Search
Search results
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Best Horror of the Year Volume 1 in Books
Apr 30, 2021
56 of 250
Book
The Best Horror of the Year Volume 1
Edited by Ellen Datlow
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments!
I will post in comments a short comment on each story!
An Air Force Loadmaster is menaced by strange sounds within his cargo; a man is asked to track down a childhood friend... who died years earlier; doomed pioneers forge a path westward as a young mother discovers her true nature; an alcoholic strikes a dangerous bargain with a gregarious stranger; urban explorers delve into a ruined book depository, finding more than they anticipated; residents of a rural Wisconsin town defend against a legendary monster; a woman wracked by survivor's guilt is haunted by the ghosts of a tragic crash; a detective strives to solve the mystery of a dismembered girl; an orphan returns to a wicked witch's candy house; a group of smugglers find themselves buried to the necks in sand; an unanticipated guest brings doom to a high-class party; a teacher attempts to lead his students to safety as the world comes to an end around them...
What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the twenty-one stories and poems included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year.
Legendary editor Ellen Datlow (Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year, Volume One.
1. Cargo by E.Michael Lewis
So chilling and so sad! This is short I dedication to the families of those children in Jonestown and the men and women who brought the bodies home.
2. If Angels Fight by Richard Bowes
This is about a man searching for his friend who was possessed by an Angel. On this journey you see and find out that this Angel left his friend and left a trail behind him to follow. His family never gave up he managed to find his friend and Angel Michael and return him to his home one last time. Only question was did he bring him home to find his sister to posses or to say goodbye to his mother?.
3. The Clay Party by Steve Duffy
A group of settlers embark on a journey for a new life in California in 1846, the journey does not go as expected. I was a bit bored at the beginning but certainly had a twist at the end.
4. Penguins of the Apocalypse by William Browning Spencer
This is brilliant! A man fighting his personal battles with alcohol! Now is the pulka and penguin freedom movement real or a fragment of his imagination while under the influence? Either way it was entertaining!
5. Esmeralda by Glen Hirshberg
This is a very strange little story involving the end of all books,pens and paper! Very odd!
6. The Hodog by Trent Hergenrader
A good old fashioned urban legend!
7. Very Low Flying Aircraft by Nicholas Royle
Not one for me didnt really grip me.
8. When the Gentlemen Go By. By Margaret Ronald
This was a bit chilling and I would love to have read more about these “Gentlemen” who come at night to make bargains!
9. The Lagerstatte by Laird Barron
Grief does strange things to our minds and body! This was quite chilling.
10. Harry and the Monkey by Euan Harvey
This really plays on every fear a parent has when their kids go missing especially in a place and time where children are vanishing!
11 Dress Circle by Miranda Siemeinowicz
12. The Rising River. By Daniel Kaysen
This was strange and after reading it I’m still not sure what’s happening 😂😂
13 Loup-Garou by R.B. Russell
I enjoyed this strange litte story set in my hometown of Birmingham. A little french film causes a little drama in this mans life.
14. Girl in pieces by Graham Edwards
This was my favourite! So far fetched into a world of monsters a detective helps a Golum save a girl cut to pieces! So much fun
15 It washed up by Joe R. Lonsdale
Wow how to pack a punch in 2 pages! Loved it!
16 The Man from the Peak by Adam Golaski
Brilliant short full of mystery blood and gore! Very well written.
17. The Narrows by Simon Bestwick
This actually chilled me I’d hate sending my child to school and have something like this happen which of course is totally possible.
I loved this book of small tales and discovering those writers I wouldn’t normally be exposed too!
Book
The Best Horror of the Year Volume 1
Edited by Ellen Datlow
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments!
I will post in comments a short comment on each story!
An Air Force Loadmaster is menaced by strange sounds within his cargo; a man is asked to track down a childhood friend... who died years earlier; doomed pioneers forge a path westward as a young mother discovers her true nature; an alcoholic strikes a dangerous bargain with a gregarious stranger; urban explorers delve into a ruined book depository, finding more than they anticipated; residents of a rural Wisconsin town defend against a legendary monster; a woman wracked by survivor's guilt is haunted by the ghosts of a tragic crash; a detective strives to solve the mystery of a dismembered girl; an orphan returns to a wicked witch's candy house; a group of smugglers find themselves buried to the necks in sand; an unanticipated guest brings doom to a high-class party; a teacher attempts to lead his students to safety as the world comes to an end around them...
What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the twenty-one stories and poems included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year.
Legendary editor Ellen Datlow (Poe: New Tales Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year, Volume One.
1. Cargo by E.Michael Lewis
So chilling and so sad! This is short I dedication to the families of those children in Jonestown and the men and women who brought the bodies home.
2. If Angels Fight by Richard Bowes
This is about a man searching for his friend who was possessed by an Angel. On this journey you see and find out that this Angel left his friend and left a trail behind him to follow. His family never gave up he managed to find his friend and Angel Michael and return him to his home one last time. Only question was did he bring him home to find his sister to posses or to say goodbye to his mother?.
3. The Clay Party by Steve Duffy
A group of settlers embark on a journey for a new life in California in 1846, the journey does not go as expected. I was a bit bored at the beginning but certainly had a twist at the end.
4. Penguins of the Apocalypse by William Browning Spencer
This is brilliant! A man fighting his personal battles with alcohol! Now is the pulka and penguin freedom movement real or a fragment of his imagination while under the influence? Either way it was entertaining!
