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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The First Purge (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Purge the purge
#thefirstpurge starts off with so much promise but quickly descends into one big messy brainless #shootemup. When the credits started to roll at the end of this film I found myself feeling confused as to what I'd just watched. It was like I'd just sat through the new #diehard film not a horror movie & as I stood up to leave thats when I saw in big letters ''PRODUCED BY #MICHAELBAY'. For the first 20 minutes I was really digging this film, it was slow with very interesting set up & seemingly going in a really intelligent direction with its strong social commentary themes & its portrails of human behaviour. See you have the government glamourising & rewarding #violence to secretly encourage the poor to eliminate each other, killing not even being a choice for most people or people not taking the #purge seriously, hate groups using the purge as opportunity to commit racially motivated killings, people embracing religion or using it as a excuse to commit violence. Then theres the people who commit crime outside of the purge & get away with it on daily basis who are never punished making the over all question does the purge do more harm than good or vice'versa?. All these themes/subjects are so fascinating but other than at the start of the movie they are not explored or developed with any depth at all. Tone is a mixed bag here too, theres very very light horror elements mixed with humour thats just so out of place & the shoot out heavy third act just feels like they ran out of ideas or didnt know what direction to go. Theres also no real tension or scares here & the costumes/masks are sparse & unimaginative this time around too bringing no fear or haunting imagery to the film either. Acting is fine but no character has a clear drive or a fleshed out back story making them disposable. If your looking for a good horror film the first purge is to action packed, if your looking for action the film is to generic & if your looking for a good time its pacing & mixed tone is to all over place. Watch #electionyear instead its by far the best purge. #odeon #odeonlimitless #horror #scary #gore #fun #mask #jumpscare #halloween #silly #wednesdaywisdom #filmcritic #filmbuff
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Best Day Ever in Books
Jan 21, 2018
Creepy, eerie narration (2 more)
Unreliable narrator
Tense and terrifying writing
Creepy, twisted tale
Paul Strom has the perfect life. He's a successful, wealthy advertising executive with a gorgeous wife, Mia, and two young sons. They live happily in a beautiful house and all is well. Paul is even taking Mia away for a romantic weekend to the couple's lake home--just to celebrate how good they have it. But the day starts off poorly--they are delayed when Paul takes a phone call, seemingly annoying Mia, and it's clear there is tension between the perfect couple. As they drive toward the lake, it appears as if nothing as is good and wonderful as it seems.
I'd heard a lot of good things about this book and was excited to receive it for Christmas. I have to say that Rouda definitely nails the unreliable narrator. The book is told entirely from Paul's perspective, and the result is an eerie, creepy tale. At first he seems like a slightly overbearing husband whose focus is on providing for his family. But as the story progresses, Paul drops a lot of clues that something (perhaps a lot of somethings) is off and more and more comes to light as the story unfolds that all is not as it seems with Paul and Mia.
As for Mia, we basically see her only from Paul's point of view, which is interesting. Is she truly this obedient wife, submitting to her husband's every whim? And is Paul truly fooling Mia as much as he thinks he is? We're along for the ride, subject to Paul's arrogance and forced to read between the lines as he tells us his tale.
In a way, not much happens in this novel, which basically covers one day--Paul and Mia's "best day ever" away at their lake house--and it can get slow at times. I kept waiting for some explosive surprise or reveal, but that never really materialized. Instead, the strength here is in the tense and terrifying writing and the characterization of Paul, which was beyond superb. As the hours tick by, you'll be on the edge of your seat and sucked into Paul's delusions. I sort of loved his machinations and was totally drawn into his sick little world. He reminded me a bit of Joe from You - just a great, albeit sick, character.
I'd heard a lot of good things about this book and was excited to receive it for Christmas. I have to say that Rouda definitely nails the unreliable narrator. The book is told entirely from Paul's perspective, and the result is an eerie, creepy tale. At first he seems like a slightly overbearing husband whose focus is on providing for his family. But as the story progresses, Paul drops a lot of clues that something (perhaps a lot of somethings) is off and more and more comes to light as the story unfolds that all is not as it seems with Paul and Mia.
