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Darren (1599 KP) rated The Good Liar (2019) in Movies
Nov 26, 2019
Verdict: Tense Thriller
Story: The Good Liar starts as we meet Roy Courtnay (McKellen) a con man that has mark out his latest target, a widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) who he gets to romance getting close before presenting his plan with his partner Vincent (Carter).
Betty is happy to welcome Roy into her life despite her grandson Stephen (Tovey) not being as welcoming, only for this job to become one that will finally put Roy against his toughest match.
Thoughts on The Good Liar
Characters – Betty is a widow teacher that has always been smart with her money, with her only remaining relative being a grandson that always makes sure she is safe, she is looking for companionship with Roy and wants to remain her own confident self while making decisions with her money. Roy is a conman that is always working on his latest scheme to steal people’s money, he targets wealthy widows with Betty being the latest target, he always presents himself as a kind gentleman and even with the deals he is doing, he does have a violent side to him which he only shows when he needs to, making him a very dangerous man. Stephen is the grandson of Betty, he is always wanting to make sure she is safe and not being taken advantage of, not taking to fondly to Roy. Vincent is the partner of Roy, he is there for any final deal playing the person that will broker the deals, he does try to play into the human side of Roy too.
Performances – Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are absolutely brilliant together, seeing the two legends dominate the screen through the film. Russell Tovey and Jim Carter do well through the film to try and keep up with the legends too.
Story – The story here follows a veteran conman that is still working on his cons with his latest target being a widow, worth millions, only this time he is meeting his match. This is a con man story that shows how one man has turned it into an art never fearing the job will go wrong, but Betty isn’t going to be an easy target. The big problem with this story comes from the fact you know this needs to have a twist and you are just waiting to see if you can figure it out before it is revealed, luckily it is a wonderful twist which can make the story revisited to pick up on the little clues being left through the film. It might not break the wheel with how everything unfolds because it is one where he learn and want Roy to get what he deserves through the film.
Thriller – The thriller side of the film plays into the conman mindset being explored through the film, we are kept guessing, while we don’t need to have too many intense scenes.
Settings – The film uses the locations to the advantages, with busy life of London, which Roy enjoys, to the quiet life which always makes him uncomfortable.
Scene of the Movie – Underground meeting.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – You are left waiting for the twist to happen.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the thrillers that can be enjoyed, it is smart, slick and has two legends of the industry shining through the film.
Overall: Entertaining Thriller.
Story: The Good Liar starts as we meet Roy Courtnay (McKellen) a con man that has mark out his latest target, a widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) who he gets to romance getting close before presenting his plan with his partner Vincent (Carter).
Betty is happy to welcome Roy into her life despite her grandson Stephen (Tovey) not being as welcoming, only for this job to become one that will finally put Roy against his toughest match.
Thoughts on The Good Liar
Characters – Betty is a widow teacher that has always been smart with her money, with her only remaining relative being a grandson that always makes sure she is safe, she is looking for companionship with Roy and wants to remain her own confident self while making decisions with her money. Roy is a conman that is always working on his latest scheme to steal people’s money, he targets wealthy widows with Betty being the latest target, he always presents himself as a kind gentleman and even with the deals he is doing, he does have a violent side to him which he only shows when he needs to, making him a very dangerous man. Stephen is the grandson of Betty, he is always wanting to make sure she is safe and not being taken advantage of, not taking to fondly to Roy. Vincent is the partner of Roy, he is there for any final deal playing the person that will broker the deals, he does try to play into the human side of Roy too.
Performances – Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are absolutely brilliant together, seeing the two legends dominate the screen through the film. Russell Tovey and Jim Carter do well through the film to try and keep up with the legends too.
Story – The story here follows a veteran conman that is still working on his cons with his latest target being a widow, worth millions, only this time he is meeting his match. This is a con man story that shows how one man has turned it into an art never fearing the job will go wrong, but Betty isn’t going to be an easy target. The big problem with this story comes from the fact you know this needs to have a twist and you are just waiting to see if you can figure it out before it is revealed, luckily it is a wonderful twist which can make the story revisited to pick up on the little clues being left through the film. It might not break the wheel with how everything unfolds because it is one where he learn and want Roy to get what he deserves through the film.