5. Esmeralda by Glen Hirshberg
This is a very strange little story involving the end of all books,pens and paper! Very odd!
6. The Hodog by Trent Hergenrader
A good old fashioned urban legend!
7. Very Low Flying Aircraft by Nicholas Royle
Not one for me didnt really grip me.
8. When the Gentlemen Go By. By Margaret Ronald
This was a bit chilling and I would love to have read more about these “Gentlemen” who come at night to make bargains!
9. The Lagerstatte by Laird Barron
Grief does strange things to our minds and body! This was quite chilling.
10. Harry and the Monkey by Euan Harvey
This really plays on every fear a parent has when their kids go missing especially in a place and time where children are vanishing!
11 Dress Circle by Miranda Siemeinowicz
12. The Rising River. By Daniel Kaysen
This was strange and after reading it I’m still not sure what’s happening 😂😂
13 Loup-Garou by R.B. Russell
I enjoyed this strange litte story set in my hometown of Birmingham. A little french film causes a little drama in this mans life.
14. Girl in pieces by Graham Edwards
This was my favourite! So far fetched into a world of monsters a detective helps a Golum save a girl cut to pieces! So much fun
15 It washed up by Joe R. Lonsdale
Wow how to pack a punch in 2 pages! Loved it!
16 The Man from the Peak by Adam Golaski
Brilliant short full of mystery blood and gore! Very well written.
17. The Narrows by Simon Bestwick
This actually chilled me I’d hate sending my child to school and have something like this happen which of course is totally possible.
I loved this book of small tales and discovering those writers I wouldn’t normally be exposed too!
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Marvel's Spider-Man in Video Games
Jun 19, 2020
All Round Performances Are Fantastic. (4 more)
Combat Is Arkham-esque.
New York Sandbox Is The Definition Of Fun.
Story Feels Fresh And Thrilling.
The Webswinging.
Frame Rate Issues. (1 more)
Few Missed Opportunities With The Story.
The Best Superhero Game Ever?
When I was nine years old, I fell thirty feet out of a tree on a British summers day. Coincidently, because of damp moss on a branch. I spent seven days in a hospital, recovering from a punctured lung, caused by impact on my ribs. In that week, I spent most of my time playing Spider-Man 2, a tie in with the Sam Raimi film, on a hospital owned PlayStation 2. Why am I telling you this story? Well, I spent quite a substantial amount of time playing that game, and it slowly made me realise the mechanics and skill that go into making a video game. Spider-Man wouldn't just shoot his web up in the sky and start swinging, like the Spider-Man game previous. Spider-Man would have to attach his webs to buildings he flew by, and this blew my mind and kept me occupied for hours and hours. For me, it encapsulated a feeling of being so immersed within a medium, you forget everything around you, and in my case it just so happened to be bed ridden in a hospital with a punctured lung. Spider-Man games have come and gone since that 2004 classic, but none have ever been as fun to play.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game ever made, and an even bolder statement, it just might be the best superhero game ever made. Insomniac have crafted an original experience, whilst keeping the spirit and tone of Spidey the same of that from the comics. You can tell right from the opening cinematic, Insomniac have done their research extensively, from the witty dialogue of Peter Parker’s banter, to the wise cracks he makes as his alter ego when punching the pulp out of thugs and villains. The fundamental idea of what this game strives to be is fun, and this is the very definition.
The story is follows Peter, as he juggles the responsibility of being a superhero, with the very normal aspects of everyday life, like holding down an apartment, or retaining a relationship with his Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson. While this remains the core of the narrative, villainy is taking shape in the background, as multiple antagonists are preparing to take down the web-slinger, once and for all. Included in the story comes a variety of side missions, activities to complete, collectables to find, and costumes to unlock. The sheer amount of things to do in this game is unbelievable. The costumes alone ranks up to thirty eight (with DLC included), all in ridiculously beautiful detail. I specifically remember a moment when the rising sun over the Big Apple shone over the windows of a skyscraper, bouncing onto the red of Spider-Man’s suit. I was in awe. In fact, I was in awe over the entire map of New York City, which feels alive, even a character within itself. The major monuments all bring such authenticity to the overall feel of a city you can fully explore. Its a massive playground for Spider-Man, and I never felt the need to fast travel at all.
The characters make the story worth playing multiple times. Certain characters can’t be mentioned due to spoiling aspects of the narrative, but stand-out performances happen time and time again. This also brings a dynamic between characters that shines over the entire experience. Peter and MJ are partners, yet their relationship seems distanced from past troubles. We never find out specifically, but the seeds are planted from dialogue that we can only guess from an audiences’ perspective. It brings so much back story to the characters, making them seem so fleshed out and real. No Uncle Ben death scenes either, so that is a plus in my book.
The combat, at first, felt all to familiar with Rocksteady’s Arkham Series, which isn't a problem, but instead I wanted something a little new to engage with. Then a collection of gadgets are introduced, and this mixes everything up. Everything feels so fluid and silky smooth, from webbing thugs against a wall, or sending out a spiderdrone to fire rounds of electric bullets to incapacitate an opponent. Again, this never feels stale, even when I had collected every collectable and finished all activities, I spent hours just waiting for police calls so I could attend crimes an battle enemies. This is perhaps where Insomniac need to be commended most. Games are all too disposable at times, once its done you're done with it, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is so damn fun, even when everything is done. You feel the need to explore, the need to finish the side missions and activities, because every aspect is so well produced.
