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Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8)
Book
Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its...
Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)
8.7
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John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined...
The Starfolk Arcana (The Starfolk Trilogy #1) by Martha Dunlop
9.0
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Destiny calls. Soulmates draw closer. One woman stands in the way. Beth trusts her psychic...
Urban Fantasy Paranormal
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated It Comes At Night (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
There are some things that are truly frightening. For some, it could be ghosts while others fear zombies. There are many things that concern us and even keep us awake at night. With It Comes At Night, audiences are faced with one of the greatest fears that man has: the unknown.
The film features Paul (Joel Edgerton) a father and husband who is seeking to keep his family safe in the wilderness from unknown threats. He and his family are uncertain of what has taken place. They are not sure if the population has become victims to terrorism, disease, or some sort of supernatural occurrence. Paranoia builds as a stranger arrives on their land. What are his intentions? Can they trust each other long enough to survive? Will they outlast whatever has consumed countless others?
The film is haunting and will have its audience trying to guess and discover what exactly is taking place. The film is reminiscent of The Village, The Happening, and other movies that rely on ambiguity. For some films, the mystery may be the downfall as it leads nowhere. With It Comes At Night, the filmmakers allow for reality to seep into the lives that viewers are witnessing on the screen. For this film, the ambiguity allows for the audience to question how they would behave or adapt in a seemingly post-apocalyptic environment. We like to think that we know, but we can never be sure. This comes through with the actions of each of the characters. They are alone and afraid.
The film is deep in its approach to what the world would look like should calamity approach. People would become distrustful, fight, turn on each other, kill without thinking, and eventually sink into the realization that they don’t know what to do. It Comes at Night allows for the reality of horror to be exposed. It is not knowing how to face a certain danger, it is about having to come to terms with the unknown.
The film features Paul (Joel Edgerton) a father and husband who is seeking to keep his family safe in the wilderness from unknown threats. He and his family are uncertain of what has taken place. They are not sure if the population has become victims to terrorism, disease, or some sort of supernatural occurrence. Paranoia builds as a stranger arrives on their land. What are his intentions? Can they trust each other long enough to survive? Will they outlast whatever has consumed countless others?
The film is haunting and will have its audience trying to guess and discover what exactly is taking place. The film is reminiscent of The Village, The Happening, and other movies that rely on ambiguity. For some films, the mystery may be the downfall as it leads nowhere. With It Comes At Night, the filmmakers allow for reality to seep into the lives that viewers are witnessing on the screen. For this film, the ambiguity allows for the audience to question how they would behave or adapt in a seemingly post-apocalyptic environment. We like to think that we know, but we can never be sure. This comes through with the actions of each of the characters. They are alone and afraid.
The film is deep in its approach to what the world would look like should calamity approach. People would become distrustful, fight, turn on each other, kill without thinking, and eventually sink into the realization that they don’t know what to do. It Comes at Night allows for the reality of horror to be exposed. It is not knowing how to face a certain danger, it is about having to come to terms with the unknown.
Enchanted by You
10.0
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“Get in the car,” he orders." “No, I’m not going to." “Do. As. I. Say,” he commands,...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Black Phone (2022) in Movies
Jul 19, 2022
Tense and Suspenseful
Part STRANGER THINGS and Part IT, the new Blumhouse film, THE BLACK PHONE, is a surprisingly effective horror/thriller that is reminiscent of the better Stephen King stories - and that just might be because the short story for which this film is based on is written by Joe Hill - Stephen King’s son.
Wisely set in a time before cell phones (like both Stranger Things and It), THE BLACK PHONE tells the tale of a small town in Colorado that suddenly falls victim to “THE GRABBER” - an individual who grabs young teenage boys and kills them.