Thriller – The thriller side of the film plays into the conman mindset being explored through the film, we are kept guessing, while we don’t need to have too many intense scenes.
Settings – The film uses the locations to the advantages, with busy life of London, which Roy enjoys, to the quiet life which always makes him uncomfortable.
Scene of the Movie – Underground meeting.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – You are left waiting for the twist to happen.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the thrillers that can be enjoyed, it is smart, slick and has two legends of the industry shining through the film.
Overall: Entertaining Thriller.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Book of Cold Cases in Books
May 5, 2022
I love a thriller that involves a chilling ghost story, so when I heard about The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James, I knew I had to read it. (Plus, I loved her other book The Broken Girls.) I was heavily immersed in this novel from the beginning!
I was sucked into the plot of The Book of Cold Cases right away. St. James gets right down to the nitty-gritty in the very first chapter. This book instantly grabs you and doesn't let go until the very last page. I was instantly transported to this small town in Oregon where I was right with the characters. As with her previous books, Simone St. James tells the story from more than one characters' point of view. We are told the story from Beth's, Shea's, and Lily's viewpoint. There was plenty of action and mystery to keep me intrigued throughout my reading journey. My favorite scenes in the book were the ones that involved the supernatural. I loved reading about how Greer mansion was haunted and about what supernatural activities were happening there. I also enjoyed the semi-big plot twist towards the middle of the book. However, I kept expecting an even bigger plot twist towards the end that never came which left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, this didn't really take away from the overall story that much. Something I could have done without was the romance in the book. It wasn't a major thing, but I just felt like there wasn't really a need for it. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this novel. Everything fit together really well (minus the romance), and the story was all tied together by the very end.
I felt that all the characters in The Book of Cold Cases were fleshed out enough to feel realistic whilst reading. I really liked Shea's interest in true crime since I can relate to that. I admired Shea's thirst for knowledge and how far she'd go to find out the truth of things she wanted to know. (I guess we both need closure!) I did feel like she got over her phobia a little too conveniently and quickly though. Beth was a wildcard for me throughout the book. I couldn't tell if she was guilty like many people believed or if she actually was a guilty party. I did like Beth though, and I loved her attitude she had when accused of murder. Lily was fabulously written, and I enjoyed reading about her too. I won't go into much more detail about her due to spoilers, but her part in The Book of Cold Cases was written well. The only character that kind of bothered me was Michael. I just felt like he was thrown in there as an easy way out. We're introduced to him from the beginning, and I kept waiting for some plot twist to happen involving him, but I was sadly disappointed. I just felt as if the book could have done without him.
Trigger warnings for The Book of Cold Cases include violence, murder, profanity, sexual abuse of a minor (not graphic), and kidnapping.
Overall, The Book of Cold Cases is a thrilling read with a fantastically chilling plot. With a spooky ghost story and an intriguing mystery, St. James has a real winner on her hands. I would definitely recommend The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James to those aged 17+ who love being scared and intrigued at the same time. You won't be disappointed.
I was sucked into the plot of The Book of Cold Cases right away. St. James gets right down to the nitty-gritty in the very first chapter. This book instantly grabs you and doesn't let go until the very last page. I was instantly transported to this small town in Oregon where I was right with the characters. As with her previous books, Simone St. James tells the story from more than one characters' point of view. We are told the story from Beth's, Shea's, and Lily's viewpoint. There was plenty of action and mystery to keep me intrigued throughout my reading journey. My favorite scenes in the book were the ones that involved the supernatural. I loved reading about how Greer mansion was haunted and about what supernatural activities were happening there. I also enjoyed the semi-big plot twist towards the middle of the book. However, I kept expecting an even bigger plot twist towards the end that never came which left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, this didn't really take away from the overall story that much. Something I could have done without was the romance in the book. It wasn't a major thing, but I just felt like there wasn't really a need for it. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this novel. Everything fit together really well (minus the romance), and the story was all tied together by the very end.