I do however have minor issues to mention. I did experience tiny pauses in gameplay whilst the city loaded more buildings, I don't know if this was down to playing on a standard PS4 rather than a Pro. The story does sometimes cut a few beats short in areas, and the DLC feels like it could of been included within the game, which ultimately feels like it was, and was decided to be DLC for an extra cost. But, these are little gripes for an overall fantastic package. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game ever made, and an even bolder statement, it just might be the best superhero game ever made. Insomniac have crafted an original experience, whilst keeping the spirit and tone of Spidey the same of that from the comics. You can tell right from the opening cinematic, Insomniac have done their research extensively, from the witty dialogue of Peter Parker’s banter, to the wise cracks he makes as his alter ego when punching the pulp out of thugs and villains. The fundamental idea of what this game strives to be is fun, and this is the very definition.
The story is follows Peter, as he juggles the responsibility of being a superhero, with the very normal aspects of everyday life, like holding down an apartment, or retaining a relationship with his Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson. While this remains the core of the narrative, villainy is taking shape in the background, as multiple antagonists are preparing to take down the web-slinger, once and for all. Included in the story comes a variety of side missions, activities to complete, collectables to find, and costumes to unlock. The sheer amount of things to do in this game is unbelievable. The costumes alone ranks up to thirty eight (with DLC included), all in ridiculously beautiful detail. I specifically remember a moment when the rising sun over the Big Apple shone over the windows of a skyscraper, bouncing onto the red of Spider-Man’s suit. I was in awe. In fact, I was in awe over the entire map of New York City, which feels alive, even a character within itself. The major monuments all bring such authenticity to the overall feel of a city you can fully explore. Its a massive playground for Spider-Man, and I never felt the need to fast travel at all.
The characters make the story worth playing multiple times. Certain characters can’t be mentioned due to spoiling aspects of the narrative, but stand-out performances happen time and time again. This also brings a dynamic between characters that shines over the entire experience. Peter and MJ are partners, yet their relationship seems distanced from past troubles. We never find out specifically, but the seeds are planted from dialogue that we can only guess from an audiences’ perspective. It brings so much back story to the characters, making them seem so fleshed out and real. No Uncle Ben death scenes either, so that is a plus in my book.
The combat, at first, felt all to familiar with Rocksteady’s Arkham Series, which isn't a problem, but instead I wanted something a little new to engage with. Then a collection of gadgets are introduced, and this mixes everything up. Everything feels so fluid and silky smooth, from webbing thugs against a wall, or sending out a spiderdrone to fire rounds of electric bullets to incapacitate an opponent. Again, this never feels stale, even when I had collected every collectable and finished all activities, I spent hours just waiting for police calls so I could attend crimes an battle enemies. This is perhaps where Insomniac need to be commended most. Games are all too disposable at times, once its done you're done with it, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is so damn fun, even when everything is done. You feel the need to explore, the need to finish the side missions and activities, because every aspect is so well produced.
I do however have minor issues to mention. I did experience tiny pauses in gameplay whilst the city loaded more buildings, I don't know if this was down to playing on a standard PS4 rather than a Pro. The story does sometimes cut a few beats short in areas, and the DLC feels like it could of been included within the game, which ultimately feels like it was, and was decided to be DLC for an extra cost. But, these are little gripes for an overall fantastic package. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Pandora's Box (1929) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
Pandora’s Box was one of the last films of the silent era, a period of transition to sound which I believe set the art of cinematography back a decade.
In short. Pandora’s Box looks stunning! Using the frame to its fullest, with a combination of wide framing and exploiting the art of the close up as Lulu herself, would the men around her, as well as driven by brilliant performances by most of the cast. But kudos needs to go to the star, Louise Brooks, as she portrays Lulu, the alluring flapper girl who can work her innocent, secutive magic on anyone, men and women alike.
But this is not limited to the narrative’s characters as her performance is subtle and underplayed, oozing out the silver screen and seducing the audience with same allure. If looks could kill, then this movie has them all.
With a sparse use of inter-titles, the film relies on both the physicality of the cast and imaginative cinematography to convey the seductive and danger of the events as they unfold over the two and bit hour runtime. Fritz Korner in particular rivals Brooks with the intensity of his performance as the ill fated husband of the girl about town.
And then there’s Alice Roberts, the Countess, who is widely thought to have the first lesbian to be seen on screen. Only Belgian actress’s second film in her short career, is played very Germanic, yet sympathetic as she too, has been drawn under Lulu’s spell.
This was made during the period in which German cinema was ruling, driving the art form from the nickelodeon to the theatre, but this was about to change in the 1930’s with advent of the sound and the golden age of American cinema. But as this film proves, you do not need sound to tell or show a good story.
Granted, the central story is pretty mediocre; a simple tale of a damaged woman who instinctively uses her allure to get her own way yet not as a diva, just an instinctive manipulator, casting her spell far and wide until that spell leads her into the hands London serial killer, Jack The Ripper (Gustav Diessl). But she is never portrayed as evil or scheming, just as herself as those around her are drawn to her aide.
There is little of the pantamine action or motives that you can expect from this genre even now, 90 years on.
But German director G.W. Pabst manages to create a multi-layered tale, deepened by psychological and social subtext, achieved as much because of the relationship he garnered with the star, Brookes, as he played on her natural talents to bring one of cinemas most defining roles to the screen. This would be the first of two collaborations between the director and the wayward starlet that year.
