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A Day of Fallen Night
10.0
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Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none...
High Fantasy Dragons
David McK (3425 KP) rated Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches #4) in Books
Oct 30, 2022
As a character, Granny Weatherwax first appeared in the third Discworld novel Equal Rites, which was about, well, Equal Rights for both sexes. She then re-appeared (and beacem the unofficial head of her coven) in both Wyrd Sisters (where the broad outline of the plot bears a striking resemblance to certain Scottish play) and Witches Abroad (fairytales as you've never heard them before!). This is thus the fourth Discworld novel to include her as a main character, this time taking its inspiration from another Shakespeare play: A Midsummers night dream.
In this, and unlike the Elves of most comtemporary literature (Elves = good), the Elvish race are a foe to be reckoned with! This quote from about half-way through sums it up:
'Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They creat fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake ...
No-one ever said Elves are nice.
Elves are bad.'
In this, and unlike the Elves of most comtemporary literature (Elves = good), the Elvish race are a foe to be reckoned with! This quote from about half-way through sums it up:
'Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They creat fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake ...
No-one ever said Elves are nice.
Elves are bad.'
The Every
8.0
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The electrifying follow-up to Dave Eggers' New York Times Bestseller The Circle When the world's...
Technology Mystery
Lee (2222 KP) rated A Quiet Place (2018) in Movies
Apr 3, 2018 (Updated Apr 3, 2018)
Superb tension, great monster movie
We're on day 79 of what we assume is some kind of apocalyptic event. A general store is deserted, without power, and in a complete mess. A man and his wife (John Krasinski and off screen wife Emily Blunt) along with their 3 children, are quietly scavenging for drugs for one of the sick children, along with general supplies. They move quietly, carefully moving objects so as to not make a sound. They communicate only by sign language, and the youngest of the children is refused a battery operated rocket toy, because it will make a noise. The family quietly walk back home, and you begin to wonder what exactly could be so dangerous that it's wiped out most of humanity and left this family in fear, desperately trying to remain silent. We soon find out though, in one quick, and shocking moment.
Then we skip forward a few hundred days, joining the family once more in their home in the forest. We discover that the creatures responsible for the apocalypse are blind, with armoured skin and a superb sense of hearing which attracts them to their prey, and also explains why everyone is now being so quiet. The family walk about barefoot, still communicating in sign language and taking care not to make a sound with everything they do. It's very quiet, and very tense, which consequently amplifies every sneeze and every noisy rustle in the cinema I'm sitting in. Some of these idiots wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were in this movie!!
And then we discover that Emily Blunts character is pregnant! We see the family preparing a sound proof cot, in an underground room where the other children are also trying to make the walls soundproof. How on earth are they going to keep a baby from being heard?
Occasionally the creatures make an appearance. All teeth and claws, and genuinely scary as the family try and contain their terror to avoid making a sound. The first half of the movie follows this formula - prolonged periods of silent tension, followed by the odd burst of terror. It's extremely effective. So when the final third of the movie shifts towards more lengthy moments of monster action, with the separated family all having their own problems to overcome, it's hugely enjoyable edge of seat stuff. This really is a refreshingly smart horror movie.
Then we skip forward a few hundred days, joining the family once more in their home in the forest. We discover that the creatures responsible for the apocalypse are blind, with armoured skin and a superb sense of hearing which attracts them to their prey, and also explains why everyone is now being so quiet. The family walk about barefoot, still communicating in sign language and taking care not to make a sound with everything they do. It's very quiet, and very tense, which consequently amplifies every sneeze and every noisy rustle in the cinema I'm sitting in. Some of these idiots wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were in this movie!!
And then we discover that Emily Blunts character is pregnant! We see the family preparing a sound proof cot, in an underground room where the other children are also trying to make the walls soundproof. How on earth are they going to keep a baby from being heard?
Occasionally the creatures make an appearance. All teeth and claws, and genuinely scary as the family try and contain their terror to avoid making a sound. The first half of the movie follows this formula - prolonged periods of silent tension, followed by the odd burst of terror. It's extremely effective. So when the final third of the movie shifts towards more lengthy moments of monster action, with the separated family all having their own problems to overcome, it's hugely enjoyable edge of seat stuff. This really is a refreshingly smart horror movie.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Queen Song (Red Queen, #0.1) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Queen Song is a short novella detailing Coriane's life. It begins prior to her introduction to the Prince and shows a simpler life. Her elder cousin Jessamine wants her to be a proper lady and help restore the power/glory of their failing house. Coriane Jacos just wants to tinker and build things. It was nice to see that similarity to her future son, even though they never really knew one another.
You also get a taste of a second (future) queen in the young Elara, Maven's mother. She is just as pleasant as a young adult as she is in the series, which is to say she's a terror. Elara is manipulative and her power is incredibly strong. <spoiler> We even find out that it was, in fact, Elara that drove Coriane to end her life. Coriane even suspected that Elara was in her mind, but was unable to prove it. She thought she was able to sing well enough to find out if it was true, but Elara was able to resist her. The Queen even got help from someone who could suppress powers, to no avail. Elara drove her mad. </spoiler>
You also get a taste of a second (future) queen in the young Elara, Maven's mother. She is just as pleasant as a young adult as she is in the series, which is to say she's a terror. Elara is manipulative and her power is incredibly strong. <spoiler> We even find out that it was, in fact, Elara that drove Coriane to end her life. Coriane even suspected that Elara was in her mind, but was unable to prove it. She thought she was able to sing well enough to find out if it was true, but Elara was able to resist her. The Queen even got help from someone who could suppress powers, to no avail. Elara drove her mad. </spoiler>
Vegas (725 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Dec 23, 2018 (Updated Dec 23, 2018)
The cast (2 more)
The suspense
The story
Grips you from the start
Not having seen any of the previously mentioned film as yet, I cannot compare this,, so I am not judging based on them.