Smartly Directed by Scott Derrickson (the first DOCTOR STRANGE film), THE BLACK PHONE is effective for it focuses on the isolation of being in captivity, the anxiety of not knowing when someone is going to come through the door of the cell and the relationships of the young teens caught in “The Grabber’s” web. Credit for this, of course, goes to Derrickson who dropped out of Directing DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (over “creative differences”) and chose this passion project as his salve - and the passion shows. It must also be pointed out that Derrickson, wisely, opts to up the tension of this film, rather than the gore, so this movie becomes a suspense flick and not torture-porn.
Derrickson also draws very good performances from the young actors playing the main roles of this film - Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen), Tristan Pravong (Bruce), Jacob Moran (Billy) and Miguel Cazarez Mora (Robin). All are believable in their well written roles bringing more than just one-dimension to their characters.
These kids are more than ably joined by adult actors like James Ransone (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Jeremy Davies (TV’s LOST) and E. Roger Mitchell (OUTER BANKS). All of these folks bring gravitas and reality to a story that does drift into the un-reality at times.
And then there is the performance of the always good Ethan Hawke as the villain of this piece - THE GRABBER. It is a masterful performance by Hawke who brings humanity to this monster. Almost every actor that plays a villain say that they try to see the film from the villain’s point of view and Hawke brings that to this character in spades and (almost) makes one want to root for him. It is one of the better villains realized on film in the last few years.
One quibble with The Black Phone, is that it does have a tendency to sag a bit (especially in the middle). It is in the middle of the film that one can tell that this movie was based on a SHORT story and so, by necessity, there is some padding.
But that is picking a nit in what is a smart and tense film, one that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Wisely set in a time before cell phones (like both Stranger Things and It), THE BLACK PHONE tells the tale of a small town in Colorado that suddenly falls victim to “THE GRABBER” - an individual who grabs young teenage boys and kills them.
Smartly Directed by Scott Derrickson (the first DOCTOR STRANGE film), THE BLACK PHONE is effective for it focuses on the isolation of being in captivity, the anxiety of not knowing when someone is going to come through the door of the cell and the relationships of the young teens caught in “The Grabber’s” web. Credit for this, of course, goes to Derrickson who dropped out of Directing DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (over “creative differences”) and chose this passion project as his salve - and the passion shows. It must also be pointed out that Derrickson, wisely, opts to up the tension of this film, rather than the gore, so this movie becomes a suspense flick and not torture-porn.
Derrickson also draws very good performances from the young actors playing the main roles of this film - Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen), Tristan Pravong (Bruce), Jacob Moran (Billy) and Miguel Cazarez Mora (Robin). All are believable in their well written roles bringing more than just one-dimension to their characters.
These kids are more than ably joined by adult actors like James Ransone (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Jeremy Davies (TV’s LOST) and E. Roger Mitchell (OUTER BANKS). All of these folks bring gravitas and reality to a story that does drift into the un-reality at times.
And then there is the performance of the always good Ethan Hawke as the villain of this piece - THE GRABBER. It is a masterful performance by Hawke who brings humanity to this monster. Almost every actor that plays a villain say that they try to see the film from the villain’s point of view and Hawke brings that to this character in spades and (almost) makes one want to root for him. It is one of the better villains realized on film in the last few years.
One quibble with The Black Phone, is that it does have a tendency to sag a bit (especially in the middle). It is in the middle of the film that one can tell that this movie was based on a SHORT story and so, by necessity, there is some padding.
But that is picking a nit in what is a smart and tense film, one that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 1 in TV
Jul 5, 2019 (Updated Jul 5, 2019)
Welcome to Hawkins
For me, the first season of Stranger Things is perfect, and I really, and truly mean that.
The acting is top notch, the young actors in particular are phenomenal, believable, hugely professional.
Winona Ryder is fantastic as Joyce Byers, a mother losing her mind over the disappearance of her son (or is she). David Harbour is possibly the most likeable TV character in recent history, as Hopper, and then we have a host of supporting characters who all have an individual impact on the overall narrative (Justice for Barb)
There is an impending sense of dread throughout, as the mystery of Wills disappearance is slowly unravelled, as the season flits effortlessly from 80s buddy adventure, to creature feature, to government conspiracy thriller - there are many plates being spun, and none of them fall off.
