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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Eden Lake (2008) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
My boyfriend and I watched Eden Lake the other night, and I actually enjoyed it. With delightfully brutal, cringe-worthy scenes, it’s definitely a film I’ll watch again. It encompasses the typical romantic getaway gone wrong, but it does so with a disturbing beauty you can only find in a horror movie.
What can possibly go wrong when you piss off a bunch of angsty teenagers in the middle of nowhere? As Jenny and Steve, the aforementioned vacationing young couple, learn, a lot. After Steve accidentally kills the gang leader’s dog, all hell breaks loose.
It’s the scenes of death and torture that really give this film its rating. When my boyfriend warned me about how twisted some of the scenes were, “WTF” wasn’t how I expected to react. The age-old, unspoken rule about killing children definitely doesn’t apply here. It’s gritty and jaw-dropping, and perfect for fans of campy horror films.
It should be noted that this film comes without a happy ending–for anyone. That fact alone played a major role in my rating. I’m sick of seeing films where characters get out of an unlikely situation and go on with their lives; Eden Lake, on the hand, doesn’t follow that cliché. It does, however, rely a bit too heavily on coincidence and for that, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
What can possibly go wrong when you piss off a bunch of angsty teenagers in the middle of nowhere? As Jenny and Steve, the aforementioned vacationing young couple, learn, a lot. After Steve accidentally kills the gang leader’s dog, all hell breaks loose.
It’s the scenes of death and torture that really give this film its rating. When my boyfriend warned me about how twisted some of the scenes were, “WTF” wasn’t how I expected to react. The age-old, unspoken rule about killing children definitely doesn’t apply here. It’s gritty and jaw-dropping, and perfect for fans of campy horror films.
It should be noted that this film comes without a happy ending–for anyone. That fact alone played a major role in my rating. I’m sick of seeing films where characters get out of an unlikely situation and go on with their lives; Eden Lake, on the hand, doesn’t follow that cliché. It does, however, rely a bit too heavily on coincidence and for that, I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Bitter Edge (DI Kelly Porter #4) in Books
May 22, 2019
With thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
DI Kelly Porter is back, but so is an old foe and this time he won’t back down...
When a teenage girl flings herself off a cliff in pursuit of a gruesome death, DI Kelly Porter is left asking why. Ruled a suicide, there’s no official reason for Kelly to chase answers, but as several of her team’s cases converge on the girl’s school, a new, darker story emerges. One which will bring Kelly face-to-face with an old foe determined to take back what is rightfully his – no matter the cost.
This is another DI Kelly Porter and is no less exciting than the others. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the plot twist was very unexpected. The setting is in the beautiful Lake District and the author does a great job with the descriptions.
The characters are very well developed and the story flows so well and fast paced.
The story line has different threads which are never dropped and weave nicely together, is written with empathy towards teenagers and the pressures they are under in this social media/digital age. This is a very different direction from the previous 3 she has written.
I'm not going to give any of the plot away.
I loved the book and highly recommend.
DI Kelly Porter is back, but so is an old foe and this time he won’t back down...
When a teenage girl flings herself off a cliff in pursuit of a gruesome death, DI Kelly Porter is left asking why. Ruled a suicide, there’s no official reason for Kelly to chase answers, but as several of her team’s cases converge on the girl’s school, a new, darker story emerges. One which will bring Kelly face-to-face with an old foe determined to take back what is rightfully his – no matter the cost.
This is another DI Kelly Porter and is no less exciting than the others. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the plot twist was very unexpected. The setting is in the beautiful Lake District and the author does a great job with the descriptions.
The characters are very well developed and the story flows so well and fast paced.
The story line has different threads which are never dropped and weave nicely together, is written with empathy towards teenagers and the pressures they are under in this social media/digital age. This is a very different direction from the previous 3 she has written.
I'm not going to give any of the plot away.
I loved the book and highly recommend.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) in Movies
Jan 4, 2019
Not as good as the first
I need to admit straight off that I was never a huge fan of the first Pacific Rim film. It was good, but never lived up to my admittedly high expectations. And I'm sad to say this sequel isn't even as good as the first.