I felt that all the characters in The Book of Cold Cases were fleshed out enough to feel realistic whilst reading. I really liked Shea's interest in true crime since I can relate to that. I admired Shea's thirst for knowledge and how far she'd go to find out the truth of things she wanted to know. (I guess we both need closure!) I did feel like she got over her phobia a little too conveniently and quickly though. Beth was a wildcard for me throughout the book. I couldn't tell if she was guilty like many people believed or if she actually was a guilty party. I did like Beth though, and I loved her attitude she had when accused of murder. Lily was fabulously written, and I enjoyed reading about her too. I won't go into much more detail about her due to spoilers, but her part in The Book of Cold Cases was written well. The only character that kind of bothered me was Michael. I just felt like he was thrown in there as an easy way out. We're introduced to him from the beginning, and I kept waiting for some plot twist to happen involving him, but I was sadly disappointed. I just felt as if the book could have done without him.
Trigger warnings for The Book of Cold Cases include violence, murder, profanity, sexual abuse of a minor (not graphic), and kidnapping.
Overall, The Book of Cold Cases is a thrilling read with a fantastically chilling plot. With a spooky ghost story and an intriguing mystery, St. James has a real winner on her hands. I would definitely recommend The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James to those aged 17+ who love being scared and intrigued at the same time. You won't be disappointed.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Other Woman in Books
Mar 12, 2019
Disappointed me (but many others loved it!)
Emily thinks she's finally met the perfect man when she runs into Adam at a bar. They quickly begin dating and all seems great, until Emily goes to meet Adam's mother, Pammie. Upon meeting Pammie, Emily realizes that the woman not only seemingly despises her, she will do just about anything to keep Emily and Adam apart. As Emily and Adam get closer, Pammie seems more and more determined to break the two up. Even worse, Adam seems oblivious to his beloved mother's schemes. Emily loves Adam, but she is powerless against Pammie's path of destruction.
I was so excited to read this one, as I had heard so many good things about it, but I wound up being really disappointed. This novel just wasn't for me. For a good portion of it, I felt like I was reading a similar-themed (better) book (Michelle Frances' The Girlfriend), and I couldn't shake that feeling of familiarity.
But, the worst part for me was Emily. I just found her to be so incredibly annoying and whiny. Most of the situations that involved her and Pammie seemed contrived and overblown, and I lost my patience over and over while reading these dramatic and ridiculous scenes. If I were Emily, I would have just walked away. It was all so stupid. I could have had so much sympathy for her if she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but no. She was wimpy and self-centered and ugh. I would have stopped reading, but everyone had promised such a great twist.
So yeah. Twist?! There were no twists here that surprised me. I guessed the "big surprise" part of the book early on, though I still found a bit of the ending somewhat enjoyable. Still, it was not enough to make up for the rest of the book frustrating me so.
So, overall, irritating main character and no crazy, enjoyable twists--definitely not my favorite. Still, tons and tons of people *loved* this one, so it might be a good fit for you. It just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
I was so excited to read this one, as I had heard so many good things about it, but I wound up being really disappointed. This novel just wasn't for me. For a good portion of it, I felt like I was reading a similar-themed (better) book (Michelle Frances' The Girlfriend), and I couldn't shake that feeling of familiarity.
But, the worst part for me was Emily. I just found her to be so incredibly annoying and whiny. Most of the situations that involved her and Pammie seemed contrived and overblown, and I lost my patience over and over while reading these dramatic and ridiculous scenes. If I were Emily, I would have just walked away. It was all so stupid. I could have had so much sympathy for her if she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but no. She was wimpy and self-centered and ugh. I would have stopped reading, but everyone had promised such a great twist.
So yeah. Twist?! There were no twists here that surprised me. I guessed the "big surprise" part of the book early on, though I still found a bit of the ending somewhat enjoyable. Still, it was not enough to make up for the rest of the book frustrating me so.