Pandora’s Box is yet another example of how German Cinema was leading the world back in the 1920’s; and even though the second world war may have brought this golden era to an abrupt end, it’s legacy lives on today with the styles, both in front and behind the camera, still being honoured by entire film industry now and hopefully for decades to come.
In short. Pandora’s Box looks stunning! Using the frame to its fullest, with a combination of wide framing and exploiting the art of the close up as Lulu herself, would the men around her, as well as driven by brilliant performances by most of the cast. But kudos needs to go to the star, Louise Brooks, as she portrays Lulu, the alluring flapper girl who can work her innocent, secutive magic on anyone, men and women alike.
But this is not limited to the narrative’s characters as her performance is subtle and underplayed, oozing out the silver screen and seducing the audience with same allure. If looks could kill, then this movie has them all.
With a sparse use of inter-titles, the film relies on both the physicality of the cast and imaginative cinematography to convey the seductive and danger of the events as they unfold over the two and bit hour runtime. Fritz Korner in particular rivals Brooks with the intensity of his performance as the ill fated husband of the girl about town.
And then there’s Alice Roberts, the Countess, who is widely thought to have the first lesbian to be seen on screen. Only Belgian actress’s second film in her short career, is played very Germanic, yet sympathetic as she too, has been drawn under Lulu’s spell.
This was made during the period in which German cinema was ruling, driving the art form from the nickelodeon to the theatre, but this was about to change in the 1930’s with advent of the sound and the golden age of American cinema. But as this film proves, you do not need sound to tell or show a good story.
Granted, the central story is pretty mediocre; a simple tale of a damaged woman who instinctively uses her allure to get her own way yet not as a diva, just an instinctive manipulator, casting her spell far and wide until that spell leads her into the hands London serial killer, Jack The Ripper (Gustav Diessl). But she is never portrayed as evil or scheming, just as herself as those around her are drawn to her aide.
There is little of the pantamine action or motives that you can expect from this genre even now, 90 years on.
But German director G.W. Pabst manages to create a multi-layered tale, deepened by psychological and social subtext, achieved as much because of the relationship he garnered with the star, Brookes, as he played on her natural talents to bring one of cinemas most defining roles to the screen. This would be the first of two collaborations between the director and the wayward starlet that year.
Pandora’s Box is yet another example of how German Cinema was leading the world back in the 1920’s; and even though the second world war may have brought this golden era to an abrupt end, it’s legacy lives on today with the styles, both in front and behind the camera, still being honoured by entire film industry now and hopefully for decades to come.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Scream 4 (2011) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Horror films have been in a steady decline for the past few years with countless remakes and sequels to some of the most loved horror franchises. After an 8 year hiatus, Wes Craven resurrects the seemingly dead Scream series with some fantastic results. Scream 4 does for horror what the original did way back in 1996; it carves out a new direction for what has been a lifeless genre.
Scre4m sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott alongside the much loved Courtney Cox and David Arquette as Gale Riley (previously Weathers) and Dewey Riley respectively. This time, the story focuses on Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodsboro promoting a book about her life. Of course, this is Scream; so it’s not all plain sailing and her arrival beckons the return of ‘Ghostface’ and his (or her) grisly murders.
The first Scream was well-known for poking fun at the genre and the latest instalment is no exception. It wraps a sublime mix of comedy and self-awareness with the sharp horror which made the first trilogy such a hit. The success in this film is that it never takes itself too seriously, and neither do the cast who look like they’re having a bloody good time. 8 years on and they don’t look like they’re too long in the tooth for this kind of madness, which is an unusual thing. By far the standout performance is from Courtney Cox who slips seamlessly back into the role of Gale and shows the audience why she was the perfect choice for her part.
However, it isn’t all about the veteran stars, some new talent joins the ranks and what better place to start than in a film which has the opportunity of revitalising a tarnished and battered genre. Nico Torterella joins the franchise as Trevor Sheldon, playing a similar part to that of Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in the original. Torterella, with his limited characterisation does very well and steps into the shoes of the creepy ex-boyfriend role exceptionally. But who is he the ex-boyfriend of I hear you cry? Well, Emma Roberts comes to the series for the first time as Jill Roberts, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. Emma plays the part well and in fact provides some of the standout lines throughout the entire film.
Anna Paquin also gets a short cameo in the introduction of the film; much like Drew Barrymore did in the first.
Scream 4 is much like the first with its comedic timing and as such is one of the better instalments in the series, stopping short of being the best. It has been directed very well but is slightly too long and the constant guessing game of who is to blame for the murders can wear thin if you’re not in the mood for Cluedo. The fantastic characters, portrayed brilliantly by their real-life counterparts and the excellent story really are the highlights of a film which has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. Here, 8 years on from Scream 3 and 15 years; yes 15 years on from the original, Scream 4 revitalises the horror genre and is in every respect, brilliant.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
Scre4m sees Neve Campbell return as Sidney Prescott alongside the much loved Courtney Cox and David Arquette as Gale Riley (previously Weathers) and Dewey Riley respectively. This time, the story focuses on Sidney Prescott returning to her hometown of Woodsboro promoting a book about her life. Of course, this is Scream; so it’s not all plain sailing and her arrival beckons the return of ‘Ghostface’ and his (or her) grisly murders.
