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Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism

Molly Worthen

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Book

Evangelical Christianity is a paradox. Evangelicals are radically individualist, but devoted to...

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Saint Maud (2020) in Movies

May 28, 2021

Saint Maud (2020)

2020 | Drama, Horror

7.4

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

God damn, am I a sucker for horrors that are equally beautiful and unsettling. Saint Maud hit all the right notes for me.
A big chunk of the runtime is dedicated to the extremly authentic-feeling relationship between the titular Maud (Morfydd Clark), a live-in nurse and her patient Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a retired dancer who is terminally ill with cancer. The sweet connection between the two of them is subtle but well realised, making it all the more uncomfortable when things take a sinister turn.
The religious premise is nothing new in this genre, and there is a bit of a Rosemary's Baby vibe going on, but it's execution is pretty much flawless. Maud's devotion to God is occasionlly terrifying, but her human doubt and her occasional shake in faith stops the narrative from going full blown religious fanatic, and instead touches upon mental health issues. For all of her preaching at Amanda, Maud is the one who is portrayed as lost and lonely, trying to suppress past trauma. Her character is certainly a sympathetic one.
95% of its runtime is a slow burn, one that is complimented by wonderful cinematography and a haunting music score. However, I'm struggling to think of a film in recent memory that escalates so severely in such a short space of time, when the other 5% finally hits. To say anymore would be stepping into spoiler territory, but I will say that it's beautifully horrifying to watch unfold, with a final shot that will be seared into my brain for a while.

Rose Glass has created a true horror masterpiece with Saint Maud. Her presence withing the horror genre is a welcome one, and I'm excited to see what she does next.

Kudos

Remy Tankel Carroll (36 KP) rated Gangsterland in Books

Dec 19, 2018

Gangsterland

Tod Goldberg | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry

5.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion). I enjoyed reading this book. The depth of the author's research is evident from the beginning. The gangster-speak, the religious references, the anatomical knowledge and more all add up to a thoroughly entertaining reading experience. The story starts as a typical mob tale...gangster kills good guys, gets shipped to another "family", gets new identity, etc. Where it gets interesting for me is when said gangster, Sal, is introduced to his new life. You can slowly see the battle between "good & evil" grow, like his old life and new life are fighting for control. The other characters are just as genuine, each playing a specific role in Sal's transformation. I'm looking forward to catching up with Sal and the gang in the next installment of the series.

Kudos

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Stigmata (1999) in Movies

Nov 21, 2019

Stigmata (1999)

1999 | Drama, Horror

6.8

(8 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The Cross

So i watched this movie once, and i wasnt sure what to think about it, im not sure it was to be horrorfying or scary or terrorfying, cause it wasnt. Like i said in my "End of Days" review i fell bad for Gabriel Bryne, cause he is a great actor but he is so underrated.

The plot: A young woman with no strong religious beliefs, Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) begins having strange and violent experiences, showing signs of the wounds that Jesus received when crucified. When the Vatican gets word of Frankie's situation, a high-ranking cardinal (Jonathan Pryce) requests that the Rev. Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) investigate her case. Soon Kiernan realizes that very sinister forces are at work, and tries to rescue Frankie from the entity that is plaguing her.

Its a okay movie, not the greatest.