As for Mia, we basically see her only from Paul's point of view, which is interesting. Is she truly this obedient wife, submitting to her husband's every whim? And is Paul truly fooling Mia as much as he thinks he is? We're along for the ride, subject to Paul's arrogance and forced to read between the lines as he tells us his tale.
In a way, not much happens in this novel, which basically covers one day--Paul and Mia's "best day ever" away at their lake house--and it can get slow at times. I kept waiting for some explosive surprise or reveal, but that never really materialized. Instead, the strength here is in the tense and terrifying writing and the characterization of Paul, which was beyond superb. As the hours tick by, you'll be on the edge of your seat and sucked into Paul's delusions. I sort of loved his machinations and was totally drawn into his sick little world. He reminded me a bit of Joe from You - just a great, albeit sick, character.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated We All Begin As Strangers in Books
Mar 15, 2018
When I first saw this on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. Loosely based on real life events and characters, this intrigued me. This has a mysterious character known as "The Fox" who breaks into peoples homes and watches them. This "Fox" person was real and struck the area I live in. Leighton Buzzard, St Albans, Tring and Dunstable and other surrounding areas were all in fear of this criminal, and in real life, he wasn't a people watcher, he was a serial rapist. My step-dad grew up when The Fox was around so he is always recalling stories about the incidents and when I connected the dots to this book being about that particular "fox" I instantly requested it!
This started off a little slow for me, and I didn't instantly love it, but it takes it's time to grow on you and in the end I adored this. It is a little sombre throughout, but sometimes, that's what makes a book so moving and great to read.
The atmosphere of the small village environment is absolutely spot on. I've lived in a number of small villages myself, and you do find that news travels fast, plus there is a certain distance put between locals and "outsiders". For this novel, the hostile village atmosphere has most certainly been amplified, but you can definitely feel that static-y tension in the air if you have ever lived "village life".
The writing in this novel is lovely. Very descriptive and picturesque. But where Cummings really shines in in her characters. Each one that we follow closely, Deloris, Jim, Brian and Stan, we become attached to, well, I did at least. You feel as though you know them and you get angry along with them, you sympathise for them and you cheer them on.
Even though I predicted the identity of The Fox, among other things, there are small twists in each person's story that surprise you, so I was still in awe during most of the novel.
This book is marvelous. It's sad, moving, witty and beautiful. Definitely try to get yourself a copy of it you love books about trouble in small communities.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
This started off a little slow for me, and I didn't instantly love it, but it takes it's time to grow on you and in the end I adored this. It is a little sombre throughout, but sometimes, that's what makes a book so moving and great to read.
The atmosphere of the small village environment is absolutely spot on. I've lived in a number of small villages myself, and you do find that news travels fast, plus there is a certain distance put between locals and "outsiders". For this novel, the hostile village atmosphere has most certainly been amplified, but you can definitely feel that static-y tension in the air if you have ever lived "village life".
The writing in this novel is lovely. Very descriptive and picturesque. But where Cummings really shines in in her characters. Each one that we follow closely, Deloris, Jim, Brian and Stan, we become attached to, well, I did at least. You feel as though you know them and you get angry along with them, you sympathise for them and you cheer them on.
Even though I predicted the identity of The Fox, among other things, there are small twists in each person's story that surprise you, so I was still in awe during most of the novel.
This book is marvelous. It's sad, moving, witty and beautiful. Definitely try to get yourself a copy of it you love books about trouble in small communities.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Her Every Fear in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Workaday Thriller
For the record I should say that I listened to the book rather than reading a hard copy, and the reading of the book I was listening to was not the most inspiring. The reader (Juliette Burton) was what I think of as a 'flat' reader - aside from the odd accent adopted to distinguish characters there was little variation in tone and pace through the reading. This is not a style that works for me as I find it detracts from those moments where a writer has obviously written for atmosphere or tension. This is particularly the case where the book in question is a thriller - after all, it's supposed to thrill, not pass by with all the excitement, intrigue and suspense of a banking ad.
