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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Pawn and the Puppet (Book 1) in Books
Aug 10, 2023
Comes with some pretty heavy trigger warnings so please check before reading.
105 of 235
Kindle
The Pawn and the Puppet (Book 1)
By Brandi Elise Szeker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Emerald Lake Asylum is not a place most desire to go. Nineteen-year-old, Skylenna, however, made a promise that she must keep. Once hired, she only has one purpose—prove to the council that barbaric treatments, such as waterboarding, scalding baths, and beatings, are no longer the answer. But that all takes pause when she meets the source of terror in the asylum. A patient with a split personality—on one side, he’s the bloodthirsty genius, Dessin. On the other, a hidden persona that is buried deep in his subconscious.
When Dessin is caught in an attempted cell break, he faces execution if Skylenna can’t bring out his core personality and reveal his humanity. She has ninety days to save his life, and the only way to do that is to let him consume her into his world of moves, counter-moves, and master puppeteering.
With each passing day, their bond deepens, a forbidden attraction forming against her best judgments. Little by little, Skylenna uncovers the sinister secrets of his past that turned him into the monster everyone else fears. And Dessin proves to have one weakness despite the terrifying, indestructible persona he presents to the world: her.
I can and will only ever review a book based on how I find it! I never read the drama surrounding it or the author so here goes. Was I hooked? Yes. Did I enjoy the world building ? Yes. Did I find the characters interesting? Yes. So this is why it’s a 5⭐️ for me I didn’t want to put it down I really can’t wait for book 2.
105 of 235
Kindle
The Pawn and the Puppet (Book 1)
By Brandi Elise Szeker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Emerald Lake Asylum is not a place most desire to go. Nineteen-year-old, Skylenna, however, made a promise that she must keep. Once hired, she only has one purpose—prove to the council that barbaric treatments, such as waterboarding, scalding baths, and beatings, are no longer the answer. But that all takes pause when she meets the source of terror in the asylum. A patient with a split personality—on one side, he’s the bloodthirsty genius, Dessin. On the other, a hidden persona that is buried deep in his subconscious.
When Dessin is caught in an attempted cell break, he faces execution if Skylenna can’t bring out his core personality and reveal his humanity. She has ninety days to save his life, and the only way to do that is to let him consume her into his world of moves, counter-moves, and master puppeteering.
With each passing day, their bond deepens, a forbidden attraction forming against her best judgments. Little by little, Skylenna uncovers the sinister secrets of his past that turned him into the monster everyone else fears. And Dessin proves to have one weakness despite the terrifying, indestructible persona he presents to the world: her.
I can and will only ever review a book based on how I find it! I never read the drama surrounding it or the author so here goes. Was I hooked? Yes. Did I enjoy the world building ? Yes. Did I find the characters interesting? Yes. So this is why it’s a 5⭐️ for me I didn’t want to put it down I really can’t wait for book 2.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated High Moor in Books
Jun 22, 2024
123 of 220
Kindle
High Moor ( book 1)
By Graeme Reynolds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life.
It's 1986 and the town is gripped in terror after the mutilated corpse of a young boy is found in the woods. When Sergeant Steven Wilkinson begins an investigation, with the help of a specialist hunter, he soon realises that this is no ordinary animal attack. Werewolves are real, and the trail of bodies is just beginning, with young John and his friends smack in the middle of it.
Twenty years later, John returns to High Moor. The latest attack involved one of his childhood enemies, but there's more going on than meets the eye. The consequences of his past actions, the reappearance of an old flame and a dying man who will either save or damn him are the least of his problems. The night of the full moon is approaching and time is running out.
But how can he hope to stop a werewolf, when every full moon he transforms into a bloodthirsty monster himself?
I absolutely loved this book! It was good old hammer horror vibe werewolf fun with a little twist of some modern tales. So interesting and gory the characters were brilliant from the “goodies” to the “baddies”. I didn’t want to put it down best werewolf book I’ve read for a long time. Highly recommend!
Kindle
High Moor ( book 1)
By Graeme Reynolds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When John Simpson hears of a bizarre animal attack in his old home town of High Moor, it stirs memories of a long forgotten horror. John knows the truth. A werewolf stalks the town once more, and on the night of the next full moon, the killing will begin again. He should know. He survived a werewolf attack in 1986, during the worst year of his life.
It's 1986 and the town is gripped in terror after the mutilated corpse of a young boy is found in the woods. When Sergeant Steven Wilkinson begins an investigation, with the help of a specialist hunter, he soon realises that this is no ordinary animal attack. Werewolves are real, and the trail of bodies is just beginning, with young John and his friends smack in the middle of it.
Twenty years later, John returns to High Moor. The latest attack involved one of his childhood enemies, but there's more going on than meets the eye. The consequences of his past actions, the reappearance of an old flame and a dying man who will either save or damn him are the least of his problems. The night of the full moon is approaching and time is running out.
