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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Rape Van in Books
Jun 9, 2018
It's what you think
Contains spoilers, click to show
THE VAN (RAPE VAN? I'm unsure what the title of this book officially is) is about a group of idiots who get into a car crash, get picked up by a group of serial killers, who get picked up by another group of serial killers. Even the book points out how ridiculous this premise is, so I'm inclined to give it a pass. Miller has a solid, no-frills kind of style that appeals to me, and he's never short on the gore. Of the extreme horror authors that are swarming Amazon, he's probably my favorite because he's the least pretentious (Matt Shaw, looking at you) and unflinching.
THE VAN is a quick read--a bit of junk food for your brain. You probably won't remember it a few days after you read it. One thing I wish authors would stop doing is letting the bad guy win and acting like the audience should be shocked. Some authors can pull that off as social commentary or whatever, but if you're churning these out month after month on Amazon, you probably can't. There's nothing wrong with writing something just for entertainment. Not everything needs to have a message.
THE VAN is a quick read--a bit of junk food for your brain. You probably won't remember it a few days after you read it. One thing I wish authors would stop doing is letting the bad guy win and acting like the audience should be shocked. Some authors can pull that off as social commentary or whatever, but if you're churning these out month after month on Amazon, you probably can't. There's nothing wrong with writing something just for entertainment. Not everything needs to have a message.
Chrissie-ann (78 KP) rated Rillington Place in TV
Jun 18, 2018
Unnerving factual crime drama
I watched this last night as it has made its way onto netflix. Based on real life events in the 1940s surrounding an infamous UK serial killer. Having a strong curiosity and interest in serial killers I thought I would give this a go.
I have not been disappointed,John Christie is an individual I have read a lot about and I feel this show really shows him in a disturbing way. It shows how his relationships are affected and formed while he manipulates people to ensure he is in control of every situation.
Tim Roth as John Christie is impressive, his acting brings John Christie back to life. There is always a feeling of fear and uncertainty, as Tim Roth develops his character in a way that shows how calculating he was.
One of the best shows I have watched in a while, luckily only a 3 parter so I didn't have to pull an all nighter!
I have not been disappointed,John Christie is an individual I have read a lot about and I feel this show really shows him in a disturbing way. It shows how his relationships are affected and formed while he manipulates people to ensure he is in control of every situation.
Tim Roth as John Christie is impressive, his acting brings John Christie back to life. There is always a feeling of fear and uncertainty, as Tim Roth develops his character in a way that shows how calculating he was.
One of the best shows I have watched in a while, luckily only a 3 parter so I didn't have to pull an all nighter!
TheReckoning (7 KP) rated Gallery Of The Dead in Books
Aug 31, 2018
A true read.
Every chapter ending in you just dying to know everything. who doesn't like a good book that keeps you intrigued? Definitely a book to keep you guessing. Throughout always keeping you on both the killer and detective side. It has been a while since i picked up a book and wanted to read it straight to the end. But Chris Carter has a way of doing it. None of his books have let me down. He does a collection leading up to this one book following the same detective on his different stories. Catching serial killers and bringing the undetectable.
Dean (6921 KP) rated The Funhouse Massacre (2015) in Movies
May 22, 2021
Funny Horror
An ok Horror with a comedy slant. Featuring a nice cameo from Robert Englund. A bunch of serial killers escape an asylum to take over a Horror park based on their murders.
It's funny in places and the gore generally is OK, although very cheap looking in some scenes. Just a bit hit and miss with the comedy and scares a lot of the time. Often somewhere in the middle of not funny or scary enough.
Check out @Hell Fest (2018) on Netflix, similar but slightly better I felt with a cameo from Tony Todd.
It's funny in places and the gore generally is OK, although very cheap looking in some scenes. Just a bit hit and miss with the comedy and scares a lot of the time. Often somewhere in the middle of not funny or scary enough.
Check out @Hell Fest (2018) on Netflix, similar but slightly better I felt with a cameo from Tony Todd.
Saul Sailing Snapper (211 KP) rated Mindhunter - Season 2 in TV
Aug 28, 2019
Great Performances (1 more)
Very suspenseful
Mind hunting with intelligence.
A great second season, definitely on a par with the first if not slightly better.