So, overall, irritating main character and no crazy, enjoyable twists--definitely not my favorite. Still, tons and tons of people *loved* this one, so it might be a good fit for you. It just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Where Treetops Glisten In White Christmas, It a story about Abigail Turner who is a college student during War World 2. She has a part time job at a Candy Shop. She loss her boyfriend due to the war. Those when she waiting for the bus after class, she almost get run over by her bus and a young man saves her before things get worse.A young man get on the bus with her and he decides to sit next to her. He reads a letter he received. He does not know what do about the letter. Abigail offers to help him by saying he should stop by her place to talk to her father. As keeps going it get better and better. There a mystery in the story. There are twist and turns though out the book.In I’ll Be Home for Christmas, is a story about Pete Turner, Abigail's brother. He is home from the war for a month or so. He run into a little girl that was looking into the window and praying. He takes her home and runs into her widow mother.
Will Pete be able to redeem himself and help the little girl? The little girl thinks she found her new daddy. Will it all out you will have to read to find out. Abigail and her boyfriend Jackson discussion their wedding plans. You see Abigail and Jackson get married during this story as well. You meet Merry during this story as well for a bit of time. There a more twist and turns though this story as well.
In Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, We learn about Merry life. We see her working in the Army as well. She is an Army nurse and is working in Europe. She and her friends are trying to help wounded soldiers from the front line.
Merry boyfriend had run away at the beginning the is doing his duty by trying to save children. Merry does not know he is near by. Soon she see him for the first time in a long time. Though he is hiding out, Will things work out for Merry? You will need to read to find out.
Will Pete be able to redeem himself and help the little girl? The little girl thinks she found her new daddy. Will it all out you will have to read to find out. Abigail and her boyfriend Jackson discussion their wedding plans. You see Abigail and Jackson get married during this story as well. You meet Merry during this story as well for a bit of time. There a more twist and turns though this story as well.
In Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, We learn about Merry life. We see her working in the Army as well. She is an Army nurse and is working in Europe. She and her friends are trying to help wounded soldiers from the front line.
Merry boyfriend had run away at the beginning the is doing his duty by trying to save children. Merry does not know he is near by. Soon she see him for the first time in a long time. Though he is hiding out, Will things work out for Merry? You will need to read to find out.
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated Disclaimer in Books
Jan 26, 2019
This author is a master of suspense! The premise of this book called out to me and I was immediately intrigued. I was on tenterhooks all the way through and the story stayed with long after the end!
Stephen Brigstocke is extremely bitter about an event that occurred in 1993, and decides to publish his wife’s book “The Perfect Stranger” about said event. His purpose of publishing the book is solely to provoke guilt in Catherine Ravenstock, and lead her to her own suicide.
I just had to keep the turning and turning the pages until I got to the bit (about a third of the way in) where “The Perfect Stranger” explains what happened. By then I understood Stephen’s bitterness and anger. Catherine’s husband and son are also given copies of the book, and Catherine’s husband swiftly leaves her.
Yet to be satisfied with the outcome, Stephen soon targets Catherine’s son, who later finds himself in intensive care. (Stephen uses new methods this time.)
At 80% of the way through the book, a huge twist is revealed and Catherine confronts Stephen directly.
With 10% of the book left to go, every character has come clean, and I began wondering what more could come – but there was plenty, when everything turned around again at the final twist!
I had been expecting the novel to alternate between Catherine’s life and excerpts from “The Perfect Stranger” but surprisingly Renee Knight deftly uses very few excerpts from it.
The author uses different styles of writing when switching point of views. The majority of the storytelling switches between Catherine’s point of view, put forward in the third person, and Stephen’s point of view put forward in the first person. This was deliberate and effective, so that the reader finds themselves identifying just as much, if not more with Stephen, even though the story centres around Catherine being Stephen’s victim.
Also some passages are told from Catherine’s husband’s standpoint and their son’s, and this element adds to instill the initial concept and add to the suspense.
Although the storytelling sometimes switched from 1993 to 2013, this was smoothly done, and never confusing.