In the book's favour I found the main character believable and sympathetic. Her actions and choices, as a trauma survivor, I found more realistic than the standard we are usually given, where a character is given all the most extreme behaviours and responses ,and few if any of the more moderate ones - or if they are they never act upon them. She is likable and logical, even when she knows that her own actions are illogical and driven by fear. Sometimes she submits to the fear, others she doesn't. She is not one-dimensional. The premise for the character that 'she has always been overly-nervous' seems a little superfluous - she has a history that gives her cause enough to be nervous, and I don't think there is anything in her personality that needs justification beyond that.
That said this is not the most inspired of thrillers. There are no real surprises, no great twists or turns . It's a good, readable story( a holiday read, maybe) but it's never going to have you hanging on the edge of your seat, and the end could have been at least one chapter shorter, possibly more. The fact that this so and yet I still wanted to hear more is a testament to writing skill of Swanson and the general readability of the book.
To summarise: I will probably have forgotten I've read this in a month or so, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the read, and though demanding or deeply engrossing I enjoyed it while it lasted.
In the book's favour I found the main character believable and sympathetic. Her actions and choices, as a trauma survivor, I found more realistic than the standard we are usually given, where a character is given all the most extreme behaviours and responses ,and few if any of the more moderate ones - or if they are they never act upon them. She is likable and logical, even when she knows that her own actions are illogical and driven by fear. Sometimes she submits to the fear, others she doesn't. She is not one-dimensional. The premise for the character that 'she has always been overly-nervous' seems a little superfluous - she has a history that gives her cause enough to be nervous, and I don't think there is anything in her personality that needs justification beyond that.
That said this is not the most inspired of thrillers. There are no real surprises, no great twists or turns . It's a good, readable story( a holiday read, maybe) but it's never going to have you hanging on the edge of your seat, and the end could have been at least one chapter shorter, possibly more. The fact that this so and yet I still wanted to hear more is a testament to writing skill of Swanson and the general readability of the book.
To summarise: I will probably have forgotten I've read this in a month or so, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the read, and though demanding or deeply engrossing I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Louise (64 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first time reading anything by Renee Ahdieh, as usual I do things back to front. Her Wrath and the Dawn duology has got nothing but praise so when I saw she had another book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it.I was really intrigued as I heard it was a Mulan retelling and plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
Flame in the Mist follows Mariko, she is 17 years old and is destined to marry, she has had a sheltered life and brought up for the sole purpose to marry to support his social standing. She is on her way to marry a prince from another part of Japan when her litter and convoy are attacked by the Black Clan. Mariko manages to make it out alive, instead of returning home to her family she decides to disguise herself as a boy to find out who tried to kill her and why.
I found this story hard to get into at the beginning, I wasn't totally gripped and didn't have the inclination to carry on reading. I didn't know what to expect with Renee Ahdieh's writing style but I was pleasantly surprised and she had this knack for creating an atmosphere and world building. The downfall to this book was that Mariko was a very boring character. We were told how smart she was several times but we wasn't shown. She was headstrong and knew that she was born the wrong gender to be perceived as anything other than marriage material.
I liked the romance and loved the buildup of tension between the love birds even if it did have some problems. I didn't see the twist at the end coming. This is supposed to be a fantasy but there were no fantastical creatures and very little magic involved. The Mulan retelling is 'loosely based'.
I think for me I am going to have reread this book at a later date - it didn't hold my attention enough to take a lot of it in. I still would like to read her Wrath and the Dawn duology.
I rated this 3 out of 5 stars
This was my first time reading anything by Renee Ahdieh, as usual I do things back to front. Her Wrath and the Dawn duology has got nothing but praise so when I saw she had another book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it.I was really intrigued as I heard it was a Mulan retelling and plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
Flame in the Mist follows Mariko, she is 17 years old and is destined to marry, she has had a sheltered life and brought up for the sole purpose to marry to support his social standing. She is on her way to marry a prince from another part of Japan when her litter and convoy are attacked by the Black Clan. Mariko manages to make it out alive, instead of returning home to her family she decides to disguise herself as a boy to find out who tried to kill her and why.