What really let's this film down was the plot. It was ridiculously weak and silly, even for a film about giant machines and monsters. It was uninteresting and definitely made for a younger audience. Which was only too evident from the cast of mostly irritating teenagers. There also seemed to be a lot of minor characters thrown in for no real purpose whatsoever. The effects were good though and the fighting scenes were at least predictably impressive. These, along with a brilliant turn from John Boyega (who's sure to go even further than he has already), at least made this film bearable for its overly long run time. It's shame the rest of the cast were forgettable, although Charlie Dag wasn't half as irritating as he was in the original.
I'm afraid to say you can really tell that Guillermo Del Toro hasn't hand much of a hand in this. It's definitely missing some darkness,some seriousness and a little bit of heart. But like Transformers and other similar films, if you don't expect much then it's at least watchable.
What really let's this film down was the plot. It was ridiculously weak and silly, even for a film about giant machines and monsters. It was uninteresting and definitely made for a younger audience. Which was only too evident from the cast of mostly irritating teenagers. There also seemed to be a lot of minor characters thrown in for no real purpose whatsoever. The effects were good though and the fighting scenes were at least predictably impressive. These, along with a brilliant turn from John Boyega (who's sure to go even further than he has already), at least made this film bearable for its overly long run time. It's shame the rest of the cast were forgettable, although Charlie Dag wasn't half as irritating as he was in the original.
I'm afraid to say you can really tell that Guillermo Del Toro hasn't hand much of a hand in this. It's definitely missing some darkness,some seriousness and a little bit of heart. But like Transformers and other similar films, if you don't expect much then it's at least watchable.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 3 in TV
Jul 9, 2019 (Updated Jul 9, 2019)
Bitchin'
Season 3 of Stranger Things (much like season 2), takes a little while to take off.
Not only that, but there's a good handful of different story threads running at once, in different locations, that at one point, I was starting to feel that it may not land as well as it had done in the past.
Turns out, I really had nothing to worry about.
The overall narrative may feel splayed at times, but by the end, it all feels pretty slick, as Hawkins once again finds itself siezed from an otherworldly threat.
The cast shine as expected, with the usual suspects now experiencing the ups and downs of being a teenager, and the adult characters, having to deal with said teenagers.
It makes for a nice comedic and emotional dynamic, whilst exploring some nice story arcs.
Billy gets more to do this season which I personally found awesome, and I really enjoyed the unexpected connection's he had with certain characters.
The effects are looking better than ever, especially in the breathtaking final episode, but the whole season has some really striking visuals throughout.
This third season continues to remind why Stranger Things is ahead of the pack when it comes to this kind of television.
I'm already (im)patiently waiting for season 4!
Not only that, but there's a good handful of different story threads running at once, in different locations, that at one point, I was starting to feel that it may not land as well as it had done in the past.
Turns out, I really had nothing to worry about.
The overall narrative may feel splayed at times, but by the end, it all feels pretty slick, as Hawkins once again finds itself siezed from an otherworldly threat.
The cast shine as expected, with the usual suspects now experiencing the ups and downs of being a teenager, and the adult characters, having to deal with said teenagers.
It makes for a nice comedic and emotional dynamic, whilst exploring some nice story arcs.
Billy gets more to do this season which I personally found awesome, and I really enjoyed the unexpected connection's he had with certain characters.
The effects are looking better than ever, especially in the breathtaking final episode, but the whole season has some really striking visuals throughout.
This third season continues to remind why Stranger Things is ahead of the pack when it comes to this kind of television.
I'm already (im)patiently waiting for season 4!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Swallows in Books
Jan 30, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2020)
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
Lisa Lutz's latest, The Swallows, introduces Alex Witt, a teacher with a past. She is hired at Stonebridge Academy and asks her creative writing students to answer innocent questions so she can get to know them. "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" The answers surprise Alex. They are not innocent and reveal much more about the students and the school's activities than she expects. The students reveal online bullying and a private message board. She encourages the female students to fight back and fight they do.
While I have not worked at a boarding school, I have worked at urban schools. The online bullying and message board are all too real. So is the school's attitude that "boys will be boys". Lutz uses her characters to show the dark side of technology and teenagers. This is not a young adult book. It is a book for adults which is set in a school.
The writing in The Swallows is witty while covering dark topics. Lutz's word choices and writing style keep the book from being too dark.
I added several of Lutz's books, including the Spellman Files series, to my "want to read" list.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/30/20.
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