Set in the late 1970s and early 80's the story follows the early stages of the Behavioral Science Unit and how they developed the profiling of criminals by talking to the serial killers who were behind bars.
Season 2 managed to top the first and also leave room got some great character development especially with the Tench family storyline. Great acting by everyone involved making it a very cerebral drama with very little action but riveting all the same.
Set in the late 1970s and early 80's the story follows the early stages of the Behavioral Science Unit and how they developed the profiling of criminals by talking to the serial killers who were behind bars.
Season 2 managed to top the first and also leave room got some great character development especially with the Tench family storyline. Great acting by everyone involved making it a very cerebral drama with very little action but riveting all the same.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Institution in Books
Mar 5, 2023
Yet another gripping read by Helen Fields and one I very much enjoyed
It has everything - a gruesome murder, an isolated creepy location, serial killers, twists, turns, action and fantastic characters all wrapped up in an excellent story that was hard to stop reading even the parts that were quite gruesome.
Dr Connie and her partner, Baarda, are a great team and I would really like to read more about their work together - if there are more stories in the pipeline ... sign me up!
A very tense and riveting read that I highly recommend and thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling be to read and share my thoughts of The Institution.
It has everything - a gruesome murder, an isolated creepy location, serial killers, twists, turns, action and fantastic characters all wrapped up in an excellent story that was hard to stop reading even the parts that were quite gruesome.
Dr Connie and her partner, Baarda, are a great team and I would really like to read more about their work together - if there are more stories in the pipeline ... sign me up!
A very tense and riveting read that I highly recommend and thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling be to read and share my thoughts of The Institution.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Mindhunter - Season 1 in TV
Oct 24, 2017 (Updated Oct 24, 2017)
Fantastic Performances (3 more)
Brilliant Script
Good Direction
Great Soundtrack
A Method In The Madness?
Mindhunter is a Netflix series set in the late 70's, that follows two FBI detectives as they embark to learn more about serial killers and why they do the things that they do. One of the detectives, Bill Tench, actually coins the phrase, 'serial killer,' at one point and the team do seem to be making progressive steps into understanding a disturbed psyche, even if some of the methods they use along the way are fairly questionable.
The series is produced by David Fincher, who also directs 4 episodes of this first season. If you are a fan of Fincher's other work, then this will be right up your street. It shares a lot of similarities with Se7en, The Social Network, Gone Girl, Panic Room and definitely Zodiac. The two main series stars, Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany are brilliant in their roles. You may recognise McCallany from Fight Club and Groff from Glee, but this show couldn't be a further departure from Glee if it tried, which makes Groff's already electric performance, even better.
McCallany plays Bill Tench, an older FBI agent who has a good few years of experience under his belt. Groff plays Holden Ford, a young maverick, who barges his way towards progress, regardless of who gets caught up in the collateral damage. The two work fantastically together and the chemistry between the two actors is one of the best things about this show. The supporting cast are also solid, with Hannah Gross standing out as Holden's girlfriend, as well as Anna Torv, who plays a doctor of psychology helping the two detectives analyse the data that they collect from interviews held with various serial killers. The serial killers featured throughout the show are also memorable, especially Jerry Brudos and Ed Kemper. Cameron Britton, who plays Kemper, gives a subtly terrifying performance and is exponentially engaging for every minute that he is onscreen.
The performances are helped with a brilliant script. The dialogue is snappy and effective, causing as many existential questions as it does unorthodox observations. Fincher's direction, is of course, fantastic and the other directors who work on this show also do a good job. The soundtrack to the show is sometimes antithetic to what is going on in the storyline, but it is always effective and never distracting. The shot composition and cinematography was also on point in each episode, with some really effective imagery being implemented throughout.
Overall, this is a brilliantly made, psychological drama. The writing is of a very high standard and the performances are excellent all around. If you are a fan of serial killer stories or anything David Fincher has worked on before, this will be for you. The characters are all interesting and deep and although they may do some questionable things, I can't wait to see where this endeavour takes them next.
The series is produced by David Fincher, who also directs 4 episodes of this first season. If you are a fan of Fincher's other work, then this will be right up your street. It shares a lot of similarities with Se7en, The Social Network, Gone Girl, Panic Room and definitely Zodiac. The two main series stars, Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany are brilliant in their roles. You may recognise McCallany from Fight Club and Groff from Glee, but this show couldn't be a further departure from Glee if it tried, which makes Groff's already electric performance, even better.
