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Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Gate II: Trespassers (1992) in Movies

Nov 2, 2019

The Gate II: Trespassers (1992)

1992 | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

6.5

(2 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Was hoping for better

I was a huge fan of the original The Gate when I was a kid and rewatched recently and still enjoyed. I am not sure I even knew they made a sequel until recently which makes sense now that I have seen it.

Glenn's friend Terry returns with two other annoying teen jerks and a pretty girl to summon another small demon into our dimension from theirs. It is all fun and games at first when they realize they can get their wishes granted like getting a vintage Corvette or lots of cash, but the fun soon fades when their gifts turn into shit. I mean literal shit (kind of weird). Things get scary then when two of the teens start transforming into weird creatures and Terry and girl "friend" have to band together to save humanity.

I don't mind dated movies since I am now dated myself, but this one just didn't work. Filmmakers of the original were surprised when it was a moderate hit, so they slapped this script together just to get something out there and it shows. The characters are one dimensional and not very funny or interesting and the plot doesn't really go anywhere.

The final 20 minutes kind of saves the film a little with some cool creature effects, but by then it is too late.

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Murder on the Half Shell in Books

Feb 5, 2020

Life’s Not Quite a Beach

Penelope Sutherland and her catering crew are working on a period mystery filming on an island in Florida. Penelope has hired a few locals to help out, including two teen girls who work part time as servers. After a party one Friday night, the teens disappear. Suspicion falls on Emilio, one of the chefs that Penelope studied under at culinary school. Penelope doesn’t want to believe her old teacher is guilty, but there is something in his past that makes Penelope doubt her judgement. Where are the girls? Who is responsible for what is going on?

It’s been a few years since I read the first in this series, and I didn’t remember who everyone was. Sadly, this book assumes you remember the relationships, and it took me longer than it should have to figure out those connections. The characters are good, but they don’t feel fully developed to me. I was pulled into the plot, however, with the missing teens making it easy to care about the outcome. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the climax was satisfying. Being able to visit a beach location during the winter was a great treat, and I found the balance of the mystery with the slower life of the island was well done. This is a quick read, and I enjoyed it.

Kudos

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Room Upstairs in Books

Feb 16, 2020

The Room Upstairs

Iain Rob Wright | 2020 | Horror, Mystery, Paranormal

7.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Entertaining

This book takes me back to my teenage and early twenties reading years when I couldn't get enough of horror books and would read anything and everything ... most of it was utter rubbish if I'm honest however, I can't same the same about this which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Considering this is quite a short book, the characters are well developed and likeable. The main character is a young lad and soon-to-be-teen, Martin; the book is written from his perspective and although this works well overall, he sometimes comes across as a little older than portrayed ... either that or he's a damn site braver than I am now let alone when I was his age!

The story starts off with a run-of-the-mill visit to a car boot sale where seemingly innocuous items are bought however, it soon turns into a mystery when a door appears that really shouldn't be there and then to horror when what is lurking inside is revealed. The pace is fast and the writing crisp with excellent tension and the odd graphic scene which are not for the faint hearted!

Once again, Mr Wright hits the mark with this highly entertaining horror book and I am ever thankful to him for sending me an advance copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.