I found this story hard to get into at the beginning, I wasn't totally gripped and didn't have the inclination to carry on reading. I didn't know what to expect with Renee Ahdieh's writing style but I was pleasantly surprised and she had this knack for creating an atmosphere and world building. The downfall to this book was that Mariko was a very boring character. We were told how smart she was several times but we wasn't shown. She was headstrong and knew that she was born the wrong gender to be perceived as anything other than marriage material.
I liked the romance and loved the buildup of tension between the love birds even if it did have some problems. I didn't see the twist at the end coming. This is supposed to be a fantasy but there were no fantastical creatures and very little magic involved. The Mulan retelling is 'loosely based'.
I think for me I am going to have reread this book at a later date - it didn't hold my attention enough to take a lot of it in. I still would like to read her Wrath and the Dawn duology.
I rated this 3 out of 5 stars
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Private Investigations (Bob Skinner Series, Book 26) in Books
Oct 1, 2018
MoMo’s Book Diary loved Quintin Jardine’s Private Investigations and eagerly recommends this as a thrilling 5 star read
I have read most of the “Skinner” books, starting from the first one published back in the early 90s when I lived in Edinburgh. Now I live in the northern isles but am always drawn to books about southern and central Scotland.
In this instalment we find former Chief Constable Bob Skinner has moved into the world of private investigation.
Eden Higgins is Bob Skinner’s first client. Eden, the brother of an ex-girlfriend of Skinner, wants him to look into the police investigation into the theft of his very expensive, luxury yacht. The police were unable to trace the very large yacht and the insurance company are refusing the pay out the full amount.
Whilst on his way to meet Eden Higgins, Bob’s car is bumped by another as he is reversing from a parking space. The driver of the other car leaves the vehicle and takes off immediately on foot. Bob Skinner then finds the body of a young girl in the otherwise empty boot of the now driverless car. Bob quickly finds himself involved in both cases.
There are many twists and turns in this fast paced instalment where each chapter brings new developments in one or other of the cases. There is reference to the changing Police Force set-up we have faced in Scotland over recent years and this fits with the bigger picture of Skinners backstory and the tension between him and some of his ex-colleagues.
The author expertly leads the reader through the investigations and has a way of bringing each character to life with enough backstory that even if you have never read any other “Skinner” book you will be able to relate to the characters and the personal and professional relationships they share with Bob Skinner. I would say that if you have never read any other Skinner book you will want to change that after you have read this one – I am now going to go back to my bookshelf and re-read them again. If you can, then do read them in order – it adds to the enjoyment being able to follow his private life and life within the Police service.
I would like to thank Headline and BookBridgr for the ARC received prior to publication.
This review is also published on my blog - momobookdiary.com and amazon
I have read most of the “Skinner” books, starting from the first one published back in the early 90s when I lived in Edinburgh. Now I live in the northern isles but am always drawn to books about southern and central Scotland.
In this instalment we find former Chief Constable Bob Skinner has moved into the world of private investigation.
Eden Higgins is Bob Skinner’s first client. Eden, the brother of an ex-girlfriend of Skinner, wants him to look into the police investigation into the theft of his very expensive, luxury yacht. The police were unable to trace the very large yacht and the insurance company are refusing the pay out the full amount.
Whilst on his way to meet Eden Higgins, Bob’s car is bumped by another as he is reversing from a parking space. The driver of the other car leaves the vehicle and takes off immediately on foot. Bob Skinner then finds the body of a young girl in the otherwise empty boot of the now driverless car. Bob quickly finds himself involved in both cases.
There are many twists and turns in this fast paced instalment where each chapter brings new developments in one or other of the cases. There is reference to the changing Police Force set-up we have faced in Scotland over recent years and this fits with the bigger picture of Skinners backstory and the tension between him and some of his ex-colleagues.
The author expertly leads the reader through the investigations and has a way of bringing each character to life with enough backstory that even if you have never read any other “Skinner” book you will be able to relate to the characters and the personal and professional relationships they share with Bob Skinner. I would say that if you have never read any other Skinner book you will want to change that after you have read this one – I am now going to go back to my bookshelf and re-read them again. If you can, then do read them in order – it adds to the enjoyment being able to follow his private life and life within the Police service.