A very good cast works well together to bring a story to life that sounds like it shouldn't work, 3 blindfolded people on a boat, with flashbacks... It can't work.. Can it?
The answer to that for me is, yes it can - It starts well, grabbing your attention right away, before having a flashback explaining what is going on... These flashbacks work well, which sometimes isn't the case in films and actually are probably more important than the scenes along the river (which are also shorter than the flashbacks)
The terror the people feel when faced with the unexplained happenings is pitched just right and it isn't a gore based film - it is a survival film...
So as long as you can ignore that it is quite far fetched (which most horror films are) - settle down to one of the better survival horror films of recent times.
A very good cast works well together to bring a story to life that sounds like it shouldn't work, 3 blindfolded people on a boat, with flashbacks... It can't work.. Can it?
The answer to that for me is, yes it can - It starts well, grabbing your attention right away, before having a flashback explaining what is going on... These flashbacks work well, which sometimes isn't the case in films and actually are probably more important than the scenes along the river (which are also shorter than the flashbacks)
The terror the people feel when faced with the unexplained happenings is pitched just right and it isn't a gore based film - it is a survival film...
So as long as you can ignore that it is quite far fetched (which most horror films are) - settle down to one of the better survival horror films of recent times.
Andrea D (21 KP) rated Bird Box (2018) in Movies
Jan 19, 2019
The sense of fear (1 more)
Acting
An excellent adaption of one of my favourite books.
As a fan of the original Birdbox novel I was quite excited to see it on the not so big screen at Netflix. I was concerned of course that they wouldn't do it justice but that fear was absolutely unjustified. Everyone acting in this movie did an excellent job of getting across the tension including in fact especially the child actors.
The book for me did bring across the terror and urgency better but this was a very good adaption of the novel which stuck quite truly to the storyline.
I was pleased to see that they didn't reveal certain things as that would have done the whole story a huge disservice and I did indeed have a little weep at the ending much as I did with the book.
I'm very happy to see it done so well and look forward to future adaptions of my favourite novels with a little less trepidation than I did before. The only reason it got 9 stars and not 10 is because I personally preferred the book but this is entirely my own bias.
The book for me did bring across the terror and urgency better but this was a very good adaption of the novel which stuck quite truly to the storyline.
I was pleased to see that they didn't reveal certain things as that would have done the whole story a huge disservice and I did indeed have a little weep at the ending much as I did with the book.
I'm very happy to see it done so well and look forward to future adaptions of my favourite novels with a little less trepidation than I did before. The only reason it got 9 stars and not 10 is because I personally preferred the book but this is entirely my own bias.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019 (Updated Jul 2, 2019)
Contains spoilers, click to show
I saw the film opening weekend and sat next to an eight-year-old boy who was going to his first horror movie. Considering the original Child's Play was the first horror movie I watched after being scarred by It and The Shining, I could appreciate how this film would effect that boy. As a gateway to the genre, Child's Play is and will serve a purpose. The scares are simple and the terror tame. In this iteration, a doll with built-in artificial intelligence and wireless connectivity names itself Chucky after being given to the solitary Andy. The doll had been given a bug right before the worker who built him committed suicide (not an important plot point). Chucky imprints himself onto Andy and all he wants to do is please his best friend. Unfortunately, Andy is a little weird and doesn't make friends easily. But he does make friends with two neighbor children who expose Andy and Chucky to gore. A murderous plan is set into motion and the only person who can prevent a Robopocalypse before the Buddi2 dolls are put onto market is Andy.
JT (287 KP) rated Silent House (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
The tag line for The Silent House is “real fear in real time” the main premise being that the film is shot in one continuous take. You can believe it or not and debate how hard it would be to pull off?
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) head to an old house with the intention of spending a few days clearing it out as the owner is looking to put it up for sale. Arriving late they settle in for the night, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose.
With a noise coming from upstairs Wilson goes to investigate but when he comes back down a little worse for wear Laura has to embrace the darkness and avoid the terror within. It’s an exceptional piece of film making which will leave you breathless. There are a few little twists and turns and a great sequence involving a polaroid camera.
Of course Hollywood has capitalized on this success and churned out a pointless remake as they do with most other foreign films. But it’s not as good as this original horror gem.
Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) head to an old house with the intention of spending a few days clearing it out as the owner is looking to put it up for sale. Arriving late they settle in for the night, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose.
With a noise coming from upstairs Wilson goes to investigate but when he comes back down a little worse for wear Laura has to embrace the darkness and avoid the terror within. It’s an exceptional piece of film making which will leave you breathless. There are a few little twists and turns and a great sequence involving a polaroid camera.
Of course Hollywood has capitalized on this success and churned out a pointless remake as they do with most other foreign films. But it’s not as good as this original horror gem.