I often buy books when they are on offer for 99p as this was, but I never expect them to be this good – I give this an easy 9/10 and am hoping to find more books from the same author!
Stephen Brigstocke is extremely bitter about an event that occurred in 1993, and decides to publish his wife’s book “The Perfect Stranger” about said event. His purpose of publishing the book is solely to provoke guilt in Catherine Ravenstock, and lead her to her own suicide.
I just had to keep the turning and turning the pages until I got to the bit (about a third of the way in) where “The Perfect Stranger” explains what happened. By then I understood Stephen’s bitterness and anger. Catherine’s husband and son are also given copies of the book, and Catherine’s husband swiftly leaves her.
Yet to be satisfied with the outcome, Stephen soon targets Catherine’s son, who later finds himself in intensive care. (Stephen uses new methods this time.)
At 80% of the way through the book, a huge twist is revealed and Catherine confronts Stephen directly.
With 10% of the book left to go, every character has come clean, and I began wondering what more could come – but there was plenty, when everything turned around again at the final twist!
I had been expecting the novel to alternate between Catherine’s life and excerpts from “The Perfect Stranger” but surprisingly Renee Knight deftly uses very few excerpts from it.
The author uses different styles of writing when switching point of views. The majority of the storytelling switches between Catherine’s point of view, put forward in the third person, and Stephen’s point of view put forward in the first person. This was deliberate and effective, so that the reader finds themselves identifying just as much, if not more with Stephen, even though the story centres around Catherine being Stephen’s victim.
Also some passages are told from Catherine’s husband’s standpoint and their son’s, and this element adds to instill the initial concept and add to the suspense.
Although the storytelling sometimes switched from 1993 to 2013, this was smoothly done, and never confusing.
I often buy books when they are on offer for 99p as this was, but I never expect them to be this good – I give this an easy 9/10 and am hoping to find more books from the same author!
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Good Liar (2019) in Movies
Nov 9, 2019
Murder She Wrote
The good liar is creaky but enjoyable little movie that screams 80s British murder mystery Tv show and while its extreamly predictable theres enough twists to keep you entertained. Whats aparent right from the start is Ian Mckellen and Helen Mirren's on screen chemistry, the two are just fantastic to watch interacting with each other and really help to carry the entire film with thier acting skills alone. Sadly I really cant say the same about the rest of the cast most of whomb come across as stiff, lifeless souls with no personality making most of thier scenes dull and unitresting filler (russell toveys character especially). Plot wise its fine and actually tries some quite brave ideas for this kind of film taking the movie places I really didnt expect it to go. Trouble is the film feels caught between what it wants to be switching between grisly violent crime thriller back to tame old light hearted drama randomly without the two ever seeming connected. Also while ian mckellen is fantastic the film tries far to hard to make the viewer dislike him by using seemingly forced reasons eg showing him far to often randomly cursing profoudly, smoking, drinking or comitting a random out of place extreame act of violence its all very unnecisary and seems only there to hide a twist that comes later in the film. Music cues frustrate too cheaply placed into the film to tell us how we should be feeling during certain scenes but instead making the film feel outdated. Theres no real sense of nail biting tension either and while the story is fun to watch play out with no real danger, urgency or any griping scenes its all just one tone throughout. A big plot twist can also be seen coming right from the start too but thankfully theres enough twists and turns to make that not to much of a problem. All this being said I did have a good time with good liar the two leads clearly enjoyed working together and while the film is extreamly out dated as far as film making goes it will no doubt spark nostalgia and bring enjoyment to people that grew up with shows such a Poirot and Coloumbo.
JT (287 KP) rated Don't Breathe (2016) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Building suspense is considered a difficult task. Alfred Hitchcock was a master of this. You need look no further than the shower scene in Psycho for an example of his work. When a film delivers on suspense it can sometimes take the emphasis off a predictable twist ending. If the audience leaves the screening visibly shaken then a director has done his job.