I would like to thank Headline and BookBridgr for the ARC received prior to publication.
This review is also published on my blog - momobookdiary.com and amazon
LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated More (The MORE Trilogy, #1) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
Well yes, you know I am very open with my star ratings and IÕm quite liberal with them at times, but before we go any further, I really want you all to know that this book deserves every damn star a hundred times over. It was, quite frankly, PHENOMENAL and an amazing way to start a series (capitals are totally necessary).
To start, there is a brilliant mythos to the story and the development is this is excellent. I believe this is, in part, due to the fact Franklin builds the story very slowly to begin with, without losing pace. What IÕm trying to say, thereÕs that feeling that you never truly know the full story, but thatÕs a total plus because the characters and the plot keep you truly hooked from the very first page.
Ava, as a lead character is absolutely brilliant. SheÕs a very strong lead, charismatic yet still slightly vulnerable, a different and unique kind of female lead. This all adds up to one truly amazing character to read. Caleb, well, he has starred in many a dream since first reading himÉ.. HeÕs a very brooding kind of guy, with many inner secrets that he tries so desperately to hold close but Ava just chips away. The dynamic between them both is brilliant and makes for very interesting reading, with a great foundation for the rest of the series.
The drama, tension and mystery throughout all build at the perfect pace, pulling you unwittingly towards a truly stunning ending that leaves you needing (IÕm serious, the need was so intense I actually abandoned sleep to carry on reading) the next book ready loaded on your kindle to move straight on. This is a completely fantastic book from start to finish.
Gripping, exciting, amazing, phenomenal, something more than the others of itÕs kind on the market. This is a wonderful start to a series which has firmly wedged itself in my list of favourites. All I can say is that if this is my hangover after finishing book one, with the next one ready to move on to, I dread to think how debilitating it will be when I finish the third installment!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
To start, there is a brilliant mythos to the story and the development is this is excellent. I believe this is, in part, due to the fact Franklin builds the story very slowly to begin with, without losing pace. What IÕm trying to say, thereÕs that feeling that you never truly know the full story, but thatÕs a total plus because the characters and the plot keep you truly hooked from the very first page.
Ava, as a lead character is absolutely brilliant. SheÕs a very strong lead, charismatic yet still slightly vulnerable, a different and unique kind of female lead. This all adds up to one truly amazing character to read. Caleb, well, he has starred in many a dream since first reading himÉ.. HeÕs a very brooding kind of guy, with many inner secrets that he tries so desperately to hold close but Ava just chips away. The dynamic between them both is brilliant and makes for very interesting reading, with a great foundation for the rest of the series.
The drama, tension and mystery throughout all build at the perfect pace, pulling you unwittingly towards a truly stunning ending that leaves you needing (IÕm serious, the need was so intense I actually abandoned sleep to carry on reading) the next book ready loaded on your kindle to move straight on. This is a completely fantastic book from start to finish.
Gripping, exciting, amazing, phenomenal, something more than the others of itÕs kind on the market. This is a wonderful start to a series which has firmly wedged itself in my list of favourites. All I can say is that if this is my hangover after finishing book one, with the next one ready to move on to, I dread to think how debilitating it will be when I finish the third installment!
*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
Amy Christmas (171 KP) rated The Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas in Books
Nov 13, 2018
Seeing the roots of celaenas character (1 more)
Seeing the continent and lands in more depth
I didn't much like sam and celaenas relationship (1 more)
Celaenas an idiot
A rather enjoyable backstory
Contains spoilers, click to show
Overall I liked this prequel, I love the cover I love the characters (most of them anyway). Now I do profess I feel I may have read the prequel at the wrong time as it may have spoiled a few things for me but I don't think it will make too much of a difference.
Anyway,I loved the stories, the catalyst causing the dominoe effect beginning in the first story with the tensions being built beautifully through the next 3 stories until the climax in the last one. I loved each story's arc, Ansel and the mute master, Arobynns betrayal and her downfall.