McCallany plays Bill Tench, an older FBI agent who has a good few years of experience under his belt. Groff plays Holden Ford, a young maverick, who barges his way towards progress, regardless of who gets caught up in the collateral damage. The two work fantastically together and the chemistry between the two actors is one of the best things about this show. The supporting cast are also solid, with Hannah Gross standing out as Holden's girlfriend, as well as Anna Torv, who plays a doctor of psychology helping the two detectives analyse the data that they collect from interviews held with various serial killers. The serial killers featured throughout the show are also memorable, especially Jerry Brudos and Ed Kemper. Cameron Britton, who plays Kemper, gives a subtly terrifying performance and is exponentially engaging for every minute that he is onscreen.
The performances are helped with a brilliant script. The dialogue is snappy and effective, causing as many existential questions as it does unorthodox observations. Fincher's direction, is of course, fantastic and the other directors who work on this show also do a good job. The soundtrack to the show is sometimes antithetic to what is going on in the storyline, but it is always effective and never distracting. The shot composition and cinematography was also on point in each episode, with some really effective imagery being implemented throughout.
Overall, this is a brilliantly made, psychological drama. The writing is of a very high standard and the performances are excellent all around. If you are a fan of serial killer stories or anything David Fincher has worked on before, this will be for you. The characters are all interesting and deep and although they may do some questionable things, I can't wait to see where this endeavour takes them next.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Special Place in Hell: The World’s most Depraved Killers in Books
Nov 15, 2021
189 of 250
Book
A Special Place in Hell: The Worlds Most Depraved Killers
By Christopher Berry-Dee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
As compilations go it wasn’t too bad. I got a feeling it wasn’t a book he wanted to write he seemed a little wushu washy in parts of that makes sense. There were a few I’d never heard of in this and that’s why it’s a 3 star instead of a 2 as he seemed quite animated about these select few. I do have a few more of his book in my tbr pile so I will give him an go.
Book
A Special Place in Hell: The Worlds Most Depraved Killers
By Christopher Berry-Dee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being.
As compilations go it wasn’t too bad. I got a feeling it wasn’t a book he wanted to write he seemed a little wushu washy in parts of that makes sense. There were a few I’d never heard of in this and that’s why it’s a 3 star instead of a 2 as he seemed quite animated about these select few. I do have a few more of his book in my tbr pile so I will give him an go.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Snowman (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
When Harry Hole, an elite crime squad’s lead detective, investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer nicknamed "The Snowman" may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit, the detective must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.
Another adaptation of a popular book. this one by Jo Nesbø in the Harry Hole series. As is becoming tradition (as I can only read so many books in a year) I haven't read it, but I was aware of it being very popular when it came out. So it wasn't really surprising that this one was made.
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it.
Another adaptation of a popular book. this one by Jo Nesbø in the Harry Hole series. As is becoming tradition (as I can only read so many books in a year) I haven't read it, but I was aware of it being very popular when it came out. So it wasn't really surprising that this one was made.
I can't work out if it would have been better if it hadn't been a book first. Serial killers are right up my alley so at some point I would have watched this one, but while I enjoyed it, it was somewhat predictable. I will definitely go and read the book, as consensus seems to be that it was much better. I was just left feeling a bit... meh... at the end of it.
Too many slow episodes (1 more)
Not what I expected
Disappointing
This looked interesting, a spin off series from silence of the lambs set a few months later.
It's all over the place with some very good episodes but far too many slow rather dull episodes. Rather than tracking serial killers as you might expect this covers many areas of the FBI. The main plot running through the series is of some murders to cover up the results of a drug trial of a major company. It goes off track at times and can be hard to follow. More due to lack of interest. The ties to the Silence of the lambs which pop up tend to be the best episodes.
Overall not a very gripping storyline make it slightly disappointing.
It's all over the place with some very good episodes but far too many slow rather dull episodes. Rather than tracking serial killers as you might expect this covers many areas of the FBI. The main plot running through the series is of some murders to cover up the results of a drug trial of a major company. It goes off track at times and can be hard to follow. More due to lack of interest. The ties to the Silence of the lambs which pop up tend to be the best episodes.
Overall not a very gripping storyline make it slightly disappointing.