Don’t Breathe, directed by Fede Alvarez, follows three amatuer burglers, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and the aptly named Money (Daniel Zovatto), who are looking for a big pay day. When they hear about a retired blind war veteran who lives alone, and who may have $300,000 in cash, the trio decide he would make easy prey – how wrong they were.
Rocky is the more cautious of the three, but having grown up in an abusive family she is looking for an escape plan and to take her sister Diddy (Emma Bercovici) to safety with her. This job is a means to an end for that scenario to happen.
If the audience leaves the screening visibly shaken then a director has done his job.
The opening doesn’t offer much other than setting the scene but once the doors are bolted and windows locked it’s game on. Alvarez has a solid understanding of this genre, no matter what you thought of his bloodthirsty Evil Dead remake? In the confines of this house of horrors he is able to let The Blind Man (Stephen Lang) run riot as he attempts to put a stop to the break-in.
There is a sense that Alvarez is toying with his audience, in a bid to starve off the ending. He’s having too much fun. The atmosphere is excruciatingly tense, particularly when The Blind Man levels the playing field in the basement by turning off all the lights. A neat twist in the story tries to create empathy, but it’s a little too late for that and the final act ramps up the suspense to Hitchcockian levels.
Any other person would have dropped the money and looked for a way out as quickly as possible. That is not the case here as each opportunity to escape is met with a roadblock that send the burglars back down a different path. The home invasion horror has been around for a while but done right it can be incredibly effective and in this case Don’t Breathe gets it spot on.
Don’t Breathe, directed by Fede Alvarez, follows three amatuer burglers, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and the aptly named Money (Daniel Zovatto), who are looking for a big pay day. When they hear about a retired blind war veteran who lives alone, and who may have $300,000 in cash, the trio decide he would make easy prey – how wrong they were.
Rocky is the more cautious of the three, but having grown up in an abusive family she is looking for an escape plan and to take her sister Diddy (Emma Bercovici) to safety with her. This job is a means to an end for that scenario to happen.
If the audience leaves the screening visibly shaken then a director has done his job.
The opening doesn’t offer much other than setting the scene but once the doors are bolted and windows locked it’s game on. Alvarez has a solid understanding of this genre, no matter what you thought of his bloodthirsty Evil Dead remake? In the confines of this house of horrors he is able to let The Blind Man (Stephen Lang) run riot as he attempts to put a stop to the break-in.
There is a sense that Alvarez is toying with his audience, in a bid to starve off the ending. He’s having too much fun. The atmosphere is excruciatingly tense, particularly when The Blind Man levels the playing field in the basement by turning off all the lights. A neat twist in the story tries to create empathy, but it’s a little too late for that and the final act ramps up the suspense to Hitchcockian levels.
Any other person would have dropped the money and looked for a way out as quickly as possible. That is not the case here as each opportunity to escape is met with a roadblock that send the burglars back down a different path. The home invasion horror has been around for a while but done right it can be incredibly effective and in this case Don’t Breathe gets it spot on.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Lights Out (2016) in Movies
Oct 31, 2020
When The Lights Are Off
Lights Out- is a scary movie. Its terrorfying, horrorfying, suspenseful and twisted.
The plot: When Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) left home, she thought that her childhood fears were behind her. As a young girl growing up, she was never really sure of what was real when the lights went out at night. Now, her little brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that jeopardized her safety and sanity. Holding a mysterious attachment to their mother (Maria Bello), a supernatural entity has returned with a vengeance to torment the entire family.
is based on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same name and features Lotta Losten, who starred in the short.
Special effects of having the ghost appear and disappear were mostly done by using a split-screen technique as also used in the short. Sandberg said "Whenever she's in frame with another character, it's basically just a split screen. So you shoot it with her and without her. You turn the camera on with her, you turn it off and she walks off, and then you turn it on again. It's super simple, actually." Sandberg also made a list of what he called the "light gags", or different ways to create light sources from flashlights to cell phones and gunfire. In the scene when Diana appears in Rebecca's room, James Wan suggested replacing passing car headlights in an early treatment with the flashing neon sign that appears in the final film.