The book is crafter well through the build of all this tension and dram without staying in the same place or there necessarily being constant drama,sometimes just reflection.
However, celaena, Sam and all the rest of them are bloody idiots. The way in which their characers had been built would lead you to believe they were smart individuals but apparently we were lead astray and it is infuriating to see them behave like such buffoons when even throughout he prequel it's clear they wouldn't behave in that manner. For example celaena not going after sam when he didn't return because of a possible breach of trust. Yeah no. I feel like towards the end celaenas character was dumbed down too mich to make ends meet etc, but if her character needed to be dumb to make it flows into the first book then atleast make it clear throughout that she makes these dumb mistakes. Off the top of my head I can't remember any point where she made any overly stupid mistakes.
Furthermore I'm not a fan of celaenas and Sam's relationship, I love and adore sam but him and celaena? It didn't work it was too artificial and built too quickly for it to feel like a natural progression for the two characters.
Despite all that the book is good,the stories are gripping and lovely to read, if you ignore the bits that make you want to rip out your hair.
Anyway,I loved the stories, the catalyst causing the dominoe effect beginning in the first story with the tensions being built beautifully through the next 3 stories until the climax in the last one. I loved each story's arc, Ansel and the mute master, Arobynns betrayal and her downfall.
The book is crafter well through the build of all this tension and dram without staying in the same place or there necessarily being constant drama,sometimes just reflection.
However, celaena, Sam and all the rest of them are bloody idiots. The way in which their characers had been built would lead you to believe they were smart individuals but apparently we were lead astray and it is infuriating to see them behave like such buffoons when even throughout he prequel it's clear they wouldn't behave in that manner. For example celaena not going after sam when he didn't return because of a possible breach of trust. Yeah no. I feel like towards the end celaenas character was dumbed down too mich to make ends meet etc, but if her character needed to be dumb to make it flows into the first book then atleast make it clear throughout that she makes these dumb mistakes. Off the top of my head I can't remember any point where she made any overly stupid mistakes.
Furthermore I'm not a fan of celaenas and Sam's relationship, I love and adore sam but him and celaena? It didn't work it was too artificial and built too quickly for it to feel like a natural progression for the two characters.
Despite all that the book is good,the stories are gripping and lovely to read, if you ignore the bits that make you want to rip out your hair.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Cabin Fever (2016) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Back in 2002, a fairly unknown filmmaker named Eli Roth brought a fresh and creepy horror film to theaters called “Cabin Fever”. It followed a time honored setup of a group of young people taking some time off in an isolated rural setting but instead of the worn to death psycho or monster on the loose setup, this film had something new in mind.
The film followed the outbreak of a flesh eating virus that was relentless, turned characters against one another, and had audiences wondering what would happen next. Filmed for a modest budget, the film became a hit and eventually spawned two direct to video follow ups, the most recent serving as a prequel to the original film.
There were plans to make a third follow up which was reportedly to be set on a cruise ship but they were scrapped in favor of a reboot of the main film with Roth serving as producer.
The 2016 version of the film is pretty much a scene for scene and in some cases; shot for shot remake of the original that duplicates the characters, situations, and outcomes from the first film with only a few changes along the way such as a deputy being female this time around, an addition to the ending, and some slightly better production values.
While it was entertaining to watch, I found that knowing what was to come stopped any tension in the film as has barely been 14 years since the first film came out, and without anything drastically different this time around, it made me wonder why the decision to reboot the film was made.
I do believe that there is still more to tell in this series, but that there is a better way to do it than the sequels we have had to date and a shot by shot remake. I think a story that ran parallel to the original or a more direct sequel might be very interesting as well as a look at the larger consequences of the outbreak.
That being said, if you are a fan of the series you will likely want to see the remake, but will likely wish that the series had continued forward with the story rather than going back to the beginning.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/20/cabin-fever-2016/
The film followed the outbreak of a flesh eating virus that was relentless, turned characters against one another, and had audiences wondering what would happen next. Filmed for a modest budget, the film became a hit and eventually spawned two direct to video follow ups, the most recent serving as a prequel to the original film.
