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Awix (3310 KP) rated Lake Placid (1999) in Movies
Jun 11, 2020
So-so freshwater Jaws spoof with lots of extra irony; somehow managed to spawn a gajillion sequels, all of them made by and featuring much less distinguished people. Folk start turning up dead in a lake in Maine; various scientists and eccentrics descend, annoying the local police and game wardens; culprit proves to be a giant Asian crocodile which has somehow found its way to North America (this is not the kind of film which worries too much about the details). All the usual tropes and plot twists ensue, played very much tongue in cheek.
You get the sense this is a film everybody involved made on a week off as a kind of joke - the snappy dialogue between the characters is the only bit of the film which truly shines, and it's the gory bits - beheadings and dismemberments which feel out of place (even some of these are played for laughs). Sort of mildly amusing and the croc model is good, but not funny and certainly not scary enough to linger in the memory. I seem to recall the 1980 movie Alligator being a lot more fun.
You get the sense this is a film everybody involved made on a week off as a kind of joke - the snappy dialogue between the characters is the only bit of the film which truly shines, and it's the gory bits - beheadings and dismemberments which feel out of place (even some of these are played for laughs). Sort of mildly amusing and the croc model is good, but not funny and certainly not scary enough to linger in the memory. I seem to recall the 1980 movie Alligator being a lot more fun.
Metrobolist by David Bowie
Album
180g 1LP November 2020 sees the 50th Anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold...
Halloween Witch Bubble Shooter
Games and Entertainment
App
Best bubble shooter game in all Halloween bubble shooter game on Play Store. In this game you can...
Hear No Evil (Brotherhood #3)
Book
Riley Duncan is haunted by a past he can’t remember. Something happened in the isolated cabin he...
Contemporary Young_Adult Romance Suspense
Awix (3310 KP) rated Viy (Spirit of Evil) (1967) in Movies
Sep 21, 2021
Soviet horror movie from the 1960s rather unexpectedly turns out to be a close spiritual cousin of the kind of films that Hammer et al were making in the west at the same time. A trainee priest finds himself compelled to spend three nights reading prayers over the body of (supposedly) a wealthy landowner's daughter - but the corpse bears a striking resemblance to that of a witch he earlier killed...
Not the longest of films, which is just as well as the pacing may require patience on the part of the viewer; after a very eerie sequence early on, there's a long wait until the stuff with the protagonist's vigil in the second half. Nevertheless, it's worth it, mainly because the special effects are remarkably good, well up to the standard of equivalent western films of the same period (and probably better). Not particularly scary or graphic by modern standards, but the climax has a creepy sort of power to it and the overall impression is of a classy and well-made film; if there's a political subtext to it, it's very well-hidden.
Not the longest of films, which is just as well as the pacing may require patience on the part of the viewer; after a very eerie sequence early on, there's a long wait until the stuff with the protagonist's vigil in the second half. Nevertheless, it's worth it, mainly because the special effects are remarkably good, well up to the standard of equivalent western films of the same period (and probably better). Not particularly scary or graphic by modern standards, but the climax has a creepy sort of power to it and the overall impression is of a classy and well-made film; if there's a political subtext to it, it's very well-hidden.
Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide
Book
Mrs. Claus is the gift that keeps giving in the second installment of Liz Ireland’s newest cozy...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) in Movies
Oct 21, 2021
And so here we are, at the 6th and final (in terms of the OG plot line) installament of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the series has finally nosedived into full cartoon territory, and do you know what? I don't hate it.
There are plenty of things about Freddy's Dead that are terrible, from the screenplay, to the characters, to the hammy acting, to the lack of signature gore, to one of the most laughable plot retcons I've ever seen...it should be a dumpster fire, but somehow, it's ludicrous enough to be pretty damn entertaining. It still has some imaginative sequences, even if some are a little over familiar. Freddy's transformation into his final form of being a quip-laden asshat is complete, and although I would rather scary Freddy any day of the week, he manages to make proceedings pretty fun, even if Robert Englund doesn't seem quite as committed as he once was.
It's easy to dunk on Freddy's Dead and I completely understand why it's a lot of people's least favourite entry in the franchise, but it's so wonderfully bizarre, and as a result, I have a huge soft spot for it.
There are plenty of things about Freddy's Dead that are terrible, from the screenplay, to the characters, to the hammy acting, to the lack of signature gore, to one of the most laughable plot retcons I've ever seen...it should be a dumpster fire, but somehow, it's ludicrous enough to be pretty damn entertaining. It still has some imaginative sequences, even if some are a little over familiar. Freddy's transformation into his final form of being a quip-laden asshat is complete, and although I would rather scary Freddy any day of the week, he manages to make proceedings pretty fun, even if Robert Englund doesn't seem quite as committed as he once was.
It's easy to dunk on Freddy's Dead and I completely understand why it's a lot of people's least favourite entry in the franchise, but it's so wonderfully bizarre, and as a result, I have a huge soft spot for it.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Black Phone (2022) in Movies
Aug 8, 2022
After a swift MCU detour, Scott Derrickson is back in the horror business, and it's a welcome return. The Black Phone is unpleasant and tense, well crafted in its execution and pacing, and possesses quite a bit of heart, portrayed by a great cast, the stand-outs of course being Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw. The two child actors provide some outstanding performances and ensure that their character moments pack a punch. Opposite to them, Ethan Hawke gives us a genuinely creepy horror villain, a villain who is unhinged, and acts in a manner that is grounded in reality, reiterating what makes The Black Phone scary in the first place. This film plays on the very real fear that ones child could be taken. It's bleak, and hardly enjoyable, but it's effective. There are some moments of more supernatural horror, as well as a couple of well earned jump scares, and whilst this makes proceedings a little more unsettling, it doesn't take away from how utterly terrifying real life can be.
The Black Phone isn't perfect by any means, but it's a tight horror/thriller that looks great, and will worm its way under your skin.
The Black Phone isn't perfect by any means, but it's a tight horror/thriller that looks great, and will worm its way under your skin.
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated 77 Shadow Street in Books
Jun 3, 2022
I have always loved Dean Koontz because of the way he immerses you in the situations in his book. Its not many authors that make you feel as if you are actually in the book not just reading it. Loved this book because whilst it is a work of fiction there are a lot of instances that ring true, particularly the way we are giving AI too much power and information. At first glance this is just your run of the mill horror house novel, but once you get into it, its so much more. Great character and development and i love the way that he does not concentrate on just one persons story. There are lots of different characters ranging from a small girl with autism to a contract killer and its blended in well to create an atmospheric, horrific and frightening novel. Its split into two books and i must admit that when i was about half way through i thought it was drawing to a close, how wrong i was. Well worth a read A++++