Sandberg originally based the character of Rebecca on a real girl that he knew who was suffering from depression, and who was engaging in self-harm, which is why Rebecca has scars on her arms, but the development of the film made it less about depression and more of a ghost story in which Diana would have been the real person who died and became a ghost. Wan came up with the idea of making Diana the ghost. Rebecca's boyfriend was also given a twist of being a rocker, but is actually committed and responsible, even driving a safe car like a Volvo. Another twist Sandberg liked was making the imaginary friend for the mother rather than the trope of having the friend be for the child
Its a excellent supernatural movie.
The plot: When Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) left home, she thought that her childhood fears were behind her. As a young girl growing up, she was never really sure of what was real when the lights went out at night. Now, her little brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that jeopardized her safety and sanity. Holding a mysterious attachment to their mother (Maria Bello), a supernatural entity has returned with a vengeance to torment the entire family.
is based on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same name and features Lotta Losten, who starred in the short.
Special effects of having the ghost appear and disappear were mostly done by using a split-screen technique as also used in the short. Sandberg said "Whenever she's in frame with another character, it's basically just a split screen. So you shoot it with her and without her. You turn the camera on with her, you turn it off and she walks off, and then you turn it on again. It's super simple, actually." Sandberg also made a list of what he called the "light gags", or different ways to create light sources from flashlights to cell phones and gunfire. In the scene when Diana appears in Rebecca's room, James Wan suggested replacing passing car headlights in an early treatment with the flashing neon sign that appears in the final film.
Sandberg originally based the character of Rebecca on a real girl that he knew who was suffering from depression, and who was engaging in self-harm, which is why Rebecca has scars on her arms, but the development of the film made it less about depression and more of a ghost story in which Diana would have been the real person who died and became a ghost. Wan came up with the idea of making Diana the ghost. Rebecca's boyfriend was also given a twist of being a rocker, but is actually committed and responsible, even driving a safe car like a Volvo. Another twist Sandberg liked was making the imaginary friend for the mother rather than the trope of having the friend be for the child
Its a excellent supernatural movie.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Good Sister in Books
Apr 15, 2021
A predictable yet oddly thrilling read
Fern and Rose are extremely close sisters and incredibly dependent on one other. Rose has always been the responsible one and Fern, with her sensory-processing issues, the one people look at a bit oddly. Their mother was abusive, scarring Rose, who saw through to her true nature. Fern, who always looks to the good side of people, remembers her more fondly. But Rose has always protected her sister, especially since, as children, Fern did something horrible. Rose has faithfully kept her sister's secret, even though both girls wonder if it made Fern a terrible person. Now Rose and her husband are having trouble conceiving. Fern realizes she could finally do something for Rose: give her a child. However, Rose worries that Fern could make some disastrous choices if pregnant, just as she did so many years ago.
"Most people think of me as Fern's protector. But the truth is, in her own funny way, she's always been mine."
This is an excellent book in terms of the page-turner element. I was madly flipping the pages. It is especially remarkable because the story was actually fairly predictable. I kept waiting for some big twist, but I felt the plot was pretty well telegraphed from the beginning.
What kept me spellbound was the characters, particularly Fern. There was just something about her--you couldn't help but become attached. The cast here is small: the sisters, Rose's husband, Fern's acquaintance Wally, but they are quite well-drawn. Hepworth does a fantastic job with the two sisters, both depicting their childhood and then their current state, as Fern becomes determined to do something for Rose, her long-time protector, and Rose struggles with what Fern's choice means.
It's best to go into this one blind. To me, the story felt pretty straightforward and nothing really surprising happened, but it was still well-written and exciting. Yes, I would have loved a great twist or two to push this thriller from good into great territory. I still think it's worth a read, though, especially if you don't read a ton of mysteries and are more likely to be surprised. The relationship and dynamic between Fern and Rose is really worth a read by itself. 3 stars.
"Most people think of me as Fern's protector. But the truth is, in her own funny way, she's always been mine."
