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Jon Cryer recommended Aliens (1986) in Movies (curated)

 
Aliens (1986)
Aliens (1986)
1986 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

"Not Alien, which is great, but doesn’t quite hold up, partially because there is a couple of special effects issues. The chest-burster, as originally conceived, just doesn’t work anymore. But Aliens is, in my mind, the perfectly constructed thriller. People forget that it starts off real slow. I mean, there’s like 40 minutes of quiet. And then all of a sudden you can’t leave your seat. It’s beautifully constructed in terms of, every time you think that they’re gonna get some respite, they get a moment to get their stuff together and maybe get out of this, things get worse and yet they somehow keep going. It was one of the most pure moviegoing experiences I’ve ever had. I loved every minute of it and it made me feel lucky to be an audience member. You can’t get around an experience like that."

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Melanie Caldicott (6 KP) rated Sister in Books

Apr 29, 2021  
Sister
Sister
4
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disappointing. For me this book lacked any real suspense and the plot was far too engineered.
The protagonist and also narrative voice, Bee was annoying at times with her opinionated piety and judgmental attitude which, even in the light of her grief made her seem bigoted rather than detached through her mourning.
Whilst I liked the device used to create the twist at the end I had guessed who the murderer was way before it was revealed because his relationship with Bee was so implausible.
I found the plot boring at times and felt the genetic research element of the plot sensationalist and naive.
The relationship portrayed between Bee and her murdered sister, Tess was the strongest part of the book. It was written quite movingly at times and was very vivid and heart-warming. However, this was very much marred by the poor thriller-style plot.
  
Layer Cake (2004)
Layer Cake (2004)
2004 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
7
7.4 (22 Ratings)
Movie Rating
British crime thriller. A highly professional and goal-oriented businessman in the drugs trade finds his well-organised life falling into chaos when he gets mixed up with stolen Ecstasy, Serbian war criminals and a missing heiress. Could he be forced to become something he despises - an actual gangster?

Looks a bit like a Guy Ritchie movie - and not without reason, for Matthew Vaughn produced the early Ritchie films - but the tone is (thankfully) more measured and serious. The plot is nothing very distinctive, although the subtext about Craig's character having to adopt the brutal methods of the people he encounters has some interest. Good performances from a strong cast; Michael Gambon is scary as a gang boss, but it's Daniel Craig's movie. This is apparently the performance that swung Bond for him, but the film deserves to be recognised on its own merits.
  
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Kate (482 KP) rated Gasping For Air in Books

Oct 19, 2020 (Updated Oct 19, 2020)  
Gasping For Air
Gasping For Air
Abigail Keam | 2015 | Mystery, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was the second book in the series. I enjoyed this book more than the first. A couple of characters from the initial book were also in this book and it tied the entire series in as all the books are based at the motel. I was proud of Lillian for just up and leaving. It takes a strong person to do this and someone who just snaps and has enough. I liked the change of pace in this story as it had a dangerous element to it. I guessed who the stalker was as it was obvious but I don't feel this book was written to be an 'edge of your seat thriller'. I also hadn't expected it to be. Lillian definitly grew as the book went on. Even though she was a strong woman to begin with but she became alot stronger. It also had a nice ending.
  
The Guest (2014)
The Guest (2014)
2014 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The villain is superbly acted (4 more)
The film is extremely tense
The blood splatter is 80s-tastic
The music fits the film well
The diner scene is pretty damn cool
Adam Wingard strikes again with another seriously strong film. This one feels part home invasion horror and part 80s action thriller. There's some really nice blood splatter from gunshots in this flick. The villain is portrayed to perfection in a performance on par with Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler and Ledger in The Dark Knight, or at least that's my opinion. The plot is a bit wild but it's a fun ride with some really memorable sequences. The diner scene in particular was pretty spectacular even though in the grand scheme of the finale it wasn't the biggest attraction. All in all a very entertaining film and another hit for Wingard to keep him in my top 5 modern filmmakers.
  
Angel Heart (1987)
Angel Heart (1987)
1987 | Drama, Mystery
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Dark and brooding occult movie that reveals its hand pretty early on and throughout its runtime, but you may miss this due to being totally engrossed by the fine performances especially from Mickey Rourke who turns in what I believe is a career best as the detective who decends into madness whilst investigating a case.
It's quite an effective thriller/detective story dripping with genuine dread and its share of disturbing and intricate scenes that will still spook you, even in today's era of CGI trickery.
Rourke really surprises here and you wonder what really happened to his star over the years as he showed real promise as an emerging new talent at the time and showed some glimpses of this greatness in 'The Wrestler' much later on in his career.
Robert De Niro plays only a small but extremely memorable and effective role that will chill you to the bone.
  
Play Dead (Elise Sandburg book 1)
Play Dead (Elise Sandburg book 1)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hooked from the start
No one is more familiar with Savannah's dark side than homicide detective and native resident Elise Sandburg. She's been haunted for years by her own mysterious past: she was abandoned as a baby in one of the city's ancient cemeteries, and it's rumored that she is the illegitimate daughter of an infamous Savannah root doctor. The local Gullah culture of voodoo and magic is one that few outsiders can understand, least of all Elise's new ...

<strong>Hooked</strong>

From the first chapter I was hooked. It's a great mix of mystery and thriller with it touching on the occult slightly. Anne is a new author for me and certainly one I can't wait to read more of.
The relationship dynamics are so well written from the angst of a strained mother daughter to the new troubled work relationships.
Definitely one of recommend.



,⭐⭐⭐⭐

  
Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan #8)
Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan #8)
Jane Casey | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
9
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Once again, I find myself enthusing about one of Jane Casey's books starring the unparalleled partnership of Detectives Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent. This might be the 8th outing in this series, but it doesn't show and remains fresh and a riveting read from start to finish. I won't go into any of the plot as the blurb explains it well enough and to say more would give the game away but what I will advise is that you be prepared for twists and turns, tension and scenes of peril!

With fantastic characters, a gripping plot and enough back story so it can be read as a standalone, this is one not to be missed for all you fans of police-procedural/crime/suspense/thriller/etc/etc., lovers out there.

Thank you once again to the Publisher via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.