The first Scream was well-known for poking fun at the genre and the latest instalment is no exception. It wraps a sublime mix of comedy and self-awareness with the sharp horror which made the first trilogy such a hit. The success in this film is that it never takes itself too seriously, and neither do the cast who look like they’re having a bloody good time. 8 years on and they don’t look like they’re too long in the tooth for this kind of madness, which is an unusual thing. By far the standout performance is from Courtney Cox who slips seamlessly back into the role of Gale and shows the audience why she was the perfect choice for her part.
However, it isn’t all about the veteran stars, some new talent joins the ranks and what better place to start than in a film which has the opportunity of revitalising a tarnished and battered genre. Nico Torterella joins the franchise as Trevor Sheldon, playing a similar part to that of Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis in the original. Torterella, with his limited characterisation does very well and steps into the shoes of the creepy ex-boyfriend role exceptionally. But who is he the ex-boyfriend of I hear you cry? Well, Emma Roberts comes to the series for the first time as Jill Roberts, Sidney Prescott’s cousin. Emma plays the part well and in fact provides some of the standout lines throughout the entire film.
Anna Paquin also gets a short cameo in the introduction of the film; much like Drew Barrymore did in the first.
Scream 4 is much like the first with its comedic timing and as such is one of the better instalments in the series, stopping short of being the best. It has been directed very well but is slightly too long and the constant guessing game of who is to blame for the murders can wear thin if you’re not in the mood for Cluedo. The fantastic characters, portrayed brilliantly by their real-life counterparts and the excellent story really are the highlights of a film which has succeeded in what it set out to achieve. Here, 8 years on from Scream 3 and 15 years; yes 15 years on from the original, Scream 4 revitalises the horror genre and is in every respect, brilliant.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/04/30/scream-4-2011/
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Fall in Books
Jan 23, 2020
*puts on best announcer voice* Ahem.
I'd like to present to you the <b>most confusing book of the year</b>, <i>The Fall</i> by Bethany Griffin. It's a <b>very odd and peculiar book </b>based on Edgar Allen Poe's short story, <i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i>. In Griffin's retelling, Madeline Usher believes that she can break the curse on the Ushers, but then she wakes up in a fabulously claustrophobic box called a coffin.
In all seriousness, <i>The Fall</i> is actually <b>a retelling on one of Poe's stories </b>that I didn't actually read, but watched instead (so bad, it was good). From reading the synopsis of Griffin's retelling, <b>it sounded like Madeline Usher had spent most of her life trying to break free from the curse.</b>
I ended up with something different. At least, that's what I would probably end up with if I actually made it to the end of the book, which I chose not to. I totally admit I peeked at the last few pages just to see what would happen, and it was nothing special.
<b>Griffin starts us out right when Madeline wakes up in a coffin. The rest of the book, however, is all flashback from Madeline's childhood, starting from when she was nine. It's a little out of order, but has a pattern to it in a way</b> – one chapter is nine, the next is fifteen, and occasionally there's a diary/journal entry from Lisbeth Usher. I'm no fan of chapters being even remotely out of order (they can get confusing when you're busy and come back to the story a few days later), but <b>at least Griffin had a pattern.</b>
At least, until about page 150. <b>WHERE IS THIRTEEN AND WHY ARE YOU SKIPPED.</b>
Of course, we go back to thirteen in the next chapter and continue the pattern. In my little game of peek-ahead, I found out <b>there <i>is</i> no particular pattern. My hypothesis to all this is Griffin portraying Madeline's madness increasing as her age increases. As Madeline grows older, she becomes madder. </b>How's that for implementing science?
Anyways, about 50 pages later, I'm pretty much going, "Your point is..?" in a very uninterested mental voice that may or may not include a mental eye roll or two in the process. Here's all that I've found out from what I read:
<ol>
<li>Madeline wakes up in a coffin – Go figure.</li>
<li>She and her brother Roderick is cursed – Knew that.</li>
<li>The House of Usher is, well, alive – Knew that.</li>
<li>The House of Usher is malicious – Knew that, but this was ten times creepier from the cheesy short film.</li>
<li>Madeline has a desire to break the curse on her family – It's very subtle.</li>
</ol>
In the long run, <b><i>The Fall</i> is written in a scattered format (see my hypothesis!) to emphasize the fact that the House of Usher is alive, malicious, and will do <i>anything</i> to keep an Usher within its walls for all eternity. It's nothing remotely impressive if you read or watched the original.</b>
And this is when the book club kills me.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-the-fall-by-bethany-griffin/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
I'd like to present to you the <b>most confusing book of the year</b>, <i>The Fall</i> by Bethany Griffin. It's a <b>very odd and peculiar book </b>based on Edgar Allen Poe's short story, <i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i>. In Griffin's retelling, Madeline Usher believes that she can break the curse on the Ushers, but then she wakes up in a fabulously claustrophobic box called a coffin.
In all seriousness, <i>The Fall</i> is actually <b>a retelling on one of Poe's stories </b>that I didn't actually read, but watched instead (so bad, it was good). From reading the synopsis of Griffin's retelling, <b>it sounded like Madeline Usher had spent most of her life trying to break free from the curse.</b>
I ended up with something different. At least, that's what I would probably end up with if I actually made it to the end of the book, which I chose not to. I totally admit I peeked at the last few pages just to see what would happen, and it was nothing special.