But how can he hope to stop a werewolf, when every full moon he transforms into a bloodthirsty monster himself?
I absolutely loved this book! It was good old hammer horror vibe werewolf fun with a little twist of some modern tales. So interesting and gory the characters were brilliant from the “goodies” to the “baddies”. I didn’t want to put it down best werewolf book I’ve read for a long time. Highly recommend!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Get Smart (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
In the post Cold-War era the focus on national security has changed from focusing on Eastern Block adversaries to terror cells and state sponsored terrorism. For the agents of the ultra secret agency Control, the demise of their arch nemesis KAOS was the signal that they had ceased to be important in the world of today and had shut down when in truth they just went further into a cloak of secrecy and continued their mission.
In the new movie “Get Smart” audiences are given a new interpretation of the classic Mel Brooks/Buck Henry series that started Don Adams and Barbra Feldon as a pair of secret agents tasked with saving the world.
This time out Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway star Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 as they are forced to work with one another following a devastating attack on Control headquarters which results in the exposure of their operatives worldwide.
With no agents having the required anonymity needed to perform covert missions, the Chief of Control (Alan Arkin), is forced to promote eager intelligence analyst Smart to the ranks of field agent and pairs him with Agent 99 who is still able to maintain her guise thanks to some prep work she had done for a prior assignment.
To say that 99 is not thrilled to be paired with Smart would be an understatement, as she sees the eager Smart to be an unproven liability and one that would likely cause the failure of the mission and kill both of them.
Since the ultra suave Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson), is unable to work in the field, Smart and Agent 99 are forced to work with one another as they head off to Russia to get to the bottom of the weapons threat and hopefully follow the trail to the ultimate threat, Siegfried (Terrance Stamp), who is the brains behind an all new wave of terror that only Agent 99 and Smart can stop.
The film starts out slowly, but eventually finds its rhythm and does a decent job of blending comedy and action. Hathaway and Carell do a great job with the material as both roles require a degree of physicality that they have not shown in previous works.
The laughs on the film are constant, but they are off the more dumb humor comedy as nobody will mistake this film as a piece of high comedy. Which is not to say this is a bad thing as Carell is very likeable as Smart and while he portrays the character differently than did the late Don Adams; he maintains the goofy competence that his character requires as despite being a goofball, he does get the job done in the end.
The fine supporting work by Arkin and Johnson as well as a good amount of cameos lead to the fun of the film.
It is important to note that this is not a retelling of the original series that ran from 1965-1970 but a completely new interpretation of the series which has been updated to reflect the modern setting yet contains plenty of winks to the show that inspired it.
While many of the series catch phrases seem out of place in the film, I found myself enjoying the new film despite being a fan of the original series.
Some have leveled criticism that the film has traded locker room humor, stupid comedy, and FX for the wit and inventiveness that made the original series so popular.
I found myself enjoying the new version of the film and enjoyed the performances of the characters and while not side splittingly funny, there were more than enough chuckles along the way to keep me entertained.
Here is hoping 86 and 99 will be back on the big screen for future missions.
In the new movie “Get Smart” audiences are given a new interpretation of the classic Mel Brooks/Buck Henry series that started Don Adams and Barbra Feldon as a pair of secret agents tasked with saving the world.
This time out Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway star Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 as they are forced to work with one another following a devastating attack on Control headquarters which results in the exposure of their operatives worldwide.
With no agents having the required anonymity needed to perform covert missions, the Chief of Control (Alan Arkin), is forced to promote eager intelligence analyst Smart to the ranks of field agent and pairs him with Agent 99 who is still able to maintain her guise thanks to some prep work she had done for a prior assignment.
To say that 99 is not thrilled to be paired with Smart would be an understatement, as she sees the eager Smart to be an unproven liability and one that would likely cause the failure of the mission and kill both of them.
Since the ultra suave Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson), is unable to work in the field, Smart and Agent 99 are forced to work with one another as they head off to Russia to get to the bottom of the weapons threat and hopefully follow the trail to the ultimate threat, Siegfried (Terrance Stamp), who is the brains behind an all new wave of terror that only Agent 99 and Smart can stop.
The film starts out slowly, but eventually finds its rhythm and does a decent job of blending comedy and action. Hathaway and Carell do a great job with the material as both roles require a degree of physicality that they have not shown in previous works.
The laughs on the film are constant, but they are off the more dumb humor comedy as nobody will mistake this film as a piece of high comedy. Which is not to say this is a bad thing as Carell is very likeable as Smart and while he portrays the character differently than did the late Don Adams; he maintains the goofy competence that his character requires as despite being a goofball, he does get the job done in the end.