Some of the more tense scenes will have you on the edge of your seat (R.U.N.)
At times it even reminded of one of my absolute favourite shows ever - Twin Peaks.
The 80s setting is a smart move, shoeing in references to other media left, right and centre, without ever feeling to on the nose, topped off with a very retro low electronic soundtrack, the atmosphere is very well crafted.
All of these positives put together produce an astounding season of television, that is near impossible to watch in bits.
Easy 10/10 for me!
The acting is top notch, the young actors in particular are phenomenal, believable, hugely professional.
Winona Ryder is fantastic as Joyce Byers, a mother losing her mind over the disappearance of her son (or is she). David Harbour is possibly the most likeable TV character in recent history, as Hopper, and then we have a host of supporting characters who all have an individual impact on the overall narrative (Justice for Barb)
There is an impending sense of dread throughout, as the mystery of Wills disappearance is slowly unravelled, as the season flits effortlessly from 80s buddy adventure, to creature feature, to government conspiracy thriller - there are many plates being spun, and none of them fall off.
Some of the more tense scenes will have you on the edge of your seat (R.U.N.)
At times it even reminded of one of my absolute favourite shows ever - Twin Peaks.
The 80s setting is a smart move, shoeing in references to other media left, right and centre, without ever feeling to on the nose, topped off with a very retro low electronic soundtrack, the atmosphere is very well crafted.
All of these positives put together produce an astounding season of television, that is near impossible to watch in bits.
Easy 10/10 for me!
The Little Prince: Picador Classic
Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Ros Schwartz
Book
With an introduction by Kate Mosse Translated by Ros Schwartz All grown-ups were children once (but...
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Holidate (2020) in Movies
Dec 24, 2020
A young woman, Sloane comes home for the holidays to see her critical family who always brings up that she's still single. Meanwhile a guy called Jackson is meeting the family of a crazy woman after just the second date. He walks out of their house when things get weird and uncomfortable.
Both Sloane and Jackson bump into each other whilst returning unwanted gifts in a longer than neccessary but pretty entertaining scene. They end up talking and hanging out at the mall, the idea of a holidate comes up which is something Sloanes aunty participates in in the holidays, meaning you get together with a random stranger specifically for a holiday, just a date with no commitments. Jackson gives sloane his number, at first she refuses to text him but after her mum tries to set her up with a guy she phones Jackson to arrange a no commitment holidate for new years. They get on well and have a good evening despite a dirty dancing inspired hilarious injury.
Fast forward to valentines, sloane is still dateless and once again bumps into Jackson who saves her from an awkward encounter with her ex. This is when they agree to be each others dates for every holiday.
As a lover of rom coms I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Admittedly it was highly predictable but also highly entertaining, I howled with laughter multiple times.
Highly recommended.
Both Sloane and Jackson bump into each other whilst returning unwanted gifts in a longer than neccessary but pretty entertaining scene. They end up talking and hanging out at the mall, the idea of a holidate comes up which is something Sloanes aunty participates in in the holidays, meaning you get together with a random stranger specifically for a holiday, just a date with no commitments. Jackson gives sloane his number, at first she refuses to text him but after her mum tries to set her up with a guy she phones Jackson to arrange a no commitment holidate for new years. They get on well and have a good evening despite a dirty dancing inspired hilarious injury.
Fast forward to valentines, sloane is still dateless and once again bumps into Jackson who saves her from an awkward encounter with her ex. This is when they agree to be each others dates for every holiday.
As a lover of rom coms I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Admittedly it was highly predictable but also highly entertaining, I howled with laughter multiple times.
Highly recommended.
Extreme Cluster Truck Driving 3D Full
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Run for your life! Stop means death, so forget about it! This place is crazed as you are! Jump from...