There were plans to make a third follow up which was reportedly to be set on a cruise ship but they were scrapped in favor of a reboot of the main film with Roth serving as producer.
The 2016 version of the film is pretty much a scene for scene and in some cases; shot for shot remake of the original that duplicates the characters, situations, and outcomes from the first film with only a few changes along the way such as a deputy being female this time around, an addition to the ending, and some slightly better production values.
While it was entertaining to watch, I found that knowing what was to come stopped any tension in the film as has barely been 14 years since the first film came out, and without anything drastically different this time around, it made me wonder why the decision to reboot the film was made.
I do believe that there is still more to tell in this series, but that there is a better way to do it than the sequels we have had to date and a shot by shot remake. I think a story that ran parallel to the original or a more direct sequel might be very interesting as well as a look at the larger consequences of the outbreak.
That being said, if you are a fan of the series you will likely want to see the remake, but will likely wish that the series had continued forward with the story rather than going back to the beginning.
http://sknr.net/2016/02/20/cabin-fever-2016/
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Abyss (1989) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: The story focus on many different vision people have of something happening, we have the military view, the scientist view and the everyday workers view. Each one if different because each shows fear, interest or curiosity of the unknown. Everything comes together nicely without leaving you asking any questions, which in today’s film industry is a normal to get you coming back for more. This was ground breaking for its time and will always be considered a classic. (9/10)
Actor Review
Ed Harris: Bud the lead engineer on the underwater oil rig, he knows how to handle his team to get the most out of them and has all their respect. The whole team supports him over his ex-wife Lindsey, he is also one of the most experienced divers and believes in what he can see. Good performance from Harris showing he was going to be a lead actor for years to come. (9/10)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio: Lindsey ex-wife to Bud and creator of the underwater rig system, she is more interested in investigating what is going on rather than just blowing it up and hoping for the best. Good performance in a difficult role which needed her character to be hated. (8/10)
Director Review: James Cameron – Cameron has been behind some of the most ground breaking films in history and this is right up there with his best. (9/10)
Sci-Fi: A sci-fi film that isn’t about a bleak future or space travel, this really is a rarity in the business. (9/10)
Settings: The isolation adds tension from start to finish. (10/10)
Suggestion: I think this is a film that everyone should see at least once in their life time, it will surprise you the quality even after 25 years. (Watch)
Best Part: The water creature investigating the rig.
Worst Part: It can seem long.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: Yes
Oscar Chances: Won an Oscar for Visual Effects.
Box Office: $90 Million
Budget: $69 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 26 Minutes
Tagline: A place on Earth more awesome than anywhere in space.
Overall: A Forgotten Masterpiece
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/08/16/the-abyss-1989/
Actor Review
Ed Harris: Bud the lead engineer on the underwater oil rig, he knows how to handle his team to get the most out of them and has all their respect. The whole team supports him over his ex-wife Lindsey, he is also one of the most experienced divers and believes in what he can see. Good performance from Harris showing he was going to be a lead actor for years to come. (9/10)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio: Lindsey ex-wife to Bud and creator of the underwater rig system, she is more interested in investigating what is going on rather than just blowing it up and hoping for the best. Good performance in a difficult role which needed her character to be hated. (8/10)
Director Review: James Cameron – Cameron has been behind some of the most ground breaking films in history and this is right up there with his best. (9/10)
Sci-Fi: A sci-fi film that isn’t about a bleak future or space travel, this really is a rarity in the business. (9/10)
Settings: The isolation adds tension from start to finish. (10/10)
Suggestion: I think this is a film that everyone should see at least once in their life time, it will surprise you the quality even after 25 years. (Watch)
Best Part: The water creature investigating the rig.
Worst Part: It can seem long.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: Yes
Oscar Chances: Won an Oscar for Visual Effects.
Box Office: $90 Million
Budget: $69 Million
Runtime: 2 Hours 26 Minutes
Tagline: A place on Earth more awesome than anywhere in space.
Overall: A Forgotten Masterpiece
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/08/16/the-abyss-1989/