of the other books in the series is mentioned in passing) and if this novel is anything to go by the series is one to read as soon as possible. Anyone who likes a good detective novel with interesting characters and plenty of twists will like this. A lot.
  
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Dale Lawson (13 KP) rated The Stranger in TV

Mar 1, 2020 (Updated Mar 1, 2020)  
The Stranger
The Stranger
2020 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cliffhanger endings (1 more)
Mysterious plot twists
Shocking acting (2 more)
Incomplete plot
Character motivations
What started as an addictive watch, left me deflated...
This show has recently been released on Netflix and has a lot of buzz surrounding it. I was recommended it by three different people in the space of a few days. Even when I started to watch the series, I was quick to suggest it to friends. However, having finished the series and reflecting on the show, I wondered how I enjoyed it so much. It was full of plot holes, lost character motivations and had a selection of poor actors.

The premise of the show is that a stranger visits Richard Armitage’s character and unveils some unexpected and life changing news. As the series develops various crimes, including murder, end up being committed and they fuel a lot of the ‘twists’ or cliffhangers that end each episode.

These endings are what make the show enjoyable to watch, I think. They keep you wanting more. We watched three episodes in one evening because of the desire to ‘find out more’. Whilst the writers have done an excellent job in this regard and for the sub-plots, the content of each episode is often rushed, to progress the plot or just simply poorly written.

But it is the actors that let this show down the most; regularly, they are even laughable. The cast that play the children are extremely rough around the edges and provide much of the unintended humour. This said, the blame is not solely down to them. Many of the other supporting adult cast come across flat and dry, which is partly down to the poor writing.

Richard Armitage does the best he can with the script he has, yet it was good to see him on screen again after a large hiatus. The two main police officers also provide quality performances, and thankfully are on screen for much of the time to hold this show together. Stephen Rhea’s character is also very likeable for the first half of the story. It’s a shame to see a cast of strong actors struggling to provide quality performances.

With an ending that felt wrong and depressing, to the poorly acted episodes, The Stranger proves to be an addictive watch that leaves you feeling a little underwhelmed and deflated upon its conclusion.
  
Out of the Furnace (2013)
Out of the Furnace (2013)
2013 | Drama
Cast for so long in the trademark cowl of Batman and posing around Gotham City as the slightly disturbed and flamboyant billionaire Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is back deep in his gritty acting roots.

Bale plays Pennsylvania steel mill worker Russell, a man living a simplistic hard working way of life. His brother on the other hand, Rodney (Casey Affleck), is back from a tour in Iraq. He’s visibly scared and not in the least bit interested in anymore manual labour. Inciting that the country owes him a something for his sacrifice he gets into debt gambling and desperate for cash to pay off his short fall he takes bare knuckle fist fights organised by loan shark friend John Petty Willem Dafoe.

Things move from bad to worse in a surprise addition to the plot, which sees Russell endure some time behind bars and in the process loses his sick father as well as seeing girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana) fall into the arms of local cop Forest Whitaker. When Russell steps outside of prison for the first time he has yet another problem facing him, in the form of local drug kingpin and all round nasty, Harlan DeGroat brilliantly played by Woody Harrelson.

DeGroat is not one to be crossed as even the local police keep their distance but Rodney heads straight into the lion’s den when he accepts a fight and then is propositioned to take a dive during it; something that he is not willing to do.

The relationship between the brothers is enthralling and totally believable. Both Bale and Affleck give controlled and sharp performances feeding off each other as the tension between them rises. The film attempts to broach the subject of the working classes, while at the same time portraying the life of the retired marine who has come back home full of nightmares and is left forgotten only to crumble into himself.

It’s a strong cast, with Harrelson’s villain commanding the screen with gusto while the likes of Saldana, Defoe and Sam Shepard play mere bit parts. But with this much talent on show not everyone can feature front and centre. The film’s setting is a perfect post-industrial stomping ground for battles both in the illegal ring and out of it, while a moody soundtrack is a perfect accompaniment to the narrative that is moving and rough around the edges.