The fine supporting work by Arkin and Johnson as well as a good amount of cameos lead to the fun of the film.
It is important to note that this is not a retelling of the original series that ran from 1965-1970 but a completely new interpretation of the series which has been updated to reflect the modern setting yet contains plenty of winks to the show that inspired it.
While many of the series catch phrases seem out of place in the film, I found myself enjoying the new film despite being a fan of the original series.
Some have leveled criticism that the film has traded locker room humor, stupid comedy, and FX for the wit and inventiveness that made the original series so popular.
I found myself enjoying the new version of the film and enjoyed the performances of the characters and while not side splittingly funny, there were more than enough chuckles along the way to keep me entertained.
Here is hoping 86 and 99 will be back on the big screen for future missions.
Disposable Futures: The Seduction of Violence in the Age of Spectacle
Brad Evans and Henry A. Giroux
Book
"This is a must-read book for anyone ready to transcend fear and imagine a new reality."--Tikkun...
Infected by Scott Sigler
Podcast
Across America a mysterious disease is turning ordinary people into raving, paranoid murderers who...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) in Movies
Mar 19, 2018
Whomp Whomp
The Good: It's got the word "Cloverfield" in the title? That's gotta count for something right. First two films? Solid. The Cloverfield Paradox? Please avoid at all costs.
Confusion abounds as the film rushes through itself. Throughout its entirety, I sat there wondering, "Is this how it feels to be born?" I was angry. Confused. Lost. Not a decent combination of feelings when you're trying to have a good time. The most frustrating part was being able to see the holes that could have been plugged to make the film better. This is what happens when potential suffers from a lack of follow-through.
I wanted to like it, but it just wouldn't give me the chance. The sheer lack of explanation throughout is just plain maddening. You think it's coming, then director Julius Onah hits you with a "Are we good here? Yeah, we're good here, let's move on. Next scene!"
Meanwhile, the characters are running around as if the crazy things that are happening are just another walk in the park. I've never seen a calmer reaction in film to a guy suddenly losing his arm. Why aren't your eyes wide with terror? Why aren't you screaming? There are some things that happen on the ship (no more spoilers) that are ridiculously insane, but everyone seems to be as cool as a cucumber for the most part. Sure, there may be an initial shock reaction, but the reaction wears off in no time. A part of instilling panic in the audience is seeing the characters panic. Unsuccessful.
To make matters worse, The Cloverfield Paradox never really feels like a complete tie-in to the other two films. It's about a space crew trying to harness new forms of energy out in space to save a dying Earth. Frustrating at best, it's absolutely a skip for me. I give it a 43.
Confusion abounds as the film rushes through itself. Throughout its entirety, I sat there wondering, "Is this how it feels to be born?" I was angry. Confused. Lost. Not a decent combination of feelings when you're trying to have a good time. The most frustrating part was being able to see the holes that could have been plugged to make the film better. This is what happens when potential suffers from a lack of follow-through.
I wanted to like it, but it just wouldn't give me the chance. The sheer lack of explanation throughout is just plain maddening. You think it's coming, then director Julius Onah hits you with a "Are we good here? Yeah, we're good here, let's move on. Next scene!"
Meanwhile, the characters are running around as if the crazy things that are happening are just another walk in the park. I've never seen a calmer reaction in film to a guy suddenly losing his arm. Why aren't your eyes wide with terror? Why aren't you screaming? There are some things that happen on the ship (no more spoilers) that are ridiculously insane, but everyone seems to be as cool as a cucumber for the most part. Sure, there may be an initial shock reaction, but the reaction wears off in no time. A part of instilling panic in the audience is seeing the characters panic. Unsuccessful.
To make matters worse, The Cloverfield Paradox never really feels like a complete tie-in to the other two films. It's about a space crew trying to harness new forms of energy out in space to save a dying Earth. Frustrating at best, it's absolutely a skip for me. I give it a 43.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Mouth of the Dark in Books
Jan 31, 2019
The Mouth of the Dark is the second book by Tim Waggoner that I’ve read and, after completing it, I’m pretty convinced I’ll like just about any of his work. Waggoner is imaginative and original, and The Mouth of the Dark takes readers to an entirely new world of monstrosities. It’s easily one of the most fantastic books I’ve read this year.
Jayce Lewis’s daughter has gone missing. No one’s seen her and in pursuit of her whereabouts, Jayce stumbles upon a world known as Shadow. Shadow is a dangerous place where nightmares are reality and with the help of a woman named Nicola, Jayce quickly discovers finding out what happened to his daughter isn’t going to be easy. The pair encounter several awesome creatures on their journey, some harmless and others not so much.
Nicola is a fairly likable character and I don’t have a whole lot to say about her. Jayce, on the other hand, has serious mommy issues–which you’ll see if you read the book. Though I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks, Waggoner does a great job of filling Jayce out. By the end of the book, you know him pretty well.