<b>Griffin starts us out right when Madeline wakes up in a coffin. The rest of the book, however, is all flashback from Madeline's childhood, starting from when she was nine. It's a little out of order, but has a pattern to it in a way</b> – one chapter is nine, the next is fifteen, and occasionally there's a diary/journal entry from Lisbeth Usher. I'm no fan of chapters being even remotely out of order (they can get confusing when you're busy and come back to the story a few days later), but <b>at least Griffin had a pattern.</b>
At least, until about page 150. <b>WHERE IS THIRTEEN AND WHY ARE YOU SKIPPED.</b>
Of course, we go back to thirteen in the next chapter and continue the pattern. In my little game of peek-ahead, I found out <b>there <i>is</i> no particular pattern. My hypothesis to all this is Griffin portraying Madeline's madness increasing as her age increases. As Madeline grows older, she becomes madder. </b>How's that for implementing science?
Anyways, about 50 pages later, I'm pretty much going, "Your point is..?" in a very uninterested mental voice that may or may not include a mental eye roll or two in the process. Here's all that I've found out from what I read:
<ol>
<li>Madeline wakes up in a coffin – Go figure.</li>
<li>She and her brother Roderick is cursed – Knew that.</li>
<li>The House of Usher is, well, alive – Knew that.</li>
<li>The House of Usher is malicious – Knew that, but this was ten times creepier from the cheesy short film.</li>
<li>Madeline has a desire to break the curse on her family – It's very subtle.</li>
</ol>
In the long run, <b><i>The Fall</i> is written in a scattered format (see my hypothesis!) to emphasize the fact that the House of Usher is alive, malicious, and will do <i>anything</i> to keep an Usher within its walls for all eternity. It's nothing remotely impressive if you read or watched the original.</b>
And this is when the book club kills me.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/dnf-review-the-fall-by-bethany-griffin/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Man Who Knew Infinity (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
In 1914, Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) traveled from his poverty-stricken existence in Madras, India to Trinity College, Cambridge in the hope that he would have his theories published and be recognized for the mathematical genius he was. While there, despite facing racism, hostility and severe illness, he formed an important relationship with G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) that would lead to breakthroughs in mathematics that are still relevant today.
It would be easy to prattle on about the tremendous talent onscreen in The Man Who Knew Infinity and with a supporting cast that features some of Britain’s best; we get exactly what we’d expect from the likes of Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones and Kevin McNally. All at the top of their game, they serve the story well with nuanced and well-rounded performances, and I’m certainly not going to take anything away from the exceptional jobs they’ve all done here. All the praise this film deserves however, needs to be directed at Dev Patel. In his role as Ramanujan, he’s completely stepped out of the shadow of his big-screen debut in Slumdog Millionaire and has proved his worth as a leading man capable of carrying the weight of an entire feature. Distancing himself also from the lovable, bumbling hotel owner in The Best Exotic Marigold movies, with Ramanujan he is allowed the room to display an incredible range, from quiet intensity to outspoken, unbridled passion and determination. Kudos also to the writers for not going The Big Short route (e.g. talking down to the uninitiated with ridiculous cutaways), but by using simple logic and examples to help convey complex information relevant to the plot.
For the performances alone, this is a solid entry in the biopic genre, but structurally speaking, it’s the editing that lets the film down. This very easily could have emerged as the next A Beautiful Mind, but between a bloated first act, a middling and wandering second act and a truncated final third, The Man Who Knew Infinity falls just short of greatness. Not only is no attention paid to Ramanujan’s achievements as a child, but too much time is given to details and subplots that are arguably inconsequential to the main narrative. This is especially evident in the inclusion of Bertrand Russell (who lived such a rich and fascinating life himself, it would take several films to do that story justice) and his being here feels like just a hollow excuse to include a cameo from another figure of historical importance. The biggest disservice though comes with the ending where we are denied a much needed catharsis and are left to suffer through a slap-dash, halfhearted montage. A restructuring from a more seasoned hand would have undoubtedly led to stronger word-of-mouth and perhaps a wider release. I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this is a case of “too many cooks” as the film has a staggering 43 credited producers. I get that independent features can be forced to source their funding from many places, but you can’t tell me that with all those opinions flying about that some of the original intent didn’t get lost in the noise.
As an aside, what Stephen Fry is doing here is beyond me. He’s given two scenes with perhaps a half a dozen lines, leaving his incomparable persona entirely wasted on a completely throwaway character. It’s a pity he wasn’t given a meatier role as one of Ramanujan’s antagonists.
It would be easy to prattle on about the tremendous talent onscreen in The Man Who Knew Infinity and with a supporting cast that features some of Britain’s best; we get exactly what we’d expect from the likes of Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones and Kevin McNally. All at the top of their game, they serve the story well with nuanced and well-rounded performances, and I’m certainly not going to take anything away from the exceptional jobs they’ve all done here. All the praise this film deserves however, needs to be directed at Dev Patel. In his role as Ramanujan, he’s completely stepped out of the shadow of his big-screen debut in Slumdog Millionaire and has proved his worth as a leading man capable of carrying the weight of an entire feature. Distancing himself also from the lovable, bumbling hotel owner in The Best Exotic Marigold movies, with Ramanujan he is allowed the room to display an incredible range, from quiet intensity to outspoken, unbridled passion and determination. Kudos also to the writers for not going The Big Short route (e.g. talking down to the uninitiated with ridiculous cutaways), but by using simple logic and examples to help convey complex information relevant to the plot.