This is an excellent book in terms of the page-turner element. I was madly flipping the pages. It is especially remarkable because the story was actually fairly predictable. I kept waiting for some big twist, but I felt the plot was pretty well telegraphed from the beginning.
What kept me spellbound was the characters, particularly Fern. There was just something about her--you couldn't help but become attached. The cast here is small: the sisters, Rose's husband, Fern's acquaintance Wally, but they are quite well-drawn. Hepworth does a fantastic job with the two sisters, both depicting their childhood and then their current state, as Fern becomes determined to do something for Rose, her long-time protector, and Rose struggles with what Fern's choice means.
It's best to go into this one blind. To me, the story felt pretty straightforward and nothing really surprising happened, but it was still well-written and exciting. Yes, I would have loved a great twist or two to push this thriller from good into great territory. I still think it's worth a read, though, especially if you don't read a ton of mysteries and are more likely to be surprised. The relationship and dynamic between Fern and Rose is really worth a read by itself. 3 stars.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Bloodshot (2020) in Movies
Jan 9, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ok, I'll start by saying that this is one of those films that needs two viewings, not that the second viewing adds anything to it but you do get to appreciate what the film is trying to do. Let me explain.
First off Bloodshot is action/comic book movie of two half's. In the first half we half (well maybe first third) we have Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) completing his mission, celebrating, getting captured and loosing his wife before being resurrected as Bloodshot and going out on a mission of revenge. All of this has an increasingly comic book feel to it, and so it should, the film is based on one after all. However some scenes feel too comic and the "villain", Martin Axe, feels too over the top, especially when he seems to have had a personality swap the next time we see him. There is a reason for of this reviled by the films mid way plot twist but, on the first watch through the "Psycho Killer" scene distracted me from some of the film. Then we get a plot twist that studio Trigger* would be proud of. I'm sure anyone who has read the original source material knew what was going to happen, but that has always been one of the problems, keeping the mystery for new fans but giving the comic book fans what they want.
As we get to the second half of the film it losses some of t e over the top-ness, or at least substitutes it for a different kind of over the top and does bring you back into the plot of 'Augmented man fights other augmented men' which does give us a good over the top action film.
If you do give Bloodshot a second watch then you do notice some clever little bits, like the entire plot being told to us near the beginning of the film. Although I'm still not sure why the London police car has a machine gun in the back of it.
Over all Bloodshot is a o.k. - Good action film but for no brained augmented human action films I think ' Hobbs and Shaw' did it better, Bloodshot even shares Eiza Gonzales with them.
*Responsible for the anime's Kill la Kill and Gurren Lagann both of which have mid season twists that send the series in different directions.
First off Bloodshot is action/comic book movie of two half's. In the first half we half (well maybe first third) we have Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) completing his mission, celebrating, getting captured and loosing his wife before being resurrected as Bloodshot and going out on a mission of revenge. All of this has an increasingly comic book feel to it, and so it should, the film is based on one after all. However some scenes feel too comic and the "villain", Martin Axe, feels too over the top, especially when he seems to have had a personality swap the next time we see him. There is a reason for of this reviled by the films mid way plot twist but, on the first watch through the "Psycho Killer" scene distracted me from some of the film. Then we get a plot twist that studio Trigger* would be proud of. I'm sure anyone who has read the original source material knew what was going to happen, but that has always been one of the problems, keeping the mystery for new fans but giving the comic book fans what they want.
As we get to the second half of the film it losses some of t e over the top-ness, or at least substitutes it for a different kind of over the top and does bring you back into the plot of 'Augmented man fights other augmented men' which does give us a good over the top action film.
If you do give Bloodshot a second watch then you do notice some clever little bits, like the entire plot being told to us near the beginning of the film. Although I'm still not sure why the London police car has a machine gun in the back of it.
Over all Bloodshot is a o.k. - Good action film but for no brained augmented human action films I think ' Hobbs and Shaw' did it better, Bloodshot even shares Eiza Gonzales with them.
*Responsible for the anime's Kill la Kill and Gurren Lagann both of which have mid season twists that send the series in different directions.