The plot is a bit slow, and this is perhaps because of the time Waggoner spends detailing Shadow. I’m okay with this, as it’s an amazing ecosystem of horror. For the most part it is pretty straightforward, though the tenses do switch during the flashbacks. I found this to be mildly distracting, but overall it did not detract from the book.
The Mouth of the Dark is a great read and I highly recommend it to those who are into true horror. It is riddled with terror and depravity and there are some parts of the book that may make the squeamish uncomfortable. It’s definitely a title I’m glad to have on my shelf.
I’d like to thank Flame Tree Press for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
Jayce Lewis’s daughter has gone missing. No one’s seen her and in pursuit of her whereabouts, Jayce stumbles upon a world known as Shadow. Shadow is a dangerous place where nightmares are reality and with the help of a woman named Nicola, Jayce quickly discovers finding out what happened to his daughter isn’t going to be easy. The pair encounter several awesome creatures on their journey, some harmless and others not so much.
Nicola is a fairly likable character and I don’t have a whole lot to say about her. Jayce, on the other hand, has serious mommy issues–which you’ll see if you read the book. Though I didn’t really enjoy the flashbacks, Waggoner does a great job of filling Jayce out. By the end of the book, you know him pretty well.
The plot is a bit slow, and this is perhaps because of the time Waggoner spends detailing Shadow. I’m okay with this, as it’s an amazing ecosystem of horror. For the most part it is pretty straightforward, though the tenses do switch during the flashbacks. I found this to be mildly distracting, but overall it did not detract from the book.
The Mouth of the Dark is a great read and I highly recommend it to those who are into true horror. It is riddled with terror and depravity and there are some parts of the book that may make the squeamish uncomfortable. It’s definitely a title I’m glad to have on my shelf.
I’d like to thank Flame Tree Press for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of unbiased review.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Cloverfield (2008) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019 (Updated Aug 19, 2019)
Cloverfield is a rare beast - it's a genuinely quality movie experience, but another aspect that truly sets it apart is it's infamous marketing, which I'll talk about first.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.
I remember the trailer for Cloverfield debuting. A first person 'found footage' style camera angle, watching a group of people at a party, when suddenly, a distant explosion rocks the building. As they all head to the roof to see whats going on, flaming debris is hurled towards them. They run to the street just in time the see the Statue of Liberty's fricking torn off head slam to the street as screaming echoes all around and then the trailer ends with a release date. Not title or any further info. It was fantastic.
The internet lit up with rumours, from Godzilla to Pokemon (!?) as fake websites we're set up left and right, providing small clues to what was coming.
I went to see Cloverfield on release day, completely unsure of what I was about to see, and it was pretty awesome.
The film itself lived up to the hype for me, as New York is attacked by an unknown monster. It's tense and all of the then-unknown leads sell the panic and terror very well, in a post 9/11 world.
We are drip fed glimpses of the monster (there's one particular shot where they see it from a collapsing skyscraper that is really quite chilling) in a smart move that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
The concept of 'found footage' isn't anything new in this day and age, but Cloverfield does something with it that feels fresh and thrilling.
The film ends rather abruptly, leaving you feeling like you've just been caught in stampede or something,
And ultimately leaves the audience with more questions than answers to the excellent marketing campaign.
It's different and deserves your attention.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 18, 2020
Terrifying
Don't you just love it when you go and see a film you know little to nothing about, and end up being pleasantly surprised at how good it is? Yesterday was my last chance to catch a film due to closure because of the coronavirus, and I'm very glad I chose to watch The Invisible Man.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
Right from the opening scene, the first half of this film i found absolutely terrifying. The score really helps to build up a lot of tension and I found myself on the edge of my seat. I'm known for being quite hardened when it comes to scary films, but there was something about this film that had me wanting to hide my head in my hands. It may just be the idea of an invisible enemy or jump scares that you obviously can't see coming, but I havent been this creeped out in a long time.
The second half of the film is a little less scary and ends up being more like a thriller, which was probably a good thing as I dont think I could've handled that level of terror for the entire film! The acting is great, especially from Elizabeth Moss and really had me questioning her character's sanity. She carries the entire film and she puts in a brilliant performance. The technology and science behind this is maybe a little lacking and questionable at times, but as they dont focus too much on the detail of this and the backstory of Adrian it's rather easy to ignore some of the slightly dodgy science and just enjoy the ride. There are a lot of twists and turns in this film that I hadn't been expecting, and I found the ending to be especially satisfying.
Overall this is a unexpected yet hugely enjoyable thriller that had me cowering in my seat for a good hour. Not many films can do that.
Hotel Transylvania 2
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Build your own monster hotel with Drac and all your favorite monsters from HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2!...