For the performances alone, this is a solid entry in the biopic genre, but structurally speaking, it’s the editing that lets the film down. This very easily could have emerged as the next A Beautiful Mind, but between a bloated first act, a middling and wandering second act and a truncated final third, The Man Who Knew Infinity falls just short of greatness. Not only is no attention paid to Ramanujan’s achievements as a child, but too much time is given to details and subplots that are arguably inconsequential to the main narrative. This is especially evident in the inclusion of Bertrand Russell (who lived such a rich and fascinating life himself, it would take several films to do that story justice) and his being here feels like just a hollow excuse to include a cameo from another figure of historical importance. The biggest disservice though comes with the ending where we are denied a much needed catharsis and are left to suffer through a slap-dash, halfhearted montage. A restructuring from a more seasoned hand would have undoubtedly led to stronger word-of-mouth and perhaps a wider release. I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this is a case of “too many cooks” as the film has a staggering 43 credited producers. I get that independent features can be forced to source their funding from many places, but you can’t tell me that with all those opinions flying about that some of the original intent didn’t get lost in the noise.
As an aside, what Stephen Fry is doing here is beyond me. He’s given two scenes with perhaps a half a dozen lines, leaving his incomparable persona entirely wasted on a completely throwaway character. It’s a pity he wasn’t given a meatier role as one of Ramanujan’s antagonists.
Writers' Forum Magazine
Book and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Writers’ Forum is the markets leading title for writers. Every issue features special interviews...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Grim Ambition (A Grim Trilogy #1) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book was offered to me by Jennifer Reinfried, and even though I’m not big fan of “Marvel” and super heroes, I got interested in this book, because the “bad girl” was involved into finding out, who Grim was. That was what drew me to this book, and it was quite a nice read for me. This is a book about good and evil, and that sometimes evil can swap sides. The description of the book is quite detailed, so I don’t see a need to add anything.
This book is full of diverse characters, and any reader will have a variety to choose from as their favourites. In this case my most favourite was Alex, the cruel and vicious right hand of Mafia’s head Vance. Let me explain you why. From all of the characters, he was the most interesting one. He had everything what great villain would need: cruel, ruthless, smart, cunning, good looking and a little bit psychotic. I personally think he was the best rounded character from all of them. I believe that Shawn needed to be a little bit more extraordinary, so knowing how to drive a car and how to shoot, when you are blind would’ve been something “wow”. Emma, was my least favourite one. She was not smart, and her way up was literary though bed, her way into infiltration through seduction and bed. She chose the easiest ways which made her really boring to me. Jaxon was quite interesting as well. It was visible that he knows more than he gives away, and he has plenty of secrets to share with the readers in upcoming books. I was really glad, that author wrote this book including more than one character. More voices in the book helps to understand the characters better, and made it more interesting for me, as a reader.
There was a whole short story about Henry, the lawyer, but in the book he disappears quite quickly. It was quite strange to me. The characters have quite a short life span in this book, that’s why I’m interested to see what author has “up her sleeve”. This story has some great twists and turns, which keeps the interest going. I really liked the flashbacks from Shawn’s past, and I think, that in another parts of this sequel, it will unfold even more. As I mentioned before, this book is not typical super hero book, Grim has his flaws and his strengths, the girl who was devoted mafia’s poppet got confused in what she is going to do further, so that’s quite unusual and at the same time refreshing. I really loved, that at the end of the book, author put the portraits of the main characters that was absolutely awesome. I loved, that I could compare them with the ones of my imagination.
The writing style of this book is easy to understand, but it contains some erotic scenes, so it is not suitable for younger readers. The chapters are not long in this book, so it doesn’t drag along. There is quite a lot of action going on in the book, so it is fun to read it. The ending of the book is quite well thought through, and it leaves that cliff hanger to keep you guessing of what will happen next. So to conclude, if you looking for some super hero action, which is different and refreshing, give it a go and you might be surprised. I am really interested to see, what other parts of this series will bring.
This book is full of diverse characters, and any reader will have a variety to choose from as their favourites. In this case my most favourite was Alex, the cruel and vicious right hand of Mafia’s head Vance. Let me explain you why. From all of the characters, he was the most interesting one. He had everything what great villain would need: cruel, ruthless, smart, cunning, good looking and a little bit psychotic. I personally think he was the best rounded character from all of them. I believe that Shawn needed to be a little bit more extraordinary, so knowing how to drive a car and how to shoot, when you are blind would’ve been something “wow”. Emma, was my least favourite one. She was not smart, and her way up was literary though bed, her way into infiltration through seduction and bed. She chose the easiest ways which made her really boring to me. Jaxon was quite interesting as well. It was visible that he knows more than he gives away, and he has plenty of secrets to share with the readers in upcoming books. I was really glad, that author wrote this book including more than one character. More voices in the book helps to understand the characters better, and made it more interesting for me, as a reader.
There was a whole short story about Henry, the lawyer, but in the book he disappears quite quickly. It was quite strange to me. The characters have quite a short life span in this book, that’s why I’m interested to see what author has “up her sleeve”. This story has some great twists and turns, which keeps the interest going. I really liked the flashbacks from Shawn’s past, and I think, that in another parts of this sequel, it will unfold even more. As I mentioned before, this book is not typical super hero book, Grim has his flaws and his strengths, the girl who was devoted mafia’s poppet got confused in what she is going to do further, so that’s quite unusual and at the same time refreshing. I really loved, that at the end of the book, author put the portraits of the main characters that was absolutely awesome. I loved, that I could compare them with the ones of my imagination.
The writing style of this book is easy to understand, but it contains some erotic scenes, so it is not suitable for younger readers. The chapters are not long in this book, so it doesn’t drag along. There is quite a lot of action going on in the book, so it is fun to read it. The ending of the book is quite well thought through, and it leaves that cliff hanger to keep you guessing of what will happen next. So to conclude, if you looking for some super hero action, which is different and refreshing, give it a go and you might be surprised. I am really interested to see, what other parts of this series will bring.
Debbiereadsbook (1656 KP) rated Close to Home (Sawyer's Ferry #4) in Books
Jun 28, 2019
my fav of the four!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Lee (2222 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Obviously I'm not familiar with the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark books that this movie is based on - a series of three books containing short horror stories for children and drawing heavily on urban legend and folklore for it's subject matter, first published in 1981. Apparently, the series is listed by the American Library Association as being the most challenged series of books from the 1990s, with complaints relating to the violence and disturbing subject matter portrayed within them not being suitable for the children it was aimed at. The illustrations within the book also drew criticism, vividly portraying the nightmare creatures and scenes contained within the stories. Perfect material for a movie version!
That movie version comes from Troll Hunter director André Øvredal and producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and attempts a Goosebumps style movie, taking some of the better known stories from the 80+ contained within the books and weaving them into a larger narrative, set in Mill Valley Pennsylvania during the fall of 1968.
It's Halloween and a group of teens are preparing to go out for an evening of trick or treating - applying makeup, getting into their costumes, fishing in the toilet for turds in preparation for a Halloween trick. They head out on their bikes but it's not long before they run into some idiot jocks from their local school, and that turd trick suddenly comes in handy! We've already been introduced to the jocks earlier in the movie, out in a cornfield where they were hitting a creepy looking scarecrow about the head with a baseball bat. Yep, they're certainly going to regret that a little bit later on!
The teens manage to escape the jocks, working their way into a drive through movie that's showing "Night of the Living Dead" and into the car of another teen called Ramón. The group strike up a bond with Ramón after he helps them out and they all decide to go and break into an abandoned local house which is reportedly haunted. They find their way into the basement where legend has it that Sarah Bellows, the daughter of a prominent local family, was locked away in the late 1800s. Horror nerd Stella comes across a book containing short scary stories that were written in blood by Sarah, and she decides to take it with them. As Stella opens the book’s pages, she sees that Sarah’s stories are literally beginning to write themselves - stories that put her friends in some pretty unpleasant situations, stories which immediately become reality the moment they're written. As Stella later puts it, "You don't read the book, the book reads you".
The setup and the scenarios within each story are enjoyable enough and are certainly creepy, however the execution doesn't always work so well and the payoffs aren't quite as scary as I would have liked. The movie also suffers from some slightly dodgy CGI at times too, which doesn't help. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the final story, and the return to the house in order to try and stop Sarah Bellows worked really well for me. It all ends with a definite opportunity for a sequel and with plenty more scary stories to choose from within the source material, I'm sure we'll be seeing another one soon. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark taps nicely into the "It" and "Stranger Thing" vibe, with it's group of teens rising up together against evil, and despite it's faults I did have a lot of fun with it. I'm definitely interested in seeing more.
That movie version comes from Troll Hunter director André Øvredal and producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and attempts a Goosebumps style movie, taking some of the better known stories from the 80+ contained within the books and weaving them into a larger narrative, set in Mill Valley Pennsylvania during the fall of 1968.
It's Halloween and a group of teens are preparing to go out for an evening of trick or treating - applying makeup, getting into their costumes, fishing in the toilet for turds in preparation for a Halloween trick. They head out on their bikes but it's not long before they run into some idiot jocks from their local school, and that turd trick suddenly comes in handy! We've already been introduced to the jocks earlier in the movie, out in a cornfield where they were hitting a creepy looking scarecrow about the head with a baseball bat. Yep, they're certainly going to regret that a little bit later on!
The teens manage to escape the jocks, working their way into a drive through movie that's showing "Night of the Living Dead" and into the car of another teen called Ramón. The group strike up a bond with Ramón after he helps them out and they all decide to go and break into an abandoned local house which is reportedly haunted. They find their way into the basement where legend has it that Sarah Bellows, the daughter of a prominent local family, was locked away in the late 1800s. Horror nerd Stella comes across a book containing short scary stories that were written in blood by Sarah, and she decides to take it with them. As Stella opens the book’s pages, she sees that Sarah’s stories are literally beginning to write themselves - stories that put her friends in some pretty unpleasant situations, stories which immediately become reality the moment they're written. As Stella later puts it, "You don't read the book, the book reads you".
The setup and the scenarios within each story are enjoyable enough and are certainly creepy, however the execution doesn't always work so well and the payoffs aren't quite as scary as I would have liked. The movie also suffers from some slightly dodgy CGI at times too, which doesn't help. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the final story, and the return to the house in order to try and stop Sarah Bellows worked really well for me. It all ends with a definite opportunity for a sequel and with plenty more scary stories to choose from within the source material, I'm sure we'll be seeing another one soon. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark taps nicely into the "It" and "Stranger Thing" vibe, with it's group of teens rising up together against evil, and despite it's faults I did have a lot of fun with it. I'm definitely interested in seeing more.